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From the romantic poets to the global reach of Sir David Attenborough, Britain has a reputation for being a nation of nature lovers.But the citizens of this supposedly green and pleasant land are ranked bottom of 14 European nations measured for their “nature connectedness”, according to a new study.Nature connectedness is a psychological concept that measures the closeness of an individual’s relationship with other species and the wild world. Studies have found that people with a high level of nature connectedness enjoy better mental health and are more likely to act in environmentally friendly ways.The study, published in the journal Ambio, examines which countrywide factors influence the degree of individual closeness to nature, finding the strongest association between biodiversity and nature connectedness, with individuals living in countries where wild species and landscapes are still intact enjoying a closer relationship with nature.Britain is bottom of the 14 nations for biodiversity, having lost more wildlife than any other G7 country and been shown to be one of the most nature-depleted countries on the planet.Britain ranks lowest of 14 European countries for ‘nature connectedness’, biodiversity and wellbeing.Britain ranks lowest of 14 European countries for ‘nature connectedness’, biodiversity and wellbeing.Another country-wide factor in nature connectedness was the average age of a population, with older people tending to enjoy closer relationships with nature – possibly because there was more around when they were children or they had more freedom to enjoy it.While high levels of urban residents did not necessarily mean a weaker connection with nature, more decisive negative influences on nature connection were higher average incomes and smartphone ownership. Countries with a high level of smartphone ownership were strongly associated with a more distant relationship to nature.Another study has found that people who take lots of selfies experience less connection with the natural world. The latest study also supports previous research showing that new technology is more significant than urbanisation in the decline of nature words in cultural products since the 1950s.Prof Miles Richardson of the University of Derby, the lead author, said: “We’re a nation of nature lovers, we cherish our poets, we celebrate our landscape artists and we love our nature documentaries – there is that perception we’re a nation of nature lovers but it hurts to be told that what this data strongly suggests is no, it’s not the case.”He said it was too simplistic to infer that smartphones were a cause of a loss of connection with nature, but it was part of a spiral of decline in Britain.“When you’ve lost your biodiversity, you’ve lost your opportunity to engage with it,” he said. “At the same time you’ve got these new opportunities to engage with smartphones or whatever the latest technology is. It’s difficult to make a causal inference but it’s probably a spiral of decline – biodiversity drops, a relationship with nature drops and biodiversity falls further and around you go.”Sign up to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every weekday morning at 7am BSTAnalysing data from 14,745 adults across the European countries including Germany, Spain, France and Italy, researchers found British people have the lowest nature connectedness, a ranking of 3.71 out of a possible 7. Italy has the highest nature-connected citizens, with a ranking of 4.67.Other high-ranking nations are in southern or central Europe, such as Portugal, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, while north European nations showed the least affinity with the natural world, with Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Ireland making up the bottom five above the UK.According to Richardson, the measurement of “nature connectedness” could become a useful tool in tackling the biodiversity crisis because the concept does not adopt the dominant western view of humans and nature as separate but captures it as a relationship – as many pre-industrial societies and eastern philosophies have done.“Although we can’t reduce our relationship with nature down to one number, the world operates with numbers and there are times we need to put figures in front of someone and convince them that something needs to be done,” said Richardson. “It’s one measure for one health – a simple measurement for the health of humans and nature.“We seek to restore natural habitats but habitat and biodiversity loss is a symptom of a failing relationship with nature, and now people are seeing that relationship as the root cause of a decline in nature. [The concept of nature connection] has got a lot to offer mental health as well. If we’ve got one target to deliver two benefits for people and the rest of the nature that seems a wonderful thing.”Richardson is calling for the UN to adopt the concept of nature connectedness as a sustainable target, with its 17 sustainable development goals currently either focused on issues for people or for nature. “We rarely focus on the interface, on the relationship,” he said. “Sometimes we’re so disconnected we don’t see the relationship as a tangible thing at all.”
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Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation wants people to take part in its Big Butterfly Count. It says the citizen science survey gives experts important data on how the popular insects are faringThe Peacock butterfly is widespread throughout Britain and IrelandNature-loving Brits are being asked to go on a mass butterfly count in a last-ditch bid to save some species from extinction. More than two-fifths of the nation’s butterflies are in danger of dying out due to climate change and pollution, experts warn. They say there is still time to bring species bad from the brink - but it needs swift action from the public. Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation wants people to take part in its Big Butterfly Count, which begins today. It says the citizen science survey gives experts important data on how the popular insects are faring. The counts acts as an “early warning system”, helping to show how environmental changes are affecting insects. By running a nationwide count, data can also be gathered from areas that would otherwise be unrecorded. The charity said observing butterflies in nature as part of the count can also be good for people’s mental health. The Red Admiral is a strong-flying butterfly and commonly found in gardens (
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PA) Butterfly Conservation warned it is not just rare species that are under threat of extinction. Common butterflies, which are featured in the count, have also seen significant declines. The small tortoiseshell, once found in gardens throughout the country, has fallen by a massive 79% since 1976. Last year people submitted 150,000 sets of results to the Big Butterfly Count, more than ever before. But worryingly it also saw the lowest average number of butterflies logged since the scheme began 13 years ago. Experts at Butterfly Conservation want to know if that trend is continuing in 2022. The Large White butterfly has a wingspan of 63-70mm (
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Getty Images/iStockphoto) Dr Zoe Randle said: “We really need people's help to help us figure out where our butterflies are and what we need to do to save them. “The Big Butterfly Count is the largest natural history citizen science project involving insects in the world. “It provides us with a valuable snapshot of what is happening for butterflies across the whole of the UK. “It can act as an early-warning system, letting us know how various environmental changes are impacting insects. “It also allows us to gather vital data from places that would otherwise be totally unrecorded.” The Holly Blue butterfly is easily identifiable in the springtime (
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Getty Images/iStockphoto) Butterfly Conservation ambassador Dr Amir Khan said: “Spending time in nature is hugely beneficial to our mental health. “Just a short amount of time spent in the natural world can alleviate stress. “And connecting with nature can help us feel happier and more energised. “Watching butterflies for just 15 minutes can be a wonderful and calming experience.” People can take part by spending 15 minutes in an outdoor, sunny space and logging the types and amounts of butterflies they see. This year's count runs from today until August 7. Top 10 butterflies to spot this Big Butterfly Count 1) Peacock The Peacock butterfly is widespread throughout Britain and Ireland and can be easily identified by its striking patterns. On its upper wings the blue eyespots were evolved to ward off predators, meanwhile the underside of their wings is of a dark colour, similar to that of dead leaves. The Peacock enjoys a wide range of habitats and is often spotted in gardens. 2) Red Admiral The Red Admiral is a strong-flying butterfly and commonly found in gardens. Starting each spring and continuing through the summer there are northward migrations, starting in North Africa and Continental Europe. The females arrive in the UK and lays eggs, providing a new generation of butterflies from mid-summer (starting from around July). These great travellers then continue their voyage flying into October and November. Red Admirals can be found in almost any habitat from the seashores to the top of mountains. 3) Small Tortoiseshell A highly-recognisable and well-known British butterfly is the Small Tortoiseshell. These butterflies can visit garden flowers in high numbers and treat us to a swirl of orange and black colours fluttering through the air. The Small Tortoiseshell’s caterpillars enjoy feeding on both Common and Small Nettle. The Small Tortoiseshell butterfly can visit garden flowers in high numbers (
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Getty Images) 4) Large White The Large White belongs to the Whites and Yellows Family and is a larger butterfly with a wingspan of 63-70mm (male to female). These brilliant butterflies are identifiable by the black tips they have on their forewings which continue to the edge of their wing. Meanwhile, the females also have two dots on their forewings which helps differentiate between the sexes. Large Whites can be seen in all of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland and enjoy gardens particularly around allotments growing cabbages. 5) Small White A key difference between the Large and the Small White isn’t simply the size, as on occasion some Larges may be smaller, but that the Large White also has a larger spot on the tip of their forewing as mentioned above, which the Small White lacks. The Small Whites have similar distributions and also enjoy cabbages. Small White butterflies enjoy cabbages (
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Getty Images/iStockphoto) 6) Painted Lady The Painted Lady is another migrant butterfly which comes from North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia. They then recolonise in Europe before reaching Britain and Ireland, however, population numbers do vary from year to year. The Painted Lady enjoys drier and more open spaces but is fairly common so can be seen in many places across the UK. The Painted Lady has also increased in their distribution by 14% since the 1970s. The Painted Lady enjoys drier and more open spaces (
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Getty Images/iStockphoto) 7) Comma The Comma appears to have more sculptured wings with scalloped edges and a colouring similar to dead leaves. Meanwhile, their larvae have freckle-like brown and white spots. The Comma made a significant comeback after it suffered an extreme decline in the twentieth century, and it is now widespread in southern Britain and its range is expanding northwards. The Comma butterfly has a colouring similar to dead leaves (
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Getty Images) 8) Meadow Brown Even in dull weather when other species are not active the Meadow Brown can still be seen and is one of the most widely-spread butterflies throughout Britain and Ireland. This butterfly enjoys a range of habitats including more urban areas such as parks and cemeteries. However, some of the Meadow Brown’s colonies have been lost as a result of agricultural intensification. The Meadow Brown butterfly enjoys a range of habitats including more urban areas (
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Getty Images/iStockphoto) 9) Speckled Wood Unlike other butterflies, both the male and female Speckled Woods rarely feed on flowers and instead prefer the honeydew found in treetops. Therefore, they particularly enjoy woodland rides and glades. However, they do also enjoy more shaded areas that are slightly damp. Since the 1920s this species has spread over many areas in the east and north of England, and also Scotland. Both the male and female Speckled Woods rarely feed on flowers (
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Neil Aldridge) 10) Holly Blue The Holly Blue emerges earlier than other blue butterflies making it easily identifiable in the springtime. Their distributions are spread out widely, but they can commonly be found in parks and gardens. If you are looking out for the Holly Blue this month, they are known to congregate around Ivy later in the summer. Read More Read More
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A 5-y-o Scottish Fold cat named Sun wears a battery-powered fan outfit for pets, developed by Japanese maternity clothing maker "Sweet Mommy", during the copmany's promotional event in Tokyo, Japan July 28, 2022. REUTERS/Issei KatoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comTOKYO, Aug 1 (Reuters) - A Tokyo clothing maker has teamed up with veterinarians to create a wearable fan for pets, hoping to attract the anxious owners of dogs - or cats - that can't shed their fur coats in Japan's blistering summer weather.The device consists of a battery-operated, 80-gramme (3-ounce) fan that is attached to a mesh outfit and blows air around an animal's body.Rei Uzawa, president of maternity clothing maker Sweet Mommy, says she was motivated to create it after seeing her own pet chihuahua exhausted every time it was taken out for a walk in the scorching summer heat.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"There was almost no rainy season this year, so the hot days came early, and in that sense, I think we developed a product that is right for the market," she said.After the rainy season in Tokyo ended in late June, the Japanese capital suffered the longest heatwave on record with temperatures up to 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) for nine days."I usually use dry ice packs (to keep the dog cool). But I think it's easier to walk my dog if we have this fan," said Mami Kumamoto, 48, owner of a miniature poodle named Pudding and a terrier named Maco.The device debuted in early July and Sweet Mommy has received around 100 orders for the product, Uzawa said. It comes in five different sizes and is priced at 9,900 yen ($74).($1 = 133.1900 yen)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Irene Wang
Writing by Daniel Leussink
Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Witnesses saw the adorable chocolate-coloured cockapoo Watson being dumped in a rucksack in Finchampstead Woods in February, and was later taken into care of the RSPCA.Witnesses saw chocolate-coloured cockapoo Watson being dumped in a rucksack in Finchampstead Woods in February An adorable puppy has found a new home after being cruelly dumped in a rucksack in Berkshire woodland, and left to die by its previous owners. Witnesses saw the chocolate-coloured cockapoo Watson being dumped in a rucksack in Finchampstead Woods in February. The small creature was taken to a nearby vets for treatment and to make sure he was healthy. They then reported the matter to the RSPCA, who deal with animal cruelty and welfare issues. Next, Watson was taken into the care of RSPCA's Millbrook Animal Centre where he was rehabilitated. Once he was fully nursed back to health, he found his forever home, reports Berkshire Live. Woodland in early morning at Finchampstead Ridges, Berkshire. (
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Alamy Stock Photo) But the RSPCA said that Watson's sad case is not unusual. New figures released as part of the animal welfare charity’s Cancel Out Cruelty campaign showed that despite being man’s best friend, in Berkshire there were 437 reports of dog cruelty to the RSPCA last year. Of these, in Berkshire, there were five abandoned dogs, six seized due to illegal activity, a staggering 84 who had been intentionally harmed, 70 left unattended, 263 neglected and nine trapped. Nationally, there were 44,427 reports of dog cruelty made to the RSPCA involving 92,244 dogs last year. That is 253 a day or more than 10 an hour - and includes 10,228 dogs reported as beaten. This showed a significant 16 per cent increase since 2020 - when cruelty reports involving 79,513 dogs were made to the charity. RSPCA dog welfare expert Dr Samantha Gaines said: “Every year, we see many dogs coming into our care bearing the physical and mental scars that were inflicted at the hands of the very people who were meant to keep them safe and love them unconditionally. “We are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers and dogs are ‘man’s best friend’ as the saying goes but in reality we receive many cruelty reports every day about dogs who have suffered the most unimaginable cruelty and a 16% increase of dogs being cruelly treated in a year is really concerning. “Our officers have dealt with all sorts of horrific incidents including dogs repeatedly beaten, stabbed, burned, drowned, poisoned, some have been left to die from starvation. “With the public’s help in reporting cruelty they have been able to save many dogs from ongoing abuse. Sadly though in some cases others have died at the hands of their tormentors and it is then our job to try and bring some justice for the victim. “During the summer we see a rise in cruelty and this year as we have seen such a massive increase in dog ownership since lockdown we are bracing ourselves for even more reports. “We believe there are a number of factors which mean summer is our busiest time. Perhaps there is boredom or pressures at home with children being off school which can make existing difficulties magnified. “This year the cost of living crisis has added a further dimension and we believe we could see people really struggling to care for their pets which may lead them to lash out or could see more animals than ever being abandoned or given up. “All these factors mean that we need the public's support more than ever to help Cancel Out Cruelty. As a charity, we are bracing to tackle a summer of suffering but we cannot do this without your help and we rely on public support to carry on our rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming work.” Read More Read More
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There were smiles, rounds of a applause, and plenty of wagging tails Sunday as 39 patriotic pooches paraded down Summer Street in front of Macy’s to celebrate the nation’s independence and to bring people, and their pets, back downtown.The first annual Independence Day dog parade was just one of many events the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District and Boston Harborfest were hosting throughout the July 4th weekend, including historical reenactments, ice cream socials, and a ukulele band performance.Adrienne Vaughan, 52, and Brian Trabish, 51, came with their 12-year-old daughter, Madeleine , and 16-month-old white Siberian Huskey named Magnus from West Roxbury.Though Magnus’s costume of a blue T-shirt, green Statue of Liberty crown, and plush eagle strapped to his back was something the family “threw together last minute,” Vaughan said, the judges were impressed, awarding Magnus Best in Show.“This is phenomenal,” Vaughan said. “I’m happy to see how much work Mayor Wu and her team have put into getting people back downtown.”Friends Charlotte Michaux, 36, and Jessica Pereira, 32, moved to Boston from France and Brazil during the pandemic and were eager to experience their first full-fledged Fourth of July.“It’s silly, but it’s nice,” Pereira said as her Uncle-Sam-hat-wearing golden retriever Baily gawked at all the other dogs.Foot traffic downtown has fallen sharply since the onset of the pandemic, and the Downtown Boston BID is aiming to use the holiday weekend as an opportunity to attract people back to the heart of the city.“We did amp up the events this year with full knowledge that we needed to have destination events to get people into downtown Boston for things that they really can’t get elsewhere,” said George Comeau, Downtown Boston BID’s marketing manager.The BID counted about 108,000 visitors downtown on Friday and Saturday’s total was also above 100,000, Comeau said.“This isn’t window dressing; it’s packed down here,” he said on Sunday.Hana and Keri Pearlson with their poodle mix, Russel, were among the crowd. The festivities were a nice break from depressing news, they said.“Right now it’s hard to celebrate the country,” Hana Pearlson, 26, said. “But we can always celebrate dogs.”“We always find a way to come together,” said Keri Pearlson, 64.Monday’s festivities will begin at 9 a.m. with a parade from Government Center culminating at the Old State House for a reading of the Declaration of Independence.At 1 p.m. there will be a reading of Frederick Douglas’s “What, to the slave, is the Fourth of July” speech at the Downtown Crossing steps, and events on the Esplanade will begin at 7 p.m.Sunday’s clear skies will last into Monday, when temperatures will hit a high of 83 degrees with a light breeze and low humidity, according to the National Weather Service.The weekend’s beautiful weather had Katie Shusdock sweating as she led a pack of tourists down the Freedom Trail along Beacon Street near the Statehouse in 17th-century garb on Sunday.“It’s not as bad as you’d think,” she said of the three-layered green linen dress she was wearing.Shusdock, who teaches high school biology during the school year, said tourists have returned to the city in force, many of them here this weekend for the Independence Day festivities.As for the patriot Shusdock portrays on her tours, “she’d be pretty excited” for Independence Day, Shusdock said.Alexander Thompson can be reached at alexander.thompson@globe.com
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By JENNIFER PELTZ | The Associated Press
NEW YORK — U.S. dog lovers, say “benvenuto” to the bracco Italiano.
The ancient Italian bird-hunting dog is the 200th member of the American Kennel Club’s roster of recognized breeds, the organization announced Wednesday. That means the handsome, powerful but amiable pointers can now go for best in show at many U.S. dog shows, including the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club event next year.
The bracco (pronounced BRAH’-koh) goes back more than two millennia in Europe but wasn’t brought to the U.S. until the mid-1990s, according to the AKC. It’s sometimes called the Italian pointer or Italian pointing dog. The ideal bracco should be “tough and adapted to all types of hunting, reliable, docile and intelligent,” while also friendly and neither shy nor aggressive, according to the AKC’s standard for the medium-to-large breed.
“They’re very easy to live with and be around, and yet it’s like a light switch — when it’s time to jump in the back of the truck and go hunting, and they’ve got a job, they just light up like a Christmas tree,” said owner and breeder Lisa Moller of Portage, Wisconsin.
She and husband Dale relied on Labrador retrievers as pheasant-hunting helpers before a friend introduced them to a bracco about five years ago. The couple was quickly struck by the dog’s methodical hunting style in the field and affectionate nature at home: “They’re very Velcro,” Lisa Moller said.
The dogs — the proper plural is “bracchi Italiani” — have a deep bark and readily deploy it on spotting backyard wildlife, so “they may not be the right dog for everybody,” she noted.
AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo called the bracco a great companion for active families who can provide “the love and attention it needs.” The AKC opened the nation’s oldest dog registry with a mere nine breeds in 1878. In the last decade alone, the club has added over 20 breeds, ranging from the teeny Russian toy to the powerful dogo Argentino. Criteria involve the total number and generations of registered dogs nationwide, their geographical distribution and other factors.
There remain many breeds that are registered elsewhere but not by the AKC, or aren’t formally recognized at all. Some aficionados eschew, or are torn about, the exposure that AKC recognition brings to a breed.
Animal rights activists denounce dog breeding, and they say that adding more breeds just exacerbates faddish demand for purebred pets and fuels puppy mills that feed it.
The AKC says it promotes responsible breeding aimed at preserving characteristics that equip dogs for various tasks and ease owners’ search for a pup they can live with and commit to.
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Monkeypox virus, illustration.Thom Leach | Science Photo Library | Getty ImagesIn 2003, 47 people across six Midwestern states caught monkeypox from pet prairie dogs that were infected after they were housed with rodents imported from Ghana, Africa.Today's outbreak, which has already infected more than 14,100 people in the U.S. and more than 41,000 across the globe, is spreading mostly through close human contact among gay and bisexual men. But scientists reported the first presumed human-to-pet transmission in a dog in France this month, prompting U.S. and global health officials to step up warnings to ensure the virus doesn't spread to other pets and animals. The recommendation stems from concerns that monkeypox could spill into wildlife or rodent populations as the human outbreak grows, allowing the virus to pass back-and-forth between humans and animals and giving the virus a permanent foothold in countries where it hasn't historically circulated. Prior to the global outbreak this year, monkeypox spread primarily in remote parts of West and Central Africa where people caught the virus after exposure to infected animals. The 2003 outbreak, which was contained, was the first documented case of humans catching the virus outside Africa.The current global outbreak differs dramatically from past patterns of transmission. Monkeypox is now spreading almost entirely through close physical contact between people in major urban areas in the U.S., European nations and Brazil. But the first presumed case of people infecting an animal in the current outbreak was reported in France this month. A pet dog tested positive for the virus after a couple in Paris fell ill with monkeypox and shared their bed with the animal. CNBC Health & Science Read CNBC's latest global health coverage:A dog in France has monkeypox, worrying scientists that we won't be able to eradicate the virus if it spreads to more animalsWhite House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci to step down in December after more than 50 years of public servicePfizer asks FDA to authorize Covid booster shots that target omicron BA.5 for people ages 12 and olderFrom dating to concerts, these activities are—and aren't—safe for monkeypox risk, experts sayOmicron-specific Covid booster shots are just weeks away. Here's who will—and won't—be eligibleMonkeypox cases jumped 20% in the last week to 35,000 across 92 countries, WHO saysPolio has been circulating for months in New York City area and poses an ongoing risk to the unvaccinated, CDC saysPolio detected in New York City sewage suggesting local circulation of virus, health officials sayWHO officials have said a single incident of a pet catching the virus is not surprising or a cause for major concern, but there is a risk that monkeypox could start circulating in animals if people don't know they can infect other species. If monkeypox becomes established in animal populations outside Africa, the virus would have more opportunities to mutate, which carries the risk of higher transmissibility and severity. Animals could then potentially give the virus to people, increasing the risk of future outbreaks."What we don't want to see happen is disease moving from one species to the next and then remaining in that species," said Dr. Mike Ryan, director of the WHO's health emergencies program, said during a press conference in Geneva last week. "It's through that process of one animal affecting the next and the next and the next that you see rapid evolution of the virus."The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not received any reports of pets infected with monkeypox in the U.S., said Kristen Nordlund, an agency spokesperson. But the virus can spread from people to animals or from animals to people, according to the CDC. "While we are still learning which species of animals can get monkeypox, we should assume any mammal can be infected with monkeypox virus," Nordlund said. "We do not know if reptiles, amphibians, or birds can get monkeypox, but it is unlikely since these animals have not been found to be infected with viruses in the same family as monkeypox."Dr. Rosamund Lewis, the WHO's lead monkeypox expert, said it's important to dispose of potentially contaminated waste properly to avoid the risk of rodents and other animals becoming infected when they rummage through garbage."While these have been hypothetical risks all along, we believe that they are important enough that people should have information on how to protect their pets, as well as how to manage their waste, so that animals in general are not exposed to the monkeypox virus," Lewis said.Ryan said that while vigilance is important, animals and pets do not represent a risk to people at the current time."It's important that we don't allow these viruses to establish themselves in other animal populations," Ryan said. "Single exposures or single infections in particular animals is not unexpected."Rodents in AfricaAlthough scientists have done some research on monkeypox in Africa, where it's historically circulated, their work was limited due to a lack of funding. So scientists don't know how many different species of animals can carry the virus and transmit it to humans.Scientists have only isolated monkeypox from wild animals a handful of times in Africa over the past 40 years. They included rope squirrels, target rats and giant pouched rats in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as two types of monkeys in Cote d'Ivoire. Rodents, not monkeys, are thought to be the host animal population in Africa, though the precise animal reservoir is unknown.Public health officials don't know whether the types of animals in close proximity to people in urban settings in the U.S. -- racoons, mice and rats -- can pick up and transmit the virus. Some types of mice and rats can get monkeypox but not all species are susceptible, according to the CDC."We know this is a virus that's transmitted from rodents in West Africa," said Dr. Peter Hotez, an infectious disease expert at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. "Could rats or other rodents in urban environments mean that it gains a foothold there and it also becomes more of a permanent fixture — we don't want that to happen," he said.The CDC recommends that people who have monkeypox avoid contact with animals — pets, livestock, domestic animas and wildlife. If a pet becomes sick within 21 days of contact with someone who has monkeypox, the animal should be evaluated by a veterinarian.Waste contaminated with monkeypox should go into in a lined, dedicated trash can and shouldn't be left outside because wildlife could potentially become exposed the virus, according to CDC.U.S. outbreak in 2003In the 2003 outbreak, the CDC was able to quickly administer vaccines and quarantine patients before the virus could spread farther. There were no cases of monkeypox spreading between people. The CDC then banned the importation of rodents from Africa.Containing the 2003 outbreak took 10,000 hours of work to trace the virus back to Gambian rats and other rodents imported from Ghana to an animal distributor in Texas, according to Marguerite Pappaioanou, a former CDC official who worked on the outbreak.The Food and Drug Administration banned the importation of all African rodents in the wake of the 2003 outbreak. The agency also prohibited the interstate distribution of prairie dogs and their release into the wild over concerns monkeypox could become established in wildlife populations.The U.S. Georgical Survey and Department of Agriculture subsequently trapped 200 wild animals in Wisconsin at sites close to where humans contracted monkeypox from pet prairie dogs. They did not find any evidence that the virus had spread into wild animals, and the FDA lifted the ban on distributing prairie dogs between states. It's still illegal to import rodents from Africa.Wastewater worriesScientists in California detected monkeypox DNA in sewage samples this summer. New York is also conducting wastewater surveillance for the virus, according to the state health department, though results have not been publicly released yet. The wastewater findings in California have raised concern among some health experts that the virus could infect rodents through the sewage."There is the risk because of the widespread nature of infections and the fact that it's sewage and wastewater," said Dr. James Lawler, an infectious disease expert at Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. "That's a concern, about getting into an animal population and having a zoonotic risk reservoir and honestly, if that's the case that I think it's game over for us."But it's not clear if live virus is present in wastewater. The study measured monkeypox DNA in sewage samples, not whether the virus was still infectious, according to Marlene Wolfe, a scientist at Emory University who is working on the project.Wastewater is treated in most urban areas so the probability of the virus surviving and replicating in such an environment is low, according to Amira Roess, a former official with the CDC's Epidemiological Intelligence Service. Roess said garbage that contains contaminated materials such as bedsheets or towels likely poses a higher risk than wastewater."There are wildlife species that rummage in your garbage and then they're more likely to pick up virus that is able to replicate. "There's a lot of ifs, but it happens," said Roess, who is now a professor of epidemiology at George Mason University.Low probabilitySeveral steps would have to take place for the monkeypox virus to spill over from humans into animals and then spill back into people causing another outbreak, according to Richard Reithinger, an epidemiologist at RTI International.The virus would have to circulate in an animal population with a wide geographic distribution, but not cause so much mortality in the species that the train of transmission is snuffed out, Reithinger said. Humans would also need to have some level of regular contact with animals."Each step has a certain probability. Once once you kind of add up all the probabilities of these steps, the probability actually becomes quite low," Reithinger said.It's also possible that monkeypox might be transmitting more efficiently among people in the current outbreak due to some sort of viral mutation, Roess said. If the virus has adapted to humans, it could be more difficult for people to give the disease to animals, she added. It also depends on what kind animal comes into contact with the virus, according to Pappaioanou."All animals are not susceptible. We don't even know which ones are," said Pappaioanou, who is now an affiliate professor at the University of Washington.Better surveillance neededAlthough the risk of the virus becoming entrenched in a U.S. animal population and causing future human outbreaks is low, the U.S. needs a more robust surveillance system to prepare for such a possibility, according to Pappaioanou and Roess. There are major gaps in the ability of public health agencies to monitor animal populations for infectious diseases, the former CDC officials said."It's a very big gap. We don't have a good surveillance system for humans," Roess said. "For wildlife, it depends on who is interested in what pathogen and if they're able to convince someone to fund surveillance. A lot of our surveillance is just really sporadic"Livestock such as cows, sheep and poultry are monitored by the Department of Agriculture, Pappaioanou said. But wildlife surveillance is underfunded and it takes a tremendous amount of work to monitor these animals for infectious disease, she said There's no government agency that overseas the health of dogs and cats, she said. Local health departments may monitor rodents and have population control programs but this also requires funding and significant staffing, she added."More and more people around the world are moving to cities," Pappaioanou said. "What would it mean in a highly urbanized city to have a reservoir of infection? We don't know the answer."
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04:16 - Source: CNN Monkeypox: Dr. Gupta explains how it spreads and what the symptoms are CNN — The first possible case of human-to-dog transmission of monkeypox – recently reported in two men and their pet in Paris – had been a theoretical risk up till now, said Dr. Rosamund Lewis, technical lead on the monkeypox response for the World Health Organization. The men, who live together and are in a non-exclusive relationship, were diagnosed with monkeypox at a hospital in Paris in early June. Twelve days after their symptoms started, their 4-year-old Italian greyhound also started showing symptoms, according to a report published last week in the journal The Lancet. The dog developed lesions and tested positive for the same type of monkeypox as one of the owners. According to the report, the men said that they let their dog sleep in bed with them and that they had been careful to keep their pet away from other animals or humans from the start of their own symptoms – before the dog’s symptoms started. “To the best of our knowledge, the kinetics of symptom onset in both patients and, subsequently, in their dog, suggest human-to-dog transmission of monkeypox virus,” the authors of the report wrote. “Given the dog’s skin and mucosal lesions as well as the positive monkeypox virus PCR results from anal and oral swabs, we hypothesise a real canine disease, not a simple carriage of the virus by close contact with humans or airborne transmission (or both).” The authors suggested that the study should prompt discussion on whether pets need to be isolated from their owners if they have monkeypox, and they called for further research. Lewis said that previously, only animal-to-human transmission of the virus was reported, referencing a monkeypox outbreak in the US in which people were infected with the virus through pet prairie dogs. “This is the first incident that we’re learning about where there is human-to-animal transmission,” Lewis said during a Washington Post Live event on Monday. “This has not been reported before, and it has not been reported that dogs have been infected before. “On a number of levels, this is new information,” she said. “It’s not surprising information, and it’s something that we’ve been on the watch out for.” She noted that within WHO, experts have been working with partners such as the World Organization of Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization to address the issue. “The messaging that has been given up until now is that pets should be isolated from the family members who may be infected,” she said. “This has been an example of precautionary approach, precautionary messaging, because we didn’t have the information that this had ever happened before, it had not been reported before, but it was a reasonable, cautious message to give. And now we have the first incident where this has actually occurred.” Lewis said it isn’t clear whether the infected dog will be able to transmit the virus back to humans. But sometimes, even when they don’t have all the evidence, public health profesionals have to figure out the most useful messaging that will allow people to appreciate their level of risk. “This is an example where most pets will not be at risk, it may only be those who are actually in the household of someone who’s infected,” she said. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its page on monkeypox in animals to acknowledge that dogs can be infected with the virus. “We are still learning which species of animals can get monkeypox,” the agency said. “While we do not know if reptiles, amphibians, or birds can get monkeypox, it is unlikely since these animals have not been found to be infected with other orthopoxviruses.” The CDC also notes that infected animals can spread the virus to people, and it is “possible that people who are infected can spread Monkeypox virus to animals through close contact, including petting, cuddling, hugging, kissing, licking, sharing sleeping areas, and sharing food.” The agency advises people with monkeypox to avoid contact with animals, including their pets. Pets who had close contact with someone with monkeypox symptoms should be kept at home and away from other animals and people for 21 days after the most recent contact, the CDC said. Infected people shouldn’t get close to their exposed pet; they should ask someone else within the home to look after it if possible. If the infected person and the pet did not have close contact after symptoms started, the CDC recommends asking someone who lives elsewhere to look after the animal until there is a full recovery from the virus.
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Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The first case of human to dog transmission of monkeypox was reported in The LancetA dog has been infected with monkeypox after catching the virus from its owner, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.It's the first case of its kind, and health leaders say isolating from pets when infected is important.The WHO also warned of the need to get rid of rubbish carefully to reduce the risk of infecting other animals. There is no evidence that dogs can transmit the disease to other dogs or humans, an expert said.Monkeypox spreads through close skin-to-skin contact and also when someone touches fabrics - such as clothing, bedding, or towels - which have been used by someone with the virus.Around 35,000 cases have now been confirmed around the world, with most in Europe and north and south America. There have been 12 deaths linked to the outbreak.After a steep rise in cases of monkeypox in the UK since May, cases have started levelling off, according to the UK Health Security Agency.It comes as UK supplies of the vaccine are set to run out until a new delivery of 100,000 jabs arrives sometime in September.The first case of human-to-dog transmission of monkeypox occurred in Paris and was reported in The Lancet.Two men - living in the same Paris house - who have sex with men noticed lesions on their Italian greyhound dog 12 days after they started getting symptoms.Genetic analysis showed that the virus which infected the dog was exactly the same as the virus infecting the men, the report said.They said they had been co-sleeping with their dog."This has not been reported before, and we believe it is the first instance of a canine being infected," said Dr Rosamund Lewis, technical lead on the monkeypox response at the WHO.Dr Mike Ryan, director of the health emergencies programme, said it was "not unexpected"."But what we don't want to see happen is disease moving from one species to the next, and then remaining in that species (and) moving around within a new species because that's when the virus can adapt, and then adapting to that new species (the virus) is incentivised to evolve as such."Dr Sylvie Briand, director of global infectious hazard preparedness at the WHO, added: "It's the first time, so it means that dogs can be infected, but it doesn't mean that the dog can transmit the disease and infect other dogs, nor does it mean that the dog can re-infect human if it is infected."Vaccine supplies to protect against monkeypox are currently limited worldwide.There has been a 20% increase in cases reported over the past week, which was also 20% more than the week before.Most cases are in men who have sex with men and global health leaders stress the importance for all countries to give information to these communities to help protect their health.
