Samwise rides again

Aunty …

An unwitting passenger arriving at Japan’s Narita airport has received 142g of cannabis after a customs test went awry

A customs officer hid a package of the banned substance in a side pocket of a randomly chosen suitcase in order to test airport security.

Sniffer dogs failed to detect the cannabis and the officer could not remember which bag he had put it in.

Anyone finding the package has been asked to contact customs officials.

The customs officer conducted the test on a passenger’s bag against regulations. Normally a training suitcase is used.

“I knew that using passengers’ bags is prohibited, but I did it because I wanted to improve the sniffer dog’s ability,”

Japan has strict laws against drugs and possession of small amounts of cannabis can lead to a prison sentence.

Two Bear stories for you, first from the AP …

A black bear was shot and killed inside the ransacked home of an Anchorage couple. David and Robin Tisch came home Sunday and discovered the aggressive bear inside the residence on Villages Scenic Parkway, a dirt road near Chugach State Park.

Upon arriving, Robin Tisch noticed a screen door was folded in.

“That’s about the time we heard a drawer being thrown across the room. There was silverware flying,”

Tisch’s brother ran over with a gun and David grabbed a rifle.

When the bear made an aggressive move, someone shot at it and the animal fell dead.

The bear, which found a frozen chicken and some bread before being surprised by the Tisches, left a trail of destruction.

“He pulled the refrigerator away from the wall and was smart enough to pull open the freezer,” David Tisch said. “He pulled open some drawers, and opened the cupboards and just destroyed those. We have a nice leather couch and love seat and he tore holes in the couch. He tore up the table.

Sounds like the bear just wanted to eat a chicken sandwich in peace.

The second story comes from digtriad.com …

Brent Case seems almost nonchalant about it now. “He went into the muscle and right through the arm.”

He has the wounds left by savage attack by a grizzly bear.

Last week, the 53-year old surveyor was alone in the bush, east of Bella Coola. He was taking photos for an engineering job, when he realized he wasn’t alone.

“I had a feeling somebody or something was watching me. The hair on this side of my head started to go up. That doesn’t happen very often.”

The next thing he knew he was on the ground — a 900 pound beast was stomping on his body.

“I said, this is not happening, this is not happening. I put my head down cause he was coming at me,” recalls Case. “I had my axe, but I couldn’t hit him cause he was too close And he has an agenda. I threw my axe down and I said the best thing I can do is play dead.”

He believes that is maybe what saved his life. It still didn’t stop the grizzly from biting him numerous times and gnawing the scalp on the back of his head.

“I thought he’s eating my brains. I knew it was happening. I just thought God, I hope he gets it over with. I was down there shakin’ so bad. I was bleeding and the sounds & everything, and I just thought, ‘I’m too young to die.”

Case’s will to live took over. As he played dead, the bear lost interest and lumbered away. Case got out of their as quick as he could. Though covered with blood, he was able to drive 25 kilometers to the closest gas station to get help.

Aunty …

Sloth’s lazy image ‘a myth’

ok

The sloth’s popular image as a lazy creature that sleeps for most of the day has been called into question.

Rather than snoozing for more than 16 hours a day, as observed in captivity, sloths in the wild doze for less than 10 hours

Wish I could sleep ten hours a day, lazy sloths

The findings, published in a Royal Society journal, may help shed light on human sleep disorders

like what ? if humans lived in captivity we’d spend more time sleeping ?

“I think this finding is really going to open the door to a whole new age of sleep research on animals sleeping in their natural habitat.”

you hope so, because your grant cheque depends on it

Animals vary in the amount of sleep they need. Pythons, for example, sleep for 18 hours a day, while giraffes survive on just two hours.

lazy pythons

Despite many years of research into the function of sleep, there are still many unresolved questions.

It is known that sleep plays an important role in maintaining normal mental functions, but the precise mechanisms are unclear.

I saw this story last week, but could not remember the details with which to look it up.

From the Beeb …

A woman required 20 stitches to her face after a pelican crashed into her in the sea off Florida, apparently diving for fish.

The bird, which died in Thursday’s collision, ripped a gash in Debbie Shoemaker’s face as she bathed near the city of St Petersburg.

The city fire chief said he had never heard of a diving pelican hit a person.

Pelicans grow to up to 30lb (13kg) and can dive from heights of 60 to 70 feet (18 to 21 metres).

Ms Shoemaker, 50, returned home on Friday

From The Press Association …

A nanny pulled a two-year-old girl from the jaws of a coyote when the animal attacked the toddler and tried to carry her away in its mouth.

