Oddities

Can an elephant sue to leave a zoo? Colorado’s top court must now decide

Colorado’s highest court is considering whether five zoo elephants can challenge their confinement under a legal process mainly used by prisoners to dispute their detention.

A New Zealand airport wants you to hug goodbye faster

Champion cleared of cheating with a metal chestnut at the World Conker Championships

Conkers controversy: World tournament investigates claims of cheating with steel chestnut

After 67 days adrift, a Russian man was rescued but his brother and nephew are dead

German police say pizza order No. 40 came with a side of cocaine

German police have busted a pizzeria in the western city of Düsseldorf that also delivered a side order of cocaine when customers asked for item number 40 on the menu.

Funeral home in Poland apologizes after a corpse falls out of a hearse in traffic

A funeral home in Poland is apologizing after a corpse that it was transporting fell out of a hearse and into traffic.

Greek man convicted of causing disturbance by entering neighbors’ properties to smell their shoes

A judge in northern Greece has imposed a suspended one-month prison sentence on a man convicted of disturbing his neighbors by repeatedly sneaking into their properties to smell their shoes.

A wild cat native to Africa and Asia is captured in a Chicago suburb

A wild cat native to Africa and parts of Asia has been captured after roaming around a Chicago suburb.

Snake slithers through Dodgers dugout during NLCS loss to Mets

A snake slithered through the Los Angeles Dodgers dugout during Game 2 of the National League Championship Series.

Pumpkin weighing 2,471 pounds wins California contest

A Minnesota horticulture teacher has remained the reigning champion of an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California.

Mud, beer and cash: Annual wife-carrying championship attracts competitive couples to Maine

An annual event in Maine involving mud, beer and cash has once again drawn dozens of eager competitors.

Witnesses can bear-ly believe the surprise visitor at Connecticut governor’s estate

Witnesses could bear-ly believe the surprise visitor that appeared at the Connecticut governor’s estate.

Woman pleads guilty to trying to smuggle 29 turtles across a Vermont lake into Canada by kayak

A woman from China has pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle 29 eastern box turtles, a protected species, across a Vermont lake into Canada by kayak.

Authorities continue to investigate container suspected of holding dynamite in Tennessee

Authorities in eastern Tennessee are continuing to investigate a container suspected of holding large amounts of dynamite, warning residents that evacuations will likely remain in place throughout the night as officials work to determine the exact contents of the box.

New Zealand ship didn’t sink because its captain was a woman, the ‘appalled’ defense minister says

New Zealand’s Defense Minister Judith Collins has decried what she called misogynistic online comments about the woman commander of a navy ship which ran aground, caught fire and sank off the coast of Samoa on Sunday.

Washington state woman calls 911 after being hounded by up to 100 raccoons

A Washington state woman had to flee her property after 50 to 100 raccoons descended on it and were acting aggressively.

How Waffle House helps Southerners — and FEMA — judge a storm’s severity

For some residents of storm-prone Southeastern states, the best indicator of a hurricane’s severity can be found at the local Waffle House.

Former owner of water buffalo that roamed Iowa suburb for days pleads guilty

The owner of a water buffalo that ran loose in a Des Moines, Iowa, suburb for days in August has pleaded guilty for having an animal at large.

Nibi the ‘diva’ beaver to stay at rescue center, Massachusetts governor decides

The question of whether a 2-year-old beaver named Nibi can stay with the rescuers she has known since she was a baby or must be released into the wild as winter approaches was resolved when the Massachusetts governor stepped in to protect Nibi.

There’s a moose on the loose — in a New Hampshire swimming pool

Police and firefighters in New Hampshire have responded to an unusual call — a moose trapped in a backyard swimming pool.

After 31 years, a French treasure hunt may have a winner. The prize: a valuable golden owl

A 31-year-long treasure hunt that drew in thousands of enthusiasts across France appears to have come to an end after official social media accounts linked to the search said the token needed to claim the grand prize had been found.

Spider lovers scurry to Colorado town in search of mating tarantulas and community

It’s tarantula mating season on the Colorado plains, when male spiders scurry out of their burrows in search of a mate.

Nibi the beaver’s fate lands in court as rescuers try to stop her release into the wild

Whether a 2-year-old beaver named Nibi gets to stay with the rescuers she has known since she was a baby or must be released into the wild as winter approaches in Massachusetts has ended up in court — and caused such an uproar that even the governor has weighed in.

Second fan files lawsuit claiming ownership of Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 baseball

The claim to Shohei Ohtani’s potentially lucrative 50th home run ball grew more complicated this week, with a second fan filing a lawsuit asserting he had possession of the historic baseball.

Online voting in Alaska’s Fat Bear Week contest starts after an attack killed 1 contestant

Voting has started in the annual Fat Bear Week contest at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve.

American Family Field adds padding to area of wall that Brewers’ Frelick hit while chasing foul ball

Sal Frelick returned to the Milwaukee Brewers’ lineup for the start of the playoffs without needing to worry about hitting any metal if he crashed into a wall again.

Are digital tools a way for companies to retain hourly workers?

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resetting of the economy that followed it made hourly workers more aware of their value.

Damian Lewis herds sheep over a London bridge in homage to a medieval tradition

Actor Damian Lewis has driven a flock of sheep across the River Thames in homage to a centuries-old tradition.

Earth will have a temporary ‘mini moon’ for two months

Earth will have a temporary “mini moon” for two months. The mini moon is actually an asteroid about the size of a school bus.

Detroit judge who put teen in handcuffs during field trip is demoted to speeding tickets

A Detroit judge who was temporarily removed after ordering a teenager into jail clothes and handcuffs during a field trip is back on the bench.

Hey, where’s your card? Another Detroit-area library deals with bugs

Bugs can’t seem to get enough of Detroit-area libraries. The Oak Park Public Library was closed Wednesday for treatment after bedbugs were found in two chairs in the computer area.