Newsweek warns of dangerous bunnies and other “baddest breeds”

by Annie Scott on

Remember our list of the Top Ten Most Badass Animals Native to the USA? Well, Newsweek has taken it a step further and produced a photo gallery of the baddest animal breeds in the world.

Number 8 on the list: bunny rabbits. Seriously. The cutie pie you see at right is a European rabbit, whose modus operandi is reportedly to “reproduce in the manner they’ve become famous for and overrun whatever habitat they enter. Native to Spain and Portugal, this hopping plague has trampled much of the world, including Washington state’s San Juan Island and Hawaii. In Australia rabbits are partly blamed for killing off more than 10 percent of the mammal species. They rip up farms, ruin soil, and support lots of other troublesome species, including feral cats and foxes.”

Other animals on Newsweek’s list include wild boars and snakeheads in the US, the Indian mongoose, South American killer bees, Russian zebra mussels, Chinese crabs and more. Page through to find out which critters to watch out for on your next trip.

Who knew bunnies were so fierce?

Answer: Monty Python.

Creative enough to win a free trip to Amsterdam?

by Annie Scott on


The Netherlands Board of Tourism is at it again. Last year, they held an artsy contest awarding a free trip to whoever had the cleverest “what I would give up” photo entry. Now, there’s a new contest: “Just be. In Holland.“

By answering a Holland-themed question correctly on the website (no labor), you could win:

  • A monthly delivery of fresh tulips for a year
  • An exclusive Gassan 121 diamond made in Amsterdam
  • A quintessentially Dutch bicycle
  • An iconic piece of Dutch design furniture

A question will be posted each Thursday in February, starting today.

If you put in a little effort and create a photo entry “portraying how you might ‘Just be. In Holland,'” you could win two roundtrip KLM business class tickets to Amsterdam, as well as a four night stay at Sofitel Amsterdam The Grand (it’s grand).

While all this is going on, New Yorkers, keep an eye on the S train (Shuttle between Times Square and Grand Central). It’s going to look something like the photo at right, and there will be street teams from the Netherlands Board of Tourism distributing Holland-themed giveaways. Dank u wel!

The contest goes live on Holland.com today, February 4, 2010. Send this to all your artsiest friends, as the most “creative” entry will be picked!

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