Kaleidoscope Eyes
February 6th, 2009, 08:42 PM
LONDON – A British university has apologized to a Ph.D. student for throwing away his treasured, seven-year collection of lizard dung. Daniel Bennett has told Times Higher Education magazine that he had collected the dung in the Philippines while studying the rare butaan lizard, a relative of the Komodo dragon. The material was to be studied as part of his doctoral research.
Bennett said the 77-pound bag was thrown away by cleaners at his lab at Leeds University in northern England. He says the dung represented seven years' worth of field work, and its loss "left me reeling."
The university said Friday it had apologized.
Bennett says he rejected the university's compensation offer of 500 pounds ($750) and will "see them in court."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_fe_st/odd_britain_lizard_excrement_2
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Wow. I suppose he should have marked it better, but it was seven years of field work for his dissertation! If you saw a 70 pound bag of lizard poo (I'm guessing individual samples were sealed up, so it didnt smell or anything), wouldnt you assume there was a reason someone had collected it all? I'd at least be curious enough to ask what was up with it. Funny story, but poor guy.
Bennett said the 77-pound bag was thrown away by cleaners at his lab at Leeds University in northern England. He says the dung represented seven years' worth of field work, and its loss "left me reeling."
The university said Friday it had apologized.
Bennett says he rejected the university's compensation offer of 500 pounds ($750) and will "see them in court."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_fe_st/odd_britain_lizard_excrement_2
~~~
Wow. I suppose he should have marked it better, but it was seven years of field work for his dissertation! If you saw a 70 pound bag of lizard poo (I'm guessing individual samples were sealed up, so it didnt smell or anything), wouldnt you assume there was a reason someone had collected it all? I'd at least be curious enough to ask what was up with it. Funny story, but poor guy.