Dallas Zoo Gorilla Gets Last Laugh

YouTube via lazeelong

B'Wenzi the gorilla was being playful when he spoked kids who had been taunting him according to the Dallas Zoo.

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A gorilla at the Dallas Zoo got the last laugh scaring some kids who were taunting him.

The 21 second video posted under the user name lazeelong shows the gorilla named B'Wenzi sitting by the glass as children yell and make gorilla gestures at him.

After about 15 seconds B'Wenzi gives the kids a scare by putting his face and hands up on the glass.

The original video posted April 25 has more than 400,000 views, and has been copied and replayed all over the internet.

The Dallas Zoo addressed the video in a statement posted on the zoo's official Facebook page:

A video getting heavy views on social media shows one of the Dallas Zoo's male gorillas, B'Wenzi, reacting to a group of jeering children by throwing his hands up against the exhibit glass.

It's important to note that B'Wenzi's actions aren't aggressive; they're actually playful. Much like people, gorillas will mirror actions they see, and they enjoy a good prank now and then.

The Dallas Zoo's Jake L. Hamon Gorilla Conservation Research Center habitat is very large and the animals have ample opportunity to avoid the observation windows. Yet several of our gorillas will leave their grassy expanse to go to the windows, turn away and wait for guests to move closer. Then they'll spin around and slap their hands on the glass. When the guests laugh and scream, the gorillas calmly stroll away. Our regular guests see this behavior often and recognize it as entertaining for the gorillas.

"This is normal, well-adjusted behavior for a teenager," said Dr. Lynn Kramer, vice president of animal operations for the Dallas Zoo. "They do this for one reason, and that's to get a reaction." (B'Wenzi is 11 years old.)

The Dallas Zoo's world-class animal staff is committed to the welfare of our charges and monitors their physical and emotional health at all times.

Our staff and volunteers also monitor guest interactions with animals. However, as the largest zoo in Texas with more than 2,000 animals and nearly 1 million guest visits per year, we can't be with each one at all times. We constantly try to educate guests that the best way to enjoy the Dallas Zoo is by showing respect for the animals and not heckling, banging on the glass or feeding them human food. We hope this video helps us teach the proper way to approach animals at any zoological park.

Thank you for your support of the Dallas Zoo!

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Groundbreaking in Arlington for Vietnam Memorial

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Veteran Memorial Groundbreaking in Arlington

Arlington broke ground on a Vietnam War Memorial it hopes will be open by next spring.

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North Texas' large Vietnamese population is honoring the sacrifices of those -- Americans and Vietnamese -- who made their lives in the United States possible.

North Texas has the second largest Vietnamese population in Texas. Many have been here for decades having emigrated as a result of the Vietnam Conflict.

The people of South Vietnam who fled their homeland for North Texas are reclaiming that history by honoring the troops, from the U.S. and South Vietnam, with a sculpture of each, side by side.

The new memorial will be one of the only Vietnam memorials in the country to honor both troops from South Vietnam and the U.S.

"South Vietnam was took over by North Vietnam, and the communists tried to rewrite history," said Thong Bui, a Vietnam veteran who fought for South Vietnam.

The Heroes of South Vietnam Memorial Foundation project just began at Veterans Park in Arlington.

"We want to do this as quick as possible so that before they pass on they will be happy to that our generation does not forget what they did for us," said Dr. Hung Dang, Chairman of the Heroes of South Vietnam Memorial Foundation and a doctor in Arlington.

Dr. Dang said the project aims to be complete by April 2014 – the anniversary of the fall of Saigon, Vietnam.

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American Airlines Sorry for Photo Shoot During Flight Delay

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American Airlines is issuing apologies Wednesday after a delayed international flight turned into a mini photo shoot for some members of the flight crew.

Last Thursday, American Airlines flight 2126 was scheduled to depart San Jose, Costa Rica, for Dallas shortly before 9 a.m., but it was delayed due to maintenance.

The airline said all customers were offered accommodations for the night because of the delay, and the pilot did walk through the cabin at least once to apologize for the inconvenience.

Passengers were allowed to return to the terminal while mechanics looked at the aircraft.

Brian Kelly, a passenger on the flight, said he sat on the plane for nearly four hours before the flight was ultimately canceled for the night.

During his wait, Kelly said he saw members of the flight crew climbing into the plane's engine, while one of the pilots snapped photos.

NBC 5 DFW confirmed the person snapping the photos was the flight's captain. We're told a flight attendant asked for the photos to be taken because she is close to retirement and she wanted a keepsake for one of her last trips to Costa Rica.

Kelly began snapping photos of the crew from his window seat. He says, "They're having fun to me. That seemed like an enjoyable time, and I'm stuck in a plane and can't go anywhere. It just didn't seem right."

Andrea Huguely, a spokesperson for American Airlines released a statement Wednesday afternoon: "Our people did their best to accommodate passengers during difficult circumstances, but showed poor timing when they chose to take a commemorative photo. We're reaching out to every passenger on board that flight to make amends."

