moose news

More crashes in the full moon

Statistics show that a full moon really can "bring out the beast," at least in Norway, where the most collisions between cars and moose occur when the moon is full and the weather is cold.

Norway's state statistics bureau SSB reports that 1,321 moose were killed in traffic accidents during the past year. Most of them occurred in the winter: Statistics reveal three times as many collisions between moose and vehicles in January than in the summer.

Torstein Storaas of Hedmark College, one of Norway's foremost experts on moose, told newspaper Aftenposten that it's not just because it's easier for the moose to move alongside open roads when snow is lying deep in the forest.

It's also, Storaas said, because the moose prefer to eat the twigs and branches of pine and low shrubbery during the winter. "Therefore they need to emerge from the deep fir- and spruce forest," he said. "Unfortunately many claim they also are attracted by the salt spread on highways by road crews."

The moose is also most active during a full moon, although it's not entirely clear why. Moose tend to wander more than usual during a full moon, and not just because the moonlight guides their way. Studies show they're just as active when cloud cover blocks out the moon.

Motorists are thus advised to use extra caution during full moon periods in the wintertime. Subfreezing temperatures, snow in the forest and dry air draw the moose towards roadways, and that's when driving is dangerous.

Many drivers involved in collisions with moose claim the animal suddenly darted across the road, and they didn't have a chance to brake in time. Storaas said that's because the moose are easily stressed by the noise of traffic and headlights, making them unpredictable. They also have trouble moving on hard, icy roads and want to get across as quickly as possible.

Collisions between cars and moose are generally more serious than collisions with other animals, because the moose are so large. They're generally hit in the legs, and then land with full force in the car's passenger compartment.

Ndihamba Nawe

I love this song, and I finally got around to finding the lyrics:

Chorus x2

We bhuti we bhuti
We bhuti mina ndihamba nawe
We bhuti we bhuti
We bhuti mina ndihamba nawe

Verse 1 x2
Ngithanda na le way
Unguyo ngakhona
webhuti mina ndihamba nawe
Ngithanda na le way
Ucula ngakhona
Webhuti mina ndihamba nawe

Bridge 1 x2

Eh ndihamba nawe
Hei ndihamba nawe
We bhuti mina ndihamba nawe
We bhuti ndihamba nawe, We bhuti ndihamba nawe
We bhuti mina ndihamba nawe

Verse 2 x2
Ndafika endaweni ngibona abantu
ehh ufak'umfana wam
Ugcwel'umfana wami
Ngathi loya lobhuti loya
isoka isoka lami

Bridge x2

Chorus x2

Ndithanda na le way
Ujika ngakhona
We sisi mina ndihamba nawe
Ndithanda na le way
Ududla ngakhona
We sisi mina ndihamba nawe

Bridge 2 x2

Eh ndihamba nawe
Ohh ndihamba nawe
We sisi mina ndihamba nawe
We sisi ndihamba nawe, We sisi ndihamba nawe
We sisi mina ndihamba nawe
Ndithanda na le way
Ungiyo ngakhona
We bhuti mina ndihamba nawe
Ndithanda na le way
Ududla ngakhona
Ay' suka mina ndihamba nawe
Eeh Ndihamba nawe
Eeh Ndihamba nawe
We bhuti mina ndihamba nawe
We sisi ndihamba nawe
We sisi ndihamba nawe
We sisi ndihamba nawe

What does it all mean? From one of the reader responses:

Ok, so Ndihamba Nawe literally means "I'm going with you", but it has much greater significance in the Zulu culture. When you say Ndihamba nawe, yre essentially telling someone that "I choose you".At parties, if people are really feeling the DJ, they'll say "DJ, Ndihamba nawe!" or if you've found that one boy/girl that just does it for you, you tell them "Eish, ndihamba nawe!".

