China has announced plans to unleash an army of chickens to combat its locust problem this summer. The northern region of Shin-jang is gearing up for what’s expected to be its worst summer yet with the critters given their warmer winter.
You see, locusts typically feed off of crops and other vegetation. According to Yang Zong, an official with the local animal husbandry bureau, around 2,200 chickens are preparing for feeding time. About 2.8-million acres of grassland are expected to get hit with the locusts.
Yang points out that “use of pesticides pollutes the environment,” therefore they’re using the chickens. Herdsmen have been given the birds ahead of the outbreak so they can adapt to the environment. One chicken is reportedly able to eat at least 600 locusts in a day, but they won’t do it alone. The nation is bringing in the reinforcements, aka ducks and other birds, to help the chickens out.
The down side? The chickens will only be able to guard one percent of the grasslands that need protection.
A woman who’d just traveled from Serbia to Moscow had reached for her bags on the luggage carousel when she accidentally fell on it. The woman had reportedly lost her balance in an attempt to grab her dog carrier off the belt and was “swept away” into the luggage room. Adding insult to injury, the airport has fined her for the accident after damaging the airport’s freight transportation system. She’ll be billed at the max 1,500 rubles, which is the equivalent of $24.
The Chinese cities of Chongqing and Hunan have recently installed facial recognition technology inside their public bathrooms as part of their “toilet revolution.” The technology will be used to sense how much toilet paper will dispense in hopes of cutting back on waste and “theft of paper.” There will also be sensors inside toilet cubicles to alert an attendant if someone has been using the loo for more than 10 minutes. The attendant will be sent in to check on the person to see if they’re okay. Another button inside the stall can be pressed to alert if there is ever an emergency. Not surprisingly, the bathrooms are also equipped with WiFi and cell phone chargers.
STUPID CRIMINALS
- A man in Birmingham, Alabama must have one strong smoking addiction… considering he’s been charged twice with stealing cigarettes. Joshua Magaul Sanders has been arrested after he smashed into the front door of two gas stations and stole cartons of cigarettes. Thing is, he was arrested back in 2015 for doing the same exact thing at an Exxon station and several other stores. His most recent escapades have happened between January and March. Sanders broke into multiple gas stations and put several cartons of cigarettes in a bag before fleeing. Police were able to identify him based on security cam footage. Once caught, Sanders said, “You caught me, I’m the cigarette bandit” and further admitted to his crimes. He’s been charged with two counts of third-degree burglary.
- A drunk man in Florida had been hospitalized for falling off his bike and has now been arrested after hitting another man at the hospital with a folding chair. Jimmy McCray was being treated at Bayfront Health when he “jumped out of bed and approached his girlfriend in (the) emergency room.” Staff had asked him to return to his bed, but he got angry, picked up a metal folding chair and started swinging it around, hitting another man in the leg. Security was able to restrain him and strapped him into a hospital bed. He faces a charge of battery. The man hit by the chair only suffered minor injuries to his elbows after helping restrain McCray.