【轉貼】動物心理學

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中國時報 2008.05.04　
搞錯對象 海豹性侵企鵝 未遂
黃文正／綜合報導

　南非一隻南極軟毛海豹可能因為性急過頭色令智昏，竟企圖硬上一隻國王企鵝，45
分鐘的性侵過程被完整拍下，科學家表示這可能是第一宗哺乳類動物企圖與另一種脊椎動
物交配的案例，相當罕見。

　這篇發表在《動物行為學期刊》的研究報告指出，此案發生在南非亞南極島嶼的瑪
麗安島，該島是軟毛海豹與國王企鵝共同的棲息地，也是全球唯一軟毛海豹會獵食國王企
鵝的地方。南非比勒陀利亞大學哺乳類研究所教授布勒因說：「起初，我們還以為海豹在
捕殺企鵝。」

　海豹為何會對企鵝強制性交？目前仍不清楚。不過，布勒因懷疑，這可能是這隻年
輕雄海豹缺乏性經驗，因無法擄獲雌海豹歡心，一時色慾大發的脫序行為；也可能是一種
侵略、掠奪行為，或只是一時興起好玩，結果磨蹭間引發了性衝動。

　一開始，這隻重達100公斤的年輕雄海豹，將15公斤不知性別的成年國王企鵝壓在
身體底下，這隻企鵝扭動身體企圖逃走但無力掙脫。接著，海豹一回壓在企鵝身上休息，
一回猛推骨盆、企圖插入，但始終性侵未遂。45分鐘後，海豹放棄了，游回海中，企鵝
並未受傷。

　科學家表示，性侵在動物界中相當普遍，許多物種的雄性動物常會騷擾、要脅或強
迫同類雌性動物交配，另外，性騷擾相接近的物種，如鰭足類動物海豹、海獅，也偶有所
聞。

　不少企鵝有同性戀或一夫多妻的行為，但國王企鵝卻是標準的一夫一妻制。布勒因
說：「在非一夫一妻制的交配體系，性騷擾非常常見，因這些物種，雄性身體遠比雌性強
大，因此有能力強制或騷擾。」

http://news.chinatimes.com/2007Cti/2007Cti-News/2007Cti-News-Content/0,4521,110504+112008050400252,00.html

An Antarctic fur seal has been observed trying to have sex with a king penguin.

The South African-based scientists who witnessed the incident say it is the
most unusual case of mammal mating behaviour yet known.

The incident, which lasted for 45 minutes and was caught on camera, is
reported in the Journal of Ethology.

The bizarre event took place on a beach on Marion Island, a sub-Antarctic
island that is home to both fur seals and king penguins. Why the seal
attempted to have sex with the penguin is unclear. But the scientists who
photographed the event speculate that it was the behaviour of a
frustrated, sexually inexperienced young male seal.

"At first glimpse, we thought the seal was killing the penguin," says Nico
de Bruyn, of the Mammal Research Institute at the University of Pretoria,
South Africa.

Pinniped behaviour

The 100kg seal first subdued the 15kg penguin by lying on it.
The penguin flapped its flippers and attempted to stand and escape - but
to no avail.

The seal then alternated between resting on the penguin, and thrusting its
pelvis, trying to insert itself, unsuccessfully.

After 45 minutes the seal gave up, swam into the water and then
completely ignored the bird it had just assaulted, the scientists report.

Why a fur seal would indulge in such extreme sexual behaviour is unclear.
Sexual coercion among animals is extremely common: males of many
species often harass, coerce or force females of their own kind to mate,
while animals are also known occasionally to harass sexually a member of
a closely related species.

Harassment is common among pinnipeds, the group of animals that
includes seals, fur seals, and sea lions; and occasionally it happens
between related species.

Male grey seals have been known to harass and mate with female harbour
seals, for example, producing hybrids.

"Sexual harassment is often more commonplace in non-monogamous
mating systems, and in species where males are physically much larger
than the other sex and thus physically capable of coercion or harassment,"
says de Bruyn.

But this is thought to be the first recorded example of a mammal trying to
have sex with a member of another class of vertebrate, such as a bird,
fish, reptile, or amphibian.

'Too young'
Chinstrap penguins occasionally indulge in homosexual behaviour, and
adelie penguins sometimes "prostitute" themselves to get stones for
nest-building; while one in seven emperor penguins will change partners
from one year to the next.

But generally, king penguins lead straightforward sex lives: males and
females pair up for years on end.

Marion Island is the only place in the world where Antarctic fur seals are
known to hunt king penguins on land, so the idea that the fur seal was
trying to eat the object of its attention made sense.

