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Hello All,
As the topic says, Whats on for the Chinese New Year here in Bangkok?

This is the unlikely story of a fungus in Thailand that has seemingly magical powers.  Far away from their origins in Haitian folklore, zombies live again in the world of nature. Scientists are intrigued by this entity’s ability to control the brains of carpenter ants in a process known as “parasitic zombification.”



As indicated by the picture above, a reddish brown stalk created by the fungus known as Ophiocordy unilateralis, has invaded the ant’s body. The exposed position is ideal for releasing spores.

This unusual mind-control dates back 48 million years as indicated by a recent study reported in The American Naturalist. Some fossilized leaves from this period were discovered in Messel, Germany, by a group of researchers from Harvard University headed by David Hughes, a behavioral ecologist. These leaves bore indications of carpenter ant “death grip scars.”

“The evidence we found… shows that the parasite has been working in the same way for a very long time.  This is, as far as we know, the oldest evidence of parasites manipulating the behavior of their hosts and it shows this parasitic association with ants is relatively ancient and not a recent development…,” said Hughes.

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC housed these leaf specimens for years until David Hughes developed the idea of examining the fossil record for traces of the distinctive bite marks.

He was inspired by a recent trip to southern Thailand where he had completed some fieldwork concerning the infection of Camponotus leonardi, (carpenter ants) by fungal parasites that control their behavior.

The recent study does mark the very first time fossilized records have revealed this type of behavioral manipulation in the insect kingdom. Clearly, the carpenter ants and fungi have been embroiled in a deadly détente for centuries untold.

In Thailand, carpenter ants build hives in the trees and feed on the forest floors. The fungus invades their brain and dictates a new location away from the colony, solely on the ground on a leaf where it KNOWS it will thrive best. The ant bites down on a major vein of a leaf and dies, providing the perfect setting for the release of spores and further infection.

http://www.weirdasia...d-mind-control/

The owner of the suitcase was a Thai national who was traveling to Iran. She was stopped after checking in for her flight at Suvarnabhumi Airport because her bag was too heavy. Airport authorities sent for an X-ray, which revealed a tiger cub estimated to be about 3 months old inside.

The cub was sent to a wildlife conservation center in Bangkok.

“The cub arrived at our unit and was put under close supervision. He appeared exhausted, dehydrated and couldn’t walk, so we had to give him oxygen, water and lactation. We have monitored him closely. As of today, he looks better and can walk a little now,” says said Chaiyaporn Chareesaeng, head of the Wildlife Health Unit at the Department of National Parks’ Wildlife and Plant Conservation Center.

Piyawan Palasarn, aged 31, faces up to four years in prison and a 40,000 baht ($1,300) fine for two wildlife smuggling-related charges. Like any criminal worth his or her salt, she denied any wrong doing, claiming the offending luggage belonged to another passenger who requested that she transport it on the plane for them.

A DNA test will reveal whose bag is whose and this woman is in deep trouble as well she should be.

“…Had the animal passed the oversize baggage check and gone through four to five hours of travel, its chances of survival would have been slim,” said Nirath Nipanant, chief of the airport’s wildlife checkpoint.

The reality is that the cub could have been sold on Iran’s black market for about 100,000 baht ($3,200) where exotic animals are highly coveted as pets. This coupled with a loss of habitat and lack of control on poachers who sell their skins to medicinal and souvenir markets in China have decimated the number of wild tigers in Asia.

http://www.weirdasia...g-thai-airport/