Shortly after that statement was released, Kelly said he received the following email:

June 26, 2013 
 
Dear Brian: 

We are writing to follow up with you about the situation you encountered as a passenger on our flight 2126 on June 20. We realize that many of our customers' important plans were significantly affected, and for that, we apologize.

In appreciation for your patience, we have added 25,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles to your account. You should see this mileage adjustment in your account very soon, and you can view this activity via our web site, www.aa.com.

Your loyalty is important to us and we would like to assure you that we are committed to getting you to your destination as planned. We'll do our best to provide a smooth trip the next time you fly with us. We will look forward to welcoming you aboard again soon.

Sincerely, 
 
B. J. Russell  
Customer Relations 
American Airlines 

NBC 5 DFW is also told supervisors have contacted the flight crew, and they are all sincerely apologetic for not only the inconvenience of the delay, but also the timing of the photo.

The flight arrived in Dallas on Friday. American Airlines fronted hotel expenses for the passengers on board.

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Man Says Killing Puppies With a Stick Was Humane

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Man Admits to Killing, Burning Dogs in Jailhouse Interview

In a jailhouse interview, Chris Apala admits to killing three puppies with a stick before setting their bodies on fire in a barrel.

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A Tarrant County man admits to killing three puppies with a stick before setting their bodies on fire in a barrel.

Chris Apala, 33, told NBC 5 the puppies were suffering, so he did the "humane thing" and then "cremated them."

Apala and his girlfriend, 38-year-old Melissa Woodard, and their eight dogs, were living at her sister's home on the 7300 block of Cottonwood Creek Road in northwest Tarrant County. On Saturday, Woodard's sister called 911 after finding three of those dogs burned dogs in a barrel.

Woodard and Apala were arrested in connection with the burned dogs and taken to the Tarrant County Jail; both now face animal cruelty charges and are being held on $15,000 bond. 

Apala spoke with NBC 5 from the Tarrant County Jail on Tuesday.

"I took a stick, because they would not eat, they would not drink, they would not do anything but just lay there and whine, so I hit them with the stick one time a piece and let them lay there to make sure they were dead," Apala said in a jailhouse interview Tuesday.

Apala said that after about 20 minutes, where the dogs didn't move, he wrapped them in a sheet and "put them in a burn barrel and I burned them, like you would a human; cremation, instead of burying them."

Woodard told NBC 5 she had no knowledge of Apala killing or burning the dogs and that the puppies, which were less than 6-weeks-old, starved to death.

Apala and Woodard both admit to using methamphetamines and said they were hungry and unable to feed themselves. However, both said they were getting their drugs for free and not choosing to purchase drugs instead of food for themselves or their seven pets.

Apala and Woodard said none of their family members would help them with food or the dogs and Apala added that the Humane Society refused to come pick up the animals because they lived in a remote part of Tarrant County.

Tammy Hawley, the director of the Humane Society of North Texas could not confirm her organization ever received a phone call from Apala, but said, "We do offer a 24 hour emergency service. I assure you, if someone called and said we have animals, we would have made arrangements to pick them up, at no fee. It doesn't matter where the animal is."

Apala said he did not set the puppies on fire until he was certain they were dead, though Tarrant County investigators are still trying to determine if the puppies were killed before or after they were burned.

When asked if Apala's actions were humane, Hawley said, "No. Absolutely not. He's not qualified to determine that the animals were deceased. They could have been unconscious and burned alive."

Hawley said that's why state law requires animal professions to be certified in euthanasia so they can accurately certify death.

Apala said he is surprised by the charges. He said he is an animal lover and plans to immediately get another dog when he is released from jail.

Related Dog Stories:

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Water Main Break Damages Home in Fort Worth

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A 78-year-old woman is trying to salvage whatever she can after a 10-inch water main break damaged and flooded her Fort Worth home.

The water main broke around 6 p.m. on the 3600 block of Walton Avenue on Tuesday.

The break eroded the road above the pipe and sent a water cannon shooting more than 40 feet across the street, right into Ann Patrick's home.

"It was going over the house, and I went out the patio door, and it almost knocked me down," Patrick said. 

She quickly evacuated the house, which was filling up with water.

"I saw that the ceiling had fallen in the hall, so I just got out," Patrick said.

Crews were finally able to shut the water off after about an hour, Patrick said. 

The pressure of the water ripped part of her roof off, knocked down a few bricks and shattered windows. And that was just on the outside of the home.

Inside, there were several inches of water and parts of her ceiling were collapsing.

"The first thing I said was get my baseball stuff out. I never thought about shoes. I was barefooted," Patrick said.

Patrick's "baseball stuff" is a collection that would make even a serious collector drool with autographed baseballs from Hall of Famers like Sandy Koufax, Dizzy Dean and Nolan Ryan. She even had autographs from players from her favorite team, the Texas Rangers. A Will Clark, Ivan Rodriguez and Kenny Rogers baseball were all thrown in a box to dry out. Memorabilia from her trip to see Nolan Ryan inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. were also damaged.