"But then we realised that the seal's intentions were rather more
amorous."

The researchers speculate that the male seal was too young to win access
to female seals, and in a state of sexual excitement, looked elsewhere.

But the mating season was nearly over when the incident took place,
leading the scientists to also wonder whether the seal's natural predatory
aggression toward the bird became redirected into sexual arousal.

Equally, the incident may have arisen because the seal was "play-mating".
"It was most certainly a once-off and has never previously or since been
recorded anywhere in the world to our knowledge," says de Bruyn.

The penguin did not appear to have been injured by the seal, the scientists
report.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7379554.stm

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聰明鸚鵡會背地址　走失後終和飼主團圓
更新日期:2008/05/22 01:00

（法新社東京二十一日電） 日本警方今天表示，千葉縣一隻走失的鸚鵡由一家動物醫院
收留後，不停地說自己的名字和飼主家地址，終得回到主人身邊。

千葉縣警察局的警官表示，本月稍早接獲一名婦女報案說，她家後院籬笆上有一隻紅尾的
非洲灰鸚鵡，警方隨即前往捕捉，而後送交當地一家動物醫院照顧。警官表示，起初這隻
鸚鵡頻頻向人們打招呼或是唱通俗的兒歌。

他又說：「等到十天後，這隻鸚鵡才開始重覆說一個名字和地址。」

隨後，警方根據名字與地址與牠的飼主連絡，本週稍早這隻聰明的鸚鵡終於重回主人的懷
抱。

「讀賣新聞」報導，住在千葉縣流山市的鸚鵡飼主中村昌生表示：「我很高興教會牠說地
址和名字。」

非洲灰鸚鵡公認是最聰明的鳥類之一。專家表示，牠擁有六歲孩童的認知能力。

http://news.msn.com.tw/news766870.aspx

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Cat puts Japan rail firm on track

A loss-making Japanese railway company is back on track thanks to the
popularity of a stray cat.

Wearing a black cap and posing for photos with passengers, Tama is
credited with boosting Wakayama Electric Railway's revenue by 10%.

The firm had to axe all staff at Kishi station in western Japan two years
ago. But Tama stuck by her post and was rewarded with promotion to
station manager. The pet mascot even has her own office, a former ticket
booth.

The feline, who was born and raised at the station in the city of Kinokawa,
Wakayama prefecture, is living proof of the Japanese belief that cats are
good luck.

"She never complains, even though passengers touch her all over the
place. She is an amazing cat. She has patience and charisma. She is the
perfect station master," said Yoshiko Yamaki, a spokeswoman for the rail
company.

The nine-year-old - who receives cat food in lieu of a salary - won national
stardom last year when the firm formally appointed her as "station
master".

Since then passengers have been gradually returning, recently rising 10%
to about 2.1 million a year.

The cat has spawned a range of popular merchandise, including a picture
book called: "Diary of Tama, the Station Master."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7421259.stm

貓咪讓日本鐵路公司步上正軌
◎俞智敏

一家虧損連連的日本鐵路公司近來營運步上正軌，這都要感謝一隻人氣十足的流浪貓。

戴著黑色帽子、跟乘客們一起拍照，這隻名叫「小玉」的虎斑貓被視為是讓和歌山電鐵公
司營收增加10%的大功臣。

2年前，和歌山電鐵公司不得不裁撤位於日本西部的貴志車站所有工作人員。但小玉堅守
崗位，並被晉升為站長。這隻招牌貓甚至還有她專屬的辦公室，就是原本的售票亭。

這隻在和歌山縣紀之川市土生土長的人氣貓，也是日本人相信貓能招來好運的活見證。

「不管乘客們怎麼摸她，小玉從不抱怨。她是隻很棒的貓，既有耐心又有魅力。她是最完
美的電車站長，」電鐵公司發言人山木慶子說。

這隻9歲大的貓是用貓食來代替薪資，去年電鐵公司正式將她任命為「站長」後，小玉更
成為日本全國家喻戶曉的明星。

http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2008/new/jun/16/today-int2.htm

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請貓當站長 小火車站乘客爆增

瞧它戴上站長制服帽,套上鐵路徽章, 監督來來往往旅客的神情, 還真有點神氣, 消息傳開後,
不少來自大阪,東京的旅客,慕名而來, 爭相目睹站長貓咪的風采, 鐵路營運也因此轉虧為盈


http://news.pchome.com.tw/internation/pts/20080704/index-12151824002494408011.html

貓咪相片在此：
http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=908

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會裝死、上手銬　走失犬成警所活寶
2008-07-22 12:44:10　黃茂松

