Drive-by shootings still happen in our society, but they aren’t just limited to the “rough” areas of our urban cities. Yesterday, an 18-year-old man was arrested in connection with the fatal drive-by shooting of a zebra named Zambi. But don’t worry, it wasn’t a hate crime, as the animal was both black and white. Continue reading Man Arrested After Drive-By on a Zebra
Instructions for the Lenker Bluebird Box:
1. Cut all boards to lengths indicated and acquire all required hardware.
2. With two 1 5/8′ screws fasten the front to the left side. Keep the top of the side 1/4″ below the top of the front, (important for proper cross-ventilation).
3. With two 1 5/8″ screws fasten the back to the side keeping the side 2 3/4″ from the top of the back, (important for proper cross-ventilation).
4. Place the bottom between the front, back, and side 1/4″ up from the bottom edge of the box: with one 1 5/8″ screw fasten the front to the bottom; with one 1 5/8″ screw, fasten the left side to the bottom; and, with one 1 5/8″ screw fasten the back to the bottom.
5. Place the right side, angled side to the top, between the front and back leaving 1/4″ space below the top of the front and the top edge of the side, for ventilation. Make a mark about 1″ down from the top of the front. Using a square, make a mark, exactly the same height, on the back edge. This is the height where the nail or screw will be placed to make the hinge for the door. Nail in the first nail through the front and into the middle of the right edge of the side board. Next nail the second nail through the back into the right side, again into the middle of the edge. The side will open for monitoring the nestbox from this hinged opening.
6. With two 1 5/8″ screws fasten the top to the back keeping the roof 1/4″ above the side for ventilation. Fasten two 1 5/8″ screws through the roof into the top edge of the front.
7. With a drill bit larger diameter then a #6cc nail ( or other nail to be used as the door lock) drill at a 45 degree angle downward through the front and into the door side. The door lock will be placed in this hole to secure the side and to allow easy monitoring access by removing the nail, the angled hole is required to ensure the nail does not come out on its own.
8. Make small kerfs cut with a saw or deep scratches wit a nail on the inside of the front, below the hole, in order to make a ladder, which will make it easier for the baby birds to climb to the hole to get out (fledge).
9. Set your box out and get ready for bluebird nesting season!
San Antonio parks and recreation officials recently decided to close three city parks and wilderness areas on the city’s northwest side off I-10, citing public safety concerns amid TV news reports about a series of reported mountain lion sightings. Several department Wildlife Division employees investigated the reports this past week, interviewing witnesses and visiting the three parks and also Leon Creek river drainages under I-10, but TPWD found no physical evidence of a lion. Continue reading Mountain Lion Sightings Cause Park Closures
They knew it was coming, but the “fun” was bound to end sometime. The only state where breeders can still legally pit fighting roosters against each other in bloody battles to the death has officially banned cockfighting starting next summer. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco signed the ban today, ending years of dispute among inbred legislators, the cockfighting industry and the animal rights groups that consider the fights barbaric. Continue reading Louisiana Finally Bans Cockfights
An almost perfectly-preserved carcass of a 10,000-year-old baby mammoth has been discovered in the northern Siberian permafrost! Scientist say this discovery could answer a lot of questions, specifically climate change studies. The 4-foot gray-and-brown carcass, discovered back in May by a reindeer herder, has its trunk and eyes virtually intact and even some fur remaining, which is absolutely amazing!
The animal’s tail and ear were apparently bitten off, so apparently something had the opportunity to sneak and snack on this little critter before his dirt nap. Scientists believe mammoths lived from 4.8 million years ago to around 4,000 years ago. Studies suggest climate change or overkill by human hunters as possible reasons leading to their extinction. In my opinion, it was a combination of both.
Most people think they’re creepy, but flying mammals are quite beneficial. Recent federal research shows how big an impact the Mexican free-tailed bats, the most commom bat found in the southern U.S., have on farms, agriculture and life in the state of Texas. These bug-eaters save farmers millions of dollars in avoided pesticide costs and better crop yields, the study shows. Continue reading Bats Save Texas Farmers Almost $2M Annually
Remember the 1,100-pound “wild” hog the 11-year old Alabama boy bagged with his trusty pistol? Well, this story needed a little more rooting around to get to the truth. In reality, every once in a while somebody kills a really big hog, enters it into a contest and its registers roughly 300 to 400 pounds, but most truly wild hogs will struggle to reach 150 pounds. Continue reading Big 1,100-Pound Hog is a Big Hoax