MEXICO CITY — Heat-related howler monkey deaths have been reported in two more southern Mexican states, following two other reports earlier this month, according to environmental authorities.

The Environment Department of Mexico said late Tuesday that monkeys had died in Chiapas and three Gulf of Mexico states: Tabasco, Campeche, and Veracruz.

The department also stated that testing revealed the primates died of heat stroke but that the country’s current drought and a “lack of water in the streams and springs in the areas where the monkeys live” looked to possibly play a role.

Monkey | Pixa Bay Image

Heat-Related Monkey Deaths Are Now Reported In Several Mexican States

The government could not provide the most recent estimate of the number of deaths but previously reported at least 157 monkeys have died since the die-off began in early May.

A wildlife researcher and a veterinarian from Tabasco reported the fatalities two weeks ago. Howler monkeys, medium-sized primates living in trees, were falling lifeless from tree limbs.

The environment agency first assumed that an unnamed disease or chemical caused the deaths, but testing has subsequently ruled that out.

A few monkeys have been saved, rehabilitated, and returned to the wild. Experts have cautioned people of the four southern states not to try to adopt or house the monkeys, as they are wild creatures and susceptible to diseases spread by cats and dogs.

Monkey | Pixa Bay Image

Heat-Related Monkey Deaths Are Now Reported In Several Mexican States

Last week, an animal park in northern Mexico reported that at least a hundred parrots, bats, and other animals had died, most likely due to dehydration.

A heat dome, an area of strong high pressure centered over the southern Gulf of Mexico and northern Central America, has prevented clouds from forming, resulting in widespread sunshine and high temperatures throughout Mexico.

For much of this month, a huge portion of the country has experienced high temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).

According to the agency, authorities have begun distributing water to the howler monkeys and established a mobile veterinary facility to treat seven newborn monkeys and five adults. Several others have already been released into the wild.

However, with heat, fires, and deforestation threatening the trees where the howler monkeys live, it was unclear whether even releasing them would assure their survival.

Howler monkeys are robust and can grow up to 90 cm (3 feet) tall, with tails that are just as long. Some males weigh over 13.5 kilograms (30 pounds) and survive up to 20 years. They have large jaws and a terrifying set of teeth and fangs. But they’re best recognized for their lion-like roars, which defy their size.

Monkey | Pixa Bay Image

Heat-Related Monkey Deaths Are Now Reported In Several Mexican States

With below-average rainfall across the country this year, lakes and dams are drying up, and water supplies are running low. Water had to be trucked in for hospitals and firefighting teams. Low levels at hydroelectric dams have contributed to power outages in certain areas of the country.

SOURCE – (AP)

At least six people were killed in Tennessee on Saturday when tornadoes and severe thunderstorms swept across the state.

Emergency management officials verified three deaths in Madison, Tennessee, near north of Nashville.

“We have teams assessing damage and looking for patients,” said the Nashville Office of Emergency Management on X, formerly Twitter. “Unfortunately, we can confirm there are three fatalities as a result of the severe weather on Nesbitt Lane.”

Montgomery County officials also reported three deaths, including one child, after a tornado devastated the Clarksville region.

At Least 6 People Confirmed Dead, Dozens Injured As A Tornado Strike’s Tennessee

“At this time, we can confirm that three people have died as a result of the tornado that touched down this afternoon,” the Montgomery County administration said in a statement. “Additionally, 23 people have been treated at the hospital.”

Officials stated that they are currently in a “search and rescue phase” to see whether there are any more dead or injured.

“Today is a sad day in our community.” In a statement, Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden said, “We are praying for those who have been injured, have lost loved ones, and have lost their homes.”

According to Mayor Joe Pitts, Clarksville declared a state of emergency Saturday night. Saturday and Sunday nights, police will enforce a 9 p.m. curfew.

At Least 6 People Confirmed Dead, Dozens Injured As A Tornado Strike’s Tennessee

“This is heartbreaking news, and our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones.” “The City stands ready to assist them during this difficult time,” Pitts said.

On Saturday, Sumner County officials reported “significant damage” from a tornado that struck Gallatin and Hendersonville, Tennessee, northeast of Nashville.