The girl was playing in a sandbox at Alterra Park in Chino Hills in San Bernardino County, California. The caretaker heard screaming and saw a coyote trying to carry the child off in its mouth

The babysitter grabbed the child and pulled her from the coyote’s grasp

The coyote then ran off into nearby brush.

The child suffered wounds to her buttocks and was taken to Chino Valley Medical Centre and was later released

She was later transported to Loma Linda University Medical Centre to receive the rabies vaccine.

San Bernardino County Animal Control and the State Department of Fish and Game were searching for the animal

there was another attack in the area in October when a coyote bit a three-year-old girl playing in a cul-de-sac. The girl needed treatment for puncture wounds to the head and thigh

From Despertar de la Costa …

El turista estadunidense Adrián Ruiz, de 24 años, fue atacado por un tiburón tigre frente al hotel Mi Casa es su Casa, de Troncones, cuando surfeaba a unos trescientos metros de la orilla; el animal le mordió el muslo derecho y le casuó la muerte por pérdida de sangre.

De acuerdo con la información recabada afuera del hospital naval militar de Ixtapa, el técnico de Teléfonos de México Arturo Zepeda Villalvazo explicó que cerca de las 7:30 de la tarde comía en el área del restaurante de Mi Casa es su Casa, donde efectúa trabajos de su empresa, cuando unos surfistas sacaron del mar a la víctima con una mordedura de tiburón en su pierna derecha.

Ante esta situación de emergencia el empleado de Telmex no dudo en dar auxilio al turista extranjero, ante la carencia de cuerpos de socorro en esta zona turística, y trasladó al estadunidense en su agonía a bordo de la camioneta Ford de modelo reciente, de color blanco, con placas GZ-23-767 de Guerrero, marcada con el numero económico 505414, a recibir atención médica.

Adrián Ruiz ayer había llegado a este destino turístico del municipio de La Unión para disfrutar de placenteras vacaciones en compañía de seis amigos norteamericanos. Sin embargo, el destino lo alcanzó al ser atacado por un tiburón tigre que, a decir de algunos buzos de este balneario, merodea la costa de Troncones.

El médico del hospital naval que recibió al turista originario de San Francisco, California, pudo establecer a los pocos minutos de su ingreso a la institución que la víctima falleció en el trayecto al hospital, por lo que se procedió a dar aviso al Ministerio Publico en Atención al Turista para que se hiciera cargo de las diligencias de la defunción.

La habitante de Troncones Julieta Altamirano manifestó su consternación por este lamentable hecho y reprochó a las autoridades municipales que no se preocupan por este destino turístico, pues las playas no cuentan con señalamientos ni mucho menos salvavidas ni instituciones de auxilio, por lo que coincidió con varias personas que en esta costa constantemente hay turistas apunto de ahogarse.

Entrevistado al respecto, el segundo oficial de resguardo marítimo federal de la Capitanía de Puerto, José Ángel Lara Magaña, El Angel del Mar, sostuvo que luego de conocer del ataque de este animal reconoció que algunos buzos han mencionado la presencia de un tiburón tigre, pero en toda la costa del Pacífico no se había registrado un ataque de esta naturaleza.

Al respecto, aseguró que este día comenzarán acciones con palangres para extinguir al escualo en coordinación con la Armada de México. Indicó que estos animales se encuentran en zonas de aguas frías y turbias, entre el oleaje de mediana profundidad, a una distancia de lo por lo menos 300 metros de la orilla. Explicó que este hecho no representa amenaza para los bañistas.

Por su parte, su compañero de viaje Brant Helms y un vecino de Troncones, que dijo llamarse Osman Altamirano, auxiliaron al Adrián Ruiz para sacarlo del agua y trasportarlo en la camioneta de Telmex al hospital naval militar de Ixtapa, quienes no daban crédito a lo ocurrido en su primer día de vacaciones.

La víctima presentaba una herida de 38 centímetros de largo, desde su cadera hasta cerca de su rodilla; la mordedura le desprendió piel, tejido celular, subcutáneo y músculos.

Conocedores estiman que este animal podría tener un peso aproximado de entre doscientos y trescientos kilos, y podría derivarse haber comido carne humana con la pérdida de un turista que se ahogó en esta misma zona hace unos 15 días, pues su cuerpo no ha sido recuperado.

From Reuters via SMH …

A shark has killed an American tourist surfing in western Mexico, police say, the second fatal attack along North America’s Pacific coast in four days.

