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

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Bite marks offer clues to escaped capybara's whereabouts

The British zoo where a capybara escaped in March said there have been multiple unconfirmed recent sightings — as well as some tell-tale bite marks.

Winchester's Marwell Zoo, which revealed in March that a capybara named Samba escaped just 24 hours after arriving at the facility, said the last confirmed sighting of the South American rodent was on March 22.

"Since then, we've received many possible sightings, but without photos or video, it has been difficult to confirm whether these reports are Samba or muntjac deer which can look very similar," Will Walker, the zoo's head of animals and plants, said in an update on the search.

Walker said there was a likely sighting on April 23.

"We received new information from a river bailiff who reported seeing an animal feeding on vegetation along the riverbank," Walker said. "Due to the dense foliage, the animal itself was not visible, but the bite marks and the height of the grazed plants were consistent with capybara feeding. The bailiff noted that this was not behavior they had observed from other species they've studied, so we are hopeful this may have been Samba."

The most recent possible sighting was reported along Highbridge Road on Wednesday.

"Our team headed out to the area shortly afterwards, however there was unfortunately no sign of her. A camera trap has now been installed in the area to help monitor any further activity," Walker said.

The zoo is asking local residents to continue keeping watch for Samba and reporting any sightings.

Officials said the area is rife with edible vegetation and potential shelter to allow Samba to thrive on the loose.

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Woman caught on CCTV cutting and stealing aloe vera plant leaves from outside Woodlands shop

Woman seen on CCTV allegedly taking aloe vera leaves from outside Woodlands shop

A woman has been caught on CCTV cutting and stealing aloe vera plant leaves from outside a shop in Woodlands.

The incident has left the small business owner upset and frustrated.

Woman allegedly steals aloe vera leaves

On Tuesday (5 May), a netizen shared a clip of the incident on the Instagram page @sgfollowsall.

According to the caption, the act went beyond just a matter of theft.

“Not just stolen… but DESTROYED. Who walks into a small business and butchers our aloe vera plants like this? Caught on CCTV,” the post read.

The angry owner went on to describe the woman as “evil” and urged netizens to make the video go viral.

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Arizona man finds Asian water monitor swimming in his pool

An Arizona man out doing yard work was surprised to see the world's second-largest lizard take a dip in his backyard pool.

Eric Johnson said he was working outside his home in Peoria, about 13 miles northwest of Phoenix, when he heard something splash into his pool.

"It almost sounded like a baseball jumping in the pool," Johnson told FOX 10 Phoenix. "I didn't know if it was venomous, if it was going to attack me."

Alex Roszkowski, director of operations at the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary, identified the swimmer as an Asian water monitor, the second-largest species of lizard after the komodo dragon.

Asian water monitors, native to south and southeast Asia, typically range from 4 to 6 feet long as adults, but have been known to reach lengths of up to 10.5 feet.

Johnson snapped photos of the visitor as it swam in his pool and climbed out for some sunbathing.

"So it seemed like it was sweet and friendly and it kind of just laid there, but I wasn't trying to go test that theory, you know," Johnson said.

He said the lizard left on its own after about 20 minutes.

"He looked happy swimming in the pool," Johnson said.

Roszkowski said the water monitor was almost certainly an escaped pet.

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New York firefighter faces charges for using water cannon to blast cat out of tree (the cat is dead)

Sometimes what seems like a good idea at the time doesn't quite work out the way you pictured it.

For example, when a firefighter in Spencerport, New York, was called in by a frantic owner to rescue a cat from a tree and all the usual methods like ladders drove the cat higher in the tree, he thought, "Wow, that's really high. There's got to be a better way."

So, he got some people to stand under the tree with a blanket, and then cranked up the water cannon on top of the fire truck to spray the feline out.

And it worked, sort of.
On the video, you can see the utter disappointment on the rescuers' faces as the cat goes flying out of the tree — in the wrong direction.

The cat did not survive, and that's why the firefighter now faces charges for torturing and injuring an animal under section 353 of New York State Agriculture and Markets law. It did not die on impact, as you can see from the video.

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British sailor takes another shot at Atlantic Ocean tiny boat crossing

A British sailor on Tuesday was preparing to make a second try at crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the tiniest boat ever to do so at only 3 feet, 10 inches.

Andrew Bedwell, 52, of Scarisbrick, England, wrote in his log that he is anxiously awaiting his micro-yacht, Big C Atlantic Challenge, to clear Canadian customs and then be shipped to Argentia, Newfoundland, where he will begin his record-breaking attempt.

