Weird news

A New York police department shared video of its "K9 cowboy" rounding up a herd of 30 escaped goats running loose in a roadway. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/29/30-loose-goats-Carmel-Police-Department-New-York/5741696000724/

An Arkansas police officer's body camera was recording when he ended up in a foot pursuit with a chicken accused of trespassing. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/28/chicken-chase-Jonesboro-Arkansas/1131695914817/

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Phillies fan and his emotional support animal, an alligator named WallyGator, were denied entrance to watch Philadelphia host Pittsburgh. Social media posts showed the gator on a leash with a harness with his name on it outside the stadium Wednesday. WallyGator is a working emotional support alligator owned by Joie Henney, of Jonestown, Pennsylvania. The reptile has a big presence on Instagram and TikTok . Citizens Bank Park’s policy on support animals is posted on the Phillies’ official website. It states, “Guide dogs, service animals, or service animals in training are welcome. All other animals are prohibited.” Henney spoke to The Philadelphia Inquirer last year and said WallyGator helps him battle depression and that “he likes to give hugs.” Henney said then that the gator had never bitten anyone. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb Source from Funny & Weird News – WTOP News https://ift.tt/NBQIAcU

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A moose which was found wandering down the tracks of the Stockholm subway and causing havoc was shot dead by a wildlife ranger on Wednesday after the service on the southern part of a busy line had to be suspended. The moose somehow managed to enter the enclosure that surrounds the tracks and roamed the southwestern part of the so-called Red Line with above-ground stations. At one point, seven stations had to be closed. Claes Keisu, a press officer with the subway operating company — owned by Stockholm County Council — told Swedish news agency TT that the animal had entered the Varby Gard station in suburban Stockholm at around 11 a.m. TT said that the moose wandered for several hours and the number of stations that were shut down gradually increased. At most, a total of seven stations along the Red Line that goes from north to south via the city center were shut. The animal moved back and forth very quickly, Keisu said. After failed efforts to catch it or make it

A mother elephant ran across the road in a hurry without realizing that she left her baby behind. Lions spotted the lost calf and saw an opportunity. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/27/africa-elephant-lion/7521695818519/

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A Danish artist who was given a pile of cash by a museum in northern Denmark to create a piece for its exhibition on labor conditions two years ago submitted two empty canvases — titled “Take the Money and Run.” The exhibit caused a stir. A Danish court ruled last week that Jens Haaning has to repay 492,549 kroner ($69,894 ) to Kunsten Museum in Aalborg for having violated his contract. His lawyer, Peter Schønning, said Wednesday that the contemporary artist is appealing the ruling and declined further comment. The museum had commissioned Haaning in 2021 to recreate two of his earlier pieces featuring bank notes attached to canvases representing the average annual wage in Denmark and Austria. Instead, he submitted two empty canvases for the exhibition, entitled “Work It Out,” said the artwork represented his current work situation and kept the money. Along with giving him the money in euro and kroner banknotes for the art pieces, the museum also paid him

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A Mexican mother bravely shielded her son after a bear leapt on a picnic table and devoured the tacos and enchiladas meant for the boy’s birthday dinner, inches from his face. Silvia Macías of Mexico City had traveled to the Chipinque Park on the outskirts of the northern city of Monterrey to celebrate the 15th birthday of her son, Santiago, who has Down syndrome. Soon after they sat down to eat the food they had brought, the bear showed up and gulped down french fries, enchiladas, tacos and salsa. A video shot by her friend, Angela Chapa, shows Macías sitting stoically, inches from the bear’s mouth, holding Santiago and shielding his eyes with her hand. She kept her eyes downcast, to avoid anything the bear might consider a challenge. “The worst thing was that Santiago might get scared,” Macías recalled Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press. “Santiago is very afraid of animals, a cat or a dog, any animal scares him a lot.” “That’s why I covered his

A raccoon fled from animal rescuers in Florida and needed help from police to escape its hiding place -- the engine compartment of a car. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/26/raccoon-engine-compartment-Clearwater-Florida/4461695748083/

Officials in Wichita, Kan., are investigating a mysterious odor reported in various areas of the city, but they said the smell is not believed to be dangerous. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/26/Wichita-mystery-odor-investigating/7731695747408/

A funeral home listed for sale in Massachusetts is getting attention due to a sign posted outside the property stating it is "probably haunted." source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/26/funeral-home-Millsbury-Massachusetts-probably-haunted/9161695740529/

A total 219 dogs and their owners attended a speak preview of "Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie" and broke the Guinness World Record for most dogs attending a film screening. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/25/Guinness-World-Records-dogs-film-screening-Paw-Patrol/6041695670556/

