The weekly weird

Published November 12, 2016

Vampire-toothed cat is now a star!

A New York cat with long protruding ‘vampire’ teeth has gained fame on social media for its appearance. This complete black cat is dubbed ‘Monk’ and lives with owner, Nicole Rienzie, in Long Island.

Rienzie told Monk came to her in ‘dark times’ and provided proof that black cats are good luck.

“My mother and I were driving home. He darted in front of the car and we nearly hit him,” she said. “At that time, however, I needed rescuing as well. I had lost my father to brain cancer and a close friend in a plane crash. I was grieving heavily and dealing with chronic pain from [a car] accident.”

Since being adopted by Rienzie, Monk has gained more than 28,000 followers on Instagram due to his 3/4 inch long upper teeth.

The profile features photos and video of Monk baring his trademark teeth. Monk is a completely healthy cat.


Meet the world’s oldest Orangutan

A grumpy orangutan at Perth Zoo in Australia claimed the Guinness World Record for being the oldest Sumatran Orangutan in the world.

Puan was originally gifted to the Perth Zoo by the Sultan of Johore of Malaysia in December 1968 in exchange for several Australian animals.

“Puan was born in the wild, so it took a lot of work to clarify her exact age, but from all the documentation, it is believed that Puan was born in 1956,” Perth Zoo primate keeper Martina Hart said. “At 60 years of age, this makes her the oldest Sumatran Orangutan in the world!”

Puan has already well exceeded the usual life expectancy of her species as in the wild, female Sumatran Orangutans rarely live past 50. Puan has given birth to 11 children during her time at the zoo and has since become a grandmother and a great-grandmother, according to ABC News.

Zookeepers said Puan is well aware of her status as a matriarch and demands an appropriate amount of respect.


Too close to deadly crocs

This experience is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It is called the Cage of Death, yet it is not actually a cage — more of a sleek, glass cylinder that dips deep into a pool containing deadly saltwater crocodiles.

The experience, at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, Australia, is one of a kind as it allows people to meet the reptiles up close. It looks quite terrifying. The Cage of Death is held within a huge watery enclosure housing around 200 crocs.

“Thousands of people have been thrilled and terrified by sharing the environment with five-metre-plus crocs,” the website explains. “Every dive includes 15 minutes in the enclosure with one of these massive reptiles”.

Published in Dawn, Young World, November 12th, 2016

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