American big band legend Glenn Miller has been found alive. 

The news that the famed bandleader, who had worldwide hits during the early 1940s with tunes like "In the Mood", "Moonlight Serenade", Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "Pennsylvania 6-5 Oh Oh Oh" has been found alive and well, has been received with joy and incredulity in his native USA.

President George W Bush was quoted as saying;

"This is great news for America and for the world.  Major Miller will be invited to perform for us at the Whitehouse and will be awarded a Congressional Medal as soon as he is well enough".

Details of this amazing discovery are still emerging, but it appears that the famous World War II bandleader, now 102 years old, has been living with a family of orangutans deep in the Sumatran rainforest since December 1944.

At this stage it is unclear how Major Miller, who was believed to have perished when the plane he was flying crashed into the English Channel, could have ended up 9000 miles off course.

Apparently Miller is in good physical shape. Pasquel Matrate, from the Malaysian Primate Institute, was present when Miller was captured.  He later told reporters:

"After spotting Miller, it took our party of 12 experienced trackers six days to capture him. He moves very fast through the canopy, and appears much like any other orangutan.  It was only when we noticed that he was wearing a tattered uniform that our suspicions were aroused.  We had also heard tales from local tribesmen of strange, harmonious, communal singing by Orangutans in this area - they are usually solitary animals you see, so this seemed worth investigating..."

Miller was airlifted to Kuala Lumpur - witnesses report that he tried to seize control of the plane several times during the two hour flight - then onwards to Philadelphia Zoo in the state of Pennsylvania, USA, where he is being medically examined by specialist primate vets.

Local tribesmen back in Sumatra have reacted badly to the news of Miller's capture.  Apparently the strangely melancholic whooping of "Moonlight Serenade" in the jungle canopy is taken as an evil portent, and a sure sign that a tsunami is on the way.

(Source: Reuters)