On-the-loose cat in the cockpit delays Air Canada flight

Ripples, the cat that grounded an Air Canada flight for four hours after he got loose and hid in the cockpit Wednesday, wound up more upset than anyone on board, his owner says.

“Right now, he’s just hiding out in his kennel. He doesn’t want to come out because he’s a little shook,” Debbie Harris, the cat’s owner, said with a chuckle. “I don’t think he’ll come out of the kennel for awhile.”

The 10-year-old male tabby got loose as passengers were boarding Air Canada Flight 603 from Halifax to Toronto early Wednesday morning. Air Canada allows passengers to carry pets into the cabin as long as they weigh less than 20 pounds (nine kilograms) and are in a crate that can be stored underneath a seat.

Ms. Harris, who was on her way to visit her daughter, said she thinks the latches on Ripples’s crate weren’t shut properly after security personnel inspected the cat before boarding the plane. When she boarded, the crate popped open and the cat jumped out.

The owner, along with other passengers and crew members, tried to catch him, but he quickly ran into the cockpit, past the captain’s feet and between a panel into the wiring of the airplane, out of reach. Ripples, who his owner said usually responds to his name, didn’t come out as she and crew members called to him. Eventually, maintenance crews were brought on board to deconstruct the panelling
and remove the cat.

“When I finally got to see him, it was like he was in a head stand. His butt was up in the air and his head was down, jammed between this pipe and this metal thing,” Ms. Harris said. “I [was] crying and trying not to hurt him. I finally got him pulled out and then they had to put the plane back together.”

But before passengers were able to re-board, Air Canada staff did a thorough inspection to ensure the cat hadn’t caused any damage. The flight, which usually departs at 5:40 a.m., took off around 10 that morning.

“I felt bad and was just thinking: ‘How in the heck did you get out of this? You’ve never gotten out of it before,’ “ Ms. Harris said.

While pets have been known to get loose in cargo bays, Peter Spurway,a spokesman for the Halifax International Airport Authority, said he’s never heard of a case like Ripples. “I’m sure that there will be some other [stories] that will pop up now, but in my experience it’s the first one.”

Ripples – who was named for his rippling stripes – isn’t usually much of an explorer, according to Ms. Harris. He’s actually quite shy.

“He doesn’t like to be around people and I guess it was just too much action,” she said. “He was too much of a scaredy-cat to do much of anything except shiver and shake.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/on-the-loose-cat-in-the-cockpit-delays-air-canada-flight/article2314522/

Bobcat swaps sharp teeth and claws of mountain lion for 5cm cactus spikes

When you're running for your life you don't have time to think about protecting your undercarriage. Take this bobcat, which clambered up a 15m (50ft) giant saguaro cactus and stayed there for six hours to escape a mountain lion.
His smart manoeuvre left the larger predator circling the base of the 300-year-old plant, where he stared up and growled before giving up and walking off.

The bobcat refused to crawl back down for several hours, instead sitting on the cactus’s 5cm (2in) spikes. Amazingly, it appeared to have suffered hardly a scratch.

The scenes were taken in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, by photographer Curt Fonger, 69, who said: ‘The mountain lion probably had cubs, the bobcat had intruded on its territory and she gave chase to warn the bobcat not to come close to her young family.

‘I was astonished that the bobcat was on such a high prickly perch. In fact, the beautiful creature seemed quite content and was lying on top of the cactus.’

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/873406-bobcat-swaps-sharp-teeth-and-claws-of-mountain-lion-for-5cm-cactus-spikes#ixzz1WK8b5til

Pig-Size South American Rodent Spotted in Central California

Nick Kamp, who works at a water treatment plant in Paso Robles, Calif., was near a solid-waste pond when he spotted something emerging from the murky water. He quickly snapped a few photos of what turned out to be a capybara, the world's largest rodent, before it slipped back into the water and swam away.

Capybaras resemble huge guinea pigs and can grow to be as large as sheep, sometimes reaching more than 1.3 meters in length. They eat grass, freshwater plants and—to aide digestion—their own feces. The semiaquatic mammals are native to South American marshlands and swamps, but this sighting in central California was not the first.

Three years ago, a capybara sighting at a nearby golf course was dismissed as a probable beaver misidentification, but the hulking rodent later showed up chasing a farm dog, whose owner tried unsuccessfully to shoot the wild animal. California Department of Fish and Game official Todd Tognazzini told local TV news reporters that he suspects people are seeing the same capybara in each incident, and that it's most likely an escaped exotic pet.