When the miniscule aluminum craft does arrive there, perhaps as soon as Friday, he will fly from Britain to Argentia to wrap up final preparations for a second try at breaking the Guinness World Record for the smallest boat to complete a 1,900-mile Atlantic crossing.

Bedwell's first attempt to do so in 2023 came to a premature end when his first Big C boat was accidentally dropped onto concrete and smashed into pieces.

Now, he tells the Guinness World Records, he's redesigned the ship to be sturdier as he seeks to break the current record of a crossing in a 5 foot, 4 inch boat, set by American Hugo Vihlen in 1993.

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French police warn drivers to beware of drunken deer

May 13 (UPI) — Police in France are warning drivers to beware of drunk deer and other inebriated wildlife wandering into roadways after eating fermented fruits.

The Saône-et-Loire Gendarmerie posted a video to social media showing a deer frolicking erratically and running in circles after apparently consuming intoxicants.

"Not all road users are sober," the post said.

The Gendarmerie wrote deer and other creatures can become inebriated after eating buds, fermented fruits or decaying plants, leading them to "totally unpredictable behavior."

Drivers were warned to keep a lookout for "sudden crossing, inconsistent trajectory, immobilization on the road [and] disorderly escape."

"If Bambi overindulges on the forest aperitif, it might not be the time to drive like you own the road," the post said.

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Giant 73-pound blue catfish landed in Fla. river sets state record

It's no secret giant catfish lurk in the waters of Florida's rivers, but a newly caught specimen revealed on Tuesday is in a class by itself.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission proudly displayed the biggest blue catfish ever captured in the state — a 73.6-pound monster reeled in on the Suwannee River.

New state record! A 73.6-pound blue catfish from the Suwannee River is now the official state record after being certified by FWC biologists.

The new king catfish shattered the old mark of 69.5 pounds set in 2015, the FWC wrote in a post on X.

The catch was reviewed for species, weight and eligibility by agency biologists and subsequently certified as a new state record.

Adult blue catfish have stout bodies with prominently humped backs in front of the dorsal fin and resemble channel catfish by having deeply forked tails, the FWC notes. The back and upper sides are blue to slate gray, and the belly is white.

Known as one of the strongest freshwater fish, they can be caught on bush hooks or trotlines as well as rod and reel and can be found foraging at the water's bottom.

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May 14 (UPI) — An Ohio man won a $10,000 lottery prize just under a month after scoring $5,000 from another ticket bought from the same gas station.

The Brunswick player, identified only as Richard, told Ohio Lottery officials he frequently buys scratch-off tickets from the Brunswick Valero on Center Road in Brunswick.

His loyalty to the store paid off on March 28 with a $5,000 win from an Ultimate $5,000,000 scratch-off.

Luck struck a second time on April 24 when he scored a $10,000 prize from a Billion scratch-off.

Richard said the money from his dual wins will go toward replacing his roof.

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World's largest soccer ball coming to Boston

The Massachusetts Port Authority announced it will celebrate the FIFA World Cup by constructing the world's largest soccer ball.

Massport said the ball is planned to have a diameter of 45 feet, enough to take the Guinness World Record for the largest soccer ball from Qatar's Doha Bank, which unveiled a ball with a diameter of 39 feet and 11.8 inches in 2013.

The ball will be installed at at Piers Park II in East Boston from June 12-18. A special community day event will be held at the location on June 13.

The record attempt celebrates the World Cup games that will be played at Boston Stadium in Foxborough in June and July.

"We're proud to welcome the world to Boston as Massachusetts prepares to host the FIFA World Cup matches and showcase the unique attractions and welcoming communities that make our state such a special place to visit," Massport CEO Rich Davey said in a news release. "Bringing this iconic display to East Boston gives people the opportunity to come together, enjoy the neighborhood's vibrant waterfront and skyline views, and share in the excitement of the FIFA World Cup."

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Ohio police apprehend ball python for 'unwanted slithering'

The Westlake Police Department said on social media that officers "never know what the day will bring," and Monday's call was especially unusual.

Officers responded after "receiving a complaint of unwanted slithering" and found a ball python wandering loose, the post said.

"It was in good health and already has a forever home," police wrote.

Ball pythons, the smallest species of python, are native to Africa and are commonly kept as pets.



May 14 (UPI) — Police in Ohio said a report of "unwanted slithering" in a Westlake neighborhood resulted in the detention of a ball python.

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