Tuesday, April 08, 2008

This Little Piggie...




A tiger at a California zoo gave birth to a rare set of triplet cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the tiny cubs were born prematurely and died shortly after birth. The mother tiger, after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tiger to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tiger could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve.


After checking with other zoos all over the country, it turned out that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. Thus, the veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes, a mother of one species will take on the care of babies of a different species, and that's what they decided to try.


Alas, the only orphans that could be found quickly were a litter of weaning pigs. As crazy as it sounds, the zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger. Would they become cubs or ... pork chops?

Well... The proof is in the photos. *Caveat: I haven't checked this through Snopes, so it may or may not be true. I thought the photos were adorable, though. Bona fide porcine pigs are cute. Some people are pigs. They're not cute.


Moving on...

I have a new job! The interview went very well last evening and I got everything I had hoped for -- without having to ask for a thing. This means more money and more flexibility. I figured I'd probably have to forgo a private office but, no, I'm getting one. She'd like for me to start at the soonest possible time, which I'm guessing will probably be next week. I'm very happy.

These Words Gone Wild rounded up by TWISTED LINGUISTICS seem very happy, too, though I can't for the life of me figure out why. Or what on earth they mean. But I'll try.

expecially - Formerly pretty cool, now not so much.

cubbard - A Shakespeare-quoting infant of the Ursidae family.

chicken thies - I think it used to be stealers of poultry -- until somebody stole the f. Or maybe it used to be a chicken part, until somebody stole the gh and left an inferior e.

heart attach - What a surgeon must be sure to do during cardiac surgery.

priscription - Instructions for divas and other girly-girls.

pollops - People who run surveys and elections.

skin adema - A hideous dermatological condition.

17 comments:

G-Man said...

YAY!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I told you that you were smart enough..
Pretty enough
Talented enough
..And dog-gone it, people just like you!!

The pig-let tiger thing, just proves that creatures from different ilk, CAN get along!!
Some people should try and follow this example.!

I knew you were destined for success Sherry..xox

Ed & Jeanne said...

There are so many jokes I could use here:

Mamma Tiger: Aren't they the other white?
Papa Tiger: Tastes like chicken
Other Tiger: Did somebody say bacon?
Yet another Tiger: They sure eat like pigs!

Congrats on the job. I'm sorry you have to work though. What a pain that is...

Hale McKay said...

Congratulations! We knew you could do it!

Welcome back to the ranks of the tax-paying employed.

(The next installment (4-7) of Echoes of Eddie is up for your reading pleasure.)

Anonymous said...

ha ha

cute pics

and congrats
and all best at your new job!

¤ ¤ ¤

/t.

Bilbo said...

Boy, this one is really tough...

First installment:

cubbard: where you store the baby bears.

heart attach: once they've gone after all your other assets, the IRS will try to seize your body parts.

pollops: the addendum to a letter written by a Spanish chicken.

skin adema: a condition in which the patient breaks out in lesions which make him/her look like a NASCAR competitor.

I don't think I can do any better than you did with the others...

Charles said...

[got everything I had hoped for] Yay! Congratulations. I don't know what it was, doesn't matter, it's not my business. It is wonderful you won't go without, though.

Serena said...

Thanks for the congrats, G. I'm not sure whether piglets and tigers are what Rodney King had in mind, but yeah! Why the hell not?:)

VE -- shhhhhh! You're gonna scare those little piggies! Yeah, I'm sorry I have to work, too. Alas, I just can't seem to ever remember to buy a winning lottery ticket.:)

Thank you, Mike. God knows I'd have felt terrible if I weren't paying any taxes. And if you believe that, I have some oceanfront property in Nebraska... I'll go read Eddie first chance I get.:)

They are cute, aren't they, /t.? Ooooo baby, cute babies.:) Thanks for the congrats. It was all the good luck you people conjured up that did it.:D

Geez, Bilbo, I hope the IRS isn't reading this. If they are, you may have just given them a new idea. Why, oh why is the thought of a Spanish chicken giving me such giggles?:-)

Thank you, Charles. I lucked out in such areas as much better pay and no set hours; i.e., as long as I put in the requisite number, the days and starting times are up to me. I'm crossing my fingers for you now.

Unknown said...

Oh My G-d....that was real? I thought you were pulling a VE with fake photos, but no. WOW! That is awesome.

I thought tigers would eat pigs so I have to wonder: where did they found a kosher tiger?

Skunkfeathers said...

Congrats on the new position!

As for the photos, if a true tale, them is gonna be five scarred pigs for life: learning the ways of their new "mama-san", they'll learn to claw stuff, climb trees, and uttering "prrrrroinks" when they're content.

A new breed for the zoo: Piggers!
Or Tigs...take your choice.

Unknown said...

I zoned and missed the new job part. Thank G-d I usually read most blogs twice.

That is awesome! I love having a private office. Congrats!

Serena said...

It's hard to say whether it was kosher, Kan. Maybe it was just good karma. The piggies got a mom and the tiger swore off pork. It's all good.:D Thanks for the congrats.

Thank you, Skunky. Piggers! I like that. They will be some oddly behaved porkers, won't they?:-)

Little Lamb said...

Those tigers and pigs are ADORABLE!!!!

Congrats on the new job.

Serena said...

Thank you, Lamby. I hope you find yourself a new position soon, too. Those piggies are cute, aren't they? Not, perhaps, as cute as little lambs, but pretty cute.:)

snowelf said...

CONGRATS!!! Serena!!

And yesterday I read an astrology site that said April's full moon is a friendly one! It just keeps getting better. :)

SOOOOO happy for you!! :)

--snow

Serena said...

Thank you, sweetpea. I've never experienced a friendly full moon, so I hope that site was right.:)

Corn Dog said...

CONGRATS!!!!!! I'm so happy for you. YEAH!

Serena said...

Thank you, Corn Doggie.