A Virginia man bought 24 tickets bearing the numbers 8-8-8-8 for the same Pick 4 drawing and ended up winning a total $120,000. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/25/lotto-Virginia-Lottery-24-tickets-Pick-4/1261695669902/

A $10,000 bill issued by the Federal Reserve in 1934 vastly exceeded its face value by being auctioned for $480,000. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/25/Heritage-Auctions-10000-dollar-bill/9371695659993/

Tourists on the Australian island of K'gari captured video of a dingo that swam out to their boat while it was anchored offshore and stole items including a purse. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/25/australia-dingo-steals-handbag-Kgari-Queensland-boat/3561695652117/

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. (AP) — Five flamingos that showed up in Wisconsin to wade along a Lake Michigan beach attracted a big crowd of onlookers eager to see the unusual visitors venturing far from their usual tropical setting. The American flamingos spotted Friday in Port Washington, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Milwaukee, marked the first sighting of the species in Wisconsin state history, said Mark Korducki, a member of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The birds stood quietly 25 feet (7.6 meters) off Lake Michigan’s western shoreline as waves lapped against their thin legs. Three were adults, identifiable by their pink plumage, and two were juveniles clad in gray. Jim Edelhuber of Waukesha was among a crowd of about 75 bird enthusiasts drawn to the city’s South Beach after word spread on social media about the flamingos’ appearance there. “This is huge. This is unbelievable,” said Edelhuber, an avid bird watcher and photog

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A 10-year-old Florida boy and his 11-year-old sister who were running away to California drove 200 miles (320 kilometers) in their mother’s car before they were stopped by sheriff’s deputies on an interstate highway, authorities said. The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office says deputies spotted the sedan on Interstate 75 near Gainesville in north Florida just before 4 a.m. Thursday. The children’s mother had reported it stolen and her children missing four hours earlier in North Port, a city in southwest Florida. The deputies, thinking that they were dealing with car thieves, drew their guns and ordered those inside the car to step out. “Much to their surprise, deputies observed a 10-year-old male driver exit the vehicle along with his 11-year-old sister,” the department said in a statement. The children told deputies the girl had been upset that their mother had taken away her electronic devices for misbehaving, so the boy was driving her to California. The c

Workers at an Indiana car wash made a shocking discovery while examining the front bumper of a customer's car -- a stuck groundhog. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/22/groundhog-front-bumper-Fort-Wayne-Indiana/3341695414192/

A Michigan woman had a brush with beginner's luck when she bought a Powerball ticket for the first time and won a $100,000 prize. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/22/lotto-Michigan-Lottery-Powerball-first-time/3381695413741/

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Upon spotting a zookeeper laden with a bucket full of fruit-flavored ice pops, black spider monkeys in Rio de Janeiro’s BioParque gracefully swung their way towards him on Friday, chattering excitedly. While it’s technically still winter in Brazil , with spring due to start on Saturday, a heat wave has engulfed the country since the beginning of the week, causing humans and animals alike to eagerly greet any chance of cooling down. “Normally they get a break from the heat in the winter, but it’s been so hot. They have even shed their winter layer of fur,” said zookeeper Tadeu Cabral, who handed out some treats, while others were scattered around. The ice pops are part of the monkeys’ well-being program. They provide thermal comfort, and dispersing the popsicles in different locations also stimulates their behavioral need for foraging. For the monkeys, the ice pops are watermelon, pineapple or grape flavored. But for Simba, the zoo’s lion, the ice treat is mad

Police in Maine came to the rescue of a skunk seen wandering in a road with a cup stuck over its head. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/22/skunk-cup-Waterville-Maine/1401695401788/

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Some names are just the wurst. Just four months after announcing that the hot dog-shaped Wienermobile was changing its name to the Frankmobile, the one-of-a-kind wiener on wheels is reverting to the original. Oscar Mayer announced Wednesday on Instagram that the Frankmobile is toast. The Wienermobile rides again. The name change announced by The Kraft Heinz Company in May was meant to pay homage to the brand’s 100% beef franks and their new recipe. For fans of the original name, the change was, frankly, ridiculous. “It’s been a franktastic summer!” the Instagram post said. “But like you, we missed this BUNderful icon. Help us welcome back the Wienermobile!” Oscar Mayer was headquartered in the Wisconsin capital, Madison, for nearly 100 years before it moved to Chicago in 2015. The first Weinermobile was created in 1936, and it has gone through several iterations since then. Those who drive the Wienermobile around to promotional events are known as Hotdogger

A Michigan man said a pit stop during a family vacation led to his winning a $300,000 lottery jackpot. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/21/lotto-Michigan-Lottery-vacation-pit-stop/2921695321488/