南投日月潭有隻走失的黃金獵犬，跑到派出所就留下來不走了，員警跟牠玩耍意外發
現，這隻狗會伸手讓警察拷上手銬，聽到人喊裝死會倒地閉眼睛，耍寶又可愛，員警開
玩笑說，希望主人儘快出面領回，要不然這隻狗狗就要留下當駐衛犬了。員警：「來，
來。」這隻黃色多毛的「狗犯人」，居然自動伸手讓警察拷手銬，這隻黃金獵犬叫「阿
福」，愛耍寶，還會裝死。員警：「坐下，要裝死啊！太緊張了啊！」

聽到人喊「倒下」，阿福立刻臥倒裝昏迷，演技像是受過專業訓練，牠的本事不只如
此，能當快遞小弟，把報紙從桌上咬下來送給員警看，茶葉罐放到牠頭上，阿福還會保
持平衡不讓罐子落地，表演馬戲團雜耍把戲，這麼可愛逗趣的黃金獵犬，竟然是1個月
前走失的。員警：「遊客和牠玩，才知道牠很聰明。」

員警發現，阿福一定有人訓練，否則不可能會這麼多特技，也不忍心將牠送到收容所，
現在希望主人趕快出面領回，讓這隻可愛的小生命回到溫暖的家。

http://news.pchome.com.tw/living/tvbs/20080722/index-12167022527685439009.html

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日月潭警所阿福 與主人喜重逢
自由時報 2008-07-31 06:01


http://blog.yam.com/ricoblog/article/16385578

雖然看到牠的瞬間　我有點遲疑　牠真的是Rico嗎？
牠胖了　胖好多　體態差好多
我們一直捨不得剃的飄逸長毛　也剃的短短
而重要的是我跟拔比看到牠眼底的陌然
牠的眼神變了　牠有些不認得我們了
我的心好痛　好痛

寶貝　對不起　對不起

所裡的大哥們　因為我們帶來的躁動紛紛出來查看
表達了我們的來意　熱心的大哥們跟我們聊著”ㄚ福”
大哥說”ㄚ福”是自己走來的
當時腳的狀況也不是很好　眼神非常落寞
大概來了二、三個月了
他們喚牠”ㄚ福”
然後其中一位大哥叫了”ㄚ福”～牠就跟了進去

看在眼裏　我的心　都揪在一起了

大哥說　他們每天都會帶Rico去日月潭游泳
我想　Rico是快樂的
因為牠最喜歡游泳了
真的很感謝派出所的大哥們
他們收留了Rico　對Rico很好　我真的很感激
大哥還說　之前有兩位小姐
本來要領養牠回去　可能Rico變胖變大了
騎車途中　一度跌了下來受了傷　才沒帶回去　
所裡大哥們帶Rico去看醫生
我趕緊問是多久的事了　好了沒　一邊又查看著Rico的身體
所幸　傷勢大致都好了　看不出來了

大哥還說　新聞報出來後
有４、５０通電話　打來詢問及有意領養Rico
也有好多家裏走失狗兒的民眾跑來確認
大家都說很像自己的狗
牠也對來的民眾都很友善
沒辦法確認是誰家的狗　

是阿　我們要怎麼證明牠就是Rico？！我們不是冒牌主人？！

我們說了一些Rico會的基本指令跟動作
但仍不足以證明牠是Rico　因為新聞都報了　大多都知道牠會些什麼
我跟拔比想了想　曾經教Rico的其他動作
然後　拔比對著Rico說～”熊熊”
Rico準確的做了”熊熊”（當時沒帶相機　這張照片是後來拍的）　

我再次衝上去擁抱住Rico　淚流滿面　好像一直沒停過

全場歡聲雷動　拍手的拍手　尖叫的尖叫　當然我們四個最激動啦
ㄟ～在深夜裡這麼做是不良示範　但　拜託　請原諒我們吧！

所有的人　除了驚喜　還有訝異
”原來牠還會這個喔！”

接著　拔比再下了另外一個口令"敬禮 "
全場再一次拍手鼓掌

說真的　當時　我很害怕　害怕到不行
因為我不知道Rico還記不記得這些動作
還好　寶貝　你記得　你記得耶！哈哈哈～

高興的不是因為你會這些才藝　而是你還記得動作　成了我們認你的依據

也好在　所裡大哥們的謹慎及保護　Rico沒隨意讓民眾領養走
我們才能找回牠

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獅子也怕她! 勇婦揮刀退猛獸
華視新聞
更新日期:2008/08/08 00:14