This sighting was the first caught on film.

—Lauren F. Friedman
http://www.scientificamerican.com/gallery_directory.cfm?photo_id=D43E1901-9C0D-2E2B-5DF1EBCCCD4FAE14

Unhappy snaps

A photographer has been quizzed by police after the crocodile he brought to a lake for happy snaps with holidaymakers escaped terrifying hundreds of swimmers.

The six foot long reptile - at Lake Shira in Siberia, eastern Russia - gave his owner the slip as he haggled with tourists over the price of a souvenir photo, reports local media.

Horrified swimmer Anna Luneva said: "I was swimming and suddenly realised there was a crocodile in the water. I was so frightened I almost lost my mind.

"Everyone was panicking," she added.

A special police wildlife unit eventually recovered the crocodile, which is recovering at a nearby aquatic centre.

"It was quite a young crocodile and there is plenty of food in this lake - swimmers. We didn't want him to escape and grow any bigger," commented an officer.

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/croodile_snaps

Peacock returns home to New York's Central Park Zoo

A peacock that escaped from the New York Central Park Zoo has flown home unharmed after a quick stay in one of the city's poshest neighbourhoods.


The male bird escaped on Tuesday and roosted on a window ledge of a building in the Fifth Avenue area overnight.

Zoo staff monitored the colourful bird throughout the evening before it returned home early on Wednesday.

In May a peahen, a peacock's female counterpart, fled the Bronx Zoo. A cobra escaped at the same zoo in March.

Scores of people gathered to watch the peacock on Tuesday perching on the building in Manhattan's Upper East Side, just across the road from the zoo.

"A thorough understanding of the peacock's natural behaviour allowed for the successful planning of its recovery," zoo director Jeff Sailer said in a statement.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14383410

In a flap: Rescue team called in to catch ostrich running loose through streets of Dover

21/07/11When this ostrich decided to make a bid for freedom, little did it realise the trouble it would cause. The 6ft albino bird was spotted roaming through a Dover street early in the morning by a startled scaffolder who was driving to work.

It was only eventually captured thanks to the efforts of six police officers and a team from the RSPCA. Wayne McLester, speaking to the Daily Mirror, said he "got the fright of his life" when the bird sprinted past him while he was driving to work at 6.30am.

The 21-year-old said: 'It just stopped in front of my van and stared at me.

'I was about to try to catch it when I remembered a wildlife show which said ostriches could kill a lion with a kick, so I stayed in my van.'

Before calling the emergency services the scaffolder used his van to herd the bird into a car park. He then took these pictures and watched six police officers nervously surround it.

'They waited a good hour trying to contain the ostrich before the RSPCA arrived and took it away,' said Mr McLester.

It is not known where the ostrich escaped from.

But as there are breeders in the area supplying ostrich meat to a growing market, it seems it made a sensible decision in making a bid for freedom.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2015423/In-flap-Rescue-team-called-catch-ostrich-running-loose-streets-Dover.html#ixzz1ST5eYFHI

Horse caught by speed camera

A runaway horse has been caught on film by a speed camera in Germany.


The nag had escaped from a paddock and dashed off down a busy main road and into the town of Meppen in Emsland in the province of Lower Saxony.

A police spokesman said: "The horse was galloping at full speed for several kilometers before it could be stopped and caught - and led back home.

"The picture was taken by a camera set to take pictures of speeding motorists and people going over the red light - and it was actually a car driver that triggered the picture and the horse ended up being snapped in the same picture.

"The driver has asked if he could avoid paying the fine - he claimed he was trying to get out of the way of a runaway horse. At least we know that part is true."

The horse was returned to its paddock without incident and a broken fence repaired to prevent a repeat.

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Horse_caught_by_speed_camera

Runaway Baboon Captured In New Jersey

HOWELL TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- A wayward baboon that apparently escaped from an amusement park and became a mini-celebrity – appearing at a golf course and being followed on Twitter – was captured Saturday after spending three days on the lam.

The animal appeared to be unharmed when it was found and tranquilized at a farm in Howell Township, in southern New Jersey. The farm isn't far from Six Flags Great Adventure's Monkey Jungle in Jackson Township, which has about 150 baboons that are part of a drive-through safari.

Park officials confirmed the capture and said they believed the animal was theirs. But they won't know for sure until it's assessed and they can see if it has a microchip that's embedded in all their baboons.