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pets_animals_wildlife
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TOKYO -- People in a southwestern Japanese city have come under attack from monkeys that are trying to snatch babies, biting and clawing at flesh, and sneaking into nursery schools.The attacks — on 58 people since July 8 — are getting so bad Yamaguchi city hall hired a special unit to hunt the animals with tranquilizer guns.The monkeys aren’t interested in food, so traps haven’t worked. They have targeted mostly children and the elderly. “They are so smart, and they tend to sneak up and attack from behind, often grabbing at your legs,” city official Masato Saito said Wednesday. When confronted by a monkey, the instructions are: Do not look them in the eye, make yourself look as big as possible, such as by spreading open your coat, then back away as quietly as possible without making sudden moves, according to Saito. A woman was assaulted by a monkey while hanging laundry on her veranda. Another victim showed bandaged toes. They were taken aback and frightened by how big and fat the monkeys were. The monkeys terrorizing the community are Japanese macaque, the kind often pictured peacefully bathing in hot springs. One male monkey, measuring 49 centimeters (1.6 foot) in height and weighing 7 kilograms (15 pounds), was caught Tuesday by the team with the tranquilizer gun. It was judged by various evidence to be one of the attacking monkeys and put to death. But more attacks were reported after the capture. No one has been seriously injured so far. But all have been advised to get hospital treatment. Ambulances were called in some cases. Although Japan is industrialized and urban, a fair portion of land in the archipelago is mountains and forests. Rare attacks on people by a bear, boars or other wildlife have occurred, but generally not by monkeys. No one seems to know why the attacks have occurred, and where exactly the troop of monkeys came from remains unclear. “I have never seen anything like this my entire life,” Saito said. ———Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
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pets_animals_wildlife
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Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Stood on her hind legs to greet any prospective owner who might approach her glass-doored kennel, Harriet is a black English cocker spaniel abandoned as a deepening cost-of-living crisis pushes growing numbers of Britons to part with their pets.She was found running along a busy road in London after witnesses saw her pushed out of a car and is one of 206 dogs and 164 cats currently being looked after at rehoming centres run by the Battersea animal charity.It is a similar story at other centres across the country - with some seeing record inquiries for dog and cat returns - as the tightest squeeze on living standards since at least the 1960s forces many owners to decide the additional cost of food plus hundreds of pounds in vet bills is no longer manageable.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"We are concerned that's going to be an increasing reason for people bringing their dogs in to Battersea," Steve Craddock, who manages the centre in soutwest London, told Reuters.Exotic pets such as snakes and lizards are also proving too expensive due to their need for specialist heating and lighting.Three snakes, including an 8-foot (2.4-metre) boa constrictor, were recently dumped in pillow cases outside a reptile shop, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) told Reuters.The trend, which follows a surge in demand for pets during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in a country known for its love of animals, comes as households brace for energy bills to more than triple in January on last year, hammering people's incomes.The Bank of England has warned Britain faces a long recession.Black cocker spaniel called Harriet out on a walk with Centre Manager of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Steve Craddock, in London, Britain August 10, 2022. REUTERS/Maja SmiejkowskaA NEW FINANCIAL CRASHDogs Trust, which currently has 692 dogs needing homes in 21 centres across the country, said the last time it had seen anything like this was in the wake of the 2008 financial crash."This cost-of-living crisis has crept up on us a lot more quickly than people ever expected," said the Trust's operations director Adam Clowes.Such is the pressure that the charity is considering whether it should expand an emergency support fund, normally reserved for people on welfare benefits who need short-term financial support to keep their pets, to more middle income earners.Animal charities say they are also worried the squeeze on living standards will have an impact on donations, though they are not seeing this yet.At Battersea, some pets are being rehomed. Magpie is a British short hair cat who arrived pregnant after her owner of two years realised that they could not afford the kittens. All of her four kittens have now been found new homes.But that is unlikely to be the case for most animals, with another charity, Woodgreen, saying applications to adopt animals have dropped to the 100s a month from around 10,000 during lockdowns.Pilar Gómez-Igbo, an assistant editor, could have been one potential owner, but having done some research she is now worried about the extra costs."As the change in living costs became more evident, yes definitely, it joined the list of things to seriously consider," she said. "I will make myself wait a little."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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This story was originally published in our March/April 2022 issue. Click here to subscribe to read more stories like this one.Slowly and deliberately, I searched shallow, underwater outcrops covered in colors. Weightless amidst the invisible push and pull of the current, pink coralline algae hung closely to rock surfaces or branched skyward against sporadic patches of neon green and glimmering iridescence. Shades of yellow, brown, white and orange flora began to appear as I drifted past micro-environments dictated by sunlight and structure. I allowed my scientific brain to go to work underwater, relying on one of my first developed senses: observation.I had come to this underwater world to seek out a nudibranch. I had heard of this elusive marine organism, but until recently, knew almost nothing about it. My goal at the moment was just to find one, to examine it with my own eyes.To find the colorful nudibranch, our intrepid scientist (in diving gear) began her search along the Monterey Bay coast. (Credit: Courtesy of Author)Nudibranchs are invertebrates — backboneless organisms in the kingdom Animalia — that include 2,000 different species, many of which are best known for their wildly diverse and colorful appearance. But what’s beautiful to humans is to other animals an aposematic signal — a warning not to eat this creature. Nudibranchs’ bright coloration is intended to indicate unpalatability, and comes from a diet rich in animals armed with cnidocytes, the stinging cells common to sponges, anemone, and coral. Not all nudibranchs parade colorful displays; some rely on near-perfect camouflage to avoid being eaten. But coloration and camouflage can’t protect these and other underwater creatures from every threat. As a scientist focused on water-based ecosystems, I’ve sorted thousands of invertebrates under the microscope and know that soft-bodied organisms are among those most susceptible to chemical and thermal water pollution. While these stressors can occur naturally, my studies across the river-estuary-ocean continuum have highlighted a clear relationship between water pollution and humans, among the most pressing issues of our time. Despite the scant nature of nudibranch surveys (in comparison to other charismatic creatures such as whales and sea turtles), studies have found these small, fragile organisms migrating to cooler waters or, in some cases, disappearing altogether. This troubling knowledge lent a certain urgency to my journey into the water.(Credit: Danae Abreu/Shutterstock) Immersive ResearchI have always been drawn to scuba diving, especially since my grandfather worked alongside Jacques Cousteau. Graduate school had imposed a two-year hiatus on diving and forced me into the category of “drop-out diver” — those certified but not actively putting that certification to use. So, I decided against relearning scuba, and instead focused on shallow water freediving.The Monterey Bay coastline became a frequent hour-long drive for me and my husband (my dive buddy by default) as we logged hours in the Pacific during the warm months of late summer and early fall. Between rounds of snorkeling at the surface, we performed free dives at depths of up to 15 feet to improve our duck dive, a swift 180-degree maneuver used to get underwater headfirst. Most of our time was spent getting comfortable in our 20-plus pounds of gear: a thick neoprene wetsuit, boots, hood, and gloves, plus a weighted dive belt, knife, mask, snorkel and fins.Winter brought on larger ocean swells and poor visibility, not ideal for diving, so I spent the season connecting with an online niche of local artists, photographers, conservationists, and scientists advocating for Monterey Bay and its inhabitants. Among the stories and images this group shared, nudibranch sightings stood out most — like the radiant purple body lined with a mohawk of graceful but toxic orange horns, or cerata, belonging to the Spanish shawl (Flabellinopsis iodinea).I read about the dynamic and cascading effects of events being studied in real time along the Pacific coast. For instance, sea star wasting syndrome has been killing these predators of sea urchins. The cause of the syndrome isn’t fully understood, although some evidence points to a full-body bacterial infection that disturbs the star’s microbiome and results in suffocation. Without sea stars to prey on sea urchins, urchins have proliferated and overgrazed, contributing to the collapse of historic kelp forests that leave behind devoid urchin barrens. Another source of concern is more frequent extreme El Niño events, bringing in warm, nutrient-poor seawater. Such events can amplify devastation to marine life in the Pacific and have even been associated with the permanent relocation of an entire species of nudibranch, the Hilton’s aeolid (Phidiana hiltoni), which sought shelter in cooler waters of northern California.I also studied up on the latest research on nudibranchs. In the Indo-Pacific in 2021, Sayaka Mitoh was the first scientist to observe and record a surprising feat of evolution in nudibranchs: self-decapitation. To overcome parasites that may infect the nudibranch’s body, the animal uses autotomy, or self-amputation, to rid itself of infection. Only the head, with two sensing horns, remains. Researchers reported that the Elysia marginata reincarnated its full body in three short weeks. I really wanted to meet this creature now and couldn’t wait for spring. The author gets used to 20 pounds of gear.(Credit: Courtesy of Author)Finding the GoddessAt the first sign of clear conditions, we hit the road for our favorite snorkel cove at the southernmost tip of Monterey Bay. From our home in Santa Cruz, we traveled south along Highway 1. We crossed the single bridge in Moss Landing, at the mouth of California’s third largest estuary, the Elkhorn Slough — the site of my graduate studies and home to a population of federally endangered sea otters.Research has revealed the sea otter, which was nearly hunted to extinction during the period of exploitative colonialism in America, to be a keystone species that helps protect kelp forests because of the top-down pressure that the otters maintain on the kelp-feeding urchins upon which they prey. I allowed the first wave of excitement to settle as I watched the intact dune system between Marina State Beach and Fort Ord Dunes State Park flash by, an ecologically important site made rare by global urbanization of coastlines.Once in the cold water, I swam through a dense patch of giant kelp. Thirteen feet below, I inspected all that one breath in my lungs would allow: orange and purple ochre sea stars; a spent abalone shell lined with mother of pearl; purple, spiny sea urchins; and black perch hidden behind rusty-colored blades of kelp anchored to the seafloor. I was in a state of blissful sensory overload.Nothing compared, however, to the moment that followed as I spotted a bright colored patch while combing through the shallows. “I found a nudibranch! A nudibranch!” I screamed loudly through my snorkel. Circling with the current, I let go of my need to know precisely what species I was gazing at and just mused over what I saw: white feathery tufts and a pair of horns at opposite ends. A bright yellow, jellylike living thing roughly textured in white round spots. A nudibranch, no doubt.To overcome parasites, nudibranchs evolved the strategy of self-decapitation. (Credit: Sayaka Mitoh)Through the online community of Monterey Bay enthusiasts, I learned more about my new acquaintance, the white-spotted sea goddess (Doriopsilla albopunctata), which occupies the waters connecting California and Mexico. The tufts at their rear are gills, and the horns at their front are known as rhinophores. These sensory horns make up for a nudi’s inherent blindness, and explained its response — a quick retraction of its exposed gills — to the incoming current I generated as I approached.Finding my first nudibranch didn’t reinforce my identity as a diver nor as a scientist. Instead, it reminded me to relish my own successful, evolutionary instincts: inquisitiveness and a desire to learn. They’re instincts we all possess as Homo sapiens, and the sea goddess reminded me to use them to their fullest. Andria Greene is a scientist who writes about her work on water-based places following rivers, lakes, estuaries and oceans.
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Massive Burmese python captured in Florida The Conservancy of Southwest Florida announced record-breaking developments in its invasive Burmese python research program with the documentation of the largest python found to date in Florida. The female python measured nearly 18 feet in length and weighed in at 215 pounds.NAPLES, Fla. – This wasn't just a normal Burmese python found in southwest Florida. It was the largest found to date in the state, measuring nearly 18 feet in length and weighing in at whopping 215 pounds.Finding her was a needle in a haystack, according to Ian Bartoszek, wildlife biologist and environmental science project manager for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TV Biologists Ian Bartoszek, right, and Ian Easterling with intern Kyle Findley, far left, captured a 17.7-foot, 215-pound female Burmese python by tracking a male scout snake in Picayune Strand State Forest in December 2021. (Conservancy of Southwest Florida)Bartoszek and his team discovered and captured the python at the Picayune Strand State Forest just outside of Naples in December 2021 through its nationally recognized research program, which uses radio transmitters implanted in male "scout" snakes to understand python movements, breeding behaviors and habitat use. Scout snakes can lead biologists to breeding aggregations and large, reproductive females, allowing researchers to remove breeding females and their developing eggs from the wild.SNAKES ON THE MOVE: MATING SEASON AND WARMER WEATHER MAKE SERPENTS FRISKY Biologists Ian Easterling, left, and Ian Bartoszek are seen with a 14-foot female Burmese python captured in the mangrove habitat of southwestern Florida while tracking a male scout snake in March. (Conservancy of Southwest Florida)"You could use a magnet, and in a similar way, our male scout snakes are attracted to the biggest females around," Bartoszek said.Biologists tracked a male scout snake named Dionysus, or Dion, to a region of the western Everglades that he frequented for several weeks. "We knew he was there for a reason, and the team found him with the largest female we have seen to date," Bartoszek said.Another record-breaking discovery was the number of eggs carried by the snake. During the necropsy, researchers encountered 122 developing eggs within the snake’s abdomen. An average clutch is about 43. This finding sets a new limit for the highest number of eggs a female python can potentially produce in a breeding cycle. SNAKE WRANGLER GOES VIRAL AFTER REMOVING 7-FOOT SNAKE FROM CALIFORNIA HOMEAn assessment of the snake’s digestive contents found hoof cores, determining an adult white-tailed deer – a primary food source of the endangered Florida panther – to be the snake’s last meal, the Conservancy said. White-tailed deer hooves were found inside a Burmese python. (Conservancy of Southwest Florida)According to Bartoszek, there's a larger snake out there in the Everglades, but they just haven't found it yet."It'll come across everyone's radar screen sooner or later," he said. "But if they're getting to this size, what do you think it took to get to be this size? These are big game hunters."The team has recorded dozens of observations of white-tailed deer found inside Burmese pythons during necropsies conducted in the lab.The python's discovery highlights the continued impact of the invasive species, which is known for rapid reproduction and depletion of surrounding native wildlife.HUNT SNAKES, WIN CASH: FLORIDA PYTHON CHALLENGE WORKS TOWARD EVERGLADES RESTORATION A Burmese python prey pyramid shows the hypothetical diet necessary for a hatchling to reach 15 feet in southwest Florida. (Conservancy of Southwest Florida)"The removal of female pythons plays a critical role in disrupting the breeding cycle of these apex predators that are wreaking havoc on the Everglades ecosystem and taking food sources from other native species," Bartoszek added. "This is the wildlife issue of our time for southern Florida."Since established in 2013, the Conservancy’s python program has removed over 1,000 pythons weighing more than 26,000 pounds of adult pythons from approximately 100 square miles in southwestern Florida.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX WEATHER UPDATE PODCASTTrack the temperatures in your area with the FOX Weather app. The free FOX Weather livestream is also available 24/7 on the website and app and on your favorite streaming platform. The FOX Weather Update podcast also provides weather information for the entire country.
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pets_animals_wildlife
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A big surge in poisonous adder sightings is threatening families on staycation summer holidays on Britain's beaches. Many of the reports have come from coastal areas where the snakes are basking in sand dunes close to crowded bucket-and-spade beaches.Adders are Britain's only poisonous snake and are not usually aggressive, preferring to slither away, but they will bite if they feel cornered, or threatened by dogs.In Wales, Bridgend council has seen an increase, specially in the Rest Bay area of Porthcawl.It follows new research published in the Clinical Toxicology journal which revealed that more people in the UK are reporting injuries caused by snakebites than ever before.Most are said to have been caused as a result of exotic snakes being kept as pets, but the risk of adder bites in the countryside and along coasts will grow as the summer progresses.Between 50 and 100 people in the UK are bitten each year, but three in four victims have only a 'negligible' reaction.However the elderly and frail can die without urgent treatment and the Reptile and Amphibian Conservation Trust say there have been 14 recorded human deaths from adder bites since 1876, the last in 1975. Adders are Britain's only poisonous snake and are responsible for 14 recorded human deaths from 1876 to 1975Bridgend council warned: 'With people flocking to the coast, the stunning bays and beaches of Porthcawl are proving to be popular with more than just tourists and visitors.'If you think that you may have been bitten by an adder, stay calm and do as little walking as possible.'Go directly to A&E or call 999 for assistance, and remove any jewellery and watches from the bitten limb. Never tie a tourniquet, try to cut or suck the venom out or attempt to catch or kill the snake.'Councillor John Spanswick, cabinet member for communities, said: 'Most reported incidents involve dogs rather than humans, and in the vast majority of cases, a full recovery is made.'Adders and grass snakes, which are also native but are harmless, can often be seen at the side of rural paths, and can be identified by their distinct markings.'Adders have a zig-zag pattern running along their backs, while grass snakes have a distinctive yellow collar and two small black triangles just below their heads.'The council and its partners have produced a handy guide called Snakes of the Bridgend Coast to help people spot snakes and other reptiles within Bridgend County Borough, and which offers advice on what to do if you come across one.'The best advice for anyone who encounters a snake while out and about is to simply leave them alone, and try not to disturb them.'All British reptiles are protected under law, and the adder is a species that is considered to be particularly at risk.'In April the parents of eight-year-old Jake Closier, of Camden Town, London, told how they were on a day trip to Hemsby beach in Norfolk when he was bitten.His hand ballooned to nearly five times the normal size and he needed anti-venom treatment at James Paget University Hospital in Great Yarmouth to stop him going into anaphylactic shock.Pet owners were also warned in April after a dog on a Norfolk holiday beach was attacked by one of the hissing vipers.Indi, a Hungarian Vizsla, was saved after treatment at the vets, but owner Rebekah Mann says it was a close-run thing.Three-year-old Indi was being monitored for long-term effects after she was bitten in Winterton on the Norfolk coast.Rebekah, a 38-year-old pharmacist, was walking the dog with friends along the sand dunes on the beach. People are advised to keep their dogs on leads along sand dunes and to give the snakes, which are a foot to 18 inches long with a zig-zag pattern, a wide berth Indi was bitten by an adder's fangs but surprisingly did not react at the time.It was only when she was back at home in Norwich that Rebekah noticed her pet's leg was swollen and getting worse all the time.Rebekah called the vets, not realising at the time what had happened.At the surgery in Taverham, the dog's leg was shaved, revealing the tell-tale puncture wounds where the poison had entered.Taverham Vets posted advice on its Facebook page advising people carry their dog if they suspect it has been attacked to prevent the venom circulating around the body.Penmellyn Vet Group in Cornwall, who had to treat six dogs in a five-day spell after they were bitten last year, urged people to keep pets on leads, specially while walking in sand dunes or grassland.The vets said: 'Keep your eyes to the ground and if you do see any black and white snakes do give them a very wide berth.'Only about a foot to 18 inches long, their venom can even put humans in hospital though they rarely attack unless they feel threatened or they're defending their young.There are two other species of snake found wild in Britain - the grass snake, which can grow to four or five feet, and the much smaller and rarer smooth snake - but they are harmless.Adders love open heaths and grassy banks, and are often found on clifftops and seaside dunes.
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The illness was mysterious. A 25-year-old graduate student had been hospitalized with a high fever, muscle and joint pain, a stiff neck, fatigue, sores in her throat, and a metallic taste in her mouth. She soon developed an angry rash. To make the diagnosis, her doctors had an important data point to consider: Days earlier, the woman had returned to the United States from a field expedition in South Sudan and Uganda, where she had been capturing and collecting the blood and tissue of bats and rodents. That information proved critical — and is newly relevant given concerns that the pandemic may have come from a research accident. Three days after she was admitted to the hospital in 2012, tests determined that the student was infected with a novel virus that infects a type of fruit bat that lives in the rural areas of Uganda.
The graduate student recovered and left the hospital two weeks later. But the incident, which was written up in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases in 2014, proved scientifically important. Not only did it allow for the identification of the Sosuga virus — a paramyxovirus named for Southern Sudan and Uganda — and the knowledge that the bat virus can infect and sicken people, the woman’s infection also pointed to the dangers posed by the kind of research she was doing: trapping, manipulating, and dissecting animals suspected of being infected with novel disease-causing viruses.Biosafety experts have long worried over the possibility that scientists seeking dangerous viruses in the wild could inadvertently become infected in the course of either capturing or coming into contact with the saliva, urine, or feces of the animals. The case of the Sosuga virus shows that those concerns are well founded.
Virus hunter Michael Callahan, an infectious disease doctor who has worked for federal agencies on global disease outbreak and the tracking of wildlife pathogens, has vividly described the high risks faced by field researchers. “Squirming, clawed and toothy animals bite and scratch during collection of body fluids. Teeth and talons easily penetrate the thin gloves required to maintain dexterity when handling fragile wildlife,” he wrote in Politico in 2021. “The fact that researchers are not infected every time they do a field collection is a question that continues to stump us.”
With more than 6 million people now dead from Covid-19, the catastrophic potential of a researcher becoming infected with a wildlife pathogen has become inescapable. While the origins of the current pandemic are still unclear, it remains possible that virus hunting could have been the cause. Rocco Casagrande, a biochemist who was hired by the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Science Policy to assess the risks of gain-of-function research, thinks a natural spillover of the virus from animals to people, a lab accident, or what he calls a “prospecting based accident” are equally likely potential causes of the initial outbreak. He imagined the prospecting scenario as “the researchers in Wuhan looking for bat viruses found one and got infected outside of the lab.”
Even as the very real chance remains that the search for new viruses led to this cataclysmic event, scientists hoping to prevent viral outbreaks continue to seek out new bat coronaviruses and other potential pandemic pathogens around the world.
Ask the Bats
The search for pathogens that infect animals is driven by the desire to prevent and prepare for their possible transmission to people. But that work, which spans the globe and is funded in large part by the U.S. government, can sometimes result in human infection — exactly the outcome it is meant to prevent.
Virus hunting — or wildlife disease ecology, as DeeAnn Reeder prefers to call it — is a field that has come under increasing scrutiny during the Covid pandemic. For Reeder, a professor of biology at Bucknell College who led the 2012 expedition on which the graduate student was infected, one of the central purposes of her research in Africa on bats’ immune responses to viruses is to understand how humans might react to the same infectious agents, knowledge she says can protect us if the pathogens jump from animals to humans. “If you want to understand how to survive a coronavirus, or if you want to understand how to survive a filovirus — Ebola fits within that context — you need to ask the bats because they know how to do it,” said Reeder.
Reeder, who put up her first bat net in South Sudan in 2008, continues to do wildlife research in Uganda. No one has previously reported her connection to the work. “I’ve never been contacted by a reporter on that particular story,” Reeder said, after being asked whether the Sosuga virus infection occurred during research on one of her projects. “I’ve always been surprised about that.” Reeder would not confirm the identity of the researcher on her project who was sickened, citing privacy concerns.
The Sosuga case shows that concerns about viral transmission from wild animals to researchers are not just theoretical. It is still unclear exactly how the infection occurred. While the graduate student only occasionally used protective gear when working with animal specimens, when she visited the bat caves she wore a paper Tyvek suit that’s become the hallmark of virus hunters, gum boots, bite-resistant gloves, and even an air-powered respirator known as a PAPR that looks like an astronaut’s helmet. The researcher did not report being bitten or scratched by any of the animals she encountered.
“Maybe outside the cave before they put the respirators on, she leaned against a rock that had been peed on, because we know that it could be in the kidneys of this particular bat species,” said Reeder. “But that’s just conjecture, which is the scary part.”CDC scientists approach Bat Cave in Queen Elizabeth National Park on Aug. 25, 2018, in Uganda. Photo: Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesCowboys and Cowgirls
Reeder carries a card in her wallet she hopes medical professionals will read should she herself wind up in the emergency room with a mysterious infectious disease someday. “It says, ‘Attention medical personnel: I study wildlife disease. Here’s all the things you should test me for should I present to you in the emergency room,’” she explained.
Reeder describes herself and other researchers in her field as “a little bit like cowboys and cowgirls — we go to a foreign place and we catch exotic things.” Yet she’s grown increasingly cautious during her years in the field. “When I first started this work, nobody was wearing PPE. It just wasn’t a thing,” she said. “I thought we were good if I didn’t have my coffee cup on the same table when I was doing dissections.”
Despite her growing concern about biosafety, Reeder has still had a few worrisome interactions with bats herself. “I had one bite me. That big canine tooth went right into my knuckle, and for like two years, whenever it was cold, my knuckle would hurt,” she recently recalled. And in 2017, Reeder was stuck with a needle that had just come out of a bat that she knew could have carried the deadly Ebola virus.
“I was like, wow, OK. So I make notes in my notebook, started counting 21 days, which is the incubation period for Ebola,” said Reeder. “I’m mostly kind of flippant about that. But I can tell you I knew when that 21 days was up.”
Yet even after these experiences, Reeder said there are rare times when she still eschews personal protective equipment: “If I’ve got a live bat, I can’t go into a village and show up in my space suit.”Most interactions with bats don’t cause disease. But the risk of viral infections remains — and many professional scientists and hobbyists don’t even take the basic precautions to protect themselves from it, according to a study published in 2021 in Biodiversity Data. The authors, who include Reeder, analyzed 759 of the more than 43,000 photos of people holding bats taken that were uploaded since the 1980s to iNaturalist, a popular biodiversity tracking app. While the percentage of the app’s users who wore gloves when they held bats has increased over time, even in 2021, less than half of the people holding bats, both dead and live, were wearing gloves.
“This lack of adherence to even minimal biosafety practices may jeopardize both the safety of the bat and the handler,” the authors concluded.
Reeder said those who continue to openly flout the recommendations to wear protective gear are increasingly met with disapproval within her scientific community. “If somebody is at a conference and they show pictures of themselves in the field not wearing a face mask, and not wearing gloves, even latex gloves, there’s a little bit of criticism,” she said. “A sort of public shaming.”
Ongoing Risk
As a recent report from the World Health Organization makes clear, there is still no definitive proof of how Covid-19 originated. And an infection that occurred during the collection of dangerous new coronaviruses from bats is among the possible explanations for the initial coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan in 2019. There is no question that the National Institutes of Health, which indirectly funded bat coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, is still struggling to fully understand the biosafety precautions taken around that research. Yet the U.S. government continues to support similar research around the world, with grants to numerous organizations including EcoHealth Alliance, the NIH grantee that worked with the Wuhan institute.
EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit research group based in New York, received a $3.1 million grant in 2014 from the NIH, some of which was spent on the collection of novel bat coronaviruses in rural China. Specifically, the organization awarded a subgrant of some $750,00 to researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. In April 2020, at the request of President Donald Trump, the NIH suspended that grant. But four months later, the NIH awarded EcoHealth Alliance another, larger grant. (The Intercept obtained the grant documents via a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit with the NIH.) Like the first grant, the second grant — titled “Understanding the Risk of Zoonotic Virus Emergence in Emerging Infectious Disease Hotspots of Southeast Asia” — pays for the collection of what it calls “high zoonotic potential viruses” from remote locations in Southeast Asia. It also funds experiments involving the infection of humanized mice with hybrid viruses created from the new viruses, which are designed to gauge the threat those viruses pose to humans. The grant is funded through 2025.
Other branches of the U.S. government also continue to fund the collection and study of novel viruses that could infect humans, including DEEP VZN, a $125 million project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases Program, which is jointly funded by NIH, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Science Foundation.“Everybody has been just kind of winging it.”Despite concerns about biosafety lapses in U.S.-funded research in Wuhan and a lack of oversight from both NIH and EcoHealth Alliance, there are no agreed-upon standards for ensuring the safety of ongoing research.
“There is currently very little biosafety guidance specifically for this kind of biological fieldwork,” Filippa Lentzos, a biosecurity expert who works at King’s College London, wrote in an email to The Intercept. “This is a major gap in biorisk management that urgently needs to be addressed both nationally and internationally, not least because this kind of fieldwork is on the rise.”
During the pandemic, David Gillum, assistant vice president for environmental health and safety at Arizona State University, began meeting with a small group of experts over Zoom to discuss biosafety practices for researchers working with bats in the wild. “It’s guidance on what to wear as personal protective equipment, what vaccinations should you have before you go to a certain area, what medications should you bring,” said Gillum. The group’s recommendations are expected to be published soon in the journal Applied Biosafety. Up until now, he said, “Everybody has been just kind of winging it.”
While Gillum and other biosafety experts say they hope national and international field work guidelines will ultimately be put in place, they expect the process to take years.
In the absence of such clear recommendations — and with institutions coming up with their own varied approaches to biosafety — a range of researchers face the risk of infection from pathogens in wildlife, according to Casagrande, the biochemist. “And that includes people specifically trying to find viruses but also people who aren’t,” he said. “Plenty of biologists who work with wildlife also don’t take precautions. And many times they get infected by things.”Researchers from the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Health Science Center take a saliva swab from a bat caught at Khao Chong Pran Cave, inside a makeshift lab set up nearby during a catch and release program in Photharam, Thailand, on Dec. 11, 2020. Photo: Andre Malerba/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesA Fine Balance
While the pandemic has sparked a debate about the safety of studying dangerous viruses, most scientists agree on the need for at least some viral surveillance. To Reeder, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has made the value of her work only clearer. “Our understanding of the extraordinary diversity of SARS-related coronaviruses in bats in Southeast Asia is really critical for our pandemic preparedness, for our ability to predict what’s going to bind to human receptors,” she said. “We need to understand what’s there.”
As she sees it, that benefit is worth whatever risk it entails. And, in the case of the graduate student infected with the Sosuga virus, the cost wasn’t great. The virus didn’t kill her — and, critically, it didn’t spread from her to other people. Looking ahead, Reeder said, improved adherence to protective gear should protect against future viral jumps from animals to researchers.
“I think you just do your best, right?” said Reeder. “You try to look for those gaps. You put your gloves on, then you put your Tyvek suit on over those, and then you take Gorilla tape, and you wrap your wrist with Gorilla tape to make sure that you don’t have a gap as you move your arms,” she said, noting that colleagues in the field tend to help one another. “You can call each other out on stuff. You know, ‘Hey, it looks like your mask has slipped.’ But it’s never perfect, and this case just sort of illustrates that for us.”
The case of the woman who was infected working with bats in Uganda also taught Reeder how, at least that time, luck was on her side: “This could have been really, really ugly.”
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AnimalsReferenceCommon Name: AlpacaScientific Name: Vicugna pacosType: MammalsAverage Life Span In Captivity: 20 yearsSize: 47 to 85 inches longWeight: 100 to 175 poundsWhat is an alpaca?Alpacas are members of the camel family, domesticated by the people of the Peruvian Andes 6,000 years ago for food, fuel, and fiber. They are ungulates, a group of large hooved mammals that also include sheep and giraffes, with large bodies and legs, long necks, small heads, and medium-length fluffy tails. Although they are often confused with their cousin, the llama, alpacas have shorter ears and blunter, but equally adorable, faces.Alpacas are prized all over the world for their fleecy coats, which are shorn to make warm, soft, lightweight textiles. They boast a variety of 22 coat colors, including white, black, beige, and many shades of brown and gray. Though they are farmed in many places including Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, their native lands are the mountains of the Andes, from Bolivia and Colombia down to Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina.There are two domesticated breeds of alpaca: The huacaya, whose fleece is crimped, compact, and soft, makes up 90 percent of the alpaca population. Suri alpacas, whose coats have a corkscrew-like appearance with longer fibers and a silkier texture, account for the rest of the population. They are typically sheared once a year in the spring or early summer before it gets too hot. Male and female alpacas are very similar in appearance. Males are somewhat larger and have more prominent canine and incisor teeth called fighting teeth or fangs. These teeth—which can be over an inch long—are uncommon but not unheard of in herbivores.Diet and behaviorAlpacas have sharp nails, but their feet are padded and so soft they don’t displace the grass they’re standing on. They are strict grazers, eating from the mountains and valleys of the Andes. They’re gentle, docile animals, which are kept in herds and sometimes also kept as companion animals or pets, though alpacas are so social that they only thrive if they live with at least one other alpaca.They have a variety of vocalizations, some of which have multiple meanings. Alpacas hum in a high tone to indicate a question, while humming in deeper tone, called a “status hum,” can signal anything from contentment to tension or pain. A soft clucking or clicking sound or a snort can mean mild aggression. One unambiguous alpaca sound is the shrill, shrieking whistle that the animals use as an alarm call.Reproduction Alpaca males become sexually mature at two and a half years old. Females reach maturity between 10 and 12 months but are not usually bred until they are two years old and half their adult body weight. That’s because smaller females tend to have difficult births.In their native environment of the Andes they breed seasonally. Outside of that range they can breed year-round. A male will pursue a female until she signals she’s receptive by sitting down with her legs tucked under her in what’s called cush or kush position.Alpaca females don’t have consistent reproductive cycles with times of greater fertility—they only ovulate after having mated, at which point a female will actively reject male advances, a possible indicator of pregnancy.Gestation lasts an average of 342 days but can last just over a year. Yet pregnancy isn’t always obvious in alpacas, even toward the end. Females give birth to one baby, called a cria, who will walk shortly afterward. Most crias—90 percent—are born in the daytime, and they weigh about 12 to 15 pounds. They’re weaned at about six months and are about a hundred pounds by their first birthday.ConservationThe International Union for the Conservation of Nature has not evaluated alpacas, which are all domesticated and have been for 6,000 years. During the 16th century Spanish invasion of South America, the alpaca population was cut down by 90 percent. Their closest living wild relative is the vicuña, the smallest member of the camel family native to western and central South America. Alpacas were domesticated from vicunas, while llamas were domesticated from another camel relative, the guanaco.Today’s alpaca population is threatened by climate change, which has changed weather patterns in the Andean region where these animals graze. The once-verdant pastures at their 13,000-foot elevations are drying out and unpredictable changes in temperatures have made them vulnerable to illness.(Learn about the high-altitude quest to save the alpaca.)Another threat to the species is that alpacas can crossbreed with llamas and vicuña. A 2020 study in the Journal of Arid Environments found that interbreeding among species of the camel families of South America is diluting the alpacas’ ancestral genetics.Where they have been farmed, however, they seem to have thrived. It wasn’t until 1984 that alpacas were imported from the Andes to the U.S., which now has a population of more than 250,000. The world alpaca population is almost four million, with 96 percent of them found in Peru and Bolivia.
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The breeding of bulldogs in the UK might be banned if their shape is not altered to prevent a host of debilitating conditions, a new study from the Royal Veterinary College has warned.Synonymous with Sir Winston Churchill and Britishness, English Bulldogs are at increased risk of breathing, eye, and skin conditions due to their extreme physical features, including shortened muzzles, folded skin, and a squat body.Currently the breed has a short lifespan of around eight years, partly due to its health problems, and the study recommends people 'stop and think' before buying them.The findings showed they were more than 38 times more likely than other dogs to get dermatitis in skin folds, nearly 27 times more likely to get an eye condition called 'cherry eye', over 24 times more likely to have a jutting lower jaw, and ran nearly 20 times the risk of obstructive airways causing breathing problems.And the list continues with them being 13 times more likely to have a cyst between the toes more than 12 times suffering from dry eye, 11.5 times rolled inward eyelids, eight times the chance of mange nearly five times the rate of foot infections, and over three times more likely to have a skin infection, wet dermatitis and dermatitis. English Bulldogs are at increased risk of breathing, eye, and skin conditions due to their extreme physical features, including shortened muzzles, folded skin, and a squat body Key findings of the report • The average age of English Bulldogs (2.7 years) was younger than for dogs that were not English Bulldogs (4.42 years)• Top disorders with highest risk in English Bulldog included: skin fold dermatitis (x38.1); cherry eye (x26.8); protruding lower jaw (x24.3); brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome BOAS (x19.2); cyst between the toes (x13.0); dry eye (x12.2); rolled inward eyelids (x11.6); mange (x8.0); foot infections (x4.7); skin infection (x 3.5); wet dermatitis (x 3.5); and dermatitis (x 3.1)• The disorders with the lowest risk in English Bulldogs included: retained baby teeth (x0.02), fatty lumps (x0.06) and dental disease (x0.23). The study, published in the journal Canine Medicine and Genetics suggests that they should be bred to have more moderate physical features both for their health and to prevent their breeding being banned.The breed was originally developed as a muscular and athletic dog for bull-fighting but has now been bred as a show and companion animal with a short skull, protruding jaw, skin folds, and squat, heavy build.This physique has been linked to several health conditions and countries such as the Netherlands and Norway have restricted the breeding of English Bulldogs in recent years.Study author Dr Dan O'Neill, Associate Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC said: 'Every dog deserves to be born with equal and good innate health by having a natural ability to breathe freely, blink fully, exercise easily, have healthy flat skin, mate and give birth.'For breeds such as English Bulldogs where many dogs still have extreme conformations with poor innate health, the public have a huge role to play by demanding dogs with moderate and healthier conformations.'Until then, prospective owners should 'stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog'.'He added: 'These findings suggest that the overall health of the English Bulldog is much lower than that of other dogs.'However, what is most concerning is that so many of the health conditions that English Bulldogs suffer from, such as skin fold dermatitis and breathing problems, are directly linked to the extreme structure of their bodies that has been selectively bred for. The breed was originally developed as a muscular and athletic dog for bull-fighting but has now been bred as a show and companion animal with a short skull, protruding jaw, skin folds, and squat, heavy build'Given the continued popularity of the breed, the body-shape of the typical pet English Bulldogs should be redefined towards more moderate physical characteristics.'Doing so will not only improve the dogs' health, but could also enable the UK to avoid following other countries in banning the English Bulldog on welfare grounds.'Researchers compared the risks of common disorders in English Bulldogs to other dogs by analysing records from veterinary practices across the UK from 2016 using the VetCompass database.Looking at a random sample of 2,662 English Bulldogs and 22,039 dogs that were not English Bulldogs, they found that English Bulldogs were twice as likely to be diagnosed with at least one disorder than other dogs.The breed showed predispositions for 24 out of 43 (55.8%) specific disorders.They were 38.12 times greater risk of developing skin fold dermatitis than other dogs.They were also at 26.79 times greater risk of developing an eye condition called prolapsed nictitating membrane gland, also called 'cherry eye', where the dog's third eyelid protrudes as a red swollen mass in the lower eye.English bulldogs were also at 24.32 times greater risk of mandibular prognathism where the lower jaw is too long relative to the upper jaw and 19.2 times at risk of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome which can lead to severe breathing problems, compared to other dogs.However they were at reduced risk of some conditions such as dental disease, heart murmur and flea infestation compared to other dogs. Looking at a random sample of 2,662 English Bulldogs and 22,039 dogs that were not English Bulldogs, they found that English Bulldogs were twice as likely to be diagnosed with at least one disorder than other dogs What is brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome?Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) is the term given to the effects that the shortened head of these animals has on the passage of air through the upper airways. The signs can range from mild snoring to severe breathing problems.Animals suffering from BOAS can struggle to breathe during exercise and even collapse due to lack of air.The reliance of dogs on panting to cool themselves also makes animals suffering from BOAS very susceptible to overheating and developing potentially serious breathing difficulties in hot conditions.They also found that only 9.7% of English Bulldogs in this study were aged over eight years old compared to 25.4% of other dog breeds.This supports the view that a shorter lifespan in English Bulldogs is linked to their poorer overall health.Dr Alison Skipper, co-author and veterinary historian, said: 'Around 1900, some bulldog breeders were already concerned that the exaggeration of 'certain typical points' was 'intensifying predispositions to disease' and producing 'cripples and deformities' with 'a sadly shortened duration of life'.'This new research provides strong evidence that modern bulldogs remain troubled by many diseases linked to their body shapes, most of which have been recognised for more than a century.'It confirms the need to follow the example of more responsible breeders who prioritise health in breeding decisions to improve the welfare of this popular and iconic breed in the future.'The authors hope that in the future, the English Bulldog should become recognised and loved for having a longer face, smaller head and non-wrinkled skin, representing a more moderate and healthier conformation.With an estimated 70% of UK dogs not registered with The Kennel Club and only a tiny proportion (2%) ever attending dog shows, the real power for change rests with the public who can demand and purchase only those types of dogs with moderate and healthier conformations.Bill Lambert, Health, Welfare and Breeder Services Executive at The Kennel Club, said: 'This research shows, there are increasing numbers of bulldogs bred outside any sphere of influence and in a certain way because it is perceived to be 'cute', with little regard for health and welfare.'This research, funded in part by The Kennel Club Charitable Trust, enables us and all those who care about improving bulldog health to understand more about these complicated issues.'Careful, responsible breeding can help address health problems and progress has been made to improve and protect bulldog health by those reputable breeders and caring owners who make use of evidence-based tools, like The Kennel Club/University of Cambridge Respiratory Function Grading Scheme.'A collaborative approach to tackling these issues is crucial; we must continue to work together with breeders, vets and welfare organisations to reduce and ultimately eliminate the health problems faced by brachycephalic breeds, as well as reduce mass demand for these dogs.' What your pedigree dog breed looked like centuries ago Shocking images have revealed what dogs used to look like, amid warnings that breeds like pugs and French bulldogs are being cruelly overbred for fashion. From German Shepherds to Basset Hounds, many breeds have changed dramatically following years of selective breeding. 'Most dog breeds were originally selected for particular purposes, such as hunting or guarding property,' the RSPCA explains. 'Humans selectively bred dogs that were best suited for the various roles required of them, based on their fitness, ability and utility.'Nowadays, in order to win dog shows, pedigree dogs have been bred to emphasise certain physical features in accordance with breed standards set by the Kennel Club. The dog who is judged to most closely match its breed standard is awarded the winner.'As a side effect of keeping different dog breeds separate, and focusing on breeding for appearance, there's a lack of genetic diversity within dog breeds. This lack of genetic diversity can increase the risk of inherited diseases like cancer and blindness.'Boxers have been bred to have shorter faces with a larger mouth, while dachshunds' backs and necks have stretched out and their legs have shrunk to a point that makes it difficult for them to manoeuver over obstacles a few inches off of the ground. Meanwhile, pugs have been bred to have squashed noses and big eyes, which puts them at high risk for a range of health conditions, including breathing, eye and skin disorders, according to a new study.'The extreme characteristics many owners find so appealing, such as squashed faces, big eyes and curly tails, are seriously compromising pugs' health and welfare and often result in a lifetime of suffering,' explained Justine Shotton, British Veterinary Association (BVA) President.'While these extreme, unhealthy characteristics remain, we will continue to strongly recommend potential owners do not buy brachycephalic breeds such as pugs.'
