Returning Renault Bears to a worthwhile life of daytime telly, eating jammy toast and surfing the internet.
Open Night #26
Wed 25th Aug 2010
Razzi and I were working late again tonight and so we thought we would make it an Open Night. Just in case you are unfamiliar with our Open Nights, let me explain…
If you visit the blog today then you have to leave a comment behind. It can be on any subject you choose and the more random you make it the funnier it appears to us. Just chat away with whatever comes into your head or if you are new to the blog just say “Hello”. Anything goes on an Open Night and Random is Cool.
Do not forget, the rule is you have to say something if you read this!
…and hey people, always remember, let’s be careful out there!
Bearkeeper Killed In Bear Attack
Tue 24th Aug 2010
A Bearkeeper at the World Animal Studios, in Cleveland, Ohio, has been mauled to death by a Bear he helped raise from a cub. It has been alleged that the keeper regularly play wrestled with the Bear prior to his death.
Brent Kandra, who was 24 years old, worked for the controversial centre where keepers are encouraged to play with the animals, including Bears and Wolves. He was killed by Iroquoes; a Bear described, as Brent’s favourite, after he let him out for a regular feeding.
The World Animal Studios is owned by Sam Mazzola who defended his safety record and said that Brent had died doing the job he loved doing. He said, “I loved Brent and will miss him more than anything in the whole world. It’s what he wanted to do. If we get injured, it’s no different than an airline pilot getting injured. The particular Bear was his favourite Bear. It was one that he basically raised. They were just playing with each other, the food was already there. The Bear was interested in playing with Brent. When it was just time for him to leave, the Bear didn’t want him to go and just grabbed him.”
Sadly, the Bear has been put to sleep and a decision is still being made whether the owner will face charges or not.
We think it is time people realised that wild animals are exactly that, wild. While people may think, they are play fighting with a Bear that Bear may not. The only place for wild Bears is in the wild or in programmes where they are treated with respect and dignity!
Funniest Joke At Edinburgh
Mon 23rd Aug 2010
This year’s Edinburgh Comedy Festival has ended and all the prizes handed out to the best and worst comedians. Because they are so funny, we thought we would share the funniest jokes with you all. Comedian Tim Vine won the prize for the funniest joke after his joke made the shortlist of 24 jokes, which were then voted on by members of the public.
The Top Ten Festival Funnies were judged to be:
- Tim Vine “I’ve just been on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. I’ll tell you what, never again.”
- David Gibson “I’m currently dating a couple of anorexics. Two birds, one stone.”
- Emo Philips “I picked up a hitch hiker. You’ve got to when you hit them.”
- Jack Whitehall “I bought one of those anti-bullying wristbands when they first came out. I say ‘bought’, I actually stole it off a short, fat ginger kid.”
- Gary Delaney “As a kid I was made to walk the plank. We couldn’t afford a dog.”
- John Bishop “Being an England supporter is like being the over-optimistic parents of the fat kid on sports day.”
- Bo Burnham “What do you call a kid with no arms and an eyepatch? Names.”
- Gary Delaney “Dave drowned. So at the funeral we got him a wreath in the shape of a lifebelt. Well, it’s what he would have wanted.”
- Robert White “For Vanessa Feltz, life is like a box of chocolates: Empty.”
- Gareth Richards “Wooden spoons are great. You can either use them to prepare food. Or, if you can’t be bothered with that, just write a number on one and walk into a pub…”
Judges also selected some of the worst jokes of this year’s Fringe, which included (in no particular order):
- Sara Pascoe “Why did the chicken commit suicide? To get to the other side.”
- Sean Hughes “You know city-centre beat officers… Well are they police who rap?”
- John Luke Roberts “I made a Battenberg where the two colours ran alongside each other. I called it apartheid sponge.”
- Emo Phillips “I like to play chess with bald men in the park although it’s hard to find 32 of them.”
- Bec Hill “Some of my best friends are vegan. They were going to come today but they didn’t have the energy to climb up the stairs.”
- Dan Antopolski “How many Spaniards does it take to change a lightbulb? Juan.”
Antopolski’s inclusion in the “worst joke” list comes just a year after he won the Dave trophy for best joke. His winning joke last year was: “Hedgehogs – why can’t they just share the hedge?”
Maybe everyone here at the Bear Sanctuary is warped, but we liked them all!
Musical Sundays #81
Sun 22nd Aug 2010
Because Sundays are always boring, we decided, a while back, to turn them into Musical Fun Days. Each Sunday we will post a music video from an artist or genre that we think will be enjoyable to our subscribers. This weekend…
…we thought we would feature one of our favourite Zero 7 vocalists, Tina Dico. Tina is a singer and songwriter who was mainly inspired by the featured performer from last week, Tracy Chapman. Tina comes from Denmark were she has been well known for many years under her real name of Tina Dickow. Internationally she is best known for her collaboration with one of The Bears favourites groups, Zero 7.
