AP Strange SummaryBrief at 1:12 a.m. EDT

A real possum appears among plush toy animals in Australian airport gift shop

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — On shelves crammed with cuddly toy native animals in an Australian airport gift shop, one fluffy possum stood out because its brown eyes were moving. A browsing passenger first spotted an actual living Australian brushtail possum peering out from among the kangaroos on the display shelf at the terminal shop at Hobart Airport in Tasmania state on Wednesday. Airport retail manager Liam Bloomfield said on Thursday how the possum got into the store and how long it spent there are unknown. Airport staff were able to remove the possum from the airport unharmed.

This new bird ER offers hope for injured wildlife

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Warsaw Zoo has created a new emergency drop-off system that gets injured birds treated fast. When a Warsaw resident brings in a wounded bird and places it in a metal box at the zoo entrance, nearby vets get a signal. Staff rush the bird into the hospital, make a diagnosis and start treatment. The zoo’s bird hospital has operated since 1998 and treats about 9,000 birds a year. The zoo says many injuries come from human-made hazards and climate change.

Seven-ton meteor that fell from the Cleveland sky could be seen several states away

CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) — A 7-ton meteor that sped across the Cleveland sky at 45,000 miles per hour on Tuesday broke apart in a thunderous boom that startled residents who feared an explosion. People several states away reported seeing the bright fireball even though it was 9 a.m. The American Meteor Society said it received reports from Wisconsin to Maryland. NASA later confirmed that it was a meteor nearly 6 feet in diameter. Astronomer Carl Hergenrother says meteors typically fall about once a day in the U.S. The meteor was first seen about 50 miles above Lake Erie.

Florida hospital sues to evict a patient who won't leave room 5 months after discharge

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare has sued a patient who refuses to leave a hospital room, even though doctors discharged her more than five months ago. The hospital says her continued stay ties up a bed and pulls staff and resources from other patients. Court papers say clinicians issued a discharge order last Oct. 6 after deciding she no longer needed acute care. The hospital says it tried to work with her family and offered to help with transportation and identification. The lawsuit does not explain her diagnosis or costs. She has no listed lawyer. A judge has a hearing scheduled online later this month.

Man arrested after climbing into pygmy hippo Moo Deng's enclosure at Thai zoo

BANGKOK (AP) — A Thai zoo said police has arrested a man after he entered the enclosure of Moo Deng, the viral pygmy hippo. The zoo director said the man entered on Tuesday evening while a keeper is away and no visitors were nearby. Security video shows him walking up with a tablet to film or take photos. Police initially pressed a trespassing charge and the investigation is ongoing. The zoo said Moo Deng and her mother were both safe.

For baseball's tallest hitters, robo-umps should bring consistency to a tricky strike zone

PHOENIX (AP) — The robot-umpire system for overturning ball/strike calls is going to be used in regular-season games in the majors this year. The abbreviation for the setup is ABS, but the most important letters when it comes to the change just might be S-I-Z-E — as in the strike zone for some of the game’s tallest players. The top and the bottom of the strike zone for baseball’s biggest giants have long been two difficult areas for umpires. But the ABS system provides an opportunity for a closer look. San Francisco Giants rookie Bryce Eldridge, a 6-foot-7 slugger who got to use ABS in the minors, says he thinks it’s great for the game.

A giant steel pipe's mysterious overnight growth spurt baffles a Japanese city

TOKYO (AP) — An underground pipe has risen more than 32 feet out of a street in a busy area of Osaka, nearly reaching an elevated road above. The steel pipe raised up overnight, unseen by any witnesses. The steel pipe’s unexpected presence rising from a sewer construction site was reported to police early Wednesday. Osaka's construction department says the pipe has a diameter of more than 11 feet and towered as high as 42 feet at one point. By Thursday it had been lowered back toward the ground after firefighters cut a hole in the metal. Officials say cutting away the remaining pipe will cause a road closure for several more days.

Head priest of Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh accused of stealing baseball cards from Walmart

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The head priest of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh is facing charges after being accused of stealing more than $1,000 in baseball cards from a Walmart. Police arrested the Very Rev. Aidan Smith on Feb. 27 just after he left a Walmart near Pittsburgh. Court records say Smith had 27 packs of baseball cards concealed under his clothing and in a cardboard box. The 42-year-old is charged with receiving stolen property and retail theft. Police say Walmart security video shows Smith also taking baseball cards each of the four previous days and leaving without paying. The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh says Smith had been on administrative leave since January.

A red fox stows away on a cargo ship, traveling from England to the US

NEW YORK (AP) — This stowaway truly was sly as a fox. A red fox somehow slipped onto a cargo ship that traveled from Southampton, England, to New York. The animal is now in the Bronx Zoo’s care. The zoo said Wednesday that the 11-pound (5-kilogram) male fox appears healthy after early examinations. He's estimated to be 2 years old. It’s not clear how the animal got on the ship full of automobiles. The zoo says the vessel left from Southampton, England, on Feb. 4, and arrived Feb. 18 at the Port of New York and New Jersey. The fox was taken to the zoo's veterinary center the next day. A long-term home will be found once he clears some more health screening. The species is widespread in Europe, Asia, North America and parts of Africa.

Barcelona fan goes to wrong stadium in England and misses Champions League match

EXETER, England (AP) — A Barcelona fan who planned to attend his team’s Champions League game at Newcastle ended up 360 miles away at third-tier Exeter City after going to the wrong stadium. The Spaniard traveled southwest from London to Exeter’s St James Park — rather than north to Newcastle’s St James’ Park. The League One club explained the mix-up on its social media. He arrived at the turnstiles shortly before kickoff of Exeter City’s game against Lincoln City on Tuesday night. Exeter City's staff hooked him up with a ticket to watch their game. A club spokesman said the fan was “pretty gutted and a bit embarrassed.”