THE MAGPIE: A NEW Zealander, Henry the tuatara, was observed having sex last Friday afternoon. This surprised curators at the Longtime Southland Museum and Art Gallery where for the past two months Henry, who is aged 111, has been sharing space with three female tuatara, in the hope he would breed for the first time. At 5pm - precisely - curator Lindsay Hazley saw to his delight that Henry was getting intimate with Mildred, a "prolific breeder" aged a mere 70 to 80 years.
"I'm just totally chuffed at what I've been trying to get from old Henry ever since I started looking after him," said Hazley. "It's a major, major thing . . . he's never mated in his life that we know of."
Despite a slow start, Henry appears to have taken to the task at hand with a certain enthusiasm. He has twice bitten off Mildred's tail. Hazley added: "He's looking out there with a wee smirk on his face now."
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THE PHILIPPINES government has issued an Easter public health warning - on the dangers of crucifixion and self-flagellation.
"We are not trying to go against the Lenten tradition here because whipping has somewhat already become some form of atonement for sins for some of us," said health minister Francisco Duque. "Getting deep cut wounds during whippings or lashings is inevitable, and being so exposed during the course of the penitence, with all the heat and dust blowing in the wind, welcomes all sorts of infections and bacteria like tetanus."
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A CHINESE army major who dated a string of girls has been exposed as a con artist - and a woman. Police say Li Xu, from Anxian town, Sichuan province, had been disguising herself as an army officer for two years.
She was arrested after Liu Lian, of Datong city, Shanxi province, reported she had been cheated out of €14,000 by an army major named Li Zhanyu whom she had met on the internet where "he" was described as a university-educated army major.
"He said he wanted to date my daughter, but first needed money to break up with his current girlfriend," said Liu Lian. "He also promised to find my daughter a good job." But, after Liu wired the money, Li disappeared. Police caught up with "him" at an internet cafe in Kaifeng city. "You'll regret this. You'll pay for this," Li told the police who became suspicious at his high-pitched voice and fair complexion. A check-up by female police revealed Li to be a 25-year-old woman. She confessed she had cheated another two women with the same marriage con.
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A COUPLE in the northeast of England keep the memory of their beloved dogs alive - by turning their hair into jumpers.
Brian and Beth Willis from Newcastle had "his and hers" jumpers knitted out of the hair moulted by the pedigree pets and spun into yarn. The first jumper was knitted by 71-year-old Mrs Willis from hair from Kara, the couple's white Samoyed. "It is not actually a hair but a wool, which is why it is so good for clothes," said Mrs Willis.
That first jumper was made in 1990, while Kara was still alive. Although she died 12 years ago, the jumper made from her hair is still going strong. By the time the Newcastle couple's next dog, a Swedish Lapphund called Penny, died six years ago, Mrs Willis was already working on a new garment.