10 of the Strangest Animal Stories of 2008 (So Far!)

Why is it that strange animal stories always seem to hit at once like a pack of rabid buffalo? It has only been a month and there are already a number of incredibly bizarre animal-related news stories to kick of 2008. It’s like a zodiac year on steroids.

A swarm of 150,000,000 crabs invades an island in Northwestern Australia to mate. Each female crab lays around 100,000 eggs in the sand. They hatch at around the same time, so there might be as many as 75 trillion crabs on that island at once!

Pet Deer Runs Amok: Witnesses eating lunch Sunday at TJ’s Deli in Winston-Salem were startled when they said a woman walking a pet deer on a leash lost control of the animal, causing it to break through a window and run amok through the restaurant’s dining room.

Steaks on the Lamb: They’re searching the woods in the Cincinnati suburb of Colerain Township for an Angus steer that bolted after it was delivered to a meat-packing business this morning. Authorities say a gate on a holding pen was inadvertently left open, allowing the more than 1,000-pound animal to escape.

Man Dies in Crocodile Orgy: Amorous crocodiles are causing so much havoc to a Papua New Guinean coastal community that authorities have ordered a cull. Police on the northern PNG island of Manus asked licensed firearm holders to form a hunting party after mating crocodiles killed one man last week.

Lizard Blood Used as Cure for Aids: Desperate people living with the HIV/Aids virus in Yumbe district, northwestern Uganda, have resorted to an ominous therapy - that of injecting themselves with blood drawn from an uncommon type of lizard.

Man Shoves Hand in Shark’s Mouth: A fisherman who survived a shark attack aboard a fishing boat off Queensland said his skipper put his hand down the shark’s throat to free his mangled leg.

Is the Nevada Humane Society Being Racially Insensitive? The Nevada Humane Society is doing a promotion surrounding the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday called “Black Is Beautiful” where black dogs and cats are offered for adoption at a reduced rate.

California Mourns Death of Crooked Necked Giraffe: Gemina the “crooked-necked giraffe,” one of the Santa Barbara Zoo’s most recognizable and beloved animals, was euthanized Wednesday. “We observed a decline in her appetite over the past two weeks and she had stopped eating all together,” said Alan Varsik, the Zoo’s Director of Animal Programs and Conservation.

Ten Apartment Pets That Can Be Better Than Cats and Dogs: Generally all apartments that accept pets allow solely cats and small dogs. These animals, however generally wreak havoc on apartments. Following are animals that spend most of their time caged but may be more attractive to landlords than dogs that dig and cats that scratch. Perhaps your perfect pet is within.

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