You couldn't make it up dept. no.65: Bugs Bunny lives!

[fpb]

Yesterday, Milan's second airport, Linate, was closed for hours due to an infestation of hares. The animals had to be caught alive and removed to a neighbouring sanctuary. That paralyzed half the air traffic of Italy's leading economic and financial centre. Interesting sense of priorities.

Comments

[moonspinner]

lol!

My icon hearts your icon. *g*

[notebuyer]

The animals had to be caught alive and removed to a neighbouring sanctuary.

Is there no translation for "rabbit stew" in Italian?

Are we expected to treat all pests like this, or just the fuzzy ones?

[starshipcat]

Cuteness is a big factor in people's becoming excessively protective of species that are in fact vermin in their current environment. In Chicago and its suburbs, whitetail deer are becoming a nuisance species -- destroying landscaping vegitation, walking onto roads and causing wrecks (often fatal to the passengers of small cars) etc. However, every attempt to reduce the population by hunting leads to wails of "killing Bambi's mother."

By contrast, very few people go all big-emo over an attempt to reduce the population of ugly or unpleasant creatures like rattlesnakes or alligators.

This really ought to be coals to Newcastle, but here goes

[notebuyer]

Rabbit Stew Recipe

Babelfish translates: and the measurements change. Sigh.

[notebuyer]

Ricetta Dello Stufato Del Coniglio Da Diana Rattray

[theswordmaiden]

Because we love bunnies!!

[fpb]

Take it from me, a large wild hare ain't no cute bunny. And they taste great in salmi'.

[marielapin]

I wish they had pictures. I can't imagine the chaos of these people trying to bag them. They are big (and fast, and powerful)!

[fpb]

Your wish is my command. http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/news_collection/awnplus_italia/2007-06-17_11787486.html. According to this press agency, 57 hares and 4 large wild rabbits were caught.

[marielapin]

Wow! Too bad no one thought of using Anti-Pesto's "BUNVAC 6000" from the Wallace and Gromit movie. That would have taken much less time!

After seeing your picture I did a quick search and found more on yahoo, plus a video:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070617/ap_on_fe_st/odd_hare_havoc

The main animal problems we have at the local air force base down here are turkey vultures, sea gulls and coyotes on the runway. It is amazing how much damage a vulture can do monetarily to a jet when sucked through an engine or when it hits and cracks the canopy.

[super_pan]

I saw this on the news; it was crazy.

[fpb]

Can't you just see Bugs Bunny paralyzing an airport like that? Apparently, however, this is something they do every year, but usually at night. This time, the excess of hares and rabbits forced them to bring out all the volunteers by day.