Taylor Mitchell, a 19-year-old Canadian folk singer described as “up and coming,” was killed in attack by coyotes in a Canadian national park on Tuesday.

The attack, described by an expert as “very unusual” and “not likely to be repeated,” occurred when Mitchell was hiking alone in the Breton Highlands national park in Nova Scotia. Passersby called for help when they heard Mitchell screaming, but authorities were too late to save her from the “extremely aggressive” two coyotes that attacked her. The singer was airlifted to a Halifax hospital, were she died yesterday.

Mitchell’s grieving manager, Lisa Weitz, said family and friends are devastated in the wake of the tragedy. She spoke to the Toronto Star and is described as “choking back tears” as she discussed the young woman’s life:

“She had just gotten her (driver’s) licence and her first set of wheels to take her on the road to the Maritimes.”

“She was just exhilarated to be on the road and performing. We are all devastated.”

Mitchell played what was to be her last performance on Saturday, and was set to play Wednesday in Sydney, N.S. She was on a short break from her touring when she set out on the ill-fated hike. Mitchell is only one of two people known to have been killed by coyotes.

[Source: Toronto Star]

19-year-old Canadian folk singer killed by coyotes is a post from: The Inquisitr

A circus manager has been killed at the paws of an ice-skating bear in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, the BBC is reporting.

25-year-old Dmitry Potapov was killed by the ice-skate wearing bear during a rehearsal, and another circus worker was mauled. The injured worker was trying to come to Popatov’s aid. It is not clear what caused the attack, in which Popatov was dragged across the ice by the attacking bear on skates. Circus workers managed to pull the two men away from the bear, and workers barricaded the bear inside the arena. Police later shot and killed the 5-year-old bear.

Kyrgyz doctor Gulnara Tashibekova says the 29-year-old animal handler who attempted to save Popatov and was severely injured in the attack is in critical condition, suffering “bruising to the brain and lacerations to his scalp.” Trained bears are common in Russian circuses, where they are commonly seen not only ice skating but playing hockey.

Ice skating bear kills circus manager is a post from: The Inquisitr

Apparently the Mars-like sandstorms aren’t the only sci-fi plagues walloping Australia- a news broadcast appears to show a giant seagull looming over a background of Melbourne.

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A Florida toddler was killed this morning when she was strangled by the family’s pet python.

The deadly accident occurred in Oxford, about 50 miles NW of Orlando, at around 9:30 am. Details surrounding the incident are scarce, but Lt. Steve Binegar of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the incident to the press. He refused to answer further questions regarding the tragic death of the two-year-old girl.

Although pythons are not native to Florida, they have increasingly been spotted in the wild in recent years. Burmese pythons are particularly popular, and oftentimes pet owners will release the snakes into areas such as the Everglades when they become too large to manage at home or lose their novelty. They are known to be an invasive species in Florida and have reproduced prolifically after their artificial introduction to the area.

Burmese pythons can weigh up to 150 lbs and measure more than 15 feet in length. The animals are known to use constriction as a means of catching and killing prey, including humans.

Scary: Toddler strangled to death by pet python is a post from: The Inquisitr