This one's for you, Mucky. Saturday, August 21, 2004 Posted: 8:37 AM EDT (1237 GMT) LONDON, England (CNN) -- A rare Komodo dragon has died after falling from a wall while trying to reach her mate at London Zoo. The zoo had hoped that 10-year-old Nina and Raja, six, would eventually mate, and help save the species. Scaling the wall in her new state-of the art enclosure was "both spontaneous and entirely out of character" behavior, the zoo said in a statement. Nina, who was 6.5ft long and weighed 44lbs, died of internal bleeding on Wednesday, the zoo said. She was injured after climbing a dividing wall, which ranges from 7.2ft to 8.2ft high, and falling into Raja's section. The zookeeper vigorously denied any allegations of inadequate oversight. During subsequent interviews, the reptile house supervisor noted, "Each Komodo Dragon enclosure, in fact, contains a ... monitor." [rimshot]
London Zoo insisted the Komodo house, which took seven months to build, had been completed to the highest possible specifications. "The design of the enclosure was thoroughly researched drawing on the knowledge of the world's leading reptile experts, but sadly this individual female dragon's agility far exceed our expectations and research," curator Dr David Field said. "Immediate measures are being put in place to prevent a similar incident happening again and we are carrying out a thorough investigation into what occurred." However, a spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said the organization was "shocked" by the death. This animal's climbing ability should have been anticipated: Monitors are among the oldest living lizards. They are related to the mosasaur, a marine lizard that lived from 136 million to 65 million years ago and ranged up to 10 m (33 ft) long. The largest monitor is the 165-kg (365-lb) Komodo dragon. It lives on several islands, including Komodo, in Indonesia. This lizard is a fierce predator and scavenger; its mouth carries a virulent bacteria, and its bite alone can be fatal.
Although monitors are mainly terrestrial, some species also climb trees and are good swimmers. The large water monitor of East India can swim far from land. Two species, the Komodo dragon and the Gray's monitor, are listed on the World Conservation Union (also known as IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
"The full biological needs and abilities of any animals should be fully assessed before they are placed in a captive environment. "From the information we have been provided with, it appears this was not done in the case of the Komodo dragons. "We are frankly shocked that London Zoo was so ill-prepared -- especially given the rarity of the species. "Komodo dragons are large, strong animals that can be aggressive towards each other. "From what we have been given by, it appears these well-known biological facts were not taken into account in the design of the captive-facilities at London Zoo."
But Miranda Stevenson of the Zoo Federation, the professional association for zoos in Britain and Ireland, said: "Like everyone else we thought it was an ideal state-of-the-art enclosure. "It is really unfortunate that the animal appears to have performed some acrobatics that no one could have anticipated." The large lizards eat deer and water buffalo in the wild and have been known to devour humans. They inhabit a small number of Indonesian islands and can live for 20 years. There are believed to be about 5,000 left in the wild. More information on these marvelous animals is available here. If the lizard's bite does not cause its prey to die from bleeding to death, oral bacteria injected into the wound usually will kill it anyway. Quite obviously, these reptiles neglect to brush after every meal. Amazingly, Komodos are unfazed by each others' bites and scientists are studying their immune systems.
Their bite is deadly, because their saliva contains many species of bacteria, which leads to rapid infection in any animal that doesn't immediately bleed to death. Interestingly, although they may also bite one another, they seem to be immune to infection by their own bacteria. Scientists are very interested in the komodo's immune defenses.
Monitor lizards also have an interesting adaptation for breathing. Many lizards cannot run and breathe effectively at the same time because the rib muscles used for breathing are also used for running. However, monitors have a pouch under their chins called a gular pouch. Monitors fill the pouch with air and then pump air down into their lungs.
Posted by: Zenster ||
08/22/2004 2:54:41 AM ||
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#1
The design of the enclosure was thoroughly researched drawing on the knowledge of the world’s leading reptile experts
Charles Johnson is a great guitarist and pretty darn good web designer, but I don't think he does zoos. But then again.
#4
This is why it's not a good idea to rely on "experts." This was easy to anticipate, given the species' habits and abilities. Humans think they know everything. Not. A little humility and a commitment to learn and understand, is imperative in every human endeavor. It looks like "Nina" payed the price for the absence of both. Too bad.
WHEN GRANNIES GO WRONG ... Next Geraldo! Fri Aug 20, 5:04 PM ET KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police said Friday two officers have been disciplined and department policy changed following an investigation into the officers use of a taser when arresting a 66-year-old grandmother who honked her car horn at a police cruiser. "Why you [zap!] little [twitch] whipper [zap!] snapper [twitch] I'll give [zap!] you [twitch] what for!"
Louise Jones was arrested in June on charges of misuse of a car horn on a city street, resisting arrest and intentionally inflicting bodily harm on an officer. Her husband, Fred Jones, 74, was also arrested and charged with interfering with an arrest. Police said Louise Jones tussled with officers when they tried to give her a ticket for honking the horn. One of the officers used the taser, which is capable of issuing a 50,000-volt shock, to stun her. "Drop the knitting needles, granny, and back away from the car!"
