Calf

Health officials have confirmed a case of rabies in a 6-week-old Jersey calf at an educational center in Prince George's County where elementary and middle school students learned about farming and natural resources in the Potomac River watershed. Officials with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene have made it a priority to assess about 70 children who recently visited the Hard Bargain Farm in Accokeek. In particular, they are investigating whether any children participated in bottle feeding the calf whose mother died in an accident, said Katherine Feldman, a state public health veterinarian.

As if the Ravens offense didn't have enough to worry about in Sunday's showdown against the NFL's top-ranked defense, the Pittsburgh Steelers might just welcome back a seven-time Pro Bowler to the fold. Strong safety Troy Polamalu fully participated in Wednesday's practice, his first since straining his right calf during a 16-14 win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 7. It would appear that the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 is moving forward towards returning for Sunday's contest at M&T Bank Stadium.

Animal trainer Deirdre Weadock has worked at the National Aquarium long enough to have seen her share of life and death, but she'll tell you this has been the roughest week of her career. Losing one dolphin, then another, within days. "You can't really describe what this feels like to other people," Weadock said Sunday, her voice breaking. "I guess any parent can relate. " On Saturday night, the second of the aquarium's two calves died in the arms of the aquarium's medical workers as they tried desperately to save her. The first had been found dead in the pool on Tuesday.

Like any player in his position, Billy Cundiff won't say he can make every kick. But the Ravens kicker willingly accepts the chance to do so. "Yeah, I think you have to," Cundiff said Wednesday about the desire to kick a game-winning field goal. "If you don't have the attitude that you want to make the game-winning kick, then you're probably in the wrong business. " Cundiff's eagerness is a welcome sign to the Ravens, who were beginning to wonder whether last year's AFC representative in the Pro Bowl would be able to overcome a nagging left calf injury.

Move over, Justin Bieber — another Justin has trumped your arrival in Timonium. A Holstein calf was born Sunday afternoon at the University of Maryland birthing center at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, and fair officials said there were no surprises when a group of more than 100 children were tasked with naming the newborn. "Justin," the calf — named after Bieber, who will play a sold-out show at the fairgrounds tonight — was born just after 3:20 p.m. and weighed in at 80 lbs. Justin's mother, who had been in labor since around noon, doesn't have a name.

Maryland health officials are expanding their search for people who had contact with a rabid 6-week-old Jersey calf at a Prince George's County educational center. Authorities say that in addition to about 70 children who recently visited the Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center in Accokeek, they believe that other visitors include residents of Prince George's, Charles and Montgomery counties and Washington. "Local health departments are reaching out to all known contacts who've visited the farm during this time period and we need the public's help to make sure no potential contact is missed," Dr. Katherine Feldman, chief veterinarian for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said in a statement.

One of the two pregnant dolphins at the National Aquarium in Baltimore gave birth to a stillborn calf early last week, aquarium officials reported yesterday. Shiloh, a 29-year-old Atlantic bottlenose, was in labor for 40 minutes in the early-morning hours of July 14. About 3 a.m., she gave birth to a stillborn calf weighing almost 32 pounds. "It's always very hard to report things like this. When it's a baby, it breaks our heart," said Sue Hunter, director of marine mammal training. "Nobody wants to see it end this way."

The joy of two seemingly successful dolphin births last month at Baltimore's National Aquarium has given way to a sense of helplessness and worry over the survival chances of the youngest calf.Although the second calf, born eight days ago, is nursing from and swimming side by side with its mother, the aquarium's husbandry director said yesterday that it seems to be losing weight."Hailey, the mother, is doing well and she's being in many ways a good mother, allowing the calf to nurse," said Chris Andrews, the husbandry director and a specialist in aquatic diseases.

The joy of two seemingly successful dolphin births last month at Baltimore's National Aquarium has given way to a sense of helplessness and worry over the survival chances of the youngest calf.Although the second calf, born eight days ago, is nursing from and swimming side by side with its mother, the aquarium's husbandry director said yesterday that it seems to be losing weight."Hailey, the mother, is doing well and she's being in many ways a good mother, allowing the calf to nurse," said Chris Andrews, the husbandry director and a specialist in aquatic diseases.

The return of Billy Cundiff from a sore left calf wasn't the only positive sight for the Ravens. The kicker converted a 42-yard field goal and three extra points and booted two touchbacks in the team's 24-16 win against the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday. Even more significant, according to Cundiff, was the familiar, satisfying feeling of being able to kick without feeling pain or limitations. “I think the thing I took away from it the most was my ability to be aggressive,” he said.

