tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30220777009385687242024-02-06T21:27:09.698-05:00ANIMALS BEHAVING BADLYNOT SO CUTE AS THEY WANT YOU TO THINKwombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.comBlogger594125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-16957968324284405892014-08-28T08:56:00.000-04:002014-08-28T08:56:02.455-04:00Pandas show their true colors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq4v3vBPVk0sVPUaCnkRsqKAcLe5KGggh4jDN7yIMMIHH0SAqDXih4oBYPr7rBzLfbCSglyGY3SF6qEE7esncXlm0UNOx1BusK3Z-HEvBB70tWTBSkLMOHT7_1MLffkiGTMVZXC92EFh8h/s1600/14823527049_f0005cbe70_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq4v3vBPVk0sVPUaCnkRsqKAcLe5KGggh4jDN7yIMMIHH0SAqDXih4oBYPr7rBzLfbCSglyGY3SF6qEE7esncXlm0UNOx1BusK3Z-HEvBB70tWTBSkLMOHT7_1MLffkiGTMVZXC92EFh8h/s1600/14823527049_f0005cbe70_z.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
There's a story getting very wide coverage this week, which almost gives me hope that I will no longer be a lone voice against the evils of pandas. For this one, there's no need to make a subtle argument about the disproportionate resources and attention that are being diverted to this species. This is one where they are really showing their true colors. It's hard to choose from the array of clever headlines, including <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/28/pandering-to-the-crowd-panda-accused-of-faking-pregnancy-in-bun-case?CMP=soc_567" target="_blank">at the Guardian, Pandering to the crowd: panda accused of faking pregnancy in bun fraud case, </a>but I'm going to go with the efficient summary at CNN:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/27/world/asia/china-panda-pregnancy/index.html?hpt=hp_t2" target="_blank"><b>Report: Panda 'may have faked pregnancy' for more buns, bamboo</b></a><br />
<br />
A giant panda intended to be the star of the first ever live broadcast of the birth of panda cubs has lost the role -- after it was discovered the bear is not pregnant after all, Chinese state media reported.<br /><br />Not only was it a phantom pregnancy but zookeepers suspect the panda, Ai Hin, may have been faking it to improve her quality of life, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding told Xinhua on Monday.<br />
<br />Ai Hin, age six, had shown signs of pregnancy, including a change in appetite, moving less and an increase in progestational hormone in July, according to Xinhua.<br /><br />But after observing her for two months, she began acting normally again, zookeepers said.<br /><br />Experts say pandas sometimes carry on the behaviors associated with early pregnancy after noticing that they get preferential treatment, the news agency said.<br /><br />"After showing prenatal signs, the 'mothers-to-be' are moved into single rooms with air conditioning and around-the-clock care," Wu Kongju, an expert at the Chengdu base, is quoted as saying.<br /><br />"They also receive more buns, fruits and bamboo, so some clever pandas have used this to their advantage to improve their quality of life."<br /><br />
<br />
<br /></blockquote>
Photo from the birthday of my current least favorite panda at the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalzoo/14823527049/" target="_blank">National Zoo. </a><br />
<br />wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-52533520212887509412014-08-25T20:19:00.000-04:002014-08-25T20:20:01.875-04:00New bear advice: Forget it. We're doomed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhru603cntmYfWg5Z-K4JN2DbG_4p-h4SOZnuo5zEechYzo7i4D15qgfErbUglA8Ps6d96whV4wo8bIsbdZFJPZGg2QToYHnLvo5B6FylBJ0N-GI3ogCiWp4mhPxXVV4N-K6SWTpgrxio9t/s1600/tentbear3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhru603cntmYfWg5Z-K4JN2DbG_4p-h4SOZnuo5zEechYzo7i4D15qgfErbUglA8Ps6d96whV4wo8bIsbdZFJPZGg2QToYHnLvo5B6FylBJ0N-GI3ogCiWp4mhPxXVV4N-K6SWTpgrxio9t/s1600/tentbear3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
So many animals are bigger and stronger and have sharper parts than humans. But we take comfort in our advantages: our opposable thumbs and our big brains that allow us to use tools and cleverness to defend ourselves. Cleverness like, say, hanging our food at the end of a long rope to keep bears from getting it when we're camping.<br />
<br />
Or so we thought:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2024355412_smartbearsxml.html" target="_blank">PULLMAN, MT</a> — It may no longer be good enough to hang your food in a tree
to keep it away from bears when you go camping, according to a
first-of-its-kind study at the Washington State University Bear Research
Education and Conservation Center.<br />
<br />
Some — but not all — grizzlies can use primitive tools to thwart your
efforts. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The study’s participants are eight grizzly bears — five males and
three females — who are challenged to get their paws on a glazed
doughnut hung out of reach in their play area on the WSU campus.<br />
<br />
Researchers place a sawed-off tree stump below the hanging treat to
see if the animals will stand on it to reach the object of their desire.
Once they do, the stump is turned on its side and moved away from the
treat. Researchers observe whether the bears will move it back under the
doughnut.<br />
<br />
So far, researchers have identified one bear — a 9-year-old female — who has become the star of the show.<br />
<br />
Kio, who was born in the center in 2005, has sailed through the tasks, while others are still discovering the basics. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“She manipulates an inanimate object in several steps to help her
achieve a goal, which in this case is to obtain food. This fits the
definition of tool use,” Nelson said. </blockquote>
From the researchers' description of the value of the findings, they're clearly the usual sort of experts who aren't clear whose side they're on. Sure, they say that understanding how bears think may help us solve "bear-related problems." But they're obviously really more interested in bear-centric issues: “Being able to problem solve allows for a species to ‘think outside the
box’ so to speak. This may be important if habitat and food resources
change.”<br />
<br />
And apparently the average person is no better. Rather than being berated for setting up a study that helps bears learn to defeat fundamental human defenses, here's the complaint they have to address:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"People often don’t like to see us feeding the bears sweets such as
doughnuts,” she said. “I really appreciate that and I am glad that
people care. We do give sweets as special treats, but not as a major
part of their diet.” </blockquote>
wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-59030042976300985882014-08-19T15:54:00.002-04:002014-08-19T15:54:27.046-04:00The Truth About Owls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVeG8J5SYS59qG8VpGJw2YnAY53EWrTp_pgAUf9iGHlT-dXrYTZ_VjZ_UgIh0P5jK1OSyhwOOnQN15XXlwnxU4vvun6T30WFNS2vAH2OHl5Wo3AKlQSEuTd0N1VvVCLxWjGOFrfol23e8/s1600/3534446889_afa65d6cc0_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVeG8J5SYS59qG8VpGJw2YnAY53EWrTp_pgAUf9iGHlT-dXrYTZ_VjZ_UgIh0P5jK1OSyhwOOnQN15XXlwnxU4vvun6T30WFNS2vAH2OHl5Wo3AKlQSEuTd0N1VvVCLxWjGOFrfol23e8/s1600/3534446889_afa65d6cc0_b.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
I suppose it's inevitable that a generation that grew up on Harry Potter would consider owls cute and friendly creatures appropriate to decorate tote bags and baby clothes. If you want to know what these ruthless carnivores are really like, read <a href="http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4764678-owl-soars-into-idaho-window-and-kills-pet-canary" target="_blank">this AP article</a> that impressed even me, and I was sure I'd seen it all:<br />
<br />
<b>Owl soars into Idaho window and kills pet canary </b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
An owl flew into a 10th story apartment in Coeur d'Alene, apparently opened a bird cage and killed one of two canaries inside, the residents said.<br /><br />Sue Sausser said she awakened Sunday to find bird droppings and feathers all over her apartment, the Coeur d'Alene Press reported.<br /><br />Sausser found the brownish, yellow-eyed owl between the wall and the chest of drawers on which the bird cage sits. It flew out the door and perched on their balcony railing long enough for them to take a few pictures. Don Sausser estimated the owl was 6 to 8 inches tall.<br /><br />Sue and Don Sausser found one of their canaries dead in the cage. The other seemed jumpy and anxious, they said.<br /><br />Beth Paragamian, wildlife education specialist with for Idaho Fish and Game and the Bureau of Land Management, said it's strange that an owl would be flying so high in an area without many tall trees and surprising that it would enter a residence, much less open a bird cage.<br /><br />"That is very unusual," she said.<br /><br />Don Sausser said they'll likely still leave their sliding glass door open on warm summer evenings, but plan to use twist ties to secure the door on the bird cage.<br /><br /> </blockquote>