The officers said Fred Jones then came downstairs and jumped on one of the officers' backs. Louise Jones said she pulled away from the police when one of the officers grabbed her arm, and her husband said one of the officers had his knee on his wife's chest. "Watch out, she's got photos of the grand kids and she's not afraid to use them!"
As a result of an internal investigation, the department has increased the threshold for when taser use is appropriate and now requires a field commander to look into each taser deployment. Police also have developed a task force made up of community members and department personnel to look into the department's current taser-use policies. "This was an unfortunate incident that I believe could have been avoided if there would have been a less confrontational environment," said Chief Richard Easley in a statement. "Officers of this department, however, are held to a very high standard in their professional conduct, regardless of the conduct of other persons." Police said the investigation was delayed because Louise Jones and other witnesses declined to be interviewed by investigators, though the department did review affidavits from Jones and the witnesses that were submitted by her attorney. Police said the officers involved did cooperate in the investigation. The statement didn't indicate how the officers were disciplined. They were probably put on administrative duty as desk jockeys and forced to answer all the email requests for video tape of the take down.
Posted by: Zenster ||
08/22/2004 1:39:15 AM ||
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"Hey Ralph - zap any grannies lately?"
(snicker)
#3
Cool pic .com, looks like my mother and her sewing circle. A while back I happened to overhear one side of a cell-phone conversation between a graduate student and her mother. The conversation was pretty heated and the grad student soon began calling her mom various obscene names, then hung up with steam almost visibly coming out her ears.
She looked at me and said, "Sorry, doc, my mother just really gets to me sometimes and I lost my temper."
"If you can handle it, I can," I said, "but I'll tell you something: I am 53 years of age and my mother is 77, but if I talked to her like that even now, she would get into her car and drive across town to slap my face."
#4
AC, try and find some consolation by imagining how that woman's children will one day talk to her. Insert endless rant about the decline of modern civilization >here<.
#6
.com, goodness knows that you probably have an image of the cartoon I'm thinking about.
It shows this yuppie couple touring their parents through the den of a new house they bought. The yups are saying; "... and the television goes right into this brick nook and all the DVDs fit just perfectly onto the shelves next to it!"
Meanwhile, as their parents cringe, they're pointing directly at the abused disused fireplace and the bookshelves surrounding it.
#7
I am shamed - I don't have it - sorry. But I can see it clearly in my mind's eye - excellent description of The Gap, heh. I'll keep an eye open - it'll come along (or the components needed) sooner or later...
Reports: Police Officer Fights Off Bird OSLO, Norway - It was one of the toughest fights Jorun Lyngstad had experienced during her time as a Norwegian police officer. A wood grouse, Europe's biggest game bird, attacked Lyngstad during a Wednesday bike ride in the woods, ramming the off-duty officer from the side and sending her flying through the air, local media reported. "I suspect this violent perpetrator has, to put it mildly, a strained relationship with the law," Lyngstad, 37, told the newspaper Romsdals Budstikke. With her foot stuck in one of the pedals, Lyngstad had to use her bike as a shield as she tried to fight off the aggressive bird, which kept coming at her. Get its beak in the spokes and spin the pedals, that always works for me, and it makes your bike sound like a goofy motorcycle too!
"It wouldn't give up," Lyngstad said. "It was a harder fight than I usually see when I'm on duty." Lyngstad was finally able to pin the aggressor's head underneath the bike's front wheel, after which the bird fled back into the woods. Lyngstad suffered only minor scratches and a big bruise in her side where the wood grouse rammed her. "If I had needed to strike it again, I would have struck to dine kill," she said. A wood grouse, also known as capercaillie, can be up to three feet tall, and weigh up to nine pounds. Lyngstad, who was wearing a bright yellow vest during the bike ride, said she had no idea what caused the bird to attack. This was obviously part of a fowl plot. The perp must have been a sleeper from one of those Black Thursday in November sympathizer groups.
Posted by: Zenster ||
08/22/2004 1:22:46 AM ||
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For those who have read Henning Mankell, you will probably see this scene in a forthcoming Kurt Wallender mystery!
Posted by: Jack is Back ||
08/22/2004 3:45 Comments ||
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Perhaps Ingermar Burdman is attempting a remake of the Hitchcock classic.
Posted by: Walter Pigeon ||
08/22/2004 9:40 Comments ||
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I have no comment.
Posted by: Larry from French Lick, Indiana ||
08/22/2004 10:41 Comments ||
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In case you want to go on a safari to Lapland and hunt wood grouse, go HERE. They recommend a 5.6 or 6.5 mm rifle with FMJ, 600 to 700 m/sec for this for this formidable foe. BTW, a sauna is thrown in.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
08/22/2004 11:15 Comments ||
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America's top speed-eater wolfed down 38 lobsters in 12 minutes Saturday to win the World Lobster Eating Contest.
Definitely one of the biggies...
