South American fire ants are spreading through Australia, causing irreparable crop and environmental destruction. Just what I wanna hear while I’m planning to migrate. Has anybody else read a story called “Leiniken and the Ants”? I seem to remember reading it in high school about a guy who tries to defend his plantation from these things and ends up getting killed. I can’t seem to find any references to it on the Net though. Maybe I’m spelling it wrong…
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You can read the story here:
http://mbhs.bergtraum.k12.ny.us/cybereng/shorts/lvta.html
The story was the basis for an absolutely classic episode of the old-time radio show ESCAPE. I have it on CD, somewhere in my scant little collection. It was also filmed as THE NAKED JUNGLE with Charlton Heston. It’s Leiningen.
Apparently Australia has the greatest concentration of dangerous animals/vegetables/minerals (they mine Uranium) per square metre than any other country on Earth!
Not that I want to give you the heeby jeebies or anything. 🙂
Bill – You ROCK! I’m just going to start going straight to you with my pop culture questions. 🙂
Martin – Yeah, I know. I read Bill Bryson’s “Down Under”, which is basically a catalog of everything he pissed himself over down there. Funnel web spiders, box jellyfish, sharks, giant worms, etc. etc. I’m prepared. 🙂
Just finished re-reading the story. Huh. (SPOILER ALERT! STOP READING IF YOU’RE GONNA READ THE STORY!) So Leiningen doesn’t die! I swear I thought the ants eventually got him. I like this version better though.