Giant whale washed ashore in Ondo state.

A huge Whale was washed ashore on Enu-Ama beach, in Ilaje area of Ondo state, yesterday. A large crowd gathered around the whale and majority helped themselves to a piece of the creature. Poor creature, washed ashore on the wrong beach. continue

Underwater treadmill to tackle pet obesity.

A local veterinary specialty and emergency hospital will open a new athletic center at its Buffalo Grove location. Officials for the Veterinary Specialty Center say pet obesity and over-exercising was their motivation for creating the center. The new athletic center is hoping to meet the increased demand for exercise and recovery services for pets, many of them due to the rise in orthopedic pet surgeries during the past several years. According to the American Pet Products Association, U.S. residents will spend an estimated $15.92 billion on veterinary care this year. This means Americans on a whole are spending more money on their pets than ever before. “…VSC is opening its new Athletic Center to not only aid in recovery, but also to provide preventative classes, therapies and more to reduce weight loss and injuries due to over exercising, which are contributing factors to the increase in orthopedic surgeries,” the hospital said in a statement. The center is slated to open on Aug. 18 and will offer treatments including laser therapy, circulation therapy and other therapy on its underwater treadmills.continue

Kidneys of 23-year-old Nigerian ‘disappears’ .

It was like a fairy tale when one Isa Hamma of Chaffa Jaule village in Fufore Loal Government area of Adamawa State presented himself at the Jimeta Clinic and Maternity for an ailment and after diagnosing him was issued with drugs and discharged, but told to return after three days for follow up. According to the elder brother of the victim, Mallam Umaru Isa Yahaya, when they came back for the follow up on the appointed date, the Doctor handling the case at the clinic, Dr. Yakubu Hassan, after clinic observation told them that the ailment requires surgical operation if they can afford to pay N50,000.He said they raised the money and the surgery was carried out. However, after the surgery, the victim could not urinate, resulting in the swelling of his body. “On seeing the condition of the patient he (Doctor) referred us to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe because he said the case is beyond his limit,” he said Yahaya added that at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, the medical personnel said “kidneys of the victim was removed after he underwent surgical nephrectomy at the Jimeta Clinic and can only survive if another kidney was planted on him or depend on hemodialysis, and referred them to Federal Medical Centre Yola on account of its proximity”. He stated that they now spend not less than N40,000 weekly for the dialysis at the Federal Medical Centre, Yola. He solicited for assistance from well spirited individuals to enable the patient continue surviving on dialysis. Contacted on the issue, Hassan confirmed that the said patient was operated on for an ailment that has nothing to do with kidneys. He said based on the nature of the case, he referred them to a Consultant at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe. more

Mosquito traps laced with human scent help fight malaria .

Dutch and Kenyan scientists have designed a unique mosquito trap which uses human odour to attract the malaria-carrying insects, helping cut the number of cases dramatically, researchers said Wednesday. A three-year study in Kenya found the special traps baited with synthetic smell helped to catch 70 per cent of the local malaria mosquito population, and led to a 30 per cent drop in cases in households using the devices. Published in The Lancet, the research was carried out on the Kenyan island of Rusinga with the participation of all 25,000 residents. “The odour-baited trap may also offer a solution to diseases like dengue fever and the Zika virus,” Wageningen University in The Netherlands, which led the research, said in a statement. Both dengue and Zika are caused by parasites carried by a different kind of mosquito to the malaria-bearing one, but which is also attracted by human smell. The trap also reduces the need to rely on pesticides to control mosquitoes, which are becoming increasingly resistant to such chemicals. Using pesticides is also dangerous to agriculture. “Beating malaria without using insecticides is my ultimate dream,” said Willem Takken from Wageningen University in The Netherlands. He led the study along with researchers from the Kenyan International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. The solar-powered traps were laced with human pong and placed either outside or inside homes on the island, on Lake Victoria. Mosquito nets and anti-malarial drugs were also used to combat the disease. Since the traps need electricity to work, the researchers installed solar panels on the houses as there is no electricity grid on the island. In an added benefit for the local people, the panels could also power two light bulbs, and charge mobile phones. “Every minute, a child dies of malaria. This disease costs Africa twelve billion dollars a year” in health-care costs and lost production, the Dutch university said. Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted to people through the bites of infected female mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine and some 438,000 people died last year from the disease, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).culled from .themalaymailonline.com

Chilling mystery illness leaves boy, 4, crying tears of BLOOD and eyes bulging out of sockets.

