Saturday 24 November 2012

Dog House Blog, It’s Fowl Play At The Zoo!



The real life ‘Angry Birds’at Exmoor Zoo.

Hecky peck it is riot shields at the ready, here come the real life ‘Angry Birds’. Keepers at Exmoor Zoo have now been given police training on the use of riot shields and repelling techniques. The hen pecked keepers have suffered repeated attacks by the cranes who have taken to swooping on them with their knife like beaks leaving them with cuts and bruises. This brings a whole new meaning to a peck on the cheek. After scratching around for a solution staff now feed them two at a time in a military style operation. One enters the enclosure carrying the feed while another is armed with a police riot shield donated by Devon and Cornwall Police. The cranes have really sharp beaks which they can use to stab legs and arms so the keepers need to be careful. They used to use dustbin lids but they proved a poultry excuse for a shield. The staff couldn’t hold them high or low enough to protect their limbs so they hatched this new plan after brooding on it for a bit.  Talk about ruffle your feathers that must have really stuck in the craw.

28 comments:

  1. ...but it's a beautiful bird !
    Bon week-end Molly !

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  2. WOW my GOd........WHY ARE THEY SO ANGRY? You know, large birds can have a vendetta! I was at the Minnesota Zoo one day with my husband and his brother. We stood there standing when suddenly my brother-in-law says, "WATCH OUT ANITA!" I turn to see a large Canadian goose making a frontal, or shall I say, REAR ATTACK! HELLO! He was about to GOOSE ME! Nasty things..

    You are brilliant sweet MIZ MOLLY! What do YOU wear to protect yourself while on the field as reporter extraordinaire? :)

    Anita

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  3. All that police training will hopefully change the pecking order at feeding time!

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  4. Wow the bird is out of humor ;o).. and I thought all big birds would be cheerful souls like the big bird of the sesame street ;o) but I'll bet that's one of the evil birds who are wrecking Misaki's toys ... Have a wonderful saturday and have always a tin tub with you - you never know ... ;o)

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  5. Jumping catfish. That is a honking big bird.
    Happy Saturday
    Hugs
    Madi your BFFF

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  6. Maybe they couold put them in with the Lions Tigers and Bears...Oh my the feathers would fly then.
    Blessings,
    Goose

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  7. You'd think they would be happy about being fed for Pet's sake!!!
    Lovies, Miss Mindy

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  8. Hi Y'all!

    Have to agree with you there! Cranes beaks can really be a "pain"!

    Y'all come back now,
    Hawk aka BrownDog

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  9. Yikes, cage those critters. We heard a story on the news here today about wild turkeys chasing the humans out of Brookline, Massachusetts. Must be a worldwide rebellion going on!

    Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning

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  10. Wowzers, look at the beak on that thing!
    Play bows,
    Zim

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  11. Birds can be vicious sometimes! I don't have much experience with large fowl like that thing. Once I did assist with a swan, which was a lot bigger than I had expected.

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  12. Necessity is the mother of invention.....BOL!

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

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  13. We will stay out of the way of the cranes!!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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  14. Whoa, them guys look crazy, would not go in there, just mash the food through the pen!

    Your Furiends
    Susie & Bites

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  15. Howdy Molly. Peck on the cheek, ahahahaha. Thanks for the laughs this morning sweetie pie. If the keepers turn their back, that bird could be a real pain in the butt! No worries, and love, Stella and Rory

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  16. Oh my. I have heard of swans attacking but not cranes, its good I know now as there is one in our local park

    urban hounds

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  17. Dangerous things birds. When on holiday once abroad, this boy came back from the sea with half his face missing and we heard a bird had swooped and tried to pluck his eye out but taken his cheek off - he was taken for surgery - needless to say there was no more padddling for me that day - apparently friendly gentle chickens will peck your eyes out without warning too and are not to be trusted, I think these zoo staff should also be wearing visors or something to be on the safe side too.

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  18. Stay away from those naughty cranes Molly. Have a great night!

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  19. Yowza, I don't ever want to meet one of those things or make one mad.


    Loveys Sasha

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  20. You are soooo funny Molly. Those are some angry birds there.

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  21. Wow Molly,

    Why are the birds so angry?! Glad I'm over the other side of the pond!! :)

    Wags to all,

    Your pal Snoopy :)

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  22. Oh Molly! This brings back memories of Alfred Hitchcock's film, "The Birds"! (Shudder!!!!!) Maybe wearing hockey goalie type protective gear would work!

    Susan and Wrigs

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  23. What they need is a couple or three brown bird dawgs! tee hee

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