Jockstrip: The world as we know it.

Coca Cola adopts twin pandas in China

CHENGDU, China, April 13 (UPI) -- Beverage giant Coca Cola said it will invest more than $150,000 toward the lifelong well-being of panda twins it adopted at a Chinese research facility.

The company said the money will be spent during the next 15 to 20 years on food, healthcare and other costs for Le Le and Mei Mei, the first pair of twin giant pandas born after the Sichuan earthquake of May 12, 2008, China Daily reported Monday.

The 8-month-old panda sisters were introduced to the public at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding last month.

"Giant pandas are loved by people around the world -- they are a wonder of nature, but also one of the best examples of endangered species, which are worth every effort to protect and treasure," said Doug Jackson, president of Coca Cola Greater China and South Korea.

Scots coast guard rescues 'Mickey Mouse'

LOWER LARGO, Scotland, April 13 (UPI) -- A Scottish coast guard crew called to the scene of a reported small plane crash said they instead discovered a 5-foot-tall Mickey Mouse balloon.

A spokesman for the coast guard in the Fife council area said a member of the public reported seeing an object he believed to be a small plane crash into Largo Bay shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday but the crew instead found the helium balloon of the popular Disney cartoon character, The (Glasgow) Daily Record reported.

"Mickey was taken on board but he was found to be unresponsive," the spokesman joked. "A sweep of the area was carried out but there was no sign of Minnie."

The spokesman said microlight planes had been spotted in the area earlier in the day and a thorough search was carried out by another lifeboat crew and a Navy helicopter.

"The witness contacted us on Sunday to ask about the outcome of the incident and he was extremely apologetic," the spokesman said. "But we were able to assure him that we are happy to turn out when a member of the public believes somebody is in trouble."

Man grows own chili for spiciest sauce

NEW YORK, April 13 (UPI) -- A New York man said he is using his home-grown Naga jolokia, known as the world's hottest chili, to create the city's spiciest sauce.

Jeff Blaine, 53, said he and restaurant owner Satish Sehgal, 62, are using the Naga jolokia, sometimes known as ghost chili, to create a sauce about 400 times spicier than store-bought Tabasco, the New York Daily News reported.

Guinness World Records recognized Naga jolokia as the planet's spiciest chili in 2007.

"It's very, very hot," Blaine said. "How hot is hot? You can hallucinate from this chili."

He said the sauce will eventually be available for purchase.

"We want to call it 'Killer Sauce' but we're afraid -- if you're not used to this, it can be dangerous," Blaine said. "It'll be easy -- there's such a high demand for heat like this."

Wandering Florida monkey raids bird feeder

TAMPA BAY, Fla., April 13 (UPI) -- A monkey that has been loose in Florida's Tampa Bay area for more than a year was videotaped raiding a bird feeder for fistfuls of seed.

Rick Coffey of St. Petersburg said he initially thought the animal in his back yard Saturday was a cat, but he soon realized it was a monkey and videotaped it scooping bird seed out of the feeder and feasting on the pilfered food, the St. Petersburg Times reported.

The monkey, which wildlife officials said is believed to be a young male rhesus macaque, has been the target of a hunt by authorities for more than a year. The origins of the animal are unknown, but investigators said it may have been an abandoned pet or it may have split from a group of wild monkeys in a state park near Ocala, Fla.