The 6 Weirdest Stories of 2015
After a sobering year of reporting on local crime, terrorist attacks, rioting and protesting, our WJZ news team wanted to come up with a lighthearted list of the weird, interesting and less hard-hitting local stories from 2015. Here are a few of our top weird stories of the year.
(Leave a comment if you think we missed one!)
In 2015, a casual stroll through downtown Frederick sometimes ended with a hasty dash to your car. County officials said they've received multiple reports of bats flying around residents within a three-quarter-mile radius throughout the year.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources released a helpful guide on dealing with bats that fly into your house or potentially come in contact with pets or children. Many of the bats are suspected to have rabies, and although having contact with them is not common, it's best to know ahead of time what you should do if you're ever in that type of situation.
Bats weren't the only flying fiends attacking from above. Maryland trail hikers and bikers complained about being attacked by owls throughout the year.
Montgomery County officials warned park goers that a barred owl was trying to stake its claim on a new habitat in a Bethesda nature trail, and it's been preying on ducks, small herrings and hats that joggers and bikers have been wearing.
Officials say the head turning avians have comb-like edges on their feathers, which make it nearly impossible to hear them flying toward you from behind. Many of the people "attacked" found the encounters funny, and someone even started a parody Twitter account on its behalf: "You can't hear me until your man bun is in my claws," he said.
Animal Control received several calls in September from neighbors who suspected a local woman was illegally breeding dogs. When officials responded to the house, they found out that she was living with 53 Chihuahuas.
The woman agreed to surrender all 53 of her Chihuahuas to Baltimore City Animal Control. They then turned them over to the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) to be cared for and prepared for adoption. The miniature mutts have since been adopted one-by-one.
That shouldn't be on the menu!
In October, four teenagers from Glen Burnie were fined $200 each for killing and grilling a timber rattlesnake in western Maryland. Maryland Natural Resources (MNR) police officials say the young men were camping in the Green Ridge State Forest in August when they killed the snake with a BB gun and grilled it.
They were fined because the timber rattler is a state-endangered species. But if it weren't, would you still eat it?
We're gonna to need a bigger boat!
Snakes in the -- water? An Upper Marlboro man set a record in October after catching a giant northern snakehead fish. According to the Department of Natural Resources, the 17.49-pounder set a state sport fish record.
With the tremendous catch, the angler also did a service to the local marine ecosystem. Marine officials have been urging anglers who catch snakeheads to not return them to the water because they're an invasive, predatory species. (And rumor has it, they're surprisingly delicious to eat.)
Lifeguard by day; Equestrian by night
The job of a lifeguard is a noble one. It consists of saving drowning beach goers, spotting sharks to warn swimmers, and -- taming wild horses?
An Assateague Island beach goer posted a video in September of a lifeguard trying to get a wild horse to move away from a family's beach picnic. Although the National Park Service listed the wild horses as an invasive species who are technically foreign to the island, the sightings have been so commonplace that the wild stallions, mares and fouls have become a major drawing point for many of Assateague Island's visitors.
Fortunately, the lifeguard walked away from the incident with no injuries. But lesson learned -- never, ever stand behind a horse!
Horse Kicks Lifeguard on BeachThe human/horse interaction that was captured here over the weekend is a stark reminder of the power and unpredictability of wild horses. These types of interactions can happen in an instant, even to National Park Service personnel who have been trained to move horses from the beach. Help prevent this scenario from happening in the first place by folllowing these simple tips: * Please do not make food or water available to the horses. * When possible, keep food safely stored in a vehicle. If food must be brought to the beach, store it in a sturdy zippered bag or in a cooler that is secured shut with a strap. * Give the horses their space. Move at least a bus length away when a horse approaches. Do not try to save your belongings; wait until the horse is out of the area. *Wild horses communicate. Watch for pinned ears and sudden movements, as they indicate agitation that can lead to kicking and biting. Unfortunately, incidents like this happen every year. The lifeguard in the video suffered minor abrasions but was otherwise unhurt. Regardless of your comfort level around horses remember that the wild horses are powerful, unpredictable animals.
Posted by Assateague Island National Seashore on Wednesday, September 2, 2015