Animal News: Jumbo squid off coast of Cali, Boston Zoo won't kill animals

Thousands of jumbo squid -- Humboldt squid -- are terrorizing scuba divers off the coast of California by ramming them, feeling them out, and (in a calamari twist) trying to eat them, read news reports including those from the BBC. One woman told the BBC that a jumbo squid ripped off her buoyancy aid and light and started to tangle her up in its tentacles. Freaky!

This is not the first time the jumbo squids have made their nest off the coast of Cali, but perhaps the first time they've been so aggressive. Yes, squid are carnivores so the threat of being eaten alive by a jumbo squid if they catch you is real. These suckers can grow up to 7 feet long, weigh up to 100 pounds, and can swim as fast as 15 mph. Full article from the BBC

In other animal news this week, operators of the Franklin Park Zoo here in Boston announced they will not be killing animals due to budget cuts, according to news reports including those from USA Today. Um, how is that legal anyway? I'm not a freaky vegetarian that has a PETA membership card or anything, but killing animals because of budget cuts seems a bit extreme to me. Anyway, the operators of the zoo had actually threatened to close their doors first before then revising their statement and saying, they would stay open, but might have to kill off some of its exotic animals. Right, so much better. Full USA Today article. Full release/site from the zoo