Weekly Weird News for 8 September 2023

Hello everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of my weird news rundown for the week.

Otterly brazen burglar

A video surfaced from Chester, UK of an otter stealing koi from an Asian garden at a luxury hotel. The burglar has returned repeatedly and stole the fish which can be worth several thousand dollars a piece. The Grosvenor Pulford Hotel and Spa claims the otter, who ventured from a nearby brook for the decorative carp, has cost them £100K. It’s not the first time otters have been so opportunistic. An incident last year left a pond owner in Singapore bereft when a family of otters decimated his koi pond attacking 40 fish and leaving pieces and picked carcasses behind. https://www.fox29.com/news/watch-otter-steals-koi-fish-hotel-ponds

Koala salad bar

In New South Wales Australia, a plant nursery couldn’t figure out what was eating their eucalyptus seedlings until they caught a very stuffed koala hanging out. The plant center said the sneaky animal cost them about £3,000 ($3,800). This hadn’t happened before; the owners are worried the animal couldn’t find enough food in the wild. The plants were intended to increase food in koala habitat, but not this directly. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-66713980

Flamingos blown off course

Hurricane Idalia confused tropical birds in Florida. Birders report that flamingos have been seen in 10 states including Kentucky, Tennessee, southern Ohio, and southern Pennsylvania. The birds were likely on their way to Mexico or Cuba when the were diverted by the storm and shunted northwards. They will make their way back eventually. https://www.npr.org/2023/09/07/1197943623/hurricane-idalia-flamingos-ohio-florida-texas-carolina

Emu roaming in Massachusetts

An emu is on the loose in Massachusetts. The bird escaped while the owner was moving out. So there is no home for it to go back to. The birds are tall and rather imposing and can go for a long time on their own. https://www.wcvb.com/article/emu-on-the-loose-lakeville-massachusetts/45016069 Funny story: One of my neighbors posted on the community Facebook page that an “emu-like bird” was seen one morning. It turned out to be a turkey. We all had a good laugh, but I admit I was disappointed. You only mistake a turkey for an emu if you have never seen an emu. They are not small.

Alligators in PA river

More alligators have been spotted in Pennsylvania. Last month, a juvenile alligator was spotted and then caught in the Kiski River in southwestern PA. Now, kayakers reported spotting another alligator swimming in the Kiski. The alligator is suspected to be an escapee and that there may be more that got away from a keeper. Kiski Township is drafting an ordinance to better regulate and control the keeping of animals in the township. It is legal to own alligators in Pennsylvania, and MANY people do, but you can be cited for releasing non-native animals into the environment. https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/another-alligator-sighting-in-the-kiski-river-reported-to-authories-sunday/ and https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/kiski-township-officials-draft-ordinance-to-end-alligator-ownership-police-fear-more-gators-are-in-kiski-river/

Maimed alligator still soldiers on

A very unfortunate alligator will be rescued if found in Sanford, Florida after several reports and now a photo shows that the animal has lost its upper jaw all the way to its eyes. The awful injury could have been incurred in a fight with another gator or by a trap. The jaw healed over and the animal appears to be eating something to sustain itself. I found the photo sad and disturbing so I won’t post it here but, if caught, the animal will be kept at a rescue. https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/snoutless-alligator-sanford

Mysterious golden blob

Ocean researchers have found an unidentified golden “orb” off the coast of Alaska. They do not know it’s origin. This story appeared last week but I ignored it because it isn’t weird. However, websites and media feeds have decided that it is weird. The object had a hole which suggested whatever was in it hatched out or was eaten by something else. It could also be a sponge attachment or coral. They collected the object for further study and DNA testing. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/07/mysterious-skin-like-golden-orb-found-on-ocean-floor-off-alaska-coast

Flower funeral questioned

On to people news, I’ll go in chronological order. First, many people have heard the story of Neanderthal flower burial where scientists concluded some 50 years ago that a cave in the Zagros Mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan, which held several Neanderthal burials, included one that appeared to have been covered in flowers. However, current conclusions now dispute that specific part of the burials. The pollen that was interpreted as being from placed flowers may have been from burrowing bees at the site instead. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/famous-neanderthal-flower-burial-debunked-because-pollen-was-left-by-burrowing-bees

Genuine Halloween decoration donated

I’ve found a number of stories in the news about strange things that were donated to thrift shops, either on purpose or by accident. (Once, someone donated a couch without being aware their cat was hiding inside.) Staff of Goodwill sorting through a donation box in Goodyear, AZ found a human skull among other taxidermy material and called police. The skull was transported to the medical examiner who will try to figure out how old it is and where it might have come from. It does not look recent. https://www.azfamily.com/2023/09/06/human-skull-found-box-donated-goodwill-goodyear-police-say/

Thrift shop treasure

Meanwhile, an original painting by N. C. Wyeth sat in a New Hampshire thrift store where a woman bought it for $4 years ago. When cleaning out her storage, she asked experts if it was worth anything. It sure was. It’s not clear how the painted ended up in this predicament. It is expected to bring about $200,000 at auction because it is in excellent condition. https://www.boston.com/culture/arts/2023/09/07/painting-found-new-hampshire-thrift-store-auction/

Grim reaper visits via snack food

A tortilla chip made with Carolina Reaper peppers and marketed as a “Challenge” has been pulled from shelves after a 14 year old boy was found dead in association with the product. The extremely high concentration of capsaicin will cause pain and burning but can also effect the heart and result in death. The inquiry into the death is ongoing but other people have reported sickness after trying to eat the chip. Of course, people record themselves for social media, spreading the popularity of the challenge. https://apnews.com/article/teen-death-one-chip-challenge-tiktok-paqui-7382397136a285fd780f25f2fed16b9d

Earth running a dangerous fever

In another hot mess, (sorry, this one is really depressing) the climate data recorded so far this year in the Northern hemisphere were staggering and “spooky”. Weather extremes happen but 2023 will be the year that things really went “off the charts”. The scary events of this year - heat waves, fires, drought, ice melt - may mean that climate change may be sudden and catastrophic rather than gradual. It’s clear that we are already seeing how unprepared we are for it. https://geographical.co.uk/climate-change/2023-europe-heatwave-climate-anomalies

A-gnome-aly in the garden

Residents in a North Wales village noticed toy gnomes were appearing near their windows in yards. Last week, police received reports of two men dropping the toys into gardens and believe it is a ploy to see which houses are not occupied and could be targeted for burglary. Well, it could be that. But I’m not convinced because police come up with zany ideas about this kind of stuff. Seems like a lot of trouble and an easy way to get caught. https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/23767135.warning-broughton-residents-gnomes-left-gardens/

Yoga ignorance

Finally, I read this story and found it completely plausible for this time in the world. People who probably never participated in a yoga class called the police when they peered into a room full of people in relaxation mode in a cafe in Lincolnshire, England. They reported a ritual killing. Now, it can seem odd to find 7 people on the floor with blankets over them but mass murder is not a conclusion I would jump to. However, with the extremely hyped news these days suggesting that weird death cults are everywhere, it was unsurprising that there would be this type of reaction by some. Many people already think yoga is Satanic. It’s actually quite nice to meditate separated from this crazy world for a while. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-66742339