Pygmy hippo shot in NT

A PYGMY hippopotamus has been shot dead during a pig hunting expedition in the Territory.

The hippo is normally native to the swamps of west Africa, in particular Liberia.

Instead, this one - estimated to be about 250kg - was shot while roaming the bush of the Douglas Daly, 200km south of Darwin.

This is about 16,000km away from Liberia.

It is believed the female hippo is an old escapee from Tipperary Station, from when it used to be an exotic animal reserve.

This means it has been poking about the Douglas Daly for the past five years.

Nico Courtney, 27, was out spotlighting for pigs with his mate Rusty on a station in the Douglas Daly district on Saturday night.

"It was about 1am and running away from us - from the tail end it just looked like a big pig," the station worker said.

"We got out, had a look at it, and thought 'that's not a pig, it's a hippo'.

"Then we thought 'you don't get hippos in Australia'."

The pair thought it might be a baby hippo - and then naturally started wondering, as they stood in the middle of dark scrub, "where the hell" its mum and dad might be.

Continued:  http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/11/16/101241_ntnews.html

Giant Atlas moth found on windowsill in Ramsbottom

A giant moth with a 1ft (30cm) wingspan has been found on a windowsill in Greater Manchester.

The Atlas moth is the biggest moth in the world and is normally found thousands of miles away in South East Asia.

When it landed at a house in Ramsbottom, it was so large the Blackmore family "thought it was a bat".

The moth, which only lives for a week, has since died but 30 of its offspring are being reared at a butterfly farm in Bolton.

How the moth arrived in Ramsbottom is a mystery although it's believed to have escaped from a private collection.

Video:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-20066917

Escaped Nile Monitor lizard found in Woodland Park

THE GAZETTE

A six-foot long lizard that escaped earlier this week in Teller County was found about 6 p.m. Friday in Woodland Park.

Dino was unharmed and was returned to its owner, according to the Teller County Sheriff's Office.

The Nile Monitor lizard, which escaped from the Westwood Lakes area Monday, was found in a nearby neighborhood. The landowner who found Dino asked to remain anonymous, officials said.

Sheriff's deputies brought Dino's owner with them to pick up the lizard. He is now back at home with his owners.

The search for Dino, which spanned the course of the week, began when he escaped from the nylon cord he was tied to in his owner's front yard.

A reverse 911 call was put out to residents in the Woodland West, Westwood Lakes and Rosewood Hills subdivisions warning them of the lizard's escape.  Both Teller County law enforcement and animal control searched for Dino from July 16 to July 19.

There were concerns that the 25 pound lizard could be a danger to children or small animals, with residents being warned to be cautious outdoors.

Teller County officials said that no one, including the lizard, has been injured. 

http://www.gazette.com/articles/escaped-142021-teller-park.html#ixzz21Lv1UG6U