“At this time, we are working to respond to multiple calls throughout the county and to establish Red Cross shelters in Gallatin and Hendersonville,” the mayors of the two towns stated in a joint statement.

“It is of paramount importance that citizens stay off of the roads and allow first responders and utility crews to respond,” the statement said.

At Least 6 People Confirmed Dead, Dozens Injured As A Tornado Strike’s Tennessee

Sumner County EMTs stated that they are “not aware of any loss of life or life-threatening injuries at this time.”

On Saturday, tornadoes erupted from a severe weather outbreak that spanned more than 1,200 miles over the eastern United States, from the Gulf Coast to the Canadian border.

As severe weather rolled across northwest Tennessee, officials warned drivers to remain off the roads.

The National Weather Service reported two huge and hazardous tornadoes had touched down Saturday afternoon, one in Montgomery County and another near the Gibson County town of Rutherford.

When severe weather pounded a rural area near Dresden, Tennessee, on Saturday afternoon, at least three individuals were hurt, according to officials.

SOURCE – (CNN)

PADANG, Indonesia – Officials in Indonesia paused the search for 12 climbers on Monday when Mount Merapi volcano erupted again, sending a huge burst of scorching ash as high as 800 meters (2,620 feet) into the air.

The deaths of 11 climbers were discovered earlier in the day while searching for the missing, but efforts to locate them were hampered by the resumed activity, according to West Sumatra’s Search and Rescue Agency head Abdul Malik. He stated that the search would restart whenever conditions improved.

The agency shared a video of rescuers escorting an injured climber on a stretcher off the mountain and into a waiting ambulance to be brought to the hospital.

On Sunday, Marapi erupted, unleashing clouds of burning ash.

Since 2011, the volcano has remained at the third highest of four alert levels, indicating above-normal volcanic activity, prohibiting climbers and villagers from approaching the peak within 3 kilometers (1.8 miles), according to Hendra Gunawan, the head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation.

“This means there should be no climbing to the peak,” Gunawan explained, adding that climbers were only permitted below the danger zone, “but sometimes many of them broke the rules to fulfill their satisfaction to climb further.”

On Saturday, over 75 climbers began their ascent of the nearly 2,900-meter (9,480-foot) mountain and became stranded. Rescuers saved 52 people, including three on Monday. According to Hari Agustian, an official with the local Search and Rescue Agency in Padang, the West Sumatra provincial capital, eight of those rescued Sunday were transported to hospital with burns, and one suffered a fractured leg.

Before beginning their ascent, all climbers registered at two command stations or online with West Sumatra’s conservation office, according to Agustian. When asked how many individuals may be stranded, he claimed it couldn’t be confirmed because some may have taken unauthorized routes up the mountain, and residents may have also been present.

During Sunday’s eruption, Marapi erupted thick ash columns as high as 3,000 meters (9,800 feet), and heated ash clouds extended for miles. Tons of volcanic debris buried nearby villages and cities. According to a social media video, volcanic dust and rain covered the faces and hair of evacuated climbers.

Authorities provided masks and urged inhabitants to wear eyeglasses to protect themselves from volcanic ash as falling ash blanketed several communities and obstructed sunlight.

Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, the nearest villages about 5 to 6 kilometers (3.1 to 3.7 miles) from the peak, are home to approximately 1,400 people.

According to Gunawan, the Sunday eruption was not preceded by a large rise in volcanic earthquakes. Deep volcanic earthquakes were only detected three times between November 16 and Sunday, while the peak’s deformation equipment or tiltmeter revealed a horizontal pattern on the radial axis and a small inflation on the tangential axis.

“This shows that the eruption process is taking place quickly and the center of pressure is very shallow, around the peak,” the scientist stated.

According to Gunawan, Marapi has erupted on average every 2 to 4 years since 2004.

Gunawan added that this eruption was not the result of magma movement and that marapi eruptions are typically sudden and challenging to detect using equipment because the source is close to the surface.

Marapi has been active since a January eruption that left no one dead. It is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is vulnerable to seismic activity due to its placement on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircles the Pacific Basin.

SOURCE – (AP)