Mouse taped to firework during New Year to be exhibited

A mouse that was taped to a firework rocket during Dutch New Year festivities and later died of its burn injuries is to be exhibited in a museum.

Two 20-year-old men from the Frisian village of Drachten were arrested for maltreating the mouse in a country that takes animal cruelty so seriously it has 500-strong police unit dedicated to stamping it out 

The rodent, named Astromuis – Astro mous – by the Dutch media, has been stuffed and mounted in a "triumphant position" surrounded by firework rockets on a display that opened to the public on Thursday.

Two 20-year-old men from the Frisian village of Drachten were arrested for maltreating the mouse in a country that takes animal cruelty so seriously it has 500-strong police unit dedicated to stamping it out.

Astromuis was rescued by police with burns to his stomach and paws but died last Friday. The mouse is not the first victim of cruelty to animals to be preserved for posterity in Friesland's Natuurmuseum.

Also displayed is Dominomus, a stuffed sparrow which was shot in 2005 after it flew into an exhibition centre where 18 million dominoes were precariously balanced ready to be toppled for a world record attempt.

The bird had knocked over 23,000 dominoes before it was killed to become an animal cruelty cause célèbre

Another sparrow on display, Tennisbalmus, was killed by a tennis ball during a high-speed power serve in 1996.
Christiaan Walen, the museum's taxidermist, said that the Astomuis exhibit would help prevent future cruelty to animals.
"The story behind the mouse can help schoolchildren and other people learn respect for nature and everything that grows and thrives," he said.

Hamster named Frederick among bizarre items left behind by Travelodge guests

A list of the most bizarre items left behind by guests at Travelodge hotels has been revealed, including a hamster named Fredrick and an 18-month-old baby.

A Roborovski hamster named Frederick was left in a room at a Travelodge after its owner forgot it when shopping 

The astounding list of lost-and-found items has been compiled by the budget hotel chain after amused staff gathered up the abandoned treasures.

Among the quirkier items left behind include a life-size Mr Blobby costume, a case full of 100 Duchess of Cambridge masks, and an urn containing the ashes of a guest’s late wife.

One careless visitor left a box contained £50,000 worth of watches and a newlywed bride nearly lost her Vera Wang wedding gown when her husband forgot to pack it.

Staff at Nuneaton Travelodge were even treated to a Christmas surprise when a couple left an entire Santa’s grotto is their room.

They appear to have held their own early celebrations, and left a whole Christmas tree with decorations, lights, a model reindeer, a Father Christmas outfit and a turkey dinner behind.

An 18-month-old boy was accidentally left behind in a Winchester Travelodge, after his busy parents each thought the other had placed him in his car seat.
They drove away to attend a wedding, before realising their toddler son was not in the back of their car moments later.
An energetic Roborovski hamster was also found in his cage in Knutsford, after his forgetful owner drove back to Bristol without him.
In Liverpool, female guests lived up to their reputation, leaving behind a case full of spray tan, hair extensions and false eye lashes.
The items are just some of the abandoned goods left by the 13 million people staying in the Travelodge’s 496 UK hotels.
The most common items left behind are phone or laptop chargers, closely followed by pyjamas, clothing and teddy bears; 75,000 of which have been reunited with their young owners in the last year alone.
Jon Hendry Pickup, operations director at Travelodge, said; “Each year our lost and found box gets filled with some remarkable items.
“We have had Ferrari keys, a four foot stuffed Macaw parrot, a rare Toby jug and a life size Santa’s grotto to name just a few.
“It just goes to show the amazing cross section of people stay in our hotels.”

Dogs cause three family arguments every week

The average dog causes three family rows a week - as owners argue over where it can sleep and who should take it for walks, a survey has found.

Arguments over who should walk the dog are among the dilemmas that cause friction 

A study shows 'man's best friend' can also be his worst enemy, triggering nearly 2,000 family arguments during its lifetime

Spats range from disagreeing about who should take the dog for a walk, feeding them too many treats and what to do with them when holidays loom.

Nikki Sellers, Head of Pet Insurance at esure, said: ''Owning a dog is not dissimilar to having a baby.

''Round the clock care and responsibility throughout a dog's life can become tiresome for any pet owner but should never be overlooked.

''Maintaining a dog's physical health through exercise plus regular stimulation to avoid them running riot around the house should at least help avoid some arguments.

