To the Collins family, the 180kg lion that paces in its 28m2 cage is ``Kitty,'' their cute pet. But to other people in this small town in the US state of Kentucky, Kitty is a frightening menace. Neighbors are asking the government to make the Collins family move him.
``I think it needs to be in a different environment,'' said Pauline Hall, who lives three houses away from the Collins family. ``Everybody here keeps their guns loaded.''
Barry Collins bought Kitty three years ago when the lion was a 2.3kg cub. The Collinses said all their pet purchases were a way to save the animals from harm or abuse. ``If I can save (an animal) I will,'' said Melissa Collins.
PHOTO: AP
The Collinses said they were surprised when neighbors asked the government to make them get rid of Kitty. They said they'd heard a handful of complaints since they brought the lion home, but nothing serious.
``He's not bothering (anybody),'' Barry Collins said.
When asked whether Kitty is inherently dangerous, he said any pet can be unpredictable and that he doesn't think the lion would hurt his children, ages one, three and five.
However, not everyone agrees. ``I'm sure it is a big pet to the owners,'' said Keith Bartley, a lawyer for the government, ``but the one time something goes wrong with a cat that size, someone's going to be really hurt or dead.''
If the government makes him get rid of his lion, Bartley said he's working with a local veterinarian to find a zoo or animal sanctuary that the lion could be moved to.
``If they love that lion, I don't believe they'd want it to live its entire life in a dog cage on a concrete pad,'' Bartley said. (AP)
對柯林斯家族來說,在二十八平方公尺大小的籠子裡漫步的一百八十公斤獅子是牠們可愛的寵物「凱弟」。不過對美國肯塔基州這個小鎮的其他居民來說,凱弟是可怕的威脅。鄰居要求政府讓柯林斯家族遷走凱弟。
「我想牠必須換個環境,」住在距柯林斯家族三棟屋子之遙的寶琳.荷爾說:「這裡所有人都已把槍上膛。」
貝瑞.柯林斯在三年前買下重 2.3公斤、還是幼獅的凱弟。柯林斯家族表示,他們購買寵物是拯救這些動物免於受傷或受虐的方式。瑪莉莎.柯林斯說:「我能救(動物)就救。」
柯林斯家族指出,他們很訝異鄰居竟然請政府要他們將凱弟移走。他們說自從把獅子帶回家後聽過零星抱怨,但都不嚴重。
貝瑞.柯林斯說:「牠沒有礙到(任何人)。」
被問及凱弟是否天性危險時,他說任何寵物都無法預測,他不認為這頭獅子會傷害他一歲、三歲和五歲大的小孩。
然而,並非所有人都同意。「我確信牠對飼主來說是龐然大物,」公聘的律師凱斯.巴特萊說:「不過這樣大的獅子只要有一次不對勁,就會有人真的受傷或死亡。」
巴特萊表示,假如政府說服柯林斯放棄獅子,他會與當地獸醫一起找家可讓獅子容身的動物園或動物保護區。
巴特萊說:「如果他們愛那頭獅子,我不相信他們會希望牠一輩子住在水泥地上的狗籠裡。」 (美聯社/翻譯:賴美君)
South Korea’s famous kimchi is falling victim to climate change, with scientists, farmers and manufacturers saying the quality and quantity of the napa cabbage that is pickled to make the ubiquitous dish is suffering due to rising temperatures. Napa cabbage thrives in cooler climates, and is usually planted in mountainous regions where temperatures during the key growing summer season once rarely rose above 25 degrees Celsius. Studies show that warmer weather brought about by climate change is now threatening these crops, so much so that South Korea might not be able to grow napa cabbage one day due to the intensifying heat. “We
It’s widely recognized that there are far more right-handed people than left-handed people in the world. Being right-handed simply means preferring to use one’s right hand for tasks that involve only one hand, such as writing and eating. But have you ever wondered about the possible reasons behind the global dominance of the right hand over the left? As with many complex biological questions, multiple factors appear to be at play. First, one reason seems to be genetics. __1__ Therefore, the global dominance of right-handedness is something that has been passed down through many generations of humans. Next,
A: What’s even more horrible is that the five suspects who purposely supplied ketamine to actor Matthew Perry were all his “friends.” B: Who exactly are the five suspects? A: They include Matthew’s two doctors, a broker, a drug dealer, and even his live-in assistant. B: Those scumbags should go to jail. A: Yeah, one of the doctors may be sentenced to up to 120 years in prison. A: 更可怕的是,提供男星馬修派瑞「K他命」的5人全是他的「朋友」。 B: 嫌犯是誰啊? A: 其中包括他的2位醫生、1位仲介、1位毒販、甚至他的同居助理! B: 那些人渣真該去坐牢。 A: 對啊,其中1位醫生可能面臨120年徒刑。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
Continued from yesterday(延續自昨日) https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang Finally, cultural influence also plays a role in which hand people prefer. Historically, items that require physical manipulation have been designed for right-handed use. For example, tools like scissors and musical instruments are often constructed with right-handers in mind, making it difficult for left-handers to use them. __4__ While these factors offer some explanation, they remain speculative. The precise reasons for the global prevalence of right-handed people continue to be debated. Nevertheless, left-handedness will remain a phenomenon of great curiosity among scientists and researchers for many years to come. 最後,文化影響也在人們偏好哪一隻手上扮演一角。歷史上,需要用到肢體操作的物品都被設計來供右手使用。舉例來說,像是剪刀、樂器等工具常常就是考慮到右撇子而打造的,造成左撇子難以使用這些工具。因此,許多天生就是左撇子的人可能就必須透過學習使用右手來適應。 雖然這些因素都提供了一些解釋,但它們仍是推測而已。全球右撇子如此普及,確切的原因仍持續被爭論著。不過,在未來的許多年裡,左撇子依然會是科學家和研究人員相當好奇的一個現象。 What Did You Learn? (A) Specifically, different areas of