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In Lombard, half a block from Main Street, Joe LeCroy transformed his yard into a wildlife haven with native plants that attract hummingbirds, dragonflies, bees and other pollinators.But one of his favorites has been noticeably scarce this summer: monarch butterflies.“I would have normally raised 100 by this point, and right now I have about 10,” said LeCroy, 50. “It’s so alarming what’s going on. The numbers are very scary.”Anyone who has grown up in Chicago or lived here for any length of time would recognize the orange-and-black coloring of the monarch. They are the state insect in Illinois and once were so common they’d be impossible to miss during summers for even for the most casual observer.Not any more — in Chicago or anywhere else in North America, where scientists say the monarch has seen its population plummet more than 80% over the past two decades.On Thursday, the International Union for Conservation of Nature — a global conservation network — added the monarch to its list of endangered species, saying this beloved migratory North American butterfly might be fluttering toward extinction if more isn’t done to protect it.The conservation group said habitat loss, pesticides and climate change have contributed to the decline of monarchs, which can travel more than 2,000 miles, encompassing multiple generations, between Mexico and Canada, with Chicago a key flyway along the annual route.“It is difficult to watch monarch butterflies and their extraordinary migration teeter on the edge of collapse, but there are signs of hope,” Anna Walker, who led the conservation group’s assessment of monarchs, said in a written statement. “So many people and organizations have come together to try and protect this butterfly and its habitats.”Being added to the organization’s “Red List” of threatened animals, plants and fungi across the world doesn’t provide any legal protection under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Act.That federal agency determined in 2020 that listing the monarch butterfly as an endangered or threatened species was “warranted.” But that process has been put on hold and remains in that administrative limbo, according to the agency, due to a lack of resources and “higher-priority listing actions.”A Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson said the agency still intends to propose listing the monarch as endangered or threatened — but not until 2024 if the monarch is still seen then as a fitting candidate.Around Chicago, people say they’ve noticed a sharp drop this summer in the number of monarchs they’re seeing.“This year has not been particularly good for monarchs so far and not particularly good for butterflies in general so far,” said Doug Taron, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum’s chief curator. “It’s probably because we had prolonged periods of cold weather in the spring.”Weather can have a big effect on monarchs in a given year. Other factors figure into their long-term trajectory. The availability of milkweed, for example. It’s the only plant female monarchs lay eggs on and the only plant monarch caterpillars will eat. Monarch butterfly caterpillars in Joe LeCroy’s garden in Lombard.Provided Erika Hasle, lead conservation ecologist for the Field Museum, said Chicago has the potential to add up to one-third of the habitat needed for the butterflies.“We have work to do here in Chicago and in the Midwest to protect monarchs,” Hasle said. “Creating habitat is a thing that we can control — building the population up every summer, when they’re here, as best we can so, if something happens, there are still a lot of monarchs.”LeCroy said he saw the impact that providing habitat for the butterflies can have when he first converted his lawn to native plants.“If you build it, they will come,” said LeCroy, a businessman and garden enthusiast who gives free educational tours of his yard.He started raising monarchs when his teenage daughter was young. LeCroy has a Facebook page, “Saving Monarchs,” that has nearly 30,000 followers.“People love the butterfly,” he said. “They are absolutely gorgeous. And their chrysalis is a beautiful green with, like, a gold line around it.” Joe LeCroy has set up a butterfly education center in his yard in Lombard. But it hasn’t had the numbers of monarch butterflies this year his native plants usually attract.Provided Liz O’Leary, a former butterfly keeper at Brookfield Zoo, said she also turned monarch raising into a hobby for her kids.“There is something just so freeing about releasing butterflies that you raise,” O’Leary said. “We’re always saying, ‘Bye, butterflies! Good luck on your trip to Mexico!’ As soon as they come out of their chrysalises, they unfold their wings. And voila!”Hasle said there’s something about monarchs that resonates with people.“This thing in your yard that weighs less than a dime flies all the way across the border into Mexico and flies back,” she said. “That’s a fascinating story.”
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Chickens are seen in a contaminate farm while workers from the Animal Protection Ministry prepare to cull them to contain an outbreak of bird flu, at a farm in the village of Modeste, Ivory Coast, File. REUTERS/Luc GnagoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comCONAKRY, June 29 (Reuters) - Guinea has culled around 200,000 poultry at risk of being contaminated with the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, Minister of Agriculture Mamoudou Nagnalen Barry said on Wednesday.The West African country reported its first six outbreaks of bird flu on June 7 that killed a total of 120,478 poultry. read more "Our concern is to prevent it spreading to areas where the epidemic has not yet been declared," Barry said.The current outbreaks have been contained at around 50 and 100 kilometers from the capital Conakry, in the Coyah and Forecariah prefectures, he added.(This story has been refiled to fix typo in dateline)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Saliou Samb; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Estelle ShirbonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Canine fertility clinics have boomed in the UK during the pandemic, experts have revealed, as calls grow for greater oversight of the industry.The clinics offer services ranging from artificial insemination to ultrasound scanning, semen analysis, progesterone testing and in some cases caesarean sections.Such clinics can be used to support good breeding, but their rise has caused concern because of a lack of regulation and the focus of many on flat-faced, or brachycephalic, breeds such as pugs and French bulldogs.The president of British Veterinary Association (BVA), Dr Justine Shotton, said there had been a huge increase in canine fertility clinics over the past couple of years.“It really is a new trend,” she said, noting possible drivers included the rise in pet ownership during Covid and the increase in popularity of novel dogs such as hairless and flat-faced breeds.The latter often struggle to mate naturally due to their conformation, and their puppies commonly need to be delivered by caesarean section because of their large heads. “Having that assistance, and because of the huge, huge prices that some of these puppies are going for, there is a financial incentive for clinics to exist and do this sort of work,” said Shotton.But the situation had caused consternation, she said. “We’re concerned about the welfare and the ethics of whether we should be helping dogs to give birth and breed in unnatural ways, particularly when we know that they’ve got issues in terms of inherited diseases or conditions or conformations.”There were estimated to be at least 37 canine fertility clinics in the UK in 2020, and according to work by the Naturewatch Foundationthere were at least 120 as of October 2021 and at least 339 by June 2022 – though the charity notes that some appear inactive or to have ceased trading.Naturewatch’s campaign manager Natalie Harney agreed that money was likely to be a motivator. “Pandemic demand for puppies has incentivised more people to try out dog breeding because of the assumed high profits involved,” she said. “For novice breeders or those who just want to make some quick cash, canine fertility clinics seem like a convenient one-stop shop, despite the fact that those involved may be entirely unqualified to provide the services and advice they offer.”Harney also raised concerns about the focus on flat-faced breeds, adding that together with a lack of oversight or accountability, there was a “perfect storm whereby canine fertility clinics are helping people to breed dogs indiscriminately using procedures that have the potential to cause serious risks to animal welfare in the wrong hands”.Shotton said there was a huge spectrum of clinics, from those operating with complete veterinary oversight to those operated by people with no veterinary qualifications, and even some that are fronts for organised crime networks involved in activities such as puppy smuggling.One issue, she said, was that while some laypeople had completed a training course, there was no official accreditation, and such courses did not allow them to carry out acts of veterinary surgery such as taking blood.“The problem is that there isn’t this robust mechanism for investigating the legality of the activities of the clinics,” she said.Harney also called for action. “We need gaps in the law to be plugged to ensure there’s proper oversight of these businesses, and this needs to be underpinned by training and resourcing for enforcement officers,” she said.The issue of who is to blame for the rise in canine fertility clinics, and what can be done, will be debated at the BVA Live event on Friday at the NEC in Birmingham. A previous session explored whether there should be a ban on flat-faced breeds.Recent research has revealed such dogs have some of the shortest life expectancies, and that the host of disorders pugs face mean they can “no longer be considered as a typical dog from a health perspective”.Shotton, however, said a ban may not be the answer. “We’re really worried that a ban, which we have seen in other countries, won’t necessarily solve things because it will potentially drive things underground. And if there’s still a demand there that could then result in even worse welfare and even worse breeding,” she said, adding that educating the public may be a better approach.“They’ve got nice temperaments, they’re cute dogs, but we really need to start people thinking from the animals’ perspective and start to breed better conformation,” she said.
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For 18 years, Tuul and Bruno Morandi photographed the people, cities, and landscapes of the world. As they traveled, they accidentally started to accumulate extra photos of another, nonhuman subject: the furry, friendly faces of street cats.In Tuul and Bruno’s book, La Grand Odysée des Chats (“The Grand Odyssey of Cats”), feline subjects relax against the bright blue buildings of Chefchaouen in Morocco, jump across ruins in Greece, and watch fishermen curiously in Japan, awaiting their opportunity to steal away with discarded fish scraps.The Morandis themselves are cat lovers. They actually dedicated the book to their own cat of 10 years, Mujra, who Tuul describes as “beautiful and kind.”The pair were drawn to the charismatic felines while on work trips and couldn’t help but take pictures of the cats they met in the field. Once they had enough pictures, they asked their editor if they could put together a book. The editor agreed, and they began documenting the semi-wild creatures with a renewed focus.The photographers compare taking pictures of cats to taking pictures of humans. “For us, it’s almost the same,” Tuul Morandi says. “Because we are the kind of photographers who like to make pictures of the instant, of life every day in the street.” Before they engage with their subjects directly, the Morandis try to get the most authentic, candid moments of people and animals acting naturally. Afterwards, they’ll talk to the humans and, if the cats will let them, the photographers will pet and engage with them too.Across different cities, cats tend to have the same habits, the Morandis noticed, but, like humans, some cats are more shy than others. While “feral” cats are typically distinguished by their fear and distaste for humans, un-owned “street,” “stray,” or “community” cats are sometimes friendly. “Sometimes some cats are really shy, but in Japan most of the cats we met were not shy at all,” Tuul says. “They know that the humans are kind. Maybe it’s the relationships they have with the people who feed them.” (Read how cats domesticated themselves.)In Japan, people are especially kind to cats, who even have a “special relationship” with fishermen, Tuul says. The animals are thought to bring good luck, and there are temples where people can worship them. Cats are also something of a tourist attraction—the country is home to nearly a dozen “cat islands.”Culture, religion, history, and legends are integral to the public perception of street cats. The prophet Muhammad was said to have given sermons with his beloved cat Muezza on his lap, and when he found the animal asleep on his robe, he cut the sleeve off of it rather than disturb Muezza. “In most of the Islamic countries like Morocco and [Turkey], they have a special relationship with cats,” Tuul explains, “because the Prophet loved, loved cats.” (In Washington D.C., stray cats battle rat populations.)Not everyone loves stray cats, though. In most places, feral cats are considered invasive predators, and they can wreak havoc on local wildlife, to the concern of conservationists. It’s well-accepted that cats outside of houses kill lots of wildlife, and in 2013, a meta-analysis study published in the journal Nature Communications tried to quantify that death. The study suggested that free-roaming domestic cats kill 1.3 to 4 billion birds and 6.3 to 22.3 billion mammals a year in the U.S.The study, however, was controversial, and the results were criticized by some as “shaky.” That’s because there are no formal records of how many outdoor cats live in the U.S., and studies of cat behavior tend to be done where there there is an unusually high density of felines, so getting an accurate estimate is nearly impossible. In turn, researchers called this doubt “science denialism” by cat advocates in another paper.In order to keep stray cat populations under control, some organizations use Trap, Neuter, Return, or TNR, programs. Volunteers spay and neuter stray animals that can’t be placed in permanent homes as pets, so the cats can live out their lives on the street peacefully, without making any more kittens. In theory, enough TNR would lead to a slow, peaceful extinction of unowned cats, or at least stability in their numbers. However, studies have found cats reproduce so quickly that TNR is only effective if 75 percent or more cats in an area are sterilized each year. (Watch spy cameras track how far outdoor cats roam from home.)In spite of the controversy surrounding the overall environmental impact of cats, people around the world enjoy their company. In Lamu, an island off the coast of Kenya, street cats are part of their cultural history. In Greece, the animals are legally protected. Where people appear in the Morandis photographs, they either casually ignore the creatures or actively pet and hold them.“The cats [are] part of their life in the street,” she says.Kristin Hugo is a freelance science journalist in New York City focusing on biology and animals. Follow her on Twitter.
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pets_animals_wildlife
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The Fourth of July rings in the peak of summer quite literally as fireworks fly into the sky from cities to backyards alike.While the celebration is often colorful and exciting, it is also a time that can be very loud and frightening for dogs around the country, causing it to be the weekend more pets go missing than any other time of the year, according to the American Kennel Club.Gabriel Carlos got the warmest welcome full of licks and kisses from his dog when he returned home from a nine month deployment.It is common for dogs to suffer from noise phobia and fireworks are usually a big trigger. The noise of fireworks causes dogs to enter survival mode, according to Kitty Block, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. This can leave dogs feeling panicked, and can even cause "dogs considered to be very laid-back" to bolt from their owners and destruct their home.STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images"It is a logical response if you think of it from the dog’s perspective," Block explains. "They hear extremely loud noises that often make the ground vibrate and see bright flashing lights. They don’t know it’s a holiday or a celebration, often they don’t even know where the sound is coming from, so their desire to get away or hide is understandable."There are some overt signs that your dog could be getting anxious, such as whining, pacing, and running away. However, dogs can also show more subtle signs of anxiousness, which can look like presenting "a general restlessness when the fireworks are happening," explains Nick Hof, chair of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers.The anxiety dogs have from fireworks can also be acquired over time or after a traumatic incident, which Hof’s dog, Lanie, experienced after losing her canine brother.Maggie, a black Labrador Retriever, was adopted this month by the Yearsley family of Moreno Valley, California. "One of my dogs a few years ago lost her brother and actually gained an anxiety for the Fourth of July when we no longer had her brother here as well," Hof shares. "It took me by surprise because she had previously been totally fine.""When the Fourth of July came the year after, she became very panicked, would cry and whine, completely unable to settle down or relax," Hof added.Hof said he did everything he could to try and help her in that difficult situation, such as "turning on relaxing music to mitigate the sounds of fireworks" and "offering tasty, high-value treats" in an effort to make the experience less scary for her, which are a few of the many useful ways to ease your dog’s anxiety.However, something unique and hopeful about this time of the year is that there is always a definite day these particular fireworks are planned to go off, which means we can prepare for it. Experts believe we have improved over time as a society with how we handle our dogs with care on the Fourth of July.STOCK PHOTO/Getty ImagesFrom anti-anxiety sweaters known as "Thunder Shirts" to desensitization CDs that help utilize the sound of thunderstorms, there are many different ways of dealing with anxiety in animals, said Dr. Klein, chief veterinary officer at the American Kennel Club.There has also been an improvement in veterinary medicine with the types of medications that are offered for dogs with anxiety and noise phobia."We are moving away from medications that were just purely sedative and moving more towards ones that have anti-anxiety components that can help reduce the actual anxiety that the dogs are feeling," said Hof.Here are 6 ways to treat your dog with care on July 4 to lessen anxiety and panicking:1. Create a sense of calmness and compete with the noise by turning on a radio or television.2. Place a cotton ball in their ears while the fireworks go on (just remember to take them out!)3. Stay with your pet or have a family member or friend dog-sit for the day to give them a sense of security.4. Take your dog out on a leash when they need to use the bathroom so they are not alone and cannot run away at the noise of fireworks.5. Play fetch with them, put on some relaxing music, and reward them with treats.6. Most importantly, keep them far away from the fireworks show!Editor's Note: This story was originally published on July 3, 2019.
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pets_animals_wildlife
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Not to ruin cute herbivores for you, but it turns out the Aldabra giant tortoise knows how to hunt.Scientists just published the first video evidence of a giant tortoise hunting, killing, and eating a baby bird on Frégate Island in the Seychelles. As you can see below, the footage shows a tern chick (a kind of seabird) that’s fallen out of a tree and ended up on a log. Slowly, a tortoise approaches, mouth agape, pushing the chick back toward the end of the branch. The bird tries to defend itself by pecking at the tortoise’s face and flapping its wings, to no avail. Eventually, the reptile latches onto the chick’s head, killing it instantly. Its limp body tumbles off the log and the tortoise swallows it whole. (Sadly, that eating bit wasn’t caught on film—or maybe luckily, for the squeamish.)Video: Anna ZoraAlthough these tortoises are primarily vegetarians, biologists have previously reported them eating birds and crabs. But it's never been clear whether they were deliberately killing animals or scavenging a free piece of protein whenever they happened to step on something. Yet the people of Frégate Island have reported seeing tortoises hunt this way. “What we've got here is the first video evidence of what is very, very clearly deliberate hunting by a tortoise and killing for consumption,” says Justin Gerlach, a biologist at Peterhouse College (part of the University of Cambridge) and coauthor on a new paper describing the finding in the journal Current Biology. “It demonstrates that they're not just the simple opportunists that we've tended to assume in some situations—they can actually be predators, which is rather disturbing.”Herbivores don’t get much more herbivorous than tortoises—sluggish, methodical animals whose evolutionary strategy is to use as little energy as possible and rely on their shells for protection. That’s opposed to an animal like a deer, which can leg it away from predators. But at the risk of ruining deer for you, too, they also scavenge for meat. “If there's a dead animal around, most herbivores will have a bit of it, getting some extra protein, getting some different minerals, amino acids, all of that stuff,” says Gerlach. Since people have witnessed this kind of hunt before, Gerlach thinks the behavior can’t be isolated to the one incident, filmed by Anna Zora, lead author of the new paper, who does conservation work for the Frégate Island Foundation.In the case of the giant tortoise, its hunting behavior seems to be a collision of ecological quirks. Terns nest in trees on Frégate Island, which is both tropical and heavily forested. But the ground is home to its other predators, like lizards and crabs. That means the forest floor is lava for any chick that is not yet able to fly away from danger. The bird’s instincts tell it to perch on a tree—at all costs. That’s why in the video you can see it backing up along the branch as the tortoise approaches, instead of just hopping off into the leaf litter and escaping. “You've got a source of meat, but it's also something that can't run away from a tortoise—and almost anything can run faster than a tortoise,” says Gerlach. “Because it's a tree nester, it wants to stay off the ground, because the ground is where all the danger is.” Video: Anna ZoraWhat appears to be an unfair fight actually is quite dangerous for the tortoise. It’s got a thick shell to protect its body, but its eyes are exposed. And the chick is pecking like its life depends on it, because it very much does. “They don't like things coming close to their eyes,” says Gerlach. “They're quite cautious about that—it's the only vulnerable part of them. So this tortoise is actually putting itself in some danger.” Lose an eye and survival becomes that much more difficult—lose two and you’ll soon be dead.This is no easy meal, then, and no mere opportunism. The tortoise is hunting like it knows what it’s doing, Gerlach says, backing the chick up until it reaches the edge of the log and the bird’s instincts tell it to go no further.
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pets_animals_wildlife
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Katie Gillman was racing south down Second Street in Highland Park, a few steps behind her husband Max, who’d grabbed their daughters’ double stroller and yelled “Run!” after the shooting began at Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade. Just before Walnut Street, she looked back and saw a mass of people, all running for their lives. “And leading the pack was this little dog,” Katie Gillman says.It was a Yorkshire terrier, 6½ pounds, in a pink harness and trailing a leash. Gillman says she ran back and scooped up the terrified animal “football-style” under one arm. She caught up with her husband and daughters, 4½ years old and 16 months old. And she looked down and saw the blood all over her arm, oozing onto her from the dog’s right eye.On a day of horror, the family focused on one small thing they could do: help this dog.They got home, and Max wrapped the little dog in a bath towel. He placed the bundle on the passenger seat of their Honda CR-V and sped toward BluePearl Pet Hospital in Northfield, figuring it would be one of the few places open on the Fourth of July.Dr. Todd Horowitz, the veterinarian on duty, had just heard about the shooting when Max Gillman ran in. Horowitz started an IV and saw the dog hadn’t been shot or hit with shrapnel. But it did have “significant trauma” to its right cornea and eyelid.“She was actually really sweet,” Horowitz says of the tiny dog. “She was really scared, but you could tell she was a nice dog. She was used to people.”The vet doesn’t know what caused the injury but guesses someone running to escape the gunfire might accidentally have kicked the dog. Lola had “significant trauma” to her right eye, according to the veterinarian who treated the dog at BluePearl Pet Hospital in Northfield.Provided Meanwhile, Max Gillman texted his neighbor Megan O’Meara, who posted a photo of the bleeding dog on Nextdoor.com, naming the animal hospital and asking: Does anyone know this dog’s owner? Around the same time, a woman posted a message looking for her sister’s dog Lola, which had disappeared in the chaos of the shooting.The dog, owned by Reina Conner and her family, had taken part earlier that morning in Highland Park’s kiddie parade, riding in a wagon with Conner’s 4-year-old grand-niece.When the shooting started, family members grabbed the little girl and ran to a nearby Walker Bros. pancake restaurant. One relative, Lilli Carrasco-Martini, 18, was grazed on her cheek by a bullet and treated at a hospital, according to Conner, who was home when it happened.“Everybody kind of ran in different directions,” Conner says. “It was horrific what they went through.” Reunited (from left) Josh Mendiola, Raquel Hernandez, Lola the Yorkshire terrier, Hailey Conner and Aviana Ferrera. All ran amid the chaos that followed the Highland Park Fourth of July parade mass shooting. Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere / Sun-Times When the family spotted O’Meara’s post, an aunt headed straight to the veterinary clinic. After six hours, Lola was well enough to go home.“Our pets are family & during this difficult time we are lucky to have Lola back with us. Wishing all of you [love] & healing,” a member of Conner’s family wrote in a post thanking all who helped. Lola in better days, seen in an updated social media post made by a relative of her owner.Provided Conner says Carrasco-Martini needed stitches in her cheek and that her family is getting counseling for trauma. But she says: “We’re just so lucky that they’re all alive. Some people were not as fortunate as us.”They’re planning to go to an animal eye specialist soon, hoping to hear that Lola might regain her vision in the injured eye.The Gillmans, who plucked Lola from the chaos, say their older daughter, not yet 5, doesn’t understand what happened. She only knows there was noise and people running and a little dog who was injured and lost.“She talks about the ‘firecrackers’ at the parade that day, but she also talks about Lola,” Max Gillman says. “Getting the dog back with its family, that’s her memory of the day. That’s our silver lining.” Lola in her favorite spot on the couch of her family’s home in Highland Park.Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere / Sun-Times
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pets_animals_wildlife
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Barbie unveils new Dr Jane Goodall doll in honour of the 88-year-old British conservationistBarbie has unveiled a new Dr Jane Goodall doll in honour of the conservationistPrimatologist and considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzeesThe 88-year-old said she hoped to 'inspire' children to be curious about worldSaid she wanted to 'remind youngsters they can be anything, anywhere' Published: 05:00 EDT, 12 July 2022 | Updated: 05:34 EDT, 12 July 2022 Barbie has unveiled a new Dr Jane Goodall doll in honour of the British conservationist.Dr Goodall, 88, is a renowned primatologist and widely considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees.Her obsession with apes was in its infancy when she took off to Africa aged 23 – unheard of back then – and embarked on a life studying primates. As the latest Inspiring Women Doll, the doll has been created alongside the Jane Goodall Institute and comes with a separate David Greybeard chimp accessory - modelled after the primate Dr Goodall studied - ahead of World Chimpanzee Day on Thursday.She said she wanted to 'remind youngsters they can be anything, anywhere', adding: 'My entire career, I've wanted to help inspire kids to be curious and explore the world around them - just like I did when I first travelled to Tanzania 62 years ago.' Barbie has unveiled a new Dr Jane Goodall doll in honour of the British conservationist, 88, who is widely regarded as the world's leading expert on chimpanzees Dame Jane's doll is dressed in a tan-coloured shirt and shorts, as well as a pair of black boots, and comes with a pair of binoculars and a notebook Formerly known as Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, Jane is an ethologist and conservationist known for her study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees and first arrived at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania in July 1960.Dr Goodall has worked extensively on conservation and animal welfare issues.She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977, a global wildlife and environment conservation organisation which works to protect the famous chimpanzees of Gombe National Park in Tanzania.The Institute is widely recognised for community-centred conservation and development programmes in Africa, the ongoing research at Gombe, the Tchimpounga and Chimp Eden sanctuaries for orphan chimpanzees and for her global youth programme Roots & Shoots. The doll's launch coincides with the 62nd anniversary of her first journey to the forest of Gombe National Park in Tanzania The doll has been created alongside the Jane Goodall Institute and comes with a separate David Greybeard chimp accessory - modelled after the primate Dr Goodall studiedIn April 2002 Dr. Goodall was named a UN Messenger of Peace by Kofi Annan and has received many awards and honours.She was made a Dame in 2004 and holds many other awards for her environmental and humanitarian work, including the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, the French Legion of Honour, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, Japan’ s Kyoto Prize and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.The doll's launch coincides with the 62nd anniversary of her first journey to the forest of Gombe National Park in Tanzania. 'I'm thrilled to partner with Barbie and encourage young children to learn from their environment and feel a sense that they can make a difference. The 88-year-old said she felt 'thrilled' to partner with Barbie and 'encourage young children to learn from their environment' 'Through this partnership, I hope to inspire the next generation of eco-leaders to join me in protecting our planet and remind them they can be anything, anywhere - on the field, in the lab, and at the table.'Barbie's Inspiring Women series 'pays tribute to courageous women who took risks, changed rules, and paved the way for generations to dream bigger than ever before'. Other dolls in the series include activist Dr Maya Angelou, former tennis star Billie Jean King and former First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt. Dr Jane said she hopes the doll will 'inspire the next generation of eco-leaders' to join her in 'protecting the planet' Barbie's Inspiring Women series 'pays tribute to courageous women who took risks, changed rules, and paved the way for generations to dream bigger than ever before'Lisa McKnight, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls at Mattel, said: 'Kids need more role models like Dr Jane Goodall, because imagining they can be anything is just the beginning - seeing it makes all the difference.''We hope that this collection and homage to a groundbreaking pioneer for women in science and conservation inspires kids to learn more about green careers, how they can protect the planet, and act out sustainable stories through doll play.'We know that sustainability is a top concern for future generations and we are proud to unveil our first sustainable Barbie Inspiring Women and Career of the Year Eco-Leadership team dolls.' Advertisement
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pets_animals_wildlife
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Homing pigeons have been known for centuries for their ability to find their way home after travelling hundreds of miles. But one little bird, named Bob, might need to work on his internal compass.The four-year-old pigeon, from Gateshead, turned up about 4,000 miles away in the US after getting lost on a fairly routine journey from the Channel Islands to his home in north-east England.Bob set off three weeks ago for what was supposed to be a 10-hour journey home. Instead he landed at the home of a puzzled resident of Alabama after apparently hitching a ride on a ship across the Atlantic.Alan Todd, Bob’s owner, said: “He wouldn’t have flown all that way. He was covered in oil – it could have been an oil tanker.”After being discovered in Mexia, Alabama, on Wednesday, the pigeon was handed over to an animal shelter in nearby Monroeville which is taking care of him.Staff at Monroe County Alabama Animal Shelter reported that while Bob was underweight, he had been checked by a vet and still looked “pretty good”.Megan Bryan and Monica Hardy, who had been supporting the bird, added: “He’s appearing well, he’s doing great.”Map of Bob's journey.The team at the shelter had put out a call on social media in an attempt to track down Bob’s owner. Using the bird’s distinctive leg bands as a clue, they found the North of England Homing Union, where they were directed to Todd, who has since been reunited with his pet several times by video call.Todd said: “They are obviously looking after him very well – when I saw him yesterday he didn’t look in a good state, but looking at him today he looks a lot better just in one day.”Despite the distance, he plans to travel over to the US to bring the bird back to his home in Winlaton near Gateshead.Homing pigeons are usually able to return to their lofts after travelling extremely long distances using magnetoreception, meaning they can sense navigational information from the Earth’s magnetic field.Flights as long as 1,100 miles have previously been recorded.
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U.S. July 21, 2022 / 12:05 PM / CBS News Migratory monarch butterflies, known for their bright orange and spotted wings spectacularly filling the sky on a nearly 2,500-mile journey every year, are now "closer to the brink" of extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced the grim news on Thursday, saying that human activities that result in habitat destruction and climate change are mostly responsible. The migratory monarch is a subspecies of the monarch butterfly and is known for its annual migration from Mexico to the U.S. and Canada. Over the past decade, its population has shrunk by between 22% to 72%, depending on the measurement method used, according to the IUCN. And the majority of that decline is, the group said, is because of people. Logging and deforestation have destroyed substantial areas of the butterflies' winter home in Mexico and California. Last year, the World Wildlife Fund and Mexico's government issued a report that the monarch population that was in Mexico for hibernation in 2020 plunged by 26% compared to the previous year. In 2019, they had occupied nearly seven acres of Mexico's hibernation forests, while in 2020, they occupied just over five. The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, where the majority of the migrating monarchs hibernate, lost a significant amount of trees leading up to the annual migration, the report found, mostly because of "clandestine" logging. Pesticides and herbicides also play a role in the butterflies' demise, as the chemicals kill butterflies and milkweed, which is essential for butterfly larvae to develop. In February, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed adding prostrate milkweed to the endangered species list, saying that humans have depleted the resource through root-plowing, border security activities and construction. And then, of course, there is human-caused climate change. The intense droughts that have been ravaging the West Coast limit the ability for milkweed to grow. And paired with the extreme heat that dozens of states are facing, particularly California, it has created wildfires that further destroy essential plants that feed and house the species. While migrating monarch populations have declined from coast to coast, it's the western population that has felt it the worst, the IUCN said. The population is estimated to have declined by 99.9% between the 1980s and 2021 – from 10 million to less than 2,000. These numbers have the group concerned as to whether there are enough butterflies to prevent total extinction. IUCN member Anna Walker, who led the assessment, said in a statement that it's difficult to watch the species "teeter on the edge of collapse." "But there are signs of hope," she said, noting that organizations are working to restore habitats, plant milkweed and reduce pesticides. "...We all have a role to play in making sure this iconic insect makes a full recovery." The IUCN's Red List names 41,000 species that face extinction. Also added to the red list on Thursday are every single species of sturgeon. The IUCN found that "100% of the world's remaining 26 sturgeon species are now at risk of extinction." One species, the Yangtze Sturgeon, is officially extinct in the wild, and the Chinese Paddlefish, is completely extinct. Tigers, on the other hand, have increased by 40% since they were last assessed in 2015. They are still endangered, but the IUCN said the trend indicates that "recovery is possible." In: Climate Change endangered species monarch butterfly Li Cohen Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending reporter for CBS News, focusing on social justice issues. Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue
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pets_animals_wildlife
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U.S. June 30, 2022 / 9:25 AM / CBS News Toronto Zoo animals get their COVID vaccines Toronto Zoo animals get their COVID vaccines 01:15 A tiger at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio has died after developing pneumonia caused by COVID-19. The 14-year-old Amur tiger named Jupiter "had been on long term treatment for chronic underlying illnesses, which made him more susceptible to this virus," the zoo said in a statement on Facebook.Jupiter was exhibiting signs of illness earlier this month, the zoo said. He was not interested in eating and was reluctant to stand, move or interact with keepers. After an exam and treatment, the tiger did not improve. Although he was given additional treatments and testing and appeared stable, he passed away on Sunday.Jupiter was born at the Moscow Zoo and was brought to the zoo in Columbus in 2015 after spending time at Zoo Dvur Kralove in the Czech Republic. He had nine cubs – six born at the Columbus zoo. 14-year-old tiger dies after contracting COVID-19 at Ohio zoo Grahm S. Jones As a precaution, zoo staff members wear masks near certain animals that are susceptible to contracting COVID-19, the zoo said. Jupiter is the first animal at this zoo to die from COVID-19. While many big cats at zoos across the world have tested positive for the virus, there have been few reported deaths.In November 2021, three snow leopards at the Lincoln Children's Zoo in Nebraska died due to complications of COVID-19, the zoo said on Facebook. In June 2021, a 9-year old Asiatic lion died at a state-run zoo in India after contracting the virus, Reuters reports. Some zoos have gotten their animals in vaccinated. But at ZooTampa in Florida, a 16-year-old and 7-year-old tiger tested positive after they showing "mild respiratory symptoms" – even though they ware vaccinated. The zoo said they were unsure how the tigers contracted the virus, CBS Miami reports.A tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York was one of the first to test positive for COVID-19 in April 2020, making headlines. Since then, multiple big cats at the zoo have tested positive. Public health officials said at the time they believe the cats became sick after being exposed to a zoo employee who had the virus, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories.At the start of the pandemic, researchers in China studied COVID-19 in domestic cats and found they are susceptible to airborne infection with the coronavirus. Scientists from Harbin Veterinary Research Institute intentionally exposed groups of cats, dogs, ferrets, pigs, chickens and ducks to the virus, and found some animals are more susceptible than others, according to the study published in Science.Dogs had a low susceptibility to the virus, and livestock – including pigs, chickens, and ducks – also did not appear to be significantly affected by it. Both ferrets and cats do appear to be susceptible to infection, the study finds. However, the study was conducted by giving a dose of the virus to the animals to see if they contracted it, which doesn't mimic the way germs are spread in real life, Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, an internal medicine and small animal veterinarian at New York City's Animal Medical Center, told CBS News. The veterinarian said she has read countless studies that looked at coronavirus in various animals, and much of the research has not surprised her."Ferrets have been used for a long time to study upper respiratory disease in people and to help study disease and make vaccines. So, there's something to the ferret respiratory tract that makes the susceptible to our diseases," Hohenhaus said. "If you look at the genetics of the cat receptor... cats and people are almost identical."Still, she said veterinarians, the CDC and U.S. Department of Agriculture are giving pet owners the same advice they've continued to give during this pandemic. "Wash your hands before you touch your pet, wash your hands after you touch your pet. If you're sick, wear a mask... you should not take care of your pet and find a surrogate to take care of your pet so that you can quarantine yourself away from everyone in the family, which includes all pets," Hohenhaus said.In guidance updated in April 2022, the CDC said the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to humans is low, but the virus can spread from humans to animals during close contact."More studies and surveillance are needed to understand how SARS-CoV-2 is spread between people and animals," the CDC says, adding that people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should avoid contact with animals, including pets, livestock, and wildlife. Caitlin O'Kane Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue
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pets_animals_wildlife
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For the second time in days, a bison gored a visitor at Yellowstone National Park, park officials said.The 71-year-old woman from West Chester, Pennsylvania, suffered injuries that were not life-threatening in the encounter Wednesday, the park said in a statement.She and her daughter were returning to their vehicle at a trailhead when they inadvertently approached bison, and a bull bison charged her, the officials said.It was the third time a bison has attacked a visitor at Yellowstone this year and the second time this week.On May 30, an Ohio woman was thrown 10 feet after, officials say, she approached a bison that was near a boardwalk.On Monday, a Colorado man was gored by a bull bison, also near a boardwalk. In that case, the man was with family members when the bison charged, and they did not leave right away as park staff members recommend, park officials said.Video appeared to show the man grab a child to move it out of the animal’s path before he was struck. The man, 34, suffered an injury to his arm, the park said at the time.Visitors are warned to give bison, as well as other wildlife, space — even if the animals are near parking lots or other developed areas. "If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity," the park said Thursday. The two most recent encounters both involved bulls, or male, bison, park officials said. Bull bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and stand 6 feet tall.The two most recent encounters occurred after Yellowstone reopened part of the park to visitors following severe flooding, most seriously in the northern section, earlier this month.The park closed to all visitors on June 13. The flood and the mudslides washed out roads and caused other damage, and they also affected the "gateway communities" and the businesses that depend on travelers to the park.The south loop reopened with some restrictions on June 22, and Yellowstone said Thursday it expects to reopen the north loop Sunday.“We have attempted to balance major recovery efforts while reopening as much of the park as possible,” Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said in a statement.Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.
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Biscuit, a rare orange lobster, was rescued on August 8, 2022 from a Red Lobster by Ripley’s Aquarium.For the second time in less than a month, a “one-in-30-million” lobster defied becoming dinner after being saved Monday from a southern seafood restaurant tank.Last month, a rare orange lobster christened Cheddar, was rescued from a Red Lobster in Hollywood, Florida. Named in honor of the chain's signature biscuits, the crustacean soon found haven at Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach.On Monday, another carrot-colored crustacean beat the odds after being saved from a Red Lobster in Meridian, Mississippi. In a continued theme, Ripley's Aquariums dubbed the lobster Biscuit, spokesperson Sabrina Sieck confirmed to USA TODAY.With Biscuit's addition, Ripley's now have three “one-in-thirty-million” lobsters including Pinchy, an orange lobster rescued from a grocery store by Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada.Another one was found at a Tops Market grocery store in Manlius, New York, in July. The store's general manager, Joe Rizzo, said the store’s seafood department thought someone had shipped them a cooked lobster at first, before they took it out and "found out it was alive, he told the Utica (New York) Observer-Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network.On the heels of the latest lobster find, Sieck said, Ripley’s Aquariums and Red Lobster announced they are teaming up to study them and better understand the anomaly.Fiona has a little brother: Cincinnati Zoo announces sex of newborn baby hippoHow rare are orange lobsters?“Orange lobsters are uncommon but perhaps not as rare as we first thought,” said Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies Director of Husbandry, Jared Durrett, in the statement. “Lobsters obtain their color through the pigments they ingest in their diet. If these orange lobsters are being harvested from the same region, perhaps their localized diet contains a pigment that, when paired with the lobster’s genetics, creates the orange coloration we are seeing.”Red Lobster told USA TODAY Biscuit is from the same fishing area as Cheddar, supporting the theory that this uptick in unusual coloration has to do with what the lobsters are eating.Rare orange lobster rescued: Cheddar, a rare orange lobster, almost became dinner. Then, restaurant workers stepped in.International Cat Day is today: This International Cat Day, these world record breaking pets are the real celebrities“We plan to dive deeper into this and study the reasons why this abnormality is occurring more often," Durrett said. Our partnership with Red Lobster will allow us to capture data from fishermen, which typically is not easy to come by due to confidentiality."“On the rare occasion we receive a lobster like Biscuit, we have to ask why?" said Nicole Bott, Senior Director, Communications at Red Lobster. "We are hearing from our fishermen in the area where both Cheddar and Biscuit were caught that they are seeing a lot of orange lobsters this time of year. This seems to indicate the coloring is coming from a different food source. We’re excited to support Ripley’s research into this and learn more about our changing lobster populations,.On Monday, Sieck said, Biscuit was being moved to its new home. The crustacean, she said, will be on display at Ripley’s Aquarium later this year.Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Orange lobster rescued in Mississippi: How rare are the creatures?