The return of Billy Cundiff from a sore left calf wasn't the only positive sight for the Ravens. The kicker converted a 42-yard field goal and three extra points and booted two touchbacks in the team's 24-16 win against the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday. Even more significant, according to Cundiff, was the familiar, satisfying feeling of being able to kick without feeling pain or limitations. “I think the thing I took away from it the most was my ability to be aggressive,” he said.

Four days after watching Shayne Graham boot two field goals in Saturday's 20-14 win over the Cleveland Browns, Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff told reporters that he planned to attempt to practice on Wednesday. Cundiff, who has been dealing with a calf injury for three weeks, said it was disappointing that he sat out Saturday, but he believes resting a week was the right thing to do for both him and the 11-4 Ravens. “It's not very fun watching from the sidelines, I'll tell you that much,” Cundiff said.

Not playing Saturday against the Cleveland Browns aided the healing process for Billy Cundiff's sore left calf, but the Ravens kicker is eager to return for Sunday's regular-season finale at the Cincinnati Bengals. “I'm definitely hoping to be back next week,” Cundiff said while changing in the locker room under M&T Bank Stadium after the team's 20-14 win against the Cleveland Browns. “But we'll kind of base that off of how things go with the trainers. We just don't want a setback.

Shayne Graham has been a place-kicking vagabond since Billy Cundiff outbooted him for a job in Ravens training camp two summers ago. After stints with five other teams since, Graham has made sure to never leave his Virginia home without packing his cleats. "When you get a call, you've got a backpack in the back of your car and you go," he said. The Ravens came calling Wednesday. With Cundiff ailing from a left calf injury, they signed Graham, an 11-year NFL veteran who earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2005.

Less than a year removed from earning his first invite to the Pro Bowl, Billy Cundiff is having a season to forget. The Ravens kicker has missed a career-high nine field goals this season, including a 36-yarder in the team's demoralizing 34-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers Sunday night. Despite the swoon and an injured left calf, Cundiff said he still believes in himself. “This year has been a learning experience,” he said. “I've felt like unfortunately, I've learned a lot of hard lessons.

Browns running back Montario Hardesty still hopes to salvage what's left of his lost season. "I definitely want to finish out these two games strong," said Hardesty, who's carried the ball in one of the past seven games because of his torn calf muscle. "I've been really frustrated with this calf injury. It really hindered me a lot this year, but I have two more chances to go out and play. " Hardesty made the trip to Arizona and was active for the game, but stood on the sidelines and didn't play.

We should all have something to be thankful for at dinnertime today. But a newborn bottlenose dolphin at the National Aquarium in Baltimore has more than most. The arrival of the male calf, born at the aquarium Sept. 9, has stimulated three unrelated females in his pool to produce milk. One of the three had never been pregnant. Evidently charmed by the playful new arrival, two of the grown females have taken over the nursing chores from his biological mother, and he has nearly doubled his 36-pound birthweight.

Blast starting goalie Sagu pulled a calf muscle yesterday and is questionable for tomorrow night's Game 1 of the Major Indoor Soccer League championship series with the St. Louis Steamers. Sagu said he hurt himself while loosening up for practice. He stopped to get it looked at, and backup goalie Sanaldo spent the entire workout in goal. Sagu left practice on crutches and went to a doctor, who confirmed the muscle pull and put the goalie on anti-inflammatory medication. "I [heard] my calf pop a little bit in practice," Sagu said.

Sam Koch's first kickoff of the season didn't go quite as well as he had hoped. “It wasn't pretty,” the Ravens punter conceded after filling in for kicker Billy Cundiff in the team's 24-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts Sunday. “It's just one of those things about trying to meet the ball. With Billy, he always has that open foot, the soccer style. But as a punter, your foot is always parallel with your body or vertical. If I could work out on those a little bit more, it would probably help out my kickoff game and maybe add another five to 10 yards.” Koch was handling kickoff duties in the second half as a left calf injury that hobbled Cundiff last week began to rob him of distance in the first half.

Billy Cundiff converted a 36-yard field goal and three extra points in the Ravens' 24-10 win against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, but he was replaced on kickoffs in the second half by punter Sam Koch. But coach John Harbaugh said Cundiff did not suffer a setback with his injured left calf. “Not a major concern,” Harbaugh said of Cundiff's injury during his weekly news conference Monday. “It's good that he'll have more rest. I think he tweaked it on Thursday. So he got through the game OK, but it started tightening up on him during the game on kickoffs.