Tina featured on their second album, When It Falls, performing the songs “Home” and “The Space Between”. She also performed live with Zero 7 including a brilliant performance at Glastonbury. Although she did not feature on Zero 7’s last album, she has stated she hopes to work with them again in the future. All The Bears hope she does!
This is Tina singing the title track from her 2005 solo album, In The Red…
Tina Dico – In The Red
Do not forget, if you have any music videos you would like us to feature on a future Sunday then drop us a line. We are always happy to listen to requests from others, we cannot promise to feature any but we will try our best to find the videos if we think others will enjoy.
A Third Of Adults Still Take A Teddy To Bed
Sat 21st Aug 2010
More than a third of adults still hug a childhood soft toy while falling asleep, according to a new survey published in the Daily Telegraph today. More than half of Britons still have a teddy bear from their childhood and the average age of teddy bears is 27 years old, the poll found.
The survey was conducted on 6,000 British adults by Travelodge. Their survey found that respondents said sleeping with a teddy was a “comforting and calming” way to end the day. The survey also found that 25 per cent of men said they even took their teddy away with them on business because it reminded them of home.
The hotel chain also said that in the past year staff has reunited more than 75,000 teddies and their owners. Spokesperson Shakila Ahmed said: “Interestingly the owners have not just been children, we have had a large number of frantic businessmen and women call us regarding their forgotten teddy bears.”
Corrine Sweet, a psychologist, said cuddling a teddy bear was an ‘important part of our national psyche’. She said, “It evokes a sense of peace, security and comfort. It is human nature to crave these feelings from childhood to adult life. It’s not surprising, then, that taking a teddy bear on a business trip is popular. As a bedtime bear evokes feelings of home, warmth, and can help you nod off – just like in babyhood.”
The study also found that the traditional teddy bear was the most popular cuddly toy among adults, with Winnie the Pooh second and Paddington Bear third.
The survey failed to mention Renault Bears!
Two Hurt In Zoo Bear Attack
Fri 20th Aug 2010
An Asiatic Black Bear also known as a Moon Bear
A three-year-old girl and her father are both in hospital after they climbed into a Bear enclosure in a private zoo in Germany. The girl is reported to have climbed over a one-metre high fence and then fallen into a moat while her parents were not looking. Her father climbed in after her trying to save her from the Bear.
The Bear hit the girl on the forehead before her father was able to snatch her away according to police investigating the incident. Her father, a 34-year-old Dutch man, was also attacked and had injuries to his leg.
Visitors to the zoo called an ambulance and the girl was flown to hospital by helicopter. Her father is also being detained in hospital although none of their injuries is described as life threatening.
The Bear was an Asiatic Black Bear, which are also known as Moon Bears because of a crescent-shaped white patch on their chests. These Bears are found throughout Asia, from Pakistan to Japan but are becoming endangered because of deforestation for logging and development.
The Bear responsible for the attack is a 28-year-old male who was in the headlines three years ago for attacking his keeper at the zoo and injuring his arm. On this occasion, the Bear was only acting naturally defending his territory from intruders. A spokesperson for the zoo said, “Both of them were extremely lucky”.
Bears Guard The Marijuana
Thu 19th Aug 2010
A Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman is approached by the Bears
Police received a tip-off that fields near the US-Canadian border were being used to grow illegal crops of marijuana. They planned a dawn raid but then discovered the harvest was being guarded by a dozen Black Bears. From a distance, police estimated the fields contained around 2,300 plants near Christina Lake, just a few miles away from the US border.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police very cautiously went about making the seizure of the crop only to discover that the Bears were docile and very friendly. The plans of the illegal marijuana growers were thwarted because they thought no one would go near the fields because of the Bears. They had enticed the Bears into the fields by using dog food.
“They were tame, they just sat around watching. At one point one of the bears climbed onto the hood of a police car, sat there for a bit and then jumped off,” said Royal Canadian Mounted Police sergeant Fred Mansveld.
The two owners of the fields were arrested and charged with production and possession of a controlled substance. It is not clear if they tried to use the bears to guard the fields of pot or they just liked having them as pets.
In Canada, feeding bears is illegal as it leads to bears associating food with humans and increases the likelihood of bears coming into towns and cities looking for food.
Conservationists are deciding on the fate of the bears.
Royal Canadian Mounted Policemen pictured surrounded by Bears
