February 2008 ~ UNUSUAL THINGs

Battling for life, the baby born with its heart OUTSIDE its chest

Posted by Unknown on 10:17 PM

A newborn baby has survived delivery despite its heart being outside the chest cavity.The infant's heart was born with its most vital organ exposed and is being treated in the intensive care unit of Shenzhen Children's Hospital in China's Guangdong Province.The parents knew about the condition before the baby was born, but chose not to abort it.The unusual and dangerous development was caused by a rare disease - less than five babies in one million are struck by it. The illness affects the child's chest and abdomen.Less than 200 cases have been recorded and it is the first modern case in China.Most babies die from the disease before birth.Doctors...

Panic after 'Franken-fish' that is deadlier than a piranha is caught in Britain

Posted by Unknown on 10:52 AM

A savage fish deadlier than a piranha that has killed people has been caught on British shores for the first time.The giant snakehead - so called because of its long body and fearsome teeth - was caught by an angler in Lincolnshire.Dubbed the "gangster" of the fish world, it eats everything it comes across and has even been reported to kill people.The monster, which is from south-east Asia, can also "crawl" on land and survive out of water for up to four days.It already has a fearsome predatory reputation in other parts of the world.In the U.S., the fish has been described as a "FrankenFish" and "like something out of a horror film".Andy Alder,...

Two stone fat cat put on strict diet after getting wedged in his flap

Posted by Unknown on 12:39 AM

A massively overweight fat cat has been put on a strict diet after getting stuck in his flap.Worried owner Molly Oliver, 68, considered Sooty's weight gain to be harmless but decided he ought to to the vets when she had to prise him free from the door last month.Vets were amazed to see the six-year-old had piled on the pounds since his last visit, tipping the scales at almost two stone - three times the size of a normal cat.Animal lover Molly blamed over-generous locals for her pet's size - although she has now put her moggy on a strict low-calorie diet.Luckily he has so far lost enough to be able to get in and out of his own house.Molly said:...