Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Volume 283

In a week that could rival the plot twists of a quirky animated feature, our collection of stories takes us on a globe-trotting adventure through the animal kingdom’s most unexpected run-ins with human society. Our tales weave a narrative that reinforces the fact we share our homes with other members of the animal kingdom, and when we try to apply human laws to their behaviour, truth becomes funnier than fiction.

From Taiwan with love

At one point, messages were sent by pigeon. In times of conflict, notes were attached to pigeons to send important messages to and from the front. Then technology moved on. Spies used microfilm. Now we have digital cameras, email and messaging. It seems some are still concerned about the pigeons, however. In a case that blurs the lines between avian adventure and international espionage, a pigeon found near Mumbai’s port sparked an eight-month investigation into possible spy activities.

A pigeon was found carrying mysterious rings and a message resembling Chinese characters. The pigeon was suspected of carrying secrets across borders.For months the bird was held in custody without a trial or even a bail hearing. Indian authorities seemed unsure of how to deal with a pigeon spy.

The plot took a turn toward the innocuous when it was determined that it was a racing bird from Taiwan which became lost on an unintended international journey. With the pigeon exonerated, the bird was unconditionally released back into the wild, with neither a criminal record or, I note, an apology.

Black Drum fish playing more than just the drums

Next we turn to Tampa, Florida, where residents were kept awake by an unexplained, bass-like thrumming, leading to a community-funded investigation. They planned to invite scientist James Locascio to set up underwater mics to analyze the sound. The source of these unpleasant vibrations? Many guessed it was construction, a loud party on a boat or even vibrations from aircraft at a nearby Air Force base.

The source of the sound is yet fully determined but the best guess so far is the sound of mating black drum fish. Their romantic endeavors can be loud enough to cause homes to tremble. With the cooler weather and denser air, the sound travels further and because of the sound’s low frequency it travels through different types of media more efficiently. Again, unexpected animal behavior intersects with the world that we think we control.

Pigeon spies and fish that disturb the peace. It seems our justice system is ill equipped to deal with animals breaking human’s laws.

Squirrelly Squirrel

Recently the police in Liberty, Missouri, responding to a reported home intrusion. They found themselves face-to-face not with a burglar, but with a squirrel. The body cam video starts with the officer, weapon drawn, preparing to go down a hallway to confront the intruder. The tense situation was quickly diffused when the intruder was identified as a squirrel. As the officer followed the squirrel, the tiny invader ran into another room which lead to a humorous encounter all captured on the officer’s body camera.

The police recreated an image of the suspect, dubbed “Rocky the Squirrel” appending it at the end of the body cam footage from the 2 responding officers, adding, “approach with extreme caution,” at the bottom.

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