#OddlyEnough: When The Weird Meets Wild, It Sure Gets Funny

 

Entombed Before Time

Mike Parr, a 73-year-old performance artist whose creative endeavors typically explore physical limits, was entombed in the mini-shipping container late on Thursday and the road was resealed above him.

Oxygen was pumped into the container where Parr had access to water, reading and writing material, a heater and a distress button in case anything went wrong – but no food. He was equipped with a bucket for sanitary use, says a report.

The burial act was part of the Dark Mofo Festival on the island state of Tasmania. It was designed to highlight violence perpetrated by colonialists against Aboriginal communities, the festival said on its website.

Parr’s previous performance art included wrapping himself up in fuse wire, then setting it alight, and sewing up his face, says a Reuters report.

Dark arts festivals showcase artwork and performances that often celebrate ancient rituals. The festival has attracted controversy for placing inverted red crosses across Hobart, Tasmania’s capital, prompting some Christian groups to denounce the installations as satanic.

Paddling Away To Glory 

A Florida woman has completed a more than 100-mile (160-kilometer) voyage from Cuba to the Florida Keys on a stand-up paddle board.

Victoria Burgess arrived in Key West on Wednesday, paddling across the Florida Straits in just under 28 hours, says a report. Burgess is believed to be the first woman to make the trip from Cuba to the Keys on a standup paddleboard.

The 34-year-old said that she wanted to set a record and serve to inspire others to accomplish their goals. She says she hopes to have the feat sanctioned by Guinness World Records. Burgess is a Pompano Beach fire inspector, previously having served as a firefighter and paramedic, says a report by The Associated Press.

The Kangaroos Love For The Game 

The Australian soccer team competing at the World Cup is called the Socceroos. But a different kind of soccer-roo has dominated a pitch for half an hour in Canberra during a women’s match, said a report.

The misguided marsupial made its first appearance on the stadium soccer field during the half time break on Sunday afternoon in a match between Canberra’s two top teams — Canberra Football Club and Belconnen United, Canberra FC official Amber Harvey said on Monday.

The male eastern gray kangaroo bounded back during the second half, indifferent to efforts to drive him away and delaying play for 32 minutes, Harvey said. “It was just a real menace,” Harvey said, according to The Associated Press.

“A few people came close to it to see if they could maybe get it to move on. It stood up pretty tall. I think it was just over 6 feet (183 centimeters), so they backed off pretty quickly. But I don’t think anyone was alarmed too much by it,” she added.

Players and officials tried to drive the unexpected pitch invader away by kicking balls at him with little impact. Video showed it apparently using his long hind legs and powerful tail to deflect balls from the goal area. “It didn’t react. It just kind of lay down,” Harvey said.

When A Dog Performs CPR 

Can dogs perform CPR? Probably not, but a video posted by police in Madrid sure makes it seem so, said The Associated Press report.

In a video posted on Facebook, Poncho the dog springs into action when his partner falls to the ground and pretends to be unresponsive. The dog’s actions mimic CPR. The dog pounds up and down on the officer’s chest and pauses to place its ear on the officer’s neck. Poncho continues until the officer stands up.

Police write that Poncho “did not hesitate for an instant” to save a life.

One Flew Over The Macaw’s Nest

A macaw that flew away from Omaha’s zoo after apparently being spooked by the Goodyear blimp has been found in a nearby neighborhood, said a report.

The Omaha World-Herald reports the macaw, named Cayenne, was out during the zoo’s Birds of Flight show Sunday morning when it was startled by the blimp drifting past. The bird flew out of an amphitheater and past the zoo’s boundaries.

Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium staff sought the public’s help, and on Monday morning a nearby resident tipped them off about the bird’s whereabouts. Staffers spotted the bird, and after flying to another tree it came down when called.

The red, green and blue bird, which is a member of the parrot family, was returned to the zoo and quickly joined her sister in eating treats, said The Associated Press.

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