Heed the warning photographed by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/michellevoli/3534446889/" target="_blank">Flickr user Michelle Voli. </a>wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-90741860560745833662014-08-16T20:47:00.001-04:002014-08-16T20:47:57.188-04:00Snark Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ErFNAHVyTtB4W-FLTW_C6MPCuCuIQNbQ184FMidyIpibdPigLmSq9oVW0AJhvu9vG8Vj-77J8_ibmRRyoe9Vomjq3Wn1SJiW9uj21SxtSRfYlqiZs6MmoXXaM5TbcgYhBQcUBAT1MGCU/s1600/MooseDog_JulieFalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ErFNAHVyTtB4W-FLTW_C6MPCuCuIQNbQ184FMidyIpibdPigLmSq9oVW0AJhvu9vG8Vj-77J8_ibmRRyoe9Vomjq3Wn1SJiW9uj21SxtSRfYlqiZs6MmoXXaM5TbcgYhBQcUBAT1MGCU/s1600/MooseDog_JulieFalk.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Shark Week may be over but it's not too late to head over to the excellent <a href="http://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2014/08/16/the-last-word-125/" target="_blank">Last Word on Nothing </a>where instead of fake TV about an animal that isn't nearly as dangerous as advertised, you can read about the bad behavior of <a href="http://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2014/08/11/snark-week-evil-has-a-new-name-and-buck-teeth/" target="_blank">nutria</a>, <a href="http://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2014/08/12/snark-week-just-when-you-thought-it-was-safe-to-go-back-into-the-henhouse/" target="_blank">chickens</a>, <a href="http://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2014/08/13/dopeydangerous/" target="_blank">moose</a>, and <a href="http://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2014/08/14/look-whos-hell-bent-on-world-domination/" target="_blank">squirrels</a>. And if you don't, at least take this quote from a wildlife biologist to heart:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Assume every moose is a serial killer standing in the middle of the trail with a loaded gun.”</blockquote>
wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-60342327807969539782014-07-25T15:33:00.003-04:002014-07-25T15:33:33.647-04:00Go read this<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZIdS0xC-xUUgp2Qf4MWk2aR9aLd64OoejHBNGwPUn8Rgp8KcpXgUl_GiChDdEywrXzogYWMmdv_ANgGQFsPlygWeQXjDHgBfzAdA4GB9WUAwfHJ4PWxSuIXVgf0owV47_8YQzk-GJhiF/s1600/6242117635_fbbef58ce9_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZIdS0xC-xUUgp2Qf4MWk2aR9aLd64OoejHBNGwPUn8Rgp8KcpXgUl_GiChDdEywrXzogYWMmdv_ANgGQFsPlygWeQXjDHgBfzAdA4GB9WUAwfHJ4PWxSuIXVgf0owV47_8YQzk-GJhiF/s1600/6242117635_fbbef58ce9_b.jpg" height="320" width="242" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm extremely impressed by <a href="http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3172/has-a-human-ever-been-raped-by-a-dolphin" target="_blank">this post from yesterday's The Straight Dope which answers the question "Has a human ever been raped by a dolphin?</a>" and contains a story about an orangutan that even I hesitate to repeat.<br />
<br />
<br />
Important warning captured by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/grufnik/6242117635/" target="_blank">Flickr user Grufnik.</a><br />
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<br /></h1>
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</h1>
wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-32437168693436172452014-07-10T14:00:00.000-04:002014-07-10T14:00:21.210-04:00Midsummer Bad Animal Roundup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP47hyphenhyphenqQyFgAXnSWhhJUimpO8zqY3WjHz_V-YmjBBQ22TGFEZetsD3szpjDJQm7UI0YqUEJCbIFGmpmHB0AR669jnSvquolgxycfpRo3TiGyPJC4u0CkwRfgYkRzGz9IGTp2ADF2n8prCF/s1600/cat-burglar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP47hyphenhyphenqQyFgAXnSWhhJUimpO8zqY3WjHz_V-YmjBBQ22TGFEZetsD3szpjDJQm7UI0YqUEJCbIFGmpmHB0AR669jnSvquolgxycfpRo3TiGyPJC4u0CkwRfgYkRzGz9IGTp2ADF2n8prCF/s1600/cat-burglar.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Slate tells the truth about those hamsters in the cute viral videos: <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/wild_things/2014/07/10/video_of_hamster_eating_a_burrito_hamster_cannibalism_and_other_viral_videos.html" target="_blank">They don't eat burritos, they eat each other.</a><br />
<br />
Researchers discover that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/10945821/Chimps-develop-bizarre-trend-of-sticking-grass-in-ear.html" target="_blank">chimps follow stupid fashion trends</a><br />
<br />
Wired talks to a guy who <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/07/animals-who-drink-and-the-people-who-cut-them-open/" target="_blank">dissected drunken birds </a><br />
<br />
And we can't pass up <a href="http://www.burnabynow.com/news/burnaby-cat-burglar-stealing-gloves-1.1125900" target="_blank">yet another cat burglar:</a><br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
The
Palmers have had Sienna for years, and when the feline was younger, she
would bring home gifts: birds, rats, mice and moles, for instance. -
See more at:
http://www.burnabynow.com/news/burnaby-cat-burglar-stealing-gloves-1.1125900#sthash.OCrwYAX5.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
The
Palmers have had Sienna for years, and when the feline was younger, she
would bring home gifts: birds, rats, mice and moles, for instance. -
See more at:
http://www.burnabynow.com/news/burnaby-cat-burglar-stealing-gloves-1.1125900#sthash.OCrwYAX5.dpuf</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Palmers have had Sienna for years, and when the feline was younger, she would bring home gifts: birds, rats, mice and moles, for instance. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But Sienna is aging and has put on a few pounds, so Palmer suspects the gloves are easy "prey" for the calico.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Seriously, I think because she's too fat now and can't catch anything, she's picked up this glove thing," Palmer says, laughing. "I'm just so happy it's not mice and birds anymore. ... I would hate it when she brought them home." </blockquote>
Less happy is the <a href="http://www.burnabynow.com/news/burnaby-resident-wants-gloves-back-from-cat-burglar-1.1129034" target="_blank">original owner of the stash of fifty gloves:</a><br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
"It
was a pretty expensive selection of gloves," she said. - See more at:
http://www.burnabynow.com/news/burnaby-resident-wants-gloves-back-from-cat-burglar-1.1129034#sthash.66IG5zl9.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
"It
was a pretty expensive selection of gloves," she said. - See more at:
http://www.burnabynow.com/news/burnaby-resident-wants-gloves-back-from-cat-burglar-1.1129034#sthash.66IG5zl9.dpuf</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"It was a pretty expensive selection of gloves," she said. </blockquote>
<br />wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-31561489870179281302014-06-30T08:54:00.001-04:002014-06-30T08:54:14.167-04:00Bad Bird Book<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvw3NlE7yxkcGuycwQhvAsBVql2k9sW_yQyp_kYHj-XpYByAawTpseIvvDVNNNSq5XWOEbvooT5V51qT0hOUH7AMkBOLv7DO1Z_Wqc7Gj3YK3u2Tgcbd1RCv6X055ftw42rIblA_u84v4g/s1600/tumblr_n7nbl5XQH61qzfsnio8_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvw3NlE7yxkcGuycwQhvAsBVql2k9sW_yQyp_kYHj-XpYByAawTpseIvvDVNNNSq5XWOEbvooT5V51qT0hOUH7AMkBOLv7DO1Z_Wqc7Gj3YK3u2Tgcbd1RCv6X055ftw42rIblA_u84v4g/s1600/tumblr_n7nbl5XQH61qzfsnio8_1280.jpg" height="273" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Even if I wasn't brain dead from exhaustion and in need a vacation from the vacation I just took, there's nothing I could write today that would be more interesting <a href="http://geyserofawesome.com/post/89868303952/heres-the-latest-addition-to-the-archie-mcphee" target="_blank">than this post from Archie McPhee's Geyser of Awesome</a> about the <a href="http://www.mincingmockingbird.com/" target="_blank">website The Mincing Mockingbird</a> and their book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Troubled-Birds-Mockingbird-Mincing/dp/039917091X/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1404132611&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Guide to Troubled Birds.</a><br />
<br />
