GreenReaper's stories

Spokane convention All Fur Fun may hold a one-day event this year, according to event organizers Tora Kiyoshi and Moorcat.

The con served almost 200 attendees last year, but fell into debt after several setbacks, including a chandelier accident.

To make matters worse, the US Olympic figure skating tryouts were held in Spokane this year, disrupting hotel bookings.

Current plans are for a one-day event on 15 May, including an art show, after which attendees can participate in the Spokane Lilac Festival Torchlight Parade before returning to the hotel for a party. A full weekend event is expected for 2011.

In related news, proposed Arizonan convention Phoenix Furness looks to be no more, as inquiries on its journal go without official answer.

Danish furs have a new event to look forward to in July next year - Furtastic, described by an organizer as a "really big furmeet" and "akin to [Canadian camp-out] Feral!"

The three-day event is to take place in a scouting lodge on the outskirts of Aalborg, in the north of Denmark. Storytelling, card games and outdoor activities are already on the agenda.

A separately-organized, hotel-based Danish convention - Eufuria - is to take place June 4-6 this year in Copenhagen.

The BBC reports on the spread of Chinese tiger-farms, now estimated to contain more tigers than currently in the wild. The farms are popular destinations for tourists, but allegedly contain wineries in which the bones of dead animals are steeped to produce tiger bone wine.

As international law forbids the sale of tiger products, lion bones are often used - their price has reportedly risen 30-fold in the past two years.

The BBC reports that like humans, gorillas play competitive games - even making the game fairer for those of lesser ability.

Dr Joanne Tanner and Professor Richard Byrne of the University of St Andrews performed the research, published in Animal Cognition.