Japanese monkey on the loose with a criminal record

by Meg Nesterov on

Mothers of Japan, lock up your daughters, there’s a monkey on the loose and she has a record. A Japanese macaque named Lucky escaped from a government nature park in Mishima in central Japan while her cage was being cleaned this morning. City officials and residents are especially wary as Lucky escaped last year and went on a two-month “biting spree,” attacking 120 people before being caught in October.

Lucky got her name after her capture last fall, when she was put on display in the nature park along with “Lucky” souvenirs (temporary bite tattoos, perhaps?) until the stress of her new fame got to her. The macaque was spotted near JR Mishima Station today and officials are working to get her back to the nature park before she bites again.

UPDATE: Lucky’s latest reign of terror has ended after less than 24 hours on the loose with no injuries reported. Despite last fall’s two-month search, this capture was easy. “We called her name repeatedly, and she came to us,” city official Hidetsugu Uchida said. “She has been used to being called by her name.” Here’s hoping her next escape attempt is not so Lucky.

[Japanese macaque photo by Flickr user Kabacchi]

Deep sea hunter fishes underwater for five minutes – on one breath

by Scott Carmichael on

Deep sea hunting is something you have to see to believe – in the video above, an Indonesian hunter swims to a depth of 65 feet, and stays there for just under three minutes. Other dives can send them underwater for up to five minutes. Armed with nothing more than his trunks, a pair of goggles and a spear gun, this hunter scours the seabed for his catch – staying underwater as long as it takes to catch what he needs.

At this depth, Indonesian sea bed hunter Sulbin has an immense amount of pressure above him. Sulbin is a Bajau fisher – a member of an ever decreasing tribe of sea nomads that spend their entire life out at sea. Bajau are born at sea, will live at sea, and will die at sea.

These sea gypsies live in Malaysia and Indonesia. They live on houseboats or in stilt houses off the shores. So much of their time is spent in the water, they often feel landsick when they are on dry land.Because of the pressure from diving, these divers will intentionally rupture their eardrums at an early age – which essentially makes them partially deaf, a high price to pay for ensuring a good catch. The deep dives even change their eye muscles increasing their underwater eyesight.

The catch varies from area to area – some dive for food, others are after pearls or sea cucumbers. To make their job productive, many of these divers will have to make hundreds of dives a year.

The clip is part of the BBC/Discovery produced “Human Planet”. To learn more about the show, and the challenges involved with creating this amazing footage, check out the Human Planet blog.

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Piracy reached record levels in 2010

by Sean McLachlan on


Pirate hijackings in the Red Sea and nearby waters reached their highest levels ever, the Associated Press reports.

Pirate hijackings worldwide claimed 1,181 hostages and 53 vessels, a rise of ten percent since 2009. Of these, 49 ships were taken by Somali gunmen in the Red Sea or nearby waters in the Indian Ocean. Somali piracy has been the biggest problem area despite an international fleet of warships trying to stop it. Somalis have taken four more ships so far in 2011 and currently hold 31 ships and 713 people captive.

Somali pirates generally use speedboats to come up alongside freighters, tankers, or smaller ships and then threaten to open fire if the captain doesn’t stop. The pirates then board the vessel and radio in a ransom demand that can amount to millions of dollars. Prisoners are generally not hurt, although eight were killed last year. Usually the ransom is paid.

Because naval vessels have been able to stop some attacks near the Somali coast, pirates have moved operations further into the Indian Ocean where they’re harder to catch. Other problem areas include Nigerian, Bangladeshi, and Indonesian waters.

Somali pirates claim they have been forced into piracy because their fishermen have been pushed out of work by illegal fishing by foreign vessels and illegal dumping of toxic waste by big corporations.

If you’re worried about piracy, stay away from the Red Sea area, and check out our handy tips on what to do if pirates board your ship.

[Photo courtesy Mass communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason R. Zalasky , U.S. Navy.]

Daily Pampering: InterContinental Hong Kong’s million dollar Valentine’s Day date

by Melanie Nayer on

Looking for a totally over-the-top way to spoil your special someone this Valentine’s Day? The InterContinental Hong Kong has planned the ultimate Valentine’s Experience for only HK$1 million (approximately $130,000 USD) Valentine’s Day Date in the hotel’s Presidential Suite.

