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Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Braised or stewed koala on menu in Chinese restaurant
An Australian traveller says he was horrified to find a live koala for sale at a restaurant in southern China where the menu was offering the iconic marsupial for dinner in either "braised or stewed" varieties. A sign on the cage holding the animal advertised "koalas" for purchase at a rate of 139 yuan ($A20) for 500 grams. It was one of a number of live exotic animals, including birds and fish, on display at the restaurant in Panyu district, Guangdong.
The traveller, who visited the area last week, got down on his hands and knees and snapped a photograph of the caged animal, which was lying next to a carrot. The man's colleague told radio 3AW he was stunned to be given the option of eating the cuddly creature. "It's 100 per cent right, that photo," the caller said. "There's a carrot in the cage, the idiots have put a carrot in there. The restaurant had a large selection of birds, fish and other sorts of exotic animals on display that the diner could chose from for their gastronomic delight."
A later caller suggested that animal was an Asian "tree bear" of some variety, but the traveller who took the photograph said he was convinced it was a koala. It prompted a call from Melbourne businessman Geoff Balsillie, who was similarly disturbed recently to find live caged animals for sale in a restaurant in an area neighbouring Panyu in southern China. "I was taken to a restaurant for lunch by my host ... and after the lunch I went to check the plumbing and found all of these cages with all these animals, so I took a few photos," he told radio 3AW.
"There was an egret, a marmot, some water fowl and a few others. I'm not sure whether they were on the menu. There were signs on the cages with numbers on them, telling you how much they were. I don't know whether that was for a gram or for the whole beast, but they were obviously for sale. There was also the fish and snakes and the turtles and all the other things that they normally eat as well, but these animals were the ones that sort of got to me." Mr Balsillie complained to his Chinese host, who tipped off police and the restaurant was soon raided, he said. "They released the animals and she [his host] said she didn't win any friends," Mr Balsillie said.
You can hear the radio interview here.
The traveller, who visited the area last week, got down on his hands and knees and snapped a photograph of the caged animal, which was lying next to a carrot. The man's colleague told radio 3AW he was stunned to be given the option of eating the cuddly creature. "It's 100 per cent right, that photo," the caller said. "There's a carrot in the cage, the idiots have put a carrot in there. The restaurant had a large selection of birds, fish and other sorts of exotic animals on display that the diner could chose from for their gastronomic delight."
A later caller suggested that animal was an Asian "tree bear" of some variety, but the traveller who took the photograph said he was convinced it was a koala. It prompted a call from Melbourne businessman Geoff Balsillie, who was similarly disturbed recently to find live caged animals for sale in a restaurant in an area neighbouring Panyu in southern China. "I was taken to a restaurant for lunch by my host ... and after the lunch I went to check the plumbing and found all of these cages with all these animals, so I took a few photos," he told radio 3AW.
"There was an egret, a marmot, some water fowl and a few others. I'm not sure whether they were on the menu. There were signs on the cages with numbers on them, telling you how much they were. I don't know whether that was for a gram or for the whole beast, but they were obviously for sale. There was also the fish and snakes and the turtles and all the other things that they normally eat as well, but these animals were the ones that sort of got to me." Mr Balsillie complained to his Chinese host, who tipped off police and the restaurant was soon raided, he said. "They released the animals and she [his host] said she didn't win any friends," Mr Balsillie said.
You can hear the radio interview here.
Canadian police defend shooting escaped cows
A YouTube video of Gatineau police opening fire on an escaped cow has raised questions about their treatment of the animals. Gatineau police said two cows were headed for the slaughterhouse when they broke free from a truck on Thursday, leaving them no choice but to shoot them dead.
"The cops at one point have to decide if it's threatening for the population, is it too dangerous?" said Const. Pierre Lanthier of the Gatineau police. "They decided at one point they had no choice but to shoot the animal." In the video, police can be seen firing six shots at one cow that slowed it down, then four more causing it to limp away off-screen. Gatineau police said they had the owner's permission to shoot the animals.
"What I saw yesterday was the most shocking thing I've ever seen," said Lucille Cloutier, who was visiting from North Bay, Ont. when the shooting happened. "Coming from a region where our cops have tranquilizers, they didn't. This would have been the most appropriate thing for them to do." One animal activist said police should have a better plan for dealing with escaped animals.
Contains violence and NSFW language.
YouTube link.
"One way or another there has to be responsibility for these situations," said Esther Klein, director of the Animal Defence League of Canada. "If it's going to be the police then the police need the training and tranquilizers and everything that is required to deal with this situation." Gatineau police say they are investigating the incident, but have no plans to arm their officers with tranquilizers at this time.
