Compiled by SIM LEOI LEOI, C.ARUNO AND R. ARAVINTHAN
WHAT was supposed to be delicious local cuisine featuring toads turned fatal for a man in China’s Hainan province, reported Sin Chew Daily.
On Oct 13, a restaurant operator in Wenchang town made some soup using toads he had trapped before inviting two friends over to enjoy the meal and drink with him.
Hours after their gathering, the three men started to experience intense abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.
All of them were sent to hospital and diagnosed with toad poisoning.
Their bodies went into shock and they experienced respiratory failure.
One of them died and the other two were in critical condition.
Despite warnings from the local government, villagers continue to trap these amphibians on rainy days.
It was reported that those who suffered from such food poisoning had usually consumed toad soup, a local delicacy.
Many wrongly believe that it is safe to eat toads after their skin and innards are removed.
The effects of eating the animal range from mild symptoms such as dermatitis to severe outcomes such as blindness and death.
> Fishermen in Bagan Datuk, Perak were shocked to find a crocodile in one of their nets, the daily also reported.
The incident took place at around 11am on Wednesday when a fisherman was excitedly reeling in his catch, which felt heavier than usual.
To his shock, it was a 1.5m-long crocodile thrashing about in the net.
After being dragged on shore, the reptile continued to struggle but suddenly became motionless.
No one dared touch the animal before police were alerted to it.
When the authorities arrived, they confirmed that the reptile was dead.
It was believed that the female crocodile, which weighed 25kg, had snapped its neck while struggling to escape.
The authorities later removed the carcass for disposal.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