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A lion cub, only a few months old, was taken to a zoo in northern Serbia on Thursday after it was seen wandering on a local road, officials and media said. The female cub, found on the outskirts of Subotica, a town near the border with Hungary, was malnourished and weak, said Sonja Mandic, from the Palic Zoo. Local media said that a Subotica resident spotted the cub on the road and called the police, who then took it to the zoo. A video on social media shows the cub appearing from the grass and stepping onto the road. Reports also said that the cub was friendly and wasn’t afraid of people. A policeman and local residents could be seen in other videos and photos caressing the cub. Mandic said the lion was in “pretty poor shape” and was receiving treatment and infusion to improve its condition. “It could be 3 to 6 months old or 5 to 6, but is malnourished and possibly underdeveloped,” said Mandic. Police are yet to issue an official statement. The smuggling

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A poker player who said he had terminal cancer and accepted thousands of dollars in donations so he could play in a World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas now admits it was all a lie. Rob Mercer told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he made up a stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis for his GoFundMe page in June, the newspaper reported Wednesday . Mercer, of Vallejo, California, was trying to raise enough funds to meet the $10,000 buy-in for the No-limit Hold’em World Championship. He received contributions worth between $30,000 and $50,000, including a stay at a suite in the Bellagio. Even a fellow player from Arizona who suffers from chronic illness donated $2,500. “I’m sorry for not being honest about what my situation was. If I would have done that from Day One, who knows what would have happened,” Mercer told the newspaper. However, the 37-year-old says he won’t be refunding anyone because he believes he has undiagnosed breast cancer. He said he has been more or

A Pennsylvania school district is hailing the arrival of the "Twin-dergarten" school year, with 17 sets of twins starting kindergarten in the 2023-24 school year. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/20/Colonial-School-District-twin-dergarten/4071695238538/

A Michigan man won a $50 lottery prize and used it to buy a scratch-off ticket that earned him a $4 million jackpot -- but he needed some convincing to believe it was real. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/20/lotto-Michigan-Lottery-reinvest-prank/5921695238087/

The National Plowing Championships in Ireland hosted a Guinness World Record attempt where 995 people threw Wellington boots into the air at the same time. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/20/ireland-Guinness-World-Records-Wellington-boots/6721695223987/

Firefighters in British Columbia came to the rescue of a dog named Lucky who found himself in the unlucky position of being stranded on a roof. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/20/canada-Victoria-Fire-Department-dog-roof/9261695222404/

Utility officials in a Montana city said squirrels were responsible for three separate power outages over the course of two days. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/19/squirrels-three-power-outages-Missoula-Montana/8551695154082/

A seal spotted wandering in a Massachusetts road after apparently getting disoriented was escorted back to the water by police. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/19/Provincetown-Massachusetts-seal-Cape-Cod/3261695141223/

Serial world record-breaker David Rush appeared on "Live with Kelly and Mark" to break the record for most balls caught on a velcro suit in one minute. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/19/Guinness-World-Records-David-Rush-Live-Kelly-and-Mark/7811695137493/

A California couple captured video when their backyard pool was crashed by some uninvited guests -- a family of bears. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/19/bears-pool-Los-Angeles/3621695135515/

A pair of long-overdue books arrived at their Ontario home after being returned to a library in Massachusetts -- more than 600 miles away. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/18/canada-Middlesex-County-Library-Ontario-books-returned-Massachusetts/4041695058781/

The winners of the tongue-in-cheek Ig Nobel prizes for this year include the developers of robot zombie spiders, a smart toilet, research into rock licking and an analysis of nose hair numbers. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/18/Ig-Nobel-Prizes-2023/7071695057480/

A woman who recently moved to South Carolina was able to meet her new neighbors due to unusual circumstances -- searching for her lost emu. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/18/escaped-emu-captured-Swansea-South-Carolina/4311695052700/

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Florida reptile park has taken in an alligator that lost its nose and upper jaw to a fight or boat propeller. Gatorland Orlando said over the weekend that the injured alligator came from a lake in nearby Sanford, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Orlando. “She had basically no chance of surviving in the wild with such a severe injury,” the park said in a social media post. Over the next few days, the park’s veterinarian staff will be monitoring the gator in an effort to make sure it is eating in a stress-free environment, the park said. Gatorland Orlando is home to thousands of alligators and crocodiles, a breeding marsh, an aviary, a nature walk, a petting zoo and educational wildlife programs. It opened in 1949 and is considered one of the few remaining “Old Florida” tourist attractions in central Florida. Source from Funny & Weird News – WTOP News https://ift.tt/9jnlgKx

A wallaby on the loose in a south suburb of Chicago for several days was safely reunited with his owner. source https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/18/loose-wallaby-captured-Monee-Illinois-Rupert/8211695050279/