The 30-year-old traditional festival of eel “bowling” in the fishing village of Lyme Regis, England, has been cancelled after complaints from an animal rights activist that it was disrespectful to eels. In the ritual, teams of anglers stand on platforms and swing a giant (but dead) conger eel, attached to the ceiling, to see who will be the last person standing.
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Millions of anchovies have died in northern Spain after an unexplained mass beaching. More than three tons have been found so far. The guess is they tried to flee from predators (I’m guessing the toothy kind) and accidentally beached themselves.
thanks Shannon
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An Australian man who says “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin shaped his love for reptiles said he plans to feed the placenta from the birth of his newborn son to his pet goannas, to bring his family closer to the giant lizards. Wil Kemp, a reptile keeper at the Rockhampton Zoo, said his second son was born on Sept. 5, the day after a stingray killed Irwin. Kemp and his fiance Kahila Pepper named the boy Tai Irwin – the former after the taipan snake and the latter after the television star. Kemp said the couple planned to feed the placenta to their three pet goannas, which live in pits in the family’s backyard, on Sunday. “I think we’ll just break some beers, chuck it in and do it,” said Kemp.
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A zoo trainer has been teaching a sea lion to paint since last year. It took three months to get the Maggie to hold a paint brush and touch the bristles to paper. Apparently, she tends to put more paint on the right side of the canvas than the left.
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Travelers who think they have seen it all should head to the island of Tonga for one of the Pacific’s strangest tourist attractions: “fishing pigs.” Hogs on the main island, Tongatapu, have conquered their fear of the ocean and now forage at low tide for crabs, mussels, seaweed, and fish. While piglets snuffle around a few yards from the beach, fully grown porkers wade in the ocean up to their waists.
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Biologists at the University of Manchester need help in cracking their “miracle” discovery of three fish inside a sealed egg. The group found the duck egg in a small pond on a field trip to the French Alps and noticed something moving inside it. When they cracked open the shell, three live minnows were inside! They have enlisted the help of other experts, but despite their extensive combined knowledge, the biologists admit they are “baffled”. Dr Matthew Cobb, a lecturer in animal behaviour at the university, said:
As 21st century scientists rather than 17th century antiquarians we think it’s unlikely this represents a hitherto unknown mode of fish reproduction. Perhaps the egg fell into the pond following some kind of predatory attack but we’re baffled as to how the minnows got to be inside.
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A Florida diver, who enjoys swimming with sharks, ended up hospitalized after he decided to kiss one and the shark kissed him back… with 500 razor sharp teeth! With his lip hanging like a worm, the snappers even came in for a few bites too. Ew. The “love bite” left the diver with a severely damaged lip that required extensive reconstructive surgery.
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A turtle is recovering in Gainesville after a stingray attack. The 122-pound loggerhead sea turtle underwent surgery at the University of Florida on Wednesday to remove a piece of stingray barb that broke off and lodged deep into the small of its back. A second surgery patched up the pierced intestines. Doctors said they expect the turtle to be released soon.
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A little bloating after a meal is normal for pythons. But i think this bit off more than it could chew and found itself stuck in the middle of a road in Malaysia after swallowing a pregnent sheep.
Thanks Roger
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A goldfish at the Royal Museum of Scotland underwent cosmetic surgery after visitors started complaining that it was too ugly. The fish had an “unsightly” growth on its face that prompted a string of complaints. The operation was paid for from the coins people threw into the pond.
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