Monday, April 20, 2015
Elephants block busy road so baby can cross
A family of elephants in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, block traffic then stand guard on the road in order for their baby to cross safely.
YouTube link.
YouTube link.
Parrots rescued from burning house shouted 'help' and 'fire'
Emergency crews responded to a house fire in Canyon County, Idaho, on Friday night that caused some confusion.
Canyon County Dispatch says the fire was reported just outside Middleton. When firefighters arrived, they heard noises inside the house which lead them to believe there were people inside.
Once they got the flames contained, though, they discovered that the noises were actually coming from two shouting parrots. Firefighters say the birds were saying "Help!" and "Fire!"
Video disappointingly has no sound,
YouTube link.
Crews removed the birds from the home and gave them oxygen. They are expected to be all right. No people were found inside the house. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
There's a short news video here.
Canyon County Dispatch says the fire was reported just outside Middleton. When firefighters arrived, they heard noises inside the house which lead them to believe there were people inside.
Once they got the flames contained, though, they discovered that the noises were actually coming from two shouting parrots. Firefighters say the birds were saying "Help!" and "Fire!"
Video disappointingly has no sound,
YouTube link.
Crews removed the birds from the home and gave them oxygen. They are expected to be all right. No people were found inside the house. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
There's a short news video here.
Baby sea lion abducted from Los Angeles beach
A sea lion pup was taken from its mother by four suspects at Dockweiler State Beach early on Sunday morning.
A witness at the scene told authorities that at around 3am, two women and two men were at the beach harassing a mother sea lion and her two pups.
The group, who are all said to be between the ages of 20 and 25, were throwing cinder blocks and trash at the animals.
None of the animals was hit, but a female suspect went to a car nearby, grabbed a blanket and handed it to a male suspect. The man grabbed one of the sea lion pups, wrapped it up in the blanket and placed it in the trunk of the car. The four then entered the vehicle and left with the baby sea lion.
The car is described as a black two-door Honda Civic with the last two digits of the California licence plate containing the numbers 5 and 6. The witness called police, who arrived at the scene by 3:15am. Police called Peter Wallerstein, president of Marine Animal Rescue. Wallerstein headed to the scene and was able to find the second baby sea lion hiding in the bushes of a nearby bike path.
The pup was unharmed and taken to safety. Sea lions do not make good pets, Wallerstein said. They bite with 10 times the strength of dogs, and their mouths are dirtier and more bacteria-ridden than any other mammal, he said. Keeping a sea lion as a pet is also a federal offence that carries a fine of up to $10,000 and a year in prison, Wallerstein added.
There's a short news video, where the sea lion is described as a baby seal, here.
None of the animals was hit, but a female suspect went to a car nearby, grabbed a blanket and handed it to a male suspect. The man grabbed one of the sea lion pups, wrapped it up in the blanket and placed it in the trunk of the car. The four then entered the vehicle and left with the baby sea lion.
The car is described as a black two-door Honda Civic with the last two digits of the California licence plate containing the numbers 5 and 6. The witness called police, who arrived at the scene by 3:15am. Police called Peter Wallerstein, president of Marine Animal Rescue. Wallerstein headed to the scene and was able to find the second baby sea lion hiding in the bushes of a nearby bike path.
The pup was unharmed and taken to safety. Sea lions do not make good pets, Wallerstein said. They bite with 10 times the strength of dogs, and their mouths are dirtier and more bacteria-ridden than any other mammal, he said. Keeping a sea lion as a pet is also a federal offence that carries a fine of up to $10,000 and a year in prison, Wallerstein added.
There's a short news video, where the sea lion is described as a baby seal, here.
Teenager arrested after cyclists targeted in misguided revenge for friends’ fatal car crash
A 16-year-old from Travelers Rest in South Carolina is facing multiple charges, including six counts of attempted murder, after he repeatedly targeted cyclists as revenge for the deaths of two friends, even though authorities say cyclists had no role in the accident.
Investigators say the teenager thought his friends, Josey Macala Cox, 17, and Timothy Michael Arrowood, 19, crashed last December because they were trying to drive around cyclists in the road. Cox and Arrowood both died at the scene.
At that time several people said cyclists caused the crash.
But investigators said the crash happened when Arrowood lost control of the vehicle, left the road and hit trees, and cyclists were not to blame. The teen apparently continued to believe the wreck was caused by cyclists, and he began to target road riders, deputies say. The teen shot fireworks at cyclists and on several occasions, he even tried to run them off the road with his car, according to Jonathan Smith with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. The teen was caught after members of the Greenville Spinners Bicycle Club started posted warnings on their Facebook page about a driver harassing cyclists.
