August 15 2008
Wildlife officials said they fished a 3-foot alligator out of a Chappaqua, N.Y., pond one day after a sighting of the animal was reported to police.
Josh Dreisacker, field manager of Westchester Wildlife Control, said he managed to tangle the reptile in fishing line and take it into custody Wednesday night, the White Plains (N.Y.) Journal reported Friday.
Dreisacker said he is now searching for a new home for the gator, which he said probably used to be someone's pet because it is not shy around humans.
Robert D'Allasandro, the man who reported the gator sighting to police Tuesday, said he was relieved to hear the animal was caught.
"When he spotted me, he jumped in the water and then he turned around and popped his whole head out," he said of the alligator. "(He) was looking right at me for about 10 minutes. He was staring at me and I was staring at him."
D'Allasandro said police sounded surprised when he reported the sighting.
"They were a little dumbfounded," D'Allasandro said. "I mean, who sees an alligator in Westchester County?"
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Friday, 15 August 2008
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Pineapple-gator... Yum!
Author Notes: This awesome alligator is no swamp-lurker, he'd much rather be front and center on your buffet.
Supplies:
2 pineapples
red radish
2 small black olives
butternut squash
allspice berry
2 kiwis
sharp chef's knife
sharp paring knife
fine-gauge florist's wire, or needle and thread
toothpicks
sturdy spoon
Instructions: 1. Cut both pineapples in half lengthwise; remove fruit inside, leaving only skin.
2. Choose two largest halves to form body; smaller pieces should be used for head and tail. In order to achieve the desired shape for head and tail, you will probably have to do some trimming. Attach pieces with florist's wire or needle and thread.
3. Cut two radish rounds; insert black olives in centers to form eyes; attach with toothpicks.
4. Cut a large slice of butternut squash; trim into shape of fish. Attach allspice berry to radish circle to form eye and put on fish; insert fish into mouth of alligator.
5. Cut kiwis in half; cut out small triangle to form claws; position alongside body of alligator.
Supplies:
2 pineapples
red radish
2 small black olives
butternut squash
allspice berry
2 kiwis
sharp chef's knife
sharp paring knife
fine-gauge florist's wire, or needle and thread
toothpicks
sturdy spoon
Instructions: 1. Cut both pineapples in half lengthwise; remove fruit inside, leaving only skin.
2. Choose two largest halves to form body; smaller pieces should be used for head and tail. In order to achieve the desired shape for head and tail, you will probably have to do some trimming. Attach pieces with florist's wire or needle and thread.
3. Cut two radish rounds; insert black olives in centers to form eyes; attach with toothpicks.
4. Cut a large slice of butternut squash; trim into shape of fish. Attach allspice berry to radish circle to form eye and put on fish; insert fish into mouth of alligator.
5. Cut kiwis in half; cut out small triangle to form claws; position alongside body of alligator.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Crocodiles kill man in Mexico - sindhtoday.net
Aug 12th, 2008
A drunken man has been brutally killed by as many as eight crocodiles when he tried to touch one of the reptiles at a wildlife sanctuary in northeastern Mexico, Spain’s EFE news agency reported.
The victim was apparently drunk when he jumped over a railing with the intention of touching a crocodile in Lake Carpintero, but he was surprised by another crocodile, who grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the water, the report said Tuesday.
The incident took place in front of 50 other tourists Sunday, a spokesman for the fire department in the nearby Gulf coast city of Tampico, said, adding that the man is yet to be identified.
On May 25, in another horrifying incident, a fisherman was killed by a crocodile in Mexico’s northeastern state of Tamaulipas. Officials said the reptile came out of its home after heavy rains flooded the area.
Of late, the heavy showers have flooded the Rio Grande river here, resulting in the crocodiles to enter it, posing serious threats, mainly to illegal immigrants who use this river to cross over to the US, authorities said.
A drunken man has been brutally killed by as many as eight crocodiles when he tried to touch one of the reptiles at a wildlife sanctuary in northeastern Mexico, Spain’s EFE news agency reported.
The victim was apparently drunk when he jumped over a railing with the intention of touching a crocodile in Lake Carpintero, but he was surprised by another crocodile, who grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the water, the report said Tuesday.
The incident took place in front of 50 other tourists Sunday, a spokesman for the fire department in the nearby Gulf coast city of Tampico, said, adding that the man is yet to be identified.
On May 25, in another horrifying incident, a fisherman was killed by a crocodile in Mexico’s northeastern state of Tamaulipas. Officials said the reptile came out of its home after heavy rains flooded the area.
Of late, the heavy showers have flooded the Rio Grande river here, resulting in the crocodiles to enter it, posing serious threats, mainly to illegal immigrants who use this river to cross over to the US, authorities said.
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Laxey artist has painting selected for London gallery - iomtoday.co.im
11 August 2008
By GAEL STIGANT
A Laxey artist has been selected for a leading watercolour exhibition.
Eileen Schaer, of Glen Road, is one of 80 artists who will feature in the 2008 Royal Watercolour Society/Sunday Times watercolour exhibition.