A shark bit 24-year-old San Francisco resident Adrian Ruiz in the leg, opening a 38cm wound from his hip to his knee and exposing his femur

Ruiz, who was surfing near the beach town of Troncones, 35km north of the Ixtapa holiday resort, was pulled to the beach by a friend.

“He was rushed in a bystander’s vehicle to the military naval hospital, where he died soon after from blood loss,”

On Friday, a 66-year-old man was attacked and killed by a shark in the ocean near San Diego in the United States, the first person to die in a shark encounter off Southern California in nearly 50 years.

Fatal shark attacks in Mexico are also uncommon. The last one was in the Caribbean in 1997

No one has been killed by a shark on Mexico’s Pacific coast in over 30 years

Attacks on the Atlantic coast are more frequent, especially in Florida, which has about 25 to 30 a year.

Animal news from Fox news …

A Ukrainian official says a bear fatally mauled a woman who wandered into its cage on an animal farm.

the middle-aged woman may have been drunk when she stepped into the cage Monday on a farm outside the eastern city of Donetsk.

He says one of the two bears inside the cage then attacked the woman.

He said Tuesday that officials were trying to figure out how she got into the cage unnoticed.

There have been a number of cases of animal attacks involving intoxicated zoo and farm visitors in Ukraine, where safety rules are often neglected.

From the AP …

The grizzly bear that wrestled Will Ferrell’s character in the recent film “Semi-Pro” seemed to obediently follow cues — which made its killing of its trainer with a bite to the neck all the more stunning.

Three experienced handlers were working with the grizzly Tuesday at the Predators in Action wild animal training center when the bear attacked Stephan Miller, 39

Pepper spray was used to subdue and contain the bear, and there were no other injuries, Beavers said. Paramedics arriving shortly after the initial emergency call around 3 p.m. were unable to revive Stephan Miller.

Fish and game spokesman Harry Morse told the San Bernardino Sun Tuesday his department would not decide whether the bear will be euthanized because the attack occurred outside its jurisdiction during a training session on facility grounds.

Morse speculated that the county animal care officials may decide the bear’s fate.

the bear was a 5-year-old male named Rocky. The Predators in Action Web site said Rocky is 7 1/2 feet tall and weighs 700 pounds.

The site, which was off-line early Wednesday due to overtaxed bandwidth

In a February interview, Randy Miller called Rocky “the best working bear in the business,” the San Bernardino Sun reported on its Web site Wednesday. But, the paper quoted him as saying, “If one of these animals gets a hold of your throat, you’re finished.”

Randy Miller has 25 years of experience training animals and his facility has had a perfect safety record

Randy Miller won a World Stunt Academy Award for his work wrestling tigers in the 2000 blockbuster “Gladiator”

He also helped recreate animal attacks for National Geographic documentaries and the Discovery Channel.

It was not immediately known how long Rocky has been at the facility.

Denise Richards, who works with wild animals at Moonridge Zoo, a sanctuary for injured and homeless wildlife in nearby Big Bear Lake, said trained animals that turn on their handlers are often destroyed.

“You can train them and use as many safety precautions as you can, but you’re still taking a chance if you’re putting yourself in contact with them,” Richards said. “It’s still a wild animal. Even though it may appear that the bear attacked for no reason, there was a reason. I’m sure Randy understands why it happened. They’re not cold-blooded killers.”

Native grizzly bears are extinct in California.

Not a true “When animals attack …” but note worthy none the less.

From the Beeb …

More than 140 mourners at a funeral in northern Thailand are reported to have been taken ill after eating a dish that appears to have contained puffer fish.

The mourners were rushed to hospital after being served soup containing fish balls bought at a local market in Nan province

They started vomiting and complained of numb tongues and shortness of breath.

Doctors said the symptoms were consistent with puffer fish poisoning, which can be fatal even after cooking.

The fish contains a poison known as tetrodotoxin, which paralyses the diner’s muscles. There is no antidote.

I saw a program about this, apparently because it causes temporary paralysis people tend to die of asphyxiation, in order to keep someone alive they need to have their breathing done for them. The Samwise blog cannot be held responsible for any death, injury or other adverse effect as a result of following this advice.

Puffer fish meat is sometimes used illegally in Thailand to produce fish balls because it is cheaper than most other fish meat

Seven of those taken to hospital are reported to be in a serious condition.

Also …

Fugu is the Japanese term for a fish native to the Pacific Ocean. The name comes from fuku meaning ‘to swell’.

