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Hoax Deadly Animal Escape Posters

GNC

King-Sized Canary
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Aug 25, 2001
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Was reading in FT 385 about the new phenomenon of hoaxes where posters are put up warning of a deadly animal, like a snake, escaping and telling the public to look out for it. Seems most of these happen on the Continent (like in Germany), but may be happening elsewhere too (like in the UK). Anyone seen one of these posters "in the wild" (so to speak)? Makes a change from Pokémon Go.
 
A quick Google brings up this case from 2016:

“The RSPCA has confirmed it is not investigating claims made earlier this month that a venomous black mamba is roaming the borough.

Residents were left terrified after posters appeared warning that Rosie, a “highly venomous” snake, “escaped from her enclosure” on January 5.

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The posters advised residents to check under car seats, bed sheets, behind toilets and in washing machines.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “We don’t know, but we suspect it is a hoax. There has been some misreporting. There is nothing for us to investigate.
“Of course, it is hard to be sure and we would welcome any information.” “


https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/warnings-of-escaped-snake-in-camden-are-a-hoax-1-4381488

maximus otter
 
I wonder if the phone number is real, and if it is partly an attempt to mess with someone?
 
salamander.jpg

Lost Salamander, answers to Sally.

Fire-breathing alchemical salamander, missing since Wednesday.

If you see her, wear your best frock, stand on her back and feed her roses.

She will kill you, just the same, but her breath will be less evil.
 
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This jape was pioneered by - or at least popularised by - one Derren Brown. It's all in his 2006 book `Tricks of the Mind`. In there he tells of how, when he was a bored philosophy student in Bristol, he and a fellow student started a succesful venomous-tarantula-on-the-loose scare in Bristol by putting such posters around. They also fixed some plastic spiders around on various walls and pieces of architecture (some, he says, may well still be there).

In many ways this marked the start of Mr Brown's career.

I'd recommend that book. I'd never liked Brown as a person - and still don't really - but this book is laugh out loud funny in parts, quite self-deprecating and full of intelligent insights. Also it seems that he's started a trend.
 
There is apparently an 8m long Boa Constrictor on the loose in Sydney atm. A bit more than a hoax possibly as a 8m long shedded skin has been found.

I suspect though that someone just brought an 8m shedded skin to Sydney and placed it somewhere public which would be a prank on steroids.

Boas are not native to Australia.
 
Considering the sort of wildlife you do get in Australia, someone would have to be pretty perverse to keep a pet snake. Or tarantula.
 
There is apparently an 8m long Boa Constrictor on the loose in Sydney atm. A bit more than a hoax possibly as a 8m long shedded skin has been found.

I suspect though that someone just brought an 8m shedded skin to Sydney and placed it somewhere public which would be a prank on steroids.

Boas are not native to Australia.
8 feet long not 8 meters.
 
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