The package includes one-night stay in Hong Kong‘s largest Presidential Suite (at 7,000 square feet), which includes a duplex living room, rooftop terrace with a private swimming pool and jacuzzi overlooking Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island and a master suite and bathroom, with a jacuzzi and rain forest shower for two, plus a private sauna and steam room. The suite at the InterContinental Hong Kong also has a private dining room, gym and study.You’ll also get:

  • Chauffeured airport transfers via the hotel’s Phantom VI Rolls Royce.
  • A bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé 2004Champagne served with fresh strawberries in the Rolls Royce, in transit to InterContinental Hong Kong
  • A personalized premium bar set-up in the Presidential Suite for your enjoyment throughout your stay.
  • Our Phantom VI Rolls Royce limousine with private chauffeur — on call for your use throughout your stay.
  • A special welcome gift and amenities in the Presidential Suite upon your arrival.
  • Your selection of pampering spa treatments in the private couple’s Spa Suite at the hotel’s feng shui inspired I-Spa during your stay.
  • Arrangements for a Personal Shopper to help you select your designer wardrobe for the evening at the brand name boutique of your choice (to the value of HK$150,000).
  • A custom-designed Valentine’s message displayed by banner via a private boat at a designated time as seen from your rooftop terrace.
  • Personalized floral décor in the suite
  • A premium private bar set up in the suite.
  • 1,000 roses delivered to the Presidential Suite – just for her
  • A “declaration of love” gift from (valued at HK$100,000) from him to her from a designer brand store of her choice.
  • Pre-dinner cocktails and aperitifs served with deluxe hors d’oeuvres in the Presidential Suite
  • A romantic dinner fit for a prince and princess, with your choice of a custom-made menu from one of the hotel’s two 1-Michelin star restaurants
  • Yan Toh Heen (for exquisite Cantonese cuisine), or SPOON by Alain Ducasse (for contemporary French cuisine) or NOBU InterContinental Hong Kong (celebrated for its innovative new-style Japanese cuisine), paired with vintage wines.
  • The romantic candlelit dinner can be served in the Presidential Suite by your personal butler or in the private room at SPOON by Alain Ducasse, Yan Toh Heen or NOBU InterContinental Hong Kong.
  • Live music performed by a string quartet throughout the evening in the Presidential Suite.
  • A Champagne and caviar breakfast served in the privacy of Presidential Suite on your private harbourview terrace overlooking Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island.
  • Monogrammed His and Hers Shanghai Tang silk bathrobes.
  • A butler-drawn rose petal bath in the Presidential Suite’s romantic harbourview Jacuzzi with sweeping views of Victoria Harbour.
  • Chanel bathroom amenities
  • Access to the exclusive Club InterContinental (Executive Lounge) where you can enjoy afternoon tea and evening cocktails, as well as complimentary high-speed internet access and personalized concierge services.

This one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Date Experience in the Presidential Suite is exclusively for reservations between February 11-14, 2011.

Get more luxury travel ideas from daily pampering.

National Geographic Student Expeditions expands offerings for 2011

by Kraig Becker on

The National Geographic Student Expeditions program has announced a number of great new excursions for 2011, giving young travelers even more choices for what to do with their summer break. New destinations added this year include Barcelona, Spain, New Zealand, and Yellowstone National Park, amongst others. There is even an option to travel to Costa Rica to work on a new community service project this year as well.

Nat Geo’s Student Expeditions program is designed to give high school students an educational and immersive travel experience that they probably wouldn’t be able to have anywhere else. The program sends them off to some amazing places around the world, while packing a healthy dose of adventure and education into the itinearary. They’ll also have the opportunity to interact with some of National Geographic’s experts and team leaders to further enhance the journey.

The trips range in length from about 10 to 21 days in length and are offered in more than 60 destinations across the globe. While on location, they’ll stay in two unique and interesting base camps and explore the surrounding landcapes with their guides and NG experts, while taking part in any number of hands-on activities.

One of the most unique elements to these expeditons is that the students are given “On Assingment” projects that allows them to learn more about a particular subject with which they might have an interest. Those areas of study include photography, culture, arachaeology, conservation, filmmaking and more. These project turn an already amazing travel adventure into a learning opportunity unlike any other.

To find out more about the program go to ngstudentexpeditions.com where you’ll find a complete list of destinations available, bios on some of the National Geographic experts that conduct these trips, and blog entries and video from previous expeditions. There is also ore information on the On Assignment projects and a form for requesting the 2011 catalog. There is also an online application for those who already know where they would like to go, which can be found by clicking here.

If you would like to find out more information on the program, Nat Geo is conducting a free webinar tomorrow evening, January 18th, from 8-9PM EST. You can register to attend that virtual event by filling out the form located here.

National Geographic has partnered with Putney Student Travel, a company that as more than 60 years experience in the field, to help design the Student Expeditions program. Between these two great organizations, you can bet that students will have an unforgettable travel experience.