In the last couple of weeks, one of the world’s largest consumer companies Procter & Gamble, pledged to make its packaging 100% sustainable by 2030, and Africa was declared free of wild polio with 95% of its population now vaccinated against the virus. Plus, a whole load of animals raised smiles around the world – this week’s hump day news is certainly one for animal lovers!
Patter of Happy Feet
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Penguins are a hot topic in the news at the moment! You may have read about one in Nottinghamshire that escaped from its farm enclosure and was rescued by police – who nicknamed it Po-Po – after they spotted it wandering along a road. Meanwhile in an aquarium in Valencia, two female penguins named Electra and Viola have become proud parents after their adopted egg hatched this week.
The Mating of the Shrew
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Members of a shrew species that was believed to be extinct have been discovered living on the Horn of Africa. The curiously named elephant shrew is actually deceivingly only the size of a mouse, but it can run at speeds of up to 30mph! Sightings of the cute critters haven’t been officially recorded since the late 1960s, but they do mate for life, which might be one of the reasons why their numbers are low.
Hip Hop Granny
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The pandemic has given many of us time to think deeply, and perhaps alter our approach to life. One example of such a transformation is 103-year-old Dorothy Pollack in America who decided during lockdown to change her mind about her grandson’s wish for her to get a tattoo, and booked an appointment as soon as restrictions were lifted. Dorothy got a little green frog inked on her arm as a birthday treat to herself, then travelled back to her nursing home on the back of a motorcycle!
Electric Wheels
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As the London bus system begins to switch over to electric vehicles, it will start to trial an ingenious method of conserving energy called vehicle-to-grid technology in November. When the buses aren’t in use, their electricity can be fed back into the grid in North London’s Northumberland Park garage. Only 100 buses are 100% electric at the moment, but if all 9000 of the city’s buses were switched over, then this method could provide enough energy to power 150,000 houses!
Baby Blues
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The reintroduction of the large blue butterfly, which was declared extinct in the UK in 1979, to the Gloucestershire countryside last August has been certified a success. The National Trust has recorded the emergence of around 750 butterflies over the summer, which is fantastic news for all those involved, as the habitat was meticulously prepared for five years prior to the reintroduction. The beguiling butterfly requires a unique habitat, which includes red ant species, wild thyme and marjoram.
Hyun-dog
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A stray dog that kept hanging around a Hyundai car dealership in Brazil has been ‘employed’ by the showroom. They adopted the pooch and named him Tucson Prime, and he was even bestowed his own personal Hyundai badge! The car company posted about its new acquisition on its Instagram page and it’s rumoured that Tucson might even star in some upcoming advertisements…
Learn with Lego
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Lego is launching a new range that will help visually impaired children learn to read and write. The bricks will feature a letter or number in braille on the top using the signature dots, as well as a printed version of the symbol, and they will be useable with the rest of the Lego range. The Danish toymaker hopes to boost the use of braille in a world where audiobooks and technology mean people are less likely to learn it.
The Sea Factor
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Just when we didn’t think dolphins could get any more loveable, it has been discovered that the males can actually synchronize the calls – or songs – that attract the females to them, effectively making dolphin boy bands! Upon hearing such harmonies, the females only want to swim in one direction…
Golden Years
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A rewilding project in Scotland has witnessed the first golden eagle chick to hatch in the UK in 40 years. Five years ago, a new nest was built on a remote cliff on the Trees for Life’s Dundreggan estate – but it wasn’t built by just anyone… Conservationist Roy Dennis – now 80 years old – arranged the sticks himself while held by a safety rope!
And finally…
This cow cooling off was all of us during the recent heatwave! She knows how to live.
