Scarborough Hospital said it was prevented by patient confidentiality from revealing whether any operation to re-attach the man's penis had been a success.

BBC: News | Health | Man severs own penis

Right whales have one of the smallest brain-to-body-size ratios of any cetacean, the longest penis in the animal kingdom (averaging more than seven feet or 2.3m) and testes with a combined weight of one tonne.

ECONOMIST: The lives of whales

Closer examination of the animals' anatomy revealed that the sea slugs had a large part of their penis coiled up in a spiral inside their bodies, which they would then use to replenish their missing part.

BBC: Sea slug's 'disposable penis' surprises

Part of the confusion about sangomas and inyanga stems from the many quack healers operating throughout the country, who advertise cures for all manner of diseases, potions to increase penis size, ensure success in love or business or sometimes to ensure your enemy's downfall.

BBC: Witnessing a South African healer at work

It was not clear once the internal penis was used up after these attempts whether the animal's sex life - at least the male part of it - was effectively over or - after a few weeks or months - the organ could regrow.

BBC: Sea slug's 'disposable penis' surprises

You can find strong statistics, and useless investment signals from butter production in Bangladesh, the US population of 9 year old kids, and now, in a dramatic breakthrough, relating average penis size to GDP growth, a key measure of stock market returns around the world.

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