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Saturday, September 26, 2009

All the news

It has been a banner week here in Central Ohio! Columbus has had its share of newsworthy events.



This lobster only weighs 13 pounds, and that is a man's size 11 foot.


Have you been hankering for a nice big lobster lately? Does watching those clawed dinner treats in the tank at your local restaurant or seafood market make your mouth start watering until you can almost taste the drawn butter dripping off a huge hunk of tender deliciousness? Well, come to Dublin, Ohio! This week at the Dublin Kroger a seventeen-pound lobster was discovered in the tank by a customer! Now an average lobster that you would purchase for your dinner is around 1 1/4-2 pounds. Just picture one that's at least eight times bigger! You can read more about this creature of the sea in The Columbus Dispatch.

The lobster was released back into the ocean to live out his obviously long life.





these are not the cubs born at the Columbus Zoo


On a much cuter and more precious level, at the Columbus Zoo this week, babies were born...triplet lion cubs!  They are the first lion cubs to be born there in twenty-four years! I didn't know this, but lions have not been bred in captivity in North America for several decades because of inbreeding and other inappropriate parings, according to Harry Peachey, the Assistant Curator. The cubs' parents, Asali and Tomo, are one of 31 pairs in N.A. to be part of a new breeding program monitored by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan. Unfortunately, there are no pictures yet. Even the zookeepers have only seen the cubs through a video camera lens. They're giving the mother time to bond with her babies and it seems she is doing a fantastic job so far.

Who says the Midwest is boring!

19 comments:

Sandy Nawrot said...

My stomach is growling! We have friends that are from Boston, and every six months or so, they have a big lobster feast at their house. Ipswich clams as an appetizer, then Maine lobsters with LOTS OF BUTTER! And beer. We leave their house with lobster and butter splatters all over our clothes, swearing we won't eat for three days. You just reminded me we are definitely due for a feast soon! That is one huge claw!!!

VioletSky said...

I challenge you to get yourself to the zoo when those cubs are on display and post photos.

As for that 'leviathan lobster' it is worth reading the comments. Actually, maybe not. I do wonder if a lobster that size has any friends to go back to? Perhaps they were all relieved to see his intimidating self disappeared.

NKP said...

Lots going on, and with animal too - the best kind of news!

Char said...

LOL I heard about the lobster down here!

and who can resist baby cubs?? adorable

ds said...

Wow, is that some lobster--he looks quite battle-scarred (wonder how he lost the claw). I'm glad he is going back to his natural environment. They gave him back his dignity.

Ruth said...

I hope the big lobster doesn't feel uncomfortable with the change of home. I imagine they could get used to the captivity. But hopefully he'll stretch out and say "ahhhhhh."

I agree with Violetski, I hope you'll visit the cubs and show us when they are taking visitors.

Central Ohio must be a healthy place!

Susan said...

Sandy, I'm quite sure that the lobsters your friend serves up are a lot better than the ones in the local grocery store here, being straight from the dock most likely and not being shipped halfway across the U.S.

At a restaurant in Bar Harbor, we saw a guy order a 3-pounder once and it covered a huge meat platter. I can't even imagine how huge a 17-pounder looked!

Susan said...

Sanna, I will most definitely be in line to take photos of those babies when we're allowed to see them. I have a membership, so can go when I like. I'm guessing it will be a month or more though. And who knows if anyone will be able to get a clear shot. The enclosure isn't very picture-taking friendly.

Susan said...

Natashya, I love those kinds of stories in the newspaper! It almost makes it worthwhile slogging through the depressing news if you have things like that to read.

Susan said...

Char, I can't believe it made the news there! That's funny! I can't wait to see the babies!

Susan said...

ds, the lobster in the article is even bigger than the one in the picture! They didn't have a very good pic with the article, so I used the biggest one I could find on the internet.

He probably lost the claw doing battle with the 17-pounder!

Susan said...

Ruthie, I'm sure he will love being back in his natural environment. At least he won't have those rubber bands around his claws anymore!

I will taking pics as soon as they are allowing visitors. I hope I'll be able to get some good ones, but maybe not. The mother will probably be very protective and it's hard to get a good vantage point at the enclosure. For our safety's sake, of course.

CottageGirl said...

Oh my gosh, Susan!
That 13 pound lobster is 3 pounds heavier that our dog, Gabby! Wow! It is really hard for me to fathom!

Those little cubs! Can't wait to see your pics of those precious little guys!

You all in Ohio are really making the animal headlines, aren't you?

Susan said...

CG, remember, the lobster here was 17 pounds! So add another 7 to Gabby! That's enough to feed a family of six! Of course, most of that weight would be the shell, but still!

I should have included in my post the baby elephant who was born this summer at the zoo. He's so cute and his name is Beco (bee-co). They just had an article about him in the paper this morning. He's gained more than 400 pounds since his birth!

Cindy said...

Yikes! Makes me wonder what a 17 lb lobster would taste like. Or more importantly what would the texture of that thing be like... I'm guessing chewy.

Triplet lion cubs, oh my! Can't wait for your pics of those!

Susan said...

You know, Cindy, that's a good point. I don't know if it would be chewier or not. I'll have to do some research on that one.

Elle Bee said...

How exciting about the lion cubs! And that lobster was amazing. I don't care for seafood, but even I know an impressive lobster when I see one. Very cool!
Elle

Susan said...

Elle, that one impressed a lot of people! And there's nothing cuter than baby animals, except human babies!

GailO said...

You KNOW I'm a lobster lover!...I can't even imagine how a lobster that large could have snuck into a Kroeger's tank...they must have thought they were dealing with 5 lobsters instead of one...hope he made it back to the ocean floor safely:) Thanks for my morning chuckle!

Will be awaiting adorable baby lion pics!