Numerous online followers tracked the baboon's travels after it initially was spotted Thursday. Many posted on a tongue-in-cheek Twitter account created by a person posing as the baboon.

Park spokeswoman Kristin Siebeneicher said the baboon, which appeared to be an adolescent, would be taken to the park for a physical exam and health assessment. She said all of Great Adventure's baboons are vaccinated, fenced in and implanted with microchips beneath their skin, but they are not counted daily because they sleep outside in the Monkey Jungle preserve.

And if it turns out that it was one of their baboons that escaped, park officials want to know how it got out because they have found no signs that an escape occurred.

Police and park officials had been looking for the baboon since Thursday afternoon, after a driver saw it near Interstate 195, not far from the park in Ocean County. A short time later, a woman reported that the baboon was sitting on her back porch.

Several sightings were then reported in nearby residential areas on Friday, and officials thought they finally had the baboon cornered in a tree at a local golf course on late Friday afternoon. But an attempt to shoot a tranquilizer dart at it failed, and it ran off into the woods.

Officials had said the baboon didn't pose a threat to residents but as a precaution warned them not to approach it if they encountered it. They believed the animal was frightened and was just trying to find its way back home.


http://weirdnews.aol.com/2011/07/02/baboon-captured-in-new-jersey_n_889312.html

Cheeky monkey raids gardens

A Czech gardener has spoken of his shock to discover who was stealing vegetables from his garden - a Macaque monkey.

Zdenek Lounovi, 70, could barely believe his eyes when he looked down his back lawn and saw the animal munching on his rhubarb and turnips.

"As a gardener I'm used to pests like slugs or even rabbits - but I wasn't prepared for a monkey," said Zdenek, of Tesikov, who took this snap to prove he hadn't dreamt it.

Keepers at nearby Olomouc Zoo admitted the ape was theirs and set up a hidden camera in his enclosure to check how he had been getting out.

"He was pretty sneaky. He'd pulled part of his fence away and covered the hole with a board so he could come and go as he pleased.

'We've sealed it again and hopefully that will be the end of the monkey business," said one keeper.


http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Cheeky_monkey_raids_gardens

Cheeky monkey raids gardens

A Czech gardener has spoken of his shock to discover who was stealing vegetables from his garden - a Macaque monkey.

Zdenek Lounovi, 70, could barely believe his eyes when he looked down his back lawn and saw the animal munching on his rhubarb and turnips.

"As a gardener I'm used to pests like slugs or even rabbits - but I wasn't prepared for a monkey," said Zdenek, of Tesikov, who took this snap to prove he hadn't dreamt it.

Keepers at nearby Olomouc Zoo admitted the ape was theirs and set up a hidden camera in his enclosure to check how he had been getting out.

"He was pretty sneaky. He'd pulled part of his fence away and covered the hole with a board so he could come and go as he pleased.

'We've sealed it again and hopefully that will be the end of the monkey business," said one keeper.


http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Cheeky_monkey_raids_gardens

Snake swarm (via Rachel Carthy)

Terrified householders had to abandon an entire town after 3,000 illegally bred king cobra eggs hatched out and gave their owner the slip.

The eggs - bred to supply the traditional health industry - had been stored in a cage in a house in Xianling, south west China.

But the newly hatched snakes escaped through a hole in their enclosureand took over the entire town.

"We don't really know how many survived but we caught 170 of them so we think a lot are still missing," said a police spokesman.

King cobras - which as adults can reach 18ft in length -are among the most deadly snakes in the world and can kill a man with a single bite.

Illegal breeder Cai Yong is now facing jail for breeding venomous snakes without a licence.



http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Escaped_snakes_take_over_town

Snake swarm (via Rachel Carthy)

Terrified householders had to abandon an entire town after 3,000 illegally bred king cobra eggs hatched out and gave their owner the slip.

The eggs - bred to supply the traditional health industry - had been stored in a cage in a house in Xianling, south west China.

But the newly hatched snakes escaped through a hole in their enclosureand took over the entire town.

"We don't really know how many survived but we caught 170 of them so we think a lot are still missing," said a police spokesman.

King cobras - which as adults can reach 18ft in length -are among the most deadly snakes in the world and can kill a man with a single bite.

Illegal breeder Cai Yong is now facing jail for breeding venomous snakes without a licence.



http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Escaped_snakes_take_over_town