August 23, 2008

Pigeon in custody for smuggling drugs to Bosnian prisoners

Thu Aug 21, 2:20 PM ET

SARAJEVO (AFP) - Bosnian police have impounded a pigeon after discovering prisoners used it to smuggle drugs into one of the country's highest security jails, an official said Thursday.

"The guards suspected the animal might be involved in drug smuggling once they noticed four prisoners visibly intoxicated shortly after the pigeon landed on a prison window," Zenica prison official Josip Pojavnik told AFP.

All four inmates had tested positive for heroin, said Pojavnik, adding disciplinary proceedings had been launched against the inmates.

The drugs, he added, had probably been stuffed into tiny bags attached to the legs of the carrier pigeon, which one of the prisoners had previously been allowed to keep as a pet in his cell.

"We suspect that the pigeon carried the drugs from Tuzla," a town around 70 kilometres (more than 40 miles) northeast of Zenica in central Bosnia, he added.

The pigeon had been taken into custody by police, who have launched an investigation aimed at identifying those who had loaded it up with the drugs.

"We do not know what to do with the pigeon, but for the time being it will remain behind bars," Pojavnik said.

The incident had prompted the prison administration to consider closing down a prisoner pigeon-breeding project established in a ward of the jail as part of a rehabilitation programme, he added.

Pojavnik insisted those birds had not been involved in the incident.

A similar case of carrier pigeons being used by prisoners was reportedly uncovered earlier this year at a jail in Brazil, where the birds were being used to deliver drugs and even mobile telephones.

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This article made perfect sense, as the pigeon is obviously the brains behind the operation. I fully support keeping the pigeon incarcerated, and to be honest, I hope it gets the death penalty for it's leading role in this crime. That being said...what kind of ridiculous jail lets prisoners keep pets? Furthermore--pigeons as pets? Really? And what kind of rehabilitation program breeds pigeons? I'm pretty sure the world is not currently suffering from a pigeon shortage. Try breeding a damn panda or something worthwhile. Fail.

August 22, 2008- The First Fail

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Religious Man Eaten After Trying to Receive Blessing From Crocodile

Friday, August 22, 2008

Bangladesh police say a crocodile killed and ate a 25-year-old after he waded into a pond next to a shrine in an attempt to receive the animal’s blessing, news.com.au reported Friday.

Inspector Humayun Kabir said Rubel Sheikh and his mother traveled to the Muslim Khan Jahan Ali shrine, where hundreds of people visit every day to offer hens and goats to the crocodiles living there.

Part of the shrine ritual involves bathing in the water with the crocodiles, but devotees are very rarely approached by the animals, according to Kabir.

"He went into the pond hoping to be blessed when a crocodile attacked him and dragged him into the deep part of the pond,'' Kabir told the Australian Associated Press.

"This is a very unusual incident. Normally, the crocodiles are very friendly and do not harm people.''

About 25 people dove into the pond to try and rescue Sheikh, but could not find his body. It washed ashore Thursday and had been largely eaten, Kabir said.

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This is the story that inspired us to create the fail blog. As soon as I read it, my mind was filled with questions, like "Who thinks being blessed by an animal with large teeth is a good call?" This is a fail of epic proportions. Everyone likes a livestock sacrifice, so that's fine, but the idea should probably not be to sacrifice yourself. Bangladesh, you can do better.