The Odd Truth, Feb. 28, 2005
The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Joey Arak.
Roo's Owner Won't Fess Up
DODGEVILLE, Wis. -- Authorities in southern Wisconsin have discovered that capturing a kangaroo in a snowstorm isn't the hard part. It's finding out where the animal came from.
Authorities recently gave up their hunt for the owner of a red 130-pound marsupial, saying its origin will remain a mystery.
The Iowa County Sheriff's Office has given the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison permission to keep the kangaroo, nicknamed Roo. The animal has been in quarantine at the zoo since its capture early January.
Sheriff's deputies corralled the male kangaroo in a barn after receiving calls from shocked residents who had seen it hopping through rural parts of Dodgeville for two days.
"We're almost two months out since the incident occurred. I would imagine that the owner is not coming forward," Iowa County Sheriff Steve Michek said.
Asleep At The Stolen Wheel
RICHMOND, British Columbia - It wasn't hard for the Mounties to get their man in a car theft, even though it had not been reported.
Alerted by a passerby, officers found a man asleep at the wheel of a car with the lights on early Sunday. The motor was running and a screwdriver was in the ignition, Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.
The man was sleeping so soundly that police were unable to rouse him by yelling through a bullhorn. When they pounded on the door, he finally woke up, opened the door and emerged with the car in gear.
Officers responded quickly to keep the vehicle from rolling away.
A quick check established that the vehicle had just been stolen without the owner being aware, police said.
Next: Massages, Frozen Drinks
SINGAPORE - The Singapore zoo is using an old Asian remedy to treat sick animals: acupuncture.
The latest patient is Tun, a 15-year-old Asian elephant whose right leg was crushed by a male elephant nine years ago. Zookeepers worried that Tun, who weighs 5,291 pounds, might not be able to settle her weight on her lame leg as she grew heavier.
Veterinarian and acupuncturist Oh Soon Hock, who has poked and prodded giraffes, cheetahs and Komodo dragons in the name of medicine, started treating Tun a month and a half ago.
"After the first treatment, she was more mobile. Now her leg can be bent better and her muscles are more relaxed," Oh said.
Elephant handlers are on site when Tun receives acupuncture treatment twice a week. The intricate process involves coaxing with repetitive noises, gentle tugs on her fan-like ears and bribery with bananas and carrots.
The Odd Tooth
LITTLETON, N.H. - The "Molar Express" is coming to some children in New Hampshire.
A mobile dentistry unit -- equipped with dental chairs, a hygienist and a dentist -- is scheduled to hit the road in April.
It's aimed at providing basic dental services, initially to children, in two northern counties.
At each school, the dental equipment will be off-loaded into the school for use in the nurse's office.
However, organizers say they're still looking for a full-time dentist to ride the "Molar Express."
Psycho Stripper
BOSTON - An ex-stripper is being probed for plying a new trade -- psychotherapy. State officials in Massachusetts say Lucy Wightman is under investigation for allegedly practicing psychotherapy without a license. Wightman used to strut her stuff as Princess Cheyenne in Boston's notorious "Combat Zone." Wightman told a reporter for a Boston TV station that she was a psychologist. State law requires practicing psychologists and social workers to be licensed, but not psychotherapists.
Forced To Flash Gorilla?
WOODSIDE, Calif. - Iris Rivera is going to court, charging she was pressured to flash a gorilla. Rivera is suing the Northern California-based Gorilla Foundation. Rivera contends that foundation officials repeatedly told her to flash her breasts for Koko, the world-famous sign-language-speaking gorilla. Rivera says she was told that exposing her nipples was a way of bonding with the female ape. Rivera is the third woman to file suit against the foundation over the alleged breast-baring request. But the other two women said they quit without taking off their tops. An attorney for the foundation says the lawsuits have no merit.
Don't Wanna Fanta
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Don't you just hate it when you get to a movie theater on time, only to sit through a bunch of previews and commercials? So does Illinois state lawmaker Jack Franks. He is proposing a law that would require theaters to list two starting times. One for trailers and commercials and the other for when the movie actually starts. He says the real starting time is important information, especially for parents who have to arrange for baby sitters. Theater owners don't like idea of dual starting times, fearing people won't be in their seats for the trailers. Franks admits his issue isn't of the earth-shaking variety. He says he won't fall on his sword for it.
Pentagon Shuts The Door
FREDERICK, Md. - Some homeowners in Maryland may have to open their garage doors the old-fashioned way -- by hand. A new communications system at Fort Detrick will link military installations in the Washington area with the Pentagon and civilian emergency workers. But there's a downside to improved homeland security. The radio system is on the same frequency as garage door openers. During tests, the new communications system has jammed the automatic openers. Area resident Marty Kreps feels the military should do something about the problem. He tells The Washington Post the Army ought to buy them new garage door openers or pay for a converter.
It's Gotta Be The Shoes
LOS ANGELES - Sneakers are finally getting some respect. Los Angeles social worker James Moore says sneakers have an important story to tell. He's put together a traveling show he calls the California Sneaker Museum. Moore had nearly 200 pairs of athletic shoes on display over the weekend in an LA park. He says the exhibit is intended to show the evolution of the sneaker, from lowly rubber-and-cloth shoes in the 1800's, to the height of pop cultural today. Sneakers and basketball are synonymous. So, Moore's sneaker museum has sections devoted to the NBA and Harlem Globetrotters, and superstars like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.