I'm going to hit Post now and spend the rest of the day ordering the book and reading the entire archive. wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-38437443335138027762014-06-19T18:14:00.002-04:002014-06-19T18:14:30.128-04:00Bad Animal News Briefs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgZyM6SdcyXVtnEzAvIKGQ7Ibq8kfSYIe32QGgg8xzguR3mmW2pLNzQsmxBHkRwKXhAqVnpqOJfBam4zZ8B4xFhcc_Par9zNzllymIKY5Gj-kZxrU6wZOOd_V_qGFhPjJWZ1rAs7UbHab/s1600/baby-moose-vail-credit-katie-nelson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgZyM6SdcyXVtnEzAvIKGQ7Ibq8kfSYIe32QGgg8xzguR3mmW2pLNzQsmxBHkRwKXhAqVnpqOJfBam4zZ8B4xFhcc_Par9zNzllymIKY5Gj-kZxrU6wZOOd_V_qGFhPjJWZ1rAs7UbHab/s1600/baby-moose-vail-credit-katie-nelson.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/06/11/baby-moose-takes-a-break-in-lobby-of-antlers-hotel-in-vail/" target="_blank">Baby Moose Takes A Break in Hotel Lobby</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Conference Services Manager Katie Nelson said it stayed in the lobby
about 10 to 20 minutes, lying on the floor. She said it's a pet-friendly
hotel and thought at first it was a dog that had gotten off its leash.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<a href="http://13wham.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/beaver-attacks-pulls-man-off-kayak-13005.shtml" target="_blank">Beaver Attacks, Pulls Man Off Kayak</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
BayCreek Paddling Center trainer Nate Reynolds saw part of the attack.<br /><br />"I heard my name called out from the shop and I ran out the door to see a guy getting pulled into the water," Reynolds said, describing the attack. "It was like watching a horror film."<br /><br />Reynolds said Cavanaugh was able to get to his feet and approach the dock, but the beaver would not let go of him, so Reynolds hit the beaver with a nearby paddle several times.<br /><br />"The paddle broke and the beaver let go," he said. "He kind of disappeared for a few seconds but came back up so I hit him again."</blockquote>
Bear Chase at National Institute of Health<br />
<br />
A black bear caused a commotion at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, a close-in DC suburb that is definitely NOT out in the country and is <i>way</i> too close for comfort to Animals Behaving Badly Headquarters. During the chase the bear <a href="http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2014/The-Bethesda-Bear-The-Day-in-Tweets/" target="_blank">taunted NIH employees on Twitter:</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="p-nickname" data-scribe="element:screen_name" dir="ltr">@<b>NIH_Bear</b></span>
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<div class="content e-entry-content" data-scribe="component:tweet">
<div class="e-entry-title">
Sometimes late at night, I sneak into your lab and recalibrate your instruments. Nobody suspects the bear.</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When you're done with the monkeys, do you just throw them away? Because, I could totally go for some monkey. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
</blockquote>
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wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-88050730085873405232014-06-17T09:02:00.000-04:002014-06-17T09:03:02.742-04:00Animals Eating Things They Shouldn't<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiR6GMSpsKSBz7eZSjQn-WqcLMxyyZKIHKnRwsCxD3X9_bvzYv2ajxIJ78x5uXE9quAsbJMVUNQiimuXTPtZvY_zK8ITXKaajzuaWnGFHBz0S0QCshimHKPdx25cRjjsQAkfACSNC_8hhb/s1600/i1540-9295-12-5-312-f02.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiR6GMSpsKSBz7eZSjQn-WqcLMxyyZKIHKnRwsCxD3X9_bvzYv2ajxIJ78x5uXE9quAsbJMVUNQiimuXTPtZvY_zK8ITXKaajzuaWnGFHBz0S0QCshimHKPdx25cRjjsQAkfACSNC_8hhb/s1600/i1540-9295-12-5-312-f02.gif" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Today we have three very different stories of animals eating things they shouldn't be eating. The first is one of my favorite types: the charming zoo animal showing a crowd of naive animal lovers what nature is really like:<br />
<a href="http://www.thelocal.at/20140526/polar-bear-eats-peacock-in-vienna-zoo" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.thelocal.at/20140526/polar-bear-eats-peacock-in-vienna-zoo" target="_blank">Polar bear eats peacock in Vienna zoo</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Visitors were shocked to witness Lynn demolish the hapless bird, leaving nothing but a couple of feathers, before retiring for an afternoon nap.<br /><br />It appears the unfortunate bird had taken a shine to the bear's new enclosure during the two and a half year construction period, and clearly had no idea its new residents weren't vegetarians.</span></span></span></blockquote>
From Pennsylvania, a headline that is perfect on its own:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h3 class="">
<a href="http://www.abc27.com/story/25674516/black-bear-eats-muffin-ignores-police-in-silver-spring" target="_blank">Black Bear eats muffin, ignores police in Silver Spring</a></h3>
</blockquote>
And finally, I highly recommend that you go and read <a href="http://www.esajournals.org/doi/full/10.1890/1540-9295-12.5.312" target="_blank">this </a>in its entirety, in which a scientist who is in denial about the dietary habits of walruses has to admit that they eat much cuter animals than just clams and other mollusks - and in fact, that science has been studiously ignoring the evidence for well over a century.<br />
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wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-15914790037788235552014-06-12T17:05:00.000-04:002014-06-12T17:05:37.273-04:00Canine classics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkVOelcGDXOWRYzbJXgAD3l2cMtLdpRNWmqTIpE5lLX-MDTIMQihIdE5HCee9NJWHQ94yESeRq7Y0C7fka5PNOtN0s9OgoDHXA9h52gRGdhOZnArmpaZjZMVfSIxuqAF4kUlIzf4_qBvD/s1600/_75314197_fox624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkVOelcGDXOWRYzbJXgAD3l2cMtLdpRNWmqTIpE5lLX-MDTIMQihIdE5HCee9NJWHQ94yESeRq7Y0C7fka5PNOtN0s9OgoDHXA9h52gRGdhOZnArmpaZjZMVfSIxuqAF4kUlIzf4_qBvD/s1600/_75314197_fox624.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
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Some things never get old, and two of them are vulpine shoe-stealing and dogs driving cars (badly).<br />
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In England:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-27710832" target="_blank">A fox is stealing dozens of shoes in a Leeds suburb</a> and dumping them outside a woman's house.<br /><br />The problem has become so bad that Elaine Hewitt has been forced to put a shoe rack outside her home in Horsforth so neighbours can reclaim their missing footwear.<br /><br />Ms Hewitt said the vulpine crimewave began a few months ago when she found a single shoe in her back garden.<br /><br />The fox is now leaving a shoe a day, ranging from sandals to work boots.<br /><br />Ms Hewitt, who has seen the fox carrying shoes, said the animal favoured leather footwear and the shoes are not chewed or damaged.<br /><br />"First of all we just collected them thinking they were too good to throw in the bin," she said. "We had a few phone calls from that and were able to give back and match up a couple of pairs.<br /><br />"Then I decided the fox was a further afield than just around our immediate vicinity which is when I decided to put the table out on the street.<br /><br />"The number of vehicles and passers-by who stopped to ask about it, to look and also to take their shoes back was absolutely astounding."<br /><br />The fox appears to be the mother of five cubs and Ms Hewitt said she hoped the younger members of the family would not be taught about the shoe stealing habit.<br /></blockquote>
And <a href="http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/25664952/puppy-hits-gas-pedal-drives-car-into-canton-pond" target="_blank">in Massachusetts:</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Costello says it all started after he'd taken this normally frisky puppy for a walk by Bolivar Pond in Canton. He hopped into his car, and started it up, but Rosie had her own ideas.<br /><br />"The dog jumped in and hit the gear shift and the car jerked and she fell on top of the gas pedal," Costello said. "It was just scary."<br /><br />Then, he said, his puppy drove the car into the pond.<br /><br />"The car went for a swim. We all did."<br /><br />That's right: Rosie launched this car right into Bolivar Pond.<br /><br />"[The] car was right here you can see the tracks," Costello said.<br /><br />The 911 call even surprised Canton police.<br /><br />"I've never heard of a puppy driving a car into a pond," said Officer Robert Quirk of the Canton police.</blockquote>
Despite the dangerous struggle required to save Rosie from the sinking vehicle, as usual, no one seems to blame the dog:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Canton police posted this lighthearted tweet, with a picture of the pup
and a caption that read, "Perp says she was just going with the flow of
