Close Call
On June 25, members of the Seattle Kraken hockey team, on a fly-fishing trip at Brooks Falls at Katmai National Park, Alaska, drew the unwanted attention of a bear on the prowl for food. Multiple outlets reported that center John Hayden and the team’s mascot, Buoy — who was in full costume — were in the water when their guide spotted the bear and moved the group. The bear took a sudden interest in Buoy and charged toward him briefly before stopping and turning around. “I want to blame it on Buoy,” Hayden joked. “They were pretty interested in his look.” No one was harmed in the encounter, and other team members were unfazed. Meanwhile, the whole situation has drawn the ire of PETA, who sent a strongly worded letter filled with hockey puns, detailing the harm that fishing for sport does to fish, even when they are thrown back, and urging the team to “bench their fishing rods for good.” [Fox News, 8/7/2025]
Never Heard of Him
St. Jude the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Erie, Pennsylvania, holds a Corvette raffle every year to raise money for the parish, and in 2024, one “Martin Anderson” came away with the top prize. But on Aug. 6, the Erie Times-News reported that an investigation by the Erie County District Attorney’s Office discovered that no such person exists. Father Ross Miceli is under investigation for making up the name of the winner as well as winners of other prizes. The church declined to comment but acknowledged there was an active criminal investigation underway. The reverend has been placed on administrative leave. [Erie Times-News, 8/6/2025]
The Passing Parade
The South China Morning Post reported on Aug. 5 that adults in China are turning to pacifiers to ease their stress, improve sleep, and stop smoking. The adult binkies are larger than the infant models and come in different colors, and shops say they’re selling more than 2,000 each month. “It’s high quality, soft, and I feel comfortable sucking it,” said one buyer. “It does not impede my breathing.” But Chengdu dentist Tang Caomin isn’t a fan: “By sucking the dummy for more than three hours a day, the position of your teeth might change after a year.” [SCMP, 8/5/2025]
Nope
• Talk about rodents of unusual size. A giant rat — perhaps the biggest ever caught in the United Kingdom — was recently captured in North Yorkshire, reported The Independent on Aug. 5. The rodent, removed by exterminators from a home in the Greater Eston area, measured 22 inches long and was described as “almost the size of a small cat.” (For reference, rats in the U.K. usually stay under 11 inches, on average.) Some local leaders say pest issues have dramatically worsened since the end of free services for residents in the area. Eston ward councilor David Taylor said the rodents were becoming “brazen,” adding, “The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get.” [The Independent, 8/5/2025]
• In Fort Collins, Colorado, residents have reported seeing rabbits with black, tentacle-like protrusions on their heads, KUSA-TV reported. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the horny growths are caused by a virus that is not dangerous to humans or pets, but warned people not to touch them just the same. The “Frankenstein rabbits” are not in pain, CPW said, unless the spines grow on sensitive areas like the eyes. There is no known cure. [KUSA, 8/13/2025]
132 Days Until Christmas
Three Deutsche Post volunteers — or elves, you might call them — left St. Nikolaus, Germany, on Aug. 9 and started cycling toward Santa Claus Village in Finland, the Associated Press reported. The trio were carrying more than 30,000 letters and Christmas wish lists that had been delivered to the German village and were expected to arrive in roughly two weeks. The traditional journey dates back to 1967. [AP, 8/10/2025]
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NEWS OF THE WEIRD
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