有百獸王稱號的獅子，所有動物看到牠，想要趕快逃跑，不過墨西哥有位婦人，可說勇
氣過人，遇到一頭動物園逃出來的獅子，情急下拿起刀子猛揮，竟然把這頭猛獸趕跑，
也保住一命。

　　這頭獅子坐在樹下納涼，看到有人來還不時張大嘴巴，嚇人一展雄獅威風。為了把
牠帶回動物園，獸醫拿起麻醉槍，對準開槍命中腿部，沒多久，趁著藥效發作，工作人
員趕緊合力，把這頭重達二百多公斤的大貓抬走。

　　事實上，這頭從動物園逃脫出來的獅子，除了咬死二隻狗、一頭豬，被捕前還差點
咬死人。有位婦人和她姪子騎著驢子，這頭獅子忽然從路邊跳出來，先咬傷驢子，為了
保護小孩和自己，這名婦人拿出平常防身用的大砍刀，對著獅子猛揮，看到婦人不是好
惹的，猛獅知難而退，逃回森林。人沒事就算了，不過驢子大腿被咬傷，家屬可要算清
楚。

　　猛獅或許可怕，但這個獅口餘生的故事告訴我們，坐以待斃，絕對不是最好選
擇。（綜合報導）

http://news.msn.com.tw/news899603.aspx

Mexican woman fights off lion with machete
Thu Aug 7, 6:56 AM ET

ACAPULCO, Mexico - A Mexican woman says she fought a 500-pound lion
with a machete near the resort city of Acapulco and scared him away.

Celsa Aleman said she and her 7-year-old niece were riding a donkey
Monday along a road when the lion went after the animal's legs.

The 35-year-old woman said she found the courage to fight the lion
because she thought it would attack her niece.

She said she hit the animal with a machete until the beast ran away and
Aleman and her niece were unharmed.

The state government said in a statement that the lion had escaped from
a private zoo owned by a former local congressman. It said the animal
killed two dogs and ate a pig before it was sedated and taken back to the
zoo.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080807/ap_on_fe_st/odd_mexico_lion_attack

[Guest]

神奇歷劫龜 遭竊托夢指點抓賊
中時電子報╱吳敏菁／彰化報導 2008-08-12 08:12

　一隻蘇卡達象龜七年前由周豐城飼養，經過多年悉心照料，金黃背甲，長得龐然大
樣，被封為「龜將軍」，多次被借將出征，寫下不少鄉野傳奇，幾天前不見了，主人
難過地掉淚，說來神奇，龜將軍有靈托夢，主人依指示，報警逮到了竊賊。

　周豐城七年前花八千元，買了長約廿公分的蘇卡達象龜當寵物，暱稱「龜龜」，別人
蹓狗、他蹓龜，走在路上常引來注目，他倆感情忒好，朋友老愛開玩笑，又帶著
「龜兒子」散步啦！

　不過，近年來周豐城已經抱不動「龜龜」了，原來蘇卡達象龜來自非洲，是世界上最
大的陸龜品種，周豐城悉心研究照顧方法，冬天怕牠冷著，龜窩準備溫水和燈光，龜龜
不負主人的期待，「一眠大一寸」，從廿來公分長成了龐大身軀，龜背長達七十幾公
分，身價也暴漲到十幾萬元。

　「龜龜」不只是主人心愛的「龜兒子」，牠金黃背甲，被慧眼視英雄，廟方濟公看得
大嘆根器不凡，敬封「龜將軍」，央求主人多次借將出征，創了不少傳奇。

　幾天前「龜龜」突然不見了，周豐城心焦如焚到處尋找，都不見蹤影，夜裡夢到指
點，開始打電話給台中地區的水族館，表示要買蘇卡達龜，前天得到水族館回覆「有貨
了」，周豐城表示要先看看照片，一比對覺得好眼熟，大小和龜背裂痕都一樣，先報警
再約對方在水族館交貨，彰化縣警局偵二隊當場逮捕了嫌犯。

http://news.yam.com/chinatimes/society/200808/20080812087705.html

[Guest]

失竊靈鵝 市場叫主人救命
〔記者蔡宗憲／屏東報導〕
自由時報 2008-08-19 06:00
靈鵝尋主！

偷鵝到市場兜售

屏東縣恆春鎮一名傷心的潘姓民眾7日向派出所報案，表示家中的白鵝遭竊，由於他與
白鵝「牙牙」感情深厚，讓他感到非常難過，沒想到昨天嫌犯尤鎮洋抱著白鵝到市場兜
售，白鵝「呱！呱！呱！」地認主人，嚇的尤嫌落荒而逃，被趕到的警方當場逮捕。

