Posted on 12/23/2005 5:36:39 PM PST by presidio9
Chances that Toga the baby jackass penguin will ever be found alive dimmed Friday, nearly a week after he was apparently stolen from a zoo in the south of England, prompting national publicity.
Amazon World, the Isle of Wight theme park where Toga was last seen on Saturday, has upped its reward for the flightless bird's safe return to 10,000 pounds (14,500 euros, 17,300 dollars) thanks to an influx of donations.
"We have had an incredible number of calls from the public," zoo official Dany Thearle told AFP, as pictures of the three-month-old penguin, which stands only 30 centimetres (12 inches) tall, filled the newspapers.
Hopes of a breakthrough briefly rose Thursday when a man phoned into a breakfast television show claiming that Toga had been dumped at Portsmouth harbour -- site of a major Royal Navy base -- in a plastic bag.
"No one has seen a penguin walking around the navy base," said a naval spokesman as police followed up on the call, "but we are keeping our eyes open."
Two other people have claimed to have seen the penguin -- one of a species native to islands off South Africa, Namibia and Angola -- but investigations have proven fruitless.
Derek Curtis, owner of Amazon World, said Thursday he fears Toga is dead because the penguin has been away too long from his parents, upon whom it depends for food.
"The police have been co-operating," he said, "but they can't do everything because it is a bird."
Of Toga's parents, Theale added: "They're very upset. They have not been eating much."
Penguinnappers. Blame Microsoft.
I've got one thawing in my refrigerator for Sunday.
Clearly part of the vast right wing conspiracy.
Give me a break. It's a bird.
So what did the bird who got knocked down do afterwards. Punch the other one in the nose?
He got knockd down by the right winger. He claimed emotional damages and 25mm herring lawsuit for hate crimes. The press ate it up.
"This is not an escape. And youuu ... didn't ... seee ... ANYYYTHIIING"
We're from New York.
All hail the New York Giants!
Any word on the bird?
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