Latest Oddities News
A bewildered seal found itself in the mouth of a humpback whale
SEATTLE (AP) — It's a good thing seals aren't on a humpback whale's menu. A photograph by a whale-watching naturalist captured a seemingly bewildered seal in the mouth of a humpback whale after the giant marine mammal accidentally gulped it last Thursday in the waters off...
Grand prize winner removed 20 Burmese pythons from the wild in Florida challenge
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — It’s official, the Florida Python Challenge this year has a winner. The $10,000 grand prize went to Ronald Kiger, who removed 20 Burmese pythons from the Florida Everglades during the 10-day hunt, which was meant to bring awareness to the threat that...
Purple place: Mets unveil the new Grimace seat at Citi Field
NEW YORK (AP) — Fenway Park has the Ted Williams seat. And now Citi Field has the Grimace seat. The kid-friendly McDonald’s character made another appearance at the ballpark Monday, when the New York Mets unveiled a commemorative purple seat in section 302 to honor “his special...
An 8-year-old Ohio girl drove an SUV on a solo Target run
BEDFORD, Ohio (AP) — An 8-year-old girl took an SUV from her Ohio home and drove for miles to a store where she was later found unharmed, authorities said. The girl, whose name was not released, and the vehicle — a 2020 Nissan Rogue — were reported missing around 9 a.m. Sunday,...
A smelly penguin wins New Zealand's hard-fought bird election
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — It's noisy, smelly, shy — and New Zealand’s bird of the year. The hoiho, or yellow-eyed penguin, won the country’s fiercely fought avian election on Monday, offering hope to supporters of the endangered bird that recognition from its victory...
The birth of a spectacled bear brings joy to a farming community in Peru
LIMA, Peru (AP) — A spectacled bear was born in a rescue center built by a Peruvian farming community that has protected these animals for more than two decades. The bear cub, which does not yet have a name, was discovered after park rangers in the community of Santa Catalina de...
Vessel rescued in English Channel after emergency call to Dover, Delaware, instead of Dover, England
DOVER, Del. (AP) — Police dispatchers in Delaware’s capital city are being lauded for helping direct rescuers to a boat foundering in the English Channel thousands of miles away. Dispatchers for the city of Dover found themselves at the center of an international rescue effort...
Jurors help detain a man who flees a Maine courthouse in handcuffs
SKOWHEGAN, Maine (AP) — A man convicted of assaulting a child tried to flee a courthouse in Maine but two jurors and a detective quickly foiled the escape attempt. Nicholas Carter, 31, on Wednesday ran out of the courthouse in Skowhegan while handcuffed. He had been found guilty of...
A cat named Drifter is safe after sneaking out and getting trapped in a sewer for nearly 8 weeks
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — A cat aptly named Drifter is safe at home after sneaking outside and getting trapped in a sewer for nearly eight weeks. The 3-year-old tabby — an indoor feline who had aspirations of being an outdoor cat — went missing from the home of Clifton Nesseth and...
Studies on pigeon-guided missiles, swimming abilities of dead fish among Ig Nobels winners
BOSTON (AP) — A study that explores the feasibility of using pigeons to guide missiles and one that looks at the swimming abilities of dead fish were among the winners Thursday of this year’s Ig Nobels, the prize for comical scientific achievement. Held less than a month before...
