The placing of a mythical monster on Sweden’s endangered species list, in an apparent fit of bureaucratic zeal, has caused an administrative problem for the country’s authorities
Published:
9 May 2004 y., Sunday
"During a routine inspection of the environment court in Jaemtland recently, we came across a decision that attracted our interest," said Nils-Olof Berggren, a Swedish parliamentary ombudsman.
"The court had turned down an application from a man who wanted to search for and hatch the monster’s eggs, probably believing [the application] was just a joke."
However, Mr Berggren found there was an actual decision from 1986 placing the monster under protection.
"We decided to have a closer look at how the listing came about and how it is applied. If a court decided it cannot be applied, we want to find out if the monster really needs to be protected or if the decision can be scrapped," he said.
Legend has it that the giant serpent, similar to the Loch Ness Monster has lived for centuries in Jaemtland’s Lake Storsjoen, Sweden’s fifth-largest lake.
Although about 500 people claim to have seen the monster, described by one as a snakelike animal with a dog’s head and fins on its neck, it has not been captured on camera.
With such vague evidence of its existence, the ombudsman last week asked the Jaemtland county administrative board to send documents that led to its decision in 1986.
The issue was brought to the ombudsman’s attention by the man who was denied permission to search for the monster’s eggs. Magnus Cedergren said he wanted to hatch them to raise monster babies and turn them into a tourist attraction.
Šaltinis:
news.scotsman.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
For Diana Nyad, it’s a second chance. On August 15th 1978 after nearly 50 hours of non-stop swimming, Nyad had to call it quits on her dream - to swim between Cuba and the United States.
more »
The world's smallest cow and longest canine tongue are included the 2011 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.
more »
Archaeologists discover pre-Viking artefacts in Juvfonna ice field in the mountains of Norway, as climate change causes ice to thaw in northern Europe's highest peaks.
more »
33 workers trapped underground in Chile cheer as they watch the national soccer team take to the field, the players wearing emblems of support for the miners.
more »
A baby elephant stuck in marshy wetland in northeastern India is rescued by forest officials.
more »
Ecuador farms explore a market in organic edible roses, increasingly utilized by high-end restaurants in search of novelty dishes.
more »
Mexico City residents break the record for the longest taco ever, measuring 40.9 metres.
more »
Indian villager Chouthi Bai takes an unusual step to save an orphaned calf’s life, breastfeeding the animal.
more »
Now a crew of scientists and archaeologists have begun capturing the first three dimensional, high definition pictures of the Titanic - using sonar and a remote camera.
more »
Anglers mourn the death of Two Tone, Britain's largest known freshwater fish.
more »