Animal Madness

Teed Off Moose

Golfer Mark Redican was getting ready to hit a golf shot on a course near Park City, Utah, when his wife started yelling. He looked around and saw a young, but large moose approaching fast. The realised that the animal was charging  ....

When Moose Attack .... You Depart Sharpish.

..... They jumped in the cart and the moose went after the cart twice, but eventually lost interest, and they made an escape as the animal headed off to a nearby pond.

Petting Madness

A pet owner in Staubing, Germany, who was obviously stupid, fed a pet crocodile and monkey almost exclusively on 'Gummy Bears' for 25 years. The crocodile was obese and the monkey was diabetic by the time they were rescued. Kinda like kids in the West then?

Guard Croc 

In 2018, St Petersburg Police in Russia were searching the house of a suspect who they believed had stashed weapons, when in the basement they discovered a large purpose built muddy pool of water. They got the shock of their lives when rearing out of it was a very large Nile Crocodile. Enquiries with the suspect indicated it had been there since 2005, when it had been considerably smaller. The police asked local vets to find it a new home.

Animal Gadabouts

Iggy The Iguana In SPCA Care

A five foot (1.5m) Iguana was found wandering the A72 road in the Scottish Borders in September 2017. He was named 'Iggy' and alright alright apart from a few bumps being cold, and was being looked after the SPCA. 

 

Giant Iguanas Were Much Bigger In The Past

While in Italy, Rome has seen its first wolves in over a century. They were spotted in the nature reserve next to Leonardo da Vinci airport. 

The Tsunami that hit Japan in 2011 migrated 289 species of sea creatures to new habitats on the US Pacific seaboard, and around two thirds had never been seen on that coast before.

Ghost Stalker

A general store (WILKOs) in Woolwich, South East London, has had to request that shoppers stop feeding a cheeky little cat nicknamed 'Casper'. He has taken to popping into the stores pet food aisles, and being given treats by pet owners who are charmed by his begging.

This brings to mind, that pigeon who used to steal packets of crisps from a store in Scotland.

Commuting Cat Casper

Must be something in the name Casper for cats because in 2009 in Plymouth a cat grew to local and international fame when he took to commuting on the local buses on a daily basis when he would politely queue behind other passengers at the local bus stop, outside his Barne Barton home, then trot on board and curl up on a seat for the ride. He would then spend as long as possible on the bus, being petted by travellers.

Commuting Casper

So popular a figure was he that drivers always made sure he got home safely ... The bus company First Group had even raised plans to decorate the side of a Ugobus with a giant photograph of Casper, such was his popularity on the route.

Unfortunately as well as being fearless, he had no road traffic sense and he was killed in January 2010 (aged about 12 ... he was a rescue cat), by a hit and run taxi driver, while darting across the road to the bus stop. 

Casper The Commuting Cat

On news of his unfortunate death, tributes came in from around the globe

His owner had a book ghost written about Casper, and it ended up being published in nine languages and then turned into a film.

Licked Clean

A 68 year old recluse in Omsk Siberia Russia died of what was believed to be natural causes. Unfortunately he was not found for over a month, during which time, his 40 odd cats were unable to get out of the house. They first ate him, and then each other, and the time of the discovery just one survived.

Where Eagles Dare

A man watched as an eagle swooped down, and carried off his sisters pet seven year old Bichon Friese dog called 'Zoey', from her back garden, in the town of Bowmanston, Pennsylvania USA. His sister posted her loss on her Facebook page, and was certain that she would never see Zoey again.

However, Zoey's destiny was not to emerge out of the back end of an eagle. 

Bichon Friese 'Zoey' Is A Lucky Dog

Four miles away on a snowy back road, a local woman driving along came across a very battered looking dog, limping, covered in icicles, bruised and with large patches of her fur missing. Thinking it a poor stray, she stopped and picked it up. 

By chance when she got home she saw the Facebook page detailing Zoey's extraordinary disappearance .... she joined the dots and Zoey was reunited with her relieved owner.

Foxy Thefts

Shanklin in the Isle of Wight in the autumn of 2018 was the scene of a crime spree. Items of lingerie, shoes, clothing, and even children's toys were going missing from back gardens. 

Foxy Thieves Spotted

Police were baffled by the seemingly random thefts .... eventually the thief was spotted making a swift getaway with a bra .... the perpetrator was tracked down to their den. Why the fox was stealing the items will probably never be known. 

Coy Buyer

There are times when you have to wonder out loud at the value some people will put on something's ... Koi carps are a popular ornamental pond fish. Many live long lives. grow to prodigious sizes and look good. But there are a lot of these fish about, and they are bought and sold all the time amongst breeders and collectors.

This Koi Carp Sold For 203 million Yen

However October 2018, a new world record for such a fish was set, when a woman known only 'Miss Yingying of Taiwan' won a fierce bidding war in Hiroshima Japan, to buy a nine-year-old 3ft 3 inch red and white Koi ... she paid £1.4 million, shattering the previous record of £1million. A UK Koi expert said "It really is a crazy world".