I thought it only happened at our house

Zoo managers have taken Brussels sprouts off the Christmas menu after the vegetable caused an attack of flatulence in their gorillas.

The staff at Chessington Zoo fed the giant apes on the seasonal favorite as they are filled with nutritional goodness. However, they hadn't reckoned with the gassy qualities of the tiny veggies.

Now the zoo has issued an apology after guests at the zoo expressed their horror at the potent smell that started emanating from the gorillas' enclosure.

Gorilla keeper Michael Rozzi said: "We feed the gorillas brussel sprouts during the winter because they are packed with vitamin C and have great nutritional benefits.

"Unfortunately, an embarrassing side effect is that it can cause bouts of flatulence in humans and animals alike.

"However, I don't think any of us were prepared for a smell that strong."

Source: The london paper

(via monkeys in the news)

China's Miracle Pig Becomes Fat and Lazy

The giant pig embraced in China as a miracle survivor of a massive earthquake in May has been voted the country's favorite animal.

The hog was trapped for over a month following the 7.9 magnitude quake that killed nearly 90,000 in Sichuan, survived on charcoal and rainwater for 36 days, and was then bought by a businessman who named him "Zhu Jianqiang," or "Strong Pig."

People come from all over to see the miracle pig, Reuters reported, but it was becoming increasingly spoiled, fed up with visitors even as it chows down.

"It's gotten fatter and lazier by the day," the China Daily quoted staff as saying. "We used to take it out for a walk every morning and afternoon, but it's too lazy — and too fat — to do it."

Source: FoxNews

Knut gets a substitute leg

A 37-year-old man jumped into the Berlin zoo enclosure of famed polar bear Knut on Monday, scaling over a fence and dropping into a water-filled ditch at the edge of the bear's enclosure, police said.

Zookeepers, who had just let Knut into his outdoor enclosure, were able to lure the bear back into his cage with a leg of beef.


Police said the man was less cooperative, initially ignoring instructions to leave the enclosure. He was led away unharmed, and before he was let go, he told police that he felt lonely and that the bear had appeared lonely, too.

Source: TampaBay.com

Vets fix feline's face

Veterinarians in Boston performed an unusual surgery to reattach the face of a cat they believe was injured by a car's fan belt, probably because she tried to stay warm under the hood.

Edgar, a 4-year-old long-haired feline, went missing from her home in Winthrop for three days. When she finally came home, her owner found her in her litter box — with part of her face dangling from her head.

Remarkably, Edgar suffered no major blood loss nor any permanent nerve damage from her accident. She just needed to have her facial skin stitched back on during an hour-long surgery

Source: AP

How did I miss this?

Martha Stewart had a New Years party for her cats.

Not being a viewer of Martha Stewart's show, I didn't even know that she had cats.

I guess she does. And don't they look thrilled?



More photos of Martha's cats celebrating.