Interesting & funny news from around the world, Интересные и забавные новости со всего мира

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Coyote swims to Alcatraz Island in first-ever documented case

A coyote caught on camera swimming to San Francisco's Alcatraz Island is believed to be the first of its species to visit the former prison, which is now a tourist attraction.

Aidan Moore, a guest relations employee for Alcatraz City Cruises, said he was helping visitors disembark at the dock when a tourist showed him a video she captured of a coyote swimming to shore and climbing up onto the rocks.

Moore, who posted the video to Facebook, said he contacted rangers on the island, but they were unable to locate the animal.

Moore said he suspects the coyote may have gone back into the water, but it could also be hiding out somewhere on the island.

Janet Kessler, an amateur naturalist who has been studying coyote behavior in San Francisco for two decades, said the canine would be able to survive on the island for at least a short time. She said there are ample sources of food and puddles of fresh water to sustain the coyote.

The coyote may have come from San Francisco or Angel Island, where coyotes were previously observed. Either way, the animal would have had to swim over a mile to Alcatraz.

Kessler said the best thing to do for the coyote if it is still on the island is to give it distance.

"Leave the coyote alone because this is it doing what it does best," Kessler told KPIX-TV.

Julian Espinoza, a spokesperson for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which oversees Alcatraz, confirmed the coyote was the first of its species to be documented visiting the island.

"Coyotes can be commonly seen throughout our San Francisco and Marin parklands but never before on Alcatraz," Espinoza wrote in an email to SFGate. "This was the first time our park biologists observed anything like this."

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Missing rock beloved by climbers turns up 1,700 miles from home

A small granite rock that served as a beloved landmark for climbers in British Columbia vanished from its usual spot and turned up over 1,700 miles away in California.

The granite rock, known to climbers as Portable, was a fixture at the base of the Superfly boulder in Squamish for several years, and was often used to practice balance and grips.

The rock recently vanished from its position, and its whereabouts were a mystery until recent posts on Reddit indicated it might be at the base of the Iron Man bouldering spot in Bishop, Calif., more than 1,700 miles from its home.

Squamish climber Ethan Salvo, 23, said he was on a climbing trip in California when he was alerted to Portable's possible location. He had a friend who was climbing close to Iron Man check out the rumors, and she found a granite stone.

The rock was wearing googly eyes and "a really sick hat," Salvo told CBC News.

Salvo said the stone's identity was immediately apparent.

"The minute I saw the shape, I knew it was it. It just looked like home. It felt like home. It weighed like home," Salvo said.

How the rock came to be in California remains a mystery, but Salvo said it will soon be headed back home.

"Portable is fine and well. A bit greasy, but after a brush and some chalk, it was liftable again. I guess all else I have to say is I'm very confused. I thought I was tripping when I ended up with Portable in my arms last night. I don't think we will ever know the real story of Portable's adventures, but I'm glad it's been found and I can bring it home," he told climbing magazine Gripped.

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TSA's most unusual finds of 2025 include turtles in a bra

The Transportation Security Administration said the most unusual items found at U.S. airport security checkpoints in 2025 include a replica bomb and turtles in a bra.

The TSA released its list of the top 10 most unusual items seized at airport security in 2025, with the number one spot going to what appeared to be a replica pipe bomb at Idaho's Boise Airport in May.

"A TSA explosives specialist responded, assessed the image, and conducted a bag search, discovering PVC pipes and wooden blocks wrapped in paper, marked 'C4' with protruding wires," the TSA said. "The explosives expert determined the items were replicas and not a threat. The passenger said the items were training aids and abandoned them."

Th agency said that despite the apparent innocent intent, such items are not allowed on planes.

"Realistic replicas of explosives are not allowed in checked or carry-on bags," TSA's Federal Security Director for Idaho James Spies said. "Our expertly trained officers take no risks when they screen a bag and see an image that could be an explosive. We're grateful that in this case, the items were not intended to harm anyone."

