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Hamster, Snake Best Friends at Tokyo Zoo
http://www.comcast.net/news ^
| 1 18 05
| Associated Press
Posted on 01/18/2006 10:03:24 AM PST by freepatriot32
TOKYO - Gohan and Aochan make strange bedfellows: one's a 3.5-inch dwarf hamster; the other is a 120 yard-long rat snake. Zookeepers at Tokyo's Mutsugoro Okoku zoo presented the hamster _ whose name means "meal" in Japanese _ to Aochan as a tasty morsel in October, after the snake refused to eat frozen mice.
But instead of indulging, Aochan decided to make friends with the furry rodent, according to keeper Kazuya Yamamoto. The pair have shared a cage since.
"I've never seen anything like it. Gohan sometimes even climbs onto Aochan to take a nap on his back," Yamamoto said.
Aochan, a 2-year-old male Japanese rat snake, eventually developed an appetite for frozen rodents but has so far shown no signs of gobbling up Gohan _ despite her name.
"We named her Gohan as a joke," Yamamoto chuckled. "But I don't think there's any danger. Aochan seems to enjoy Gohan's company very much."
The Tokyo zoo also keeps a range of mostly livestock animals, and promotes "cross-breed interaction," according to Yamamoto.
But Gohan and Aochan's case was "was a complete accident," Yamamoto said.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Japan; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: at; best; friends; hamster; japan; petalist; snake; tokyo; zoo
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To: freepatriot32
Hamster, Snake Best Friends... Are you sure this isn't just a parable for the Congressional Black Caucus and the Democartic Party?
21
posted on
01/18/2006 10:19:25 AM PST
by
ericthecurdog
(The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.)
To: freepatriot32
Talk about animal abuse. That hampster must think he's died and gone to Hell.
22
posted on
01/18/2006 10:19:59 AM PST
by
Rebelbase
(Whew! Another year until the cursed green bean casserole strikes again!)
To: EricT.
The snake is big enough to handle more than that hamster, easily.
23
posted on
01/18/2006 10:20:53 AM PST
by
SWAMPSNIPER
(MAY I DIE ON MY FEET IN MY SWAMP)
To: freepatriot32
In the photo, the hamster looks scared.
24
posted on
01/18/2006 10:21:52 AM PST
by
SittinYonder
(That's how I saw it, and see it still.)
To: ericthecurdog
Are you sure this isn't just a parable for the Congressional Black Caucus and the Democartic Party? 'Democartic' ... what the HELL was I thinking?
I meant 'Demonic.'
25
posted on
01/18/2006 10:22:25 AM PST
by
ericthecurdog
(The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.)
To: freepatriot32; EveningStar
I used to have a hampster that looked like that.
26
posted on
01/18/2006 10:24:18 AM PST
by
FOG724
(Governor Spendanator)
To: SittinYonder
In the photo, the hamster looks scared. That's because he can't see Richard Gere's hands.
27
posted on
01/18/2006 10:24:27 AM PST
by
ericthecurdog
(The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.)
To: freepatriot32
Got one of those for a niece once...the dwarf hamsters bite 50% more than the cute "teddy bear" hamsters. Blech..
28
posted on
01/18/2006 10:24:33 AM PST
by
Windsong
(Jesus Saves, but Buddha makes incremental backups)
To: Lekker 1
Wait till that snake gets hungry...
29
posted on
01/18/2006 10:24:58 AM PST
by
RockinRight
("It's as if all the brain-damaged people in America got together and formed a voting bloc" - Coulter)
To: popdonnelly
They should have named the hamster Liberal. LOL!
30
posted on
01/18/2006 10:27:47 AM PST
by
Finny
(God continue to Bless President G.W. Bush with wisdom, popularity, safety and success.)
To: saveliberty
"Um. I think that the rodent will be someone's dinner soon".
Yes, and that is precisely what brought the two of them together to begin with. Tick...tock..
sw
31
posted on
01/18/2006 10:28:03 AM PST
by
spectre
(Spectre's wife)
To: jwfiv; TheBigB
32
posted on
01/18/2006 10:29:00 AM PST
by
Serb5150
(Mir Boziji – Hristos se Rodi!)
To: freepatriot32
jimmy carter's foreign policy in pictures.
To: spectre
34
posted on
01/18/2006 10:29:45 AM PST
by
saveliberty
(Proud to be Head Snowflake, Bushbot and a new member of Sam's Club)
To: freepatriot32
I think I'd hate going through life with my name meaning "Meal".
Cute picture though.
35
posted on
01/18/2006 10:32:43 AM PST
by
najida
(OK, so we have this problem with the paint cans sticking to the floor.....)
To: mlc9852
When the snake lies down with the hamster.
Isn't that a sign of the coming apocolypse? (joke)
To: freepatriot32
Gosh, President Clinton, being an intern sure is exciting!
37
posted on
01/18/2006 10:34:14 AM PST
by
SlowBoat407
(The best stuff happens just before the thread snaps.)
To: Names Ash Housewares
LOL - I thought the same thing!
38
posted on
01/18/2006 10:34:26 AM PST
by
mlc9852
To: SJSAMPLE
whats next, a fox in the hen house, or dogs and cats living together?
39
posted on
01/18/2006 10:36:08 AM PST
by
Schwaeky
(Islam is a religion of Peace just like Nazism is an Ideology of tolerance.)
To: freepatriot32
Maybe they should feed the Rat Snake a large Alligator lizard. Then the snake will know what a real fight is.....
40
posted on
01/18/2006 10:36:58 AM PST
by
fizziwig
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