Goats Yelling Like Humans

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'Sheep-eating' Plant has sharp spines to snare and trap sheep and other animals

The RHS Puya chilensis is expected to be in bloom in the glasshouse for about a week

 

 RHS 'sheep-eating' plant about to bloom in Surrey

A South American plant with a 10ft (3m) tall flower spike is about to bloom in a Surrey glasshouse for the first time since it was planted 15 years ago.


The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) at Wisley said the Puya chilensis, a native of Chile, would bloom in the next few days and last about a week.

In the Andes it uses its sharp spines to snare and trap sheep and other animals, which slowly starve to death.

The animals then decay at the base of the plant, acting as a fertiliser.

The RHS feeds its specimen on liquid fertiliser.
The gardening charity said very few specimens of Puya chilensis were known to have flowered in the UK.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales waited 11 years for its plant to bloom, though clumps bloom every April in the open on Tresco in the Isles of Scilly.

The plant has bright greeny-yellow flowers on tall spikes above the razor-sharp spines.

"I'm really pleased that we've finally coaxed our Puya chilensis into flower," said horticulturalist Cara Smith.

"We keep it well fed with liquid fertiliser as feeding it on its natural diet might prove a bit problematic."

"It's growing in the arid section of our glasshouse with its deadly spines well out of reach of both children and sheep alike."

Source:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-22967160

SHEEP AT ATLANTA AIRPORT

Published on Sep 24, 2012

Sheep Mowers augment airport maintenance grass cutting crews. Airport officials will evaluate this pilot program, with sheep and goats being deployed in areas that are hard to access with typical crews/equipment. 

See that the flock makes a significant difference in just a few short days!

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Goats at Chicago Airport

Published on May 10, 2013

Chicago O'Hare airport hires a herd of goats to trim grass. Erin Burnett has the story in the OutFront OutTake. For more CNN videos, visit our site at http://www.cnn.com/video/

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(CNN) -- Have you herd? Goats are now scheduled to land at Chicago's O'Hare Airport for a meal and some landscaping.

The city's aviation authority wasn't kidding Wednesday when they announced a two-year contract for "sustainable vegetation management grazing services" with Central Commissary Holdings.

Twenty-five to 30 of the four-legged creatures will chow down on 120 acres of foliage at the airport, including space along creeks and hilly areas too hard and expensive to maintain using other methods, a press release said.

To ensure the animals don't try to head butt a 747 they will be separated from the airfield by security fencing, remain supervised while on airport property, and spend evenings in a nearby transport trailer.

The curse of the Billy Goat may have haunted the Chicago Cubs for decades, but the airport believes embracing the animals will save money, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and cut down on toxic herbicides.

Sheep clear brush near Atlanta's airport

"This pilot program will help the CDA achieve many economic, operational, environmental and social benefits, achieving our goal of balancing people, planet and profit," Aviation Department Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino said in the release.

There's no word if the goats will help with World Series hopes.

The overall cost for two years of weed eating goats could reach $100,000, but the Chicago Department of Aviation is quick to point out it uses no local or state tax dollars for operations or capital improvements.

Other airports have tried grazing goats with mixed results.

San Francisco airport uses a herd for two to three weeks each June to clear vegetation for a fire break on the west side of the airport.

"The benefits of the goats is this property is home to two endangered species, the San Francisco Garter Snake and the California Red Legged Frog," SFO Airport Duty Manager Doug Yakel told CNN.

"They can clear this vegetation for us without endangering these two species, where heavy machine or mowing might."

But Seattle's Sea-Tac Airport kicked the goats out after only a week in 2008.

"Airport managers decided to discontinue using the goats because they were, in effect, too effective," said Christina Faine, an airport spokeswoman. "Goats, indiscriminate eaters, eat everything, including the trees and native plants that we wanted to protect."

Chicago's goat herd is expected to arrive at O'Hare in about a month.

The Secret Lives of Wild Animals: Nick Whitney at TEDxSarasota

ublished on Jan 13, 2013

Nick Whitney explains research he has been involved with at Mote Marine Laboratory in studying the behavior of wild animals using technology such as the accelerometers found in many smartphones. Nick applies these tags to sharks, leaping sturgeon, invasive Burmese pythons, and other species to find out what these animals are up to and why it matters. Part of TEDxSarasota's inaugural conference held on 12/12/12 with the theme "Creativity Matters" at the Historic Asolo Theatre in Sarasota, Florida.

ABOUT TEDx: In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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Girl and Goat

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