鵝大叫引人注意

警方表示，民眾報案白鵝遭竊後，轄區建民派出所便鎖定特定犯罪人口追查，但始終沒
有發現白鵝的蹤跡，沒想到飼主在逛菜市場時，恰巧尤嫌用紙箱裝著白鵝到市場販售。

探頭到紙箱外的聰明白鵝認出主人身影，便一直不斷「呱！呱！呱！」大叫不停，引起
市場民眾注意，飼主也發現是他失竊的寶貝白鵝，連忙向前追去，竊嫌尤鎮洋見事跡敗
露，丟下白鵝落跑，飼主也連忙報警抓人。

趕到的巡佐蔡志明與警員陳彥宏在附近搜索後，逮到了騎贓車正要逃跑的尤嫌，清查資
料發現他也曾偷羊去賣，如非靈鵝認出主人，可能也難逃毒手；尤嫌無奈地說：「真沒
想到鵝也會認主人，這次真是有夠衰！」

http://news.yam.com/tlt/society/200808/20080819226788.html

[Guest]

我的鵝子被偷 飼主報警協尋
〔記者蔡宗憲／恆春報導〕

「牙牙」的主人潘和進抱著失而復得的白鵝，開心地說：「從小養那麼大了，就像我的
家人一樣，每天跟著我進進出出的，連朋友開高價要買都捨不得，所以發現牠不見時，
就報警協尋。」

潘和進表示，1年半前在市場裡以200元買回這隻母的小白鵝，本來養牠是要在菜園裡
吃野草，沒想到越養越聽話，每天看他到菜園時就會大聲呼叫，跟進跟出地很黏他，
連午睡時，「牙牙」也會在床下休息，十分惹人喜愛。

怕牠孤單 幫她找伴侶

看著歷劫歸來而有些神經質的「牙牙」，潘和進不捨地說，自從被壞人抓走回來後，
「牙牙」就有些害怕接觸人群，常孤單地望著遠方發呆，他決定到市場找一隻公白鵝
回來給牠當男朋友，希望能讓「牙牙」有了伴後心情開朗些。


http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2008/new/aug/19/today-so2-2.htm

[Guest]

英一對長臂猿「做愛」太大聲遭取締

英國一對長臂猿夫妻由於享受魚水之歡太過，引發鄰居不滿，遭到動物園的定期禁閉處
分。

這對長臂猿夫妻，男的叫「山繆」今年十一歲，女的叫「杜阿娜」芳齡七歲。這對猿猴
最近經常做愛，每天早晚各一次，一次在日出，一次在日落。兩口子一樂起來就驚天動
地，四鄰不安。當地環保局經測量發現，他們倆的歡愉音量高達一百分貝，超過噪音標
準，於是開了一張禁制單給動物園。

動物園現在每天凌晨和傍晚都會把他們倆帶進室內，讓他們在房裡「做愛做的事」，以
免影響鄰居安寧。

當然也不是每個人都不喜歡聽猴子的做愛聲。劍橋大學靈長類教授「齊瓦士」就說，猴
子做愛的叫聲就像優美的交響樂，好聽極了，能聽到的人實在是幸運。

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/080826/1/14tr6.html


Sex-Mad Apes Are Gibbon An Asbo

Aug 25 2008 By John Ferguson

Noisy Pair Could Be Heard Two Miles Away

A PAIR of randy gibbons have been hit with a council gagging order after
their noisy sex antics kept neighbours up all night.

Fed-up locals complained that the apes' mating cries could be heard TWO
MILES from their cage.

Noise pollution watchdogs measured the gibbons' whoops, grunts,
squeals and whistles at up to 100 decibels.

The local council upheld the neighbours' complaints and bosses at Bristol
Zoo agreed to keep male gibbon Samuel, 11, and his mate Duana, seven,
indoors for at least three nights a week to reduce the noise.

Relieved neighbour Phyllis Farmer said: "The gibbons are very noisy at
daybreak and in the evening. The female, in particular, has a very
distinctive call."

But ape expert Dr David Chivers, of Cambridge University, told the
neighbours they should be grateful for the chance to listen to the gibbons.

He said: "There aren't that many people who get to hear a pair of
duetting gibbons.

"These people are lucky they can hear them. It's a beautiful and melodic
symphony."

