— Nonja the orangutan, regarded to be the world’s oldest living orangutan, was found dead at the Miami Zoo Saturday morning at the age of 55. In the wild, orangutans usually live 40 – 50 years. Nonja, whose name means “girl” in Dutch, had five offspring and produced art that was in demand. She had a boyfriend, Vladimir, who would eat her artwork if it wasn’t locked up! Nonja is thought to have died from a brain hemorrhage; a necropsy will be performed. Nonja was referred to as “a grand old dame.” — RIP, Nonja!
Archive for December 2007
Oldest Orangutan Dies
December 31, 2007More On Tiger
December 29, 2007
–Tatiana (pictured here), the 350-pound, 4-year-old Siberian tiger who attack three visitors Xmas day at the San Francisco zoo and killed one of them before being shot to death by police, was acting like the alpha predator that she was. There is speculation that she may have been teased or tormented by the three young men (brothers) that she attack. And it appears that the fence surrounding her enclosure was not the recommended five meters in height!
Tatiana had been bred to mate with a tiger called, believe it or not, Tony!
(–Thank you for reading Foxsylvania, and helping me reach 1,000 hits! I appreciate my readers!)
Tiger Attack!
December 27, 2007–At the San Francisco Zoo, the Siberian tiger Tatiana escaped her confinement, killed one visitor, and attack two others; all were males in their 20’s. The previous year, the same tiger had attack a keeper, and torn pieces of flesh from his arm.
When the police were summoned, Tatiana was still in full attack mode and advanced on the police, forcing them to shoot her to death.
Tatiana may have lived caged, but she died free…some things are not meant to be held captive…
Wolf Attacks!
December 24, 2007
— Wolf attacks appear to be on the increase in and around Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska. Most of these attacks have been on dogs, with some humans also victims. Ordinarily wolves don’t attack people, but rather a species like elk. Once they find that a domestic dog is an easier kill, however, they may be more inclined to go for such a meal.
In a recent attack, three female joggers were quietly surrounded by a wolf pack. They were able to keep the wolves at bay with pepper spray they were fortunate enough to be carrying, and they retreated slowly by walking backwards and screaming. The women were able to get back to their cars over a mile away from the attack site.
Ain’t Easy Being Blue…
December 21, 2007
–There’s a guy in California who as the result of consuming a silver-containing colloidal emulsion has developed skin that’s kind of a bluish-purple color.–I swear I am not making this up! He isn’t Andorian or a member of the Blue Man Group. He consumed the silver solution convinced that it helped all kinds of bodily ailments, and still takes smaller amounts of the stuff. Having bluish-colored skin has caused social problems, leaving him feeling a bit blue…he just wants to be accepted.
Does Fear Sharpen Senses?
December 19, 2007
–Some believe that when you’re really scared, you can perceive more, as if your senses were running at high speed. Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found that your perceptions of time may change, but you really don’t. To scare people, they had them fall over backwards without ropes or restraints over a fair distance with only a net to stop them. They reached 70 mph by the end of their fall. The subjects (who volunteered to do this!) perceived that their falls lasted a third longer than they really did. Watch-like devices were strapped to their wrists to flash numbers, and the subjects failed to discern any more numbers during their falls than the non-scared controls.
So it looks like people can’t really enter altered states to dodge bullets in slow motion like Neo in The Matrix…
Glow Cat!
December 17, 2007
–Korean researchers have produced cloned Turkish Angora cats that glow red in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet light! They modified a gene in the cat’s skin, inserting a fluorescent red gene.
It’s been known how to clone a cat for about seven years. Cats are known to suffer from 250 or so genetic disorders that humans do, too. By cloning rare animals with certain conditions, researchers could have a population to study the condition and potenial treatments for it.
Glow in the dark cats would also make great spooky gifts, and eliminate need for a night light! I myself am the product of a secret government experiment gone terribly awry…
Return of The Three…
December 15, 2007
–It’s great to see the Chipmunks staging a comeback, or a revival! Simon, Theodore, and AL-VIN go way back! Their creator also did the Witchdoctor song (“My friend, the witch doctor, he told me what to say…”). If you ever come across the original 45 rpm of the Chipmunks doing their Christmas Song, check out the flip side. Called Almost Good, it has David Seville banging on the piano without the ‘munks and doing a really cool rhythm and blues/swing number.–Did you know Disney tried to buy the Chipmunks characters?–Fortunately, they weren’t sold, and now the son of the original “David Seville” is bringing them back…and they’re still fun, and livelier than ever thanks to computer animation.
Furry Dreams…
December 12, 2007
Dreams…the “royal road to the unconscious! ” It’s been over 2,300 years since Taoist philosopher Chuang Tzu dreamed that he was a butterfly…and when he woke up, he didn’t know if Chuang Tzu had dreamed of being a butterfly, or if a butterfly was dreaming he was Chuang Tzu! We all dream, and it’s necessary for our health and emotional well-being. — Did you know that men dream of animal characters 6% of the time? — If only it were more!
Spicy Hot Chicken!
December 11, 2007
–Isn’t language strange?–A restaurant in my area advertises, “Spicy Hot Chicken Strips!” Here’s the way my furry little mind works:
1.) “Spicy hot chicken strips…film at 11:00!
2.) “Spicy hot chicken strips…Kentucky Colonel arrested and charged with public lewdness.”
3.) Spicy hot chicken strips…indecency, or performance art?
4.) Spicy hot chicken strips…the newest “Spice” girl…
5.) Spicy hot chicken strips…’Jeez, I was hot,’ she says…
6.) “Spicy hot chicken strips,” and other sizzling shows on the new Animal Planet network!
FOXSYLVANIA 
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