The rest of the top 10 were turtles found in a travelers' pants and more in another's bra at Newark Liberty International Airport and Miami International Airport; razor blades concealed in clothing at Denver International Airport; drugs in shoes at Hawaii's Kona International Airport; a knife in a knee brace at Illinois' Quad Cities International Airport; pills in a shampoo bottle at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport; a knife in a car seat at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, bullets in a bottle of Nesquik at Miami International Airport; a firearm concealed in a golf bag at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport; and bullets and knives concealed in tinfoil Ohio's Akron-Canton Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.

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Montana town perplexed by mystery of three bikes on a log

Residents of a Montana town are at a loss to explain a years-long local mystery — the presence of three bicycles on a log in the Missouri River.

The three bikes have been wedged on top of the log in Great Falls since at least the fall of 2020, and despite efforts to solve the mystery on websites including Reddit, the questions of who put them there, and why, remain.

An investigation by KRTV's Quentin Shores failed to find any answers, but raised a few theories including the idea that the bikes could be an urban art installation or a prank of some kind.

"I know nothing about who's responsible for putting the bikes on the log," Rebecca Engum, executive director of Great Falls, Montana Tourism, told Shores. "I recall seeing them driving by one day and thought it was just this beautiful kind of impromptu urban art feature."

Engum said the installation of the bicycles would have been a complicated endeavor.

"For people to still be carrying bikes out to the log and somehow securing them is a unique thing that is happening," Engum said.

Krystal Pfleger, general manager of Mackenzie River Pizza Co., said the bikes are a frequent topic of local conversation.

"A lot of our guests come in — especially tourists — and they're like, 'What are those bikes up there?'" Pfleger said. "Honestly, I don't have a good answer for them, but I think it's really cool."

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$6,270 in lost cash returned to California man thanks to neighbor

A California man who lost $6,270 cash had the money returned to him thanks to the kindness and honesty of a neighbor, authorities said.

The Nevada County Sheriff's Office said on social media that a member of the public contacted the office Wednesday to report "he had found several personal possessions in the front yard of his Nevada City home, not belonging to anyone at his residence, along with loose cash scattered on his property, amounting to $6,270."

Deputies were able to identify the owner of the loose cash thanks to the other items involved.

"His cash and items had been in a satchel, but it was left unsecured in error and had fallen out on his walk home," the post said. "The man retraced his steps after realizing what had occurred but was unable to find his money and items."

The owner's family told the sheriff's office the return of the money and other possessions was "a dream come true and prayers answered."

"The Good Samaritan serves as a reminder that doing the right thing doesn't require recognition — only compassion and the willingness to act," Operations Capt. Rusty Greene said. "In a moment when it mattered most, he stepped up and showed how small choices can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others."

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Kenya activist breaks world record by hugging tree for 72 hours

A Kenyan environmental activist broke a Guinness World Record by keeping her arms wrapped around the trunk of a tree for 72 consecutive hours.

Truphena Muthoni, 22, earned the title for the longest marathon hugging a tree when she surpassed the previous record of 50 hours, 2 minutes and 28 seconds, which was set by Frederick Boakye of Ghana.

Muthoni previously held the record when she hugged a tree for 48 hours in February 2025.

"The first attempt was a statement, a way to reintroduce humanity to the Earth through a simple, intimate act," Muthoni told Guinness World Records.

"The second attempt was a commitment. I realized that the world needed more than symbolism, it needed endurance, consistency, and proof that care for the planet is not momentary. Doing it twice was my way of saying that climate action is not a one-off event, but a sustained responsibility," she said.

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Cat escapes vehicle in Spain, walks nearly 155 miles home to France

A cat escaped from his owners' camper during a stop at a gas station in Spain and reappeared months later less than a mile from their home in France.

Patrick and Evelyne Sire, who live in Olonzac, in the Hérault region of France, said their cat, Filou apparently jumped out of an open window in their camper during an Aug. 9, 2025, stop at a gas station in Maçanet de la Selva, Spain, located near the French border about 155 miles from home.