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Photo: Kenichi MorinagaIn bleak times, funny-looking animals are worth their weight in gold. So it’s with great pleasure that Gizmodo presents the finalists from this year’s Comedy Pet Photography Awards.The contest was founded by photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam and is a spinoff of their earlier project, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. In collaboration with Animal Friends Pet Insurance, the organization will also donate over $30,000 to three animal charities this year, while the top photographer will receive a cash prize of over $2,000 and an extra $5,000 to donate to their charity of choice. The shortlist in 2022 features 26 photos and 4 videos selected from hundreds of entries submitted in nearly 70 countries. The final winners—which will include an entry voted on by the public—will be announced this September.“Nilo’s Love for Water”Photo: Jose BayonNilo, seen here as a 10-month-old pup, almost didn’t survive getting hit by a car at a very young age. But he’s since recovered and has now discovered the joys of running head-first through sprinkled water.“Boom Boom”Photo: Kenichi MorinagaThese cats in Japan are engaging in the forbidden feline art of mind-melding.“I’m not full yet!”Photo: Karl GoldhamerLissi, who has since gone over the rainbow bridge, is here portraying the natural state of cathood: displeased with their humans.5 / 28“Oh I do like a scratch and tickle”“Oh I do like a scratch and tickle”Photo: Bob MooreThere’s something about getting scratched in just the right place to light up the rest of your day.6 / 28“Now, how do I upload my pics?”“Now, how do I upload my pics?”Photo: Kenichi MorinagaIs this an allegory for how the relentless presence of technology drives us to self-destruction? Or an example of why we should never trust our cats to be left to their own devices?“Chauffeur Dog”Photo: Mehmet AslanThere’s simply no way this driver would receive anything less than five stars for their service.“Too desperate”Photo: Kazutoshi ONOEven cats can be a little too clingy at times.“Shakin hedgehog”Photo: Alessandro PoThis may look like the latest Marvel villain, but it’s actually Max the dog fresh off a jaunty swim in the lake.10 / 28“Jack the Cat stuck in the hedge”“Jack the Cat stuck in the hedge”Photo: Freya SharpeUhhhh, a little help here?11 / 28“Revenge of the Tennis Ball”“Revenge of the Tennis Ball”Photo: Christopher JohnsonIt was fated that one day, the tennis ball would return to seek vengeance for the careless slobber spewed onto it by countless canines. Sadly, Star was ill-prepared for its arrival. “Ukiyo-e”Photo: Kazutoshi OnoThe life of a domestic cat is filled with arduous work and sacrifice—and sometimes a little fine art.“Dave and Dudley”Photo: Judy NussenblattLike so many of us, Dave and Dudley let their hair grow out during the early days of the pandemic. But they still pull it off with style.“Goofy Bun”Photo: Sarah von Keitz Fibunacci the rabbit is many things, but unkempt is not one of them. While it may be hard to tell what he’s up to at first glance, he’s actually just cleaning his ears.15 / 28“Dashing through the snow”“Dashing through the snow”Photo: Marko JovanovicCarter was once close to being euthanized before being rescued by his owners. But now, he gets to live life to the fullest, which includes diving right into the snow.“Purr-etty Pleeeaase!”Photo: Sarah Fiona HelmeRosie the cat isn’t above manipulating your emotions to get what she wants. “Mine, not yours!”Photo: Lucy Sellors-DuvalBenji will stop at nothing to get his paws on the promised treats before his brother Doug can. “I’m talking to you”Photo: Stefan BrusiusGerman photographer Stefan Brusius snapped a candid shot of this goose right after she strutted across a meadow, ate some greens, and then began to scold him. “Werewolf 2.0"Photo: Karl GoldhamerEven half-man, half-dog hybrids need some time in the shade to rest.“OMG What Is That”Photo: Beth NobleIt takes a lot for CK to be surprised these days, but they make the most of their astonishment. “Happy Horses”Photo: Radim FilipekCzech photographer Radim Filipek took this snapshot of a happy horse and her 3-day-old son Monty. But it could also be you and your friends laughing far too hard at an inside joke that you’ve long since forgotten the origins of.“Hello Penny!”Photo: Holly StranksPenny’s not mad that you snuck off to go to the alcohol party, she’s just disappointed.“Pillow”Photo: Peter CechCats and dogs may have a reputation for shared enmity, but these two best friends only see a good place to nap on.“Remember Muttley”Photo: Bernard SimThere are truly few things more precious on this earth than a smiling dog.“Grandmistress Candy”Photo: Jonathan CaseyTragically, Candy the tabby cat lost this year’s grand finals match when she inexplicably began knocking every piece down onto the floor while staring intently into her owner’s eyes, as if daring them to stop her.“Hitching a lift!”Photo: Neville TaitTypically, it’s humans using dogs to navigate through a snowy landscape. But Oscar was able to turn the tables on his owner Bowen as the boy grabbed a piece of plastic to slide down the hill. “Smokin’ Alpaca”Photo: Stefan BrusiusJoe Camel, eat your heart out.
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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Washington is one step closer to outlawing big cat ownership in the U.S. after the House of Representatives passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act, a piece of legislation championed by "Tiger King" star and animal rights activist Carole Baskin.The legislation, which was dubbed the "Tiger King" bill after the viral Netflix show of the same name, was first passed by the House in December 2020 with a 272-114 vote.When the Senate, which is currently in recess, returns in September, the bill will be considered. It has bipartisan support."This bill revises requirements governing the trade of big cats (i.e., species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species)," the bill summary reads. "Specifically, it revises restrictions on the possession and exhibition of big cats, including to restrict direct contact between the public and big cats."HOUSE PASSES 'TIGER KING' BILL TO OUTLAW PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OF BIG CATS Carole Baskin competed on ABC's "Dancing With The Stars" in 2020. (Frank Ockenfels /ABC via Getty Images)Baskin has spent years pushing to outlaw "cub petting" — the practice of adopting and raising exotic cats as pets. There is currently no federal law prohibiting the ownership of exotic big cats.'TIGER KING' STAR JOE EXOTIC RESENTENCED TO 21 YEARS IN PRISON Baskin has spent years pushing to outlaw "cub petting," the practice of adopting and raising exotic cats as pets. (Netflix)Exotic animals, including big cats, often experience adverse effects from domestication. Additionally, amateur exotic pet owners are often woefully unequipped to care for the animals.Baskin is optimistic about the positive effects of the bill if passed.'TIGER KING' STAR JOE EXOTIC PLEADS FOR PUBLIC'S HELP IN PAYING OFF NEMESIS CAROLE BASKIN"That is probably the only silver lining to ‘Tiger King,’" Baskin told Fox 13 News. "What it did was it made people aware of this problem." Carole Baskin, founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue (Netflix )"What I would say to anybody who thinks that they want to own a lion or a tiger or any kind of exotic cat as a pet, it's not the glamorous thing that you see on social media," Baskin explained. "They grow up like that, and they become apex predators who want to kill you in just a matter of a couple of years."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPBig cats, when raised in a domestic environment, can also lose instincts and life skills necessary for them to survive in the wild. Because of this, they often cannot be released after being taken from owners. Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com
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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Charleston, S.C. – Donating blood is critical to saving lives, which is why organizations such as the Red Cross are often urging people to donate. But blood donations for pets are frequently overlooked. BluePearl Pet Hospitals in the Charleston, South Carolina, area say they only get about a third of the donations they’d like. When they don’t have enough blood — that leads to tough situations.4,000 BEAGLES RESCUED FROM VA BREEDING FACILITY IN NEED OF NEW HOMES"That’s what’s scary, especially when you hear we might not [have] enough blood in order for your dog to survive," said South Carolina resident Sherry Shepherd.Shepherd's beagle puppy Harley was just six weeks old when her family got her. But it wasn’t long before something was off. A bag of blood donated by a dog in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, is shown in this image. (Fox News)"She went to go get some water and she fell over," Shepherd said.The vet said Harley had a parasitic infection and needed an emergency blood transfusion. But the veterinarian didn’t have the correct blood for the animal. "We didn’t think she was going to make it at all."Another vet nearby had the blood, thankfully. Five weeks and three transfusions later, Harley is looking a lot better.Heather Moore says they’re so short on blood that she sometimes brings her own dog in for a donation if a puppy is dying. "She was 1.3 pounds the first time, and now she’s over four-and-a-half pounds."Harley is lucky — but not all dogs are.US NAVY SAILORS REUNITE WITH THE DOGS THEY RESCUED FROM NEAR-CERTAIN DEATH IN THE MIDDLE EAST"The fact of the matter is there are definitely cases that could have been saved if we had [had] the resources," said Heather Moore.She is the blood bank program director for BluePearl’s Mount Pleasant location, the hospital that saved Harley. Heather Moore's dog, Benedict, a Husky, donates blood regularly. (Fox News)Moore says they’re so short on blood that she sometimes brings her own dog in for a donation if a puppy is dying. She encourages anyone with a healthy dog or cat to consider regularly donating."Knowing that your pet needs help and may not have the blood product they need — that is heartbreaking, and [it is] fixable if the community comes together," Moore said. BluePearl says that depending on how big a dog is, one donation of blood from that dog can save up to three other pets. (iStock )BluePearl locations around the country have seen a 26% drop in pet blood donations since the coronavirus pandemic. Shepherd says that from now on, she’ll do her part."We personally are going to be including our own dog, our lab. She meets the requirements, so she will go forward," Shepherd said.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPBluePearl says that depending on how big a dog is, one donation of blood can save up to three other pets. Austin Westfall joined FOX News in 2021 as a multimedia reporter in Charlotte.
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Bears forage for garbage near a small community on the coast of Hudson Bay, Canada, in this screengrab from a video taken in 2021. Bears often end up eating non-inedible material like plastics which can cause blockages. Polar Bears International/Handout via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLONDON, July 20 (Reuters) - Hungry polar bears are turning to garbage dumps to fill their stomachs as their icy habitat disappears.On Wednesday, a team of Canadian and U.S. scientists warned that trash poses an emerging threat to already-vulnerable polar bear populations as the animals become more reliant on landfills near northern communities. This is leading to deadly conflicts with people, the report published in the journal Oryx said."Bears and garbage are a bad association," said co-author Andrew Derocher, a biologist at the University of Alberta. "We know that very well from a brown bear and black bear perspective, and now it's an issue developing with polar bears."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comPolar bears rely on sea ice to hunt seals. But with the Arctic warming four times faster than the rest of the world, sea ice is melting out earlier in the summer and freezing up later in the fall. This forces bears to spend more time ashore, away from their natural prey.To fatten up, the report said polar bears are now gathering en masse around open dumps in places in the Arctic and sub-Arctic such as Russia's Belushya Guba, and whale bone piles left over from Inuit hunts near Kaktovik, Alaska.Such behaviour is risky. Local wildlife managers may kill bears out of concern for public safety. And consuming garbage can make bears sick.Wrappers are often frozen into food scraps so polar bears end up eating plastic and other non-edible materials. This can cause fatal blockages."Bears don't know all the negatives that come with plastic ingestion and the diseases and toxins they're likely exposed to in a (landfill) setting," said co-author Geoff York, senior director of conservation at Polar Bears International, an advocacy group.The situation, scientists said, is likely to get worse. Human populations are increasing in the Arctic. Nunavut, Canada, -- where thousands of polar bears live -- is projected to grow nearly 40% by 2043.Improving waste management remains a challenge for remote communities. The ground is often frozen, making it hard to bury garbage. And trucking it out is expensive. Federal funding will be required to fix the problem, scientists said."Already we've had a couple human fatalities in the eastern Canadian Arctic," said Derocher. "It's surprising just how many places that never had polar bear problems are now having emerging issues."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Gloria Dickie;
Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A U.S. soldier is asking for help in safely getting his tiny rescue puppy out of the Middle East and into America — so that this beautiful animal can finally live a happy life. U.S. Army Sgt. Macintire, who is on his 15th deployment overseas, is recruiting help from the public as well as support from the nonprofit Paws of War to transport his adorable puppy, CJ, back home to his family in Utah.Robert Misseri, co-founder of the Long Island, N.Y.-based Paws of War, told Fox News Digital that the pup's rescue mission needs more funding before all steps can be completed. The group also divulged just how close to death this puppy had been.BENGHAZI LEGEND MARK GEIST PRESENTS K9 SERVICE DOG TO COMBAT VETERAN IN N.J."We have assured [Sgt.] Macintire that we would do everything we can not to let him down or his family down," said Misseri about the pup. He added about the rescue mission and the animal's transport, "It’s very expensive." An American soldier holds the rescued puppy, CJ, at an undisclosed location in the Middle East. (Paws of War) (Paws of War)Paws of War staff revealed to Fox News Digital that "things were touch and go" for little CJ at the start of the mission.First off, the pup was "facing several health issues, including dehydration, and possibly poison[ing]," a staff member shared with Fox News Digital. The pup's "chances of survival were not good. She received several types of IV medications and treatments over the course of a week. Initially, she did not respond well — but after five days, when we thought it was going to be her last day, she turned the corner.""They all knew how much the dog meant to Sgt. Macintire." "It was hard for everyone just seeing her lay lifelessly in the cage, not being able to help or comfort her," said Paws of War staff. The organization remained in contact with Macintire and his family throughout the process of rescue and rehabilitation."So many of the soldiers on the base were also waiting each day for the updates," donor relations specialist Gary Baumann of Paws of War told Fox News Digital via email. "They had loved this little pup, and they all knew how much the dog meant to Sgt. Macintire."OHIO TEEN WITH SPINAL CANCER EARNS TITLE OF HONORARY MARINE: ‘AMAZING YOUNG MAN’Macintire, who can't disclose his first name or specific location, first came across CJ while on patrol with other soldiers. The puppy was with its mother, who was nursing her brood on the side of the road, while a protective adult male dog lingered nearby.Amid grieving the loss of his own family's Great Dane back home, the sergeant continued to visit the family of dogs, hoping to win over the father pup, whom he named Cooper. Puppy CJ and her dad Cooper were found on the streets by U.S. soldiers during their deployment in the Middle East. (Paws of War) (Paws of War)Eventually, Cooper took Macintire's offerings of food and water — and allowed the soldiers to play with his puppies.One day, however, the family of dogs went missing. After searching for the animals, soldiers finally found Cooper's body — as well as the sick, scared and now-orphaned puppy they named CJ, short for Cooper Jr.The Army sergeant made it his duty to care for and adopt the puppy, leaning on Paws of War to help provide her with medical attention and a one-way ticket out of harm’s way.NORTH CAROLINA FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE DOG TRAPPED FOR 20 MINUTES IN PARTIALLY SUBMERGED VEHICLE"I wanted to show CJ a life different from the one her father suffered in," the sergeant told Paws of War. The dogs, he said, had been "fighting to survive in the open desert, scrounging for food and being mistreated by some humans."Robert Misseri of Paws of War explained that there are a "multitude" of obstacles involved in getting a dog out of the Middle East and into the U.S., including a hefty price tag. CJ, the puppy found by U.S. soldiers deployed to the Middle East, arrives at a shelter courtesy of the nonprofit Paws of War. (Paws of War) "Our goal right now is to raise all the funds that are needed," he said. "We feel confident that we can."The Paws of War co-founder detailed that the end goal is to have CJ in Utah — greeting the sergeant once he returns home from deployment. Step one is to get the puppy to Macintire’s wife, six kids and granddaughter."I hike daily on the trails throughout Utah and can't wait to have CJ by my side," Macintire said. "That will give me so much joy knowing she is safe and happy."CJ has full clearance to fly to the U.S. once full funding is collected for her trip. "My family is so excited," he added. "My kids have even cleaned up our yard and made sure there were no holes in the fence."A rescue mission such as this one from the Middle East involves a variety of other challenges, such as nailing down flight clearance and sending Paws of War personnel to remote locations for pickups. Little CJ is shown during her treatment at an animal shelter in the Middle East. (Paws of War) Misseri said once a puppy is picked up, the first order of business is to get the animal to a veterinarian, even though the nearest vet could be up to 500 miles away."They [veterinarians] are not as common as they are here in America," he said. "In many of these places, dogs are not common pets, so there are not a lot of veterinarians or a lot of supplies."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERDespite these challenges, Misseri revealed that what keeps Paws of War going is the goal of preventing additional U.S. soldiers from having to leave pets behind against their will. A close-up view of CJ as a puppy in the Middle East, when she was able to snuggle with her now-deceased dad. (Paws of War) (Paws of War)"We’ve heard from so many soldiers that served prior to knowing we existed and had to leave an animal behind — and it weighs very, very heavily on them," he said. "And now, when someone does reach out to us, we do everything we can to never let that soldier down or let that dog down."The survival rate for puppies in the Middle East is "very low," Misseri also said — so leaving them behind can be "brutal" for soldiers."We do everything we can to never let that soldier down or let that dog down." "It's a cruel existence for them," he said. "You have dogs that have to fight for food. You have people who try to hurt them. The temperatures are brutal. It's very different, so the survival rate is very low in general."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPMisseri said CJ is "doing great" right now and that she has full clearance to fly once enough funds have been collected on her behalf.Any donations are gratefully accepted at pawsofwar.networkforgood.com. Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle writer for Fox News Digital. Follow her on Twitter at @atstabile.
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A Rhino is seen at a game reserve adjacent to the world-renowned Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga province, South Africa, April 11, 2019 REUTERS/Siphiwe SibekoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJOHANNESBURG, July 4 (Reuters) - Over four decades after they became extinct locally, rhinos are roaming again the wilds of Mozambique, which is bringing the endangered species from South Africa in efforts to breathe new life into its parks and boost local tourism.A group of rangers captured, sedated and moved black and white rhinos over 1,000 miles (1,610 km) to Mozambique's Zinave National Park, which has over 400,000 hectares and more than 2,300 other reintroduced animals."Rhinos are important to the ecosystem, which is one of the reasons why we're moving them all this distance and doing all this effort to get them there," Kester Vickery, a conservationist who is supervising the rhino translocation told Reuters.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) conservation group, which is conducting the operation, aims to relocate over 40 rhinos in the next two years to Mozambique.Its project manager, Anthony Alexander, said that the group has already brought in certain predators and many elephants to the park and that it was now rhinos' turn."It's very exciting now to complete the presence of historical species in the park," Alexander said.This initiative is a part of a campaign to save the endangered species by relocating them to safe havens where they have a chance to increase their population."We are effectively spreading our eggs and putting them in different baskets," Vickery said, adding that he hoped to see a thriving population of white rhinos in Zinave in 10 years.Mozambican Environment Minister Ivete Maibaze said in a statement that this historic translocation will also be beneficial for the country's emerging eco-tourism industry.Mozambique's wildlife numbers were badly hit by a 15-year civil war that ended in 1992, and by poaching.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting Sisipho Skweyiya; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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U.S. June 15, 2022 / 9:30 AM / CBS/AP Invasive worms found in at least 34 states Invasive jumping worms found in at least 34 states 01:53 A ravenous species of earthworm has arrived in Connecticut with the potential to cause all sorts of damage to plants, forests and wildlife. The so-called jumping worms have already been found in over 30 states.Jumping worms can destabilize the soil and make it harder for some plants to grow, Connecticut state scientist Gale Ridge told Hearst Connecticut Media Group. They also can accumulate toxic metals like mercury and lead, which are then eaten by birds and other animals.They don't actually jump, but have strong, rigid bodies that can whip violently if they are disturbed. They also can climb, and have been found in the upper stories of buildings. The jumping worm. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station "These are earthworms on steroids," Ridge, who works for the entomology department at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) in New Haven, told the news group. The worms, originally brought from Japan in the 1940s to feed platypuses at the Bronx Zoo, are spread mostly through the transport of mulch, compost and potted plants, and have been found throughout the state but mostly along the shore and in Fairfield County.They spread in New York through downed trees after Superstorm Sandy, CAES said. Ridge advised not buying compost or mulch unless the seller can prove it has been heat-treated from 105 degrees to 131 degrees for at least three days, and not buying worms on the internet.According to CAES, the worms have a variety of colorful nicknames — crazy worms, crazy snake worms, Georgia or Alabama jumpers, Jersey wigglers, wood alves, or sharks of the earth.The organization says jumping worms can increase greenhouse emissions from the soil by 50%, threatening the extinction of local plants. The worms also threaten to eradicate soil animal communities, negatively impacting millipedes, salamanders and ground-nesting birds. In: Connecticut Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue
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pets_animals_wildlife
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Canine fertility clinics have boomed in the UK during the pandemic, experts have revealed, as calls grow for greater oversight of the industry.The clinics offer services ranging from artificial insemination to ultrasound scanning, semen analysis, progesterone testing and, in some cases, caesarean sections.Such clinics can be used to support good breeding, but their rise has caused concern because of a lack of regulation and the focus of many on flat-faced, or brachycephalic, breeds such as pugs and French bulldogs.The president of British Veterinary Association (BVA), Dr Justine Shotton, said there had been a huge increase in canine fertility clinics over the past couple of years.“It really is a new trend,” she said, noting possible drivers included the rise in pet ownership during Covid and the increase in popularity of novel dogs, such as hairless and flat-faced breeds.The latter often struggle to mate naturally due to their conformation, and their puppies commonly need to be delivered by caesarean section because of their large heads. “Having that assistance, and because of the huge, huge prices that some of these puppies are going for, there is a financial incentive for clinics to exist and do this sort of work,” said Shotton.But the situation has caused consternation, she said: “We’re concerned about the welfare and the ethics of whether we should be helping dogs to give birth and breed in unnatural ways, particularly when we know that they’ve got issues in terms of inherited diseases or conditions or conformations.”There were estimated to be at least 37 canine fertility clinics in the UK in 2020, but according to work by the Naturewatch Foundationthere were at least 120 as of October 2021 and at least 339 by June 2022 – though the charity notes some appear inactive or to have ceased trading.Naturewatch’s campaign manager Natalie Harney agreed money was a motivator.“Pandemic demand for puppies has incentivised more people to try out dog breeding because of the assumed high profits involved,” she said. “For novice breeders or those who just want to make some quick cash, canine fertility clinics seem like a convenient one-stop shop, despite the fact that those involved may be entirely unqualified to provide the services and advice they offer.”Harney also raised concerns about the focus on flat-faced breeds, adding that together with a lack of oversight or accountability, there was a “perfect storm whereby canine fertility clinics are helping people to breed dogs indiscriminately using procedures that have the potential to cause serious risks to animal welfare in the wrong hands”.Shotton said there was a huge spectrum of clinics, from those operating with complete veterinary oversight to those operated by people with no veterinary qualifications, and even some which are fronts for organised crime networks involved in activities such as puppy smuggling.One issue, she said, was that while some lay people had completed a training course there was no official accreditation, and such courses did not allow them to carry out acts of veterinary surgery such as taking blood.“The problem is that there isn’t this robust mechanism for investigating the legality of the activities of the clinics,” she said.Harney also called for action. “We need gaps in the law to be plugged to ensure there’s proper oversight of these businesses, and this needs to be underpinned by training and resourcing for enforcement officers,” she said.The issue of who is to blame for the rise in canine fertility clinics, and what can be done, will be debated at the BVA Live event on Friday at the NEC in Birmingham. A previous session explored whether there should be a ban on flat-faced breeds.Recent research has revealed such dogs have some of the shortest life expectancies, and that the host of disorders pugs face mean they can “no longer be considered as a typical dog from a health perspective”.Shotton, however, said a ban may not be the answer.“We’re really worried that a ban, which we have seen in other countries, won’t necessarily solve things because it will potentially drive things underground. And if there’s still a demand there that could then result in even worse welfare and even worse breeding,” she said, adding that educating the public may be a better approach. “They’ve got nice temperaments, they’re cute dogs, but we really need to start people thinking from the animals’ perspective and start to breed better conformation,” she said.
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Molly, 4, pets a beagle rescued from Envigo breeding facility as her parents fill out adoption papersNearly 4,000 beagles are looking for new homes after what is thought to be one of the biggest ever dog rescue efforts in the US.The dogs were being bred at a facility in Virginia that then sold them on to laboratories for drug experiments.But the company has now been shut down because of animal rights violations - and charities are on a mission to rehome the dogs."Four thousand is a big number," said Humane Society head Kitty Block."And it's going to take 60 days to get all of these animals out, and working with our shelter and rescue partners across the country, working with them to get these dogs eventually into ever-loving homes," she told Reuters.The breeding facility in Cumberland, owned by company Envigo RMS, was sued in May by the US Department of Justice which accused it of multiple acts of animal cruelty.Inspectors found some dogs were being killed instead of receiving veterinary care for conditions that could be easily treated. They were also being fed with food that contained maggots, mould and faeces, while some nursing mothers were denied anything to eat.In another instance, 25 puppies died from cold exposure.Following the lawsuit, the company denied the allegations but announced it was closing that facility, and placing the dogs with the animal rights charity Humane Society, CBS News reported.The beagles are now being given medical examinations and vaccinations before being made available for adoption.200 beagles - these included - have already been given to a charity in Chino Hills in CaliforniaVirginia state Senator Bill Stanley told Reuters the rescue was the result of a years-long fight."I can attest to how great these dogs are because I have two of them," he told Reuters. "I bought two of those Envigo beagles back in 2020 and 2021... Those beagles I bought because I did not want them to be experimented on. And now I know that their brothers and sisters are not going to be experimented on either."Some of the dogs have already been rehomed across the US - including 200 that went to southern California.Rehoming charities say many of the animals show signs of trauma, and some of the puppies had never been held and did not know how to play.A staff member laughs as she is licked by a beagle at Homeward Trails Animal Rescue in Fairfax, Virginia
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Animal rescue centres received a glut of calls, birds fell out of the sky and nature reserves burned as British wildlife baked in last week’s heatwave.Conservationists said animals were eerily still as they tried to shelter from the heat. Experts fear that record-breaking temperatures could cause a further collapse in insect numbers, with bumblebees and butterflies among those most affected.Dehydrated hedgehogs, baby birds, fox cubs and grass snakes were some of the casualties helped by the RSPCA, which warned that the extent of the damage from heat stress in the 40C (104F) conditions was vast. “Our emergency call centre has many more calls than usual. On Monday we received 7,186 calls to our helpline compared to 4,416 on Sunday, which was a big increase,” said Evie Button, scientific officer in the wildlife department at the RSPCA.There were reports of swifts falling out of the sky in London, and Oxfordshire Wildlife Rescue near Didcot said it could not take any more animals after the heatwave increased the number of casualties being brought in. “Often you don’t see the impacts of something like this directly because the nature of wildlife is to hide away when they’re sick or injured,” said Button. “It’s often only when they’re in a really bad state that people will see them and call us. So a lot of the impact will be hidden.”Wild Ken Hill nature reserve near Snettisham, Norfolk, where 33 hectares were destroyed by wildfires last week. Photograph: Bav MediaAmong the most dramatic events was a wildfire in Norfolk’s Wild Ken Hill reserve, where 33 hectares (82 acres) of thorny scrub went up in flames, with nesting territories of turtle doves, grasshopper warblers and reed warblers destroyed. Reptiles and amphibians would have burned, while most birds would have escaped – apart from those nesting late in the season,experts said. “I saw some birds flying back into the flames. I think the maternal instinct is quite strong,” said project manager Dominic Buscall. “I’m concerned about it happening again this year. It’s incredibly dry, we have no rain forecast this week and it’s only mid-July,” he added.What is happening in the UK is part of a bigger picture, with heatwaves becoming more common as the climate crisis escalates. Across Europe in the past few days land was scorched and there were fires in a number of countries including Spain, Greece and France. With heatwaves projected to become 12 times more frequent by 2040 compared to pre-warming levels, animals across the world are changing their behaviour to cope. For example, research shows grizzly bears in Alberta, Canada, look for more closed, shaded vegetation to cope with hotter temperatures while in Greece brown bears are more likely to be active at night. “Heatwave survivors” are those that get through the heat but suffer from invisible costs such as disease and poor growth.A young scops owl suffering in the heat rests at the L’Hirondelle (Swallow) wildlife care centre in Saint-Forgeux, France. Photograph: Jean-Philippe Ksiazek/AFP/Getty ImagesJohn Spicer, professor of marine zoology at the University of Plymouth, said the Plymouth harbour tidal zone, which is normally busy with hermit crabs foraging for food and shells at low tide, went quiet during the heatwave. Those crabs that stayed looked sluggish and some were unresponsive.“The mobile animals which have stayed in the intertidal zone are eerily still,” said Spicer. The beach hoppers, which recycle beach material, were waiting out the heat rather than recomposing nutrients, and occasionally there was a pocket of a hundred crispy dead ones, he observed.He added: “If they survive the heat stress, they may be damaged or their ‘energy bills’ may be more directed to maintaining themselves rather than to other equally essential functions such as growth and reproduction. So the cost of living increases – and I don’t need to tell you the effects of such a rise.”Just outside Plymouth three common seaweed species showed extensive damage from the heat. “The creatures which seem impacted most, and this makes sense, are those that cannot move, that are fixed in place – the barnacles, the mussels, the sponges, the sea anemones,” Spicer said.There have been reports of rare purple hairstreak butterflies venturing down from the tops of oak trees to ponds to get moisture. Across the UK, there is concern the heatwave will have scorched plants that these insects feed on and killed young caterpillars, which could cause dramatic declines in some species.Flowers in a small strip of meadow left uncut in Eton, Berkshire, as a wildlife habitat. Photograph: Maureen McLean/REX/ShutterstockBumblebees will also be badly affected, said Dave Goulson, a professor of biology at the University of Sussex. They are relatively large and have furry coats which are adaptations to living in cool conditions. In 40C heat they would not be able to forage. “They overheat in very warm weather and simply cannot fly – imagine trying to flap your arms 200 times per second while wearing a fur coat,” said Goulson. They usually have some food reserves in their nest, so might be able to survive for a few days, but could die if there are prolonged periods of heat.For a number of British bumblebees it will be too warm to survive in Britain with 2C of warming. Under the best-case climate scenario, seven common bumblebees are predicted to be unable to live in most of lowland England, said Goulson. Research from 2020 suggested that the expansion or decline of bumblebee species could be driven by their resistance to heat stress.Generally animals such as reptiles and insects, which are ectotherms, are badly affected because they are unable to control their body heat – it simply matches the temperature of the surrounding environment. Those living in cities which suffer from the heat island effect would be subject to the greatest increases in temperature. “In more natural environments that have a lot of trees, vegetation and water bodies, there will be more cool air and shade,” said Dr Natalie Pilakouta, an ecologist at the University of Aberdeen. Putting out feeders in gardens, water points and water baths will all help wildlife get through a heatwave, she said.Birds in the last area of flood water on Dorney Common, Buckinghamshire, as the common is scorched by the heatwave on 15 July. Photograph: Maureen McLean/Rex/ShutterstockConservationists should also be thinking about creating landscapes that will withstand heatwaves better, said Mike Morecroft, lead author of the IPCC report Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability who also works for Natural England. “Something we are quite interested in is deliberately trying to target some of our conservation efforts in what we call refugia from climate change, so places that are naturally cool, like north-facing slopes or higher altitudes,” he said. “Also places near the coast tend to be a bit cooler – because of that, the sea tends to buffer the fluctuations in air temperature.”Incorporating more water into landscapes means they are more resilient in hot, dry summers and also store water in the case of large flood events. This will help prevent wildfires and reduce the impacts of drought which often come with such hot weather. Because drought, heat and wildfires have all hit at the same time, it’s hard to disentangle the effects of each of them. “The impacts of this week will only be able to be properly assessed in months and years to come,” said Morecroft.However, urgently cutting greenhouse gases is the highest priority. Spicer said mitigation and adaptation strategies are well meaning and give us some comfort that we are doing something, but they will not avert the car crash that is coming. “The speed at which we hit the wall is determined by our output of greenhouse gases. The question is not whether we can avoid the crash but how fast you want to be travelling when we hit the wall,” he said. “Dramatically cut greenhouse gases – that is what we can actually do about it, even if it is painful.”Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features
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A face only a mother could love! Winner crowned in World's Ugliest Dog competition as photos show odd-looking pooches hoping to scoop top prizeThe World's Ugliest Dog competition resumed after a two-year break due to Covid and crowned a worthy winnerThe contest, which was held in Petaluma, California, announced Chinese Crested pooch Mr Happy Face as the winnerThe 17-year-old, owned by Jeneda Benally, was adopted after being rescued from a hoarder's house Published: 04:56 EDT, 25 June 2022 | Updated: 10:53 EDT, 25 June 2022 Advertisement A winner has been crowned in the annual World's Ugliest Dog competition - and his owner is thrilled.Jeneda Benally took home the prize money of $1500 after her dog, Mr Happy Face, was announced the winner at this year's ceremony in Petaluma, California.While the 17-year-old Chinese Crested pooch took the top spot, there were several worthy runners up.Ann Lewis's fluffy pup Wild Thing came in at second place while Scotch Haley's dog Monkey came third.The contest, which promotes adoption of animals over buying from a breeder, was held yesterday in the Sonoma County city of Petaluma after a two-year break due to the pandemic. Mr. Happy Face himself was adopted by owner Jeneda, after he was rescued from a hoarder's home.This year's judges included comedians Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart. Jeneda Benally's pup Mr. Happy Face, who looks anytihng but cheerful, was crowned this year's winner of the World's Ugliest Dog competition Ann Lewis's pooch Wild Thing was a worthy runner up in the competition, with his tongue hanging out and ever-so-slightly frizzy hair shooting off in all directionsThis lovely little pug China Su, who was rescued from China, waited patiently for her turn on stage at the competition Several hopeful pooches attended the awards ceremony with their owners - but many left disappointed after not picking up any awards Mr Happy Face, who was rescued by his owner Jeneda from a hoarder's house, didn't look thrilled about his new title While Mr Happy Face struggled to show any emotion over the occasion, his owner Jeneda was all smiles as she presented the 17-year-old to the judges Jeneda proudly paraded her pup onstage to show him off to the judges, comedians Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart The contestants and their owners had a nervous wait as they waited for the winner of World's Ugliest Dog to be announcedJudges Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart had tough decisions to make - but were thrilled to meet the pups Jeneda looked thrilled as she celebrated winning the proze money of $1500 with Mr Happy Face after he was crowned the World's Ugliest Dog Although they were just pipped to the post, Ann Lewis from Oregon proudly displayed her dog Wild Thing for the camera after he was announced the second World's Ugliest Dog Scotch Haley's pooch Monkey came third at the competition after being closely beaten by Mr Happy Face and Wild Thing The top three contestants and their owners posed for photos after the winner was announced This adorable pooch, who looks too cute to enter the competition, waited patiently for the day's events to be over The sweet pug andwas held up in all his ugly but cute glory in front of the judges, who had a tough decision to make A hopeful dog owner sits with her pooch at the awards ceremony, which was held yesterday after a two-year break due to the pandemic Mr Happy Face, who has a protruding tongue and patchy fur, was a worthy winner of the World's Ugliest Dog Crown but had to be covered with a blanket as the weather cooled down - after all, he barely has a natural coat to keep himself warm Some owners and their pets left a little disappointed - but hopeful that next year might be their year Advertisement
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U.S. June 25, 2022 / 4:41 PM / CBS News A coyote attacked a 2-year-old girl in a park in Orange County, California, police said Friday. The child, who was not identified, is recovering from her injuries.The child was in Mile Square Park in the city of Fountain Valley when she was attacked around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Fountain Valley Police Department said in a statement. A DNA sample from the child's clothing confirmed it was a coyote — and it was trapped by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). In a statement released earlier this week, police said the attack wasn't immediately reported and authorities were working to find and euthanize the animal. "The community is encouraged to continue to haze coyotes and keep small children and pets under close supervision," police said.Authorities are no longer investigating the incident. Coyote attacks have been an issue in Orange County. On April 29, another 2-year-old girl was also attacked by a coyote on a beach in the city of Huntington Beach. Responding police officers then shot and killed two coyotes in the area, and CDFW biologists used DNA samples to confirm that one of those two coyotes had attacked the girl. She suffered serious injuries, but survived. In: California Coyote Orange County Sophie Reardon Sophie Reardon is a News Editor at CBS News. Reach her at sophie.reardon@viacomcbs.com
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James Brady and Patricia Gora say their Jack Russell miniature called Maple died within half an hour of going in the water at Anton Lakes, where a similar incident had happened months earlierMaple, pictured with James and Patricia's other dog Misty (white fur), died after foaming at the mouth at a beauty spotA devastated couple whose beloved pet became the second dog to die at a popular beauty spot in recent months are calling for the local council to take action. James Brady and Patricia Gora told of the “horrendous” moment they found one of their two dogs “foaming at the mouth” within minutes of swallowing water from a lake on an early-morning walk. Two-year-old Jack Russell miniature, Maple, died just half an hour after frolicking in the water at Anton Lakes in Andover, Hampshire, where another puppy was taken ill and died in April. Patricia, 29, and James, 34, rushed Maple to the nearest vet, who was unable to save her. The couple, who are expecting their first child later this year, say the vet told them Maple had likely ingested a toxin from the lake. Two dogs have died after playing in the water at Anton Lakes in Andover (
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TestValleyBoroughCouncil/Solent) The heartbroken owners, from Tidworth in Wiltshire, said they were oblivious to an investigation by Test Valley Borough Council into blue-green algae in the lake following the previous dog death this year. They are now demanding the council put up signage warning dog walkers of the potential dangers. James explained that he and his partner had decided to walk their dogs Maple and Misty, an eight-month-old Bichon Frise, at the idyllic-looking lakes on Saturday morning, before temperatures rose in the afternoon. "She must have ingested something,” James said. “At first she was fine, then as we continued the walk I was ahead with Misty and I heard Patricia shouting that something was wrong with Maple." Patricia described her dog's horrific convulsions, saying: "She looked at me and her eyes were rolling and her whole body started shaking. "She was trying to find her balance but she couldn't. I thought maybe it was the cold from the water so I tried to massage her." James added: "She was getting worse and worse. Her mouth was foaming and her heartbeat was getting so faint. "I could almost see the life go from her eyes. It was horrendous.” The couple attempted to revive Maple before driving to the in-store vets at their nearest Pets At Home. Despite giving the dog adrenaline and trying to assist her breathing, the vet was unable to save Maple. Maple's death came months after Jordan and Hannah's dog Roo died in similar circumstances (
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Solent News & Photo Agency) The death comes just months after accountant Jordan Shearman, 24, and nursery worker Hannah Washington, 23, lost their one-year-old cocker spaniel puppy, Roo, in shockingly similar circumstances. The couple said their “precious” puppy suffered fits similar to Maple in what Jordan described as the “worst experience of my life”. Roo's death prompted an investigation into the presence of a blue-green algae at the beauty spot. Tests took place which showed the water was below the level of potential risk, but James said he and his partner were completely unaware of the investigation and had not seen a sign which had been put up at a different entrance. "There is obviously something going on with the lake,” he added. “They might think everyone knows, but that doesn't account for people like us, travelling into Andover. "It's a beautiful lake and a lovely place, but you currently don't know the risks until it's too late. Maybe this time, they will take it seriously.” Thames Valley Borough Council has since taken more water samples from the lake, but warned there was always a risk of natural bodies of water in the UK containing the algae. A spokesperson for the council said: "We have installed temporary notices [since the weekend] advising people not to swim in the lake or allow their dogs to drink or play in the water on a precautionary basis. "We understand people will be concerned as another dog passed away several months ago after a visit to the lakes. "Blue-green algae occurs naturally and there are commonly low levels present in ponds, streams, lakes and estuaries throughout the UK. "It therefore remains important to note that there will always be some level of risk with any pet or person swimming in a natural body of water, particularly in hot and sunny weather.” Read More Read More
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Pandas are undeniably adorable to behold, but that is not what made photographer Ami Vitale fall in love with them. In fact, finding new ways to photograph these iconic bears for National Geographic made this one of the most challenging projects she has worked on.Over the course of three years, Vitale visited multiple panda bases run by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, chief among them Wolong and Bifengxia."Contrary to how we are used to seeing them in zoos, as very animated and social creatures, or in cartoons as almost clownish, giant pandas are quite elusive,” Vitale says. At Wolong, where pandas live in large enclosed habitats, the challenge was waiting for a glimpse of them through the thick bamboo forests or at the tops of trees.The goal is to eventually release pandas that are born here into the wild, which means they are strictly protected from human contact. This made it even more difficult for Vitale to get close. Photographing them in their enclosed habitats meant dressing up in a panda suit masked with the scent of panda urine and feces, waiting from sunup to sundown for the right moment to arise.Disguising yourself in such a way likely makes the bears think that you are, rather than a human, just a strangely-shaped panda.Bear ChallengesBifengxia, a breeding and research center staffed around the clock by doting caregivers, presented many opportunities to photograph panda interactions. But there, the challenge was navigating the protocols of protective caregivers who care much more about the well-being of their charges than about getting a great photograph.“It was not just about getting access and gaining local trust,” Vitale says, “but also about being able to work with a wild animal. [Baby pandas] are fragile, and vulnerable. After six months they have teeth and claws.” After all, Vitale says, “they are bears.”Vitale is now sharing some of the tricks she had to learn to while taking photographs, compiled and published in a book called Panda Love: the Secret Lives of Pandas.When something does happen worth photographing, you have to be ready. Vitale recalls waiting for two uneventful days and nights for a mother panda to give birth in her enclosure. Little by little, “I noticed that she was starting to behave a little differently so I started getting ready. The baby squirted out, and there was this screech. It happened so fast.”“Within seconds,” she says, “Ming Ming picked it up in her mouth and turned her back to us.”Seeing moments like the birth of Ming Ming’s cub—while photographing these animals at these breeding and rewilding centers run by the China Research and Conservation Center for the Giant Panda—that deeply touched Vitale. “When I began the story I didn’t have that wild panda fever, but after spending so much time with them I understand why people do.”Animal ConnectionWhile working on the book, Vitale also came to appreciate that the animals aren’t notable only for their adorable appearance—but rather for the connection they engender to nature.“The thing that really captured my heart is that you start to realize they are these incredible, mysterious, precious creatures,” she says. (Related: An author reveals the funny, crazy secrets of misunderstood animals.)Wild pandas live most of their lives alone in the mountains of China, coming together only during brief periods to mate and give birth. They have evolved over millions of years to eat a diet perfectly suited to their natural habitat—bamboo, and lots of it—which makes them particularly vulnerable to habitat loss.Their reliance on bamboo and sensitivity to habitat loss helped lead to a decline in their population, and they were listed as endangered by the 1990s, sparking a herculean effort on the part of the Chinese to save them. As of 2016, pandas are considered “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a group that classifies that status of threatened animals. That’s an improvement from the previous calculation, though threats to their habitat still remain, not to mention the difficulty of successfully breeding these naturally solitary bears in confinement. (Related: The desperate measures needed to get pandas and other endangered species to mate.)Vitale recalls a moment from her last day covering this story, three years after she first began. She was at Wolong, trying to get a good shot of a mother panda and her cub. “It was always sleeping or the mother was hiding it. I was thinking, that’s it, the story is over. And right before I’m leaving, she takes the baby into her mouth, walks up this hill, puts the baby in her paws and lifts it up as if to show me, then walks back to where she was.”While this may have been a coincidence, it is for her an example of the emotional and spiritual connection pandas engender in the hearts of humans. And it is this awareness of our connectivity, she says, which leads to falling in love, and then having the courage to act on behalf of all of the creatures with whom we share the planet.“Saving nature is about saving ourselves,” Vitale says.Join Ami Vitale LIVE in the Women of Impact Facebook group on August 25 at 12pm EST.