A little boy suffers from bleeding EYES after he was suddenly struck by a mystery illness. Sagar Dorji, four, was a normal, happy little boy until just a few months ago. But suddenly his eyes started to regularly bulge and bleed, leaving the poor youngster writhing in pain. Sagar, who was born to family of labourers, is from Lakhimpur in the northeastern state of Assam, India. Heartbrokingly, mum Kusum Dorji is forced to helplessly watch her son suffer. "He was a healthy boy until recently. The problem started two-three months ago," she said. "First, his eyes got swollen and looked bloodshot. Then it started peeping out of the socket and bleeding. The child has been moved to a state-run hospital - but his family doesn't have the £140 required for medical tests before starting his treatment. Sagar Dorji Child with bleeding eyesSagar Dorji suffers immense pain from the condition. The doctors, who are reportedly treating him for cancer, refused to comment on Sagar’s case. Moved by the plight of the Dorjis, local well-wishers are trying to raise the cash for his medical bills. Mrs Dorji has put out a plea for help on the internet, posting: "I appeal to all kind-hearted people to help me save my son.Continue

Agriculture through the lens of Former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The interest of the former president Obasanjo in agriculture dates back to his childhood in a small farming settlement near Abeokuta, the capital of Nigeria’s Ogun State. At age of five, he was accompanying his dad to the fields where they planted cassava, maize, plantain, oil palm and other crops. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo recalls that his father was considered the most successful farmer in their village at that time and he must have reasoned it out that agriculture is indeed an untapped goldmine. He never lost his fire for agriculture although he moved to the city, the green revolution was within him. He saw the future a far off and he knew that the key to that he had envisioned was in agriculture. . Agricultural policies and programmes to boost declining food production in the country such as the Feed the Nation (OFN) was initiated by General Obasanjo in 1976 ,to encourage more people to venture into agriculture to initiate growth and development of sector and economy. The vision for agriculture as a tool for wealth creation,entrepreneurship, economic growth made him register at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan to learn the art of farming as an apprentice for three months shortly after he left office, he explained that to be a successful farmer "hands-on" policy is important. A successful farmer must be ready to lay hands,get involved with the "nitty-gritty" ,this is where the passion for farming is important. Every venture,business requires a passion for you to push through and experience that your vision becomes a reality. Today his farm is a success and of course he is a successful farmer. Obasanjo farms is a household name in Nigeria, the farm has contributed to the development of agriculture in the country and Africa. The farm, established 30 years ago, took off with two layer houses comprising 100,000 birds each and five broiler houses of 12,000 each, with two feed mills of three tons per hour each. The large farm, which has up to 7,000 workers started with four bulldozer operators. Today, Obasanjo makes money from his Ota Farm, with branches in Ibadan and Igbo-Ora, Oyo state, employs many people and a major contributor to development in agriculture,agribusiness ,food production and processing.

A farmer and his featherless chicken.

Nicholas Ochiko, a farmer in Kakamega county, the pains of having to cover his hen with a blanket every brooding season is becoming too much to bear. He has had to keep the hen under a tight watch since others in the spacious compound keep pecking her - probably on the thought of a large piece of meat moving around. The hen - hatched in March 2015 with five others- bothers him not only with the brooding challenge, but also with the ridicule of his witty neighbors who keep taunting them about the strange bird. It also leaves the house at around 8am and returns as early as 4pm, meaning that someone has to be home early to ensure the hen gets to its nest to avoid the cold weather. Ochiko, a resident of Mwibwi village, Matawa sub-location, Mumias is appealing to government to help him understand why the hen has remained featherless since it was hatched. "The other five chicks it was hatched with were normal. They had full feathers. But this one had little feathers around its neck, head and wings. Those on the neck and part of the wings have withered off," Ochiko said. It started laying eggs in September 2015. We keenly observed to see the type of chicks it would hatch. They came out normal with feathers despite the condition of their mother," he explains. The hen has hatched twice and is in the third phase of laying eggs. Lilian Andeso, Ochiko's wife said that the hen normally lays eight eggs, which it tends well - failing to hatch one or two every season it broods. She says the family was shocked at first when the chick was hatched without feathers. "We observed it grow without knowing whether it was a hen or a cock; until it started laying eggs. That is when we established that it was a hen," said Andeso. "I think it feels cold and waits until there is sunshine before it can leave the house. The hen also fears being touched on the skin," she adds and prefers wandering alone.The family wants the hen acquired by the livestock department for use in demonstrations at agricultural forums. Mumias sub-county livestock development officer Antony Mwangi said it was normal to have such a hen. "The coding for feathers was suppressed genetically, leading to hormonal deficiency," the vet said. culled from the-star.co.ke