Portugal: Unexplained Octopus Deaths Mystify Village

In Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal 1,100 lbs. of dead octopus were found on a 1.8-mile stretch of local beach. The following day, another 110 lbs (50 kg) appeared; today there was one more dead creature.

Local biologists have ruled out pollution or contamination because no other species were affected. And although some suggest that perhaps a boat, illegally fishing the multilegged creatures, threw them overboard in a panicked attempt to avoid detection, that possibility also seems unlikely due to rough ocean conditions.

Vila Nova de Gaia's municipal government has had firefighters collect the dead animals to be sent to Lisbon's veterinary lab for testing, a process expected to take up to two weeks.

Until then, evidence points to some sort of disease: a parasite, bacteria or a powerful virus.

"It affected octopus of all ages and sizes," says Mike Weber, director of the Aguda coastal station, an aquarium and biological research institute located in Gaia. "That suggests that it wiped out the entire local population."

Read more HERE...

Belper, UK: Strange Lights in the Sky

The Belper, UK news reported that a resident has come forward to say she spotted some strange lights over Belper last week.

The Acorn Drive resident, who did not wish to be named, was out walking her dog along Green Lane and Mill Street on Monday, December 28, when she saw a very bright golden light, hovering high in the sky over the Chevin, near Farnah Green.

She said the light was around the same size and shape as a street light, but much higher – too high to be cast by a helicopter or plane.

 "The golden ball was at this time very small but still visible when it passed behind a cloud. I waited for the cloud to pass over but saw nothing more. I am sure what I saw was unusual and just wish I had been in company with someone, other than my canine friend, who could coroborate this account."

Read more HERE...

10,000 Fish Found Mysteriously Dead in British Canal

British Environment Agency officers launched an investigation on November 29 after almost 10,000 fish were found dead over a 150 foot stretch of the Grand Union Canal, at Startops End, near Tring.

The cause of the mysterious deaths is not yet known as initial tests at the scene confirmed that the water quality was normal. Further samples have been taken and submitted for more thorough laboratory analysis. Environment Officers at the scene yesterday did not observe any signs of fish in distress in the canal or nearby reservoirs.

Read the entire story HERE...

Burial Ground Found in WV Man's Garden

A West Virginia man believes that his property holds remains from a Native American Burial Ground.  Ralph Carpenter claims there are a number of American Indian burial mounds in the hills above Henry's Fork and the West Fork of the Little Kanawha in Calhoun County. One, in fact, sits in the middle of his garden, covered in trees.

"I don't have trouble sleeping at night, and I'd like to keep it that way," Carpenter said of not disturbing the mound.

Carpenter, 65, and his wife of 47 years, Nancy, live year-round at the top of a wooded hollow between Letherbark and Henry's Fork in a rustic log cabin he pieced together from secondhand wood, metal and stone. He reportedly owns 180 to 190 acres. Most of the land is wooded and open for hunting.

Read the story HERE.

Philly: 500 Animals Killed in Apparent Ritual Sacrifice

Almost 500 dead animals were found in a Philadelphia home after what appears to have been a ritual religious sacrifice, according to police.

Investigators found the remains of cats, deers, turtles and other animals strewn throughout the Feltonville house and buried in the back, The Philadelphia Daily News reports.

"There's all kinds of stuff in there. Dead animals, dead critters, wax, feces, candles. It's a nightmare," Officer Jerry Czech of the Pennsylvania Game Commission told the newspaper.

The three residents will face charges of animal cruelty.

Read more HERE.

Strange Glyphs Found in the Amazon

 New Kerala is reporting that archaeologists have discovered about 300 strange geoglyphs in the Amazon rainforest.

The geoglyphs, which are large geometric designs carved into the ground, are believed to have been sculpted by ancient people from the Amazon region around 700 years ago, though their purpose is still unknown.

According to a report in Science and Technology, so  far, nearly 300 geoglyphs have been identified.

Read more about this discovery HERE.

Photo via Diego Gurgel

Video Reveals Mysterious Flying Craft over Shropshire, UK

UFO investigators claim to have captured video evidence of a strange triangular shaped craft with pulsing lights flying in the skies above a Shropshire landmark.

A report in the local newspaper indicates that witnesses claim they saw a large triangle near The Wrekin for more than 10 minutes.

Read the full story HERE.