Odds and Ends – Friday June 22, 2018 – June 28, 2018

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Abandoned baby moose,
‘begging for attention,’ befriends dog

Wallagrass, Maine (AP) – A dog and a young moose have forged an unlikely friendship in Maine. WMTW-TV reports Wallagrass resident Shannon Lugdon and her dog, Leo, spotted the week-old moose alone on Sunday. Wardens told Lugdon to not make contact with the young moose because its mother was probably close by eating. Lugdon says the next morning she let Leo out for a bathroom break. She says the dog and the abandoned moose quickly became friends. She says the moose followed her and Leo around all day “begging for attention” and she named it Maggie. Wardens and a biologist picked the 27-pound (12-kilogram) moose up and took it to the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, about 300 miles (480 kilometers) south of where it was found. https://youtu.be/qFJIk_FbyJ0

Plane taxis to Orlando gate –
after alligator crosses tarmac

Orlando, Fla. (AP) – Most times it’s bad weather or bird strikes that delay flights. This time it was an alligator. Anthony Velardi says his plane had just landed at the Orlando International Airport on Monday when he spotted the large reptile casually lumbering across the tarmac toward a pond. He posted a 10-second video on Facebook. Velardi says the Spirit Airlines flight had to wait about five minutes before it could taxi to the gate. He says an airport truck arrived at the pond to make sure the alligator didn’t return to the taxiway. Airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell told The Associated Press that such sightings are infrequent, even though 280 acres (110 hectares) of the airport’s land are covered in water. Fennell says the alligator’s presence didn’t impact any other airport operations.

https://www.facebook.com/anthonyfvelardi/videos/435691470231502/

Attempt to remove goose
from baseball stadium ends in chaos

Detroit (AP) – A Canada goose settled into right-center field during a rain delay at the Detroit Tigers game, and an attempt to remove it ended in chaos. The grounds crew at Comerica Park in Detroit set off two firecrackers and another member gave chase. The bird tried to escape, but crashed into an LED board on the third deck and fell two levels into the stands. Video of the goose’s appearance was captured by Fox Sports Detroit. After several moments, a veterinarian who was attending the game wrapped the stunned goose in a blanket and took it to the concourse, where it was released outside the stadium and dashed into nearby bushes. After the rain delay, the Tigers went on to beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-1.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Maine town works to save
statue of famous harbor seal Andre

Rockport, Maine (AP) – A Maine town is raising money to save the statue of a beloved harbor seal that brought the community together. The Bangor Daily News reports Rockport’s 1978 statue of Andre the Seal is undergoing $14,000 in repairs. Two local organizations have raised most of the money, but $2,000 is still needed. Residents recall fond memories of the orphaned seal pup, which was rescued in 1961 by local tree surgeon Harry Goodridge. Goodridge cared for the seal until it was old enough to be released into the ocean. Andre went on to spend his winters in southern New England and his summers in Rockport for the next 25 years. The friendly seal was the subject of the 1994 film “Andre” and the book “A Seal Called Andre.”

Newborn baby in Brazil
survives after being buried alive

Sao Paulo (AP) – Brazilian police say a newborn girl miraculously survived after being buried alive for seven hours in the central state of Mato Grosso. The Mato Grosso state police department said in an email Saturday that a 15-year-old gave birth earlier in the week, but believed the baby had died and buried her in the backyard of the indigenous family’s house. The police received an anonymous tip related to the burial and dug up the baby, who was hospitalized and said to be in stable condition. The baby’s grandmother and great-grandmother have been taken into custody pending an investigation. Police questioned the 15-year-old mother and released her after a few hours.