There was more than 1,200 entries.
'I'm really pleased — it's great,' said Eileen, who has been creating artwork for 38 years.
CROCODILE WITH FRIENDS: Eileen Schaer’s watercolour will appear in an exhibition at the prestigious Bankside Gallery in London
'It's a nice surprise. This is the second time I've been in the competition — I was in it in 1993 as well.'
The artists are also competing for a share of the total prize money of £25,000.
Eileen's painting, named Crocodile with Friends, will be on display at the prestigious Bankside Gallery in London.
'I thought it would stand out,' she explained.
'I had a feeling that I would be lucky with that one and I was.'
Eileen, 59, also has an interest in lino prints, acrylic paintings and sculptures.
The exhibition runs from September 10 to 21, and most of the work, including Crocodile with Friends, will be for sale.
The winners of the competition will be announced in The Sunday Times this month.
By GAEL STIGANT
A Laxey artist has been selected for a leading watercolour exhibition.
Eileen Schaer, of Glen Road, is one of 80 artists who will feature in the 2008 Royal Watercolour Society/Sunday Times watercolour exhibition.
There was more than 1,200 entries.
'I'm really pleased — it's great,' said Eileen, who has been creating artwork for 38 years.
CROCODILE WITH FRIENDS: Eileen Schaer’s watercolour will appear in an exhibition at the prestigious Bankside Gallery in London
'It's a nice surprise. This is the second time I've been in the competition — I was in it in 1993 as well.'
The artists are also competing for a share of the total prize money of £25,000.
Eileen's painting, named Crocodile with Friends, will be on display at the prestigious Bankside Gallery in London.
'I thought it would stand out,' she explained.
'I had a feeling that I would be lucky with that one and I was.'
Eileen, 59, also has an interest in lino prints, acrylic paintings and sculptures.
The exhibition runs from September 10 to 21, and most of the work, including Crocodile with Friends, will be for sale.
The winners of the competition will be announced in The Sunday Times this month.
Monday, 11 August 2008
A Curious Contraception - www.theafterschoolspecial.com
It was only the other day that I learnt that the first recorded use of contraception was in 2000BC by the Egyptians. I can’t say why I learned the fact, just as I can’t fathom out why I still know the words to “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” twenty years or so after its release. These things seep into the brain and stick like chewing gum to a sock there to annoy one for all time. But try to remember to take the cake out of the oven or to pick up your sunglasses off the chemist’s counter… not a hope in hell.
It was not the fact that the Egyptians used contraceptives that turned my head, clever people to a man those Egyptians. No, it was what they used that made the fact stick.
Crocodile dung.
At this point on the learning curve the mind goes into overdrive. Who first discovered that crocodile dung made a good contraceptive. And how did they use it?
“Hey Cleo, that blasted crocodile has crapped in our bed again. Hmmm I wonder….”.
The importance of dung as a contraceptive was not lost on the Aztecs either. It is a little known fact that Aztec emperor Montezuma had a nephew, Cuitlahac, whose name meant “Plenty of excrement.” Naming the poor, hapless lad in this way obviously served as a handy reminder for Cuitlahac’s father to lard on the crocodile dung in future encounters.
The gathering of crocodile dung must have been quite an adventure. There is a fair chance that crocodile dung was not available over the counter at Boots in tablet form, nor was it a question of nipping into the pub toilets and buying it in packets of three from a machine.
“Did you get them Tut?”
“Yer.”
“Hope you got the flavoured ones. What flavour did you get?”
“Crocodile.”
Images of rampant young Egyptian men swim through the mind, feverishly searching the banks of the Nile their loincloths outrageously tented by their ardour. “Here crockie, crockie.” Imaging the panic if the young man should actually find the crocodile and then realises that, as with all animals, crocodiles go to the toilet after they have eaten. Perhaps it was this thought alone that served as the contraceptive.
“Not now Nephatiti, I’ve got a headache.”
It must have crossed randy young minds that perhaps it was not only crocodile dung that would serve as a contraceptive.
Many experiments with other types of dung must have taken place.
“What a fine family you have.”
“Yes, this is our eldest ‘Elephant crap is useless’ and over here we have the twins ‘Never use camel’ and ‘that bloody camel dung is rubbish’. And this little one is our youngest, ‘Hey-ho, back to the crocodile shit’.”
It has to be said that the whole notion of using crocodile dung is so fraught with improbability that I suspect that it was a ruse put about by Egyptian fathers to deter young courtiers. My suspicion is that the fathers would only grant permission for young lads to take out their daughters with the proviso that they had a lump of crocodile dung in their wallets in case they became overcome by passion. So warned the young men would wade out into the river either to become crocodile crap themselves or to realise that crocodiles only do their toilet after they have eaten. Either way the young lady would not be bothered further by the young man who would simply take himself downtown to find a young lady whose father was either not so discerning or had not heard the one about the crocodile dung.
