Something Squirrelly this Way Comes

These days you can have practically anything as the ringtone on your cell phone. Music, sound effects, animal sounds. For years I had mine set to howl life a wolf. I'd likely still have that except I switched phones and a wolf howl is not an option. Bummer.

Anyway, in the forests of western India people are setting their ringtones to the calls of goats, roosters and cows. I thought that pretty odd. Then I found out that they're connecting their cells to speakers and broadcasting the calls at night. Which struck me as Really odd. Surely they have better ways to entertain themselves?

Turns out folks there are using the ringtones to lure leopards into cages for relocation away from villages. Leopards hear sounds of food, stalk up to the sound & the cage door comes down. Pretty darn smart if you ask me. The ringtone as lure, that is. I feel bad for the kitties. Although, it's safer for them to be moved now instead of killed later.

Read Ringtones Used to Trap Stray Leopards for the full story.