''A healthier dog may also lead to fewer costly trips to the vet too but for advice on how to look after a dog properly, owners should seek professional help.''
The study also revealed one quarter of owners regularly argue about where the dog should be allowed to go in the house with beds, upstairs or sofas causing most rows.
One fifth of families frequently argue whose turn it is to clean up the mess in the garden, while one in ten disagree who should clear up the carpets should they be soiled.
Disciplining the dog is one of the biggest causes of arguments - as 18 per cent of couples often fall out because one is accused of being too harsh on the dog.
A further 15 per cent of families often row about who should be training the dog, while one in ten people get annoyed if the dog is 'humanised'.
Other arguments about the dog include who chose to buy it in the first place and how much has been spent on the dog.
They're also likely to cause unrest if they damage the children's toys or chew the family's shoe collection.
The study also revealed while the majority of family arguments are more likely to be about the children than the family pet, 14 per cent of owners reckon they row about the dog more than their children.
Incredibly, in 17 per cent of households the dog disputes have got so bad one member of the family has slept in the spare room, while a quarter of those polled have been known to storm off after things got too heated.
In fact, 26 per cent of dog owners have at some point considered getting rid of their beloved dog after a bust-up.
TOP 20 DOG DISPUTES
1. What to do with the dog when going away
2. Who should walk the dog
3. Whether the dog should be allowed on the beds
4. Whether the dog should be allowed upstairs
5. Who should clean up the mess in the back garden
6. Being too harsh on the dog
7. Letting the dog onto the sofa
8. Money spent on dog
9. Training the dog
10. Feeding the dog from the table
11. Who should babysit / look after the dog
12. Grooming the dog
13. Damage caused by dog
14. Who chose to buy the dog in the first place
15. Who clears up when dog wees / poos
16. Who clears up when the dog is sick
17. Humanising the dog
18. Allowing the dog into forbidden rooms
19. Children's toys being eaten
20. Shoes being chewed

Vietnam man Nguyen Duy Hai has 90kg tumour removed

 

A previous operation failed to stop the dramatic growth of the tumour

A Vietnamese man is in a stable condition in hospital after doctors removed a giant tumour which weighed far more than the rest of his body.

Nguyen Duy Hai's 90kg (198lb) tumour, which was growing on his right leg, was removed in a complex 12-hour operation.
The lead doctor, an American, waived his fee and other costs were funded through donations, the hospital said.
Family members burst into tears of happiness when they discovered he had survived, reported VietNamNet.
Mr Hai, who is believed to be 31, has been living with the tumour - which is non-cancerous and linked to a rare genetic disorder - since he was four years old, reported AFP news agency.
Part of his leg was amputated when he was 17 in an attempt to stem the growth of the tumour, reports said, but without success.
The tumour prevented Mr Hai walking and also hampered sleep.
This latest operation was carried out on Thursday at the France-Vietnam (FV) hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and led by US Dr McKay McKinnon, who previously successfully removed an 80kg tumour from a Romanian woman, AFP reported.
Family members and friends left their home in the mountainous central area of Da Lat to go to Ho Chi Minh city, where they prayed for Mr Hai and wept tears of joy once they learned he had survived, VietNamNet said.

Frankenstein ants created by scientists

Scientists have bred supersoldier ants with enlarged heads and jaws by using ancient genes to trigger development.

A 'supersoldier' ant with a minor worker from the same colony

The monster ants, which use their size to protect the entrance to their nests, are a throwback to their ancestors that lived millions of years ago.

Supersoldier ants can be born naturally but are rare. They breed in the deserts of American and Mexico where they have evolved to protect their colony from invading ants.

But the man-made specimens were created from ordinary Pheidole morrisi ants, which contain the genetic tools necessary to develop into supersoldier ants.

Scientists in Canada used a special hormone on the larvae of ordinary worker ants to create the monster ants.

The research was published in the Science journal.

Authors Dr Rajendhran Rajakumar, from McGill University, Canada, and colleagues wrote: "We uncovered an ancestral development potential to produce a novel supersoldier subcaste that has been retained throughout a hyperdiverse ant genus that evolved 35 to 60 million years ago."
The results suggest that holding on to ancestral development tool kits may play an important role in evolving new physical traits, say the researchers.

Sweden: Wedding ring 'found on carrot' after 16 years

 

Lena Paahlsson says the ring was on a small carrot she was about to discard

 

A Swedish woman has discovered her wedding ring on a carrot growing in her garden, 16 years after she lost it, says a newspaper.

Lena Paahlsson had long ago lost hope of finding the ring, which she designed herself, reports Dagens Nyheter.
The white-gold band, set with seven small diamonds, went missing in her kitchen in 1995, she told the paper.
Although the ring no longer fits, she hopes to have it enlarged so she can wear it again.
Mrs Paahlsson and her family live on a farm near Mora in central Sweden.
She took the ring off to do some Christmas baking with her daughters, but it disappeared from the work surface where it had been left, she explained to Dagens Nyheter.
The family searched everywhere and years later took up the tiling on the floor during renovations, in the hope of finding the ring.
It was not until 16 years later when Mrs Paahlsson was pulling up carrots in her garden that she noticed one with the gold band fastened tightly around it.

 

Lena Paahlsson and husband Ola say it is incredible that the ring has been found

 

"The carrot was sprouting in the middle of the ring. It is quite incredible," her husband Ola said to the newspaper.
The couple believe the ring fell into a sink back in 1995 and was lost in vegetable peelings that were turned into compost or fed to their sheep.
"I had given up hope," Mrs Paahlsson told Dagens Nyheter, adding that she wanted to have the ring adjusted to fit her.
"Now that I have found the ring again I want to be able to use it," she said.

