WTF Fun Fact 12569 – Idaho’s Cannibalism Prevention Law

An Idaho statue reads:

TITLE 18
CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
CHAPTER 50
MAYHEM

18-5003.  CANNIBALISM DEFINED — PUNISHMENT. (1) Any person who wilfully ingests the flesh or blood of a human being is guilty of cannibalism.
(2) It shall be an affirmative defense to a violation of the provisions of this section that the action was taken under extreme life-threatening conditions as the only apparent means of survival.
(3) Cannibalism is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison not exceeding fourteen (14) years.

So, our first question is: only 14 years? That seems lenient.

But perhaps even more interesting is that because Idaho is the only state with a law so explicitly addressing cannibalism, it’s also the only state in which the act is legal in some cases. Go re-read #2.

Basically, if you ingest human flesh or blood under extreme life-threatening conditions and it is your apparent means of survival, you’re all good. We imagine this could create some interesting legal loopholes.

Source: “Did you know that these ‘odd laws’ existed in Idaho?” – Associated Press

WTF Fun Fact 12427 – A Wooly Plummet

In 2005, Turkish newspapers reported an incident in which over 400 sheep died. It happened when one fell off a 50-foot cliff – and the rest followed!

That’s what they mean when they say, “don’t be a sheep.”

There were over a thousand sheep on the cliff that day, with each family in the small Van province of Turkey owning about 20 apiece. However, 1,100 animals survived the plunge because the hundreds of sheep that jumped first cushioned their fall.

At the time, the entire flock of sheep was estimated to be worth anywhere from $55,000 to $100,000.

According to the BBC, one villager told the Aksam daily newspaper: “Every family had an average of 20 sheep. But now only a few families have sheep left. It’s going to be hard for us.” – WTF Fun Facts

Source: “Turkish sheep die in ‘mass jump'” — BBC News