traffic."<br /><br />And Hermann says it's a day he won't soon forget.<br /><br />"I work a lot of weekends and none as exciting as this one," he said.<br /><br />As
for Costello, the car - his daughter's - is a total a loss, but he says
he has insurance. As for Rosie - she's ok - and unaware of all the
commotion she caused Sunday. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
</blockquote>
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wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-56733085935109930532014-06-09T12:39:00.001-04:002014-06-09T12:39:11.150-04:00Dead Duck Day Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGmnPBDg72q0HAt40myzdyardUEhibGFaynRQDNPJNMhHltuiY5tysU6JHWOo6QI0xT1gQgBcpO8jvfF_79odI7dXXUTMzjbmOfzFsuGbOMHZ0WerJfqXRBYDtAimT-BLPbjmsTgzOUrN/s1600/devilduckhunt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGmnPBDg72q0HAt40myzdyardUEhibGFaynRQDNPJNMhHltuiY5tysU6JHWOo6QI0xT1gQgBcpO8jvfF_79odI7dXXUTMzjbmOfzFsuGbOMHZ0WerJfqXRBYDtAimT-BLPbjmsTgzOUrN/s1600/devilduckhunt1.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
You can now read the full report of this year's Dead Duck Day, and the message I was honored to write, at <a href="http://moeliker.wordpress.com/2014/06/09/dead-duck-day-2014-an-illustrated-report/" target="_blank">this link.</a>wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-59604264373943300562014-06-05T09:06:00.002-04:002014-06-05T09:07:10.878-04:00Happy Dead Duck Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVy_F8xxa2FRx0f0DovA9Wn74YrJHs1pqpqIYJy5v26858aKkusMGr2aDYJ_vQeK5nX7nxjtr4iMKs9hR1TpoqWhyphenhyphen_SZi_GQJVW7Qqr0ikyZYmASk-liNDdpoPz9Fj9M8S8KpAmP81_uX/s1600/dduck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVy_F8xxa2FRx0f0DovA9Wn74YrJHs1pqpqIYJy5v26858aKkusMGr2aDYJ_vQeK5nX7nxjtr4iMKs9hR1TpoqWhyphenhyphen_SZi_GQJVW7Qqr0ikyZYmASk-liNDdpoPz9Fj9M8S8KpAmP81_uX/s1600/dduck.jpg" height="307" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's a very special Dead Duck Day, because I have been given the honor of <a href="http://moeliker.wordpress.com/2014/06/03/join-the-19th-dead-duck-day-on-june-5th-2014/" target="_blank">writing the message to to read at this year's ceremony</a>. I'll post a link when it is available. In the meantime, watch this <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/kees_moeliker_how_a_dead_duck_changed_my_life" target="_blank">TED talk by Kees Moeliker</a>, giant in the science of bad duck behavior and organizer of the event.<br />
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Get your own devilduckie <a href="http://mcphee.com/shop/devil-duckie.html" target="_blank">here</a>wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-10035506516190787132014-06-02T09:27:00.004-04:002014-06-02T09:30:56.685-04:00Animals Where They Shouldn't Be<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYQQDmdhfS6vff2CVCEjTBR5KYiwoCke_8DgDSqx79zNxGS-xvPTtFrCZhtUYv9BAv7mYA7B1aqtk8vZRZuz47_WpB2Qjssv4pTMBoYReNp8b-tKv-ka4Sm4N1-S5EwGOBJHfqr_B4WJT/s1600/Best-shot---bear-lies-down-in-hammock-jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYQQDmdhfS6vff2CVCEjTBR5KYiwoCke_8DgDSqx79zNxGS-xvPTtFrCZhtUYv9BAv7mYA7B1aqtk8vZRZuz47_WpB2Qjssv4pTMBoYReNp8b-tKv-ka4Sm4N1-S5EwGOBJHfqr_B4WJT/s1600/Best-shot---bear-lies-down-in-hammock-jpg.jpg" height="251" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.wesh.com/news/photos-bear-lies-down-in-hammock-in-daytona-beach/26247854#!TCLHD" target="_blank">- In Florida, </a>a bear that was tuckered out after rummaging through trash cans found a hammock in one resident's backyard and decided to have a rest. </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
"He got in the hammock like he was a tourist or something," said Vincent
James, who owns the home and the hammock. "Then something spooked him
and he ran right back there. Then half an hour later I come back and I
saw there he is in the hammock again."</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
</blockquote>
As usual, authorities <a href="http://www.clickorlando.com/news/black-bear-spotted-hanging-out-in-hammock/26261108" target="_blank">washed their hands of the matter</a>, saying that they wouldn't do anything because the bear wasn't "threatening" anyone. So, sadly, James decided that his only defense was to get rid of his lovely hammock.<br />
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-<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-27634553" target="_blank">In England,</a> police got an unusual call: a squirrel had jumped into a woman's handbag and refused to leave.<br />
<br />
Officers arrived and removed the rodent, but before you rejoice that officials did the right thing for a change, the plot thickens: this was a non-native, invasive gray squirrel:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Under section 9 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act, it is an offence to release a grey squirrel into the wild. According to Red Squirrels Northern England, an organisation
which works to protect red squirrels: "This means if you trap one, you
are obliged to humanely dispatch it. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"You must not let it go as this act would be illegal."</blockquote>
In response to this, the police spokesman replied, no doubt with a wink: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I'm sure the squirrel in this case had managed to escape before a cage could be found."</blockquote>
And before you laugh that the woman called the police in the first place, read on:<br />
<br />
-<a href="http://www.click2houston.com/news/pet-squirrel-escapes-and-attacks-neighbor/26086884" target="_blank">In Texas,</a> a woman was attacked by her neighbor's pet squirrel:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Elizabeth Orzechowska said she was unloading groceries from her car when she felt something climb up her leg.<br />
<br />
"So, I looked down and it was a squirrel," Orzechowska said to Local 2. "It started running up my back, started scratching my back and biting my back."</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Orzechowska went to the emergency room where she spent five hours
getting stitched up and treated with antibiotics. She said she is in
pain, her hands are swollen an she is unable to work. </blockquote>
This incident belongs under today's heading because no one should have a pet squirrel in their home: it's illegal to keep one in Texas (and probably most if not all other places in the US.) Knowing this, the woman released the rodent into the wild before it could be seized.<br />
<br />
-Finally, from South Carolina, I leave you with this picture of an alligator at an outlet mall: <br />
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<br />wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-74322900612042157432014-05-29T16:01:00.005-04:002014-05-29T16:01:51.806-04:00Animal Home Invasions meet Clueless Experts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nlfv13km8B7d_VJjPAS87nDk39x_Ln3vq-RaU75A0UimrMr-Io52pCxcoHBGjbITNqvF7LkMC-N2TW_E5ocQlkrjxgUoobk_L1tu5CpxREwcTP3d9CNoyI1Ps7nNlDIF4DgVrAJVXgG0/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nlfv13km8B7d_VJjPAS87nDk39x_Ln3vq-RaU75A0UimrMr-Io52pCxcoHBGjbITNqvF7LkMC-N2TW_E5ocQlkrjxgUoobk_L1tu5CpxREwcTP3d9CNoyI1Ps7nNlDIF4DgVrAJVXgG0/s1600/image.jpg" height="319" width="320" /></a></div>
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-<a href="http://www.wtae.com/news/deer-smashes-into-womans-home-jumps-on-her-bed/26167026#!R0i0F" target="_blank">Deer smashes into woman's home, jumps on her bed</a><br />
<br />
We've seen this sort of thing<a href="http://animalsbehavingbadly.blogspot.com/2012/01/not-safe-in-our-own-homes.html" target="_blank"> before,</a> but the interviewees in this news video are quite good at conveying the horror. "It sounded like a car crash," said one witness, as someone heroically followed a trail of bloody footprints - "It looked like a murder scene" - to find a 180 pound buck on top of an elderly woman in her bed. <br />
<br />
It's fortunate that citizens handled that situation well on their own, because in our next two stories, authorities are of their usual dubious usefulness. <a href="http://www.london24.com/news/quirky-london/crafty_fox_spotted_sleeping_in_family_s_spare_room_1_3609629" target="_blank">In London, </a>a fox was found sleeping in a couple's spare room:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Sarah Preddy and her partner Colin Linton were enjoying a Sunday morning cup of tea, when they discovered the ‘arrogant’ animal relaxing on the bed in their spare room after pet dog, Molly, became restless.<br /><br />They said upon opening the door they saw bushy-tailed squatter had made itself at home on top of the duvet.<br /><br />It apparently stayed at their house in Rosemary Avenue for another hour before it finally left, with Sarah’s step-sons managing to take photographs of the fox lying on the bed and then making its way out down the stairs.</blockquote>
