Peru news stories on Newser

Skulls Buried in Florida Backyard Date to 1200 AD

Rob Quinn — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:40:06 CDT

Police in Florida investigating two skulls found in a backyard say that while they definitely have a mystery on their hands, they're not looking for a killer. That's because investigators have determined that the skulls belong to a man and a 10-year-old boy who died in Peru as far back...

Peru: Climate Change Behind Dead Animals?

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:12:57 CDT

Peru may finally have an answer for the 5,000 birds and nearly 900 dolphins that have died on its northern coast: climate change. As waters warm, food supply is disrupted, says the country’s deputy environment minister. A weather expert also confirms warmer waters due to El Niño could be...

Peru: Steer Clear of Beach Til We Solve Animal Mystery

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:57:05 CDT

Peru insists that the hundreds of dead dolphins that have washed up on its coast are not related to the hundreds of dead seabirds that also recently began turning up. But no definitive cause has yet been released, three months after the government started testing the dolphins, and some are...

Mystery Deepens as 500 Pelicans Die in Peru

Mark Russell — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:17:28 CDT

More dead sea creatures are turning up on the shores of Peru. Over the past several days, 538 pelicans, 54 boobies, five sea lions, and a turtle have been found along a 40-mile stretch of coast, reports the BBC . The animals apparently died on the beach, and not at sea,...

Is War on Drugs Bad for Chocolate?

Matt Cantor — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:06:21 CDT

To cut down on production of the coca plants behind cocaine, the US has pushed an alternative crop to Peruvian farmers: a high-yielding cocoa hybrid. And while CCN-51 has had commercial benefits, there's one problem, chocolate experts say—it just doesn't taste that good. Instead, these connoisseurs say, Peru should...

Mystery Dolphin Die-Off Hits Peru

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:32:09 CDT

Something mysterious is killing thousands of dolphins in Peru. Since January, an estimated 2,800 of the sea creatures have been found dead on Peru's northern beaches, reports Scientific American . Experts believe the mass die-off could be caused by acoustic interference stirred up by oil testing or possibly a virus....

Peru Captures Rebel Leader

Matt Cantor — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:00:00 CST

Peruvian troops have captured the head of a faction of the Shining Path rebel group, responsible for thousands of deaths in the 1980s and 1990s. The capture of Comrade Artemio marks the effective end of the group, which was fueled by the cocaine trade, said Peruvian President Ollanta Humala. Artemio,...

Peru Struggles to Shield New 'Lost' Tribe

Mary Papenfuss — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:00:00 CST

Peruvian officials are struggling mightily to shield one of the last "lost" tribes of its jungles. Members of the mysterious Mashco-Piro clan have been spotted along the banks of a southeastern jungle river popular with ecotourists. In two instances, tribe members have fired arrows at people in the area, including...

Docs to Remove Twin From Tot's Stomach

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:14:58 CST

Doctors planned to operate yesterday to remove something unusual from a Peruvian toddler's belly—his twin. The partially formed fetus weighs over a pound and is nine inches long, according to Dr. Carlos Astocondor. The parasitic twin has no brain, lungs, or heart but utilizes the boy's blood supply The...