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/news-feed/2008/08/25/sex-mad-apes-are-gibbon-an-asbo-86908-20710877/

[Guest]

阿根廷義犬 好心救棄嬰
2008/8/26

阿根廷一名十四歲少女日前早產，驚嚇之餘，她將初生男嬰丟在滿是垃圾的田野中就離
去，隨後附近一隻八歲母狗將男嬰叼回五十公尺外的狗窩，與牠的六隻新生小狗一起取
暖。狗主人發現後報警，嬰兒被送進醫院。

醫生表示，由於正值寒冷冬季，若非搶救及時，嬰兒很可能活活凍死。當地警長讚譽狗
媽媽「真是個英雄」。這則新聞感動千萬民眾，棄嬰更被媒體喚作「奇蹟嬰兒」。而男
嬰的母親得知消息後既害怕又羞愧，前往警局說明實情，並領回自己的骨肉。

http://www.merit-times.com.tw/NewsPage.aspx?Unid=94653

An eight-year-old dog has touched the hearts of Argentines by saving the
life of an abandoned baby, placing her safely alongside her own new
puppies.

The country's media are calling her "the miracle baby".

He was born prematurely to a 14-year-old girl in a shanty town outside
the capital, Buenos Aires.

She is said to have panicked and abandoned the baby in a field,
surrounded by wooden boxes and rubbish.

Then along came La China, reports say, the dog which somehow picked
up the baby and carried her 50m to place baby alongside her own puppies.

The dog's owner reported hearing the child crying and finding her covered with a rag.

The baby, weighing 4kg (8lb 13oz), had some slight injuries, but no bite
marks.

Owner's concern

The owner called the police and the child is now being looked after by the
authorities, while a decision is taken about his future.

The frightened mother appeared shortly after her baby was found.

The Argentine media has descended on the shanty town, talking of "the
Argentine Romulus and Remus", the founders of Rome, abandoned as
babies and rescued by a wolf, nearly 3,000 years ago.

La China, worried about her own puppies, is reported to be petrified by
her new found fame, and her owner says he is worried that she is not
eating.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7577275.stm

[Guest]

鑽石婚戒洗澡失蹤 喜鵲叼走了
【中廣新聞／郭希誠】

英國一名女子的訂婚戒指被喜鵲叼走，過了三年才被未婚夫在喜鵲窩裡找到。

三十六歲的茱莉亞三年前跟男友賈斯汀訂婚。賈斯汀送了他一枚價值五千英鎊，大約三
十萬台幣的鑽石戒指。茱莉亞很喜歡這枚戒指，隨時都戴著。有一天洗澡的時候，拿下
來放在窗戶台上。洗完澡卻找不到了。

http://www.bcc.com.tw/news/newsview.asp?cde=751261

LUCKY Julia Boaler was celebrating the return of her ￡5,000 engagement
ring last night — three years after it was stolen by a MAGPIE.

By BEN ASHFORD


The diamond ring vanished when Julia left it by an open window while
she had a shower.

She searched the house for weeks — even ripping apart the bathroom —
and wrongly accused her window cleaner of swiping it.

The project worker for homeless kids, 36, eventually gave up.

But she was reunited with the treasured love token when stunned fiancé
Justin Laycock spotted it in an old birds’ nest.

Julia said: “I was heart-broken when the ring vanished and Justin wasn’t
best pleased either.

“I tormented myself for months looking all over the house.
“We ripped up the bathroom lino, pulled up floorboards and took the
panel off the bath, but it was nowhere to be found.”

Then Julia, who has a baby son, decided to sell her home in Sheffield,
South Yorks — and asked Justin to spruce up the garden.
She said: “He was pruning our big oak tree when he noticed an old nest
in the branches and spotted the ring. “

Magpies are known for stealing shiny things, so one must have swooped
down and nabbed it from the window.

“It’s amazing the ring was still there. I’m so glad to get it back.”

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1615553.ece

[Guest]

好眼力 烏鴉會記人臉
美研究 戴面具捉放烏鴉 幾個月後還記得 並告訴同伴誰「危險」

烏鴉把石頭丟進瓶子裡喝水的故事，表現了烏鴉的智慧，但這畢竟只是寓言故事；美國
一項研究卻證實，烏鴉確實夠聰明，能記住人的臉，而且會告訴其他烏鴉。

曾經被捕捉過的烏鴉似乎對某些特定科學家更警惕，且在放生後一般更難被抓住。長期
研究烏鴉的美國西雅圖華盛頓大學野生動植物學家約翰‧梅爾茨盧夫，為了測試烏鴉對
於面孔的識別能力，他和他的兩名學生戴上橡膠面具；其中一項是代表「危險」的野人
面具，其他則是「中性」面具。戴危險面具的研究人員在華盛頓大學內捕捉了七隻烏
鴉，並給牠們做上記號後予以放飛。

