You have to see it to believe it, and if you're reading this article on TrueAuthority.com, well, believe it, because there it is above.

It's a baby zebra with no stripes, and rangers in Nairobi, Kenya, are dumbfounded by the discovery.  Like a wolf among sheep, it sticks out among the rest, and questions are being raised as to how long it will last in the wild.

Veterinarians have yet to determine the gender of the baby zebra, nor have they given it a name.  They have determined, however, that it is about 4 weeks old.  So far, the purebred zebra is fitting in with its black and white herd and can be seen hopping and prancing about.

As for now, experts don't plan on taking away the zebra from its mom or the herd.  They will keep a close eye on it as as it grows, seeing how well it fairs with both predators and its own kind.

Some zebras are endangered due to hunting for their meat and skins.

Lynx And Puma Roaming Britain
by Jonathan Drake
S: AnimalPlanet.com (4-21-04)

It has for the longest time been passed off as pure imagination or the result of too much alcohol, but now scientists confess that there is "little doubt" that large cats, such as pumas and linx, are roaming the British countryside.

With more than four sightings of such beasts being reported per day, how could they not?

The British Big Cats Society, after a 15-month survey, recorded more than 2,000 sightings, making the final conclusion that there is "little doubt that big cats are roaming Britain."

"The evidence has been growing and is increasingly clear," said British Big Cats Society founder Danny Bamping.  "We are now going to approach the proper authorities to ask for their support in undertaking a properly funded scientific study on the big cats in Britain."

According to the Society, a wealth of evidence such as hairs, plaster casts of paw prints, photographs and video footage has been gathered, but efforts to track or catch the cats have proved nearly impossible.  One beast, the so-called "Beast of Bodmin," has for some time been reputedly stalking moorland and attacking livestock in Cornwall for years, but no one has been able to do anything about it.

Having large cats, however, could prove to be a good thing, as scientists believe there are not enough natural predators to keep Britain's population of grazing animals under control.

"The re-introduction of the lynx might, if handled correctly, help to balance this situation," said Chris Mosier, an adviser to the society.  "With an increased wariness of and tightening of controls on firearms, and the increasing unacceptability of hunting with dogs, the return of one of our long-lost predators may give hope to farmers and landowners."

Whatever the case, cryptozoology, the study of hidden animals, definitely scores points, proving yet again that some animals are more than capable of eluding man's detection.

Great White Jumps Onto Boat
by Jonathan Robison
S: News.com.au (4-23-04)

It's like something from Jaws, yet worse, because it was real.

The shark was reportedly some 18-feet long, and a Great White.  As fishing mate Shane Goble tried to land a fish he had on his line off the city of New Plymouth on North Island's west coast last month, the shark, bigger than his boat, lunged from the water and sank its teeth into the side of it.

"When I tried to lift my fish aboard, the shark launched itself out of the water and onto the side of the boat," said Goble.

The force of the striking shark when it hit pushed the vessel sideways, nearly tipping it over.  Gary Dodunski, who along with his daughter Michelle were with Goble, said the three first spotted "this big fin" circling their boat while they fished.  The shark would occasionally "stop and look at us", he said.

Michelle said the shark was within centimeters of her face as it grabbed the boat in its jaws.

"It rolled its eye back and sat there for a while, and then splashed back into the water.  It scared the hell out of me - I was shaking like a leaf."

After the attack, the trio jerked at the anchor rope, started the motor and sped away.  Their boat, Live'N Hope, has deep scratches on its side from the shark's lower teeth.

They say they'll continue fishing, although Michelle, who got the best view of the shark, "will probably turn (fishing trip offers) down for a while - she eyeballed the fellow," said Goble.

A word of personal advice ... when you see an 18-foot Great White stop to look at you, it might be a good idea to fish someplace else.

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