Alligators inhabit Florida and the tropical and humid southeastern United States: Much further north, in New York, one of these reptiles was found alive but in very poor condition in a park in Brooklyn, the city said on Monday.

• Also read: A family discovers three large pythons in their blanket

The extremely rare discovery of the animal, which was likely abandoned by its owner, was made Sunday morning in the pond of Prospect Park, the borough’s large green lung, according to a press release with supporting photos from the New York Parks and Recreation Department became .

Park attendants in the metropolis pulled the 1.2 meter long alligator “in poor condition and very lethargic,” the statement said.

“Fortunately no one was hurt and the animal is being observed,” he was immediately sent to the Bronx Zoo, another borough of New York.

Without naming or finding the person responsible for the alligator’s incongruous presence in the city, the Parks Service warned that “releasing animals into New York City parks is illegal.”

Accustomed to “hot and tropical climates,” the animal likely suffered “thermal shock” in the frigid waters of Prospect Park’s pond, despite a comfortable 10 degrees on Sunday morning in New York.

“Parks are not suitable habitats for these types of animals, whether domestic or not.” This “can be dangerous for hikers (…), lead to the disappearance of natural species and alter water quality”.

The last reported discovery of this species of reptile in New York dates back to June 2001, when authorities, the press and the curious spent five days capturing a stray caiman in Central Park.

New York Rangers respond to approximately 500 animal health reports annually.

Doctors warn of ‘technical neck’ – as bending over to scroll on your phone can equate to 50lbs of pressure, leading some to need surgery to fix it

By Caitlin Tilley, Health Reporter

Updated: 22:19 GMT, 20 February 2023

Staring at your phone screen for hours every day can cause enough neck damage to require surgery.

Experts warn of the so-called “tech neck”, the repeated strain on bones, nerves and muscles that can cause chronic pain. Muscle stiffness, joint inflammation, pinched nerves, arthritis, and even bone spurs or herniated discs can also occur.

According to the University of Texas Southwestern, Americans spend an average of more than five hours each day scrolling on their smartphones and even more time staring at laptop and computer screens.

The normal adult head weighs 10 to 12 pounds, and tilting it forward at a 45-degree angle to stare at a cell phone increases the force on the neck by nearly 50 pounds.

Phones and social media are an integral part of modern life, and many jobs require additional screen time at the computer, resulting in significant impacts on physical and mental health.

The more you tilt your head, the greater the equivalent pressure on your neck

Keeping your phone at eye level to reduce strain can help prevent future pain and neck problems

dr Kavita Trivedi, associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Texas Southwestern, said, ‘Humans are upright creatures and our bodies are not designed to look down for long periods of time, which puts extra pressure on the cervical spine.’

She explained that if she’s constantly staring down, the extra 50 pounds of force can strain or injure the joints that connect the vertebrae.

The more you lean down, the more pressure you get, with a 60-degree bend equaling 60 pounds.

Surrounding muscles will tighten to protect nearby nerves, which in turn will cause inflammation, pain, and knots in the neck.

Teenagers and young people are increasingly affected as more and more children get smartphones earlier.

Non-surgical treatment options include medication and physical therapy, trigger point and steroid injections, and nerve blocks.

In the worst case, the patients have to be operated on.

A “neck lift” involves making incisions around the ears and hairline to tighten the underlying muscles and remove excess skin.

It is usually a safe procedure with no more risks than any other surgery.

Keeping your phone at eye level to reduce strain can help prevent future pain and neck problems.

dr Trivedi said: “The good news is that most patients with Tech Neck do not require surgery and we have a wide range of therapies that can be very effective. There is no need to live with pain when it can be managed.”

She added: “Our phones and tablets are valuable tools and there is no reason to give them up. The solution is to learn how to prevent a technical neck while using these devices, and if pain develops, see a specialist who can help.’

A 2008 literature review found that of all workers, those who sit in an office and computer users are most at risk of neck pain.

And a report by Data.ai found that in 2022, humans spent a total of 4.1 trillion hours — or 470 million years — staring at their phone screens.

Heavy smartphone use has been linked to many potential harms in addition to technical necks.

A 2017 study by Turkish researchers found that university students who were addicted to their phone were more likely to experience loneliness or aggression.

Loneliness is associated with mental health problems, and a 2021 study by Israeli researchers linked excessive smartphone use to anxiety, depression, and related problems like shyness and low self-esteem.

These participants were also more likely to report poor eating habits, which further increased their risk of nutritional problems.

• By Laura Bicker in Hatay and Oliver Slow in London
• BBC News

20 February 2023 at 17:57 GMT

Updated 25 minutes ago

video caption,

WATCH: Dashcam footage shows the moment of a new earthquake in Turkey

Three people have died after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey on Monday, weeks after a deadly quake devastated the region.

More than 680 people were injured in Turkey and Syria.

Turkey’s Disasters and Emergencies Agency Afad said the quake struck at 20:04 local time (17:04 GMT), followed by dozens of aftershocks.

A 7.8 magnitude quake struck the same area on February 6, killing more than 44,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

Those killed by Monday’s tremors were found in Antakya, Defne and Samandagi, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said, urging people not to enter potentially dangerous buildings.

Mr Soylu said 213 people were injured in Turkey.

Witnesses told Portal there was further damage to buildings in Antakya, while the mayor of Hatay in southern Turkey said people were trapped under rubble.

“I thought the earth would rip under my feet,” Muna al-Omar, a local resident, told Portal, crying as she held her seven-year-old son. She was in a tent in a park in central Antakya when the latest earthquake struck, she said.

Turkish authorities have recorded more than 6,000 aftershocks since the February 6 quake, but the BBC team in the region said the latest quake felt much stronger than previous ones.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 470 injured were hospitalized after the quake, which was also reportedly felt in Egypt and Lebanon.

Afad said there were 32 aftershocks after Monday’s quake, the largest of which measured 5.8 magnitude.

picture description,

People react after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Antakya in southern Turkey on Monday

Fear and panic reign in the streets as lines of ambulances and rescue workers try to get to some of the worst-hit areas, where the walls of badly damaged buildings have collapsed.

Some structures that were left standing after the February 6 quake have since collapsed, including a bridge. Many cracks in roads have become deep scars, making it difficult for emergency services to get to where they may be needed.

An AFP journalist reported scenes of panic in Antakya, the capital of Hatay province, which had already been devastated by the previous earthquake – with the latest tremors kicking up clouds of dust across the city.

The walls of buildings were also crumbling, reports AFP, and several people who were apparently injured called for help.

Ali Mazlum said he was looking for the bodies of family members from the previous earthquake when the last one struck.

“You don’t know what to do… we grabbed each other and right in front of us the walls started falling. It felt like the earth was opening up to swallow us,” he said.

In a tweet, Afad initially urged people to stay away from coasts as a precaution against the risk of rising sea levels, although the warning was later removed.

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