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AnimalsPhoto ArkThe 13,000th image in National Geographic’s Photo Ark is the spoon-billed sandpiper, a critically endangered shorebird known for its spectacular migration.For his 60th birthday on June 16, Joel Sartore celebrated with another milestone: Photographing the 13,000th species in National Geographic’s Photo Ark.He captured photos and video of the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper, a European and Asian shorebird with a distinctive spoon-shaped beak, at the Slimbridge Wetland Centre in England.The birds’ caretakers spent more than a month training the animals to walk on a blackboard by covering it with sand (to imitate its natural habitat) and feeding them baby crickets as treats.Sartore was then able to photograph the birds against the Photo Ark’s signature black-and-white backgrounds, which puts all species on the same footing, so to speak.“Most of the animals that we share the planet with are not tigers or gorillas or polar bears or giraffes,” says Sartore. “They’re small things like the star-nosed moles and worms and salamanders and turtles. These are animals that make the world turn, and with this portrait process, we give all species an equal voice.”Creatures great and small are the focus of Photo Ark, which aims to highlight the 35,500 plant and animal species that are on the verge of vanishing forever. (Read why Sartore founded Photo Ark 15 years ago.)Known affectionately by conservationists as “spoonies,” the sandpiper is second bird to serve as a Photo Ark milestone, with the first being the California condor, the thousandth species to be photographed. The 12,000th, announced in November 2021, was the Arabian cobra.Due to human pressures, in particular hunting, habitat loss, and climate change, the population of spoon-billed sandpipers has declined by 90 percent, so that only about a hundred to 150 breeding pairs remain in the wild, says Jonathan Slaght, director of conservation for the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Russian Program.“Spoon-billed sandpipers are the canary in the East Asian coal mine: if they succumb to extinction, many others will likely follow,” Slaght told National Geographic by email.A bird under threat The birds change color by season; in winter, they’re mostly white with brown flecks, but breeding season activates a flashier look: Their head and breasts turn “brick red, like they had been held upside down then dipped in rusty paint,” Slaght says.The reason for their unusual bill is unknown, but scientist David Sibley has observed the birds using their bills like snowplows to move mud around, then dine on any worms, shrimp, or other small invertebrates that emerge.These sparrow-size birds undertake an impressive migration, breeding in the Russian Arctic, then migrating south along the Eurasian coast and wintering in Southeast Asia. They take rest stops on intertidal mudflats along coastal Asia, particularly the Yellow Sea. This journey has become much harder, as between 50 to 80 percent of coastal wetlands have been lost in this region during the past 50 years to human development, river damming, power generation, and invasive grass species, Slaght says: “This concentrates more birds into less habitat, often with degraded food resources.”What’s more, half of the global population winter on the mudflats of southern Myanmar, where subsistence hunters catch them in nets and sell them as food in roadside markets for less than a dollar.In the rapidly warming Arctic, shifting seasons and temperatures are interfering with the species’ life cycles. One example of this is that shorter springs are giving the birds less time to breed.But there are major efforts underway to boost the bird’s numbers. The Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force coordinates the work of researchers, citizen scientists, and birdwatchers across the species’ range to maximize their conservation impact, according to Slaght.In 2020, Russia announced the creation of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Nature Park in Chukotka, a 5,800-square-mile reserve that’s home to the biggest known population of breeding birds.What’s more, the Slimbridge Wetland Centre, the only facility in the world to house captive spoon-billed sandpipers, has made advances in how to incubate and rear sandpiper chicks and has launched a trial captive-breeding program.“This bird is fortunate that it’s so cute, because that’s really turned a lot of attention toward trying to save it,” says Sartore. (Go behind the scenes of Photo Ark.)Racing against timeSartore had initially set the goal of cataloging 15,000 species when he launch Photo Ark in 2006, but now aims to accomplish 20,000 over the next 10 to 15 years. “I wish I’d started 20 years ago,” he says.Upcoming photography trips will take him Austria and Czechia for freshwater fish and mammals such as the Siberian weasel, Minnesota for primates, and Ontario for Stone’s sheep. (Read about the güiña, the mystery cat that marked Sartore’s 10,000th photo.)What keeps Sartore going, he says, is the knowledge that many animals go extinct every day.“A lot of these species,” he says, “are going to come and go before we’ve even met them.”
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A preserved land tortoise, which was found among the excavations in the archaeological site of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, is pictured in Pompeii, Italy, in this undated photo obtained by Reuters on June 24, 2022. Parco Archeologico Pompei/Handout via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comROME, June 24 (Reuters) - The remains of a tortoise and its egg have been unearthed by archaeologists in Pompeii, the Roman city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD.The animal was found hidden under the clay floor of a storehouse and probably died before Vesuvius erupted."It had dug itself a burrow where it could lay its egg, but failed to do, which may have caused its death," said Valeria Amoretti, who works as an anthropologist at the site.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe unusual find came to light during excavations of an area that had been devastated by a violent earthquake in 62 AD and was subsequently absorbed into a public bath house.The site was originally an opulent home with refined mosaics and wall paintings, dating back to the 1st century BC, and archaeologists are not sure why the building was not restored but was rather taken over by the Stabian baths."Both the presence of the tortoise in the city and the abandonment of the sumptuous domus... illustrate the extent of the transformations after the earthquake in 62 AD," said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director general of Pompeii."Evidently not all the houses were rebuilt and areas, even central ones, of the city were scarcely frequented to the extent that they became the habitat of wild animals.""At the same time, the expansion of the baths is evidence of the great confidence with which Pompeii restarted after the earthquake, only to be crushed in a single day in AD 79."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Crispian Balmer
Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Top business news Now playing This brother and sister team are revamping the pet services industry Now playing Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO: 'I took pay cuts' to advance career Now playing The Fed anticipates more rate increases after announcing biggest hike in 28 years CNN Now playing What the interest rate hike means for you Now playing 94% of women executives have this is common Now playing Video: Bill Gates mocks Bored Ape NFT's Now playing Realtor.com chief economist shares her advice for homebuyers and sellers CNN Now playing Three reasons gas prices are expected to stay high CNN Now playing He predicted US inflation would rise. Hear what he thinks about a recession Getty Images Now playing Fact-checking Biden's claim that Putin shares blame for inflation Now playing Suze Orman's tips for navigating inflation: Don't panic and continue to invest Now playing Here's why bitcoin's drop has investors worried Now playing 'Tough number to swallow': Romans breaks down inflation data KTVK/KPHO Now playing Hear why this gas station owner is selling gas at a loss CNN Now playing Retirees becoming homeless at higher rate than other age groups amidst inflation ViralHog Now playing Disney apologizes to couple after employee spoils their proposal New York CNNBusiness — Horses, cows, goats, pigs and sheep have food and grooming needs, too, and Petco is stepping up to deliver its products and services to their owners. Petco announced Thursday it is launching a new, smaller store concept that’s specifically designed to meet the needs of both pets and farm animals in small towns and rural communities. The first Petco Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply store is set to open June 17 in Floresville, Texas, which is 28 miles southeast of San Antonio. The pet supplies and services retailer said the new store will carry a curated assortment of food products and services, including mobile vaccination, grooming, and self-service stations for owners to wash their farm animals. In partnership with Petco Love (formerly the Petco Foundation), the neighborhood farm and pet supply locations will offer adoption services and other health and wellness programs to further support local pets. Customers can also buy “companion animals” like guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, reptiles and amphibians at the store, as is the case at some existing outlets. Similar to Petco’s city stores, the neighborhood stores will offer same-day delivery and curbside pickup. Petco CEO Ron Coughlin said in a statement that small towns and rural communities “are rapidly-growing markets” for the pet care industry. “This is an exciting opportunity for us to serve more pets by dramatically expanding local access to healthy pet products and services.” The company, which operates more than 1,300 locations in the US, said it expects to open a handful of these stores in 2022 as the company strives to expand its market beyond urban centers. Earlier this year, Petco announced it was partnering with home Improvement retailer Lowe’s (LOW) on a pilot to bring its brand inside select Lowe’s (LOW) locations through a “store-within-a store” format. The companies said they expect to open 15 such locations in 2022.
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NAPLES, Fla. -- A team of biologists recently hauled in the heaviest Burmese python ever captured in Florida, officials said.The female python weighed in at 215 pounds (98 kilograms), was nearly 18 feet long (5 meters) and had 122 developing eggs, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida said in a news release.The team used radio transmitters transplanted in male “scout" snakes to study python movements, breeding behaviors and habitat use, said Ian Bartoszek, wildlife biologist and environmental science project manager for the conservancy's program.“How do you find the needle in the haystack? You could use a magnet, and in a similar way our male scout snakes are attracted to the biggest females around,” Bartoszek said.The team used a scout snake named Dionysus — or Dion for short — in an area of the western Everglades.“We knew he was there for a reason, and the team found him with the largest female we have seen to date.” Biologist Ian Easterling and intern Kyle Findley helped capture the female snake and haul it through the woods to the field truck.A necropsy also found hoof cores in the snake's digest system, meaning that an adult white-tailed deer was its last meal.National Geographic documented the discovery, highlighting the continued impact of the invasive pythons, which are known for rapid reproduction and depletion of surrounding native wildlife. Bartoszek said removal of female pythons plays a critical role in disrupting the breeding cycle. “This is the wildlife issue of our time for southern Florida," he said.Since the conservancy’s python program began in 2013, they've removed over 1,000 pythons from approximately 100 square miles (25,900 hectares) in southwest Florida.Over that stretch, necropsies have found dozens of white-tailed deer inside Burmese pythons. Data researchers at the University of Florida have documented 24 species of mammals, 47 species of birds and 2 reptile species from pythons' stomachs.Prior to the recent discovery, the largest female removed through the conservancy’s program weighed 185 pounds (84 kilograms) and was the heaviest python captured at the time in Florida, officials said.The state’s python removal program runs for two weeks in August. Participants compete for prizes, including $2,500 for capturing the most pythons.Last year's challenge involved more than 600 people from 25 states.
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Image source, Chester ZooImage caption, Dr Garcia said Hope "moves even quicker than his three neighbours"A three-legged specimen of the world's rarest type of tortoise has been fitted with rollers to get it moving again after it was rescued from smugglers.Hope, a ploughshare tortoise, has been given a new home at Chester Zoo after being found in a suitcase by Hong Kong customs officers in 2019.The male, which is missing a front leg, was fitted with under-shell support rollers before arriving in Cheshire.The zoo's Dr Gerardo Garcia said Hope was "an incredibly special tortoise".Ploughshare tortoises, which are native to Madagascar, are one of the world's rarest animals, with fewer than 300 remaining in the wild.'Quicker than his neighbours'A spokesman for the zoo said only 63 specimens "exist legally outside of Madagascar as part of vital conservation breeding programmes battling to save the species"."Chester Zoo is now home to four of these," he said.He added that the species was "highly prized for their distinctive gold and black shells" and fetched "exceptionally high prices" on the black market.Image source, Chester ZooImage caption, Hope was found, along with 56 other endangered tortoises, three years agoImage source, Chester ZooImage caption, The zoo said Hope's supports underwent further modifications after arriving in the UKHope was found, along with 56 other endangered tortoises, three years ago by Hong Kong border officials.The owner of the suitcase, a man from the Comoro Islands in East Africa, was later jailed for two years for smuggling.The reptile was initially taken to an animal rescue centre in Hong Kong where support rollers were fitted under its lower shell to help it balance.Further modifications were made to the rollers at Chester Zoo after Hope arrived in the UK.Dr Garcia, the zoo's curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates said Hope had had "a remarkable life story".He said the "prosthetic mobility support" worked "wonderfully well"."He moves even quicker than his three neighbours," he added.Image source, Chester ZooImage caption, Hope will join a breeding programme at the zooDirector of animals and plants Mike Jordan said Hope was "such an important addition to the zoo".He said the species was "sadly under huge pressure for its survival" and there was a "very real possibility [it] could be lost forever".He added that Hope would help "maintain an ark population" and join a breeding programme to create "a genetically viable safety net population and prevent its extinction"."We refuse to sit back and see this incredible species disappear," he said.Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.ukRelated Internet LinksThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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AnimalsMouse-eared bats make sounds like buzzing hornets, in an apparent attempt to avoid avian predation—a remarkable adaptation not previously seen in a mammalMimicry is widespread in the animal kingdom.Some caterpillars can make themselves look like venomous snakes. The chicks of an Amazonian bird called the cinereous mourner shapeshift into poisonous larvae. Flower-loving hoverflies evolved to look just like stinging, unpalatable wasps.These are all examples of Batesian mimicry, an evolutionary trick which leads a relatively harmless animal to copy a more dangerous species to scare off would-be predators.But this specific type of mimicry is almost always visual in nature, so far as we know. And it’s most commonly found in insects, birds, and reptiles.Now, for the first time, a type of acoustic mimicry has been observed in mammals. A study published May 9 in Current Biology found that a common European species, the greater mouse-eared bats, seems to imitate the buzzing sound of hornets—presumably to avoid being eaten by owls.“We discovered that a mammal mimics the sound of an insect to scare a predatory bird,” says Danilo Russo, the lead author of the paper and an ecology professor at the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, in Italy. “This is an amazing evolutionary interaction involving three species that are evolutionarily distant from one another.”What’s the buzz?Greater mouse-eared bats, also known as Myotis myotis, are a widespread European bat species that likes to munch on insects, especially beetles. They hang out in colonies in the woodlands and forest edges, roosting in caves underground for most of the year, or in buildings during the summer. They are often preyed upon by various birds, including barn owls (Tyto alba) and tawny owls (Strix aluco), especially when leaving or returning to their roosts.Back in 1999, Russo was working to set up a call library for echolocation calls of European bats and collecting data about how various species communicate amongst themselves. While extracting a small mouse-eared bat from a mist-net, holding it in his hands, the creature started shivering and emitting a continuous, intense buzz, Russo says. Russo was surprised.“My very first thought was… it sounds like hornets, or wasps!”Initially, the researchers speculated that the buzzing was just an everyday distress call. But the sound was so obviously similar to an insect that a hypothesis originated almost immediately, Russo says, and, finally, years later, they decided to test it: Could it be that the bats were imitating hornets or bees?Russo himself had collected pellets of barn owls in the past, at the entrance to a cave where these bats roost. “Believe it or not, the pellets contained a lot of bat skulls,” he says, so he felt it was not impossible these bats “may have, evolutionarily speaking, ‘made’ a very extreme attempt to deter [owls] to escape.”Giving a hootIn the current study, Russo and colleagues first compared the bat’s buzzing sounds with those of four different species of hymenopteran insects, including honeybees (Apis mellifera) and European hornets (Vespa crabro). They analyzed the sounds according to their wavelength, frequency, call duration and more, and they found that there was a large overlap in their structure.Owls hear a wider spectrum of wavelengths than humans. So the researchers tweaked the sound parameters to fit what an owl would hear, removing the highest pitches. They realized that the bats sounded even more similar to buzzing insects to owl ears than for human ones. “The similarity was especially strong when variables undetected by the owls... were taken out,” Russo says.Then, through speakers, the researchers played back two insect buzzing sounds. One was the sound of a buzzing bat, the other was a bat’s social call to some captive and wild owls from two different species, barn owls and tawny owls.Although hearing recorded bat sounds made the owls move closer to the source of the sound, it seemed to mostly jar the owls. They attempted to escape or distance themselves from the speaker, or at least inspect what was going on.During the experiment, wild owls, which might remember getting stung by some flying insect, acted more scared and likely to try to escape compared to captive-raised owls. Russo and his team speculate this is because the captives never had an encounter with a stinging insect. However, so far, there is little scientific data on how often owls are stung by bees, hornets, and wasps on a regular basis, and whether they encounter them often.“They surely know it is a dangerous encounter,” says Russo. That’s also why he argues this type of Batesian mimicry is probably a technique deployed when a bat has been captured and wants to buy itself some time to buzz off.Future queriesAs is always the case with such new findings, many questions remain.Future work will have to replicate these findings in the wild, rather than in a lab, and with larger numbers of owls, in order to truly assert whether this is a type of Batesian mimicry, says Bruce Anderson, an entomology professor at Stellenbosch University, in South Africa, who was not involved in the study. Another question is whether the owls aren’t just scared by the volume of the bats’ buzzing, as they might by any other unexpected loud noise. “We may want to ask whether this is a case of mimicry or exploiting a sensory bias,” Anderson says.It’s also still unclear whether, and to what degree, owls fear buzzing insects—although data seems to suggest that birds generally avoid nesting in cavities occupied by such insects. Researchers could also learn more about whether these buzzing sounds are unique to stinging insects or if other neutral insects can produce them. It would also be nice to test if owls who have been stung react with more fear than those who haven’t, according to David Pfennig, a biology professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who was not involved in the study.While mimicry is common and some cases of Batesian mimicry are well-known, much about it remains mysterious and striking, says Pfennig. He says that’s why findings like this are important. “Batesian mimicry provides some of our best examples of how natural selection can produce remarkable adaptation, including between very distantly related groups of organisms,” Pfennig says. There are other examples of acoustic mimicry between different species, like how burrowing owls can make hissing sounds that resemble rattlesnakes, but a mammal copying an insect seems to be a real first.In the future, the scientists would like to fine-tune and expand their research.“While it is always useful to validate observations in the field, our results were crystal-clear,” Russo says. “It would be interesting to find similar strategies in other species.” With over 1,400 bat species, as well as a handful of non-bat vertebrate species that buzz when disturbed, Russo guesses other species besides the one they studied may use the same trick.The strategy of animals in cavities mimicking scary sounds to avoid predators could be, in fact, widespread, says Anastasia Helen Dalziell, an ornithology researcher at University of Wollongong, in Australia, who was not involved in the study.“Most of what we know about mimicry has been gained from studies of visual mimicry, but in principle, mimetic signals could operate in any sensory [type],” says Dalziell. “It’s really great to have another example of acoustic mimicry… to help encourage a broader investigation of mimicry.”
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Plans to ban "no-fault" evictions and to make it easier for tenants to keep pets will be unveiled as part of the government's new deal for private renters.The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is set to publish its fairer private rented sector white paper, which it describes as "the biggest shake-up of the private rented sector in 30 years".
Among the proposals to be unveiled on Thursday are a pledge to outlaw section 21 "no-fault" evictions that allow landlords to terminate tenancies without giving a reason.More than a fifth of private renters who moved in 2019 and 2020 did not end their tenancy by choice, figures suggest, including 8% who were asked to leave by their landlord.These types of eviction notices are contentious and the government promised to ban them three years ago. The department has also promised to change the rules to make it easier to own a pet in rented accommodation, with the white paper stating that landlords "must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse" requests by all tenants to keep an animal in their home.
The new deal will also extend the decent homes standard to the private sector for the first time, meaning homes must be free from serious health and safety hazards, and landlords must keep homes in a good state of repair so renters have clean, appropriate and usable facilities. More on Housing Boris Johnson wants to reduce 'aberration' of high taxes caused by 'fiscal meteorite of COVID' Boris Johnson set to announce housing measures as he seeks to recover from bruising revolt Housebuilding giant Barratt kicks off search for next chairman The government says the new blueprint for renters reform will "redress the balance" between landlords and the estimated 4.4 million private tenants in England. Other measures include:• A pledge to end arbitrary rent review clauses, give tenants stronger powers to challenge poor practice, unjustified rent increases and enable them to be repaid rent for non-decent housing• Notice periods for rent increases will be doubled and tenants will have stronger power to challenge rises if they are unjustified• It will become illegal for landlords or agents to have blanket bans on renting to families with children or those in receipt of benefits• All tenants will be moved on to a single system of periodic tenancies, meaning they can leave poor quality housing without remaining liable for the rent or move more easily when their circumstances change The government adds that the estimated 2.3 million private landlords in England will have "greater clarity and support" by new proposals including:• The creation of a private renters' ombudsman to enable disputes between private renters and landlords to be settled quickly, at low cost, and without going to court• A promise to ensure responsible landlords can gain possession of their properties efficiently from antisocial tenants and can sell their properties when they need to• The introduction of a property portal that will help landlords to understand and comply with their responsibilities while giving councils and tenants the information they need to tackle rogue operators Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player The unfair reality of no-fault evictions Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, said the reforms will help to ease cost of living pressures faced by renters.Before the white paper's publication, Mr Gove said: "For too long many private renters have been at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords who fail to repair homes and let families live in damp, unsafe and cold properties, with the threat of unfair 'no-fault' evictions orders hanging over them."Our New Deal for renters will help to end this injustice by improving the rights and conditions for millions of renters as we level up across the country and deliver on the people's priorities."The government said the conditions of more than half a million properties - or 12% of households - pose an imminent risk to tenants' health and safety, meaning around 1.6 million people are living in dangerously low-quality homes.The proposals show ministers are "taking serious steps to halve the number of poor-quality rented homes, across both private and social tenures, by 2030" and delivering on their levelling up aims, it added.The measures will form part of the Renters Reform Bill as announced in the Queen's Speech, to be introduced in this parliamentary session.Last week the government introduced the Social Housing Regulation Bill, under which failing social housing landlords could face unlimited fines and Ofsted-style inspections.In April, an exclusive report by Sky News' people and politics correspondent Nick Martin found that every seven minutes a private renter in England is given an eviction notice even though they have done nothing wrong.Since 2019 nearly 230,000 private renters have been served with no-fault evictions, which give them two months to leave the property.There are fears that the rising cost of living combined with an increase in evictions could make thousands of private renters homeless and worsen the housing crisis. Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, SpreakerResponding to proposals, the National Residential Landlords Association said "the detail to follow must retain the confidence of responsible landlords".Ben Beadle, its chief executive, said: "We will be analysing the government's plans carefully to ensure they meet this test. A failure to do so will exacerbate the housing crisis at a time when renters are struggling to find the homes they need."Alicia Kennedy, director of Generation Rent, said the white paper is "very welcome", but added: "It has been more than three years since the government first committed to getting rid of section 21 evictions."Thousands of tenants have lost their homes on their landlord's say-so in that time and many more will live with uncertainty until this legislation is passed."
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Published August 16, 2022 3:22PM Updated 4:08PM article KIAWAH ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - MAY 17: An alligator looks on during a practice round prior to the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Resort's Ocean Course on May 17, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) An investigation is underway in a quiet gated community in South Carolina after an alligator attacked and killed an 88-year-old woman. The Beaufort County Coroner's Office says it believes the victim, who was identified as Nancy Becker, slipped into a pond located in the Sun City development and was attacked by the alligator earlier this week. HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TV The Sheriff's Office said the alligator and Becker were still in the pond when emergency crews arrived at the scene. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is now investigating the alligator attack as it handles matters regarding wildlife. Several people have been attacked and killed by alligators in the Southeast over the past several months. In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, an 11-foot alligator attacked a man standing near a pond and pulled him into the water in June. Another attack occurred in Florida. Officials in Englewood, Florida, said a woman was killed after she was attacked by two alligators at a pond near her home in July. ‘SHE WAS SCREAMING’: 911 CALL REVEALS GOLFER'S DESPERATION TO SAVE WOMAN FROM DEADLY FLORIDA ALLIGATOR ATTACK FOX News correspondent Phil Keating reports there are millions of alligators in the United States, from Texas to the Carolinas. Florida has an estimated alligator population of about 1.3 million and has a yearly average of seven unprovoked attacks that require medical attention, Keating reported. Louisiana has an estimated 2 million alligators. People living in or visiting areas where alligators are known to be living should be cautious when walking and should keep a close eye on pets and children. LINK: Read more of this story on FOX Weather.
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U.S. July 13, 2022 / 2:21 PM / CBS News It's time for the annual Python Challenge It's time for the annual Python Challenge 02:36 A nursery raid of sorts in Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve led to officials capturing two female Burmese pythons, dozens of their hatchlings, and 23 eggs, CBS Miami reports.The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said officer Matthew Rubenstein was on routine patrol in the preserve on July 11, when he ran into Alex McDuffie, a python contractor, who had just bagged a hatchling. The two looked around the area and found 18 more hatchlings, according to CBS Miami. FWC Officer Matthew Rubenstein with a 10-foot female Burmese python that was found sitting on eggs. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Sensing a nest nearby, they continued to search and found a mulch pile with a 10-foot female Burmese Python sitting on 23 unhatched eggs, CBS Miami reports. But that wasn't the end. A few feet away, they found a second nest with 74 recently-hatched eggs. The female python and hatchlings were given to McDuffie and the 23 unhatched eggs were turned over to the Big Cypress Python research program, CBS Miami reports. The following night, McDuffie returned and captured the female python from the second nest — she came in at 17 feet and 6 inches, according to the FWC. FWC officer Matthew Rubenstein and python contractor Alex McDuffie at a nest where a 10-foot female Burmese python was sitting on 23 unhatched eggs. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Last month, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida said that biologists caught the heaviest Burmese python ever captured in Florida. The snake was nearly 18 feet long and weighed 215 pounds; it also had 122 unhatched eggs. This Dec. 2021 photo provided by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida shows biologists Ian Bartoszek, right, and Ian Easterling, center, with intern Kyle Findley and a 17.7-foot, 215-pound female Burmese python captured by tracking a male scout snake in Picayune Strand State Forest. Conservancy of Southwest Florida via AP The Burmese python is an invasive species, and capturing its females is critical to disrupting their breeding cycle. In fact, the state of Florida has a python removal program, which runs for two weeks in August and rewards participants with prizes. Burmese python invasion: Fighting invasive species 26:43 In: snake Florida Burmese python Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue
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The illness was mysterious. A 25-year-old graduate student had been hospitalized with a high fever, muscle and joint pain, a stiff neck, fatigue, sores in her throat, and a metallic taste in her mouth. She soon developed an angry rash. To make the diagnosis, her doctors had an important data point to consider: Days earlier, the woman had returned to the United States from a field expedition in South Sudan and Uganda, where she had been capturing and collecting the blood and tissue of bats and rodents. That information proved critical — and is newly relevant given concerns that the pandemic may have come from a research accident. Three days after she was admitted to the hospital in 2012, tests determined that the student was infected with a novel virus that infects a type of fruit bat that lives in the rural areas of Uganda.
The graduate student recovered and left the hospital two weeks later. But the incident, which was written up in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases in 2014, proved scientifically important. Not only did it allow for the identification of the Sosuga virus — a paramyxovirus named for Southern Sudan and Uganda — and the knowledge that the bat virus can infect and sicken people, the woman’s infection also pointed to the dangers posed by the kind of research she was doing: trapping, manipulating, and dissecting animals suspected of being infected with novel disease-causing viruses.Biosafety experts have long worried over the possibility that scientists seeking dangerous viruses in the wild could inadvertently become infected in the course of either capturing or coming into contact with the saliva, urine, or feces of the animals. The case of the Sosuga virus shows that those concerns are well founded.
Virus hunter Michael Callahan, an infectious disease doctor who has worked for federal agencies on global disease outbreak and the tracking of wildlife pathogens, has vividly described the high risks faced by field researchers. “Squirming, clawed and toothy animals bite and scratch during collection of body fluids. Teeth and talons easily penetrate the thin gloves required to maintain dexterity when handling fragile wildlife,” he wrote in Politico in 2021. “The fact that researchers are not infected every time they do a field collection is a question that continues to stump us.”
With more than 6 million people now dead from Covid-19, the catastrophic potential of a researcher becoming infected with a wildlife pathogen has become inescapable. While the origins of the current pandemic are still unclear, it remains possible that virus hunting could have been the cause. Rocco Casagrande, a biochemist who was hired by the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Science Policy to assess the risks of gain-of-function research, thinks a natural spillover of the virus from animals to people, a lab accident, or what he calls a “prospecting based accident” are equally likely potential causes of the initial outbreak. He imagined the prospecting scenario as “the researchers in Wuhan looking for bat viruses found one and got infected outside of the lab.”
Even as the very real chance remains that the search for new viruses led to this cataclysmic event, scientists hoping to prevent viral outbreaks continue to seek out new bat coronaviruses and other potential pandemic pathogens around the world.
Ask the Bats
The search for pathogens that infect animals is driven by the desire to prevent and prepare for their possible transmission to people. But that work, which spans the globe and is funded in large part by the U.S. government, can sometimes result in human infection — exactly the outcome it is meant to prevent.
Virus hunting — or wildlife disease ecology, as DeeAnn Reeder prefers to call it — is a field that has come under increasing scrutiny during the Covid pandemic. For Reeder, a professor of biology at Bucknell College who led the 2012 expedition on which the graduate student was infected, one of the central purposes of her research in Africa on bats’ immune responses to viruses is to understand how humans might react to the same infectious agents, knowledge she says can protect us if the pathogens jump from animals to humans. “If you want to understand how to survive a coronavirus, or if you want to understand how to survive a filovirus — Ebola fits within that context — you need to ask the bats because they know how to do it,” said Reeder.
Reeder, who put up her first bat net in South Sudan in 2008, continues to do wildlife research in Uganda. No one has previously reported her connection to the work. “I’ve never been contacted by a reporter on that particular story,” Reeder said, after being asked whether the Sosuga virus infection occurred during research on one of her projects. “I’ve always been surprised about that.” Reeder would not confirm the identity of the researcher on her project who was sickened, citing privacy concerns.
The Sosuga case shows that concerns about viral transmission from wild animals to researchers are not just theoretical. It is still unclear exactly how the infection occurred. While the graduate student only occasionally used protective gear when working with animal specimens, when she visited the bat caves she wore a paper Tyvek suit that’s become the hallmark of virus hunters, gum boots, bite-resistant gloves, and even an air-powered respirator known as a PAPR that looks like an astronaut’s helmet. The researcher did not report being bitten or scratched by any of the animals she encountered.
“Maybe outside the cave before they put the respirators on, she leaned against a rock that had been peed on, because we know that it could be in the kidneys of this particular bat species,” said Reeder. “But that’s just conjecture, which is the scary part.”CDC scientists approach Bat Cave in Queen Elizabeth National Park on Aug. 25, 2018, in Uganda. Photo: Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesCowboys and Cowgirls
Reeder carries a card in her wallet she hopes medical professionals will read should she herself wind up in the emergency room with a mysterious infectious disease someday. “It says, ‘Attention medical personnel: I study wildlife disease. Here’s all the things you should test me for should I present to you in the emergency room,’” she explained.
Reeder describes herself and other researchers in her field as “a little bit like cowboys and cowgirls — we go to a foreign place and we catch exotic things.” Yet she’s grown increasingly cautious during her years in the field. “When I first started this work, nobody was wearing PPE. It just wasn’t a thing,” she said. “I thought we were good if I didn’t have my coffee cup on the same table when I was doing dissections.”
Despite her growing concern about biosafety, Reeder has still had a few worrisome interactions with bats herself. “I had one bite me. That big canine tooth went right into my knuckle, and for like two years, whenever it was cold, my knuckle would hurt,” she recently recalled. And in 2017, Reeder was stuck with a needle that had just come out of a bat that she knew could have carried the deadly Ebola virus.
“I was like, wow, OK. So I make notes in my notebook, started counting 21 days, which is the incubation period for Ebola,” said Reeder. “I’m mostly kind of flippant about that. But I can tell you I knew when that 21 days was up.”
Yet even after these experiences, Reeder said there are rare times when she still eschews personal protective equipment: “If I’ve got a live bat, I can’t go into a village and show up in my space suit.”Most interactions with bats don’t cause disease. But the risk of viral infections remains — and many professional scientists and hobbyists don’t even take the basic precautions to protect themselves from it, according to a study published in 2021 in Biodiversity Data. The authors, who include Reeder, analyzed 759 of the more than 43,000 photos of people holding bats taken that were uploaded since the 1980s to iNaturalist, a popular biodiversity tracking app. While the percentage of the app’s users who wore gloves when they held bats has increased over time, even in 2021, less than half of the people holding bats, both dead and live, were wearing gloves.
“This lack of adherence to even minimal biosafety practices may jeopardize both the safety of the bat and the handler,” the authors concluded.
Reeder said those who continue to openly flout the recommendations to wear protective gear are increasingly met with disapproval within her scientific community. “If somebody is at a conference and they show pictures of themselves in the field not wearing a face mask, and not wearing gloves, even latex gloves, there’s a little bit of criticism,” she said. “A sort of public shaming.”
Ongoing Risk
As a recent report from the World Health Organization makes clear, there is still no definitive proof of how Covid-19 originated. And an infection that occurred during the collection of dangerous new coronaviruses from bats is among the possible explanations for the initial coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan in 2019. There is no question that the National Institutes of Health, which indirectly funded bat coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, is still struggling to fully understand the biosafety precautions taken around that research. Yet the U.S. government continues to support similar research around the world, with grants to numerous organizations including EcoHealth Alliance, the NIH grantee that worked with the Wuhan institute.
EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit research group based in New York, received a $3.1 million grant in 2014 from the NIH, some of which was spent on the collection of novel bat coronaviruses in rural China. Specifically, the organization awarded a subgrant of some $750,00 to researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. In April 2020, at the request of President Donald Trump, the NIH suspended that grant. But four months later, the NIH awarded EcoHealth Alliance another, larger grant. (The Intercept obtained the grant documents via a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit with the NIH.) Like the first grant, the second grant — titled “Understanding the Risk of Zoonotic Virus Emergence in Emerging Infectious Disease Hotspots of Southeast Asia” — pays for the collection of what it calls “high zoonotic potential viruses” from remote locations in Southeast Asia. It also funds experiments involving the infection of humanized mice with hybrid viruses created from the new viruses, which are designed to gauge the threat those viruses pose to humans. The grant is funded through 2025.
Other branches of the U.S. government also continue to fund the collection and study of novel viruses that could infect humans, including DEEP VZN, a $125 million project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases Program, which is jointly funded by NIH, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Science Foundation.“Everybody has been just kind of winging it.”Despite concerns about biosafety lapses in U.S.-funded research in Wuhan and a lack of oversight from both NIH and EcoHealth Alliance, there are no agreed-upon standards for ensuring the safety of ongoing research.
