The Odd Truth, Nov. 3, 2003

The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Brian Bernbaum. A new collection of stories is published each weekday. On weekends, you can read a week's worth of The Odd Truth.

OMAHA, Neb. - It was the zoo equivalent of a cattle drive: Monkeys rounded up to be taken inside for the winter.

Only it wasn't a dry and dusty job Saturday for workers at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo because the 17 monkeys live on islands in an outdoor lagoon.

Human and primate alike got wet.

Several monkeys climbed an artificial tree that covers much of the main island. As three workers climbed the tree, the monkeys went even higher and moved onto the tips of the branches.

"It's a good environment for them, except on capture day," said veterinarian Doug Armstrong. "There are a lot of places for them to hide."

Zoo workers gently prodded one monkey to lower branches, but the creature quickly grabbed a rope to reach another island. Two zookeepers jumped into the lagoon and picked up the monkey from behind, just as another zookeeper in a rowboat closed in.

The monkey was placed in a pet carrier and quickly became quiet.

Monkeys may seem uncooperative on moving day, Armstrong said, but they do accept their capture.

"Almost all of them have been through this before," he said.

Cops Go Undercover For Halloween

LITTLE FERRY, N.J. - The Big Bad Wolf was really the fuzz - as were Little Red Riding Hood and the Grim Reaper. Police in northern New Jersey dressed the part to raid a costume party over the weekend. Officers charged that patrons at the Post Office Pub in Little Ferry could buy dope almost as easily as they could order drinks. The undercover officers infiltrated a Halloween bash at the bar - then called for reinforcements. Bergen County prosecutors say bar owner Steven Vogel and four of his employees were arrested. Authorities say they seized cocaine, marijuana, and some Ecstasy. Prosecutors believe customers could add a large tip to their bar tab which would cover the drugs, and could be charged to a credit card.

Helium-Huffing Giraffe Draws Anti-Drug Ire

WASHINGTON - A Toys "R" Us television commercial that featured the company's mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe, inhaling helium from a balloon has drawn the ire of anti-drug advocates who say the ad sends a dangerous message to children.

"Any portrayal of inhalant use is bad, especially when we're reaching out to younger children who are at most risk of abusing inhalants," Charles Curie, administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said Friday.

According to a 2002 Monitoring the Future Study, 15.2 percent of eighth-graders have used inhalants in their lifetime.

The ad campaign has finished its rotation and will not be reintroduced, Susan McLaughlin, a spokeswoman from Toys "R" Us headquarters in Wayne, N.J., said in a statement.

"Toys "R" Us takes the safety of our guests very seriously," McLaughlin said. "We would never encourage any behavior that would be dangerous in any way."

Inhaling helium has the effect of distorting the human voice. It also can displace oxygen in the blood and lead to unconsciousness and, in rare occasions, death.

Advocates are also concerned about the portrayal of "huffing" helium in other commercials, television shows and movies.

More Like A Piglet Than A Hog

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - It may not have the rumble or sex appeal of a Harley-Davidson or the blazing speed of a Kawasaki Ninja, but a Swedish motorcycle builder knows how to pack power in a pint-sized product.

Having built the world's biggest working motorcycle, Tom Wiberg, 40, has constructed what he says is the world's smallest, weighing in at just 2.4 pounds.

Wiberg said he decided to build the little motorcycle in a bid to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for a second time.

He's no stranger to the records listing, having been honored for his "Bigtoe" bike, which is 7.5 feet high, 15.5 feet long with a top speed of 62 mph. That bike, built in 1998, is powered by a Jaguar V12 engine and boasts hydraulic steering as well as a 500-watt CD stereo system.

His new machine, dubbed "Smalltoe" is the exact opposite. It measures 2.5 inches and is just 4.5 inches long. It has a top speed of 1.2 mph thanks to a tiny, ethanol-powered combustion engine typically found in remote-controlled model airplanes.

It's drivable, but not street legal.

"I rode it for a distance of 36 feet earlier this year and would have continued if there hadn't been a container in the way," Wiberg told The Associated Press Monday, adding he had to stand on it with just one foot.

The tiny bike is listed as the world's smallest according to the Guinness World Records Web site.

Wiberg said he rode it because that was a condition for getting the world record.

He received a Guinness World Records Certificate this summer. His tiny bike will be featured in the next edition of the annual list of records.