Just as well they didn't ask for help because the supposed experts were clueless: A spokesman for the RSPCA said "It is unusual for foxes to enter homes as by nature they will tend to avoid human contact. In the rare instances when they do venture into a home, it is likely they are attracted to food which has been left out." Apparently he hasn't read any of the four stories in <a href="http://animalsbehavingbadly.blogspot.com/2012/04/fox-in-henhouse-is-least-of-our.html" target="_blank">this post</a> of foxes in people's homes, three of which also involve them being in beds.<br />
<br />
Finally, surprisingly soon after <a href="http://animalsbehavingbadly.blogspot.com/2014/05/bad-animal-roundup.html" target="_blank">our last case. </a>we've got a woman in Spain <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/10852024/Escaped-poisonous-snake-terrorising-Spanish-apartment-block.html" target="_blank">that was bitten by a snake in her toilet:</a><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A poisonous snake is apparently living in the plumbing system of a block of flats in northern Spain, leading to one resident being bitten on the bottom as she sat on the lavatory and others using potties.<br /><br />Iris Castroverde, 30, a hairdresser and mother of two young children, got the shock of her life when she felt a nip on her left buttock as she was seated on the loo.<br /><br />The resident of a block in the small town of Naron, a suburb of La Caruna in the northwestern Galicia region, described how she heard a splash and then felt the pain in her bottom.<br /><br />"When I turned around I saw a florescent yellow and green serpent about 20cm (8 inches) long disappear with the flush," explained the horrified woman.</blockquote>
Residents are pouring bottles of bleach and caustic cleaning products down the pipes in hopes of killing the snake. This approach doesn't seem particularly likely to succeed but I can't blame them for taking matters into their own hands, seeing the treatment the woman was given:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A hospital spokesman said: "We found four incisor marks in the buttock
near the perineal area, and we followed standard practice for snake
bites which includes a tetanus and rabies shot as well as administering
an antidote. We had to remove the poison from the wound but some of it
had spread into the body and we needed to give her an injection to
counter that."<br />
</blockquote>
I'm mystified how they knew which antivenin to administer when reports are that the type of snake hasn't been identified and they're sure it's not a local species. You might be thinking that they are snake geniuses who know more than I do... except apparently they are unaware that reptiles <a href="http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/rabies/fact_sheet.htm" target="_blank">do not get or carry rabies.</a><br />
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<br />wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-66013512545792243732014-05-22T20:32:00.003-04:002014-05-22T20:32:34.291-04:00Aquatic attack squirrel and local news destroy my fantasy of Britain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0XLUgDoax9q1lVdeM5j1CdWfjyoTvRvDosAuzPjsrpMSmNm55Lef67mz18VnB1QYqDXfTYaQRW50Qn5Fe3o_6MtISZKvB-8Qg_HEmao-aeWpo4z8ttsMwf_xZf7mcpQR4-usg4kxxcvJ/s1600/4377696402_4a2a82e7cf_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0XLUgDoax9q1lVdeM5j1CdWfjyoTvRvDosAuzPjsrpMSmNm55Lef67mz18VnB1QYqDXfTYaQRW50Qn5Fe3o_6MtISZKvB-8Qg_HEmao-aeWpo4z8ttsMwf_xZf7mcpQR4-usg4kxxcvJ/s1600/4377696402_4a2a82e7cf_z.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Today was one of those rare days that I ran across an animal problem even I never thought to worry about. It happened in a swimming pool in <a href="http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Swimmer-attacked-squirrel-Torquay-s-Riviera/story-21086360-detail/story.html#7xTipivULHv5I8xJ.99" target="_blank">Devon, England</a>: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A squirrel sparked panic today after it dashed into a busy leisure centre before leaping in the pool and biting a swimmer on the finger.<br /><br />When lifeguards tried to coax him out the creature leapt into the water and paddled around the deep end for several minutes.<br /><br />A swimmer tried to fish the squirrel out of the water but was bitten on the finger before the animal scampered off through a fire exit.</blockquote>
Then to my horror, the "related stories" links presented with this article were a litany of problems that completely destroy my idyllic vision of the British isles. There's the seaside resort town in Cornwall that's battling a "<a href="http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Residents-Newquay-battling-plague-giant-rats/story-21085719-detail/story.html#EvjCyzrWmwISv68y.99" target="_blank">plague of giant rat</a>s":<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
People living in the town say they have been plagued with the giant creatures and are worried the super-sized vermin are becoming increasingly bold.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Figures show the number of reported rats in the town has gone up 50 per cent in the last year.<br /><br />Experts add that the rat population has been allowed to swell since the council stopped killing them for free.<br /><br />One resident said: "I'm not happy with the situation. I have a daughter who's seven and she's seen dead rats in the garden. She's quite a girlie girl so she doesn't like them at all.<br /><br />"They are massive - really big for a rat. Some of the cats that live further up the road would think twice about going after one."</blockquote>
And both of those rodent stories are nothing compared to this one:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Killer-Asian-hornet-arrive-Westcountry-days/story-20967820-detail/story.html" target="_blank">Killer Asian hornet could arrive in the Westcountry 'within days'</a></blockquote>
<blockquote>
Swarms of killer hornets that have plagued France could cross the Channel to the Westcountry within days.<br /><br />Giant Asian hornets are responsible for the deaths of six people in France – and experts have warned that they could now be headed to the South of England. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
The predators have jaws powerful enough to chew through regular protective bee suits and their venom, which they can spray, dissolves human flesh. If their venom lands in the eyes, the eye tissue will melt, according to a National Geographic documentary.</blockquote>
I don't know if you should reconsider if you were planning a vacation to England this summer - but if you go, seriously, don't ruin it by reading the local paper.<br />
<br />
<br />
Squirrels should stick to their own facilities, like the one photographed by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/theloushe/4377696402/" target="_blank">Jessica Lucia.</a>wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-1973233923981489012014-05-19T20:47:00.002-04:002014-05-19T20:47:55.328-04:00Bad Animal Roundup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2JgpdQE-3cZG0Y7YzEBVZcOPnTlb5b6Ub_tVpRlWi0Orz41Xt_4Htztt4By3ophG3inagsDFeJv4m6MEUuZuboKgbWt7e0FromN_hoN33F6wyAm6VEvYOT9JOPiEwgF1qhMoOi8MO6mtV/s1600/angry-beaver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2JgpdQE-3cZG0Y7YzEBVZcOPnTlb5b6Ub_tVpRlWi0Orz41Xt_4Htztt4By3ophG3inagsDFeJv4m6MEUuZuboKgbWt7e0FromN_hoN33F6wyAm6VEvYOT9JOPiEwgF1qhMoOi8MO6mtV/s1600/angry-beaver.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.seren.bangor.ac.uk/news-politics/uni-news/2014/05/13/pigeons-halt-third-year-exams/" target="_blank">-At a university in Wales</a>, final exams in languages and law were halted and had to be rescheduled when pigeons caused a disruption in the exam hall. As a student explained:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"There were two pigeons that somehow got in the room and they were on top of the organs in the back of the room and would not just shut up. I guess a few people complained and then they ended the exam." </blockquote>
-A particularly bad case of Snake in the Toilet <a href="http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/big-python-surprises-housewife-loo" target="_blank">in Singapore</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
She had just sat down on the toilet bowl when she felt a sharp pain.<br /><br />She looked down and saw a 1.8m-long python writhing in the toilet bowl, its jaws clamped on the back of her right thigh.</blockquote>
As usual, experts were no use - a pest controller called in failed to catch the snake, perhaps due to questionable loyalties: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The python looked tired and scared," said the pest controller, who declined to be named. </blockquote>
