Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Pengiuns killed in traffic accident
This is kind of sad.
Texas highway patrol officers carried out one of their strangest rescues after a truck carrying 25 penguins, an octopus and exotic fish overturned.
The unusual load was being transported from Indianapolis Zoo to the Texas tourist attraction Moody Gardens in Galveston when the accident happened.

Four of the penguins and some of the tropical fish died, while the driver and passenger sustained minor injuries.

[...]

One rockhopper penguin died in the crash and a further three gentoo penguins were killed by oncoming traffic.

"The rest of the penguins kind of stayed together in a ditch," he said.

The octopus - who, like the fish, was being transported in a plastic bag - appeared unharmed, officials said.

PZ Myers can relax knowing that the octopus is okay.

Although the situation must have been a bit surreal for the rescuers, it could have been a lot stranger.
Trooper Richard Buchanan said it was the first traffic accident he had ever handled involving penguins, and added that things could have been worse.

"There was another truck full of snakes and alligators that was an hour ahead of them," he said. "So luckily we didn't have to deal with the alligators."

This gives me a great idea for a movie: "Snakes on a Truck." It will be like nothing Hollywood has ever done before.

Update - In a related story, Norway is being invaded by giant commie crabs. This is an invasive species (King Crabs from the Pacific) that is severly damaging the local aquaculture. I, for one, am willing to do my environmental duty by eating as many of these crabs as they want to send me.

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