As if owning a LBC wasn't already interesting enough:
February 2, 2006
WELLINGTON, New Zealand --Organizers of a vintage car rally have hired karate
experts to protect vehicles from marauding native parrots, a media report said
Friday.
Around 40 members of a local karate club have been enlisted to protect around
140 classic cars due to visit an alpine village near Mt. Cook on New Zealand's
South Island on Sunday, the New Zealand Press Association reported.
The karate experts will protect the cars from Keas, sharp-beaked native parrots
which have been known to damage vehicles in their search for shiny items, NZPA
said.
Denis Callesen, manager of the nearby Hermitage Hotel, said bird lovers needn't
be concerned that the karate experts would use martial arts moves on the
parrots, which are a protected species. Their job would simply be to scare the
birds away, he said.
Local wildlife ranger Ray Bellringer said the karate masters were unlikely to
deter the Keas.
"They will fly around and laugh," he said.
The best method to prevent Keas from damaging vehicles was to squirt them with
water pistols, he added.
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