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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1977)
Page 8 THE BATTALION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1977 Would you believe it’s a cabbit? I iiiled Press International ALBUQUERQUE — Tourists driving across the plains of Wyom ing hear tales of the Cowboy State’s famous “jackalope, a mythical crea ture that is a cross between a jack rabbit and antelope. Postcards with photographs of jackalopes abound, and stuffed jac- kalopes — jack rabbits with an an telope s horns — are evident in many Wyoming cities. But the tourists soon learn that the jackalope is a biological impossi bility. Now, a New Mexico cowboy says he has a genetic oddity to equal the jackalope. But Val Champman’s creature, which he says is a cross between a rabbit and a cat, is alive. Chapman, who owns a ranch in the desolate expanse of northwest ern New Mexico, says he is con- vineed his “cabbit is what he says it is. Several biologists, however, say it is impossible. Chapman's tale begins last Jan. 3, when he owned a general store on State Highway 44 northwest of Cuba. “It just hopped up in the yard. Chapman recalls. “When I first saw it I thought it was half-cat, half rabbit. I put it in the house and started taking care of it.” The more Chapman studied the creature, the more he said he be came convinced it was a cabbit. The animal looks like a smallish cat ex cept that it has a stubby tail and its hindquarters look like a rabbit. The cabbit hops like a rabbit. And Chapman says it eats rabbit food like lettuce, cabbage and potatoes. H e says it also excretes rabbit-like pellets. Tl le cabbit was mated with an or dinary cat shortly after Chapman found it. Last May it gave birth, through cesarean section, to three offspring. Dr. Deborah K. Cosgrove, a Farmington veterinarian, per formed the operation. “She (the cabbit) had three babies, but only one survived. Dr. Cosgrove said. “The offspring looked like a kitten except it was long-legged. Dr. Cosgrove said she could not form an opinion about the cabbit or its offspring, which Chapman has ’ named ‘‘Ricky Radeit. But she ssiid she was skeptical of iUbeitig a! cat- rabbit cross. She suggested the creature might be a breed of cat called a Manx, al though she said the Manx is gener ally more stocky than Chapmans cabbit. “I have seen some Manx cats and a lot of people take a look at a Manx and think it is half rabbit because it is born tailless or with a short tail and its hind legs are longer,” she said. Another veterinarian. Dr. Ron Little of Mesa, Ariz., has seen Chapman s cabbit and remains skeptical. “We asked about taking some radiographs to get some clues on the skull structure, but Chapman re fuses anything like that,” Dr. Little said. “Geneticists say it is impossi ble, but I really can’t say. If it is a Manx, it isn t a normal one.” Little said he thinks the cabbit might be the result of a genetic de fect . Chapman, who readily admits he wants to make money with his cab bit, took his creature to the Los Angeles Treasure Show this sum mer after producer Don Bullock heard of it. It was there the cabbit began getting newspaper and televi sion attention. Harvey Fischer, a curator at the Los Angeles Zoo, said at the time that a cabbit would be a genetic im possibility. “Let’s put it this way: Can you mate a butterfly and a fish? It’s im possible, Fisher said. Two University of New Mexico biologists agree. Dr. James Findley, curator at the Museum of South western Biology in Albuquerque, said flatly a cabbit is impossible and suggested the creature was a genetic abnormality. “I know of no possible way it could happen,” he said, referring to a cross between a cat and rabbit. He said the characteristics of a Manx, with a short tail and long hind legs, could “pop up in any cat family. “It is just so impossible I have to laugh,” said Findley’s assistant. Dr. Patricia Freeman. Chapman is steadfast. He says he thinks the biologists are afraid to admit it might be possible. “One thing with most scientists is that basically they don’t want to go against the rest of their colleagues to say it is genetically possible.” Chapman said. He also said he is afraid the biologists want to kill his cabbit so they can dissect it. “There is no way I am going to let that happen,” he said. “If it dies, and I am sure no one killed it, then maybe I’ll let them study it. Memo From The Department of Hassle Engineering and Efficiency Negation Drive Carefully smart shoppers “eat up” these meat savings Pork Loin Rib Chops Center Cut, Beef Shoulder Roast. Boneless Chuck, USDA Good, 1.09 Beef Sirloin Steak Loin Cut, USDA Good lb. Rath Society Ham Boneless, Water added t oo Beef Chuck Roast 7-Bone, USDA Good lb. 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