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Sun 19 Feb, 2006 03:15 pm
Tiger poo, the new black gold
CANBERRA, Australia (Reuters) -- A tiger's roar might be scary, but Australian researchers have found that the predator's poo is just as potent.
Researchers at the University of Queensland said on Friday they had successfully trailed a tiger poo repellant, warding off wild goats for at least three days.
"Goats wouldn't have seen a tiger from an evolutionary point of view for at least 15 generations but they recognize the smell of the predator," repellent creator Peter Murray said in a statement.
"If we can show this lasts weeks ... we've just tapped into probably a billion-dollar market. It's enormous," he said.
Murray said the repellant, made of fatty acids and sulphuric compounds extracted from tiger excrement, also worked on feral pigs, kangaroos and rabbits and might deter deer, horses and cattle too.
In an average year pest animals cause about A$420 million (U.S. $311 million) worth of agricultural damage in Australia the government has said.
Others put the cost in the billions, mostly from European imports such as rabbits, foxes and crop-choking weeds.
reyn :
will that be your 'retirement' job, leading a tiger around on a leash to 'drop something' here and there ?
should be just up your alley since you are a cat person, right ?
pls send pix ! good luck ! hbg
You're right. I am a "cat person", but I don't know if I'd be comfortable with a cat the size of a very large dog.
Here's me giving it a try though:
ALways wear your good luck ham when your with a tiger
btw , the toronto zoo is making a little extra money these days selling 'zoo-poo' . local gardeners are quite enthused about the extra 'nourishment' their plants are getting. hbg
Several zoos in the States are selling garden sculptures molded from exotic animal droppings. The idea is that the little critters will disolve slowly, enriching the soil while announcing ecological responsibility--and raising money for the zoos.
'garden sculptures' - is that what they are calling turds these days ? pretty fancy ! hbg
Hamburger--
I received a Zoo-Doo frog as a gift. The raw material had been molded.
noddy : enjoy the gift ! are you keeping it on the nightstand
? hbg
Hamburger--
The critter lasted for three years in the garden, offering practical support to a large clump of snowdrops. The dung has vanished--the snowdrops are flourishing.
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