a little east of reality

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

hanging 18

Surfing mice hit the Gold Coast
(click here for the video...you have to wait until the advertisement finishes to see the mouse footage)

Move over Kelly Slater - surfing mice Harry, Chopsticks and Bunsen are hitting the waves.
Gold Coast owner and trainer Shane Wilmott said the secret to training a surfing mouse was to start young, beginning in the bath tub, before working up to low-level beach action.
"You give him the knowledge that the board's going to keep him afloat," he told the Ten Network.
Mr Wilmott said once the mice became comfortable with the water and the board, it was off to the beach - albeit only with mouse-sized waves. There are wipeouts, but sometimes the mice really shoot the curl.
Willmott said his interest in mice and an active imagination had inspired the creation of his stable of surfing mice.
He said he built the mice surfboards and was working on a mouse-sized wave runner. Willmott also provides custom-made villas for his little furry friends so they can relax after a tough day at the beach.

Mr Wilmott said not a single mouse had been lost to the surf.
But the RSPCA's Michael Beatty said he could not imagine the mice enjoying their surfing jaunts.
"As far as I know, mice don't swim for enjoyment," he said.
"I suppose, to be honest, you have to think like a mouse, and I can't imagine they would find surfing much fun."
Mr Beatty said the RSPCA would not take any action against Mr Wilmott, but he asked the Gold Coast man to rethink his behaviour.
"The RSPCA is against the use of any animal for entertainment which involves that animal doing an act that is unnatural and I would suggest surfing is not a natural activity for mice," he said.

I don't know whether mice enjoy surfing little mouse-sized waves, but I wouldn't have guessed that elephants were musical either, so maybe.