Controversy at rhinocerous beetle sumo championship
Takuma Kobayashi looks on as his beetle "King Kabuto" makes a break for freedom during the National Rhinoceros Beetle Sumo Championship on Sunday, June 28, 2009. (Mainichi)
In the United States, our kids race their turtles. In Japan, the kids hold sumo competitions between their rhinocerous beetles.
This report from Japan’s recntly-held National Rhinoceros Beetle Sumo Championship chronicles the stunning conclusion to the final, when one of the wrestlers flew out of the arena and the room, prompting an automatic disqualification.
I’m not sure whether the disqualified finalist truly feared his opponent or if maybe it was just nerves. Whatever the reason, King Kabuto’s disqualification left King Joe as the last rhinocerous beetle standing.
I suppose that this means King Joe has earned the sumo title of Yokozuna, reserved for the true champions.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Responsible snake ownership
An unfortunate story out of Florida last week brings up an issue I feel very strongly about — responsible snake ownership.
A 2 year old girl in Oxford, Fla. died when an 8 foot pet Burmese python owned by her mother’s boyfriend escaped from a terrarium and strangled the child to death.
My girlfriend, Sarah, has a pet store, and reptiles are one of her specialties. She’s always been a big fan of snakes and lizards, and I too am fascinated by them. Sarah doesn’t carry Burmese or reticulated pythons. Both species are common in the pet industry, and they grow to lengths of 15 feet or more.
What people don’t realize is that owning a snake that size isn’t much different from owning a leopard or grizzly bear. They are capable of hurting or killing a human and should be kept only by professionals or others who are very experienced.
If you are interested in keeping a snake as a pet, I would highly recommend sticking with something smaller. Corn snakes and king snakes grow to about five feet. If you want a python, try a ball python. They look similar to larger pythons but stay a manageable four feet. All of these snaked tend to have good temperaments and make good pets.
Because they stay a reasonable size, they also can be kept in a decent-sized aquarium. Larger snakes need huge enclosures that can be very expensive.
If you insist on owning a large snake, do your homework and know what you are getting into. And for goodness sake, keep the snake in a secure area where it absolutely can’t reach children.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
One cool horse
Theresa Gray sent us this great photo and information:
Nuisance, a horse who resides at Horse Feathers Equine Rescue in Guthrie, Oklahoma cools off in the recent hot weather by playing in the hose. Nuisance is a member of the Horse Feathers Kids Team, a group of horses that are afforded life long sanctuary at the rescue in order to assist with the education and training of children learning how to safely interact with and care for horses. It is a service provided to the community by the rescue in the hopes of building responsible horse owners of tomorrow. He and his buddy Woodrow, were donated to the rescue after his former owners learned that a third herd mate, Lily, a pregnant mare, had been rescued from slaughter after the three were donated to a boys ranch, and Lily was subsequently sent to auction, due to soundness issues. Today, all three, and Lily’s foal, Goldie, live happily at the Horse Feathers, thanks to their former owner’s intervention, and the availability of a safe haven for them. Horse Feathers is a 501c3 N on Profit Organization, operating solely on donations from the public, and private grants to provide care to the horses, and to fund the programs that they operate. Donations to the organization are tax deductible, and are used exclusively for the horses and the rescue. All staff is volunteer, and there are no positions that are compensated financially. To learn more about the horses, and the programs at Horse Feathers, please visit their website at http://www.horsefeathersequinerescue.org.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Oklahoma City Pet of the Week
Tate is a handsome and friendly 2-year-old weimaraner and chocolate Labrador mix. He loves to be petted and brushed, and he adores anyone who gives him dog treats. Tate is housebroken and good with other dogs. His number at the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter is 23283.
The adoption fee for cats and dogs is $25. This includes spay or neuter, shots and health check.
Pictures of many of the adoption pets can be seen at www.okc.petfinder.com and www.okc.gov.
The shelter, 2811 SE 29, is open from noon to 5:45 p.m. seven days a week for adoptions, and from 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. seven days a week for receiving. For more information, call 297-3100.
