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VISITORS TO A zoo in southeastern China killed one kangaroo and injured another by throwing bricks at them in an attempt to get a reaction from the big marsupials, state media reports.
A 12-year-old female kangaroo suffered a severely injured foot when it was struck by bricks and concrete chunks on 28 February at the Fuzhou Zoo in Fujian province, China Central Television reported.
The kangaroo died days later and an examination by a veterinarian revealed that the cause of death was likely a ruptured kidney caused by being struck by the projectiles.
A few weeks later, a five-year-old male kangaroo at the same zoo was slightly injured in a similar way, said the report posted on the network’s website late last night.
The report included pictures of the first kangaroo’s smashed and nearly severed foot, and of the animal receiving treatment via intravenous drip before it died.
Visitors to the zoo were known to try to provoke the Australia marsupials to get them to display their signature hopping mode of locomotion using their powerful hind legs.
The report did not mention whether anyone was punished over the matter, but it said the dead female would be stuffed and put on display and the zoo would look to install security cameras to deter visitors from harming animals in future.
China’s lightly regulated zoos and wildlife parks often make news for the wrong reasons, typically involving abysmal conditions in which animals are kept or insensitive actions by visitors in a country where the notion of animal rights is not deeply ingrained.
Among recent examples, horrified visitors to an animal park in eastern China’s Jiangsu province last June watched as tigers killed a donkey that was released into their enclosure by investors angry over a business dispute related to the zoo, according to media reports.
A few months earlier, a zoo visitor died after he was mauled by tigers whose enclosure he entered in the city of Ningbo, south of Shanghai.
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I’m sure this is how the apocalypse comes about.
These mossies will mutate and humanity will be s c r e w e d..
They’d have to mutate in a specific way, and the range of possible mutations will have been computed and assumed stable and harmless. But still, it’s an assumption and those are the mother of all …
This is mankind displying it’s marvelous control over nature, what could possibly go wrong !
@winston smith: isn’t this the opening sequence of a dozen zombie movies.
Jeebus! Releasing millions of genetically engineered bugs into the wild!! What could possibly go wrong eh!?
Worst case scenario, hey have to release 100 million genetically modified superbugs that will feed on the Mosquitos
I for one will welcome our six-legged flying overlords.
@Harry Whitehead: Sorry, missed Elma Phudd’s comment.
@Harry Whitehead: It’s alright – there’s enough Simpsons references for everyone
@Dub_Right: where does it say genetically engineered? The mossies are infected with a naturally occurring bacterium, that’s not genetic engineering.
@Simon White: Ah yeah, but it’s more fun to say they’re genetically engineered and to start frothing at the mouth in anger and stock up on tinned foods.
I can’t wait til the true life trilogy is released; Planet of the mosquitoes . It will involve a crazy president who is not in tune with the world and some crazy scientists, and one golfer who survives because he avoids an inevitable doom by turning down his chance represent his country at a tournament.
As was said in Jurassic Park – life will always find a way!!! Im sceptical about this..
@Lydia McLoughlin: yes. Mans attempt to manipulate and control nature has had many negative outcomes. The best strategy is biological control if possible. Inhibit their habitats and increase natural predators. Birds, bats, frogs will gobble up many insects.
@Ranty McCrank: This is biological control. Read the article.
Can we do this with humans, experiment with Trump supporters and then FF/FG supporters if it’s a success?
Humans messing with nature…. never goes wrong.
@Dave Thomas: Reminds me of myxomatosis to be honest.
@Dave Thomas: Most of the time humans messing with nature goes pretty well.
Think antibiotics, cancer drugs (any medications really), GM superfoods, prosthetic limbs, vaccines, etc.
Nature isn’t always very nice to us (see: mosquitos causing millions dead) so we often have to fix it in our favour.
Well, I for one welcome..
@Elma Phudd: …..our mosquito overlords
Someone better tell Rory Mc illroy
Erm…What?
Google X… Doesn’t sound dodgy at all, does it.
Pandora’s box opened.I hope they have thought out all the possible permutations.
Not that we in Ireland have anything to be worried about ,we have our own host parasites .
Google are supposed to be killing bugs not releasing them !
@eastsmer #IRExit: soon you’ll have to pay Semantec 50 quid a year to keep you safe from Google bugs.
You didn’t atone after the plague of locusts
Mosquitos will see you all repent
Repent
It’s a matter of time before it is a global problem. Mosquito related diseases have been around for a long time originating in Africa. It’s only in recent years that Zika, for example, has spread like wildfire in such a short span of time. This is because anybody can travel anywhere in the world now.
Nine out of ten people don’t show any symptoms and so become unknowing carriers. The rising heat of the planet caused by global warming is allowing the Mosquito to alter its life cycle; as temperatures rise some can go from the larva stage to adult in as little as two days. This coupled with the fact they can now survive winters in places they never could before, like Washington D.C, means that they are adapting to the cold. It’s plausible they could live in any climate in the future…
Does Caesar know about this?
have your say