It also means ‘good luck’.

you’re gonna need it ;O)

It is the generic term for any fish in the Tetraodontoid family; these are the ‘puffer’ fish, also known as blowfish or balloon fish.

or globe fish

It is a rather unattractive fish

your not so attractive yourself

which has the ability to puff its body up to 300 times its usual volume and extend spikes for protection. The fish pumps air or water into the first two thirds of its stomach. The skin is able to stretch due to collagen fibres that reinforce it, also providing strength. If it is caught and eaten, it has been known to inflate after it has been swallowed, killing the predator, and then gnawing its way out of the stomach.

cool

If this doesn’t work, the predator will die from the toxin.

cool

It has a beak-like mouth with a toothed plate on the upper and lower biting surfaces. The arrangement of the muscles in the jaw gives it huge amounts of crushing force, but little speed or suction.

Some of the fish’s organs - the ovaries, testicles, skin, muscles and particularly the liver - contain tetrodotoxin, a powerful poison. Tetrodotoxin is 1,200 times deadlier than cyanide, and one fish contains enough poison to kill 30 people. Acting mainly on the nervous system, the symptoms in order of severity are:

* Physical discomfort
* Pallor
* Dizziness
* Prickling or tingling of the mouth
* Vomiting
* Diarrhoea
* Numbness
* Hypersalivation
* Sweating
* Weakness
* Subnormal temperature
* Hypotension
* Rapid weak pulse
* Respiratory distress/arrest
* Death

There is no known antidote.

This fish is considered a delicacy in Japan.

Chefs have to be specially trained and licensed to prepare and cook fugu, as there are many different types of fugu and the poisonous parts vary. There is a written and practical test; only a quarter of applicants pass the written test, and the practical test includes eating the fish that has been prepared.

The preparation requires a 30-step process, leaving just enough of the tetrodotoxin so that the mildest effects tantalise the diner, yet leaving them safe from the devastating and irreversible effects of a fatal amount. Deaths do, however, still occur. From 1974 until 1983 there were 646 reported cases of fugu fish-poisoning in Japan, with 179 fatalities. It is a continuing problem in Japan, with between 30 and 100 cases of poisoning reported every year, although most of these cases are caused by home preparation.

The rules for preparing fugu are extremely strict. There are rules for cleanliness and preparation, storage of the toxic parts, and careful reporting on the amount of fish handled and the distribution of the internal organs. People with poor vision or who are colour blind are not eligible to train as fugu chefs.

There is a certain ceremony to eating fugu. The fish is shown to the diners, and then the chef takes it back to the kitchen where the fish is opened and the organs removed. The fins are cut off, fried and served in hot sake. The fish is skinned and the spikes removed, the skin then served in a salad. The head is cut off, the fish filleted and then paper-thin slices are served raw.

Due to the metabolism slowing down so much when the poison is ingested, breathing and heartbeat are often imperceptible. This can result in the victim suddenly ‘returning from the dead’ when the effects have worn off. The houngan of Haiti use a powder made from a similar fish in their zombie rituals. Hollywood hype would have us believe that zombies are raised from the dead, but the victims are ‘killed’ using the powder. Victims are conscious of sound and sight while their bodies are paralysed. The houngan retrieves the ‘corpse’ and revives it, keeping the victim sedated. This makes it appear that the body is alive but the soul is dead. The zombie is usually hired out as manual labour, so making it profitable for the houngan.

The attractions of this fish are many and varied. Some say that the delicate flavour is the main attraction, others say that the testes in a glass of hot sake are a powerful aphrodisiac. Part of the experience of eating the fish is the warm tingling and slight numbing of the lips that is one of the symptoms of eating the toxin. But without a doubt, the biggest thrill is the kudos gained from eating a meal that could cost your life, and surviving.

The fugu ryotei (restaurants specialising in fugu) are easily recognisable. They all display a lantern made out of the skin of a fugu on the outside of the premises. They also have a picture of the fish painted on the entrance. Here are a few places in Tokyo where you can try fugu for yourself:

* Shunsagami - Odakyu Manhattan Hills 13F, 1-1-3 Nishi Shinjuku. Nearest station: Shinjuku, west exit.
* Tsukitei - 1-39-1 Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku. Nearest station: Ikebukuro, west exit, behind the Tobu department store.
* Ajioka - New Comparu Bldg. 6F, 7-7-12 Ginza. Nearest station: Ginza, near Chuo Dori.
* Ikesu - 1-5-25 Higashi-machi, Kichijoji. 0422-21-1438. Nearest station: Kichijoji, near Seiyu.
* Fuguyoshi - 1-5-2-13-8 Ikebukuro. Nearest station: Ikebukuro, west exit.