Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 410
May 24, 2017
May 23, 2017
Obese Chunky Monkey Enjoys Junk Food and Soda
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
No, we are not talking about Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey but Thailand’s finest, Uncle Fat!
Stop Feeding the Monkey
The overweight Monkey is now 60 pounds -three times the size of a macaque– because of his addiction to junk food. Uncle Fat enjoys milkshakes, sweetcorn, noodles and sweet melons.
Uncle Fat enjoying some food via YouTube
It’s common for wild monkeys to roam Thailand, and yes, tourist love to feed them and it’s why it has become a coveted travel destination.
Via YouTube
After a couple of photos of this chunky monkey went viral, wildlife officials intervened; however, it wasn’t as easy as they thought it would be. It looks like this monkey was the king of the streets and wasn’t going anywhere. Uncle Fat had a group of subordinate monkeys who continuously helped him indulge in his feeding frenzy, but when done, would redistribute whatever was not consumed to his minions and the younger monkeys. It was said that when wildlife officials went to rescue him, they had to fight off his fans to finally capture him.
A leader!
Uncle Fat via YouTube
Diet
Due to his junk food intake not only from his followers but the tourist, the chunky monkey has developed a large fat mass, also known as a benign tumor. Unfortunately, he is now at a high risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Have no fear though; the 10-year-old monkey is currently on a strict diet that consists of 400 grams worth of lean protein, fruits, and vegetables twice a day! A great diet for anyone we might add.
Wildlife and Plant Conservation have transferred Uncle Fat to Nakhon Nayok wildlife rescue center where he will continue to have regular check-ups and encouraged to run and swing around with the other animals.
Chunky monkey is expected to drop to 17 pounds, and roam freely in a couple of months. We might also see an exciting new trend to come: “The Monkey Diet.”
Via YouTube
Macaque Monkeys Facts
There are 20 species of macaque in five species groups.
Macaques are commonly used in research—most recently in AIDS research.
Their coloration includes gray, brown or black fur.
Macaques are relatives of guenons.
Female macaques have bigger rounder bottoms than male macaques.
Baby macaques have bright pink faces, hands, and feet which darken as they get older.
Macaques have short tails, ranging from one centimeter to 25 percent of their head and body length.
They are omnivorous and eat both plants and meat.
They are native to Asia and Northern Africa.
Macaques have a larger brain than other monkeys.
May 22, 2017
This Fresh to Death Girl Arrives at Prom in a Coffin
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Megan Flaherty is drop dead gorgeous as she arrives at prom in a hearse.
Talk about making an appearance!
The aspiring funeral director arose from a wooden coffin, which thankfully had the approval from her date, like a straight up Vampire G or maybe Helena from the My Chemical Romance, we’ll let you decide. Flaherty and her date, Stephen Caldwell, were chauffeured by Dennis McGee, a funeral director, which is completely appropriate because you must always stick to your theme.
Flaherty’s dream is to attend Mercer County Community College in New Jersey where she can join the funeral service program.
We completely support you, Megan!
Did you know
Exploding casket syndrome is a common term in the death industry. If you didn’t know, during decomposition your body releases gasses and other things begin to liquefy. What if there’s no way for the gas to escape the coffin? Easy, pressure builds and builds until “BOOM” explosion! You now have a disgustingly combusted casket that more than likely cracked the mausoleum wall you’ve been resting in. How do you stop this from happening? Burper valve. Yes, seriously, caskets are built like Tupperware!
Mind-blown? You know you are!
This is a Late Victorian Edwardian wicker casket. It was a funeral necessity used as a body transport and home funeral display.
Not everyone believes in burying the dead. Some cultures prefer cremation and even sea burials. Probably the one that stands out the most are the Towers of Silence. Created by the Ancient Zoroastrians, the Towers of Silence were constructed to lay out corpses for birds to feed on. Talk about being efficient.
Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images
images@wellcome.ac.uk
http://wellcomeimages.org
Printed drawing of ‘Towers of Silence’, two circular raised structures used by Zoroastrians to dispose of the dead.
Believe it or not, reusable coffins were in style back in 1784. Why? Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II said so. These reusable caskets had a bottom “trap door” which allowed the body to drop directly into the grave after the burial ceremony.
Coffin Collection
It should come as no surprise that here at Ripley’s, we have quite an unusual collection of coffins. Just take a look at this lobster coffin. It was manufactured in Ghana by Paa Joe for a lobster fisherman. The coffin reflects the status of the deceased.
This Eagle fantasy coffin was also carved by Paa Joe. The Ga fantasy coffins are the centerpiece in elaborate weeklong funerals that celebrate a well-lived life with abundant feasting and festive music.
Eagle Fantasy Coffin
Mercedes fantasy coffin from Ghana
Ok, so maybe you’re not roaming the cemeteries questioning who is buried in what kind of coffin, but at least you know there’s an array of options to choose from when you’re ready for your infinite slumber.
Let us know in the comments below if you’d like a custom-made coffin. You never know, it might just be hanging out with us at Ripley’s warehouse.
Source: This Fresh to Death Girl Arrives at Prom in a Coffin
May 21, 2017
May 20, 2017
May 19, 2017
The Princeton Cat Experiment: Turning a Cat into a Phone
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Cool Stuff, Strange Things
Hosted by Ripley’s lead researcher, Sabrina Sieck, let Ripley’s Believe It or Not! introduce YOU to the coolest stuff and strangest things.
Today: The Cat Phone
The Princeton Cat Experiment
If we told you a live cat could be turned into a telephone, would you believe it? You better. Successful kitten transmissions were made in 1929, and believe it or not, it was no Island of Doctor Moreau shenanigan, it was done in a lab by two Princeton researchers!
RING RING
In 1929 Ernest Wever and Charles Bray thought, “Hey, how about a cat telephone? Yeah—let’s do it in the name of science!” and proceeded to remove part of a cat’s skull, along with most of its brain, and attach an electrode to the animal’s right auditory nerve and another to the cat’s body.
Those electrodes were hooked up to an amp and the signals were sent to a telephone receiver. To Ernie and Chuck’s surprise, when they talked into the ear of the cat, the sound could be heard in the receiver. IT WORKED! The cat itself acted as the telephone’s transmitting end.
The Cat Phone
Their research states that speech was transmitted with “great fidelity,” and was “easily received.” They even said this could actually be “employed as a means of communication.”
The Princeton cat survived the first experiment, but Ernie and Chuck went for round two, deciding to kill the cat and try again. They were not successful.
Lesson learned?
Although certain aspects of the experiment were later disproven, it is believed that this insanity inspired research on cochlear implants, which also convert sound into electrical signals. This stimulates the auditory nerve to create a sense of hearing in deaf individuals.
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Source: The Princeton Cat Experiment: Turning a Cat into a Phone
Lion and Weenie Dog Are Best Friends
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Meeting each other at just six weeks old, this lion and weenie dog have become best friends.
Abby, the dachshund, and Bonedigger, the male Barbary lion, are an extremely unlikely pair of friends. What could be no more than a hotdog-sized snack for the cat, has become his lifelong companion.
The two will chase and play, nipping at each other’s faces.
“They’re always just loving on each other.” -John Reikene, park manager
Both live at the G.W. Exotic Animal Park, where animals from all over have been placed with nowhere else to go.
According to Bonedigger’s caretaker, he doesn’t like anyone else in the cage, besides the dachshunds. When he has to remove the dogs to perform maintenance, Bonedigger will pace and whine until her friends are let back inside.
John Reikene, the park manager, chalks the relationship up to dachshunds’ lack of self-awareness. In the same way, the dogs attack his weed wacker during maintenance, he thinks the dogs wouldn’t even consider Bonedigger a threat.
They lick and lay on each other and Abby will even chase Bonedigger around his enclosure.
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