Science Frontiers ONLINE No. 87: May-Jun 1993 Issue Contents

Other pages Home Page Science Frontiers Online All Issues This Issue Sourcebook Project Sourcebook Subjects

Animals Attack Human Technological Infrastructure

We are accustomed to termites feasting on our homes' timbers and mice gnawing in the walls, but in recent years many species have developed a taste for more sophisticated fare:

• Pine martens are chewing through the electical wiring of Swiss cars. Mammal repellents popular there.

• British dormice seem to enjoy the electrical fittings of Rolls Royces.

• The keas (mountain parrots) of New Zealand have an innate urge to strip out the rubber gaskets around car windows.

• Land crabs on Tahiti bite through the electrical cables of film crews. Rarely are they electrocuted.

• New Zealanders have to put metal collars on telephone poles to prevent bushy tailed possums from getting at the cables.

Squirrels, rabbits, langurs, and others species are also on the attack in all countries.

(Ager, Derek; "Unwary Animals and Vicious Volts," New Scientist, p. 47, January 9, 1993.)

Comment. We mustn't forget that sperm whale that got tangled up in an undersea cable over a mile down!

From Science Frontiers #87, MAY-JUN 1993. © 1993-2000 William R. Corliss

---

Other Sites of Interest SIS. Catastrophism, archaeoastronomy, ancient history, mythology and astronomy. Lobster. The journal of intelligence and political conspiracy (CIA, FBI, JFK, MI5, NSA, etc) Homeworking.com. Free resource for people thinking about working at home. ABC dating and personals. For people looking for relationships. Place your ad free.