<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/angry-beaver-delays-traffic-roams-around-miramichi-1.2628083" target="_blank">-Angry beaver delays traffic, roams town chasing people in Canada: </a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
An angry beaver was roaming around Miramichi on Tuesday, creating traffic delays and chasing onlookers.<br /><br />Jim O'Neill was driving his taxi when he noticed a man being chased by a beaver off King George Highway on Tuesday.<br /><br />"You look out the corner of your eye and see a beaver backing somebody up the driveway,” he said.<br /></blockquote>
<br />
<br />wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-82102906003351082082014-05-12T16:03:00.003-04:002014-05-12T16:03:53.887-04:00Dolphin deadly sin<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR88vdjTtT3PbiYl8TFs-EQrHLBPxTyu8rSbfFpmyLksrEBcpdX0CdxJqJIY3dF56gvwGNNb-gf8fR2S9Zjyb5olawJXxowik1lMura9o3g0DmhQ9D3WHg5JQrBj5Sn7K20LiqYRQUSJd0/s1600/dolphinsign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR88vdjTtT3PbiYl8TFs-EQrHLBPxTyu8rSbfFpmyLksrEBcpdX0CdxJqJIY3dF56gvwGNNb-gf8fR2S9Zjyb5olawJXxowik1lMura9o3g0DmhQ9D3WHg5JQrBj5Sn7K20LiqYRQUSJd0/s1600/dolphinsign.jpg" height="284" width="320" /></a></div>
This needs nothing additional from me except to say that I haven't been so pleased with a story for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/greedy-dolphin-died-gluttony-say-7100475" target="_blank">Greedy dolphin 'died of gluttony' say marine experts</a><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A greedy dolphin “died of gluttony” after stuffing himself with so many fish he could not eat any more, experts have said. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The mammal, dubbed Monty, was found with his next meal stuck in his throat by marine experts. Experts carried out a post mortem at the scene and found his airways blocked by a dab starving him of oxygen. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Rod Penrose, Strandings co-ordinator for Wales, helped carry out the post mortem on Monty. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Its stomach was crammed full of fish, and I don’t think there would have been room for any more,” he said. “So when it swallowed this last fish, it must have been pushed back
rolled into a cigar shape, and unusually then lodged firmly in the nasal
passages. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I’ve heard of this happening before but have never seen it. So you could say that Monty was killed by gluttony”.<br />
</blockquote>
<br />
Heed the warning not to feed the dolphins in that sign photographed by<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mmwm/2901456939/" target="_blank"> mwms1913,</a> they sure as heck don't need it.wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-20250677372377407302014-05-09T13:04:00.001-04:002014-05-09T13:04:21.274-04:00Beware Birds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kuzpq81rhIJOL5QuhZms5OHly3kXcPoM4HHkzsbcnsBnXGtfwgMgiP3GXDaIlGL7AVTClrz0Iwaf3kThnNB3lhV1W8DBetVigTdk_VxIjT3ySXKoeUq6CjZTDTOcqSNgd_bg8uXuqHhZ/s1600/Alfred_Hitchcock_The+Birds+Poster_450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kuzpq81rhIJOL5QuhZms5OHly3kXcPoM4HHkzsbcnsBnXGtfwgMgiP3GXDaIlGL7AVTClrz0Iwaf3kThnNB3lhV1W8DBetVigTdk_VxIjT3ySXKoeUq6CjZTDTOcqSNgd_bg8uXuqHhZ/s1600/Alfred_Hitchcock_The+Birds+Poster_450.jpg" height="243" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
My original plan had been to make a big deal of this article:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.live5news.com/story/25402310/california-woman-lives-hitchcock-movie-as-birds-swarm-home" target="_blank">California woman lives Hitchcock movie as birds swarm home</a><br />
<br />
about a woman who's got what she claims are now a couple hundred chimney swifts in her house:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When Brown came home on Friday, the birds were everywhere: in her
kitchen, behind the TV, under the couch, and on the ceiling fan - nearly
70 birds loose inside her home. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I think the most horrifying was how they got in and the mess that
they were making while they were here, because birds are scared and they
are pooping," Brown said. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
To clean up, Brown fired up her vacuum. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"But when I did that, I scared them, and they came flying out of the
chimney, and you're just dodging these black birds, so we were just
chasing birds all over the house. It was nuts. I just assumed they were
trying to get away from the storm, Friday night." </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But since Friday, Brown says they've been back, every night around 8 p.m., like clockwork. </blockquote>
But probably we should be more worried about this one:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.kare11.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/08/man-hospitalized-after-bird-attack/8844801/" target="_blank">Man hospitalized after bird attack</a> <br />
<br />
Any comments by me would only take away from the drama of these excepts from this tale of people being attacked outside a shop in Texas: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I took off my cap and started waving them away," said Hines over the phone. "All of a sudden it was more than one bird."<br /><br />First one bird, then in seconds, three others.<br /><br />"He was running, and I mean running," said Sieger.<br /><br />"Running for fear of his life," added Michelle Bradley.<br /><br />And the birds were close behind.<br /><br />"The more I tried to fight them off," said Hines, "the worse it got. It was like why were they after me you know."<br /><br />"All of a sudden that bird hits him, and he went flying," said Sieger.<br /><br />Benny was down, bleeding and unconscious.<br /><br />Benny also lost a tooth. People inside the store heard the commotion. They rushed to help the man on the ground and called 911. But no one knew what happened to him, until they checked the video.<br /><br />And this tale gets creepier because today it happened again.<br /><br />"I felt something on my neck, and there was a bird coming after my ass," said Sieger.<br /> </blockquote>
<br />
<br />
wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-85717716854641600052014-05-05T09:38:00.006-04:002014-05-05T09:38:45.911-04:00Animals vs Cars Roundup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwFTNJXXVY5FNqcTVm2akTmjvy5jX0VSq-fHwDX58vWay87Ky6J63swnvp_ejEZm3PYtPBgqpgHLaI2bLkVfybQYUiw4W8iEw9XrPk2awa94K4ZEUAlORGPgU8k2rn05kSwqPCoj7z7ea/s1600/20140429_616277.xml-goat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwFTNJXXVY5FNqcTVm2akTmjvy5jX0VSq-fHwDX58vWay87Ky6J63swnvp_ejEZm3PYtPBgqpgHLaI2bLkVfybQYUiw4W8iEw9XrPk2awa94K4ZEUAlORGPgU8k2rn05kSwqPCoj7z7ea/s1600/20140429_616277.xml-goat.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
-<a href="http://www.cumbria.police.uk/news/latest-news/police-solve-brampton-car-damage-mystery#" target="_blank">In England</a>, one neighborhood suffering a months-long epidemic of flat tires finally exposed the criminal by installing TV cameras - and by paying closer attention to what was going on than the human who was on the scene every time:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Recent analysis of the CCTV has revealed the culprit, a border collie named ‘Jess’.<br /><br />The dog, who is owned by someone in the local area has been using her daily walk to bite the two nearside tyres of cars she comes across. This caused a slow puncture and by the morning the tyre is flat.<br /><br />PC Simon Amos, who solved the mystery, said: “These incidents have been happening for the last six months, with many residents being very upset at the thought of someone targeting them and causing the damage deliberate.<br /><br />“The dog had been seen approaching the cars and many believe that she was just sniffing at the tyres. It isn’t until you take a closer look , that you can see her biting the tyres."</blockquote>
<a href="http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2014-04-29/Peacocks-attack-cars-in-Naples-neighborhood" target="_blank">-In Florida</a>, peacocks are attacking cars - and have been doing it for years:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jade Hays couldn't believe her eyes when she saw a bird going bonkers over her car. The peacock caused hundreds of dollars worth of damage. "For all that to happen -- on my new car. It upset me. I actually called my mom in tears," she said. <br /><br />Neighbors say the peacocks also break rip through pool cages and damage homes. </blockquote>