Quit squirreling around
Police in Warren, Ohio, recently released surveillance video of a woman questioned by police while she kept a squirrel in her shirt.
The woman was brought to the station to be questioned about a crime and seemed unfazed by the squirrel tucked neatly into her cleavage. Detectives were apparently more surprised by the situation but let the woman and the squirrel go after she answered their questions.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Give me that banana or I’ll cut you
Visitors to the Calgary Zoo recently witnessed a disturbing incident between a pair of the zoo’s western lowland gorillas. 
According to the Calgary Herald, one of the gorillas somehow got hold of a knife, picked it up and appeared close to re-enacting a famous scene from “Pshycho” on another gorilla in his troop.
None of the gorillas were hurt, and zoo workers were able to recover the knife, which was accidentally left by a keeper who had cleaned the exhibit earlier.
Witnesses said the gorilla picked up the knife and held it in his hand. When another gorilla came close, the gorilla with the knife raised it up as if he was threatening to stab the other gorilla. The second gorilla backed away and the knife-wielding gorilla walked a few steps before placing the knife on a chair.
About 20 zoo visitors were watching as the incident unfolded, including children.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
I can has adopted?
It’s hard for me to even contain how excited I am by a new partnership between one of the Petshow blogs’ favorite time wasters, icanhascheezburger.com, and Petfinder.com, a Web site that helps people find shelter pets to adopt.
The two are teaming up to help find homes for shelter kitties as part of Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month. For the next two weeks, visitors to Petfinder.com can add lolcat-style captions to photos of various kittehs on the site. The most popular photos and captions will be featured on icanhascheezburger.com each day.
Organizers behind the two sites hope the additional attention generated by the contest will help many lolsheltercats find homes. We at the Petshow blog wish them luck.
-Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Happy Father’s Day
Now’s the time to plan for Father’s Day all you pet people! Yes, pets have daddys too – adopted daddys that is.
Perhaps you can take the chance to go to the dog park or play for a little while. If not, you might prefer something a little less active. Petside.com is offering free Father’s Day cards for cats and dogs to give to their owners. Follow this link to create your own card.
It’s probably better than a soggy newspaper or chewed up tennis ball. But probably not better than some extra affection on Father’s Day.
- Staff Writer Dawn Marks
Cougar vs. Chihuahuas
You wouldn’t expect Chihuahuas to come out on top in a confrontation with a full-grown mountain lion, even if they outnumbered the cat three to one.
But that’s exactly what happened in Riverside County, Calif., when Ana Lee Spray’s three pups cornered a cougar in the garage. Spray awoke to the barking of her three dogs, which each weigh about three pounds. When she looked out a window into the garage to see what the dogs were barking at, she saw the mountain lion, which was hissing at her. She called 911 and took some video of the cat.
The three dogs had the cat cornered and refused to back down, barking for 45 minutes until sheriff’s deputies arrived. Unfortunately, the mountain lion was euthanized after wildlife officials failed in their attempts to tranquilize it and return it to the wild.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Animals, now in high-def
I just got my first hige definition television. I know I’m late to the party, but I finally got there. I bought a used 51-inch HDTV, and I must say I couldn’t be happier.
I’m a sports fan, and ESPN definitely looks wonderful on the big HD screen. But I’ve found my favorite thing to watch is wildlife. Discover Channel, the Science Channel and Animal Planet are getting more of my viewing time than ever before. Shows like Planet Earth, with its close-up view of wildlife, look absolutely stunning in high definition. I find myself just staring at the screen in amazement at how beautiful it looks.
I’m not even sure it would look that good if I saw it in-person. Maybe that’s a good thing, because I can’t imagine that I want to get right in the face of a full-grown grizzly or a pack of wolves on the hunt.
Still, if any of you out there are high-def laggers like I was, I must recommend you make the leap. It will change the way you watch television.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
A grizzly bear as seen in the Discovery series "Nature's Most Amazing Events."
