Dead Whale Carcass Continues to Attract Curiosity Seekers at Beach Near San Clemente

A dead whale on Tuesday continued to attract curiosity seekers to Trestles, a popular surfing destination near the Orange County-San Diego County line, one day after the massive mammal washed ashore. Dave Mecham reports for the KTLA 5 News at 3 p.m. on April 26, 2016.

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France has banned the import of lion heads, paws and skins as hunters’ trophies, nearly four months after the killing of Zimbabwe’s most famous lion by an American trophy hunter sparked international outrage.

In a letter to the actor and animals rights activist Brigitte Bardot, France’s environment minister, Ségolène Royal, said that she had instructed officials to stop issuing permits for lion trophies and was considering stricter controls on trophies from other species.

“Following your letter and recent visits in Africa in preparation of the climate summit in Paris, I want to let you know I have given orders to my services to stop delivering certificates for importing lion trophies,” Royal wrote in the letter dated 12 November.

“Concerning other species trophies, I am in favour of a much stronger control for hunting trophies and this issue will be discussed with all the countries concerned and with the EU.”

In July, conservationists and MEPs called for an EU-wide ban on the import of lion trophies following the death of Cecil the lion at the hands of a Minnesotan dentist near one of Zimbabwe’s national parks. France is the first EU state to implement such a ban. In March, Australia also banned their import.

Between 2010 and the 2013, the last year for which data is available, more than 100 such lion trophies were imported to France.

Lionaid, a UK-based charity that is calling for the UK to follow suit with a ban on lion trophy imports, said it was “overjoyed” by the move.

A spokeswoman said: “Within the EU, France was a major importer of such trophies and we expect that wild lions will now find themselves safer without the presence of French trophy hunters.

“We trust that France’s decision will create a domino effect within the EU and that we will soon hear about other member states joining together to say no [to trophies].”

Catherine Bearder, a Liberal Democrat MEP who led calls for a ban in the summer, said was “delighted” by France’s decision and the UK should follow its lead.

The EU’s scientific review group, which decides whether or not to blacklist trophy imports based on the sustainability of species, met in September and approved the continued import of lion trophies from Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique.

Last month, scientists warned that lion numbers in central and western Africa are likely to halve in the next two decades due to loss of habitat and prey.

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'Largest ever lion airlift' flies 33 big cats back to Africa

Thirty-three lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia are being flown back to their homeland to live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa. The largest ever airlift of lions will take place on Friday and has been organised and paid for by Animal Defenders International. The Los Angeles-based group has for years worked with lawmakers in the two South American countries to ban the use of wild animals in circuses, where they often are held in appalling conditions.

The lions suffered in captivity: some were declawed, one lost an eye and many were recovered with broken or rotting teeth.

The group said the first group of nine lions would be collected in the capital, Bogota, on a McDonnell Douglas cargo plane, which would pick up 24 more in Lima before heading to Johannesburg.

From there they would be transported by land to their new home at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Limpopo province, where they would enjoy large natural enclosures.

“It will be hugely satisfying to see these lions walking into the African bush,” said Tom Phillips, ADI’s vice-president, as he inspected the cages that will be used to transport the lions.

“It might be one of the finest rescues I’ve ever seen; it’s never happened before taking lions from circuses in South America all the way to Africa,” he added. “It’s like a fairytale.”

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Australia crocodile 'bites camper's foot' inside tent

An Australian camper has described how he woke up to find a crocodile had entered his tent and was biting his foot. Peter Rowsell, 19, was with his family on the banks of Palm Creek in the Northern Territory on Monday when the attack took place, local media said.

Mr Rowsell said something was "shaking" his right foot, describing the animal as "three to four metres" long.

He managed to fight off the crocodile, which slid back into the water. His injuries were not life threatening.

His sister drove him to the nearest hospital in his hometown of Katherine, which was about two hours away, where he was treated for the bite. He is expected to be released soon.

The mayor of Katherine told reporters there had been crocodile sightings near popular swimming spots recently, and called for a cull.

"We do have to live with crocs because this is their environment as well, but we don't need to live with them dangerously," she was quoted by News.com.au as saying.

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The REAL buffalo soldier!

The REAL buffalo soldier! Stunning pictures capture the moment a mother trying to fend off a pride of lions attacking her calf is rescued when bull charges in and KILLS one of the predators.

This is the moment when a heroic buffalo came to the rescue of a damsel in distress after the cow came under attack from two lionesses.

The lions had initially stalked a buffalo calf and the mother had charged at the lions to save her young one, but found herself outnumbered during the battle in Okavango Delta in Botswana.

Photographer Wim van den Heever describes how he watched the lions attempting to take down the cow a number of times, but that she was finally 'saved' by a bull from the herd.

In a dramatic turn of events, a protective macho buffalo steps in, scaring the lions away and nearly mauling the injured lioness to death - saving the mother's life.

Mr van den Heever said the lioness crawled out of the mud and died two days later.

Wim, 43, said: 'The bull came and chased the female lions off the mother buffalo, trying to injure them.

'Luckily they escaped, but while he chases them he sees the injured female lion and really finishes her off, by mauling her and pushing her into the mud. I've never witnessed anything like this.'

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Starving Dog Who Couldn’t Stand Up Makes An Incredible Transformation

When Barilla was brought to a rescue center in Granada, Spain, she was so starved that her bones were sticking out from her skin and her organs were close to failing. But the rescue’s owner Eduardo Rodriguez was determined to get her back on her paws.

“I’ve been rescuing dogs since I was a child and I’m used to seeing them in a bad way but I’ve never seen an animal in such a terrible state as Barilla,” Rodriguez told Daily Mail. “She’d been so starved of food and water when we took her in that all she could move was her head and her tail.”

After 7 weeks of treatment, Barilla now looks like a different dog. “Her recovery has been staggering,” said Rodriguez.”The vet said several times that…most normal dogs would have died. We’re inseparable now…The first day I saw her I told my colleagues I was going to keep her and that’s the way it’s been.”

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