Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Fair replaces pig races with flying dogs NEW YORK, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Officials with New York's Richmond County Fair said this year's pig races were scrapped over swine flu concerns and replaced with a flying dog competition. Advertisement The fair said the annual pig races, a decades-old tradition, is being skipped at this year's Sept. 1-3 fair due to swine flu outbreaks linked to fairs in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Hawaii, and will be replaced with a contest involving dogs leaping into water from an elevated plank, the Staten Island Advance reported Tuesday. "It's like the doggy Olympics. These are amateurs. They will dash down a raised dock, leap into the air, and they are judged on a variety of different ways: They can catch things, on distance, height," said Ed Wiseman, executive director of Historic Richmond Town. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 154 cases of swine flu in the United States from the start of the year through July. Advertisement "While rare, influenza can spread from pigs to people and from people to pigs," the CDC's Web site states. "When people get swine flu viruses, it's usually after contact with pigs. This has happened in different settings, including fairs." Prank sign warns of train station mice LONDON, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- A prank sign posted at a London commuter train station had passengers tucking their pants into their socks to avoid attacks from mice. The sign, which bore a London Underground logo, was spotted this week at the Farringdon station and warned commuters of mice "attacking" humans, The Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday. "Please place the bottom of your trousers into your socks to avoid being a victim of the Farringdon mice," the sign read. However, Transport for London officials said the sign was not posted by employees and was an apparent prank. "The writing on the whiteboard at the station is not an official TfL message and has since been removed," a spokeswoman said. "We do not believe it was written by a member of station staff and we're not aware of any problems with mice." Beluga calf born in Chicago CHICAGO, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Chicago's Shedd Aquarium announced the birth of a healthy beluga whale calf to mother Mauyak at the facility. Advertisement Officials with the aquarium's Abbott Oceanarium said the mother and her calf appeared to be doing well after the 2 a.m. Monday delivery and staff are monitoring the pair around the clock. "We are thrilled to welcome the newest member of the Shedd Aquarium family. A newborn calf must reach several milestones in its first days and months so we remain cautious; however, the calf has demonstrated incredible progress," said Ken Ramirez, executive vice president of animal care and training at Shedd. "Mauyak is an experienced mom having given birth to two calves in the past, so the labor was quick and went very smoothly." "In less than 24 hours after birth, the calf achieved the first critical milestones that we look for, including taking its first breath, bonding with mom and we've seen attempts at nursing," Ramirez said. "Shedd's long history of research and care of these animals tells us that these initial behaviors indicate a strong calf; but we will continue to monitor for signs of development, including steady nursing and growth." Mauyak was transferred from Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Wash., to the Shedd in 1997 as part of the North American beluga whale breeding cooperative. Advertisement Cows wander onto interstate DARTMOUTH, Mass., Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Massachusetts State Police said there were no human or bovine injuries when a pair of escaped cows wandered onto an interstate during the morning commute. A police spokesman said the cows, which escaped from a local farm, wandered onto Interstate 195 in Dartmouth around 7:20 a.m. Monday, The Herald News, Fall River, Mass., reported Tuesday. Sgt. Francis Poitrast said troopers used their cruisers to create a "rolling roadblock" that kept traffic moving slowly. "They used their cruisers to get the cows into the breakdown lane," Poitrast said. "It took about an hour to find the owner," Poitrast said. "Troopers just kept their cruisers near the cows and kept them from getting back out in traffic." Poitrast said no one was hurt during the incident. "That's the best thing," Poitrast said. "No one was hurt and the cows didn't get injured."
