Wolverine isn't thrilled about being in Newark, chews out of its crate at airport

Man, nobody likes being stuck in Newark. When a 40-pound wolverine named Kasper found out that he was going to have an overnight layover at Newark-Liberty airport, he made the very rational decision to try to get the hell out. The one-year old animal was being shipped from the Kristiansand Zoo in Norway to his new home at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center when he decided to change his own itinerary.

Kasper's first flight landed at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday and – like any international traveler – he had to go through customs before he could change planes. When Kasper's crate was unloaded from the plane, the ground crew noticed a slight problem. "His head was sticking out," Sarah Howard, Kasper's would-be escort from the Alaska Conservation Center, said. Less than 15 minutes after the flight landed, someone from the airline called Howard and said:

You need to come here right now. Your wolverine is getting out.

Kasper apparently entertained himself on the flight by chewing a hole in his aluminum and plywood crate, so he would have to be transferred to a new one before being flown across the country. The damaged crate containing the seriously pissed off wolverine ("It was growling and stuff," Howard's boss said) was placed inside a transit van while Howard, airport officials and "at least" 15 Port Authority police officers decided what to do next. Despite what the New York Post said, the "psycho-killer" wolverine – their words – didn't "almost escape from the airport." Also, the paper probably hurt his feelings.

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Wolverines are notoriously nasty, with sharp teeth, vicious claws and  – as Howard put it – the "attitude of a 1,000-pound grizzly bear.” Finding the right cage for Kasper was essential. Howard contacted the Bronx Zoo, which agreed to let her borrow a metal crate that they use for leopards and other big cats. Kasper wasn't thrilled with that arrangement either and had to be tranquilized before he could be moved into his new maximum security accommodations. After getting a shot from the zoo's wild animal veterinarian, he was transferred into the zoo's more chew-proof cage.

On Wednesday morning, Kasper and Howard both made their flight and arrived in Alaska without another incident. According to the director of the Conservation Center, a female wolverine will soon be arriving from Sweden.

Get ready, Newark.