A GCSO investigator rides with the Spinners, and he started an investigation into the incidents. The investigator said he determined the lengthy pattern of assaults involved the same motorist with cyclists in the same part of the county. All the incidents involved the same driver in a black Hyundai Tiburon. Several victims reported the driver verbally assaulted, and in some cases physically assaulted both male and female cyclists who were riding their bikes on the road. The physical assaults included spitting, throwing drinks and lit fireworks at the cyclists, and even attempting to cause the cyclists to crash or to crash the vehicle into them.
The incidents known to investigators happened between December 2014 and April 2015. Eleven victims have been identified. The teen, whose name is not being released because of his age, was arrested on Friday. He is charged with six counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault and battery, two counts of third-degree assault and battery, two counts of shooting fireworks from a vehicle and eleven counts of taunting cyclists. Investigators believe there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward. Anyone who believes they have been victimised by the teen is asked to call police.
With news video.
But investigators said the crash happened when Arrowood lost control of the vehicle, left the road and hit trees, and cyclists were not to blame. The teen apparently continued to believe the wreck was caused by cyclists, and he began to target road riders, deputies say. The teen shot fireworks at cyclists and on several occasions, he even tried to run them off the road with his car, according to Jonathan Smith with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. The teen was caught after members of the Greenville Spinners Bicycle Club started posted warnings on their Facebook page about a driver harassing cyclists.
A GCSO investigator rides with the Spinners, and he started an investigation into the incidents. The investigator said he determined the lengthy pattern of assaults involved the same motorist with cyclists in the same part of the county. All the incidents involved the same driver in a black Hyundai Tiburon. Several victims reported the driver verbally assaulted, and in some cases physically assaulted both male and female cyclists who were riding their bikes on the road. The physical assaults included spitting, throwing drinks and lit fireworks at the cyclists, and even attempting to cause the cyclists to crash or to crash the vehicle into them.
The incidents known to investigators happened between December 2014 and April 2015. Eleven victims have been identified. The teen, whose name is not being released because of his age, was arrested on Friday. He is charged with six counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault and battery, two counts of third-degree assault and battery, two counts of shooting fireworks from a vehicle and eleven counts of taunting cyclists. Investigators believe there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward. Anyone who believes they have been victimised by the teen is asked to call police.
With news video.
Parents charged after both overdosed on heroin while bathing their 3-year-old son
The parents of a 3-year-old boy have been arrested after police in Manchester, New Hampshire, said they overdosed on heroin while the youngster was in the bathtub.
Police said the incident happened late last year at a residence on Bethel Court. Investigators said that on Dec. 4, 2014, police were called to an apartment by the child's grandmother after she found the parents unconscious in the bathroom with the child in the tub.
Police said the boy was unhurt in the incident. Authorities said the grandmother became suspicious when the bathroom grew quiet and went to see what was happening. That's when she found the couple passed out, police said.
YouTube link.
Eric Carter, 21, and Stephanie McCassin, 24, were charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The parents were arrested on Thursday and released on bail. They are scheduled to appear in court on May 22. Police said the child was turned over to the custody of his grandmother.
Police said the incident happened late last year at a residence on Bethel Court. Investigators said that on Dec. 4, 2014, police were called to an apartment by the child's grandmother after she found the parents unconscious in the bathroom with the child in the tub.
Police said the boy was unhurt in the incident. Authorities said the grandmother became suspicious when the bathroom grew quiet and went to see what was happening. That's when she found the couple passed out, police said.
YouTube link.
Eric Carter, 21, and Stephanie McCassin, 24, were charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The parents were arrested on Thursday and released on bail. They are scheduled to appear in court on May 22. Police said the child was turned over to the custody of his grandmother.
Young birds now back down to earth following suspected magic mushroom trip
A group of inquisitive birds were left out of their tree after eating what is believed to be magic mushrooms at a wildlife sanctuary in Wellington, New Zealand.
Five rare little hihi, mostly juveniles, were found "sort of paralysed or spasming" on the ground in the Zealandia Sanctuary in Karori after a ranger noticed them pecking at an unidentified fungus.
Zealandia lead ranger conservation Matu Booth said the age of the birds that ate the mushrooms may go some way towards explaining their strange behaviour.
"Maybe it was a bit of a teenage 'let's try it' mentality. Perhaps one bird was down there trying it and others were encouraged to do it, too," he said.