Today, of course, ardent young men do not have to suffer the indignation of their ancient Egyptian counterparts. All that is required these days is to slip into the toilets at the local pub and feed the slim machine on the wall a couple of pound coins. Of course the draw will fail to slide open and no amount of turning the knob will cause the packet to drop. Kicking and banging the machine is not an option as this will only serve to bring attention to oneself. The result then is the same. Neither the ancient Egyptian nor the modern young man has managed to get the requisite contraception. And, if the young lady in question is sensible, this means that neither young man is going to get his proverbial end away and will have to put up with a quick hand shandy back in his own pit.
It was not the fact that the Egyptians used contraceptives that turned my head, clever people to a man those Egyptians. No, it was what they used that made the fact stick.
Crocodile dung.
At this point on the learning curve the mind goes into overdrive. Who first discovered that crocodile dung made a good contraceptive. And how did they use it?
“Hey Cleo, that blasted crocodile has crapped in our bed again. Hmmm I wonder….”.
The importance of dung as a contraceptive was not lost on the Aztecs either. It is a little known fact that Aztec emperor Montezuma had a nephew, Cuitlahac, whose name meant “Plenty of excrement.” Naming the poor, hapless lad in this way obviously served as a handy reminder for Cuitlahac’s father to lard on the crocodile dung in future encounters.
The gathering of crocodile dung must have been quite an adventure. There is a fair chance that crocodile dung was not available over the counter at Boots in tablet form, nor was it a question of nipping into the pub toilets and buying it in packets of three from a machine.
“Did you get them Tut?”
“Yer.”
“Hope you got the flavoured ones. What flavour did you get?”
“Crocodile.”
Images of rampant young Egyptian men swim through the mind, feverishly searching the banks of the Nile their loincloths outrageously tented by their ardour. “Here crockie, crockie.” Imaging the panic if the young man should actually find the crocodile and then realises that, as with all animals, crocodiles go to the toilet after they have eaten. Perhaps it was this thought alone that served as the contraceptive.
“Not now Nephatiti, I’ve got a headache.”
It must have crossed randy young minds that perhaps it was not only crocodile dung that would serve as a contraceptive.
Many experiments with other types of dung must have taken place.
“What a fine family you have.”
“Yes, this is our eldest ‘Elephant crap is useless’ and over here we have the twins ‘Never use camel’ and ‘that bloody camel dung is rubbish’. And this little one is our youngest, ‘Hey-ho, back to the crocodile shit’.”
It has to be said that the whole notion of using crocodile dung is so fraught with improbability that I suspect that it was a ruse put about by Egyptian fathers to deter young courtiers. My suspicion is that the fathers would only grant permission for young lads to take out their daughters with the proviso that they had a lump of crocodile dung in their wallets in case they became overcome by passion. So warned the young men would wade out into the river either to become crocodile crap themselves or to realise that crocodiles only do their toilet after they have eaten. Either way the young lady would not be bothered further by the young man who would simply take himself downtown to find a young lady whose father was either not so discerning or had not heard the one about the crocodile dung.
Today, of course, ardent young men do not have to suffer the indignation of their ancient Egyptian counterparts. All that is required these days is to slip into the toilets at the local pub and feed the slim machine on the wall a couple of pound coins. Of course the draw will fail to slide open and no amount of turning the knob will cause the packet to drop. Kicking and banging the machine is not an option as this will only serve to bring attention to oneself. The result then is the same. Neither the ancient Egyptian nor the modern young man has managed to get the requisite contraception. And, if the young lady in question is sensible, this means that neither young man is going to get his proverbial end away and will have to put up with a quick hand shandy back in his own pit.
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Mystery illness killing Kruger’s crocs - thetimes.co.za
Aug 10, 2008
The Kruger National Park’s crocodiles are dying of a mystery illness and scientists believe that many more will join the 130 that have died since the end of May.
Researchers and veterinarians have teamed up with academics to try to understand why the reptiles have been dying in the Olifants and Letaba rivers.
This week the team conducted postmortems on several carcasses found along the river banks and captured 11 live crocodiles . The scientists believe the crocodiles died of pansteatitis, a condition usually associated with the consumption of rotten fish. But there have been no reports of dying fish, leaving the experts baffled .
“A new theory being investigated is that because the live crocodiles are preying on the carcasses of the dead ones, they are getting infected ,” said Danie Pienaar, the park’s head of Scientific Services.
Karen van Rooyen
The Kruger National Park’s crocodiles are dying of a mystery illness and scientists believe that many more will join the 130 that have died since the end of May.
Researchers and veterinarians have teamed up with academics to try to understand why the reptiles have been dying in the Olifants and Letaba rivers.
This week the team conducted postmortems on several carcasses found along the river banks and captured 11 live crocodiles . The scientists believe the crocodiles died of pansteatitis, a condition usually associated with the consumption of rotten fish. But there have been no reports of dying fish, leaving the experts baffled .
“A new theory being investigated is that because the live crocodiles are preying on the carcasses of the dead ones, they are getting infected ,” said Danie Pienaar, the park’s head of Scientific Services.
Karen van Rooyen
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