“There is currently very little biosafety guidance specifically for this kind of biological fieldwork,” Filippa Lentzos, a biosecurity expert who works at King’s College London, wrote in an email to The Intercept. “This is a major gap in biorisk management that urgently needs to be addresses both nationally and internationally, not least because this kind of fieldwork is on the rise.”
During the pandemic, David Gillum, assistant vice president for environmental health and safety at Arizona State University, began meeting with a small group of experts over Zoom to discuss biosafety practices for researchers working with bats in the wild. “It’s guidance on what to wear as personal protective equipment, what vaccinations should you have before you go to a certain area, what medications should you bring,” said Gillum. The group’s recommendations are expected to be published soon in the journal Applied Biosafety. Up until now, he said, “Everybody has been just kind of winging it.”
While Gillum and other biosafety experts say they hope national and international field work guidelines will ultimately be put in place, they expect the process to take years.
In the absence of such clear recommendations — and with institutions coming up with their own varied approaches to biosafety — a range of researchers face the risk of infection from pathogens in wildlife, according to Casagrande, the biochemist. “And that includes people specifically trying to find viruses but also people who aren’t,” he said. “Plenty of biologists who work with wildlife also don’t take precautions. And many times they get infected by things.”Researchers from the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Health Science Center take a saliva swab from a bat caught at Khao Chong Pran Cave, inside a makeshift lab set up nearby during a catch and release program in Photharam, Thailand, on Dec. 11, 2020. Photo: Andre Malerba/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesA Fine Balance
While the pandemic has sparked a debate about the safety of studying dangerous viruses, most scientists agree on the need for at least some viral surveillance. To Reeder, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has made the value of her work only clearer. “Our understanding of the extraordinary diversity of SARS-related coronaviruses in bats in Southeast Asia is really critical for our pandemic preparedness, for our ability to predict what’s going to bind to human receptors,” she said. “We need to understand what’s there.”
As she sees it, that benefit is worth whatever risk it entails. And, in the case of the graduate student infected with the Sosuga virus, the cost wasn’t great. The virus didn’t kill her — and, critically, it didn’t spread from her to other people. Looking ahead, Reeder said, improved adherence to protective gear should protect against future viral jumps from animals to researchers.
“I think you just do your best, right?” said Reeder. “You try to look for those gaps. You put your gloves on, then you put your Tyvek suit on over those, and then you take Gorilla tape, and you wrap your wrist with Gorilla tape to make sure that you don’t have a gap as you move your arms,” she said, noting that colleagues in the field tend to help one another. “You can call each other out on stuff. You know, ‘Hey, it looks like your mask has slipped.’ But it’s never perfect, and this case just sort of illustrates that for us.”
The case of the woman who was infected working with bats in Uganda also taught Reeder how, at least that time, luck was on her side: “This could have been really, really ugly.”
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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Search and rescue teams in Colorado took their K-9s out for a special training day on Saturday.The teams from three counties — El Paso, Teller and Fremont — came together to participate in the special training in El Paso. A Husky participates in a special search and rescue training day in El Paso County, Colorado. (Facebook/El Paso County Search and Rescue)"Yesterday, our K-9s and some fellow K-9s from Teller County Search and Rescue and Fremont Search and Rescue, Inc. had an extra special training day at the awesome mountain property of some of our handlers," El Paso County Search and Rescue wrote in a Facebook post Sunday afternoon. Search and rescue teams took K-9s out for a special training day in El Paso County, Colorado. (Facebook/El Paso County Search and Rescue)The dogs went through a number of different exercises, including air scenting, trailing and skills required for detecting human remains.COLORADO FENTANYL SEIZURES THIS YEAR ALREADY SURPASS ALL OF LAST YEAR, AUTHORITIES SAY A K-9 practices search and rescue skills during a special training day in El Paso County, Colorado. (Facebook/El Paso County Search and Rescue)4TH OF JULY AND PETS: DOGS, CATS GO MISSING ON THE HOLIDAY MORE THAN ANY OTHER DAYIn addition to practicing those essential skills, the K-9s were also able to experience a Tyrolean traverse and practice rappelling. A K-9 participates in a special search and rescue training day. The K-9s practiced air scenting, trailing and skills for detecting human remains. (Facebook/El Paso County Search and Rescue)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"It was a great time and resulted in lots of very happy and tired dogs," El Paso County Search and Rescue wrote of the event in the Facebook post.
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Story at a glance A new study published in Environmental Research Communications says that if nothing is done to curb the effects of climate change, Virginia could lose 42 percent of its tidal wetlands by 2100. The loss of tidal wetlands would be the result of rapidly rising sea levels. Not only would this loss be harmful for wildlife but people would end up coughing up more money for flood damages. A huge portion of Virginia’s tidal wetlands could disappear if global sea levels continue to rise at their current rate. Tidal wetlands provide numerous environmental benefits like providing a habitat for fisheries, capturing and storing carbon dioxide and acting as a defense against coastal storms and erosion. But many tidal wetlands are at risk of disappearing due to the effects of climate change. And while tidal wetlands can change in size by growing vertically and moving further inland, if sea levels rise too rapidly wetlands can essentially “drown” in place, according to Virginia Mercury. America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news. A new study published in the journal Environmental Research Communications states that Virginia could lose up to 42 percent of its tidal wetlands by 2100 if nothing is done to curb the effects of climate change. And all of that loss will be costly with one study claiming that losing a hectare, or roughly two football fields, of wetlands could cost the country an average of $1,900 extra a year in flood damages. In the past two decades, Earth has lost over 1,540 square miles of mangroves, tidal flats and tidal marshes, according to a study published in the journal Science last month, which is roughly the size of the Spanish island Mallorca. READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA WOLVERINE CAPTURED, COLLARED IN ‘ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXPERIENCE’ FOR UTAH RESEARCHERS WILDLY RARE VIDEO SHOWS YELLOWSTONE BEAR JOIN IN WOLF HUNT — AND STEAL FOOD IN ‘KLEPTOPARASITIC’ DRAMA RESEARCHERS CAPTURE FOOTAGE OF RARE DEEP SEA FISH WITH TRANSLUCENT HEAD ‘I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE’: MAN SUDDENLY ATTACKED BY PACK OF OTTERS Published on Jun. 13, 2022
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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — You’re in the mood for fish and your server suggests a dish of invasive carp. Ugh, you might say. But how about broiled copi, fresh from the Mississippi River?Here’s the catch: They’re the same thing.Illinois and partner organizations kicked off a market-tested campaign Wednesday to rechristen as “copi” four species previously known collectively as Asian carp, hoping the new label will make them more attractive to U.S. consumers.Turning carp into a popular household and restaurant menu item is one way officials hope to rein in a decades-old invasion threatening native fish, mussels and aquatic plants in the Mississippi and other Midwestern rivers, as well as the Great Lakes.“The ‘carp’ name is so harsh that people won’t even try it,” said Kevin Irons, assistant fisheries chief with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “But it’s healthy, clean and it really tastes pretty darn good.”The federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is funding the five-year, $600,000 project to rebrand the carp and make them widely available. More than two dozen distributors, processors, restaurants and retailers have signed on. Most are in Illinois, but some deliver to multiple states or nationwide.“This could be a tremendous breakthrough,” said John Goss, who led the Obama administration’s effort to halt the carp invasion and worked on the renaming project. “The next couple of years are very critical for building confidence and acceptance.”Asian carp are unloaded at Two Rivers Fisheries in Wickliffe, Ky., Feb. 11, 2020. (Mark Humphrey/AP)Span, a Chicago communications design company, came up with “copi.” It’s an abbreviated wordplay on “copious” — a reference to the booming populations of bighead, silver, grass and black carp in the U.S. heartland.Imported from Asia in the 1960s-70s to gobble algae from Deep South sewage lagoons and fish farms, they escaped into the Mississippi River. They’ve infested most of the river and many tributaries, crowding out native species like bass and crappie.Regulators have spent more than $600 million to keep them from the Great Lakes and waters such as Lake Barkley on the Kentucky-Tennessee line. Strategies include placing electric barriers at choke points and hiring crews to harvest the fish. Other technologies — underwater noisemakers, air bubble curtains — are in the works.The fish’s targeted removal has so far kept them from populating Lake Michigan. The population south of Joliet’s Brandon Road Lock and Dam has dropped nearly 90 percent, Irons said. Producers currently grind the caught fish into products like animal feed, dog treats and fertilizer, he said.It would help if more people ate the critters. Officials estimate up to 50 million pounds (22.7 million kilograms) could be netted annually in the Illinois River, a link between the Mississippi and Lake Michigan. Even more are available between the Midwest and the Gulf Coast. Authorities are betting consumer demand for copi as food will create an economy that more rigorously rips the fish out of the water.“Government subsidies alone will not end this war,” Goss said. “Private-sector, market-driven demand for copi could be our best hope.”In the U.S., carp are known primarily as muddy-tasting bottom feeders. But the four targeted species live higher in the water column, feeding on algae, wetland plants and — in the case of black carp — mussels and snails. They’re high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury and other contaminants, Irons said.“It has a nice, mild flavor ... a pleasant surprise that should help fix its reputation,” said Brian Jupiter, a Chicago chef who plans to offer a copi po’boy sandwich at his Ina Mae Tavern. The fish is adaptable to a variety of cuisines including Cajun, Asian and Latin, he said.Yet it could be a hard sell, particularly because the fish’s notorious boniness makes it challenging to produce the fillets many diners expect, Jupiter added. Some of the best recipes may use chopped or ground copi, he said.The fish should be competitively priced and affordable in the Chicago region, Irons said. And fish-eaters with ethical concerns about overfishing and ecological sustainability might really love it: The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch lists the fish as a “good alternative” to eat in part because curbing the carp’s spread helps the environment.“You don’t invent a new protein source every day,” Irons said.Span researchers considered a number of names — “butterfin” among them — before settling on “copi,” Irons said. It sounded catchy, a tad exotic, even fun, he said.The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has tried in the past to rinse away the fish’s reputation as a dirty kitchen-reject. They brought in out-of-state chef’s to cook up free samples and challenged Chicago restaurants to put the fish on their menus for free. None of the efforts, which used the old name, stuck.“‘Carp’ was a four-letter elephant in the room,” Irons said.Span conducted surveys, interviews and focus group meetings involving more than 350 Illinois residents, design principal Nick Adam said.The next step: Seeking approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration, which says “coined or fanciful” fish labels can be used if they’re not misleading or confusing. A familiar example is “slimehead,” which became a hit with consumers after its market moniker was switched to “orange roughy.”Illinois also plans to register the “copi” trademark, enabling industry groups to develop quality control procedures, Irons said.Other regulatory agencies and scientific groups have their own policies and might not go along with the switch.The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists and the American Fisheries Society have a committee that lists fish titles, including scientific names in Latin and long-accepted common names. The panel never adopted “Asian carp” as an umbrella term for the four invasive species.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to stick with “invasive carp” and the four individual names, as its focus is on managing and controlling their spread, said Charlie Wooley, the agency’s Midwest director. The Invasive Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, which involves numerous federal, state, local and Canadian provincial agencies, will do likewise.They dropped “Asian carp” last year because of concern about anti-Asian bigotry.Irons said proof the consumers are eating the fish while it’s labeled “copi” in Illinois will be important to getting the name changed across America. He just wants people to give it a try. After all, he said, it pairs well with all spices.“A pound of this, put it in your pan with a little bit of olive oil and some seasoning,” he said.Chicagoans who want to give copi a try are in luck: Eight restaurants in the area are serving the fish, which is also being sold at several fish markets, distributors and processors. The spots offering copi can be found at choosecopi.com.Chicago Tribune reporter Jake Sheridan contributed to this report.
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Alaska wildlife officials have killed four black bears in a campground recently reserved for people in Anchorage who are homeless after the city’s largest shelter was closed.Employees from the Alaska department of fish and game on Tuesday killed a sow and her two cubs and another adult bear that was acting separately, stealing food from tents inside Centennial Park, which is managed by the city, officials said.Anchorage is Alaska’s biggest city, with nearly 300,000 residents, but it is also bear country.The park is located in east Anchorage, nestled between Chugach state park and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, which state wildlife officials describe as a vast bear habitat.The department of fish and game said Anchorage residents share the municipality with up to 350 American black bears and up to 65 brown bears.“Certainly it’s a busy bear time for us all across Anchorage,” said department spokesperson Cynthia Wardlow.This part of Anchorage “does tend to be a pretty active bear area because of the high- density housing”, she said.The city closed its pandemic mass shelter at Sullivan Arena on 30 June. The arena had housed hundreds of homeless people throughout the last two years, Alaska Public Media reported.When the shelter closed, some people who are homeless moved to Centennial Park, grabbing the 84 available spots after the campground stopped taking reservations from the public.Corey Allen Young, a spokesperson for Anchorage’s mayor, Dave Bronson, said there are 210 people living at Centennial Park, and the city has provided enhanced security for camp users.The city “has also brought in 60 bear-proof food storage containers, 20 bear-proof 32-gallon containers and is doing hourly cleanup efforts to mitigate the trash and food. We also continue to inspect camps and educate campers about bear safe practices”, Young said in an email.The campground, just off the Glenn Highway, is “an ideal jumping-off point for Alaska travelers”, the city’s website says. But it also warns campers not to store food inside tents or outside in coolers so bears are not attracted to campsites.Wildlife officials said before the bears were killed, they were entering tents to get food, personal hygiene items and trash.When bears go inside tents or structures, they pose a risk to human life and are considered a public safety threat, and they may be killed.“Centennial Campground staff are doing the best they can to manage the campground and minimize attractants, but there are still a lot of tents with food in them,” Dave Battle, the fish and game department area biologist in Anchorage, said in a statement. “Until that changes, more bears are going to come into the campground and get into tents.”He said this is a safety issue for campers.“Killing any particular bear is a very temporary solution,” Battle said. “There are always going to be more bears in that vicinity because of its location, and we can’t teach bears not to eat what they can find.”
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Image source, Acquire Images / YWPImage caption, YWP head of carnivores Kim Wilkins said the bears "make a chuffing noise" if they like each otherTwo young polar bears have been successfully introduced to older bears at a South Yorkshire wildlife park.Indie and Yuma, both aged two-and-a-half, met Sisu and Nobby, who are more than twice their size and age. There was a risk involved as the bears are territorial and can attack others.The Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP) near Doncaster has eight polar bears and runs a research and conservation project to try and help save the endangered animal. The young bears arrived at the park in June 2021 from a zoo in the south of France with their mother Flocke and sister Tala.They had been living as a family in a separate reserve next door to the park's other bears so they could get used to each other.Image source, Acquire Images / YWPImage caption, The bears live in separate reserves next door to each otherYWP head of carnivores Kim Wilkins said the bears were "cautious at first but were soon all playing together"."When polar bears like each other, they make a chuffing noise. If they don't like each other, we get lots of growls," she said."To ensure the move ran smoothly, we got them used to all their new surroundings first and have now slowly began to integrate them with the other males."The plan is to repeat the introductions and gradually increase the time as the bears get to know each other and hopefully before long they will all be able to live together which will be great for the four bears as they love to play." Image source, Acquire Images / YWPImage caption, It is hoped the two young polar bears will eventually live with the older bearsThe juvenile bears were at an age where they would start to live independently in the wild and they were becoming too big and boisterous for their mother, so the move was to give her more space, the park said.The bears will eventually live together in the park's specially designed 10-acre Project Polar reserve which include pools, a 25ft (7.5m) deep lake, caves and terrain that mimics the Arctic Circle in summer. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.Related Internet LinksThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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A tiger at an Ohio zoo has died after developing pneumonia caused by Covid-19, the zoo announced Wednesday.Jupiter, a 14-year-old old Amur tiger, died Sunday, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said in a Facebook post.According to the zoo, Jupiter had been on long-term treatment for chronic underlying illnesses, which made him more susceptible to this virus.The tiger was the first animal at the zoo to die from Covid-19, it said.The zoo said Jupiter had initially been reported as acting ill on June 22. The tiger was not interested in eating and was reluctant to move, stand or interact with keepers."When this continued into the next day, Jupiter was anesthetized for examination and treatment," the zoo said. Initial exams suggested that the animal had an infection and treatment was administered."Unfortunately, Jupiter did not improve with this treatment and remained reluctant to move and eat," the zoo said. The following day, the tiger was given additional treatments and had more diagnostic testing. He appeared to be stable, but died overnight, it said. The zoo said that as a precautionary measure, staff working with cats, great apes and mustelids, such as otters and wolverines, would be required to wear masks when within six feet of the animals as "these animals are more susceptible to contracting Covid-19." Jupiter was born at the Moscow Zoo on July 9, 2007, and had arrived at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on March 19, 2015, after spending some time at the Zoo Dvur Kralove in the Czech Republic, the Columbus zoo said.The tiger sired nine cubs, with six being born at the Columbus zoo, which officials said contributed "to the future of this endangered species.""Jupiter’s care team remembers him as a big and impressive tiger who loved fish, sleeping in the habitat’s cave, playing with cardboard boxes, and interacting with another favorite item—a 75-pound firehouse 'plus sign' that was heavy for keepers to move but something he carried around like it weighed nothing," the zoo said. "Jupiter will be greatly missed," the zoo said, inviting its followers to share their favorite memories of the tiger in the comments section. The post received hundreds of comments, with many fondly remembering their encounters with the tiger. "He was a beautiful tiger. I remember the first time my family saw him after he arrived at the zoo, we were so shocked about how loud he was!! I’m so sorry for your loss," one person wrote."My heart is broken, he was my most favorite personal animal at the Zoo, I’m glad I got to know him for the past 7 years and remember the amazing pictures I took of this Handsome Boy," another said.Chantal Da SilvaChantal Da Silva is a breaking news editor for NBC News Digital based in London. Colin Sheeley contributed.
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The RSPCA were called after three massive snakes, including a nine feet boa constrictor, were found abandoned inside pillowcases outside a pet shop in Potters Bar, LondonA boa constrictor was among three large snakes left in the street. Stock image Three massive snakes including a nine feet long boa constrictor have been found dumped inside pillowcases and left in the street by a London petshop. The reptiles could have given a nasty surprise to an unsuspecting member of the public walking along Barnet Road in Potters Bar on June 14. And the snakes could have come to harm themselves but fortunately they were taken away by the RSPCA, reported HertsLive. Staff at the reptile shop contacted the RSPCA to collect the snakes and now the organisation is appealing for information about how they came to be left there in the street. The snakes abandoned in two pillow cases included a boa constrictor up to nine feet, a carpet python that was five feet, and a reticulated python that was six feet in length. They were collected by RSPCA inspector Mitchell Smith and taken to specialists to care for them. The RSPCA came to collect the snakes that were left outside a pet shop. Stock image (
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newcastle chronicle) Mr Smith said: “Fortunately they’re all in good condition and healthy, but whatever situation someone finds themselves in, abandoning an animal like this is never okay. There is no guarantee that an abandoned animal will be found or not become hurt or lost. “If someone is struggling to cope, there are lots of organisations who can help and we would urge anybody in a difficult situation to ask for help. If anyone has any information regarding the snakes we would ask them to contact me on the RSPCA appeal line on 0300 123 8018.” The RSPCA is concerned about exotic pets whose owners are affected by the rise in the cost of living and other people who are unaware of how much of a commitment they can be. This comes as earlier this month the RSPCA published the Animal Kindness Index, a report looking at the nation’s attitude towards animals. The RSPCA are appealing for information about how they came to be left abandoned. Stock image (
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Lincolnshire Echo) The report, based on a YouGov survey of more than 4,000 UK adults, revealed that the rising cost of living and the cost of pet ownership could threaten our love for our pets. There were 78% of pet owners saying they think the cost of living will impact their animals, almost seven out of 10 (68%) expressing concern that the cost of care was increasing, and a fifth (19%) worried about how they’ll afford to feed their pets. Read More Read More
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Published July 27, 2022 9:03AM article Milly, a 13-week-old kitten waits with her brother Charlie (L) to be re-homed at The Society for Abandoned Animals Sanctuary in Sale, Manchester. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) WARSAW, Poland (AP) - A respected Polish scientific institute has classified domestic cats as an "invasive alien species," citing the damage they cause to birds and other wildlife. Some cat lovers have reacted emotionally to this month's decision and put the key scientist behind it on the defensive. Wojciech Solarz, a biologist at the state-run Polish Academy of Sciences, wasn't prepared for the disapproving public response when he entered "Felis catus," the scientific name for the common house cat, into a national database run by the academy's Institute of Nature Conservation. The database already had 1,786 other species listed with no objections, Solarz told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The uproar over invasive alien species No. 1,787, he said, may have resulted from some media reports that created the false impression his institute was calling for feral and other cats to be euthanized. Solarz described the growing scientific consensus that domestic cats have a harmful impact on biodiversity given the number of birds and mammals they hunt and kill. The criteria for including the cat among alien invasive species, "are 100% met by the cat," he said. Vintage illustration of a tabby cat pouncing on a mouse; engraving, 1904. (Photo by GraphicaArtis/Getty Images) RELATED: Puppy rescued by firefighters after its head gets stuck in wheel In a television segment aired by independent broadcaster TVN, the biologist faced off last week against a veterinarian who challenged Solarz's conclusion on the dangers cats pose to wildlife. Dorota Suminska, the author of a book titled "The Happy Cat," pointed to other causes of shrinking biodiversity, including a polluted environment and urban building facades that can kill birds in flight. "Ask if man is on the list of non-invasive alien species," Suminska said, arguing that cats were unfairly assigned too much blame. Solarz pushed back, arguing that cats kill about 140 million birds in Poland each year. Earlier this month, the Polish Academy institute published a post on its website citing the "controversy" and seeking to clarify its position. The institute stressed that it was "opposed to any cruelty towards animals." It also argued that its classification was in line with European Union guidelines. Willow, a non pedigree pet is seen at Merseyside Cat Club GCCF all breeds championship show at Sutton Leisure Centre on June 2, 2018 in St Helens, England. (Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images) As far as categorizing cats as "alien," the institute noted that "Felis catus" was domesticated probably around 10,000 years ago in the cradle of the great civilizations of the ancient Middle East, making the species alien to Europe from a strictly scientific point of view. The institute also stressed that all it was recommending was for cat owners to limit the time their pets spend outdoors during bird breeding season. "I have a dog, but I don't have anything against cats," Solarz said.
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The first annual California State Parks Week has officially kicked off and will run through Saturday, June 18. Each day has a different theme with a multitude of free events lasting all day long to celebrate California's 279 state parks."The parks encompass not only the state's most iconic landscapes, but also the diversity of our people, cultural experiences and moments of joy to be found along thousands of miles of trails," Sam Hodder, president and CEO of Save the Redwoods League, said in a press release.See below for how California parks are celebrating and how you can get involved by participating in free events through the week. Tuesday, June 14: Land Acknowledgement DayThe California State Parks Week kicks off with Land Acknowledgement Day on Tuesday. This day will honor and celebrate the Indigenous voices and stories of Native American lands. Some events happening today include Chumash Culture Day and a Native American basket weaving class. See the full list of events for Tuesday.Wednesday, June 15: Kids Career DayOn Wednesday, the theme is Kids Career Day. Kids and families are invited to explore the jobs people do to keep the parks running in good condition. Some events this day are Hearst Castle Careers and My Fun Future in the Outdoors. Here's a full list of Wednesday's events.Thursday, June 16: Health and Wellness DayThursday has been designated Health and Wellness Day, where you can explore nearby parks and learn about activities and events to inspire you. You can participate in the Guided Lava Bluffs Trail Hike event or try Nature Journaling for Mental Health. See the full list of events happening Thursday.Friday, June 17: Stewardship DayStewardship Day is Friday's theme, and you can learn about land and habitat management activities involving plants and animals in the parks. Join events such as visiting the Butterfly Garden and attending the Environmental Impacts of Mining and Modern Solutions. Find more events here.Saturday, June 18: Partnership Day and Volunteer Day The final day of California State Parks Week has two themes: Partnership Day and Volunteer Day. You can learn about how businesses, nonprofits and others play a role in managing the California State Park System. To get involved, you can join events like Leo Carrillo Trail Maintenance and Half Moon Bay Volunteer Habitat Restoration. Here are all the Saturday events.
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Culture
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A square in the old city of Córdoba David Egui Córdoba, the second city of Spain’s sultry Andalusia region, may not get all the attention of its more famous neighbor, Seville. That’s fine: Córdoba—which still attracts its own fair share of visitors, to be sure—dazzles with its interwoven layers of history. During the more than 800 years that southern Spain was under Moorish rule, Córdoba—which in medieval times also, remarkably, embraced Christianity and Judaism—was the Rome of its time. In the 10th century, Córdoba was biggest city in Europe. It had more than 80 libraries, one of which had 400,000 books. This was at a time when 2% of the population could read. There’s countless proof of this in the city’s literature, architecture and culture. It’s home to four UNESCO sites, including its garden courtyards and its gigantic mosque-turned-cathedral, more than any other city in the world. It also has one of the most creative restaurants anywhere. The city now is a warren of medieval streets, punctuated with mosques and chapels, enlivened with the brilliant oranges that hang heavily from the citrus trees in winter. It practically dares you to get lost, but it doesn’t hurt to have a few plans. The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Mosque-Cathedral That famous tolerance and multiculturalism in action, the mosque-cathedral in the city center makes an impact with its sheer size. Inside, it’s gorgeous all around, both the striped arches that befit a Muslim house of worship and the Catholic iconography in the the cathedral in the center. A courtyard in Córdoba David Egui Courtyards
Recognized as one of UNESCO’s Intangible Heritages of Humanity, Córdoba’s courtyards are endlessly fascinating. The city’s early inhabitants, first the Romans and later the Moors, adapted their homes to the relentless heat of the region. That means gardens in the buildings’ internal courtyards, normally with a fountain in the middle and a well to collect rainwater. In recent years, homeowners have vied to outdo each other with potted plants and vibrant blossoms—many of them are out to defend their titles during the annual competitions (since 1921) to choose the most beautiful. The dining room at Noor David Egui Noor
At his Michelin two-star restaurant in an unassuming suburb, chef Paco Morales has taken on one of the most creative and ambitious gastronomic projects anywhere. As he tells it, he likes to imagine that he’s the private chef for Abd al-Rahman III, the 10th-century caliph of Al-Andalus. Morales is a gastro-archaeologist, a chronicler of history, an interpreter and the purveyor of a magnificent 18-course tasting menu. The Museum of Alchemy David Egui AL-IKSIR, The Museum of Alchemy
Along with Morales, the most intriguing resident of Córdoba is Salma Al Taji Al Farouki, a Palestinian woman who lived all over the world before settling in southern Spain, where she created her museum. Alchemy, she notes, is the mixture of science, wisdom and faith, a perfect project for this multilayered city. The collection includes objects such as alchemy stones, elixirs, medicines and mortars, as well as a reconstruction of an ancient wheel depicting the signs of the zodiac. Mercado Victoria Courtesy of the market Mercado Victoria
The first gastronomic market in Andalusia, Mercado Victoria is a lively food hall with diverse food and drink stalls offering more than 20 types of cuisine. It’s a lively space to explore Andalusian gastronomy—octopus salad, fried croquettes, those delicious tiny fish that stand in for pasta in so many dishes. Fried fish and peppers at El Bar de Paco Morales Ann Abel El Bar de Paco Morales
While Morales’s Noor is a once-in-a-lifetime restaurant (or at least a once-a-season one), he also opened a more populist restaurant in the city center. As it turns out, El Bar de Paco Morales, with its oxtail croquettes and salmorejo (Andalusia’s traditional thick soup of tomato, olive oil, bread and garlic), is a delightful place to sample slightly elevated takes on the city’s typical dishes. The Roman bridge Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Roman Bridge
Also known as the Old Bridge, this landmark was built in the early 1st century BC, and much of the current structure dates from the Arab reconstruction of the 8th century. It’s for pedestrians and bicycles only. A starter at La Cuchara de San Lorenzo David Egui La Cuchara de San Lorenzo
Brothers Paco and Narciso López started their restaurant project as a neighborhood tavern, but over the years it has evolved into a sophisticated dining room—one that’s matched by chef Paco’s sophisticated cooking. The menu is extensive, with sections devoted to Iberian pork, aged beef and rice dishes, and the most playfully named dish appears on the English-language menu as What Garlic Prawns! (punctuation theirs). Flamenco at Doble de Cepa David Egui Flamenco at Doble de Cepa
While there are plenty of glitzy flamenco extravaganzas around town (Flamenco being yet another Córdoba thing that’s recognized by UNESCO), this family-run tavern is a better alternative. It puts on lively shows in an intimate space that feels more like a living room than a performance hall. Rooftops of Córdoba David Egui Las Casas de la Juderia
Five palace houses, the oldest of which dates from 1597, were joined and renovated into this boutique hotel in a prime location in the city’s Jewish Quarter. The rooms are classic, spacious and romantic, and the year-round pool, hidden away in one of the courtyards, is a highlight.
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Visit Sweden, and you have the right to walk, bicycle, ski, and camp anywhere with the exception of private gardens, yards, or farmland. Known as allemansrätten, or the right of public access, it’s an integral part of the country’s culture.Besides this open invitation to pitch a tent, many wilderness areas and parks also hold cabins that are free for anyone to stay in. Some are former hunting lodges or fishing shacks, others are onetime country homes donated to governments and municipalities. There are more than 250 of them, ranging from primitive to somewhat plush. Swedish photographer Moa Karlberg captured dozens of them in the book, Stuglandet (“the country of cabins”), which she coproduced with writer Kjell Vowles.“I got to know about the culture and history of places in Sweden that weren’t touristy hotspots,” says Karlberg. “We saw lots of forest and lots of lakes.” Their photos and text depict dwellings and dreamy scenery in regions including starkly beautiful Lapland and Gävleborg on the Baltic Sea.There’s a 19th-century cabin with groovy blue and white peacock wallpaper and woolly rugs in Gotaland and tiny red cabins, their warm, wooden interiors lined with cozy bunkbeds, scattered throughout the countryside. “I like being in nature, but I’m not a hardcore wild camper,” says Karlberg. ”In these cabins, you can enjoy the simple life, but it’s much more convenient than a tent. You can be inside if it rains.”Many of her photos depict the magic of spending time with other wanderers in the wild: families with fleece-bundled kids hiking in the woods, friends gathered around a rustic table drinking coffee. ”You meet a lot of people when you visit these cabins, since they can’t be reserved and they are open to anyone,” says Karlberg.Vowles started the project hoping to reveal both lesser-known regions of Sweden and to publicize these free cabins, which aren’t well documented. He and Karlberg first published the guidebook in 2017; it was updated and expanded in 2021.(Learn how hiking huts can help you explore New Zealand.)“Some people in Sweden have old family cabins, but not everyone knows about these other places to stay,” says Vowles. The book (in Swedish only) gives detailed information and maps on where the dwellings are; travelers can also find many of the cabins via the website Naturkartan. The book, and the pandemic push to explore the outdoors, have made some of the cabins better known. There are even travelers who make pilgrimages to multiple properties in a year, racking up numerous overnights in bunk beds and fireside chats with strangers. (Learn how to explore Scandinavia’s indigenous Sápmi culture.)Take Erika Åhlund and her partner, Christer Moberg, who bought the Stuglandet guide in 2017. “Since then, we’ve stayed in 48 of these open cabins,” says Åhlund. “The cottages give us relaxation from everyday life in the city and our apartment.” All of the cabins have wood-burning stoves, meaning cottage collectors like them can visit in the spring to kayak and forage for berries or in the winter for cross-country skiing. You just need to bring food and a sleeping bag before checking in. “Swedes have such a close connection to the forest, and this is another way to explore it,” says Vowles. Moa Karlberg is a Swedish photographer. Follow her on Instagram.Jennifer Barger is a senior editor at National Geographic Travel. Follow her on Instagram.
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Hop on a yacht for a tour of the Caribbean, discover the ancient culture of Cyprus, join the world’s biggest Beatles party… there are plenty of ways to get the very best out of your summer GETAWAYS Discover beautiful beaches and fascinating history in Cyprus Cyprus is known for its year-round sunshine and pristine beaches Craving azure waters and sweeping coastlines? Cyprus has it all. Book your holiday to the mythical birthplace of Greek goddess Aphrodite with Olympic Holidays – the family-owned travel specialists have been arranging getaways to Cyprus for more than 50 years. The island is known for its year-round sunshine, Blue Flag beaches and pretty villages nestled in lush vineyards. And there’s lots to do and see. Trek in the pine-covered Troodos Mountains or dance the night away in Ayia Napa, the party capital on the southeastern coast. Ancient monuments and sites, along with museums, will tell you stories of a rich culture spanning 11,000 years. As for eating out, don’t miss the local mezes, unlocking new flavours with every bite. Book a seven-night stay in June from £265 per person, and you can also save £50 with offer code OLYMPIC50 at olympicholidays.com/cyprus (offer valid until June 30, 2022). Sail off on a yachting adventure to amazing destinations Sailing out to sea with Borrow A Boat Why holiday in one place when you can rent a boat and sail your way around multiple exotic destinations at your leisure? Leading boat rental and yacht charter marketplace Borrow A Boat has over 45,000 boat listings across more than 65 countries, and aims to make boating more accessible. You could be sunbathing on a remote beach in Thailand or Turkey, or scuba-diving in deep-blue waters off Greece and Croatia. Vessels are available in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and the USA, in all shapes and sizes – from smaller sailing yachts to fully crewed superyachts. The Borrow A Boat team will help you find the craft that’s right for you, with free advice from yachting experts. Find out more at borrowaboat.com. Take a relaxing staycation – and take your pet too! Enjoy a relaxing stay with your pets at Days Inn by Wyndham If you’re looking for a budget-friendly hotel for your travels in the UK, give Days Inn by Wyndham a go for a stress-free staycation. The Wyndham hotels don’t skimp on convenience – spacious and bright, the rooms provide the perfect setting for a comfortable stay and, of course, a perfect night’s sleep. Free parking is available at many of the hotels, along with electric vehicle charging. Free wi-fi is offered everywhere, if you need to stay in touch with friends back home. You can bring your four-legged friend along, too, as the hotels are pet-friendly. Days Inn is also part of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programme, Wyndham Rewards, which gives you the chance to earn points and redeem them for hotel stays around the globe. Explore Days Inn by Wyndham at wyndhamhotels.com/days-inn Holiday safely with solid travel insurance Get the right travel insurance for a carefree holiday Two years may have passed since the start of the pandemic, but travel insurance, always vital for any well-organised trip, is even more useful when it comes with Covid cover. And Multitrip.com – part of the Blue Insurance Group – is well worth a try: the insurer has added several Covid-related benefits to its travel policies, allowing you to holiday safely and with confidence. Some of these include medical expenses should you or your insured travelling companion be diagnosed with coronavirus abroad, as well as additional travel or accommodation expenses up to £2,000 if you need to extend your stay due to a Covid-19 diagnosis. There’s also the option of cancellation cover for those diagnosed with Covid or personally instructed to isolate by the NHS or a medical professional. Learn more, and get a 10 per cent discount (using the code Summer22 until December 31, 2022) at multitrip.com. ENTERTAINMENT Be part of the world’s biggest Beatles celebration The Beatles songs will take over the Cavern Club during International Beatleweek From August 24 to 30, Liverpool’s Cavern Club will host International Beatleweek – with 2022 marking the 36th year the gathering of Beatles fans and musicians has taken place in the city that gave us the Fab Four. Expect fantastic live music, parties, film and theatre shows, guest speakers, and memorabilia auctions and flea markets. The music is, of course, at the forefront all week, with outdoor stages, indoor venues, three stages in The Cavern Club and a complete hotel takeover. Some of the highlights this year include three key members of John Lennon’s last studio band reuniting to perform his last two albums, a music tribute to Paul McCartney, and The Cavern’s resident Beatles tribute band, who play the city’s Philharmonic Hall. Accommodation and just-tickets packages are available. For full details visit internationalbeatleweek.com. Witness the drama and excitement of first-class cricket The Hundred combines world-class cricket with high-energy entertainment If there’s one sporting extravaganza to attend this summer, it’s The Hundred. The cricket competition combines world-class sport with high-energy entertainment, appealing to families, cricket fans and anyone looking for a fun summer event. There are two competitions – the women’s and the men’s – involving eight teams, taking place across seven cities in five weeks. And you’ll get to see the best players in the world compete on the same stage. The Hundred rules are simple: each team gets 100 balls, and the one that scores the most runs wins. Tickets, on sale now, are £5 for under-16s, and start at £12 for adults. Buy them at thehundred.com/tickets. Escape from a real pirate ship or a haunted alley Escape from a real pirate ship or a haunted alley Escape in Time experiences in London allow you to escape the world for a few fun-packed hours and lots of adventure. A team of storytellers, filmmakers and theatrical experts have put together two immaculately styled historical escape games: Escape From The Golden Hinde, close to London Bridge, is a live interactive adventure aboard a real ‘pirate’ ship – the reconstruction of Sir Francis Drake’s galleon, which sailed around the world in the 1570s, attacking Spanish vessels and ports. Kids under 10 enter for free (conditions apply). Then there’s Secret Studio, near Brick Lane, the number one escape room in London according to Tripadvisor, which presents a mystery set in a haunted film studio beneath the dark streets of Old London Town. Keep your wits about you and you might just escape the cutting room floor! One player can enter for free in both games, provided there are at least four paying players. This offer is valid until August 31, 2022 – visit escapeintime.co.uk/mirror and enter the special code, DAYSOUT22. Party with pizza and cocktails in hip Hackney East London’s largest summer terrace is back with DJ sets, food and drinks Night Tales, East London’s largest summer terrace bar, offers you fabulous cocktails, DJ sets and pizza in a tropical-style setting. This 10,000 sq ft neon-lit ‘jungle’, bedecked with exotic plants, is open from 3pm on Saturdays, and is conveniently located under Hackney Central railway station – with good transport links day and night. Free table reservations are available and all group sizes are welcome. All tables, day-bed areas and booths can be booked exclusively, and come with table service. There’s also a 25 per cent discount on all drink packages, for bookings before 5pm. This offer is valid until July 1, 2022. Make a reservation via instagram.com/nighttalesldn. DISCOVERY Enter a world of magic with Roald Dahl Few things taste better than a giant Wonka bar Whether we’re young or old, we all need a bit of magic in our lives. And what better place to find it than the Roald Dahl Museum? This fantastic museum and story centre in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, where Dahl lived and wrote for 36 years, hosts a world of fun and sparkles, born out of the beloved author’s books and extraordinary characters. Pull a power pose next to Matilda, measure yourself against the BFG, test your sparkiness on the Spark-o-meter and come face to face with Fantastic Mr Fox. These are just some of the exciting things to do here, which promise to turn you into a kid again. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday throughout the summer holidays, with tickets including re-entry for a whole year. Get 10 per cent off general admission tickets with code MATILDA10 until August 31, 2022 – book online at roalddahl.com/museum. Take a top-scoring tour of the Arsenal stadium Backstage peek into the Emirates Stadium Go behind the scenes at a legendary London football club with a tour of the Emirates Stadium. You’ll receive special access to the home of Arsenal, including the directors’ box, Diamond Club, players’ entrance, dressing rooms, players’ tunnel, the pitchside and home dugout, as well as the interview rooms and press conference room. Your self-guided tour comes with a state-of-the-art multimedia handset, and there’s commentary available in English from Arsenal stars Charlie George or Lee Dixon, or matchday announcer Nigel Mitchell, and in nine other languages – including BSL. You can also book the Legend Tours, a guided tour led by former Gunners players Perry Groves, Nigel Winterburn or Charlie George. Book at arsenal.com/tours. This content is brought to you by Living360 , a digital lifestyle destination keeping you up to date with health and fitness, food and drink, homes and gardens, beauty, travel, finance and lifestyle trends.