"The cops at one point have to decide if it's threatening for the population, is it too dangerous?" said Const. Pierre Lanthier of the Gatineau police. "They decided at one point they had no choice but to shoot the animal." In the video, police can be seen firing six shots at one cow that slowed it down, then four more causing it to limp away off-screen. Gatineau police said they had the owner's permission to shoot the animals.
"What I saw yesterday was the most shocking thing I've ever seen," said Lucille Cloutier, who was visiting from North Bay, Ont. when the shooting happened. "Coming from a region where our cops have tranquilizers, they didn't. This would have been the most appropriate thing for them to do." One animal activist said police should have a better plan for dealing with escaped animals.
Contains violence and NSFW language.
YouTube link.
"One way or another there has to be responsibility for these situations," said Esther Klein, director of the Animal Defence League of Canada. "If it's going to be the police then the police need the training and tranquilizers and everything that is required to deal with this situation." Gatineau police say they are investigating the incident, but have no plans to arm their officers with tranquilizers at this time.
Man armed with corkscrew burst into apartments demanding beer
A thirsty thief is accused of stabbing a man with a corkscrew after he burst into two Bucktown apartments in search of beer in the early morning hours, authorities say. Hotel event coordinator Tim Snyder, 36, forced his way into a building in the 1300-block of North Dean around 4 a.m. Saturday, Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Aileen Bhandari said.
He headed straight for the fridge in one apartment, but punched a man and left when he couldn't find any beer, Bhandari said. In the second apartment he struggled with a resident who he stabbed in the back with a pocket corkscrew, according to a police report. The victim needed 22 stitches, but residents of the apartment were able to hold Snyder until police arrived, Bhandari said.
Snyder, of the 1500-block of North Milwaukee, allegedly later threatened a Shakespeare District police officer, telling him, "I live in the district ... I'm going to kill your ass - you can't lock me up forever." He then asked the officer "Want some AIDS?" and spat at him, according to a police report.
Snyder, who has criminal convictions for aggravated battery and domestic battery, is charged with two counts of home invasion, aggravated battery and aggravated battery to a police officer. Judge James Brown ordered him held on bail of $250,000 Sunday.
He headed straight for the fridge in one apartment, but punched a man and left when he couldn't find any beer, Bhandari said. In the second apartment he struggled with a resident who he stabbed in the back with a pocket corkscrew, according to a police report. The victim needed 22 stitches, but residents of the apartment were able to hold Snyder until police arrived, Bhandari said.
Snyder, of the 1500-block of North Milwaukee, allegedly later threatened a Shakespeare District police officer, telling him, "I live in the district ... I'm going to kill your ass - you can't lock me up forever." He then asked the officer "Want some AIDS?" and spat at him, according to a police report.
Snyder, who has criminal convictions for aggravated battery and domestic battery, is charged with two counts of home invasion, aggravated battery and aggravated battery to a police officer. Judge James Brown ordered him held on bail of $250,000 Sunday.
Drunk naked taxi driver smashes into 17 cars in Moscow
A drunk taxi driver was caught naked by police in Moscow following a rampage in which he smashed into 17 cars. City police became aware of Vitaly Grodi's erratic driving after he ignored a road sign and refused to stop.
The driver bumped into 17 vehicles including a police van. He also narrowly avoided hitting a school bus. The driver was finally caught by officers who were shocked to find him in nothing but his birthday suit when he emerged from his cab.
The taxi driver told police he was unhappy and had decided to get into his cab following an argument with his girlfriend. The bizarre incident was captured on camera and the footage shows that Grodi wasn't even wearing any shoes.
YouTube link.
The video, aired on Russian TV, shows the driver being held stretched out on the ground by police men as another officer works quickly to cover the up the offender's naked flesh. The driver reportedly told police: 'I flew on the wings of love. On the eve of our anniversary said she was not ready for a serious relationship'.
The driver bumped into 17 vehicles including a police van. He also narrowly avoided hitting a school bus. The driver was finally caught by officers who were shocked to find him in nothing but his birthday suit when he emerged from his cab.
The taxi driver told police he was unhappy and had decided to get into his cab following an argument with his girlfriend. The bizarre incident was captured on camera and the footage shows that Grodi wasn't even wearing any shoes.
YouTube link.
The video, aired on Russian TV, shows the driver being held stretched out on the ground by police men as another officer works quickly to cover the up the offender's naked flesh. The driver reportedly told police: 'I flew on the wings of love. On the eve of our anniversary said she was not ready for a serious relationship'.
