A9

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

Gorilla in mourning won't let go of baby

BERLIN - A gorilla at a zoo in Germany is refusing to let go of her baby several days after it died of unknown causes.

A spokeswoman for the Allwetter Zoo in Muenster says the three-month-old male died Saturday.

But its 11-year-old mother, named Gana, continues to carry the body around. Zoo spokeswoman Ilona Zuehlke describes the mother as being in mourning and says such behaviour isn't uncommon for gorillas.

Signs were posted near Gana's enclosure Wednesday to explain the situation to visitors and a staff members was also present to answer questions.

The baby was named Claudio and was Gana's second. She had a female baby in 2007 that now lives at the Stuttgart Zoo.

Christie's expects to fetch big bucks for Cook boomerang

LONDON - Christie's says it will offer an aboriginal boomerang collected by Captain James Cook up for auction next month.

The auctioneer says the antique throwing stick was probably collected by the British explorer during his first trip to Australia in 1770. It expects the relic to fetch up to $111,000.

Cook was the first European to make contact with Australia's east coast. He and his crew collected many artifacts during this and other voyages, including two clubs which are also up for sale.

Christie's says the weapons previously belonged to Cook's widow Elizabeth and her executor John Bennett before descending to its current owner. It didn't identify the owner.

'Dinnertime Bandit' faces meals in prison

STAMFORD, Conn. - A jury in Stamford, Conn., has convicted the man dubbed the "Dinnertime Bandit" for robbing wealthy homes in the evening, when residents kept their alarms off.

The six Superior Court jurors convicted Alan Golder of kidnapping, two counts of burglary and one count of larceny. He was acquitted of two counts each of burglary and larceny.

Authorities say Golder claimed to have robbed the homes of Johnny Carson, Glen Campbell and other celebrities in the 1970s, stealing jewelry worth millions of dollars over five years.

He went to prison after a fatal shooting but returned to burglarizing wealthy homes soon after he was released in 1996.

Officers hold noses during rescue attempt

SASKATOON - Some Saskatoon police officers held their noses long enough to save an overly curious skunk that had gotten its head stuck in a paper cup. But as it turns out the grateful skunk made no attempt to spray his new friends

Officers on routine patrol found the skunk running in circles with its head stuck in the cup.

After numerous attempts, and numerous hasty retreats, one member was finally able to get close enough to pull the cup off.

Sources: The Canadian Press, The Associated Press