All the birds recovered after being placed in cardboard boxes and left to come down for a few hours. Booth said the birds were always looking for new food sources. "But for a species to suddenly go from nectar and insect eating to apparently eating fungi, that's a bit of a strange one. One explanation may be that there were some insects on the fungi." The hihi, or stitchbird, is one of New Zealand's rarest birds because of its carefree, friendly nature and propensity to nest in tree holes, making it an easy target for rats and other predators. Zealandia conservation manager Raewyn Empson said hihi usually ate nectar, fruit and insects and consuming mushrooms was unheard of.
It could not be confirmed that the birds' condition had been caused by the fungi, nor what sort of mushrooms they were. "We've never heard of hihi eating mushrooms before, but that's not to say that they don't," she said. "We do know that tui get drunk on the nectar of flax flowers and have been affected by rhododendron flowers, so it's not unusual for animals to have effects from eating something." There was no way to know whether they deliberately consumed mind-altering substances. "We can't get into their heads so we don't really know what's going on," she said.
The hihi was wiped out from New Zealand's mainland by 1885 and at one time the only surviving population was located on Little Barrier Island. After extensive conservation efforts, the birds have been reintroduced to the Karori reserve, Tiritiri Matangi and Kapiti Island. Even if their penchant for hallucinogenic substances cannot be proved, hihi are undoubtedly quirky characters famous for being the only bird known to sometimes mate face to face. Their Maori name translates to "rays of sun", the story being that the demigod Maui threw the bird into a fire after it refused to fetch him water, resulting in the male's yellow breast plumage. "They're a delightful little bird," Booth said. "They are special on lots of levels - they're special because they're endangered but also because they're quite unusual."
All the birds recovered after being placed in cardboard boxes and left to come down for a few hours. Booth said the birds were always looking for new food sources. "But for a species to suddenly go from nectar and insect eating to apparently eating fungi, that's a bit of a strange one. One explanation may be that there were some insects on the fungi." The hihi, or stitchbird, is one of New Zealand's rarest birds because of its carefree, friendly nature and propensity to nest in tree holes, making it an easy target for rats and other predators. Zealandia conservation manager Raewyn Empson said hihi usually ate nectar, fruit and insects and consuming mushrooms was unheard of.
It could not be confirmed that the birds' condition had been caused by the fungi, nor what sort of mushrooms they were. "We've never heard of hihi eating mushrooms before, but that's not to say that they don't," she said. "We do know that tui get drunk on the nectar of flax flowers and have been affected by rhododendron flowers, so it's not unusual for animals to have effects from eating something." There was no way to know whether they deliberately consumed mind-altering substances. "We can't get into their heads so we don't really know what's going on," she said.
The hihi was wiped out from New Zealand's mainland by 1885 and at one time the only surviving population was located on Little Barrier Island. After extensive conservation efforts, the birds have been reintroduced to the Karori reserve, Tiritiri Matangi and Kapiti Island. Even if their penchant for hallucinogenic substances cannot be proved, hihi are undoubtedly quirky characters famous for being the only bird known to sometimes mate face to face. Their Maori name translates to "rays of sun", the story being that the demigod Maui threw the bird into a fire after it refused to fetch him water, resulting in the male's yellow breast plumage. "They're a delightful little bird," Booth said. "They are special on lots of levels - they're special because they're endangered but also because they're quite unusual."
Man and his baboon arrested after theft of cash from man leaving bank
A pair of criminals with two baboons waylaid a man as he was leaving a bank in Lagos, Nigeria, recently. The unsuspecting victim who had withdrawn the sum of 230,000 naira (£775, $1,150) from a bank was shocked when he stepped out only to see some roughly dressed young men with two giant-sized baboons starring at him menacingly. The man took to his heels, abandoning his bag of money.
The bandits used their baboons to scare the victim after driving close to the banking premises with an unregistered Nissan Primera. It was learnt that two of the suspects alighted from the vehicle with two baboons and ambushed the man as he was coming out of the banking hall after withdrawing the money from his account. The victim reportedly was frightened and dropped the bag containing the cash on the ground and ran for dear life.
While running, the victim discovered that the suspects who took the bag containing his cash was also running with the baboon towards the opposite direction and he went after him.