And here's a warning if you're in the market for a used peacock - make sure you inquire about whether it has a record:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Over the past couple of years, animal control has removed a dozen peacocks from this area. They are sold at auctions.</blockquote>
-Finally, <a href="http://www.kjonline.com/news/Richmond_goats_attack_car_.html" target="_blank">in Maine,</a> the problem is goats:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A pair of Richmond goats found themselves on the wrong side of the law recently after attacking a car on Marston Road. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The car owner reported the apparently unprovoked attack around 6:30 p.m. on April 19, said Richmond Police Chief Scott MacMaster. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Apparently the goats got loose from the neighbors’ and were climbing all over his car,” MacMaster said. </blockquote>
As we've seen again and again on this blog, officials washed their hands of the situation, despite the fact that these animals are repeat offenders: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The vehicle owner was going to get estimates and give it to the
neighbor and hopefully take care of it civilly,” MacMaster said. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
No charges have been filed against the goat owner or wayward goats. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The goats are familiar to local law enforcement. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“They have been known to get loose in the past,” MacMaster said. </blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-91149722646561614722014-05-01T09:20:00.002-04:002014-05-01T09:20:35.898-04:00Animals are bad, but people don't help<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qRmZpsOHDu4" width="560"></iframe> <br />
<br />
A roundup of stories where there's ample blame to go around all the species involved:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-27140007" target="_blank">In England</a>, a colony of 300 bats that roost in the church roof can't be removed
because they are a protected
species, despite the fact that their excrement damages historic objects
and - horror of horrors - they've made couples decline to hold weddings
there:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Bats "showering" parishioners with faeces and urine at a Norfolk church appear to have "more rights that the worshipping community", a vicar said.</blockquote>
<a href="http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21600988-new-building-rules-will-help-old-folkswho-now-risk-being-eaten-bears-knobless-oblige" target="_blank">In Canada: </a>In Vancouver new law banning old-style doorknobs in favor of level-style is supposed to help the elderly and disabled. But some warn that it's enabling a bad animal:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
True, elderly and disabled people find it easier to operate doors with
handles. But so do bears. In British Columbia, bears have been known to
scavenge for food inside cars—whose doors have handles, knob advocates
point out. Pitkin County, Colorado, in the United States, has banned
door levers on buildings for this very reason. One newspaper columnist
in the pro-knob camp has noted that the velociraptors in “Jurassic Park”
were able to open doors by their handles. </blockquote>
And finally, in Brazil, the video above shows staff fleeing from an ox that invaded a hospital - with a soundtrack of their co-workers laughing as they review the security cam footage of the incident. The clip also <a href="http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/2014/04/25/11/57/ox-send-hospital-staff-running" target="_blank">won a competition on social media</a>. We can only hope that Brazilian bovines don't have access to the Internet, because this sort of success can only encourage them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-76308630566238163202014-04-28T10:23:00.002-04:002014-04-28T10:23:41.959-04:00Dangerous Duck<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixASqFlbxgrIYTL7UTVVPP36nBlxLJW_HtSxMboYFLkvhoBSjY1LU_en_MiPG2o_-Z3EfvOkXi2jgjDBJCsz42n_Vk3fkHSOgXfsHhH_asoybkyuMp-h9hFqk_b578o5EuKTBy0AQIF0UM/s1600/115762827_5b98c976f1_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixASqFlbxgrIYTL7UTVVPP36nBlxLJW_HtSxMboYFLkvhoBSjY1LU_en_MiPG2o_-Z3EfvOkXi2jgjDBJCsz42n_Vk3fkHSOgXfsHhH_asoybkyuMp-h9hFqk_b578o5EuKTBy0AQIF0UM/s1600/115762827_5b98c976f1_b.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
Educating people about which animals they should be afraid of is one of the responsibilities of this blog. In that spirit, this story out of Oregon is an important one:<br />
<a href="http://www.kptv.com/story/25314084/domestic-duck-with-dangerous-propensities-leads-to-275k-lawsuit" target="_blank"><b><br /></b></a>
<a href="http://www.kptv.com/story/25314084/domestic-duck-with-dangerous-propensities-leads-to-275k-lawsuit" target="_blank"><b>Domestic duck with 'dangerous propensities' leads to $275K lawsuit</b></a><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It claims the plaintiff, Cynthia Ruddell, stepped out of her motor
home on property owned by her mother in Estacada on May 7, 2012 when a
"domestic duck" attacked her. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The woman fell on her outstretched hand, breaking her wrist and spraining her elbow and shoulder. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I
can tell you that when she first contacted me, we both shared a laugh
at the circumstances around the accident," said Ruddell's attorney,
Gregory Price. "But, unfortunately, the injury was pretty serious." </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Ruddell had to get a plate and nine screws in her wrist. Further problems required a second surgery. </blockquote>
Sure, a duck attack sounds funny... which is no doubt why this problem was allowed to escalate, because it turns out this wasn't this duck's first offense: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Price
said the owner has acknowledged that the duck "had issues" before this
incident, including prior attacks. The lawsuit states the duck had
"abnormally dangerous propensities in attacking people in an aggressive
manner similar to how it attacked and injured Mrs. Ruddell."</blockquote>
Of course, if you read this blog you <a href="http://animalsbehavingbadly.blogspot.com/2009/06/tomorrow-is-dead-duck-day.html" target="_blank">know what ducks are like, </a>but perhaps you didn't fear for your own personal safety, and maybe thought you were OK with anything smaller <a href="http://animalsbehavingbadly.blogspot.com/2010/04/spring-fever.html" target="_blank">than a goose</a>. Now we know better.<br />
<br />
<br />
Duck WAY too close for comfort by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/moran/115762827/" target="_blank">Jim Moran.</a><br />
<br />wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-70101735433141749672014-04-21T16:31:00.002-04:002014-04-21T16:38:45.138-04:00Cat sends three to hospital<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JVa_ZPRkk1YicfELEldgQe9bmUmF3pb_aIKxxJvlrXN8hAR01AT0FZxWF-BDLZl3tMwLxbKzKRUX1MaJcn8drS5k82JsZqqoZGdx9PWuz0qpX8lNrgftPUai2Mf6gyIwuPEmn97bAnjy/s1600/1397685773000-image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JVa_ZPRkk1YicfELEldgQe9bmUmF3pb_aIKxxJvlrXN8hAR01AT0FZxWF-BDLZl3tMwLxbKzKRUX1MaJcn8drS5k82JsZqqoZGdx9PWuz0qpX8lNrgftPUai2Mf6gyIwuPEmn97bAnjy/s1600/1397685773000-image.png" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I present <a href="http://www.news10.net/story/news/local/roseville/2014/04/16/pet-cat-attacks-roseville-family-three-taken-to-hospital/7794045/" target="_blank">this important story</a> in its entirety. I'm assuming if you're a cat owner you'll tell yourself your cat would never do this, and that you're safe as long as you don't try to make it wear clothes like in the photo. But you won't be able to say you weren't warned.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Three Roseville residents and were taken to the hospital Tuesday night after they were attacked by a pet cat.<br />
<br />
The three were treated for superficial wounds. The year-and-a-half-old cat - named Khat - clawed the face of its owner's sister, as well as the arms and legs of its owner's mother. It caused deep gashes on the legs of its owner's 10-year-old brother. Khat was taken to the SPCA.<br />
<br />
"The cat ran and jumped on his leg and was like, attached to him," the owner said. She and her family asked not to be identified. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"He's never been an aggressive cat, he's never been mean, he just flipped," she said.<br />
<br />
