Browsing: Animals/Pets

A Brief History On February 8, 1983, a successful Irish racehorse, Shergar, was kidnapped for ransom, a crime that resulted in the killing of the swift steed that had been enjoying life as a stud. Digging Deeper Born, or foaled as they say in the horse world, in 1978, Shergar had a successful racing career that made him a prime candidate to become a stud horse, which he became in October of 1981, serving his time as a stud in Ireland rather than accepting a large contract to move to the US. Three armed gunmen invaded the home of Shergar’s…

A Brief History On January 19, 1983, a space traveling chimpanzee named Ham died at the age of 25 at the North Carolina Zoo.  Born in Africa and sent to The Miami Rare Bird Farm in Florida, Ham was then acquired by the US Air Force in 1959. Digging Deeper The Air Force obtained 40 chimps to prepare for use as test ape-ronauts prior to sending humans into space aboard Mercury space capsules.  After whittling down the candidates, #65 was chosen for the January 1961 flight aboard the Mercury capsule launched by a Redstone Rocket. You may have noticed that…

A Brief History On May 28, 2016, animal lovers were subjected to the horror of a zoo worker from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden shooting a beloved adult male gorilla named Harambe to death.  A three year old boy had climbed into the gorilla exhibit and was scooped up by the big ape, causing fear that the boy would be harmed. Digging Deeper The mother of the subject child was at the zoo with perhaps four children and lost track of the boy who climbed into the gorilla exhibit.  Her inattention led numerous people to accuse her of causing…

A Brief History On April 1, 2024, there were some large white wading birds by our pond, but I Egret to say an Eagle-eyed Hawk spotted them and attacked.  I am not one to Crow about it, but I am proud of our yard, as long as no Turkey tries to vandalize the property, because that really ruffles my Feathers. Digging Deeper Just yesterday an old Buzzard smoking a White Owl cigar turned his car around on our grass, and then tried to Duck away when I approached.  He must have been Chicken!  When I confronted him, he Quailed in…

A Brief History On March 25, 1996, the European Union banned the import of beef and beef byproducts from Britain due to an outbreak of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as “Mad Cow Disease.” Digging Deeper Incurable and always fatal, Mad Cow Disease in humans is called Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, caused by a “misfolded” protein called a prion that attacks the brain.  Most victims die in 13 months after suffering psychiatric and psychomotor problems and pain.  Incubation of the disease may take 20 years or more! Another horrible brain rotting disease is caused by Brain Eating Amoebas, which infects people…