Preliminary studies of the latest outbreak that killed at least 38 Warao Indians in northeastern Venezuela indicate that it may be a type of infectious rabies transmitted by bites from bats, according to indigenous leaders and researchers from the University of California at Berkeley. Though laboratory investigations have yet to confirm the cause, but the symptoms include fever, body pains, tingling in the feet followed by progressive paralysis point to rabies, said the husband-and-wife team of anthropologist Charles Briggs and public health specialist Dr. Clara Mantini-Briggs. The victims also had an extreme fear of water coupled with convulsions before death.

A peacock that roamed into a Burger King Parking lot was beaten with a bat and stepped on. A man in his late teens or early twenties, as described by witnesses, saw the peacock sitting on the hood of a car as employees were feeding it. He grabbed the bird by the neck, hurled it at the pavement and started stomping on it. When asked by the employees what he was doing the man said "I'm killing a vampire!"

Britain's Prince Charles has had to halt the renovation work on his recently purchased Welsh farmhouse after bats were found roosting in an outbuilding. The prince is converting his remote $2. 4 million Llwynynwormwood estate in Myddfai, Carmarthenshire, into a holiday complex and an initially report into bat and owl activity concluded building work would have minimal impact on the wildlife. But common pipistrelle and brown long-eared bats have now been found roosting in a building on the estate which Charles has applied to transform into nearly $4 million luxury 11-bed resort.

A New York couple, who paid $25,000 to clean up bat droppings in their attic, are currently in a court battle with their insurance company to reimburse the cost. Nick LaBoda and Jenna Caputo purchased an upstate home in New York's Saratoga County, but were not aware the bats found in their attic would drag them to court and cost so much.

A Texas mother, who posted a page on MySpace saying "I want my son back", is currently in jail after hiring kidnappers to steal her own son who was staying with his father. According to police, Lisa Gonzales used MySpace. com to find kidnappers willing to take the boy from his father and she allegedly offered $500 to anyone who would do the job well.