On realising that the victim was coming after him, the suspect took some of the money from the bag and threw it at the victim who immediately bent down to pick the naira notes which littered the floor, a move the suspect capitalised on to escape into a waiting vehicle with his baboon. It was learnt that as soon as the suspect and his baboon got into the waiting vehicle, the driver zoomed off abandoning the baboon and his colleague identified as Mohamed Nafiu and at the crime scene. An angry mob that was attracted to the scene nearly lynched both Mohammed and the baboon but the fierce-looking baboon stood stoutly in defence of his master and succeeded in warding off intending attacks, until police arrived the scene and apprehended the suspect. Confessing to the crime, Mohamed Nafiu said: "I am from Gdala Local Government Area in Kano state. I am married with two children. I am a farmer but later, I began to sell herbal medicines for Malaria, typhoid, hypertension and body pains.
"After a while, I decided to relocate to Lagos to enable me have more patronage. But before I came to Lagos, I bought a baby baboon as a pet that was a year and eighteen months and started training him. I came to Lagos almost ten years ago with the baboon and used it for entertainment and for showmanship while selling my herbal medicine. It was during that period that I met Nura, the leader of the gang, who also has a baboon. He was the person that brought the idea of using the baboon to frighten and rob victims. After the first operation, I quit selling my herbal medicine because it was not as lucrative as robbing. I have participated in over ten robbery operations using baboons within Lagos. We use the two baboons each time we want to rob victims. Nura and I would alight from the vehicle with the baboons while a hired driver will be on the alert to drive off. We purposely hire different vehicles for the operation so that we would not be traced.
"We pay the driver in advance before each operation and also pay him after each operation. Usually, we operate in areas where we assume victims will be in possession of cash and where it will be easy to escape after the operation, like: banks and shopping malls. The baboons have been trained to scare victims and snatch their valuables and they do whatsoever we tell them to do. We pay each hired driver based on the time contracted because of the risk involved, once the time is up, he zooms off with or without us. Also before the operation, we agree on the amount, we give the driver advance payment for fuel then pay up after the job. I met Nura in Lagos several years back and my fortunes changed as I was constantly having cash with me. Immediately I saw the police officers, I surrendered myself to them and also assisted the officers in handcuffing the baboon." Lagos police command spokesman, DSP Kenneth Nwosu said that police are still on the trail of Nura, while Mohamed Nafiu and the baboon will be charged in court at the end of investigation.
On realising that the victim was coming after him, the suspect took some of the money from the bag and threw it at the victim who immediately bent down to pick the naira notes which littered the floor, a move the suspect capitalised on to escape into a waiting vehicle with his baboon. It was learnt that as soon as the suspect and his baboon got into the waiting vehicle, the driver zoomed off abandoning the baboon and his colleague identified as Mohamed Nafiu and at the crime scene. An angry mob that was attracted to the scene nearly lynched both Mohammed and the baboon but the fierce-looking baboon stood stoutly in defence of his master and succeeded in warding off intending attacks, until police arrived the scene and apprehended the suspect. Confessing to the crime, Mohamed Nafiu said: "I am from Gdala Local Government Area in Kano state. I am married with two children. I am a farmer but later, I began to sell herbal medicines for Malaria, typhoid, hypertension and body pains.
"After a while, I decided to relocate to Lagos to enable me have more patronage. But before I came to Lagos, I bought a baby baboon as a pet that was a year and eighteen months and started training him. I came to Lagos almost ten years ago with the baboon and used it for entertainment and for showmanship while selling my herbal medicine. It was during that period that I met Nura, the leader of the gang, who also has a baboon. He was the person that brought the idea of using the baboon to frighten and rob victims. After the first operation, I quit selling my herbal medicine because it was not as lucrative as robbing. I have participated in over ten robbery operations using baboons within Lagos. We use the two baboons each time we want to rob victims. Nura and I would alight from the vehicle with the baboons while a hired driver will be on the alert to drive off. We purposely hire different vehicles for the operation so that we would not be traced.
"We pay the driver in advance before each operation and also pay him after each operation. Usually, we operate in areas where we assume victims will be in possession of cash and where it will be easy to escape after the operation, like: banks and shopping malls. The baboons have been trained to scare victims and snatch their valuables and they do whatsoever we tell them to do. We pay each hired driver based on the time contracted because of the risk involved, once the time is up, he zooms off with or without us. Also before the operation, we agree on the amount, we give the driver advance payment for fuel then pay up after the job. I met Nura in Lagos several years back and my fortunes changed as I was constantly having cash with me. Immediately I saw the police officers, I surrendered myself to them and also assisted the officers in handcuffing the baboon." Lagos police command spokesman, DSP Kenneth Nwosu said that police are still on the trail of Nura, while Mohamed Nafiu and the baboon will be charged in court at the end of investigation.