Priests bless manhole covers to stop them being stolen
Town Hall officials have asked priests to bless all the manhole covers in their town to stop them being stolen by scrap metal thieves.
Councillors in Lodz, Poland, replaced all 4,000 of the town's manhole covers after the new ones had been blessed at a church service to keep them safe.
Town sewage department president Wlodzmierz Tomaszewski explained: "Lodz's holy patron is Saint Faustina who walked the streets helping the poor and underprivileged. "By blessing the manhole covers we are blessing the streets and spreading her goodness," he added.
But locals think the project is money down the drain. "If they think a few prayers will keep all those new manhole covers safe from thieves they need to think again. There won't be one left within a month," said one.
Councillors in Lodz, Poland, replaced all 4,000 of the town's manhole covers after the new ones had been blessed at a church service to keep them safe.
Town sewage department president Wlodzmierz Tomaszewski explained: "Lodz's holy patron is Saint Faustina who walked the streets helping the poor and underprivileged. "By blessing the manhole covers we are blessing the streets and spreading her goodness," he added.
But locals think the project is money down the drain. "If they think a few prayers will keep all those new manhole covers safe from thieves they need to think again. There won't be one left within a month," said one.
Real owl caught in fake Halloween spider's web
Marin animal care workers are warning about the dangers of sticky Halloween decorations after an owl was found caught in an artificial spider web in San Rafael.
The quarter-pound western screech owl was found alive by a resident caught in the strands of a fake greenish-white web strung from a tree in a yard on Riviera Drive in East San Rafael, said Carrie Harrington, a spokeswoman for the Marin Humane Society.
A humane society officer transported the owl to WildCare in San Rafael, she said. "It could have been worse if we weren't called out," she said. "We were able to respond quickly."
The owl appeared to have been stuck in the web for several hours and was dehydrated, but was in otherwise good condition, Piazza said. WildCare treated the owl with intravenous fluids and plan to release it in the same yard where it was found. The family there has removed the fake spider web material.
The quarter-pound western screech owl was found alive by a resident caught in the strands of a fake greenish-white web strung from a tree in a yard on Riviera Drive in East San Rafael, said Carrie Harrington, a spokeswoman for the Marin Humane Society.
A humane society officer transported the owl to WildCare in San Rafael, she said. "It could have been worse if we weren't called out," she said. "We were able to respond quickly."
The owl appeared to have been stuck in the web for several hours and was dehydrated, but was in otherwise good condition, Piazza said. WildCare treated the owl with intravenous fluids and plan to release it in the same yard where it was found. The family there has removed the fake spider web material.
Swedish dinner lady in bizarre pole dance protest against food complaints
Students and staff at a school near Uppsala in eastern Sweden were shocked to see one of the school cafeteria staff performing an erotic pole dance in response to complaints about inedible food. “One of the canteen ladies removed her apron, unzipped her trousers, let down her hair and started moving up and down against a pole like a pole dancer,” said principal Per Rostgaard Evald.
The food at the local school in the little town of Östhammar, north of Uppsala, had recently not been up to standard. On Thursday, principal Rostgaard Evald had had enough of the substandard fare, finding himself in agreement with the students' complaints. When the food on the menu was deemed inedible, the school canteen staff was trying to solve the matter by heating up some already made pancakes for the body of students eagerly waiting to be fed.
However, the pancakes were served still frozen in the middle and more complaints ensued. That’s when one of the canteen staff became fed up and decided to address the complaints with a rather unorthodox response. “The school’s social welfare officer tried to tell her this is not acceptable behaviour, but she just kept on dancing,” said Rostgaard Evald.
However, according to the school something good may yet come from what happened as the incident finally made the school administration see red, prompting promises that they will address the school’s lunch problems. “Today the matter took an extreme turn and it is obvious something has to be done,” principal Rostgaard Evald said.
The food at the local school in the little town of Östhammar, north of Uppsala, had recently not been up to standard. On Thursday, principal Rostgaard Evald had had enough of the substandard fare, finding himself in agreement with the students' complaints. When the food on the menu was deemed inedible, the school canteen staff was trying to solve the matter by heating up some already made pancakes for the body of students eagerly waiting to be fed.
However, the pancakes were served still frozen in the middle and more complaints ensued. That’s when one of the canteen staff became fed up and decided to address the complaints with a rather unorthodox response. “The school’s social welfare officer tried to tell her this is not acceptable behaviour, but she just kept on dancing,” said Rostgaard Evald.
However, according to the school something good may yet come from what happened as the incident finally made the school administration see red, prompting promises that they will address the school’s lunch problems. “Today the matter took an extreme turn and it is obvious something has to be done,” principal Rostgaard Evald said.
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