Attention Samuel L. Jackson! Someone re-did your beloved thriller "Snakes on a Plane", but it means trouble for an Australian man who cleverly decided to take a platypus on a train.
He's 26 and has kept his name out of the papers so far, wise move for someone who swaddled a wild platypus in a towel and got on a train, accompanied by a woman.
The authorities are taking him to court, alleging animal protection offenses. For reasons best known to himself, the man stands accused of taking the creature from his natural home (a waterway in northern Queensland) and taking it by train to a shopping center.
"It will be further alleged the pair were observed showing the animal to members of the public at the shopping centre," Queensland police said in a statement.
It was the railway police who put the grab on the guy. The police also talked to the woman who was with him, and have not said what happened to the little animal.
"Police were advised the animal was released into the Caboolture River and has not yet been located by authorities," police said. "Its condition is unknown."
Camera footage shows the man wearing flip-flops carrying the kitten-sized platypus along a train platform, and wrapping it up in a towel. Then they proudly displayed their new friend to other passengers.
But, this is illegal under Queensland's conservation laws. The maximum fine could be Aus$430,000 (US$288,000).
"Taking a platypus from the wild is not only illegal, but it can be dangerous for both the displaced animal and the person involved if the platypus is male, as they have venomous spurs," police said.
The police add, in words that I would think hardly need be said: "If you are lucky enough to see a platypus in the wild, keep your distance."
The first British scientists who saw these critters, with their stubby beaver-like tails and duck-like bills, thought they were some sort of 18th Century hoax.
1 comment:
The platypus, like the penguin, is further proof that God has a sense of humor...
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