Bulldog swallows 32 rubber ducks

Dogs are famous for gulping down whatever comes in their way, whether it’s a pair of socks, rubber soothers or toys, they take it in the next moment. Similarly, this bulldog who gulped down 32 rubber ducks came to the veterinarians at an animal hospital in Thailand. The vets had no choice but to remove the ducks from the canine stomach by conducting a surgery.

According to the owner Nong Aom, her American bulldog, Devil, got into a box of 50 yellow rubber ducks that were bound for her pool in Pattaya, Thailand.

When her dog threw up five rubber ducks, she rushed him to the veterinarian, believing the rest of the missing toys were likely to be in his stomach. Veterinarians said Devil underwent surgery for more than an hour and they removed 32 rubber ducks from his stomach, along with two rubber ball portions and an undigested cowhide treat.

The dog is recovering from the surgery and was reunited with his owner.

A phone that makes bird calls

A payphone attracting attention at the side of a Maryland, (US) road doesn’t make outgoing calls — but it does make bird calls.

The City of Takoma Park commissioned musician and audio producer David Schulman to create an interactive public art installation, and he came up with the Bird Calls Phone, a payphone modified to play the sounds of birds instead of making phone calls.

“It’s a payphone that’s hot-wired so that when you go up and press any button instead of making a call to your friends or family you hear the calls of local birds,” Schulman told.

Deformed tortoise gets skateboard wheels

A Delaware man used some mini-skateboard wheels to teach a tortoise, born with an unusual deformity, to walk.

Randy Betz, who works as a medical sales consultant, said he recently started a side business helping people hatch tortoise eggs, and one of the animals recently came out with its back legs pointing upward instead of downward.

Betz said the tortoise, dubbed Helix, was in danger of being euthanised, as he was unable to walk. He said he was inspired by a mini skateboard to come up with a different solution.

“I took some glue, some superglue, and I glued it right on the back end of it,” he said.

He said Helix has now learned to walk by using his front legs to pull his wheels.

Zombie skittles, anyone?

If you liked skittles earlier, then this new limited edition might disgust you. Skittles have introduced new ‘limited edition’ flavours called ‘Zombie Skittles’, which come in a packet of six flavours. Five taste like fruit — but there’s one rogue flavour which the brand claim will turn your stomach, and you wish you had never put one in your mouth.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to guess which sweet is the ‘repulsive’ zombie one as they all look the same. Not only that, but apparently ‘every palate will perceive the taste differently, but everyone will know it’s ‘rotten’ when they get it.

“Hidden beneath the candy shell of selected pieces in the pack is a rotten zombie flavour that will reveal itself only once you’ve started to chew,” a Skittles release explains.

“It’s an utterly disgusting taste experience that will elicit strong reactions from anyone and everyone daring enough to try it.”

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 31st, 2019