MelSkunk's stories

'Weird Nature' producer declares humans weirdest of all
Mon 18 Mar 2002 - 19:48

BBC's new series, Weird Nature has been three years in production, and in that time producer John Downer has seen some odd creatures. But he's convinced for all the hallucinogenic mushroom eating reindeer and slime covered hagfish he's seen, humans are still the strangest beasts on the planet.

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Spirit trailer up for viewing
Sat 9 Mar 2002 - 01:55

The new Spirit trailer is at Dreamwork's Spirit, Stallion of the Cimmaron site.
Much more horsie action this time around, plus a better idea of the plot. Enjoy.

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Frozen Dead Guy Days light up Nederland, Colorado
Tue 5 Mar 2002 - 15:14

At first, the town wasn't happy that Bredo Morstoel's grandson had preserved his body, which died in 1989, in a shed. But now they just can't help but celebrate with coffin races, a dance, a movie festival, and of course, shed tours. There's even a look alike contest, though it's up to the participants if they look like live Gramps or Dead, Frozen Gramps. It makes the average furry convention look downright normal.

Apatetic officals, lack of resources, render wildlife trafficing laws impotent
Tue 5 Mar 2002 - 12:48

So, you find a man selling an ocelot in the capital of Bolivia. You confiscate what turns out to be a highly abused animal, alert the Forestry Police, only to find he was let off with no charges because they can't be bothered going through the long and expensive process of bringing him to court.
That's the story, and officals are just throwing up their hands and saying 'we can't be bothered' when it comes to preventing people from removing animals from the wild to keep or sell.
Theoretically Bolivia has been signed on with CITES since the 70's, and outlawed trade in wild animals internally since the 90's, but in practice, there is little indication of these laws. It's usual for people in the country to have pet parrots or monkeys, or to hunt local wildlife, so most people don't see the problem with selling or hunting these endangered animals.

Successful wolves to be culled
Mon 4 Mar 2002 - 15:33

The population of wolves in Kyrgyzstan has grown dramatically in the last decade. Three times as many wolves roam the country as did merely ten years ago. But the State Forestry Service says that's just too many.
The population in Soviet times was a mere 2000, kept down officially and by shepards.
Now the population is much larger and officials says wolves have been moving near humans areas and attacking people and livestock, as well as putting pressure on endangered wildlife.
Restrictions on firearms after violence in the early 1990's means most farmers don't have a gun, but there's a new fund to pay bounty for any hunter who kills one.

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Stray pups saved from the snake
Mon 4 Mar 2002 - 15:33

A high school teacher in Wichita, Kansas, had used rats before to demonstrate the eating habits of the classroom snakes, but a similar experement with puppies had to be halted because the pupils became very upset by the idea.
The puppies were destined to be put down by the local pound, but a member of the school board adopted them and gave them to the teacher, Matthew Patton, for snake food because he "hates to see any life wasted".
The school acknowledged that while most people don't mind seeing a rat go, "When you have soft, cuddly puppies there are people who get real concerned."

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Ivory still a huge killer of Asian elephants
Tue 26 Feb 2002 - 15:03

Despite the long ban on the international trade in ivory, an increase in world tourism to places like Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam is also showing a huge increase in people buying illegal ivory trinkets and bribing them out of the country. A Save the Elephants sponsored report on the state of wild elephants found as few as 85 in Vietnam, and says it's mainly the ivory which is causing the wildspread killing of elephants.

It was cute the first time, but...
Sun 17 Feb 2002 - 13:10

You might remember the last time we reported on a lioness caring for a baby antelope, who was later eaten by another lion.
Well, it's happened again. She's found ANOTHER oryx, and is caring for it. Experts are much more worried this time because the mother of the baby cannot nurse it (it's understandibly terrified of the lion pride). The lioness is protecting the new baby so well that not only are other lions not able to steal it, humans can't take it away to give it some food. If this continues, it will likely starve in the next day or two.

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Kakapo egg marathon may double world population of the bird
Fri 15 Feb 2002 - 00:35

The kakapo is the cute, dopey, ground dwelling giant parrot of New Zealand. The biggest. The heaviest. And perhaps the most endangered of the parrot species, with only 67 birds. After most of the animals were killed for food or feathers, or eaten by dogs and cats, the remaining population of the species were brought to predator free islands off the NZ coast.
Repopulation has been slow, but the odds have just gotten better! A BOOM of egg laying, sometimes four eggs at a time for a bird that usually lays one or two has produced 47 eggs in the last few days. And it's not over yet. The boom is linked to mass fruiting of the rihu tree. Kakapo tend to eat the rich fruit to build up strength for laying and tending young.

Scotland bans the foxhunt
Wed 13 Feb 2002 - 20:20

Scotland has taken a bold step in banning foxhunting, the popular, 'traditional' bloodsport. The first part of the UK to pass such a ban, it is nothing if not controversial, pitting animal lovers with supporters of rural sport.
The law bans hunting with dogs, but allows for the shooting of foxes for pest control, and in an odd loophole, the killing of foxes by birds of prey, like trained falcons. It also bans hare coursing, where a hare is chased down by a dog who is theoretically supposed to NOT catch it.

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