Animals

Massive bear named ‘Hank the Tank’ on the run from California police

Aside Markozen.com Animals
Hank the Tank

A massive black bear named Hank the Tank is wanted by California police for breaking into dozens of homes in a Lake Tahoe neighbourhood since last summer.

The bear burglar weighs 500lbs (227kg), much more than the average bear, and appears to have skipped hibernation in winter due to a constant food supply.

Authorities say euthanisation may be necessary because the wild animal has grown so comfortable around humans.

Wildlife groups are calling for him to be relocated to a sanctuary.

Hank earned his nickname by hungrily barging his way into locked and occupied homes.

“It’s learned to use its size and strength to force its way into homes,” says California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Peter Tira. “It’ll barge through garage doors, it’ll barge through front doors. It’ll go through windows.”

Also crowned “King Henry” in the press, Hank is “readily identifiable due to [his] exceptionally large size and dark coat with a lighter muzzle”, according to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.

Normal non-lethal methods of bear “hazing”, such as bean bag munitions, sirens, and dry-firing police tasers (which “makes a clicky-clack noise that the bears hate”) have not been successful in driving Hank away.

The Bear League, a local wildlife advocacy group, says that Hank got to be his size (black bears average around 100-300lbs) due to his raging appetite for human food.

They have called for Hank to be trapped and sent to a sanctuary instead of killed, and for Lake Tahoe residents to be more vigilant about securing their food and rubbish.

“He’s not subsisting on a diet of ants and berries like a lot of wild bears do,” Mr Tira tells BBC News.

“In Tahoe there’s year-round access to high caloric food – whether we’re talking about leftover pizza or ice cream or just trash,” he continues. “It’s easier to find that kind of food than to work for hours to remove grubs from a dead log.”

Officials have received more than 150 calls about Hank. He has broken into nearly 40 homes, sometimes causing severe damage, in just the last six months.

“I’ve been in town 40 years and I’ve been locking my doors recently and I’ve never done that,” local Tim Johnson told CBS News after the latest break-in by Hank on Friday night.

“The more we don’t feed them, the more this isn’t going to be the case.”

Horse Filmed Running Between Two Trains in Egypt

Aside Markozen.com Animals, Bizarre

A wild video out of Egypt shows a horse running along the narrow gap between two trains as one of the locomotives speeds beside it to the astonishment of passengers watching the surreal scene unfold. The hair-raising moment reportedly occurred near the village of Manqbad earlier this month and was captured on video by one of the amazed witnesses. The jaw-dropping footage begins people on the train leaning out their windows and trying to persuade the horse to move away from the tracks as they approach another train that is parked perilously beside them up ahead.

Their urgent cries turn panicked when the daring creature briefly disappears into the darkness between the two locomotives. Moments later, they are amazed to see that the horse is now furiously galloping within the narrow gap between the moving and stationary train. As the death-defying dash lasts for several worrisome seconds in which the slightest misstep could be a disaster for the animal and culminate with wild cheers from the passenger when they finally pass the other locomotive and the horse is free from the predicament seemingly unscathed.

Ostrich Breakout and Stampede in Chinese City

Aside Markozen.com Animals, Offbeat

In a wild story out of China, more than 80 ostriches escaped their farm and, much to the amazement of motorists, wound up flooding the streets of a city. The strange incident reportedly occurred early Saturday morning in the community of Chongzuo. Thanks to an unlocked gate on the property where they live, the bevy of birds managed to make a break for it and enjoy a brief taste of freedom.Drivers cruising the streets of the city could not believe their eyes as the ostriches dashed down the streets in droves and overwhelmed nearby sidewalks.

Perhaps thinking that no one would believe their story, several witnesses filmed the jaw-dropping scene with their cellphone and their videos went viral on social media. Fortunately no one was injured during the unexpected stampede and the owner of the farm was able to wrangle nearly all of their escaped ostriches. That said, since not every bird was captured, there may be more than a few of the rogue birds still hiding out somewhere in Chongzuo.