Camel Ruins Petting Zoo Visit
BAKERSFIELD, California- Kids love animals. And generally, they love to see them up close. Except when those animals take the children's heads into their mouths and belch. Bob and Mary Wendt brought their kids to the Happy Critters Petting Zoo and they were hoping for a memorable Disney kind of experience. What they got was a trip to the emergency room and a future, probably filled with nightmares. "We weren't warned to not go to this area, and all of a sudden, Steve's head is in a camel's mouth and then this big bellowing belch. At first we thought his skull was crushed but it was just a camel burp," said mother Mary Wendt.
Truck Drivin' Dog Freaks Out Other Drivers
TRACY, California- Drivers in downtown Tracy put in a lot of calls to 911 after they saw a large dog driving a semi-truck through a busy part of town. Once police caught up with the vehicle they found out human driver, Bob Emmers, was crouching down so it would just look like Diesel, his 90 pound mutt, was behind the wheel. "Diesel might actually be able to steer this thing, at this point. He really loves it when I get low and make it look like he's driving. He loves the idea he looks like he's driving and when I get too close to someone he barks so I think he knows what's going on." Even though Emmers peeks over the dashboard, keeping an eye on the road police still cited him for reckless endangerment.
Some Squirrel Traps Work
HOLLAND, Michigan- There has never been an effective way to trap or deter squirrels, until now. Tom and Debbie Bauman think they may have a way to catch squirrels. "They love seeds and nuts and when they climb up on this bird feeder they slide down and catch themselves and no more procreating is my guess," said a proud Debbie Bauman.
Turkeys Rule Neighborhood
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota- Elijah Penschline thought he had seen it all but urban turkeys trapping him in his own home is a new one. "Damn things won't let me out of the house without rushing at me, wings flappin', spurs flyin'. I even tried wearing a hat and sunglasses but they recognized me. I'm running out of food," joked the retired machinist. It seems Penschline accidentally injured a poult this spring when his lawnmower ran over and then shot out a rock which injured the baby bird. Now, the flock is exacting its revenge.
"This Was the Worst Safari Ever"
KENJASA, Kenya- It's never a guarantee you are going to spot the wildlife you are hoping to see on safari, but it sure helps if you are looking in the right direction. Steve and Wendy Menzel went to Africa to see lions in their natural habitat and came home a little disappointed. "We saw lions alright, but only after they snuck up and nearly killed us. These idiot tour guides said they knew where the lions were but the lions knew where we were way better than the guides knew where they were," said the frustrated tourists.
"Is This Their Air Force"
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, California- A redwing blackbird that rides on the back of a red tail hawk has officers at Edwards Air Force Base wondering if bird species are cooperating with one another to form an avian air force. "They fly over some of our test planes and it makes me wonder sometimes why they keep hovering over the more secret stuff we have out here," said Captain Charles Billelo.
Santa Cruzin' Cougar Visits Downtown
SANTA CRUZ, California- A wayward cougar ambled into downtown and spent time in one of the busiest intersections in the metro, including a lolly-gagging saunter through the parking lot of a Ramada Inn. From there it was onto a busy medical complex before leaping into the concrete canyon that carries Branciforte Creek to the San Lorenzo River. "I was like, 'Whoa, wait a minute. A mountain lion is here?'" said Bhavesh Patel, proprietor of the Ramada Inn. "I hope it doesn't want a room, we are all booked up." The 2 year old male cougar was eventually tranquilized and returned to a more suitable habitat. Ann Page was one of the first to call 911 after spotting the cat at the medical complex. Page was there for treatment for an infection from a scratch she got from her house cat. "When I saw the mountain lion, I thought, this little tube of anti-biotics is not going to be enough."
"Never Carry a Load of Fish in an Open Truck"
ONALASKA, Alaska- Don't pull on Superman's cape, don't spit in the wind, don't pull the mask off the Lone Ranger and never carry fish fillets in an open pickup truck. Fish wholesaler Bernie Scweppsch was taking a truckload of filets to a processing plant and thought he could stop for a pack of cigarettes. When he walked out a flock of eagles had descended on his fish and the cars around his truck and stayed there for 90 minutes. Not only is Scweppsch out the cost of the fish but he is being charged for the damage done to the cars in the parking lot. "I gotta' quit smoking," is all Scweppsch would say to the media.
Bear Frightens Children Out of Swimming Pool
LA CANADA, California- Two children swimming in a pool in La Cañada got the scare of a lifetime when a bear lumbered over the backyard fence, sending them scurrying indoors. Paradise Canyon Elementary School was put on lockdown as television news footage from overhead helicopters showed the bear moving from yard to yard. California Fish and Wildlife officials tracked the bear with the assistance of a sheriff’s helicopter. Deputy Laurie Kaplan said, "We watched this bear going from one pool to another like it just wanted a relaxing swim without being bothered by these annoying humans. It was kind of weird."
Beaver Bitten Tree Crushes Cadillac
ISHPEMING, Michigan- The long winter of 2013 has been tough enough for many living in the Upper Peninsula but it just got even uglier for Udo Whonall and his wife Hannah. Whonall, a recent immigrant from Bulgaria, said "I had no idea what the weather was going to be like here and then a beaver bites a tree and it crushes my Escalade. What am I doing here?" Hannah Whonall is from Ishpeming and met her husband online while he was still living in Bulgaria.