Patrick said her father used to play semi-pro baseball and would brainstorm with teams in the 40s.

The 78-year-old said she would go to Fort Worth Cats baseball games as a kid with her twin sisters and stick around to get autographs of the players herself.

Now, she's just hoping she can salvage any of the memorabilia.

Fort Worth city crews spent Tuesday night fixing the pipe. As of 10 p.m., roughly 70 people were without water.

Patrick just wants to know what caused the geyser of water from the pipeline to spew into her home.

"In talking to the guy from water department, he's saying it's not the city's fault. That makes me angry," Patrick said.

Mary Gugliuzza with the Fort Worth Water Department said the Risk Management department will look at liability on the case. She also said a salvage crew, paid for by the city, would help clean up Patrick's home. 

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Obama to Students: Txt Me

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Text President Barack Obama, and he just might text you back.

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Head spinning from juggling the figures of your student debt and your financial aid package? This week, you can ask the president for help, and he just might answer — by text message.

President Barack Obama is answering students' questions about paying for college this week, ahead of a planned July 1 rate hike on the interest charged on students' subsidized Stafford loans.

Every day this week, the youth activism group DoSomething.org is collecting questions and sending one of those to the president to answer.

Obama's answered an inquiry Tuesday from Marcus in Nevada, Texas, about what the government is doing to educate high school students about loans before entering college.

"We launched a College Scorecard and Financial Aid Shopping sheet to compare schools, aid and loan options," Obama said via text message. "It's something Michelle and I wish we had had when we were in your shoes — because sometimes we got surprised by some of the debt that we racked up."

On Monday, the president responded to a question about what has been done to lower student debt, saying the government has expanded grants and proposed incentives for colleges to keep tuition down.

Students interested in submitting questions can text "PREZ" to 38383 to sign up, then submit a question.

The White House has been fighting with Congress over how to deal with the student loan rate hike, and no solution has been reached. The subsidized Stafford loan interest rate will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent next month if Congress does not act soon.

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Alligator Found in "Doomsday Prepper's" House

Scott Gordon, NBC 5 News

Clayton Earthman was arrested on Wednesday after officers found bomb-making supplies in his car. Officers also found an alligator in Earthman's home.

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A man arrested Wednesday with bomb-making materials in his car had drugs and an alligator in his home, a federal agent testified Friday.

Clayton Earthman, 43, was arrested after police said he ran a stop sign near Fair Park.

An officer said Earthman had a gun in his car. A search later revealed he had bomb-making material and notes on how to make bombs, police said.

Earthman claimed to be a "Doomsday Prepper." A cable TV show by the same name profiles people preparing for the end of the world.

On Thursday, agents with the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives searched his house near Pleasant Grove.

They found 15 marijuana plants, bomb-making material, and an alligator, according to a Dallas police report.

Neighbors say they saw agents carry two alligators from the home on Woodard Avenue.

"That's scary," said neighbor Susan Collins. "We didn't know he had all that."

At his court appearance, a judge ordered Earthman held without bond because he was a danger to the community.

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Fired Employee Shot and Killed Former Boss: DPD

Mark Schnyder, NBC 5 News

Dallas police say shortly after he was fired, Charles Hooks (left) shot and killed his former boss, Alejandro Fernandez (right), at Ramon's Barber Shop on Friday.

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Dallas police say a man who was fired from his job at a barber shop shot his former boss late Friday afternoon.

Just after 5 p.m. Dallas police officers were called to a shooting at Ramon's Barber Shop in the 300 block of West Jefferson Boulevard.

Dallas police said 30-year-old Charles Hooks knocked on the back door of the barber shop and was let in by a customer. Police said he went up to 29-year-old Alejandro "Alex" Fernandez , who was cutting someone's hair, and shot him in the chest.

Hooks had been fired by Fernandez earlier in the day according to police.

Fernandez was taken to Methodist Central Hospital where he later died.

Hooks was arrested a short time after the shooting. He has been charged with murder and his bond is set at $250,000.

Shooting Victim Was Building His Business

Fernandez was the new owner of the longtime Oak Cliff barber shop. He'd bought Ramon's Barber Shop about three weeks ago according to friends.

Linda Jones who worked nearby said she was fond of her new neighbor.

"He had told me he had just bought the business and he really wanted to make it grow," said Jones. "For this young man to take his life the way he did, it just doesn't make any sense at all."

Fernandez was a married father of two with another child on the way. Friends say he owned another barber shop in town called Ace Chop Shop.

"I can only tell you he had great girls," said family friend Caroline Lozano. "His wife was amazing. They stood by him. He was expanding his business and the fact he was growing as a businessman and he was doing a great job at it and he had a lot of potential and his life was taken."

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