Forget Jonah: This Whale Ate Sweatpants, Surgical Gloves

Conditions had left little hope for the creatures

(NEWSER) - Faced with a pod of 107 beached pilot whales, half of them dead, and no help in sight, New Zealand conservation authorities were forced to euthanize 48 of the creatures, reports the New Zealand Herald. The whales had beached themselves high up on the beach yesterday with the tide on the way out, the conservation department had but five staffers available, and more help was a half-day away—all of which left little choice. More»

Tourists help keep animals cool

(NEWSER) - More than a hundred rescuers in New Zealand are struggling to save some 80 beached pilot whales. They beached themselves today on the country’s South Island, and while rescuers managed to turn four back to sea, 10, including one baby, have died, reports the New Zealand Herald . With tides and nightfall preventing any of the whales from returning to sea until tomorrow morning, more are likely to die tonight, an expert says. Tourists are among the rescuers who've tried to keep the animals cool. More»

It was dead, and they were hungry; it's still illegal

(NEWSER) - Two Florida men are in trouble after they spotted a dead whale on the beach and approached it with one thought in mind: Hey, free lunch. "The thing was deader than a doornail," said one of the men picked up for questioning by state conservation officers. He told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that he cut off the tail so he could bring it home for a meal. "I'd probably broil or fry it." More»

NO REAL ART YET, MIGHT WANT TO HOLD OR LOOK TO UPDATE LATER?

(AP) - Dozens of pilot whales beached this morning near the storm-lashed tip of South Africa, prompting a massive rescue operation. Six bulldozers were deployed to push the 55 whales back into the water, but "as soon as we put them back into the sea, they swim back to the beach again," said a spokesman for the rescue effort. "It's not a very easy situation." More»

'Occupy' marches in Oakland, Seattle elsewhere get physical

(AP) - Activists across the US joined the worldwide May Day protests today, with Occupy Wall Street members in several cities leading demonstrations and in some cases clashing with police. Some examples:

• In Oakland, police fired tear gas and "flash-bang" grenades to disperse the crowds, sending protesters fleeing a downtown intersection where they were demonstrating. Officers took four people into custody.