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10. 06. 09. - 09:00

Schönbrunn's horny rhino is an art lover

Michael Leidig

Horny rhino Jango has become a real art lover - after falling for a car dumped in a pond as a sculpture exhibit.

Schönbrunn Zoo bosses put the motor in his enclosure as a way of raising the plight of pollution for animals in the wild. But smitten Jango took a shine to the old banger and now treats it like a mate.

Austrian Times photographer David Rogers said: "He was in the pond for an hour and he kept giving the car affectionate nibbles. Then he tried to climb on it from the back and front. Every now and again he would climb out of the water and gallop round his cage for ten minutes before jumping back in the water. It was like he was trying to show off.

"He also kept trying to push the car out of the water but it's pretty firmly fixed in place," he added.

The car wreck is part of a project at the Viennese zoo to show the truth about the grim conditions animals face in the wild and what man has done to destroy what was once a wild paradise. Zoo bosses asked artists to give visitors a taste of what life is like outside the enclosure gates for the "Trouble In Paradise" exhibition.

Other examples include a railway line running across the bison enclosure and a filthy oil pump in the penguin pen. And they also dumped a rusty bath in the crocodile enclosure and huge oil drums in the aquariums.

New West Nile virus infections confirmed
Romania has confirmed eight new infections with the mosquito-borne West Nile virus, the Health Ministry said today (Fri).

Internet fraud involving sale of a laptop
A Romanian was arrested after he sent paper instead of a laptop after an internet auction, police said today (Thurs).

Twenty-five people accused of real-estate fraud
A bank manager, three lawyers and an official at the Properties Registry are under investigation by special brigade police DIICOT for real-estate fraud amounting to up to one million Euros, it was revealed today (Thurs).

Romanians buying fewer presonal-care and cleaning products
Hit by the economic crisis, Romanians are buying fewer personal-care and cleaning products, results of a new survey by GfK show.

British paedo´s previous victims speak up
Previous victims of James Connor, who was arrested on child-sex charges in Romania last week, are coming forward to expose his past, the Daily Record has reported.

Romania´s government to have some new ministers
Romania's government will have some new ministers, according to Prime Minister Emil Boc.

BCR launches real estate portal
Austrian Erste's Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) launched today (Weds) the first real estate offers website managed by a bank, in Romania.

Romania´s foreign exchange reserves dropped by 26mn euros in August
Romania's foreign exchange reserves dropped to 31.55 billion Euros in August, from 31.58 billion Euros, the central bank announced today (Weds).

Man in hospital after TV explodes
A man ended up in hospital with severe burns after his TV exploded and caused a fire in his flat in Satu mare, northern Romania, it was reported today (Weds).

Holender gets ORF job after ATV axe
Outgoing Vienna State Opera director Ioan Holender will host a radio talk show on national broadcaster ORF after private rival ATV scrapped his chat format, it has emerged.