Bristol, UK, Sept 2002: Janet Duffy, whose koi and fancy goldfish valued at £1000 were stolen in July, awoke to discover that the thieves had returned them. They even replaced a piece of frog statuary that had been broken when the fish were stolen.

Surrey, UK, Sept 2002: A 75 year old woman, Ellen Jones, was convicted of causing the death of a pony through neglect. She was in direct contempt of earlier judgments against her when she’d been banned from keeping horses for life. Miss Jones has a history of anti-social behavior which includes pan-frying her neighbor’s koi and subsequently being ordered by the court to pay £35,000 in damages.

Baton Rouge, LA, August 2002: A team of aquaculture engineering professors at Louisiana State University has developed a prototype robot that chases down birds and squirts them. This solar-powered robot never stops, just like the “Terminator” and is a blue heron’s worst nightmare. It is being developed for use by commercial fish ponds and should only cost a couple of hundred dollars to produce.

Ponteland, UK, Sept 2002: After being accused of chasing fish and causing mayhem in a pond at Dobbies Garden Centre, Jonny, a foot-long terrapin named after one of Dobbies’ staff who resembles the turtle, was banished from the pond. Though customers accused him, reptile experts disputed the claims, assuring the garden center that Jonny would not be a menace to the koi in the pond. Jonny was returned to the pond and is allowed free run until he is taken inside for winter.

Seattle, WA, Sept 2002: A rare, nearly extinct western pond turtle was found walking along the side of the road and picked up by a Vicki Hoisington who had almost accidentally run over the turtle. No one knew this turtle was so rare until it was taken to Kitsap Humane Society and turned over to the Bainbridge Island Wildlife Shelter for identification. The turtle is now in a new home at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo where she is the 3rd breeding female at the zoo.