Man surprised by unexpected cockerel named Humphrey living in his back garden
Being a postman, Chris Kitchen is used to delivering packages of all shapes and sizes.
But he had a surprise delivery of his own last week when he got home from work to discover a cockerel named Humphrey had set up home in his back garden in Driffield, Yorkshire.
"I had gone to let the dog out in the back garden when I noticed the cockerel," Mr Kitchen said.
"I went to investigate and noticed straw bales and a big chicken shed. Then I found a cereal container with food in it labelled Humphrey. I was just scratching my head, I didn't know what to do." Mr Kitchen phoned his fiancé Sam and his other friends to see if he had fallen foul of a prank, but none of them knew anything about Humphrey. He then discovered a note in the rooster's pen from his "owners", named Andy and Sarah, thanking him for looking after the cockerel.
The note reads: 'Thanks again for looking after Humphrey. We have left him in the garden as discussed. He will need one cup of feed per day and water. I think we covered everything else last week. We arrive home on the 24th, so we will come and pick up Humphrey that afternoon. Any problems, just call us. Thanks again. Andy and Sarah.' "I am just baffled by it all," Mr Kitchen said.
"In the letter, they tell me they will be back off their holidays next Friday to pick Humphrey up, so we will just have to see what happens." Humphrey is now being cared for by a friend of Mr Kitchen's, Annette Guy. Mrs Guy used to keep bantam chickens and is making sure Humphrey is cared for until his owners return. "He was up at 5.30am waking everyone up," she said. "He is a right character and you can tell that he has been looked after by whoever does own him."
"I went to investigate and noticed straw bales and a big chicken shed. Then I found a cereal container with food in it labelled Humphrey. I was just scratching my head, I didn't know what to do." Mr Kitchen phoned his fiancé Sam and his other friends to see if he had fallen foul of a prank, but none of them knew anything about Humphrey. He then discovered a note in the rooster's pen from his "owners", named Andy and Sarah, thanking him for looking after the cockerel.
The note reads: 'Thanks again for looking after Humphrey. We have left him in the garden as discussed. He will need one cup of feed per day and water. I think we covered everything else last week. We arrive home on the 24th, so we will come and pick up Humphrey that afternoon. Any problems, just call us. Thanks again. Andy and Sarah.' "I am just baffled by it all," Mr Kitchen said.
"In the letter, they tell me they will be back off their holidays next Friday to pick Humphrey up, so we will just have to see what happens." Humphrey is now being cared for by a friend of Mr Kitchen's, Annette Guy. Mrs Guy used to keep bantam chickens and is making sure Humphrey is cared for until his owners return. "He was up at 5.30am waking everyone up," she said. "He is a right character and you can tell that he has been looked after by whoever does own him."
Woman threatened ex-partner after learning he'd slept with prostitute who was her son's girlfriend
A woman sent a text to her ex-partner threatening to smash his windows after being told he had sex with her son’s prostitute girlfriend.
Carol Bulut, 56, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where she admitted sending a message that was offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character.
The court heard that Bulut and her partner had been together for 23 years and had four children together. Defence agent Alex Burn explained the circumstances of the case. He said: “Her son received a phone call from his partner, who is a prostitute. The girlfriend says ‘I have just got £100 from a punter’ and that she is having a Chinese.”
Mr Burn said at that point her son realised the phone being used belonged to his stepfather – and deduced that punter in question was his relative. The solicitor said the son then phoned Bulut and told her: “He (the stepfather) is having sex with my bird.” The solicitor went on to say that his client was furious and engaged in the mobile phone text message.
Mr Burn described it as a case of “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”. Sheriff Alison Stirling admonished Bulut of Balmedie, for the offence. Speaking after her court appearance, an emotional Bulut said she was glad it was over and said what happened had a “detrimental effect on the family”.
The court heard that Bulut and her partner had been together for 23 years and had four children together. Defence agent Alex Burn explained the circumstances of the case. He said: “Her son received a phone call from his partner, who is a prostitute. The girlfriend says ‘I have just got £100 from a punter’ and that she is having a Chinese.”
Mr Burn said at that point her son realised the phone being used belonged to his stepfather – and deduced that punter in question was his relative. The solicitor said the son then phoned Bulut and told her: “He (the stepfather) is having sex with my bird.” The solicitor went on to say that his client was furious and engaged in the mobile phone text message.
Mr Burn described it as a case of “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”. Sheriff Alison Stirling admonished Bulut of Balmedie, for the offence. Speaking after her court appearance, an emotional Bulut said she was glad it was over and said what happened had a “detrimental effect on the family”.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)