Patrick Sire said Filou's absence wasn't noticed until the next morning.

Sire said he returned to the gas station twice in the ensuing days and weeks, but no one in the area had seen any signs of the missing feline.

The couple said they started to give up hope as the months passed, but they received a call Jan. 9 from a resident in Homps, less than a mile from their home, reporting Filou had been found.

The woman said she had been feeding the cat outdoors since December, and noticed he was very thin and appeared to be coughing. She took the feline to a local veterinarian, where a microchip scan identified him as Filou.

"Filou traveled all that way to get to us. But how did he do it? Did he follow the highway? Did he go through towns? Did he follow the rivers?" Patrick Sire told France3 News. "We'll never know."

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Capybara named Prune wins 'long bath showdown'

A capybara bathing contest held across multiple zoos in Japan was won by a rodent — aptly named Prune — who spent 1 hour, 45 minutes and 18 seconds in the bath.

Animals at multiple zoos across Japan participated in the "capybara long bath showdown," which timed how long each capybara willingly remained in the bath before exiting their respective tubs, and Prune was dubbed the winner at Nagasaki Bio Park.

Koharu, a capybara at Nasu Animal Kingdom, came in second with a 1 hour, 32 minute and 17 second soak; while Truffle from Izu Shaboten Zoo finished third with a time of 1 hour, 26 minutes and 57 seconds.

Hechima, a Saitama Children's Zoo Park resident famous as the "watermelon queen" for her four consecutive titles in an annual speed eating contest, finished fourth in the bathing contest, with a time of 1 hour, 23 minutes and 6 seconds.

"It was a close contest. If Hechima had held on a little longer, she could have been first," a Saitama Children's Zoo Park spokesperson told The Mainichi newspaper.

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Production error turns 'crying horse' toy into viral sensation

A stuffed horse that appears to be crying due to an error in production has become China's latest hot toy, with fans declaring it to be an icon for dissatisfied office workers.

The $4 stuffed toy, made in Yiwu International Trade City, was meant to be a smiling icon for the Year of the Horse, but an error in production caused the muzzle to be sewn on upside-down, giving it a frown and making the nostrils appear to be falling tears.

The erroneous stuffies went viral after a customer posted photos online.

Factory owner Zhang Huoqing said about 400 horses were being sold per day when they first released in October, but the viral status of the "crying horse" led to orders reaching tens of thousands per day, with wholesale orders also coming in from as far away as South Africa.

The horses have become mascots for young workers who previously branded themselves "niu ma," which translates to "cattle and horse" and is commonly used as a euphemism for overworked employees.

"This little horse looks so sad and pitiful, just like the way I feel at work," the South China Morning Post quoted a customer with the handle Tuan Tuan Mami as saying online. "With this crying toy in the Year of the Horse, I hope to leave all my grievances at work behind and keep only happiness."

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British 2-year-old breaks two world records playing pool and snooker

A toddler pool prodigy in England has already broken two Guinness World Records for playing pool and snooker before his third birthday.

Jude Owens broke the record for the youngest person to make a snooker double pot at the age of 2 years and 261 days old.

"A double pot in snooker is when two balls are legally potted with a single strike of the cue ball, into different pockets," Guinness World Records explained in a news release.

Owens followed up the feat by breaking the record for youngest person to make a pool bank shot at the age of 2 years and 302 days old.

"A bank shot in pool is when the cue ball is struck to hit the object ball off one or more rails before it enters a pocket," GWR said.

The boy's father, Luke Owens, said he knew Jude would excel at the sport from the first time he picked up a cue.

"Jude has achieved quite a lot in such a short space of time, but to have two world records, it's probably a pinnacle moment — how do you even beat that?" the father told Guinness World Records. "Do I think he'll be a world champion one day? As a father, you always hope your kids do well in life, so that would be the biggest aspiration if he was to achieve that."

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