Owners opt for 'ugly’ breeds of dog

"Ugly" dog breeds are increasing in popularity as owners look for pets which provoke a strong reaction, new figures show.

Miss Ellie, a Chinese Crested Hairless dog, won the World's Ugliest Dog Contest last year 

Growing numbers of Britons are shunning traditional breeds in favour of the less obvious charms of animals which even their staunchest supporters might concede are not blessed in the looks department.

The surprising surge in popularity of a series of “ugly” or unconventional-looking dog breeds is revealed in statistics from the Kennel Club on the numbers of pedigree puppies born in the last decade.

Among the fastest risers were the Mexican hairless and Chinese crested, both of which are largely bald with wizened features, the Cirneco Dell’Etna and Pharaoh Hound, distinguished by their oversized bat-like ears, and the wrinkled-faced dogue de Bordeaux, owned by Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, the England footballers.

Between these five breeds, 3,452 puppies were born in 2010, compared with just 990 in 2001.

Meanwhile, many traditional breeds are plummeting in numbers, among them the Yorkshire terrier (down 32 per cent since 2001 to 3,441 puppies in 2010), and West Highland White terrier, (down 51 per cent to 5,361), German shepherd (down 27 per cent to 10,364) and golden retriever (down 20 per cent to 7,911).

Experts believe the trend for “ugly” dogs is down to owners looking for increasingly rare and unusual pets, with the hairless breeds offering further attractions to people who suffer from asthma and allergies. The two with the most “extreme” looks are the Chinese crested and the Mexican hairless.
The Mexican hairless – also known as Xoloitzcuintle, or Xolos – originate in central and southern America and are believed to have been around for up to 3,500 years. Their early masters were the Toltecs, an ancient civilisation in the region, and the Aztecs, who believed they had special healing powers. They used them as companion animals – although they did also eat them as a delicacy.
When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492, his journal noted the presence of the strange animals and they were taken back to Europe as a curiosity. The first pair in the UK were kept at London Zoo in the 1950s.
Because of their lack of hair, the dogs need to be covered in sun cream when outdoors, to avoid burning. Puppies are estimated to cost up to £1,000.
Lesley Lockhart, treasurer from the Mexican Hairless Club UK, conceded that the animals’ appearance did provoke a strong reaction from people but defended them as a wonderful pet with a proud heritage.
“The dogs do get funny looks, or double takes, when they are out and about. I have had people asking if they are poorly.
“We called our first one Marmite, because people either love them or hate them. People are a bit taken aback by them, but once they get to know them they are bowled over by them. To find true beauty you have to scratch beneath the surface.”
The dogs themselves do not appear to be troubled by their appearance. Although good natured, Ms Lockhart said that by reputation they were an aloof breed.
Their numbers in the UK have remained very low since the 1980s, when the first pair of pets was imported. However, it has started to grow in recent years and the breed club was established in 2004 to promote and protect the animal.
Its numbers have more than doubled to around 70 in the last two years, of an estimated worldwide population of 4,000.
The Chinese crested, which is more established in the UK, now numbers in its thousands, having increased from just 312 puppies registered in 2001 to almost 600 last year. The breed has, in recent years, dominated the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, an annual competition in California.
Also growing in popularity over the period are several other varieties, whose distinctive squashed features and flat faces mean they are similarly facially challenged. Among them are the griffon Bruxelloise (up 43 per cent to 201 puppies), Japanese chin (up 57 per cent to 302), and the shar pei (up 143 per cent to 2,304).
Two other unusual-looking breeds to have increased during the period are the more established pug (up 557 per cent to 5,726) and chihuahuas (up 322 per cent to 5,397), both of which have been popularised by celebrity owners, including Paris Hilton, Jonathan Ross, and Hugh Laurie.
Paul Keevil, who runs a group called British Heritage Dog Breeds, promoting more traditional, native varieties, said the trend for “eccentric-looking” dogs was about owners “making a statement – whatever that statement is”.
“There is certainly a growing appeal for these breeds, who seem to be, shall we say, a less attractive bunch.
“It is a desire for the bizarre. People want something that looks a bit usual, a bit striking. The dog is to make some kind of fashion or lifestyle statement.
“Maybe it makes the owner more beautiful. They say that people look like their dogs, but perhaps it doesn’t apply in these cases.”
How the UK’s 10 most popular pedigree dog breeds have changed in numbers
Labrador, 44,099 puppies registered in 2010 (a 31 per cent increase since 2001)
Cocker spaniel, 23,744 (87 per cent up)
English springer spaniel, 13,988 (18 per cent up)
German shepherd dog, 10,364 (27 per cent down)
Staffordshire bull terrier, 8,663 (14 per cent down)
Border terrier, 8,383 (87 per cent up)
Cavalier King Charles spaniel, 8,154 (21 per cent down)
Golden retriever, 7,911 (20 per cent down)
Pug 5,726 (557 per cent up)
Boxer 5,699 (40 per cent down)