Sonya Thomas, of Alexandria, Va., won $500 and a trophy belt for her efforts, consuming 9.76 pounds of lobster meat. Each contestant had a partner cracking the shells and pulling out the meat. Eleven competitors ate as many lobsters as they could in a 12-minute period, devouring a total of 300 pounds. "I have a natural ability because of my stomach capacity," said Thomas, who weighs a mere 105 pounds. "I could eat more, but something else — not a lobster." The competition, only in its second year, sought to elevate Maine into the big leagues of competitive eating, alongside New York's Coney Island with its Nathan's Famous hot dogs and New Orleans with its oysters.
I'm not big on competitive eating. I prefer to keep my gluttony private. But I'm an old-fashioned kind of guy...
This year's competition at the Pilot House Grill & Boatyard was sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating, which ranked Thomas the country's top speed-eater. Thomas was coming off a baked bean victory days before in Indiana, where she consumed 8.4 pounds of beans with pork in 2 minutes and 47 seconds. She then set a new world record for solo inflation of a weather balloon the very next day.
She also holds records for hard-boiled eggs. This gal must be related to Paul Newman.
"Cool Hand Sonya"? It just doesn't sing, y'know?
Posted by: Zenster ||
08/22/2004 12:15:46 AM ||
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Lobsters - Why does she love, no hate, no love them?
#5
She should be arrested for possessing WMD's. Can you imagine the neutron radiation she will emit...after her first relief dispatch?! Will kill everyone, in a one mile radius!!!
#11
What about a lamb eating contest, that will get competetors from the ME. Mucky? Where arrrrre youuuuuuu? Where are the comments for this little bit crustacian gluttonic outrage?
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
08/22/2004 11:22 Comments ||
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Oops. I thought this was a post about Hillary.
Posted by: Matt ||
08/22/2004 12:09 Comments ||
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goddamit this in just greed! i was make a post on lobster news my blog cuple a days ago.
here is a link.
The dusty Berhampur Central jail, 120 miles north of Calcutta, provided the setting for a bizarre wedding last week between a rapist and his victim. The victim faced a life as an outcast, ostracised and stigmatised by Indian society for being on the receiving end of a violent sexual crime. But if her assailant married her, the shame would be lifted in the eyes of the local Muslim community. On the order of the court in Berhampur, Ahammad Shaikh, 30, tied the knot with Sabina Khatoon, 18, inside the local prison where he is serving his sentence. Shaikh kidnapped Khatoon - the daughter of a daily wage labourer - from her village and raped her in a nearby forest in March this year. After her father complained of the rape to the police in June, Shaikh was arrested. In the court he admitted having raped the teenager and was sent to prison for the deed. Shaikh's lawyers failed to bail him out and he expected to be handed at least a seven-year sentence within a few months. Then, with permission from the court, an activist carrying out work among rural women, approached Shaikh inside the jail and informed him of the woman's miseries after being 'tainted' by his rape. The women's rights activist suggested that Shaikh marry Khatoon. Shaikh said that he needed time to respond to the overture. The court also said that if Shaikh came forward to marry Khatoon, it could consider his case with sympathy and a possible release. Shaikh's lawyers and Khatoon's parents then petitioned the court that the defendant was willing to marry Khatoon, and they sought his release from the jail for the purpose of the marriage. The court observed that it could never release Shaikh until he married his victim. However, it ordered that the two could get married inside the prison if they wanted.
As bride, Khatoon turned up in the jail with her relatives. In the presence of Shaikh's relatives, the jailhouse wedding took place according to the Muslim rites, followed by a registration. The jail officials and about 60 remand prisoners took part in the marriage celebrations, which included a feast. "I took advantage of her weakness and assaulted her while she was alone. What I did was wrong," the apparently repentant Shaikh said at the end of the ceremony. "Now I am happy to get a chance to make amends for the crime I have committed." Khatoon, who looked very happy after the marriage, said: "For that act [of rape] I hated him. Sometimes I felt like I wanted to tear him to pieces. But I have a different feeling for him now. I have forgiven him because he has chosen me as his wife. I have to love him now." After the marriage Khatoon went to stay with her in-laws, while Shaikh is likely to be released on bail within one or two weeks when his lawyers produce the marriage certificate to satisfy the judge. In recent weeks, at the order of the courts, at least three such marriages between rapists and their victims have taken place inside jails in eastern India. In all the cases concerned, judges ordered the release of the rapist prisoners when the marriage certificates were produced in the court. A public prosecutor in connection with one case said: "Our job is to oppose the bail of a criminal. But in such a case we are happy to support the bail, as the man, in an act of repentance, pledges to take care of the woman as a permanent measure by marrying her."
#4
A sick ideology posing as a religion incubated by a dysfunctional culture.
Posted by: Mark Z. ||
08/22/2004 20:45 Comments ||
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Sick culture ,sick people sick society
sick laws!!!! thank god they rule themselves and do not export their way of life on other in the west i put you on notice i will never respect a culture that allows this evil evil evil thing and do my best in govt to make sure you never get a foot-hold in my country
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