The family called Roseville police, which typically directs calls about animals to the city's animal control department. Animal control was closed, however, so the call was directed to the Roseville Fire Department.<br />
<br />
It was "absolutely a first for us," Fire Captain Derek Carey said. "We tried to push it into a cage, and it grabbed on to my engineer's boot and turnout bottom and was hissing and going off."<br />
<br />
Firefighters threw a fire blanket on the feline and used a metal pole to lure him into a cage, finally trapping the temperamental tomcat.</blockquote>
wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-64090742615865329482014-04-17T17:29:00.000-04:002014-04-17T17:30:35.451-04:00New frontier in bad bird behavior<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHWw-pwfi44s6Qu6fArNlq2c6gR_rizg_bPAksraFXrfyK8_xogYwu5uxgFH3LnkG7Qqm7jYKmjQr7U59TdpyK1gYbhWeNXsG2O18582uv-2bfztEcK6DG6HoPuSO-HCNrY0TIaypmWeW/s1600/swan_2878863b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHWw-pwfi44s6Qu6fArNlq2c6gR_rizg_bPAksraFXrfyK8_xogYwu5uxgFH3LnkG7Qqm7jYKmjQr7U59TdpyK1gYbhWeNXsG2O18582uv-2bfztEcK6DG6HoPuSO-HCNrY0TIaypmWeW/s1600/swan_2878863b.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://swns.com/news/racist-swan-warwick-university-attacks-foreign-students-47441/" target="_blank">From England</a> comes something that's new even to me: A racist bird.<br />
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At Warwick University they've had to erect a fence to protect people from an attacking swan - something that's not particularly unusual. But there's a novel wrinkle: this swan is said to only attack foreign students. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The animal – which is currently nesting – has been launching at
people as they cross a footbridge over a pond at the university’s Gibbet
Hill campus in Coventry, West Mids.<br />
The footbridge is used by hundreds of students everyday wishing to
get from their accommodation to their lessons at the university
buildings. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But yesterday undergraduates revealed that the angry bird only seemed to be targeting students from ethnic minorities. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
One 24-year-old student from India said: “These swans are very annoying, and the students feel as though they’re being bullied. I’m from India, and they attack me especially, they focus straight on me.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“We’ve been warned that the swans will be a bit feisty at this time of year, but they go for me all year round. I think they don’t like too many Indians in England – maybe the swans here are a little bit racist.” </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Italian student Albertina Crocetti, 24, who is studying Physics with
Business Studies, said: “It’s bizarre, she doesn’t seem to like
foreigners and attacks them to defend her nest. She’s a true right winger that’s for sure – they certainly seem to be racially motivated incidents."</blockquote>
wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-51486895692838918172014-04-14T15:59:00.001-04:002014-04-14T15:59:06.842-04:00Mainstream media finally tells the truth about otters<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6-EgqpArsJLkXKrz6GZaliGSJLldigJfTTCJmauGeUW3RIHV2Nrtcm1d9MesPXZ5Wmjt3YlIn3ytLmY1mNyGPK2cu9wV-mR6-hfCuzmlnAUp-o6ZsiPRpIRJlDwLMYgUbvAemqzKaXK_/s1600/206284866_27b3d1527a_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6-EgqpArsJLkXKrz6GZaliGSJLldigJfTTCJmauGeUW3RIHV2Nrtcm1d9MesPXZ5Wmjt3YlIn3ytLmY1mNyGPK2cu9wV-mR6-hfCuzmlnAUp-o6ZsiPRpIRJlDwLMYgUbvAemqzKaXK_/s1600/206284866_27b3d1527a_b.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
There's nothing I could write today that would be more important than sending you off to read <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Exposing+dark+side+otter+life/9721555/story.html" target="_blank">this article about the sex lives of otters in the Vancouver Sun.</a> The first photo caption lets you know what you're in for:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Male sea otters are known to rape and drown young seals, returning to the carcass for sex days later, other animals such as a large dog and bird have also become victim of such attacks.</blockquote>
I've written about this behavior, of course, in what is <a href="http://animalsbehavingbadly.blogspot.com/2011/04/its-your-turn-otter-huggers.html" target="_blank">the most highly-trafficked post on this blog. </a>But with how cute people think these animals are, it's a tale that can't be told too often. My compliments to the author.<br />
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(PS: I did not watch the video, which would not load for me, which I decided to consider a blessing. So you're on your own there.)<br />
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Important warning photographed by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/vandys/206284866/" target="_blank">Flickr user vandy meares.</a>wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3022077700938568724.post-9676634565926666692014-04-10T09:28:00.001-04:002014-04-10T09:49:30.509-04:00The battle against bad birds 'round the world<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYGAiDWYcd0Wly7-sOSZgLVBv8FjCdt59eSeBKZ1OrmTxznMzBdvzbu4DjsSXFu-8PzlnuNPGq7M5L0DKYgOlo5i0Pzaej6nsY2RU14EDRiRtOb7qRjdSrZNq9q7V5NUVs1bq5PGvfjV8/s1600/10615260854_438e6d41d9_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYGAiDWYcd0Wly7-sOSZgLVBv8FjCdt59eSeBKZ1OrmTxznMzBdvzbu4DjsSXFu-8PzlnuNPGq7M5L0DKYgOlo5i0Pzaej6nsY2RU14EDRiRtOb7qRjdSrZNq9q7V5NUVs1bq5PGvfjV8/s1600/10615260854_438e6d41d9_b.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/Caltrans-scrambles-to-lure-cormorants-to-new-Bay-5381205.php" target="_blank">In San Francisco</a>, there's a problem with plans to demolish the old Bay Bridge: unappreciative birds.<br />
<br />
About 800 cormorants have been using the bridge as a nesting site since 1984. $709,000 was spent to build brand-new bird condos on the new bridge, but the state-protected birds have refused to move in:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Caltrans' inability to lure the cormorants over to the new span isn't
for lack of trying. Biologists have been experimenting with bird decoys
and cormorant recordings to get them to move to their new,
rent-free pads. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
They even furnished the condos with nesting material. The birds reacted by simply hauling the bedding back to their old digs.</blockquote>
The timing of plans to install some kind of bird-exclusion equipment before nesting season apparently fell apart, and now it's going to take an extra 12.8 million dollars to get the demolition back on track in time to try it again next year.<br />
<br />
Bad bird behavior was also costly to government on a smaller scale <a href="http://www.thelocal.fr/20140331/noisy-peacock-costs-marseille-4000" target="_blank">in France</a>, where a court battle was won by a couple driven to psychotherapy by a peacock:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A French couple won a €4,000 settlement from city authorities in Marseille after they were left depressed insomniacs who were forced into psychotherapy due to an extremely noisy Town Hall-owned peacock.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In January 2012 they won their suit against the city, but were awarded a mere €100 in damages. Outraged by the meager payout, the couple took their case to an appeals court, which recently ordered the city to pay €4,000.</blockquote>
Maybe these places should find a role model <a href="http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/04/07/areas-in-japans-ibaraki-prefecture-working-to-protect-custom-of-eating-crow/" target="_blank">in Japan</a>, where there's an effort in Ibaraki Prefecture to promote the eating of crows. These intelligent birds are notoriously troublesome in that country, as <a href="http://animalsbehavingbadly.blogspot.com/2012/09/japan-bad-animal-report-part-2.html" target="_blank">we've reported before</a>, but hunters have found their weakness: they're easily attracted by piles of steamed sweet potato, another thing (aside from crows) that Ibaraki produces a lot of. They're said to taste good, and experts are thinking deeply about the possibilities of crow cuisine:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“It’s also a benefit to people to reduce the numbers of pests,” says Junichi Nakagawa, principal of the Nakagawa Cooking Art College in Mito City. The principal is apparently also studying new ways of preparing crow, possibly so that it might be sold as a specialty dish of the region to visitors.</blockquote>
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<br />wombathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05310526844151789937noreply@blogger.com0