Seeing Is Believing

You can’t crack open the new Ripley’s book, Seeing Is Believing, without running into an animal. In fact, there are over 30 pages in this book dedicated to the “crazy creatures.”

We speak with Tim O’Brien who tells us how they acquire the information for the book. He tells us how some stories are submitted or sometimes they hear or see something where they send a photographer to go out and get a shot.

He admits that their biggest challenge is to verify that the photos are not fake or photo-shopped, and they actually have a team of people who inspect all photos for accuracy. They also do DNA testing on some of the animals (for example those with two heads or faces) to make sure it isn’t taxidermied and are genuine before they place it in the book.

Tim’s favorite animal picture is of Yoda, the cat with four ears. The two extra flaps are behind his normal ears, although they are not attached to the base of his skull and are not thought to help his hearing.

Some of the animals you will find are:

-Charlie, a standard poodle from Canada, gave birth to 16 puppies in March 2008

-A 14-year-old boy in Hawaii has taught his pet rats - Tofu and Fin to surf. They ride custom-made surfboards just their size!

-A dog in Australia saved his owner’s life by fetching his cell phone. Albert Hoffman fell from a tree and was badly injured, but called for help after his lab fetched his cell phone from his backpack.

-A trio of Chihuahuas has made back-to-back issues of the Ripley books. Venus de Milo, Carmen and Pablo were featured last year because they have all learned to function despite being born with only two legs. They are in this year’s book because the North Shore Animal League has equipped them with two-wheeled carts that allow them to get around better.

-A U.S. company builds luxury houses for dogs that include air conditioning, custom beds and exquisite interiors. They can cost $50,000!

If you have a story you would like to see included in Ripley’s, contact www.RipleyBooks.com