Nature Gone Wild

• You’ve probably heard of iguanas falling out of trees when it gets cold in Florida, but how about bats stuck on the ground when it’s too hot in Kansas? According to a July 2nd report from KWCH, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment says that hot spells stress bats, and they fall, unable to take flight in the intense heat. Experts say not to try picking up the bats without protective gear. “They will try to bite you if you pick them up,” Blake Nash, an animal control technician, said. “They’re just going to be scared and try to defend themselves.” He also says to be wary of bats that appear dead. “Even if they’re alive, they can sit there and almost seem like they’re dead, so they may not make any sounds or move until you touch them,” he said. If the bat must be moved, he advises wearing thick, protective gloves and using a bucket or blanket to cover the nocturnal creatures. [KWCH, 7/2/26]

• A different kind of Tasmanian devil is wreaking havoc on the island. Neil, a 2,200-pound elephant seal, has visited Tasmania every year for the last five years, causing destruction to personal property and even stopping traffic in southern towns, UPI reported on July 2nd. “At the moment, we don’t have a complete understanding of the damage Neil has caused to public infrastructure, but he has obviously knocked over a number of poles and bollards,” one mayor, Brendan Blomeley, said. “He’s broken fences, he’s harassing people’s cars — that’s just a function of his size,” seal expert Jane Younger added. Neil has become a bit of a local celebrity, but officials urge the public to give the seal his space. “I understand that until he completes his molting process, he’ll continue to scratch up against things to help shed his old fur,” Blomeley said. “Until then, I encourage everyone to please give Neil the space he needs and not to attempt to visit him. While he is of great interest, he is also potentially dangerous and does pose a risk to the community.” [UPI, 7/2/26]

• Customers and employees at a shopping mall at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, were surprised when a black bear triggered the automatic doors and wandered in, stole a peach, and defecated on the floor before leaving, KTUU reported on July 7th. “My coworker, who is cutting hair in front of me, she yelled, ‘Bear!’ And I looked up from my phone, and the bear was walking into the barber shop right in front of me,” barber Kory Godbout said. “And we all ran into the break room and shut the door behind us.” Conservation Law Enforcement officers were able to herd the bear into the woods, away from the mall. [KTUU, 7/7/26]

• Shanghai Daily posted hallway security camera footage of a July 4th incident in Tibet in which a brown bear broke into a locked hotel room that had two guests inside. The guests reported that the bear engaged in a staring contest with them before walking away, and the hotel owner was able to chase it out of the building using a flashlight and other tools. [UPI, 7/6/26]

I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up

An 82-year-old widow is regaining her strength after surviving nine days stuck in her bathtub. On June 1st, Joan Rivet of North Carolina was getting ready for bed in the bathroom of her home, where she lives by herself, when she “tripped over [her] own two feet” and fell backward into the bathtub, People reported. The fall rendered her mostly immobile, though she was eventually able to use her toes to manipulate the faucet and her hand to bring water to her mouth. The shower rod had come down during the fall, and she used it to drag her robe to herself for warmth. Eventually, her brother, Bill Lesko, 79, of Georgia, called police for a wellness check when he hadn’t heard from her for a few days. “I was unconscious and barely had a pulse when the rescuers arrived,” Rivet said. “I don’t remember being rescued by them at all, to be honest with you.” She was brought to Haywood Regional Medical Center before being transferred to a nearby rehabilitation center. “I think several more hours or another day, she would have died,” Lesko said. Rivet is undergoing physical therapy and preparing to move to Georgia to be closer to her family. [People, 7/14/26]

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