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As a Korean American, it’s crazy to see how Korean pop culture has exploded in popularity in the U.S. in recent years. Today, it’s not uncommon to see Korean content and stars grabbing headlines in Western media, whether it’s “Squid Game” being greenlit for a second season or K-pop superstars BTS releasing their latest album “Proof” to commemorate the group’s ninth anniversary. But with global demand for Korean pop culture at an all-time high, it feels like South Korea is kind of losing control over its cultural narrative.This dichotomy between “K-culture” and “Korean culture” is probably being further reinforced by mainstream English-language news outletsJust a decade ago, I was fruitlessly seeking opportunities to write about K-pop; today, I’m frequently turning down requests from various editors and publicists asking me to write an article about a new K-pop idol group — that is, photogenic boy or girl bands that perform the kind of dance music that many of us have now come to associate with K-pop. I never thought I’d see the day when I’d actually get tired of people asking me to write about the topic, but it seems that just when much of the Korean public and the Korean diaspora have moved on from K-pop due to the surfeit of idol groups (about 200 to 400 of them have debuted in the past decade, and over 50 are debuting in this year alone), the rest of the world is clamoring for it.As I’ve written before, the type of Korean cultural content that’s popular in South Korea — whether that’s music, films or TV shows — often tends to be very different from the kind that’s popular abroad. Until “Parasite” came along, Korean films that were a hit with many international audiences were box-office flops in South Korea, and vice versa. K-pop is probably the best example of this puzzling paradox. “It seems like anytime someone writes something about K-Pop — particularly pieces on boy and girl bands — it doesn’t really matter who authored the articles, it’s pretty much a guaranteed way to generate massive clicks,” Bernie Cho, a music industry veteran and president and founder of DFSB Kollective, an agency that works with hundreds of independent Korean music acts, explained to me. “But unfortunately, what sort of happens as a result of this type of clickbait journalism is that you get a very skewed and myopic lens on the Korean music industry landscape. If you only believed what you read online, it would be easy to assume that every Korean music artist was a boy band or girl band.” Cho noted that a 2020 Korea Creative Content Agency survey of music listeners in South Korea found that ballad is the most widely enjoyed genre in the country, polling in at a whopping 76.5 percent. “The irony is that if you scan the year-end music charts in Korea, the most streamed artists are actually not boy bands or girl bands,” said Cho. Case in point: Last year, K-pop solo artist IU took the top spot on Korea’s streaming charts, while the two most downloaded songs in Korea both went to trot and ballad singer Lim Young-woong.And yet, because of the ever-growing global popularity of K-pop girl and boy bands — largely thanks to their vast international fan bases — it’s the kind of music that gets heavily marketed outside of Korea. Even the way we’ve come to define “K-pop” — as music dominated by idol groups with flashy outfits and slick choreography — has been influenced by the narratives pushed by international (especially Western) media outlets and fans. However, Cho argues that the definition of K-pop should be broader to encompass any kind of Korean music that happens to be popular in Korea. He points out that in South Korea, all Korean artists are lumped together into one consolidated “K-pop” chart, which includes a diverse array of genres from hip-hop to R&B to ballads and rock. He compared it to the U.S. pop charts, where artists from a wide range of genres make up the Top 10 and Top 20 spots. “They’re pop artists because they’re popular — it’s less about the style and more about the statistics,” he said. Though Cho’s answer is technically correct, it seems the predominance of idol music in K-pop’s global reach has impacted the way that even Koreans themselves think about K-pop. When I ask my Korean friends and acquaintances about K-pop, almost all of them now seem to equate it with idol groups, and virtually none of them listen to it (except for the few who have to because it’s directly related to their jobs). In fact, most Koreans I know have told me they listen to Korean indie and folk rock, trot, ballads and/or music by non-Korean artists. The growing popularity of Korean TV shows have proven to also reveal this disconnect. Recent South Korean favorites like “Hometown Cha Cha Cha” and “Twenty Five Twenty One” — both available on Netflix — also did well internationally, but in the U.S. they were nowhere near as popular as Netflix’s original thrillers like “Squid Game,” “All of Us Are Dead” and “Hellbound.” Currently, the slice-of-life K-dramas “Our Blues” and “My Liberation Notes” are the top two shows on Netflix in South Korea and are both sitting in Netflix’s Global Top 10 list of non-English series, but neither has cracked Netflix’s U.S. Top 10.To help explain the divergence in Korean pop culture preferences between South Korean and international (especially Western) audiences, I spoke to David Tizzard, a professor at Seoul Women’s University who hosts the “Korea Deconstructed” podcast and regularly contributes to The Korea Times. He has a theory that makes a distinction between what he calls “K-culture” and “Korean culture.” “K-culture — anything with a ‘K ’— is primarily designed for export. It’s not designed for the domestic market; it’s designed with the taste of international people in mind,” he said. K-pop idol groups would probably be the quintessential example of this. “Squid Game,” which targeted the global market from the get-go, is another great example. In contrast, content that reflects “Korean culture,” according to Tizzard, is designed primarily for Korean audiences. Korean historical dramas and variety shows would probably fall in this category. Many of them are hugely popular with domestic audiences, and although some (such as the historical romance “The King’s Affection”) do well in other countries, they’re rarely expected to chart globally, since usually their primary aim is to inform and entertain Korean viewers. Moreover, this dichotomy between “K-culture” and “Korean culture” is probably being further reinforced by mainstream English-language news outlets, which tend to overemphasize certain K-pop idol acts over other kinds of Korean artists and show a predilection for covering only certain types of K-dramas. All that said, sometimes I wonder if I’m the one who’s selfishly and needlessly attempting to impose a narrow view of how Korean culture should be understood and interpreted. Pop culture is meant to be enjoyed and shared by everyone according to their own tastes. Perhaps that’s partly why Korean pop culture in particular has taken off across the globe — its elements are so diverse that there’s bound to be something for everyone. So if K-pop stans are crushing on and promoting the heck out of their favorite idols on Twitter and YouTube — so much so that media outlets are forced to pay attention — well, who am I to rain on their parade? And if Americans tend to enjoy violent K-dramas while most Koreans prefer more low key and family-friendly ones, like “Twenty Five Twenty One” or “Our Blues,” who am I to say who’s right and who’s wrong? In the end, I’d still much rather see people associate my motherland with idol K-pop and gory K-dramas than with, say, a certain dictator. Maybe those of us of Korean descent, who are observing this ever-expanding Korean Wave with a mixture of pride and bewildered amusement, should just learn to let go and enjoy the ride.
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After decades of negative associations with marginal or even criminal lifestyles, tattoos are having a cultural revival in the west. But for centuries, they were a mark of prestige in the east and among the peoples of the Pacific.Now the history of this ancient art is on display in the exhibition Tattoo: Art Under the Skin at the CaixaForum in Barcelona.The exhibition, a collaboration with the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris, offers a panorama of the art, from Japan and Polynesia to Thailand and Los Angeles.The Paris museum invited leading tattooists to reproduce their finest work on silicon replicas of body parts, some of which are in the exhibition.The word tattoo comes from the Polynesian tatau, meaning to hit or strike, and was possibly introduced into English via the explorer Captain James Cook.The colonists who came after Cook outlawed the practice, which they viewed as either decadent or barbaric, and incompatible with Christian virtue.A woman takes a photo of a man with facial tattoos at the exhibition. Photograph: Alejandro García/EPAIn the post-colonial era, however, Pacific nations have revived tattoos as an inherent part of their culture and identity, most recently with tā moko facial tattoos among Māori people in New Zealand.In Japan, tattooing had only ritual significance until the mid-18th century when ornamental tattoos became fashionable, reaching its apogee in the 19th century as the complete tattoo bodysuit.Japan’s yakuza gangsters take pride in elaborate tattoos that they conceal from the public. It appears they adopted the practice as a riposte to irezumi kei or the tattoo penalty, whereby convicted criminals were forced to wear visible tattoos, often on their faces, so that people would know what crime they had committed and where.Thai sak yant tattoos are traditionally associated with the sacred and divine and are believed to give the bearer immunity from illness and bullets.The geometric style was popularised in the 1990s by the actor Angelina Jolie. The same artist tattooed Brad Pitt with symbols designed to bind them as husband and wife, but the couple separated shortly afterwards.Sign up to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every weekday morning at 7amTattoos are now so common that Virgin Atlantic airline has had to lift its ban on cabin crew having visible tattoos. Tattoo: Arte Bajo la Piel is at CaixaForum until 28 August
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Sunset at Coronado Beach with breaking surf, San Diego, CA getty With its moderate climate and soft sand beaches with oh-so surfable waves, San Diego is a popular vacation destination for a reason. However, gone are the days when boardwalks and family-friendly attractions like the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld were the main attractions. Many cultural institutions have received recent upgrades and artsy enclaves are flourishing, making America's Finest City a great destination for arts and culture. The city's hotel landscape has also matured thanks to the renovations of beloved historic hotels and many stylish new additions, from downtown design properties to beachy retreats. Our best hotel picks are scattered through the county (San Diego County stretches from the U.S. Mexico border to San Clemente) from a genteel resort in a lush Rancho Santa Fe canyon to a buzzing downtown hotspot with multiple drinking and dining venues. Below, the best hotels in San Diego for SoCal-style indulging, which means plenty of health and wellness offerings to go along with the fabulous cocktails and cuisine. The Best Wellness Hotel: Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa The Best Hotel in the Gaslamp: The Pendry San Diego The Best Hotel in North County: Alila Marea Beach Resort The Best for Gourmands: The Fairmont Grand Del Mar The Best Newly Renovated Hotel: The Hotel del Coronado The Best Historic Preservation: The Guild Hotel, Tribute Portfolio The Most Glamorous: La Valencia The Most Transformational: Cal-a-Vie Health Spa The Best Location: InterContinental San Diego The Most Under-The-Radar: Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa The Best Hotels in San Diego
For The Wellness And Fitness Fanatic: Rancho Valencia Booking.com Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa Who Will Love It: Wellness lovers and athletic types who also love to indulge All-Star Amenities: Recently renovated spa; 14 Plexipave championship tennis courts; two heated swimming pools; secluded hacienda-style suites What Not To Miss: A class in the water-surrounded Serenity Yoga Pavilion; dinner and drinks in The Pony Room; fresh-squeezed orange juice delivered to your doorstep each morning There’s a change in the air the moment you pass through Rancho Valencia's gated entrance. The air is laced with the earthy, sweet scent of eucalyptus trees (the 45-acre property was once a Eucalyptus tree farm) and the low-slung hacienda-style architecture recalls old California. The resort's luxurious yet understated accommodations (12 villas and 49 casitas with sunken living rooms, fireplaces and vaulted ceilings and 600-thread-count linens) are scattered throughout the property landscaped with citrus trees and olive groves, and there is plenty to keep you happy and healthy. Book a treatment at the serene spa, like an anti-aging facial or a marine mineral wrap—or arrange a challenging lesson with a tennis pro. Rancho Valencia's tennis facilities are world-class; it regularly hosts events and tournaments like the Rafa Nadal Academy. The equestrian-themed Pony Room, which serves comforting dishes like lobster tacos and duck confit is just as popular with locals as hotel guests. forbes.comBooking.com Coupons | 15% Off In June 2022 | Forbes
Best In The Gaslamp: The Pendry San Diego Who Will Love It: Travelers who believe luxury is more of an experience than a thing All-Star Amenities: Rooftop pool; art gallery; a light-filled gym; a dog menu in Nason's Beer Hall What Not To Miss: The champagne vending machine in Provisional; king salmon sashimi at Lionfish; relaxing on the large white daybed by the pool San Diego's touristy Gaslamp Quarter hadn't done much to draw locals and more sophisticated travelers downtown with its kitschy boutiques and oversized bars and clubs, so the Pendry San Diego was a welcome addition when it opened in 2017. The proper downtown hotel has multiple bars and restaurants including a beer hall and the sustainable seafood restaurant Lionfish, as well as an art gallery and a rooftop pool. The contemporary hotel's design is also something to admire with its brick and plaster façade and cinematic common spaces like a black and white lobby with a chesterfield sofa and a modern fireplace. It's the type of big city space where you will be just as happy to sip coffee at the espresso bar in the morning as tucking into Aperitivo Hour in the early evening. While there is certainly a dash of New York’s Upper East Side, California surf culture has also been incorporated in the 317 guest rooms where whimsical wallpaper features surfers, rabbits and palm trees and black and white surf photography decorates the walls. And if nightlife is still the main reason you want to stay in the Gaslamp, the Pendry has you covered with the posh Oxford Social Club which sways more speakeasy than loud nightclub. Best In North County: Alila Marea Who Will Love It: Surfers and scenesters who appreciate laid-back luxury All-Star Amenities: An ocean view pool and infinity edge whirlpool; a coastal California-inspired spa; a hotel guest-only cocktail bar called The Pocket; Electra Go! Bikes; beach concierge What Not To Miss: The daily wellness activity like a beach run or lagoon hike; surf lessons; a day relaxing at Ponto Beach While San Diego is known for its coastline, not many of the city's best hotels enjoy direct beach access. The new Alila Marea is one of the delightful exceptions. The hotel sits on a cliff in the laid-back surf town of Encinitas and has direct access to Ponto Beach. The hotel perfectly bridges the gap between coastal cool (a permanent collection of artwork by famed surf photographer Aaron Chang and surf-inspired lounge) and chic design hotel. An environmentally conscious property, natural materials like stone and driftwood have been used wherever possible and linens are crafted from sustainable beechwood fibers. The resort's 130 rooms and suites invite guests to soak in the coastal scene through easy outdoor access—most have balconies or patios with fire pits and views of the Batiquitos Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean. The hotel's VAGA restaurant is helmed by one of San Diego's best chefs, Claudette Zepeda, whose Mexican and Asian-influenced menu perfectly complements the warm breezes and rosy sunsets that can be seen from the dining room and patio each evening. For Gourmands: Fairmont Grand Del Mar Who Will Love It: Those who appreciate over-the-top luxury All-Star Amenities: Four swimming pools; golf course; equestrian center What Not To Miss: The tasting menu at Addison; a hike to a waterfall; the spa's free-floating bed The 249-room Fairmont Grand Del Mar's architecture (graceful arches, red tiles roof) is inspired by the Mediterranean and the resort captures a visit to Europe in more ways than one. The resort's Addison restaurant is named for architect Addison Mizner who was influenced by the decorative arts of Spain, Portugal and Venice. In San Diego's only Michelin-two-star kitchen, Chef William Bradley crafts refined cuisine using seasonal ingredients and French techniques such as sake cured kampachi and coffee-roasted canard with koshihikari rice and candied peanuts. The dramatic dining room sports Venetian plaster walls and four limestone fireplaces. But there is much more to experience than fine dining: a Tom Fazio-designed golf course, horseback riding on the property’s 400 acres and a top-notch spa where indulgent treatments like a Dead Sea salt body scrub will leave you feeling rejuvenated. The inland location (the resort is five miles from the Pacific Ocean in the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve) means there is plenty of SoCal sunshine to soak up at the four palm tree-fringed pools. Best Renovation: Hotel del Coronado Who Will Love It: Families and couples who appreciate history and plenty of activities All-Star Amenities: Large guest rooms in styles ranging from coastal modern to classic; spa and salon; seven bars and restaurants What Not To Miss: Bonfires on the beach; a cocktail on the hotel's restored front porch; beach yoga; the raw bar at Serea Built in the late 1800s, the Hotel del Coronado, which was featured in the Marilyn Monroe flick, 'Some Like it Hot,' is one of San Diego's most iconic buildings. A nearly completed $400 million renovation and expansion that included refreshing guest rooms and public spaces means it is no longer a relic of the past. A big component of the project has been creating five distinct "neighborhoods" including the original 1888 hotel known as The Victorian, the more modern Cabanas neighborhood—where guest rooms feature nautical décor and sunburst mirrors—and the soon-to-open Shore House. The most luxurious accommodation option at the Del will have 75 luxurious seaside one-, two- and three-bedroom residences. Other upgrades include the refurbished lobby in the Victorian with intricate woodwork and a wall of green tasseled room keys, the Babcock & Story Bar where guests and visitors can sip a dirty martini at the original 50-foot-long mahogany bar and more family-friendly programming. The immersive Ocean Explorers program for kids ages 5-12, movies on the beach during the summer months, fire pits for roasting marshmallows and an oceanfront ice skating rink during the holidays are just a few reasons why everyone will have a good time at the Del. Best Historic Preservation: The Guild Hotel Who Will Love It: Design connoisseurs All-Star Amenities: Urban garden and courtyard; historic ballroom for events; fitness center What Not To Miss: A prohibition-era cocktail at the Guild Bar; rooftop garden penthouse suite if you can swing it Open in 2019, The Guild Hotel won an Orchid Award for preserving the historic architecture of the 1920s Army-Navy YMCA in downtown San Diego. The façade's intricate terracotta and iron detailing is something to behold. The beauty of the hotel is the way it balances the historic architecture with more modern but sumptuous interiors. Up-and-coming Swedish designer Sormeh Rienne gave the lobby a hand-torched herringbone floor, fluted burgundy reception desk and luminous bar with quartzite counters for a timeless yet modern aesthetic. In fact, it's easy to forget you're in San Diego in the confines of the Guild; the courtyard restaurant features black and white umbrellas and olive trees, while the guest rooms channel a Parisian pied-à-terre with floor-to-ceiling arched windows and velvet drapes. We also love the chic yet practical custom beds with built-in drawers. Most Glamorous: La Valencia Who Will Love It: People who love celebrity and dignitary spotting and who appreciate the Old World All-Star Amenities: Cocktail butler; original art and mosaics; ocean view outdoor pool What Not To Miss: A Gilded Icon cocktail at the Klein Blue outdoor bar; shopping and gallery hopping in La Jolla Village La Jolla's "pink palace" was a getaway for actors during Hollywood's Golden Age, and the nearly 100-year-old hotel remains one of San Diego's most glamorous getaways. The Spanish Revival-style building with an 11-story tiled tower and hand painted ceilings are very regal indeed. The hotel is on Prospect St. in upscale La Jolla, where affluent residents regularly cruise by in fancy sports cars. The Mediterranean Room restaurant has a new menu celebrating ingredients from land and sea such as clams and Guanciale with grilled bread and lamb sugo with pistachio and pappardelle. Patio Sol's has an outdoor bar, communal seating and weekly live music. The Whaling Bar, which was a favorite watering whole of famed La Jolla residents like Theodor Geisel (author of Dr. Seuss) and novelist Raymond Chandler but shuttered about a decade ago is slated to make a return before the end of the year. Most Transformational: Cal-a-Vie Health Spa Who Will Love It: Wellness seekers who don't want to feel deprived All-Star Amenities: Pickleball courts; 18-hole golf course; an antique store exclusively available to guests What Not To Miss: Mind-body awareness programs; the CBD-infused Cafe Noir Slimming Wrap Just north of San Diego in Vista, Cal-a-Vie is a cutting edge wellness retreat, but the property's Francophile owners would rather guests feel they've been transported to the South of France. They even imported a 400-year-old chapel, parsonage and l'orangerie from Dijon, France and planted the destination spa's 500 acres with fields of fragrant lavender, citrus groves and vineyards. Many Cal-a-Vie treatments go way beyond massages and facials. Guests can get wellness injections and try out Feldenkrais, a movement discipline that can help with pain relief. Cal-a-Vie offers three-, four- and seven-night spa vacation packages, including gourmet cuisine, fitness classes, beauty and spa treatments and accommodations in 32 private villas furnished with comfortable beds and French antiques. Best Location and Views: InterContinental San Diego COURTESY Intercontinental San Diego Who Will Love It: Traditional travelers who want a one stop shop hotel in a great location All-Star Amenities: Expert concierge services; guest rooms with daybed, walk-in showers and cushy robes and slippers What Not To Miss: Baja blue crab at Garibaldi; plenty of pool time; a concert at the nearby Rady Shell at Jacobs Park With the addition of more public parks, better restaurants and shopping, the San Diego Waterfront has gone from kitschy to cool in the last decade. A stay at the InterContinental San Diego puts you in the middle of the action, plus it's walking distance to the Gaslamp, Little Italy and the recently renovated Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. The 3rd floor lobby makes it clear what the hotel's other biggest perk is: natural light. The lobby and the signature restaurant overlook the nearby USS Midway and San Diego Bay. Guest rooms in the rectangular glass tower have floor-to-ceiling windows, modern furniture and bay views. The swimming pool and bar on the 4th floor open-air deck also has unobstructed views of the waterfront and feels like a continuation of the bay. Whether you're dining on surf and turf at the ground floor Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse or sipping an Aperol spritz at the rooftop bar and restaurant, Garibaldi, you will feel immersed in the San Diego scene. Most Under-The-Radar: Estancia La Jolla COURTESY Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa Who Will Love It: Couples and travelers who like privacy, quiet and pampering All-Star Amenities: Expansive spa with nine treatment rooms; two restaurants; pool and poolside bar What Not To Miss: Art installations; eucalyptus steam room; meditation garden At the end of a terracotta brick-lined private drive, Estancia La Jolla feels like a secret garden. The hacienda-style resort sits on ten lush acres across from the UCSD campus. The grounds feature babbling fountains and manicured lawns where weekly aroma flow yoga classes help you tap into the Southern California lifestyle. Everything about Estancia La Jolla is luxurious yet understated, including the slouchy striped chairs next to the saltwater pool to the Moët & Chandon bike cart. Don't miss out on sipping champagne next to a fire pit at golden hour. Stone paths lead to 210 casually elegant garden guest rooms and suites decorated with warm colors and cozy furniture like wingback chairs. The 7,000-square-foot spa is one of San Diego's most relaxing. Book the couples bungalow for side-by-side massages and time in an outdoor soaking tub for a romantic weekend.
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The tiny state of Kuwait, an emirate located at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, is a land of extremes. Summer temperatures are among the hottest in the world—only Death Valley has exceeded the local record—annual rainfall ranks near the bottom, and freshwater is scarce. Less than one percent of the desert landscape is arable, but the sands hold the seventh largest national oil reserves, the source of Kuwait’s immense wealth. As with the other oil-rich nations in the gulf region, petrodollars have given rise to a culture of conspicuous consumption.Gabriele Cecconi was struck by the contrast within what he viewed as a conservative culture when he first visited Kuwait in 2019. The Italian photographer had been covering the environmental effect of stateless Rohingya refugees on Bangladesh, and he was drawn to cover the plight of Kuwait’s own stateless Bidoon people, but ultimately the project took a turn. “In Bangladesh my work was about the impact of people in an extreme situation on the environment,” he says. “In Kuwait I wanted to investigate the psychological impact of an extreme environment on people.”Kuwait’s modern prosperity had humble beginnings. Before its oil fields were discovered in the 1930s, pearls were a major export and the area was home to seaport traders, fishermen, and nomads. The energy industry and closer ties with the West, particularly after liberation during the Gulf War in 1991, gradually imported foreign values along with affluence. Today, Kuwait’s approximately 1.3 million citizens live a luxurious lifestyle, supported by a service industry that employs more than three million low-wage foreign workers. In his photography Cecconi sees a mismatch between materialism and religious tradition. “Extreme consumerism is a form of compensation for the inner tensions,” he says. “Our capitalist system says if you buy things you’ll feel better. It happens to every one of us. The difference is that they have the money to do anything they want.” For some that could be a Ferrari or even building a private replica of the Roman Colosseum. Cecconi, who spent four months photographing the country in 2019 and 2020, is careful to say that Kuwaitis shouldn’t be singled out. Regarding the poorly treated foreign workforce, he says, “as an outsider it’s very easy to judge. Then one day I realized there are hundreds of thousands of black-market migrant workers in Italy, and they work for people like me. But they are invisible. In this country, they are visible.”“It was like I saw myself, I saw my own country, revealed,” he remembers. “Everything is more clear.”This story was originally published in National Geographic's German edition.Gabriele Cecconi is an Italian documentary photographer. Follow him on Instagram.
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The Gullah Geechee people make up one of the oldest and most extraordinary communities in the United States. But if you’ve never heard of them, it might be because their history is often sifted out of textbooks, and the longevity of their culture is now in danger. This distinctly African American community began on the eastern coastal islands — spanning from Florida all the way up to North Carolina in the 1600s. Slaves, mostly from West Africa, lived in complete isolation from the continental United States, separated by rivers, swamps and waterways that weren’t easy to cross. “That created an environment for us to create our own culture, outside of when white American culture developed,” said Akua Page, a Gullah Geechee tour guide, entrepreneur and content creator from Charleston, South Carolina. Gullah Geechee tour guide, entrepreneur and content creator Akua Page.Stay Tuned/NBC NewsThe Gullah Geechee people held on to stories, religious practices, farming methods, recipes and even formed their own language, separate from that of colonial Americans on the mainland. But now, the language, and culture, face a new threat. “Gullah is now considered an endangered language, because my generation and younger — you’re not going to find us fluent in speaking actual Gullah,” Page, 28, said. A 2005 environmental impact statement estimated there were 200,000 Gullah Gechee people in the southeast region of the U.S That number has likely shifted as the community continues to spread. There are large concentrations of Gullah Geechee people in cities like Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; and Charleston — which are close to the isolated islands where the culture was created. However, there is no official data on how many people currently speak Gullah. When anti-literacy laws were lifted, allowing Black populations to learn how to read, write and attend schools for the first time, Page said, “a lot of people were being beaten that were speaking Gullah. So that historical trauma transferred over.” Page turned to social media to share Gullah stories with younger audiences. She’s had success, with more than 55,000 followers and 700,000 likes on her TikTok, and more than 440,000 views on her YouTube channel. Viewers can find videos about traditional healing practices, such as how elders in their community put Spanish moss in their shoes to lower their blood pressure, and used elderberry tea to ease inflammation. Akua Page turned to social media to tell Gullah stories, creating the popular @geecheegoddess TikTok account and a YouTube channel.@geecheegoddess via TikTokPage also explains the origins of the Gullah Geechee community and the disparities that her community faces, including not having access to the same high-quality rice that its ancestors cultivated centuries ago. Aside from the history lessons, Page offers several videos on Gullah translations and slang that are used in the Gullah Geechee community. The feedback on these videos has been mostly positive, with many people writing in the comments that they’ve either never heard of Gullah Geechee culture, or they're interested in connecting more with their own ancestral roots in the community.“I love TikTok. It has been so instrumental in the work I’m doing,” Page said. Her goal is to pass the torch, so that her culture, which has survived for hundreds of years, can keep going. Although she’s now equipped with deep historical knowledge of her people, Page grew up in the foster system in South Carolina and wasn’t always with other Gullah Geechee community members. That made it challenging for her to understand her identity. She spent time at the Jenkins Institute, which was founded by a Gullah Geechee, the Rev. Daniel Jenkins, in 1891 (one of its early locations, in the landmarked Old Marine Hospital in Charleston, still stands today). “I was exposed to it my whole life, but nobody really sat me down and was like, 'Girl, you’re Gullah Geechee,’” Page said. Although it wasn’t clear to Page, her accent, vocabulary and mannerisms stuck out among her peers. “People are uneducated about the linguistic diversity of America, so when I came around to certain folks they just thought what I was speaking was broken or bad English. So I would get bullied a lot,” Page said. A historic sign for the Jenkins Orphanage, now called the Jenkins Institute, in Charleston, S.C.Stay Tuned/NBC News“Now I’m an advocate for Black kids in foster care,” Page said, “I feel like I needed to experience that in order to lead me on this path and connect with my ancestors.” But her concerns about the future of the Gullah Geechee community remain top of mind.“In the work I’m doing, I’ve seen a lot of elders who are so passionate and enthusiastic about it,” she said, “I’m one person, you know, so I can’t do it all.”Page says there is a pride and purpose in all the education that she does, especially in breaking things down in bite size pieces on social media. That pride is something she thinks about a lot around Juneteenth. Many people use the day to reflect on freedom, as it commemorates the day in 1865 when slaves in Texas were notified of their freedom, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. “Our liberation is by knowing where we come from. ... I can tell just by the rice culture that we have down here and connecting back into Western and Central Africa and how we’ve been growing and cultivating that for eons,” she said, “We liberate ourselves by taking ownership.”Page’s tours make their way to Riverfront Park, where visitors are given scenic views of the Cooper River, which is often speckled with people testing their fishing lines out on the docks. She ends her tours at a site called the Dead House, located right next to the river. Historians say this brick building is likely the oldest structure standing in Charleston, but local residents speculate over whether anyone was ever killed at the site. Page notes that the land it sits on used to be part of an active plantation, and that the name is likely connected to that time period. At the end of the tours, “we pour libation for the lives that were lost during slavery in Charleston,” Page said.The homage is not just for “ancestors” known and unknown “who perished during he slave trade,” Page said, but also for “people who perish now, just dealing with racism and violence, but especially acknowledging those who experienced slavery and the names that people don’t really call out and have been forgotten.” Akua Page and Maya Eaglin pour libations in front of the Dead House in Charleston, S.C.Stay Tuned/NBC NewsPage asks tour guests to read some of their names out loud, and to pour out a bit of water with each name. She says ashe after each one, which holds a similar meaning to amen. “I feel like it’s our duty to tell our ancestors’ story, you know, we shouldn’t want somebody else to tell our ancestors' story,” Page said, “Going back to that African proverb, ‘Until the lioness tells their tale, the story of the hunt is always going to glorify the hunter.’ So I feel like you know, I’m that lioness. I’m gonna tell the story of my ancestors.” Follow NBCBLK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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TravelPlanet PossibleForaging is a cultural tradition in this region but plucking salty-sweet gooseneck barnacles risks their disappearance. Here’s what to do instead.Rough waves slam into the slippery rocks of Barview Jetty, an aging, gnarly outcropping marking the narrow entrance to Oregon’s Tillamook Bay. By twilight, the storm and a king tide subside, revealing what resemble the toes of a secret sleeping dragon sticking out from the rocks just north of the jetty.These black-and-white “toes” are gooseneck barnacles, a delicacy with a unique flavor, like clams and lobsters with a wave of sea-salted sweetness. They can demand as much as $100 per pound in Europe, where top restaurants serve them grilled, in escabeche, or smoked over oak. Here, along this sparsely populated coast, the crustacean embodies the region’s merroir, or “taste of a place,” and are free to take for anyone with a $28 shellfishing permit.But local forager Kristen Penner prefers you don’t. Although their habitat among crashing waves seems to indicate their indestructibility, gooseneck barnacles are actually quite fragile. They require specific conditions and rarely regrow where large patches have been harvested. Even careful plucking could lead to shrinking populations, robbing the shoreline of one of its natural treasures.That’s why Penner—one of only four people with a state commercial harvesting license—made the painful decision last summer to stop gathering them for area restaurants. “There’s a fine line between wanting people to experience the flavor and making sure that it doesn’t get destroyed,” she says.Connecting with the coastGooseneck barnacles, or percebes in Spanish (pronounced “per-SEH-bez”), grow as far north as Alaska and all the way south to Baja California in Mexico. But they are illegal to gather in California, and neither Alaska nor Washington have established commercial fisheries. One didn’t exist in Oregon when Penner first started selling them.Back then, she cold-called restaurants in Portland and slowly built a business of small orders from curious chefs. “The ones that really did care, it was really fun to have that connection, and to have that reason to come out and find percebes,” she says.Chef Maylin Chavez was one of those chefs, whose Olympia Oyster Bar in Portland, Oregon, opened in 2014 and has since closed. When Penner mentioned percebes, Chavez recalls her excitement. “I was always looking for things I grew up with,” she says. “In Baja, we ate them by the bowlful.”“My grandfather and I would stroll down the beach and pick up lunch,” Chavez says. They gathered Pismo and chocolate clams, mussels, along with percebes as they strolled the sand in Salinas, then sat down for picnics, shucking the shellfish with a little old knife and dressing them with hot sauce and limes.“Growing up in that environment, that’s what we ate. It’s definitely part of why I do what I do,” adds Chavez, who even has a dog named Percy, short for Percebes.Penner dreams of locals and visitors having that kind of relationship with the shellfish along the coast near Garibaldi. “It’s a whole process of being in the environment. The journey to go and harvest, then bringing it home and being able to eat something,” she says.(Urban foraging is the new way to explore a city.)A hard truthAs restaurants closed at the beginning of the pandemic, Penner began researching the region’s food systems and came to a devastating realization about the barnacles: “I don’t think there’s any way that if they were [commercialized], that they could be sustainable,” she says. “It’s great to have a little special something like this, but I’m not going to inspire overconsumption of a resource, of something that feels precious.” So, she stopped harvesting them.The barnacles thrive in textured surfaces and aerated water—like the aggressive waves smashing into the rocky intertidal spaces around Tillamook Bay. Amid the tumult, they stick tightly, particularly on rough algae, mussels, and smaller barnacles, minimizing competition for space with anemones, sea stars, and soft algae that can’t survive the harsh waves. But over-harvested sections smooth that rough surface, rarely sprouting more percebes.Julia Bingham, who researched the barnacles as an undergraduate and graduate student at Oregon State University, confirms Penner’s fears. She concluded that of Oregon’s billion adult goosenecks, only about 2 percent were large enough to harvest—about 275 tons. “Not enough for a large-scale commercial harvest,” she says.(Decades of overfishing threaten the world’s oceans. Here’s what to know.)However, Bingham is more optimistic than Penner. She believes that Oregon’s barnacle population could support small-scale individual or recreational harvests in the spirit of the slow-food movement—so long as it’s done the right way. Therein lies the rub: “We don’t know enough about the right way to harvest to make sure they return quickly,” says Bingham. Recreational harvesters are of particular concern for Penner, precisely because “they don’t really know how [to harvest the barnacles],” Penner says, noting growing interest.“In Oceanside, there’s places that were covered in percebes when I first started coming here,” she remembers. Since then, she says, “There has been little cooking shows, and chefs go out, and go ‘Ooh, check out the gooseneck barnacles on the Oregon Coast!’ and within a few years, there’s none left. And they are not going to come back.”Both Penner and Bingham agree that harvesting intertidal species can be an important aspect of engaging with the environment around us. Penner hopes that the barnacles can draw people to the region for coastal exploration, while serving as a cautionary tale of what the area stands to lose if visitors don’t explore and forage responsibly.Continuing a traditionHarvesting from the land has always been an essential part of the Oregon Coast. People from a mix of generations, speaking an assortment of languages, cast net pots into the sea from Garibaldi Pier and dig for clams on the tideflats below. “I saw how many other people came down here religiously to harvest these foods,” says Penner. “There’s just such a deep connection.”(Your love for fresh oysters can help the planet.)These days, Penner shows people tasty bits from the bay: the tiny wild mussels that grow among the percebes and the butter clams that many locals consider bait, although the latter has at least one fan.“What do you mean, bait?” scoffs Chavez, who features the clams and other species rarely considered restaurant worthy at her pop-up, Nacar, highlighting the region’s merroir (a neologism from French mer, or “sea,” and terroir). “There’s so much bounty that is underutilized.”Penner agrees, adding that a key catalyst to helping people appreciate the region’s natural treasures includes locals like Chavez, who are finding new ways to use what has long been considered unusable. “There’s an untapped potential,” says Penner, noting that visitors should take the chance to embrace and respect the entire ecosystem that makes up a destination. “It’s a pretty amazing opportunity that we all have.”Naomi Tomky is an award-winning writer based in Seattle, Washington, who covers the intersection of food, culture, and travel. She is the author of The Pacific Northwest Seafood Cookbook. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.
