Weekly Weird News for 19 August 2022

Oddly placed animals and human remains

Hi everyone. Welcome to the weekly roundup of odd news events you might have missed. As usual, many of my stories are about animals and that’s where we begin this week.

Big cats in strange places

There were two interesting sightings of alleged “big cats” in the US this week where they aren’t supposed to be. The first was in Michigan when a photographer for a 5K race took several photos of what he thought was a very large, dog-sized black cat. The state wildlife officials investigated. The animal was also seen at the same time by another unnamed witness adjacent to the photographer. The photos were clear and looked remarkably like a black leopard. However, the day after the news broke, officials declared it was a large domestic cat. That was both a relief and a disappointment, depending on your point of view. They used nearby objects to compare to size. It was very unlikely to be a cougar, jaguar or leopard. The jaguar and leopards are tropical cats and do not exist in the Michigan wild unless as escapees. Mountain lions are sighted in the state but have never been documented to be melanistic or all black. https://www.manisteenews.com/news/article/PHOTOS-Mysterious-big-cat-spotted-in-Manistee-17374542.php and https://www.audacy.com/wwjnewsradio/news/local/dnr-debunks-big-cat-sighting-say-creature-captured-in-photos-is-a-house-cat

Also on the weekend, a man on Hawaii’s big island spotted a large tan-gray cat. He took a photo with this phone but the resolution is poor. He also said it was the size of a dog. He scared it off. Wildlife officials also investigated. Large paw prints were discovered. According to this news article, keeping big cats on the island is prohibited because of the threats to native species. Notably, a skunk was captured by officials on Maui on Monday. The non-natives may come in via shipping containers or boats that aren’t well searched. If this animal resembles any imported big cat, it looks like a lynx. State biologists seem to think it may be an illegally imported pet and have set traps. https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/large-cat-spotted-in-hawaii-17382539.php and https://www.khon2.com/local-news/mysterious-wildcat-sighting-reported-in-hawaii/

Giant moth appears in US

An Atlas moth, with a wingspan of 9 inches, was captured in the US for the first time. A man in Bellevue Washington reported the sighting of the eye-catching moth on his garage by sending a picture to an entomology professor at the Univ of Washington. The academic encouraged the homeowner to catch the moth, which he did. It’s unlikely the moth migrated here as it was only a few hours from hatching from a cocoon. Officials are trying to track down those who import the caterpillars, eggs or cocoons from Asia, which is illegal. While not as scary as the imported “murder hornets” that also appeared in Washington, the Atlas moth caterpillars would pose a threat to agriculture. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/first-u-s-sighting-of-one-of-the-worlds-largest-moths-in-bellevue-puzzles-officials

Be aware of lurking alligators

There have been several alligator attacks in the southern states this year. An 88 yr old woman died in a retirement community in Hilton Head, South Carolina this past week when it appeared she was near the edge of a pond where the alligator was watching. The animal was removed and euthanized. Back in June, another person was dragged into a pond, also in a closed community, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In July, another elderly woman was killed by alligators in Florida. https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article264523671.html and https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alligator-attack-woman-killed-in-south-carolina/

Wolves let loose

An unknown person cut the fencing on the wolf enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo allowing two of the captive wolves to escape. One was found dead after being hit by a car, and the other remains at large. The irresponsible person who did this may have had good intentions for freeing captive animals. But these wolves cannot survive in the wild and will suffer for that ignorance. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/wolf-aug18-missing-escape-zoo-1.6555592

A foot floating in the abyss

The National Park Service released the news that a park ranger at Yellowstone found a human foot still inside a shoe floating in the Abyss pool - a hot spring in the park. An investigation is underway but there are no additional details regarding any missing persons. The spring is deep and has a typical temperature of 140 degrees F. This will result in a third-degree burn in 3-6 seconds. Over the park’s history, several people and dogs have died when they have ignored safety restrictions around the park’s various hot springs. It seems likely that a person voluntarily or accidentally entered the pool and was killed. The shoe, which is buoyant, floated to the top. https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/08/yellowstone-employee-finds-part-of-a-foot-inside-a-shoe-floating-in-hot-pool/

The hidden grisly secrets of Lake Mead keep surfacing

Lake Mead’s Swim Beach area is the site of three of the five incidents of found human remains since the lake levels have dropped so low. It’s not clear if the partial remains are from the same person. DNA testing is being attempted. https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/16/us/lake-mead-human-remains-swim-beach/index.html

Buckets of parts

A man in Pennsylvania was arrested after authorities found buckets of human remains at his residence. Some of the human parts were obtained illegally, stolen from a morgue, and shipped via mail to the state. Other parts, such as skeletons, may have been legally obtained. The intended uses for the human parts are unclear. https://www.wgal.com/article/pennsylvania-man-bought-human-body-parts-online-district-attorney-says/40933445

Utah boom

A loud boom shook up residents all around Salt Lake City on Saturday morning. The National weather service provided satellite evidence to show that two flashes occurred in the atmosphere at the corresponding time but were not related to thunderstorm activity. This suggests the boom was caused by a meteor exploding in the atmosphere. https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news/loud-boom-homes-shake-after-possible-meteor/

Metal fall

A large metal piece fell from the sky near Augusta, Maine nearly hitting a security officer. The 6 lbs piece appears to have fallen from an aircraft flying overhead. https://kfor.com/news/large-metal-object-falls-from-sky-over-maine-state-capitol-nearly-hits-police-worker/

Purple pearl

A man eating steamed littleneck clams on vacation in Delaware found a purple pearl in one. According to the restaurant owner, pearls do appear in the clams and oysters served on occasion. The pearl is not worth a great amount monetarily but is a cool souvenir. https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2022/08/15/diner-finds-purple-pearl-in-his-clam-at-rehoboth-beach-restaurant/65401682007/

Monkey call

A zoo monkey who got hold of a cell phone for a short time managed to call emergency services. Police responded to the zoo where the officials quickly figured out the monkey business. The capuchin monkeys are curious and smart and often get up to some mischief. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-wednesday-edition-1.6553693/california-police-responded-to-a-911-call-this-baby-monkey-was-to-blame-1.6554112