Animals - Marblehead Current

26 Apr

NEW: Harbormaster working to remove dead humback whale that washed ashore

Leigh Blander0 CommentsAnimals, Top Stories

Harbormaster Mark Souza is working to remove a deceased humpback whale that washed ashore near Preston Beach in Marblehead late yesterday. The female is 41 feet long and weighs 65,000 pounds. Souza says experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association believe the whale is "pre-adult." COURTESY PHOTO / ABBY NYE "Right now we're trying to get the logistics involved in towing it off the beach area," Souza told the Current. "It's in a precarious area with all the rocks. We have to follow certain…

22 Apr

Giddyup getaway: Horse back home after running around Tedesco

Leigh Blander0 CommentsAnimals, Top Stories

Some exciting moments in the neighborhood near Tedesco Country Club this morning when a neighbor's horse got loose. Stitch, who lives on Pilgrim Road, escaped just after 7 a.m., lifting up the gate himself. "He was mad," owner Rosemary Collins told the Current. "My neighbor usually feeds him in the morning. She fed her chickens this morning and then went inside.... Stitch didn't like that." The first call came into Marblehead Police at 7:16 a.m. of a runaway horse in the Tedesco Street area. Stitch…

03 Apr

Young students show off their STEAM skills at packed fair

Leigh Blander0 CommentsAnimals, Art, Education, Environment, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

From volcanoes to catapults to a chocolate experiment, more than 200 students showed off impressive projects at the second annual Brown School STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Fair on March 28. Brown’s gymnasium was packed with kids in preschool through third grade explaining their work, as well as parents and families oohing and ahhing. Kindergartener Sage Flaherty proudly displayed his experiment entitled, “Does My Dog Have a Favorite Color?” Third graders Dylan Calabrese and Hunter Tentindo built a catapult they named, ‘Stop Using…

27 Mar

TAIL OF SURVIVAL: Land-loving dog rescued at sea

Will Dowd0 CommentsAnimals, Local News, Public safety, Top Stories

Miss Cleo, a 2-year-old Bernese mountain dog, is back home safe after a harrowing ordeal that saw her rescued from the frigid waters off Marblehead’s coast by quick-thinking first responders on March 19. Miss Cleo has been reunited with her sister, Bella, after her rescue on March 19. Miss Cleo shares her cozy home on Glendale Road with her canine sibling, a 10-year-old Bernese mountain dog named Bella, owner Julianne Sullivan said. Sullivan said the pair is inseparable, often found cuddling, always together on their…

20 Mar

Harbormaster rescues Miss Cleo from ruff waters

Will Dowd0 CommentsAnimals, Local News, Top Stories, Uncategorized

On Tuesday, a Bernese mountain dog named Miss Cleo was rescued from the frigid waters off Greystone Beach by the Marblehead harbormaster and his team. COURTESY PHOTO / MARBLEHEAD HARBORMASTER'S OFFICE At approximately 11:15 a.m., Miss Cleo escaped from her yard and made her way to the beach, where she became frightened and jumped into the water. Marblehead's animal control officer, Betsy Tufts, called Harbormaster Mark Souza for assistance. Souza — along with Deputy Harbormaster Craig Smith and Assistant Harbormaster Jarrett Russo — located the…

13 Mar

CUZNER IN NATURE: A peek at Eastern coyotes in Steer Swamp

Will Dowd0 CommentsAnimals, Cuzner in Nature, Environment, Local News

I ran into a couple of coyotes while on a walk through Steer Swamp this week. They kept their distance, but certainly kept an eye on me. I was able to capture a few photos, though the light was not so good. Very good-looking animals. A coyote spotted recently in Steer Swamp. COURTESY PHOTOS / RICK CUZNER In early March in Massachusetts, Eastern coyotes wrap up their breeding season and prepare for their pups' spring arrival, according to MassWildlife. They roam more actively, scouting for…

06 Mar

PAWS & CLAWS: Octavia found on doorstep

Kris Olson0 CommentsAnimals, Environment, Local News

BREED: Rat SIZE: Small AGE: Young SEX: Female Meet Octavia. She came to the Marblehead Animal Shelter when she was found on someone’s front doorstep warming up in the sun. If you are an experienced rat owner, have another female rat and are looking for another sweet girl who loves sweet potatoes, berries and bananas, volunteers encourage you to fill out an application for her. They say she would love to be in a home where she gets the interaction that she needs. Octavia is…