Humans Rule the World, but Animals Push Its Buttons

After 25 years in the newspaper business, I still marvel at the superstar status of animals in the news.

Latest case in point: Sid Vicious. Sid, a boa constrictor, inspired a media extravaganza earlier this month when he underwent laser treatment for cancer of the jaw. It may have been the biggest crush of local radio, TV and newspaper journalists in one place since former President Reagan’s last visit to Orange County.

Of course Reagan is big news. But a snake named Sid Vicious?

Times science writer Lee Dye says animal stories are a reporter’s best friend.

Though he has written hundreds of thoughtful, incisive articles about the mysteries of science and the universe, Dye says fews of his stories have drawn such wide response as his coverage last October of stranded whales off Point Barrow, Alaska.

“It started as just a simple story of Eskimo whalers trying to help some stranded whales,” he said. “Then it became one of the biggest, craziest things you ever saw. There were at least 100 news people up there covering the story. It was lots of fun.

“Hey, I like animal stories. Give me a fuzzy animal story anytime. If I had a choice between an end-of-the-world story and a fuzzy animal story, I’d take the fuzzy animal story.”

Two of the biggest news stories ever to come from Orange County involved animals--a lion named Fraser and a hippopotamus named Bubbles.

In 1972, Fraser became a national sensation when Times reporter Gordon Grant wrote a beguiling feature about an old, bedraggled lion that had been given to Lion Country Safari in Laguna Hills by a Mexican circus. Fraser’s age in lion years was the equivalent of about 75 for a man.

“His fur was losing its luster, and his ears were battered,” Grant wrote.

But looks were deceiving, Grant noted. Fraser was a ladies’ man--a world-class ladies’ man. Female lions fought for him. They protected him. One gave birth to a baby sired by Fraser.

Grant wrote, “Fraser: A name that rings paeans of hope in the hearts of many men facing their later years but sounds doleful gongs of frustration and despair in other men, some quite young. A name that among women, has, well. . . .”

Fraser quickly became Orange County’s sex symbol.

In 1978, Grant wrote about Bubbles, a hippopotamus that escaped from Lion Country Safari and eluded captors for almost 3 weeks. When finally found, Bubbles was shot with a tranquilizer gun. She collapsed in an awkward position and died from the crush of her own weight. International news media had picked up Grant’s first story of Bubbles’ escape, and the report of the animal’s death brought an outpouring of grief.

“Her death touched off a phenomenon of literally worldwide proportions,” Grant wrote.

Other animal stories have also captured the public’s fancy and sympathy.

In December I was among the Orange County reporters writing about a missing dog that belonged to a young retarded woman in Huntington Beach. The story had a happy ending: The dog was found. “We got hundreds of phone calls, and everyone seemed so interested,” the young woman’s father said.

In a cynical world, it is good to be reminded that animals sometimes bring out the best in people.

Perhaps even me. I have a deep and abiding fear of snakes. But Sid Vicious is the nicest snake I ever met. I hope he recovers and lives a long, happy life.