在隨後的幾個月內，戴著面具的研究人員和志願者在校園裡的指定路線戴上面具，但不
打擾烏鴉，發現烏鴉向戴危險面具的人大叫，遠比被捕捉之前叫得厲害，即使用帽子遮
住面具或把面具倒過來戴亦然。中性面具則幾乎沒有引起烏鴉的反應。

梅爾茨盧夫說，他戴著危險面具時遇到了五十三隻烏鴉，其中有四十七隻對他大叫，數
量遠比最初被捕捉和目擊同伴被捕捉的烏鴉還多。研究人員猜測，烏鴉從其他烏鴉那裡
學會辨認有威脅的人類。

除了梅爾茨盧夫的研究外，美國康乃爾鳥類實驗室的鳥類學家凱文‧麥高恩，二十年來
捕捉烏鴉並做上記號；他說，他經常被他餵過花生的烏鴉跟隨，而以前曾捕捉過的烏鴉
則會騷擾他。

麥高恩和梅爾茨盧夫都認為，辨認個體的能力讓烏鴉比其他同類具有進化上的優勢。梅
爾茨盧夫說：「如果你能學會應該躲開誰和找出誰，那就不容易受到傷害，能以更安全
有效的方式與人類共存，並利用人類。」

美國佛蒙特大學榮譽退休教授貝恩德‧海因里希則認為，烏鴉分辨人臉的能力是「靈敏
性的副產品」，事實上，這是牠們敏銳互相辨認能力的結果，烏鴉即使分開數月也能認
出彼此。

http://www.merit-times.com.tw/NewsPage.aspx?unid=95526

Friend or Foe? Crows Never Forget a Face, It Seems
By MICHELLE NIJHUIS
Published: August 25, 2008

Crows and their relatives — among them ravens, magpies and jays — are
renowned for their intelligence and for their ability to flourish in human-
dominated landscapes. That ability may have to do with cross-species
social skills. In the Seattle area, where rapid suburban growth has
attracted a thriving crow population, researchers have found that the
birds can recognize individual human faces.

John M. Marzluff, a wildlife biologist at the University of Washington, has
studied crows and ravens for more than 20 years and has long wondered
if the birds could identify individual researchers. Previously trapped birds
seemed more wary of particular scientists, and often were harder to
catch. “I thought, ‘Well, it’s an annoyance, but it’s not really hampering
our work,’ ” Dr. Marzluff said. “But then I thought we should test it
directly.”

To test the birds’ recognition of faces separately from that of clothing,
gait and other individual human characteristics, Dr. Marzluff and two
students wore rubber masks. He designated a caveman mask as
“dangerous” and, in a deliberate gesture of civic generosity, a Dick
Cheney mask as “neutral.” Researchers in the dangerous mask then
trapped and banded seven crows on the university’s campus in Seattle.

In the months that followed, the researchers and volunteers donned the
masks on campus, this time walking prescribed routes and not bothering
crows.

The crows had not forgotten. They scolded people in the dangerous mask
significantly more than they did before they were trapped, even when the
mask was disguised with a hat or worn upside down. The neutral mask
provoked little reaction. The effect has not only persisted, but also
multiplied over the past two years. Wearing the dangerous mask on one
recent walk through campus, Dr. Marzluff said, he was scolded by 47 of
the 53 crows he encountered, many more than had experienced or
witnessed the initial trapping. The researchers hypothesize that crows
learn to recognize threatening humans from both parents and others in
their flock.

After their experiments on campus, Dr. Marzluff and his students tested
the effect with more realistic masks. Using a half-dozen students as
models, they enlisted a professional mask maker, then wore the new
masks while trapping crows at several sites in and around Seattle. The
researchers then gave a mix of neutral and dangerous masks to volunteer
observers who, unaware of the masks’ histories, wore them at the
trapping sites and recorded the crows’ responses.

The reaction to one of the dangerous masks was “quite spectacular,” said
one volunteer, Bill Pochmerski, a retired telephone company manager
who lives near Snohomish, Wash. “The birds were really raucous,
screaming persistently,” he said, “and it was clear they weren’t upset
about something in general. They were upset with me.”

Again, crows were significantly more likely to scold observers who wore a
dangerous mask, and when confronted simultaneously by observers in
dangerous and neutral masks, the birds almost unerringly chose to
persecute the dangerous face. In downtown Seattle, where most
passersby ignore crows, angry birds nearly touched their human foes. In
rural areas, where crows are more likely to be viewed as noisy “flying
rats” and shot, the birds expressed their displeasure from a distance.

