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Lost Humpback Whale Guided Into Deeper Waters by Dolphins
Tuesday June 24, 2025
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The dolphins appeared to help the humpback out of the bay. Photo: Dolphin Discovery Center//Screenshot
In the middle of June, the Dolphin Discovery Center, a conservationist group doing amazing work in Western Australia, spotted a lost humpback whale. It was seen in Koomnana Bay, and the team that saw it decided to keep an eye on it. When they sent up a drone and took a boat out to get a closer look, something pretty amazing happened.
“What started as a grey and drizzly day in Bunbury turned into quite a lot of excitement very quickly,” the Dolphin Discovery Center wrote on Facebook. “Our volunteers on the lookout spotted an animal in the bay that was a bit too large for being one of the Bunbury dolphins. With spotting scopes and binoculars equipped, they could identify a whale near the Outer Harbor. We immediately deployed a drone and the Dolphin Eco-Cruise boat, having been in the vicinity, to check up on the animal and look for entanglements or injuries.”
Luckily, the lost whale appeared to be in good health. It’s not uncommon this time of year for humpbacks to be moving along that particular stretch of coastline. They’re heading north for their breeding grounds, but this one was in a strange place, tucked away in the bay.
“Sometimes it happens that an animal gets spooked by a predator, is in poor health or injured, or might have a fishing gear entanglement,” the Facebook post explained. “These animals then often seek shelter in calmer and more shallow parts to rest up.
As the volunteers watched, they were treated to a pretty amazing sight: a pod of dolphins appeared to guide the whale out of the bay and into the deep waters of Geographe Bay, so that it could continue on its northward journey.
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Gamebird keepers urged to be vigilant amid bird flu outbreaks
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Gamekeepers and farmers with game birds are being urged to remain vigilant and maintain strict biosecurity measures after further bird flu outbreaks in captive birds made a return this week.
A case of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed by the Welsh government at a commercial game bird premises near Glyn Ceiriog, Wrexham, on Wednesday (24 June).
It is believed to involve about 6,000 birds, as well as in a flock of 120 hens on a smallholding near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
See also: Concern as two separate bird flu outbreaks reported in Wales
“While the overall risk of avian influenza has declined, the recently confirmed cases highlight the importance of remaining vigilant to the symptoms of the disease,” said a spokesman for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (Basc).
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Basc added that it was essential for anyone keeping birds of any type to follow strict biosecurity measures, as per the relevant avian influenza prevention zones, which remain in place.
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“The implementation of disease control zones following a confirmed case has significant impacts for those keeping birds within in these areas.
“Additionally, for the gamebird sector, there is a prohibition on any release until these disease controls are lifted,” the spokesman added.
The latest outbreaks have occurred at the start of the game bird release “season”, when keepers are opening their pens to let the birds wander freely.
Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust head of communications Joe Dimbleby added: “Any outbreak of bird flu is a concern not only for the game management sector, but for the wider countryside and its wildlife.
He pointed to a clear biodiversity net gain from “best practice” gamebird releasing, including 100 times more songbirds per hectare in game cover crops compared to conventional crops, and up to 32% more songbirds in woodland managed for pheasants.
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Scientists issue warning after detecting concerning surge in infection in domestic cats: ‘Should be closely monitored’
“Domestic cats are susceptible.”
by Tina DeinesJune 29, 2025
Photo Credit: iStock
A scientific review of two decades of information found a dramatic uptick in feline infections of the avian flu in recent years.
What’s happening?
Scientists at the University of Maryland conducted a systematic review of scientific literature from 2004 to 2024 to assess the epidemiology and global distribution of avian flu in cats. They found what they described as a “drastic flux” in infections among domestic cats in 2023 and 2024 after the emergence of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b — a specific genetic lineage of highly pathogenic avian influenza that emerged around 2020 — in other mammals. They also discovered an uptick in the number of ways that cats were being infected with the illness, according to the University of Minnesota, which summarized the findings.
Around 63% of the cases involved domestic cats — they also studied other feline species, including tigers — and most infections were confirmed or suspected to be the result of bird-to-cat transmission, most often from eating dead pigeons, chickens, or other birds. Cats were most commonly infected at zoos, animal shelters, and farms or on private rural land.
Why is this research important?
Cats infected with the avian flu often develop a fever, lose their appetite, and suffer lethargy early on, according to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Symptoms can worsen rapidly and include nasal and ocular discharge, sneezing, coughing, respiratory difficulty, and neurologic signs such as incoordination, tremors, seizures, and blindness.
But the scientists are also worried about the implications of an uptick in feline bird flu for people.
“Infections among mammalian species in frequent contact with humans should be closely monitored,” the researchers stated, per the University of Minnesota. “Domestic cats are susceptible to [avian influenza virus] infection and provide a potential pathway for zoonotic spillover to humans.”
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Bird flu in humans is still relatively rare, although several cases related to contact with dairy cows have been reported in the U.S. An infection can lead to complications such as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, bacterial infections, sepsis, brain swelling, and respiratory failure, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Free-roaming cats not only open the door for the spread of zoonotic diseases, but they are also a major threat to wild animals. According to the American Bird Conservancy, cats have contributed to the extinction of 63 species of birds, mammals, and reptiles. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists domestic cats as one of the world’s worst invasive species. For instance, one birder took to Reddit to vent about a neighborhood cat that was killing birds at their backyard birdhouse.
What can I do to protect my cat and myself from the bird flu?
The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends a variety of precautions to help owners protect themselves and their cats from the avian flu. These include thoroughly cooking meat before feeding; keeping cats away from livestock, poultry, and their environment; keeping cats indoors to prevent exposure; and thoroughly washing hands after encounters with poultry, livestock, or wild birds.
Meanwhile, scientists, including a team at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, continue to investigate how the avian flu mutates. Such research can help inform more effective preventive methods in the future.
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