APE SMUGGLER
A MAN has been stopped at an airport in Mexico for carrying 18 small monkeys in a girdle under his T-shirt.
Roberto Cabrera arrived at Mexico City’s international airport on a commercial flight from Lima, Peru, but authorities noticed a suspicious bulge in his clothes and conducted a body search, the public safety department said in a statement.
They say that Cabrera, 38, was carrying the six-inch baby titi monkeys in pouches attached to the girdle. Two of the monkeys were dead, reports the Metro.
Cabrera, who was arrested on charges of trafficking an endangered species, told authorities he had been carrying the monkeys in a suitcase, but decided to put them in his girdle instead “so the X-rays wouldn’t hurt them”. — Reuters.
MIRACULOUS FALL
A 15-YEAR-OLD New Zealand boy has survived with minor injuries after falling 16-storeys from the balcony of his family’s apartment onto a concrete floor, New Zealand media reported on Monday.
The New Zealand Herald said the teenager fell about 50 metres off the balcony, dropping through a carpark roof that may have broken his fall before he hit the concrete. Another tenant raised the alarm after seeing the boy fall past his window.
The newspaper said medical experts were amazed that the boy survived as few people managed to live if they plunged from more than five storeys. — Reuters.
PIZZA AND CPR
A LAID off paramedic who turned to delivering pizzas to make ends meet is credited with saving the life of a man who went into cardiac arrest just as a pizza was delivered to his door.
Christopher Wuebben, 22, was delivering a pizza late last week to the suburban Denver home of George Linn, when he heard the man’s wife screaming for help, according to Wuebben’s boss, John Keiley.
“Chris told the woman that he was trained in CPR and knew what to do,” Keiley, owner of Johnny’s New York Pizza, said on Tuesday. “He got him on the floor and brought him back to life before the fire department showed up.”
Linn was transported to Swedish Medical Centre where he is in a serious condition in the hospital’s critical care unit, hospital spokeswoman Julie Lonborg told Reuters.
Keiley said Wuebben is a military veteran who recently moved to Colorado after he was laid off from his paramedic job in Illinois. He said Wuebben is not scheduled to work at the pizza restaurant until later in the week, but Keiley may not have his new employee for long. At least one local hospital and a fire department have called to offer Wuebben a job in his chosen field after hearing of his heroics. —Reuters.
BEAR JOYRIDE
A COLARADO bear climbed into an empty car for a joyride only to crash it into a thicket in Larkspur, near Denver.
The stray bear managed to open the unlocked Toyota Corolla, while the Story family were asleep in their home.
It is thought that a peanut butter sandwich left on the back seat attracted the bear, reports the Metro.
A Colorado Division of Wildlife spokesman said that it is common for bears to enter cars or even houses in search of food.
Ben Story, 17, said the bear must have knocked the gear selector into neutral, sending the car rolling down the family driveway before crashing into the thicket.
The bear remained trapped inside the car and had to be freed by local authorities, using a rope to open the door from a distance.
It also left a “present” on the drivers seat. “A nice pile, actually,” added father Ralph Story. “Something to remember.”— Orange news.