Though Dr. Marzluff’s is the first formal study of human face recognition
in wild birds, his preliminary findings confirm the suspicions of many
other researchers who have observed similar abilities in crows, ravens,
gulls and other species. The pioneering animal behaviorist Konrad Lorenz
was so convinced of the perceptive capacities of crows and their relatives
that he wore a devil costume when handling jackdaws. Stacia Backensto,
a master’s student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who studies
ravens in the oil fields on Alaska’s North Slope, has assembled an
elaborate costume — including a fake beard and a potbelly made of
pillows — because she believes her face and body are familiar to
previously captured birds.

Kevin J. McGowan, an ornithologist at the Cornell Laboratory of
Ornithology who has trapped and banded crows in upstate New York for
20 years, said he was regularly followed by birds who have benefited
from his handouts of peanuts — and harassed by others he has trapped
in the past.

Why crows and similar species are so closely attuned to humans is a
matter of debate. Bernd Heinrich, a professor emeritus at the University
of Vermont known for his books on raven behavior, suggested that crows’
apparent ability to distinguish among human faces is a “byproduct of
their acuity,” an outgrowth of their unusually keen ability to recognize
one another, even after many months of separation.

Dr. McGowan and Dr. Marzluff believe that this ability gives crows and
their brethren an evolutionary edge. “If you can learn who to avoid and
who to seek out, that’s a lot easier than continually getting hurt,” Dr.
Marzluff said. “I think it allows these animals to survive with us — and
take advantage of us — in a much safer, more effective way.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/science/26crow.html?ref=science

[Guest]

證人汪汪叫？ 法狗指認殺人犯 聯合新聞網
更新日期:2008/09/11 04:18

當巴黎一名59歲的女子在自家公寓死亡時，她的愛犬「史酷比」在旁邊陪伴她人生中
的最後一程。「史酷比」日前出席法院的「證人席」，當看到凶殺嫌犯時，竟不由自已
地「大聲吠叫」。

巴黎警方認為，女子在自家上吊死亡應該是一樁單純的自殺事件，不過家屬認為事有蹊
蹺，懷疑有人涉嫌謀殺。巴黎法院於是找來了唯一在場的「證人」「史酷比」，希望初
步了解案情，再決定是否展開全面調查。

「史酷比」由一名獸醫師帶進「證人席」，牠看見嫌犯時「大聲狂吠」，似乎意有所
指，不過法官尚未決定是否採納「史酷比」的證詞。只是，法官卡蘇度盛讚牠「堪為
楷模的行為以及難以估量的協助」。

巴黎司法部發言人證實，發生在巴黎南岱爾的這起案件，是法國第一次有狗在刑事案件
的審理過程中擔任目擊證人的角色，而他也「幾乎確定」這是世界上的頭一樁。

「史酷比」是以美國卡通節目的名稱「史酷比‧杜」而命名。在這部美國家喻戶曉的卡
通中，「史酷比」是一隻膽怯的棕色狗，牠和4個美國青少年一次又一次地解開了和犯
罪相關的謎團，成為觀眾心目中的「英雄」。巴黎死者的家屬希望他們家這隻「史酷
比」也能解開謎團。

http://news.msn.com.tw/news950409.aspx


Dog appears as witness in murder trial

A dog nicknamed "Scooby" has become the first animal in the world to
appear as a witness in a murder trial.

By Jessica Salter
Last Updated: 11:26AM BST 10 Sep 2008

The animal is believed to have been with his 59-year-old owner when she
was found hanging from the ceiling of her Paris flat. Police believe it was
suicide but her family demanded a murder investigation.

During a preliminary hearing the pet was led into the witness box by a
vet to see how it reacted to a suspect.

It is said to have "barked furiously".

The aim was to decide if there was sufficient evidence to launch a full
murder inquiry and a judge is yet to reach a decision.

French judge Thomas Cassuto praising the animal for his "exemplary
behaviour and invaluable assistance".

The dog has been named after the timid cartoon crime-buster Scooby
Doo, who continually solves crime mysteries with the help of four
American teenagers. A spokesman for the Palais de Justice in Paris
confirmed that the Nanterre case was the first time a dog had appeared
as a witness in criminal proceedings in France.

He said he was "almost certain" it was also a world first.

However, the French legal system does have a reputation for trials
involving animals, most famously evoked in The Hour of the Pig, a
murder-mystery film which depicted an idealistic Parisian lawyer
defending a pig charged with murder.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/2775597/Dog-appears-as-witness-in-murder-trial.html