Tag: Dumb

July 19 (UPI) — Authorities in Alabama are trying to track down an elusive goat that jumped out of its owner’s car window and has been spotted in locations including a ledge outside a hospital.

Police in Mountain Brook and Birmingham said they first learned of the goat on the loose when the animal was spotted running loose on Montclair Road on Monday.

Trevor Turnbough, a project engineer at Sterling Highlands, said he was working at the company’s construction site on Montclair Road when he spotted the animal.

Turnbough said a man who identified himself as the animal’s owner said the goat had jumped out of his car window nearby.

The goat gave police and civilian pursuers the slip, but Turnbough said the animal made repeat appearances near the construction site on Tuesday.

The animal was also spotted in the Beech Court area of Mountain Brook and perched on the ledge of the old Montclair Hospital.

Police said they have yet to ensnare the elusive goat.

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July 20 (UPI) — National Weather Service personnel in Texas put the record heat wave to good use by baking a batch of cookies on the dashboard of a hot car.

The NWS’ office in Midland said in a Facebook post it was about 105 degrees F outside and 190 degrees inside the car when the cookie dough was placed on the dashboard.

The cookies were left to cook for about 4 1/2 hours.

The NWS said the cookies weren’t quite “golden brown,” but they were fully cooked.

“Can confirm they are done and delicious,” NWS employees wrote.

Officials said the project highlights the dangers of hot cars.

“This heat is still incredibly dangerous to anyone left in a hot car. Look before you lock,” they wrote.

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July 20 (UPI) — Animal rescuers and firefighters in Britain came to the assistance of a squirrel found 30 feet up in a tree with a discarded toilet paper tube stuck around its head.

The RSPCA said Animal Rescue Officer Dave Holgate responded to a call about a squirrel in distress in Meanwood, Leeds, England, and he arrived to find the rodent on a tree branch about 30 feet up with the cardboard tube stuck around its head.

Holgate called the local fire brigade for assistance and they were able to use specialist poles to bring the squirrel down to the ground.

Holgate said he was able to remove the tube and release the squirrel back into the wild.

“It was a good job the squirrel was spotted as he would have been unable to feed and was obviously terrified,” Holgate said in an RSPCA news release. “Litter is one of the biggest hazards our wildlife faces today — and it’s something that’s very easy to resolve.”

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July 20 (UPI) — Indiana police responding to a report of a burglary at a residence went down to the basement of the home and discovered the suspect was a baby deer.

The Indianapolis Metro Police Department said in a Facebook post that officers responded to a report of a burglary in the Northwest District and the story took “an adorable turn” once they arrived at the scene.

“Picture this: Our brave officers went down to investigate, only to discover a baby deer, affectionately known as Bambi, seeking shelter,” the post said.

The department shared a video of the officers using a blanket to carefully capture the fawn and bring it to the home’s back yard.

The deer did not appear to be injured and was released at the scene.

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A serial surfboard thief has been plaguing a stretch of Californian coastline – and the unlikely culprit is a sea otter.

In at least four separate incidents, the otter has climbed onto surfboards, biting and scratching them.

In some cases, the mammal’s behaviour was so aggressive the surfers had to abandon their boards and swim to shore.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has posted signs along the Santa Cruz coastline warning of an “aggressive sea otter in this area”.

“Enter the water at your own risk,” the sign reads.

Mark Woodward, a photographer who goes by Native Santa Cruz on Twitter and Instagram, has been sharing videos and photos of the sea otter snatching and riding boards.

“This may seem cute and funny, but it’s getting to be dangerous,” he wrote on Instagram.

“I’m afraid that the sea otter, which was born in captivity and released when it was old enough, will have to be captured and live at a rescue sanctuary.”

The otter, known as 841, was born five years ago to an otter who was also known to approach people on kayaks.

But 841 was raised in captivity, so could not have copied the behaviour from its mother.

Experts don’t have a clear explanation for the behaviour, but the otter may be going through hormonal surges or being fed by humans, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Wildlife officials are working with sea otter experts from Monterey Bay Aquarium to attempt to capture and rehome the otter.

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A bearded dragon has been rescued after it was found dumped in a bin.

The lizard was spotted by a member of staff at student accommodation in Edinburgh’s Hillside Crescent on 6 July.

A number of international students recently moved out and the Scottish SPCA believe the reptile belonged to one of them.

Despite being abandoned in the communal bin, the six-month-old bearded dragon was said to have been in a good condition and clearly had been “cared for up to this point”.

It is now in the care of the animal welfare charity.

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People in Hong Kong should stare at smokers disapprovingly as part of efforts to create a tobacco-free city, the territory’s health minister has said.

Professor Lo Chung-mau said people who have lit up in areas where it is prohibited are unlikely to “hit back” if everyone stares at them, local media has reported.

“Cigarettes can harm the health of all of us,” Professor Lo told a meeting of the Legislative Council’s health service panel on Friday.

“When the members of the public see people smoking in non-smoking areas, even if no law enforcement officers can show up immediately, we can stare at the smokers.

“When someone takes out a cigarette at a restaurant, everyone on the premises can stare at that person. I do not believe that person would dare to hit back at everyone at the restaurant as they are simply staring.”

Professor Lo said the behaviour would help to create a “non-smoking culture” in the city.

He continued: “Take queuing at a bus stop as an example. No one will say it requires the law to compel people to queue.

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A burger dressed with a bright pink sauce has been unveiled by Burger King in Brazil as part of a themed meal to herald the release of the new Barbie movie.

The cheeseburger, topped with pieces of bacon, comes with a pink vanilla-flavoured milkshake, a ring doughnut sprinkled with pink frostings, and an order of Ken’s fries.

The meal has received a mixed response from fast-food fans, with some on social media comparing the pink sauce in the burger to “chewed bubblegum”.

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The dream was like something out of a spy thriller: 29-year-old Jenna Howell of San Diego, California, was running from some shady characters on a high-speed train, and her fiancé told her to hide her engagement ring—fast. Howell popped off the ring and swallowed it. She woke suddenly and, relieved that it was just a dream, quickly dozed off again. But the next morning she noticed her left hand was bare. After a trip to the ER and an X-ray to confirm that Howell really had downed the diamond in her sleep, doctors fished it out via endoscopy. Howell praised the ring’s designer for crafting “jewels so lovely you could eat them. But don’t—trust me.” —Suzannah Showler

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In August 2019, Gary Samuel Lambe broke into a commercial property in Toronto. He wasn’t exactly discreet. Midway through the break-and-enter, the 54-year-old stopped to eat some food, leaving scraps behind. Then, he left an even bigger clue: he headed over to the office printer and made a photocopy of his face. Toronto police released a copy—featuring Lambe’s blurry visage and his white, wide-brimmed fedora—to the public, and the fugitive was identified when he was arrested on a separate matter later that month. The bright side: Lambe now has a much clearer portrait—his mugshot. —Erica Lenti

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