Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Bizarre Pets: Truly Stange Domestic Pets

By Regina T. Roby


Even though there are a great many various kinds of animals around the world, humans rarely look past the typical when picking a domestic pet. Of course pets like dogs, cats or goldfish can be great and calming pets for the average person, but what about those excited about finding a type of pet that may be a bit more off the beaten path. Sure reptiles, insects and birds might not be normal, but what about some really fascinating animals that have sometimes become pets for the adventurous? Let's take a look at a handful of some of the more interesting and strange pets of recent memory.

Jessica the Hippopotamus

What might you have done if a baby hippo appeared on the beach of your riverside home? Well if you're something like Tonie and Shirley Joubert you adoringly nurse her back to health. After a bad flood near their South Africa residence, the former game ranger and his spouse came across the 35 lb. dying newborn and rescued it. Once recovered, Jessica the female hippo now feels like she's part of the family and won't leave the property. Connected to her caretaker Tonie, Jessica wanders round the house, enjoys coffee on the porch, spends time with the family's dogs and normally enjoys a life of leisure. Attempts to reintroduce her into the wild have all failed and the biggest threat now is that from other hippos, not to mention local farmers. So Jessica is now another household pet, even though she's ruined the Joubert's bed 3 times.

Caplan Rous, Giant Hamster

As kids, many children have had exposure to hamsters but Caplan Rous is unlike any hamster ever encountered. Owned by Texas native Melanie Typaldos , Caplan Rous is actually a large rodent known as a Capybara whose normal atmosphere can be found in the South American savannahs and woodlands alongside bodies of water. A sizable, barrel shaped animal, the Capybara can weigh up to 150 lbs, stand up to 2 feet tall and behaves in many ways like a dog. Probably one of the more fascinating attributes of this creature is its voice, which many mistake as a bird. Giving off a noisy chirp or "eep," Caplan Rous usually startles passersby with his high-pitched call. Naturally, a Capybara certainly seems to qualify as a unique pet.

Lance Corporal William Windsor: Grand Goat

Although not a household pet, Lance Corporal William Windsor is unquestionably unusual. The mascot for Britain's 1st Battalion of the Royal Welsh, or Billy as he's known, has been leading his unit in just about every celebration for the last eight years until his recent retirement from service.Ornamented with a ceremonial gleaming headplate, Billy has traveled abroad, met royalty and led the regiment through its formal parades. A tradition for more than 200 years, a goat has led the battalion ever since Queen Victoria selected the first goat in 1844. Although cared-for by an attendant referred to as Goat Major, Lance Corporal William Windsor is unquestionably one type of pet most don't see very often.

The Lamb That Thinks It's a Human

Little did the Palmer household recognize that an excursion to a nearby nature reserve would result in the addition to the household: Nick Boing, sheep. Having stumbled across an infant lamb at the Goldcliff Nature Park in Newport, England, David Palmer and his spouse and children did what anybody would do and drop the creature off at a local farm where it would be taken care of. Regrettably, the lamb developed an identity problem and refused to remain with animals of his own kind. After numerous efforts to guide the confused animal, the Palmers ultimately took him home where he became a close member of the family. Now Nick Boing the sheep enjoys his days relaxing near the front door, watching the world go by, and nights on the family settee watching tv. Although it might not be amazing to have a sheep, having one that will watch today's televisions certainly is.




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