Girl's verse
Ngithanda na le way -- I love the way
Unguyo ngakhona -- you just are
webhuti mina ndihamba nawe -- Brother, I choose you
Ngithanda na le way -- I also love the way
Ucula ngakhona -- the way you sing
Webhuti mina ndihamba nawe -- Brother, I choose you

Guy's verse
Ndithanda na le way -- I really love the way
Ujika ngakhona -- You turn (walk/stride)
We sisi mina ndihamba nawe --Sister, I choose you
Ndithanda na le way -- I also love the way
Ududla ngakhona -- You gain weight just right
We sisi mina ndihamba nawe -- Sister, I choose you

Gotta love African music hehe...

an addendum to that bear story

owl in the city

This birdie was in my neighborhood, but I didn't get a chance to see it :-(

Be sure to click the link for photos goodness :)

City owl gets help

A wayward and apparently ailing horned owl has been rescued from city perils in downtown Oslo.

The Agency of Outdoor recreation and Nature management took the owl into care on Wednesday, after days of sightings of the endangered bird in the capital.

"It is a very unusual sight, spotting a horned owl in a city," said Agency nature manager Kjell Isaksen.

Isaksen saw the owl for the first time on Tuesday morning when he saw it being chased by a peregrine falcon over the rooftops of Oslo.

"That was quite a sight," Isaksen said.

The owl first drew attention when it was seen in downtown Grønlandsleiret on Friday, when it landed and stayed in the middle of a street.

"People could go right up to the bird, and that is very unusual since the horned owl is normally shy. This indicated that it was not at all well," Isaksen said.

Later the owl could be seen in downtown Tøyen Park, where it was being pestered by smaller birds.

"The horned owl was sitting in the open, being bullied by crows and magpies without reacting. That is why we wondered if it was sick," Isaksen explained.

On Wednesday the Agency, with much assistance from the fire department, managed to get the owl down from window sill in a narrow downtown apartment courtyard. The bird made no attempt to escape and allowed people to climb up next to it and toss a net over it.

"That's no way for a healthy horned owl to behave," Isaksen said.

The owl will now be fed and receive veterinary care before being released in its natural habitat, not the capital's cold concrete streets.

karma is a bear

Bear defends itself against poacher

Just so you get that right. The poacher was the one on the attack. Not the bear.

I also hope that the poacher's injuries are permanent, disabling, and painful. Just so you know how I feel about the matter...

mmm... wine...

To celebrate over 400 wines in our tasting database, we bought a 400 NOK wine (well, 431) to celebrate.

R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Condonia S.A. Cosecha Gran Reserva 1981 (Rioja, Spain)

grape varieties: Tempranillo, Grenache noir, Graciano, Mazuelo/Cariñena

color: clear reddish/dark coralish-brown

nose: floral and aromatic, also earthy, cherries, and leather...

palate: flavor of sour lingonberries, hint of cherries and raspberries. Long and pleasant aftertaste. Perfect for drinking on its own. Will also be OK with very simple meat dishes.

grade: :-D+

when the news is good, it's REALLY good

Beer after sport 'is good for the body'

A beer after playing a game of football, a long run, or a strenuous round of golf can be good for the body, scientists say.

In a rare piece of good news for those who like a pint, Spanish researchers say beer can help someone who is dehydrated retain liquid better than water.

Prof Manuel Garzon, of Granada University, also claimed the bubbles in beer help to quench the thirst and that its carbohydrate content can help to replace lost calories.

Prof Garzon asked a group of students to do strenuous exercise in temperatures of around 40ºC (104ºF). Half were given a pint of beer, while the others received the same volume of water.

Prof Garzon, who announced the results at a press conference in Granada beneath a banner declaring "Beer, Sport, Health", said the hydration effect in those who drank beer was "slightly better".

Juan Antonio Corbalan, a cardiologist who worked formerly with Real Madrid football players and Spain's national basketball team, said beer had the perfect profile for re-hydration after sport.

He added that he had long recommended barley drinks to professional sportsmen after exercise.

Previous studies have shown most alcoholic drinks have a diuretic effect – meaning they increase the amount of liquid lost by the body through urination.

Dr James Betts, an expert on nutrition and metabolism at Bath University, said a moderate amount of beer might be just as good as water at helping the body retain liquid, but that he doubted it could be any better.

Dr Betts said: "If you are dehydrated to start with following exercise, a beer, as opposed to a spirit, probably does not have a high enough concentration of alcohol to induce a diuretic effect."