Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 450
October 6, 2016
October 5, 2016
HUGE Wasp Nest Discovered in Attic
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Wasps can do amazing things with nests. Indeed, wasps and bees are amazing and tenacious animals – but this story might be the biggest wasp discovery in years.
A homeowner was going through some renovations when they stumbled across something no one wants to see: a wasp nest measuring 3.2 feet (1 meter) wide.
The nest was situated up in the home’s attic and featured a remarkable tunnel leading from the nest to the outside world. The safe passage tunnel was 4.5 feet (1.4 meters) long, and the likes of it have never been seen before.
Via Kettering & Corby Pest Control Service
The home had been vacant for two years, so there’s no telling when the wasps swarmed in and claimed the space for their own. It’s lucky too because experts are claiming that the nest is big enough to have housed anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 wasps in its hay day.
Via Kettering & Corby Pest Control Service
Even more fortunate than that is the fact that the nest itself had been abandoned.
We’d certainly not be that close to something that size – even in a bee suit – if we thought it was still being used” ~ Pest Controller Gary Wilkinson
Wasp Nests
Wasps make their nests by chewing up wood fiber and mixing it with their unique saliva before spitting it out where the nest will be and shaping it properly
A large wasp nest can be around the size of a large soccer ball. But this one was much bigger than that. Coming in around the size of a larger barrel.
Mr. Wilkinson might have been impressed by the sight, calling it
“quite beautiful, but I’d want absolutely nothing to do with it.”
Tunnel leading to the nest – Via Kettering & Corby Pest Control Service
Photo Credits: Kettering & Corby Pest Control Service
Kings Are Weird
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The term “royal treatment” comes from a long history of Kings and Queens making outlandish royal demands – and those demands being met. This week’s BION Brief showcases our favorite royally odd requests, but here are a few extras that didn’t make it into the video.
Groom of the Stool
Known as “The Groom of the Stool” King Henry VIII’s most trusted of servants had the lovely job of cleaning the King’s toilet – and his behind!
Table For One?
King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886) ate alone at a table set for imaginary guests. He believed that he dined with the ghosts of dead Kings and Queens.
Bearded Hostility
King François the First (1494 – 1547) made the crime of wearing whiskers punishable by death.
Winning the Popular Vote
Liberian President Charles King was not a king, but he was a ruler, and his last name was King, so we are including him on our list.
In 1927, the Liberian President Charles King was accused of fraud after he was reelected as President by 230,000 votes. The only problem was the country had less than 15,000 registered voters.
He resigned in 1930.
Pop-Culture King
King Abdullah bin al-Hussein of Jordan appeared as an extra in Star Trek: Voyager in 1996. He said:
“I would have been thrilled just to visit the set, but this is too much”
They didn’t call King Frederick “The Great” For Nothing
During famine in Prussia in the 18th century, King Frederick the Great threatened to cut off the nose of any citizens who would not eat potatoes. The people thought potatoes were poisonous.
He once visited a prison and asked the inmates what crimes they had committed. All said they were innocent except one …
King Frederick set the man who had confessed his guilt free on the grounds that he might corrupt the “innocent”!
Source: Kings Are Weird
October 4, 2016
The Strange History of Coney Island
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
With easy access from New York City, Coney Island was a major vacation destination between the 1880s and World War II. In its heyday, nothing was too eccentric, too big, or too outlandish. Three major parks—Luna Park, Steeplechase Park, and Dreamland—all competed for visitors, taking advantage of the public’s fascination with the unknown, from distant lands to tragic disasters.
FIGHTING FLAMES
Over 2,000 people were employed at Dreamland’s Fighting the Flames, where performers reenacted what it was like to be a firefighter—from hitching live horses to the fire engine to extinguishing a real fire. They also made dramatic rescues as trapped “victims” jumped from a blazing building’s windows to the ground.
Believe it or not, Dreamland itself went down in flames in 1911. Park entertainers from Fighting the Flames, who went through extinguishing motions daily, tried to help—even the Midget City Fire Department sprang into action!
MIDGET CITY
Midget City, or the Lilliputian Village, was Dreamland’s miniature town populated by over 300 little people. Villagers actually lived on-site and functioned as a community in their built-to-scale world. They had their own police and fire departments and even performed their own acts, such as the Tom Thumb Circus.
The Village was built as a proportional replica of 15th century Nuremberg, Germany!
The Village was built as a proportional replica of 15th century Nuremberg, Germany!
THE IGORROTE VILLAGE
Feeding into the fear and amazement of the unknown, one of Luna Park’s most popular attractions was the Igorrote Village. Imported Filipino tribesmen, women, and children lived in a replica village and presented a sensationalized version of their customs. As headhunting was not an option, the Igorrotes dined on a daily dog feast, slaughtered before the crowd and cooked in a large pot.
At home, the Igorrotes only ate dog on special occasions, like after a successful head hunt or at a wedding, but at Coney Island, they were made to cook canines daily.
HELL GATE
This boat ride entered Dante’s Inferno and featured a flaming whirlpool, which seemed to suck riders down into the depths of Hell. Unfortunately, (and ironically), Hell Gate is to blame for the great Dreamland fire of 1911, burning the park to the ground.
ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER ALL-NEW ANNUAL!
Ripley’s has spent the past year collecting the most unbelievable stories from around the world, filling Unlock the Weird to the brim with fantastic, fun, and even freaky features. Join us back here every week for an exclusive inside look at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Unlock the Weird!
October 3, 2016
Born in Kentucky: Lucky, the Two-Headed Calf!
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Shane and Brandy McCubbin’s recently born two-headed calf named Lucky would be right at home in the Ripley’s stable.
Polycephaly is the condition of having more than one head, and Ripley’s has a long history with these animals. Farmers often wrote to Robert Ripley telling him of their two-headed animals.
Ripley was intrigued with these animal oddities and called them “pranks of nature.”
The Ripley collection today includes a horse with three legs, two-headed calves, pigs, rabbits, turtles, and kittens. We have albinos, giant snakes and alligators, a whole menagerie of multi-winged and multi-limbed birds, and even a headless chicken!
The Ripley’s Animal Oddity Collection: Cyclops Animals
Lucky the Two-Headed Calf
Lucky was born on a farm in Kentucky. In the seven years that the McCubbins have been operating the farm, they’ve never seen anything like her.
She has two mouths, two noses, and four eyes – two of which share one socket. The McCubbins think that although she has two faces, Lucky has one brain because when they feed her from a bottle, both of her mouths move in unison.
Lucky’s condition might not be true polycephaly. It’s more accurate to say she has two faces than two heads, but she’s still wonderfully unique all the same.
Shane McCubbin feeding Lucky, the Two-Headed Calf
Common Traits in Polycephaly
In most cases, people or animals born with two heads also exhibit two separate personalities. Todd Ray, the owner of the Vince Beach Freakshow, has a large collection of living two-headed animals. In the case of his bearded dragon, he notes differences between both heads.
Two-Headed Bearded Dragon via Venice Beach Freakshow
However, Lucky’s case is most likely different if she only has one brain.
One common aspect of calves with polycephaly is that sadly, they don’t live long. However, there are good signs for Lucky! She can stand on her own, although but she does have balance problems. She also has a tendency to walk in a circle, but she’s eating and making a strong effort.
The oldest two-headed calf to survive that Ripley’s is aware of was from Florida and lived for 40 days. The McCubbins are hoping to hit that mark.
October 2, 2016
October 1, 2016
Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog
- Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s profile
- 52 followers