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The Inca Empire was a marvel of its time. The rulers managed to conquer territory from Colombia to Argentina and Chile, spanning the mountain ranges, coastlines, jungles and plains of six modern day countries. It produced grand achievements, such as the mountaintop city of Machu Picchu, and vastly improved the continental Inca Road system. But the Inca Empire wasn’t around for that long compared to some of the preceding Andean civilizations, like the Wari or Chimú. The Inca Empire only lasted from roughly 1450 to when the Spanish arrived in 1532. Whereas the Wari lasted from roughly A.D. 500 to A.D. 1000. The Chimú civilization spanned from about A.D. 900 until the Inca conquered them in 1470, and the Tiwanaku civilization lasted for even longer. But do the Inca still exist today? The question isn’t as simple as it sounds, and it depends on how you define the Inca. Cultural AppropriationPart of the colonial invasion of the Americas led to decoupling the achievements of classic-era Maya, Aztec or Inca with modern Indigenous people that directly descended from them. “There’s an expression ‘Inca yes, Indians no,’” Giancarlo Marcone Flores, an anthropologist at the University of Engineering and Technology in Peru, tells Discover Magazine. The division between European-descended people and Indigenous Americans has become a little more complex in some countries than it was in the initial years. This includes after the 16th century conquest of the Inca and notwithstanding the suppressed 18th century Túpac Amaru II rebellion.Politicians and institutions sometimes used the glories of the past empires of the Inca, Aztec or Maya to form a new brand of nationalism after countries won their independence from Spain. In Peru and Bolivia, this meant many people who were mostly European-descended became proud of the achievements of the Inca. And they simultaneously disregarded the ongoing issues that the legacy of colonialism to the Inca’s descendants caused. “The way that we Peruvians built a white criollo nation in a mostly indigenous-populated country, was to imagine ourselves neither European or Indigenous,” Marcone Flores says. “So, we claim to be heirs of the Inca Empire, the rightful guardians of this amazing civilization.”He says that this identity sometimes results in feeling pride for the Inca, while discriminating against modern Quechua-speakers. They view what happened in the Spanish invasion as a sort of “reboot,” even though the Europeans incorporated many elements of the Inca Empire into their own governance of the area. “We study and care for the Incas, but we made invisible the local native populations from this official history,” he says. “In this narrative of Peruvian nation, the original people become a brutish race as result of centuries of dominance by Spaniards, epidemics [and] coca leaf use,” he continues. And while things are improving to some degree, many Peruvians still say, “These are not the same people. These are a watered-down version.”Who Were the Inca?Disregarding the heritage of modern Andean people doesn’t mean that the descendants living in old Inca capitals, like Cusco or Cuenca, today are Inca themselves, though. The reason is, the Inca were more of a political entity than an ethnicity, Marcone Flores says. The Inca was an amalgamation of several different cultures that joined together through treaty or conquest like the Chimú and Chachapoya. Even in the times of the empire, people that lived in the highlands of Piura, roughly 1,000,000 meters (1,000 kilometers) from the capital at Cusco, never would have called themselves Inca. Instead, they would call themselves their own indigenous ethnicity, he adds. Even though the Inca lacked writing systems, like what the Aztec and Maya used, historical documents recorded many of their workings and culture. Absent in the Andes and before the Europeans came, the Inca used a communication system that employed a complex series of strings and knots called quipu that modern scholars have yet to decode.The official language of the empire was Quechua. It was a lingua franca that the Inca Empire used for official correspondence after conquest. The Spanish used it to communicate with Indigenous people. But even Quechua has several different dialects, including the Quichua spoken in the Quito area today. Since the Inca Empire spoke other languages, including today the Aymara, Chachapoya (or Puquina) and Mochica, it’s clear that the Inca were never just one heterogenous culture. Since it was mostly a political structure, Marcone Flores says that the Inca no longer exist today any more than the Wari or Tiwanaku civilizations that preceded them. “It’s not really the Incas, it’s more like the Andean people,” he says.Ongoing LegacyThe Inca Road system and the quipu recording devices predated the forming of the empire, but the Inca vastly expanded their use and importance. Marcone Flores says that nobody started from zero — even the Spanish invaders used the Inca Road and built upon the bases of Incan structures in cities like Cusco. Regardless, the many systems that the Inca Empire expanded or upheld still exist today. Whether it’s the stretches of the Inca Road, which were converted into modern highways, or the rope bridges still upheld in some Andean communities. “The [elements of the Inca Empire] that survive are the ones that keep having local meaning,” Marcone Flores says. “It’s about the people that wake up every day and go and plow their land.”
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Rarely has art been so pertinent to real life. When Lithuania’s second city kicked off its E.U. Capital of Culture program in January, it looked like an underrated destination getting some time in the spotlight. But then Russia invaded Ukraine, and suddenly Kaunas’ shining moment seemed frighteningly timely. The yearlong cultural program explores the city’s turbulent history—under Nazi occupation in World War II, and later as an unwilling part of the Soviet Union—through exhibitions by the likes of Marina Abramovic, William Kentridge, and Yoko Ono. Kaunas has turned that spotlight onto current events with its innovative CulturEUkraine initiative, which provides a space—in the former Central Post Office, a historic city landmark—for Ukrainian artists and entrepreneurs to create new projects and kick-start new businesses, including an artist-in-residence program. Stay at the superhip and modern Moxy Kaunas Center, which opened in the run-up to Capital of Culture just 500 yards from the Central Post Office. Contact us at letters@time.com.
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In a north Lisbon neighbourhood, between Sporting’s football stadium and the campus sprawl of Universidade de Lisboa, is a garden. From the outside it seems discreet, but once you are inside, it is wild. A fountain is filled with lurid green frogs, snakes climb the walls, a giant wasp and alligator perch on hedges, crabs stretch out and a swan sticks its beak into the mouth of a dog.This is Jardim Bordallo Pinheiro and the animals are the work of Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro, artist, ceramicist and titan of 19th-century Portuguese culture. He launched his factory, Fábrica de Faianças das Caldas, in 1884, creating decorative and utilitarian tableware and wider ceramic pieces, colourful and gaudy, approaching folk art, using glazed earthenware that was cheap to mass produce.At the garden, which opened in 2010, you get the essence of Portuguese maximalism. The fake fauna and flora by Pinheiro are extravagant, kitsch and beautiful, but almost overwhelming. Their exaggerated detail is humorous, if unsettling – Pinheiro was also a caricaturist. The pieces are nestled among the verdant greens of living shrubs and a pride of real-life peacocks, adding to a sensory overload.The style of Bordallo Pinheiro has enjoyed a revival in the past two decades. Its traditional homeware, with patterned plates and crockery in the shape of fruit and vegetables, has always had a dusty place in Portuguese homes. But recently its cabbage plates and bowls have been popping up in the UK, in craft stores, boutiques, large chains and department stores.Ceramics at A Vida Portuguesa and a Bordalla Pinheiro cabbage.Among the muted greige of understated Scandinavian design at lifestyle brand Arket, the cabbage crockery offers a playful alternative, beside the wild flower bowls of the closely related brand San Raphael. It’s quite the turnaround for a design that was once seen as dowdy and tacky and it reflects a wider appetite in the UK for Portuguese design, lifestyle products, food and wine. You can’t move for coffee shops selling pastéis de nata of varying quality, while vinho verde is everywhere. There are, of course, plenty of older Portuguese delis, cafes and pastelarias around the UK, particularly in south London. In west London, the Lisboa Patisserie and Café O’Porto eye each other from opposite sides of Golborne Road.But Olga Cruchino and Dina Martins – who were childhood friends in Portugal and are now a couple – are part of a new wave of Portuguese immigrants bringing food and ceramics to the UK. They have been running their shop and cafe, A Portuguese Love Affair, on and around Columbia Road in east London since 2013 and wanted to do something slightly different. They focused on Portuguese products, taking in design pieces, but also perfumery, soaps, tinned fish and wine. Today, homeware brands such as Costa Nova, Casa Cubista and Vista Alegre are gaining broader international attention but the Pinheiro ceramics laid the groundwork.Sensory overload … painters work beside a big ceramic lizard at Fábrica de Faianças das Caldas. Photograph: Patrícia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images“At the beginning, I heard comments such as: ‘This is hideous,’” Cruchino says. “People would come to me rudely and say: ‘Why do you have this? This is horrible.’” But gradually, tastes changed. Once Monocle magazine showed an interest, other magazines began borrowing pieces from the shop for shoots. “All of a sudden we felt a real increase in the acceptance and the love for Portuguese design. It was from nil to a lot.” Cruchino and Martins were inspired, in part, by the journalist turned entrepreneur Catarina Portas. If you have ever picked up a Pinheiro cabbage plate, Ach Brito and Claus Porto toiletries, Emílio Braga notebooks, Couto toothpaste or even the designs of new Portuguese makers, it’s likely that she is responsible.Sardines and soap on sale at A Vida Portuguesa. Composite: NoneBy the end of the 90s, the Pinheiro designs had all but disappeared. Then, in the early 2000s, Portas was researching a book about life during the António de Oliveira Salazar dictatorship, which led her to look at everyday products and their manufacturers. During the dictatorship, which lasted until 1974, the country remained relatively isolated, and so household items were produced locally. But once the country opened itself to the outside world, people turned to international products. The tableware, textiles and cosmetics of local companies seemed a vestige of an older, darker time. Many of these older manufacturers were in the doldrums but Portas persuaded several to give her some stock, which she displayed in themed boxes at museums and concept stores. Interest blossomed and by 2007 she had transformed the idea into a larger brand and shop, A Vida Portuguesa (the Portuguese Life), using an old perfume factory warehouse in the Chiado neighbourhood of Lisbon that she restored, maintaining its counters and wooden shelves. At the time most shop owners were modernising, but Portas wanted to show that “it’s possible to keep all these old interiors and [have] a very innovative shop”.“I just picked something that was there,” says Portas. “Because everything was ready, it was by chance it was me. It attracted all kinds of people. The younger people that didn’t know these products and also older people. People from the left, people from the right. It was so funny. It was like a shop full of Proust madeleines [with memories unlocked by the products]. I wanted to put a camera for people to tell their stories but I didn’t have time.”Catarina Portas: ‘I started my business in the library and not in the bank.’ Photograph: Augusto BrazioShe also never got time to write her book, but she adds: “I used to say that I started my business in the library and not in the bank.”Portas’s ability seemed to be not simply in relying on nostalgia, but spotting the value in overlooked things. “It was never about nostalgia. It is about identity, which is completely different. Because identity looks to the future. And I think the past is full of interesting solutions for the future.”The Jardim Bordallo Pinheiro was another Portas initiative, in collaboration with the artist Joana Vasconcelos. And in 2009, Portas and a friend fixated on the old kiosks dotted around Lisbon; some were operating as tobacconists but most lay in disrepair. They persuaded city officials to let them run a cluster, reviving them as cafe-bars specialising in traditional Portuguese soft drinks and juices. After a few years they stepped away, but the point was proved and, with the city’s help, a growing network of kiosks or quiosques has sprouted up.By the end of the 2010s, A Vida Portuguesa had five shops; the pandemic forced them to permanently close one Lisbon space and the Porto branch. However, in late 2021, another initiative was launched with the Depozito shop, also in Lisbon. Run in conjunction with the Portugal Manual network of artisans, the shop is split between traditional craft products and new designers.Nuno Mendes: ‘I’m trying to showcase Portugal.’ Photograph: Eleonora BoscarelliPortas has fielded many requests to extend the brand across the country and internationally. In the past, she has helped Labour and Wait (a store in London) to bring products to the UK, while A Portuguese Love Affair was born partly in her image. But she has resisted further expansion, happier for others to grab the baton.Cruchino and Martins also cite London-based chefs Nuno Mendes and Leandro Carreira as inspirations in pushing a modern Portuguese sensibility. In March, Mendes opened Lisboeta on Charlotte Street in central London. The restaurant is an extension of his 2017 book of recipes and reminiscences, also called Lisboeta (meaning someone from Lisbon). It’s a love letter to his home city and a culmination of his London years, which has included the restaurants Viajante and the Chiltern Firehouse, his own Taberna do Mercado and the experimental Mãos.In his youth, Mendes tried to distance himself from Portugal. In the early 90s he was involved in Lisbon’s punk scene, where he says he lost friends to drugs and suicide. The economy was in a bad way and there were few opportunities.Plates at Lisboeta. Photograph: Milo Brown“Looking at Lisbon as a city of light, you really could see how much dimmer it was,” he says. “There were all these beautiful buildings derelict and abandoned, and a lot of young people were gone.“I was part of the problem because I also left,” he adds. In 1992, at 19, he started studying and travelling and saw the connection to Portuguese cuisine in former colonies and in places with historic trading links. While cooking in a restaurant in California, a conversation with the head chef led to an epiphany of sorts. The chef assumed Mendes was Spanish and could barely recognise any distinction between the two countries. Spanish cuisine was in vogue, while Portuguese tourism focused on what they assumed visitors wanted – Italian, Spanish or Indian food.In 2005, he settled in London. “I battled for many years with the idea of going back to Portugal,” he says, “but at some point I almost felt like my work is more valuable outside.” At Lisboeta, Mendes offers a slightly more relaxed vision of his often adventurous take on Portuguese cooking.The design was carried out by Mendes’s friend, the architect João Guedes Ramos, who has a practice, Pencilmen, in London and Lisbon. Their aim was to gently draw inspiration from Lisbon. On the ground floor, the limestone counter and dark wood cabinets recall old pharmacies; the multipatterned floor nods to industrial tiling and street paving; the green of the central stairs is one of Lisbon’s official colours. A wall in the upstairs dining room is filled with art from the Feira da Ladra flea market. Out front, on a small terrace, are some Gonçalo chairs, a classic of mid 20th-century Portuguese industrial design. “I’m trying to showcase Portugal,” says Mendes. “To speak about the culture, speak about the food. I’m trying to learn and whatever I find I share.”Lisboeta … a love letter to Lisbon. Photograph: Milo BrownPortas is surprised by how far and wide what was initially a small research project has gone. She tells a story of seeing an episode of a Brazilian show on Portuguese TV some years ago that landed on a familiar plot point. “At the end [of the episode] there was a couple of young people, and they say to each other: ‘We are going to England.’ ‘What should we do?’ ‘Oh, I know. We can open a shop of Portuguese products.’”
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MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — One million Muslim pilgrims were converging on Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca on Wednesday for the largest hajj since the coronavirus pandemic severely curtailed access to one of Islam’s five pillars.Saudi Arabia’s decision to allow some 850,000 Muslims from abroad to make the annual pilgrimage, which begins on Thursday, marks a major step toward normalcy after two years of a drastically scaled-down hajj restricted to Saudi residents.The 1 million foreign and domestic pilgrims participating is still far less than the 2.5 million Muslims who traveled in 2019 for the pilgrimage, typically one of the world’s largest gatherings. Those performing the ritual this year must be under 65, vaccinated against the coronavirus and have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of travel. The pilgrims are chosen from millions of applicants through an online lottery system.Saudi officials inspected the holy site on Wednesday and stressed their “readiness” to receive pilgrims with the goal of “maintaining public health.”After the coronavirus struck in 2020, Saudi authorities allowed just 1,000 pilgrims already residing in the kingdom to attend, prompting historians to compare the disruption to the site’s storming by religious extremists and dramatic closure in 1979.Last year, the hajj was similarly restricted to 60,000 fully vaccinated Muslims living in Saudi Arabia. The unprecedented curbs sent shock waves throughout the Muslim world, devastating many believers who had spent years saving up for the religious rite. This year, however, Saudi authorities are keen to relax virus curbs. Religious pilgrimages brought in $12 billion before the pandemic — accounting for the largest percentage of Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product after oil. Although virus cases have risen steadily to over 500 a day in Saudi Arabia, the government lifted the country’s indoor mask mandate and other virus precautions last month. Roughly 70% of the country has been vaccinated against the virus. Pilgrims at the holy site this year are not required to be masked or socially distanced, as during the past two years. However, Muslims are still prohibited from kissing or touching the cube-shaped Kaaba, the metaphorical house of God at the center of Mecca that pilgrims circle as they complete the hajj.The Quran says that all Islam’s followers who are physically and financially able should make the pilgrimage once in their lifetime. Pilgrims travel to Mecca from all over the world for five intense days of worship, carrying out a series of rituals.The hajj follows a route the Prophet Muhammad walked nearly 1,400 years ago and is believed to trace the footsteps of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael as they are named in the Bible.
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When looking for Lisbon hotels, you’re met with a myriad of enticing—albeit unconventional—options. While you’ll certainly find your crop of classic stays, it’s not a city brimming with traditional hotels. The best places to stay in Lisbon provide a more immersive plunge into the culture of the old city, including self-serviced apartments designed to feel like a home away from home, former 18th century buildings renovated by famous Portuguese architects offering on-site communal dining, and a family home-turned-hotel where the family acts as your host. There’s also an abundance of stylish Airbnbs in any neighborhood of your choosing if you prefer to go that route. The one thing all of these stays have in common is they each serve as the perfect launchpad for exploring Lisbon’s labyrinth of vibrant old streets, bustling nightlife, evolving food scene and scenic beaches. Below, the 18 best Lisbon hotels and unique stays to book if you’re traveling to Portugal this summer.Classic HotelsFour Seasons Hotel RitzThe Four Seasons Ritz is for the fundamentally traditional travelers who opt for a luxury stay (including a Michelin star restaurant!) in an environment that certainly won’t disappoint. Art deco interiors meet exceptional service here; and an added perk is the wellness offering with the chic indoor lap pool and the rooftop running track.Photo: Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel RitzVerride Palácio Santa CatarinaIn the heart of Lisbon’s old town, set in an 18th-century palace restored for modern comforts, this hotel features 18 luxurious rooms embellished with original stucco work that’ll have you feeling like a royal. On the rooftop, the Suba Restaurant sits beside the pool and features panoramic views of the sea against the backdrop of Lisbon’s red roofs.Photo: Courtesy of Verride Palácio Santa CatarinaThe Ivens HotelNew to Lisbon’s hotel scene is the Ivens Hotel, conveniently located in the bustling Chiado neighborhood and set in a former warehouse from the 19th century. While you’re spoiled for choice with 87 rooms, some with floral and fauna wallpaper and others with decadent marbled bathrooms, the hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant, Rocco—the place to be in Lisbon right now—is the real reason to book.Photo: Courtesy of The Ivens HotelHotel Valverde LisboaHotel Valverde is the perfect urban escape as it’s situated on Lisbon’s famed Avenida da Liberdade, known for its designer shops and top restaurants. While it has a stylish townhouse feel, it’s host to 48 rooms, a chic restaurant that spills out into a courtyard, and a pool to plunge into after a day of shopping.Valverde Hotel, Luxury Hotel in Avenida da LiberdadePhoto: Courtesy of Sivan AskayoThe Vintage LisbonMid-century furniture and Portugal-made decor fill the 56 rooms at The Vintage Lisbon. The street-facing restaurant offers Portuguese fare, while the free-standing bar features a variety of Portuguese wines. The rooftop bar and restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy light bites and cocktails during warmer months overlooking views of the city.Photo: Courtesy of The VintageMemmo AlfamaMemmo Alfama is the first boutique hotel in the city’s oldest neighborhood, Alfama. If the unmatched views of the city and Tagus River from the terrace pool bar aren’t enough to entice you, maybe it’s the airy rooms, each with a coastal feel that’ll seal the deal. While there’s no restaurant here, breakfast is served in the laid-back living room where you can help yourself to the honest bar.Photo: Courtesy of Memmo AlfamaThe IndependenteSet within two 19th century palaces, The Independent is a bohemian and deeply immersive 22-room stay nestled between Lisbon’s trendiest neighborhoods, Chiado and Principe Real. Think of it as the chicest hostel you’ll ever stay in, where you’re given the option of a stylish single suite or spacious dorm-style room with bunks if you’re traveling with friends—or open to meeting strangers.Photo: Courtesy of The IndependenteApartment HotelsSanta Clara 1728Renowned Portuguese architect Manuel Aires Mateus helped to renovate this 18th century building in the heart of Lisbon’s old quarter, turning it into an airy, bright guest house consisting of six suites and Ceia, a fine dining restaurant where 14 guests share a table and menu for a community dining experience. Important to note: there’s no AC here.Photo: Courtesy of Francisco NogueiraBaixa HouseOne of the most homey stays in Lisbon is at Baixa House, where you choose from 13 quirky apartments, each with their own unique design aesthetic and color palette, making it feel like you’re staying at a friend’s house. While the apartments are self-service, breakfast items for the following day are replaced every day between noon and 4 p.m. and fresh bread is delivered between 8 and 8:30 p.m. daily.Photo: Courtesy of Baixa HouseThe LisboansIn a centrally located residential neighborhood between Alfama and Chiado sits The Lisboans, a former 19th-century factory building turned apartment complex. But these apartments weren’t put together by the usual Ikea enthusiast; rather, the 15 charming one and two bedroom apartments feature furniture and decor from local antique shops, Portuguese folk art, and handcrafted textiles by local artisans. Each has its own kitchenette, which guests can stock up at the on-site mini grocery. A continental breakfast will also be dropped off in your apartment’s fridge everyday at 8 a.m. For those who prefer eating every meal out, head to The Lisboans’ sister restaurant, Prado, next door which is open for lunch and breakfast.Photo: Courtesy of The LisboansCasa Fortunato LisboaThis historic 20th-century building in the city’s central Amoreiras district was formerly the office of architect António Costa Lopes before he moved in with his architect wife, Filipa and their four kids. Following their longtime dream of opening a hotel together, António and Filipa decided to move their family living quarters to a newly converted attic floor so they could host their guests under their roof. Below the family’s quarters, the home features nine impeccably-designed suites, a reception area, a library for remote work (and homework!) and a living room, all with floor-to-ceiling windows and geometric wallpapers. The warmest space is the kitchen: It’s not just the chef’s high end macrobiotic food offering, but the familial feel of guests and the family sitting around the communal table in the kitchen.Photo: Courtesy of Casa Fortunato LisboaDona GraçaGraça is one of Lisbon’s oldest suburbs, steeped in cultural traditions and lined with stunning mansions atop the city’s highest hill. With a more local feel, it’s the ideal neighborhood if you’re hoping for a relaxing stay. Dona Graça is the perfect launchpad for visits to the bustling Bairro Alto and Baixa neighborhoods, a short 15 minutes away, balanced with some sun soaked R&R in the aromatic orange garden which features a swimming pool and lounge areas. Inside the 19th century family home, you’ll find eight carefully renovated apartments with wooden floors, limestone furniture, and local clay pottery.Photo: Courtesy of Dona GracaHermitage Castelo - Casa ChafarizHermitage Castelo Casa Chafariz is breathing new life into Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood, Santos-O-Velho (directly translating to Santos the old). This crimson red building that adjoins Chafariz da Esperança, a baroque fountain and national monument from 1760, has recently undergone a renovation leaving behind five modern apartments spread across four floors. Here, old meets new where juliet balconies and hand-carved moldings can be found across five modern apartments spread across four floors.AirbnbsA Duplex with a Terrace in ChiadoLisbon’s Chiado neighborhood is the city’s theater and arts hub, and is thus referred to as the “Montmartre of Lisbon.” The lively and bohemian streets are lined with restaurants and shops open until late, and at this sundrenched duplex on Rua da Bica, you won’t even have to leave the house to feel the energy come alive at night, given the two outdoor spaces from where you can kick back with a Douro red to end the day or begin the night. In the loft’s lower floor, there’s a fully-equipped kitchenette, a spacious living and dining area and the bathroom. The top floor features the bedroom which looks out to the terrace. While the streets can get busy at night— especially on Fridays and Saturdays—the double glass windows keep the noise at bay.Photo: Courtesy of PropertyCascais Garden House With a Plunge PoolIf you need a break from the city, the seaside town of Cascais is just a short 30-minute train west of Lisbon’s city center. The charming fishing village has long gripped the admiration of travelers, as much for its white sandy beaches as its cobbled streets and abundance of shops and restaurants. Post up at this cozy garden studio whose sense of calm is perfectly matched by its organic quality, where natural materials like warm woods and crunchy linens complement the white stucco walls in the bathroom. Facing the bed, large patio doors lead out to the private terrace perfectly suited for lounging. Hints of blue, visible from the patio stairs that wind their way through the apartment complex, indicate the shared plunge pool that’s open from April through October.Photo: Courtesy of PropertyRemodeled Historic Apartment in Bairro AltoHomey comforts are abundant in this private corner apartment in the city’s bustling Bairro Alto district, complete with modern furniture, rustic wood floors and a bright living space with a street view from the juliette balconies. While you’re in the heart of Lisbon’s nightlife, the apartment remains quiet and tucked away so you’ll still get a good night’s sleep.Photo: Courtesy of PropertyCollector House with Swimming PoolWhat was once Lisbon’s industrial district, brimming with factories and warehouses, is now one of the city’s coolest up-and-coming arts neighborhoods. This collector’s house in the heart of Beato is the perfect place to discover this untapped labyrinth of galleries and restaurants, while still being just a 10-minute drive from the city center. Although you may wish to take it all in from home with spacious interiors (there are three bedrooms and a cozy living and dining space) or in your private garden with a pool.Photo: Courtesy of PropertyModern and Minimalist Studio Reno in a Historic BuildingThe tranquility of Graça’s scenic landscape carries into this modern, minimalist studio in one of the neighborhood’s historic 19th-century buildings. Freshly renovated with blond cabinetry and cooling concrete floors inside, along with lounge chairs on the terrace of an urban garden, you’ll find little excuse to leave the house; but if you do, there are plenty of shops and restaurants within walking distance, as well as Miradouro da Graça, the neighborhood’s best viewpoint.Photo: Courtesy of PropertyWhen you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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A new, must-see exhibition at the downtown San Jose main library has been years in the making — and it helps fill in decades of forgotten history about the city.
“East Side Dreams: The Untold Story of East San Jose,” which opened July 1 at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Main Library, grew from a seed planted when the library hosted a popular exhibition about lowriders and San Jose’s car culture in 2018. Visitors to the library’s California Room asked if materials were available about other aspects of East San Jose history but the library had little to offer, said Estella Inda, a clerk in the California Room who was the driving force behind “East Side Dreams.”
Former Santa Clara County Supervisor Blanca Alvarado, left, and Rita Duarte Herrera look at one of the displays during the opening reception for “East Side Dreams: The Untold Story of East San Jose” at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Main Library on Saturday, July 9, 2022. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)
Once the library — working with San Jose State’s Africana, Asian American, Chicano, & Native American Studies Center — began collecting material, it came in a flood, Inda said at the exhibition’s opening reception last Saturday. The results — tracing the community’s evolution from the 1950s onward — practically fill the library’s fifth floor, which is decorated with replica street signs for Alum Rock Avenue, King Road, Story Road and more.
“I never thought anything like this would be possible, and it became a bigger success than I ever thought possible,” she said. “I’ve been honored to work and help gather these histories that most people wouldn’t trust just anybody with. It’s their work, it’s their life, it’s their family.” The exhibition “East Side Dreams: The Untold Story of East San Jose” includes photographs, street signs, newspaper articles and other artifacts. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)
The exhibition tells the story of East San Jose through newspaper articles — including many from the East San Jose Sun — photographs and other artifacts like street signs, festival flyers and even matchbook covers from East Side businesses, which have almost all faded into memories.
But the key ingredient to “East Side Dreams” — which includes a display of photograph portraits by Mary Adrade in the library’s second floor DiNapoli gallery — is that it spotlights the notable figures from the East Side and tells the community’s story through them. It also features campaign materials for groundbreaking politician Blanca Alvarado, three Emmy awards, a typewriter that belonged to newsman Rigo Chacon and a display on Paul Reyes, who grew up picking prunes and other fruit and eventually opened his own upholstery shop in 1975, providing services for all those lowriders.
And while much of the exhibit is about the Mexican American residents of Mayfair and other neighborhoods, it was wonderful to see a section on the Ribbs family — a prominent African American family that included Henry Ribbs and his grandson, race-car driver Willy T. Ribbs.
There also are videos from Cinco de Mayo and other celebrations recorded in the 1980s and ’90s by Alcario Castellano, the former Safeway worker who won a $141 million lottery jackpot in 2001. His daughter, Carmela Castellano-Garcia, president of the Castellano Family Foundation, was there to represent her family and celebrate the donation of the Alcario and Carmen Castellano Family Collection to the library.
Paul Reyes, front, looks at a display about his award-winning auto upholstery shop, which he opened in 1975, at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Main Library in San Jose on Saturday, July 9, 2022. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)
“East Side Dreams” will be on display through Sept. 24, with two free panel events connected to it: East Side Stories at 1 p.m. Aug. 13 and “The East Side’s Impact in San Jose” at 1 p.m. on Sept. 3. There is also a new, limited edition library card to commemorate the exhibition titled “Siempre East Side” and designed by Tiffany Dang. Kathryn Blacker Reyes, director of the AAACNA Studies Center, said the exhibition tells a story that should appeal to everyone in the city. “For those of you, like me, who did not grow up on the East Side, or even in San Jose,” she said, “this is an opportunity for you to eavesdrop on the conversations and the memories and learn about how important, how dynamic and how diverse our community is.”
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For centuries, the arched entrances and ornate patterned brickwork of Kashgar’s mosques signaled Uyghur culture’s essential place in the ancient city.Then the mosques fell into the crosshairs of China’s campaign targeting Muslims, including Uyghurs and Kazakhs, in the province of Xinjiang. The government removed minarets and painted over Arabic calligraphy, according to video obtained by BuzzFeed News. Police officers and metal detectors greeted worshippers as they entered. Inside Id Kah, Kashgar’s largest and most revered mosque, cameras spaced 6 meters apart kept watch over the carpet lining the prayer hall. A photograph of Chinese President Xi Jinping hung over one of the doors, even though Islam forbids most figurative images.Now the government is using the mosques that remain as part of another campaign: to draw tourists to Xinjiang. Travelers pose in the mosques’ doorways for Instagram photos to which they append hashtags such as #travel, #streetphotography, #travelblogger, #chill, and #holiday. The city has been optimized for social media, and the mosques fit right into this image. A tree outside one is filled with hanging ornaments, and beneath it sits one of many new rustic-style benches found in the city’s public squares — a perfect view for a holiday snap. In the span of a few years, China assembled a vast and sophisticated infrastructure to lock up Muslims in Xinjiang and to force them to labor in factories. The government built enough space to detain 1 million people at any given time.The camps and detention centers form the fulcrum of a campaign that the US and other governments have labeled a genocide. But China has also been systematically hollowing out Uyghur culture in Xinjiang’s towns and cities, degrading Muslim landmarks, and inviting non-Uyghurs to move in — or visit for a vacation.Journalists and independent observers have been largely unable to see the shape and scale of these changes, because it is nearly impossible for them to travel within the region without police harassment. Earlier reporting has described a lot of the surveillance infrastructure and some of the ways that the city has been transformed for the benefit of tourists, but extensive visual documentation has been lacking, with journalists frequently forced to delete any photographs they take.But BuzzFeed News has compiled and analyzed a large trove of videos and photos that provide an intimate portrait of recent life in Kashgar, which is Xinjiang’s second most populous city. Much of this documentary evidence was captured by tourists, who are able to move around Xinjiang much more freely.A series of videos taken by a Russian-speaking tourist who walked around Kashgar in October 2017 shows how, at the same time it was rounding up Muslims by the thousands, the government was suffocating the practice of Uyghur culture in the city. Cameras and police checkpoints are everywhere. Chinese flags are hanging from every market stall and shop front; in one video, a group of police officers stops to check that the flags are hanging correctly. We analyzed the videos, recording the presence of CCTV cameras as well as police checkpoints, stations, and patrols, then geolocated them from the footage to build a detailed map of the city and its surveillance infrastructure at the height of the crackdown. We then compared later videos and photographs to document how the city changed from 2017 through to the present day.In mid-2019, after locking up 1 million people in the region according to UN estimates, the government declared victory, saying it had stamped out terrorism — and was turning its focus to tourism. “As the infiltration of religious extremism has been curbed, public order and security have returned to society, where equality, solidarity and harmony among ethnic groups and religions have prevailed,” the government wrote in a white paper. In the same paper, the government touted Xinjiang’s tourism industry.Around that time, the government began to draw back some of its most menacing surveillance features in Kashgar, according to an analysis of contemporary photos and videos. In the three years since, a very different type of visual began to stand out: visor-wearing tour groups, Uyghurs dressed up in 100-year-old costumes to entertain visitors, and a fleet of Disneyland-like golf buggies to ferry people around.Many of Xinjiang’s cities now resemble Potemkin villages with carefully manicured facades obscuring massive human trauma, experts said. But nowhere is that more apparent than in Kashgar.“The city is completely changed,” said Rian Thum, a historian of Islam in China at the University of Manchester. “It’s absolutely Disneyfication. It’s an alien place — a theme park.” Kashgar sits on the ancient Silk Road and has featured prominently in Uyghur literature for hundreds of years. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, well before the Communist Party came to power in China, Kashgar served as the capital for two states controlled by Turkic cultures. Densely packed with busy markets and home to many sacred tombs and monuments, it was long regarded as the best-preserved example of a central Asian city, Thum said.But in 2009, as part of a modernization campaign, the Chinese government began demolishing Kashgar’s old city, moving families who had lived there for generations to newly built apartment blocks on the outskirts. The older mud-brick buildings and winding alleyways were replaced by new concrete buildings, albeit in an ornate style. By mid-2015, an enormous city gate was under construction to the southeast of the old city, in addition to city walls, all styled to look as though they had been in place for hundreds of years.Abduweli Ayup grew up in Kashgar. When the demolitions began, he started seeing bulldozers everywhere. When he ate in street stalls, every mouthful tasted like dust.Ayup said he was first locked up in 2013 after opening a chain of schools that taught Uyghur children in their own language, instead of Mandarin Chinese. He was detained for 15 months in a suffocatingly crowded prison where there was no flush toilet, he said. For the first six months, he was interrogated every day, he said. After his release, Ayup fled to Turkey.In late 2016, the government dramatically escalated its repression of Uyghurs and other Muslims, embarking on the campaign that the US and other countries now refer to as a genocide. China has pointed to maintaining social stability as a reason for its policies in Xinjiang. The government began detaining people for infractions that included wearing a beard or downloading a banned app.Stuck thousands of miles away, Ayup was unable to watch as his hometown descended into a police state. But the Russian-speaking tourist who visited Kashgar in October 2017 and took video of his experiences provides a rare window into a terrifying time for Uyghurs in Kashgar and Xinjiang.The tourist narrates what he sees as he films it, over what appears to be the course of one single day. The camera often lingers on surveillance cameras, checkpoints, and policing infrastructure in between shots of craftspeople at work or the food on display at market stalls. Some of his observations stand out. “I noticed some people, just this morning I saw a few of them, who walk around and knock at the doors, and check something according to the information in their lists," he says at one point.The videos are often filmed as a single shot. This enabled BuzzFeed News to record and geolocate the surveillance tools across a wide swath of the old city — and build a detailed picture of Kashgar at the height of the crackdown.Checkpoints were typically a couple of hundred meters apart — roughly a three-minute walk — but some were as close as 50 meters. Key intersections had heavier controls, with metal detectors, heavy metal barriers across the road, and gazebos to protect the police stationed there. Even at minor junctions, string tied between traffic cones often blocked the road — and police seated at a nearby table checked documents of locals who wished to pass. The entrance to one small street was blocked by barriers similar to ticket gates at the entrance to a subway.The changes at the mosques were equally dramatic. More than a dozen smaller neighborhood mosques identified by BuzzFeed News were affected. So too was Id Kah. With its grand entrance and exterior walls clad in lemon yellow tiles, it dominates the large square in Kashgar’s old city center and holds special meaning for Muslims. In less tense times, people would gather in the square outside the mosque to celebrate festivals like Eid. Before he fled, Ayup came to Id Kah less for prayer and more to meet up with friends, whom he’d smile at from across the room. In the tourist’s video of Id Kah, two police officers in helmets and flak jackets sit at a table outside the entrance, and a CCTV camera points back at the doorway to capture everyone coming in. Visitors pass through metal detectors to enter. Inside, the grounds are peppered with cameras, mounted on walls around the compound, as well as on scaffolding-like arches built over pathways. Along the length of the prayer hall’s back wall is a row of CCTV cameras at 6-meter intervals, watching people kneel to pray. The photograph of Xi Jinping, which shows him meeting Muslim religious leaders, sits above a door to an enclosed part of the prayer hall. At several other mosques, propaganda signs above or beside the entrance urge people to “love the party, love the country” or remind them of the importance of ethnic unity. Large posters on the walls lay out what constitutes illegal religious activities. Starting in 2019, a shift began to happen in Kashgar that has carried through to the present day, according to a BuzzFeed News analysis comparing newer videos, photos, and satellite imagery to the 2017 videos. The heavy metal barriers and fencing topped by barbed wire that had been built at the entrances to schools and police stations were gone by mid-2019. Some of the cameras that had proliferated throughout the city went away, too — and so did several checkpoints.The police also scaled back their presence. The officers that remained were less obviously obtrusive and had traded their riot helmets for soft caps.But the surveillance of Uyghurs hasn’t disappeared. Many people released from camps were being monitored through their cellphones and prevented from leaving their towns without a permit.“The authorities scrutinize and surveil former detainees to check if ‘re-education’ helped them to be transformed into ‘normal human beings,’” said Nury Turkel, chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, who interviewed former detainees for a recent book. Recent photos and videos show that there are still checkpoints at key access points, often partly hidden from view and in places where they might fit more naturally — such as at the main gate to the old city or as part of the imposing new gate at the end of the street where the night market is held.Cameras are now distributed along roads in a more regular pattern as well as at key access points to the old city, providing more comprehensive coverage of the area and giving authorities a clear overview of who is there. New cameras have often been installed at locations where police were stationed earlier.The surveillance remains. It’s just less obvious — and less intrusive for holidaymakers. Abduweli Ayup has not been back to Kashgar since 2015, and his chances of doing so anytime soon seem slim. The Chinese government has canceled his passport, he said.Sometimes he watches videos on YouTube of his hometown. They do not make him feel better. It feels compulsive, he said, “like eating bad food.”“You know, you want to keep eating it, but afterward your stomach feels upset,” he added. As he watched one video while speaking with a BuzzFeed News reporter, Ayup pointed to a giant sculpture of a traditional stringed instrument by the gates of the city. “See that, that’s just for tourists,” he said.The city is now full of these sorts of photogenic additions. There are giant teapots at the main junction near the city gate. Elsewhere, murals show maps of Xinjiang or carry slogans such as “Xinjiang Impressions” where visitors stop to take holiday snaps. A new entrance has been added to the metalwork market, with a large sign featuring silhouetted figures hammering iron. The anvil statue at the corner now comes with projection-mapped fire, as well as sparks and a piped soundtrack of metal being struck. Camel rides are available too.In the videos he has seen, Ayup has also noticed footage of people dancing while wearing traditional Uyghur dress — costumes that they might have worn more than a century ago. Figures like these can be seen on Chinese state television and at the country’s annual rubber-stamp parliamentary session. “Nobody would wear that clothing anymore unless it was for show,” Ayup said.Tourism is now booming in Xinjiang. Last year, even as global numbers fell as a consequence of the pandemic, 190 million tourists visited the region — more than a 20% increase from the previous year. Revenue increased by 43%. As part of its “Xinjiang is a wonderful land” campaign, the Chinese government has produced English-language videos and held events to promote a vision of the region as peaceful, newly prosperous, and full of dramatic landscapes and rich culture.Chinese state media has portrayed this as an economic growth engine for Xinjiang natives, too. One article described how a former camp detainee named Aliye Ablimit had, upon her release, received hospitality training. “After graduation, I became a tour guide for Kashgar Ancient City,” Ablimit said, according to the article. “And later, I turned my home into a Bed and Breakfast. Tourists love my house very much because of its Uygur style. All the rooms are fully booked these days. Now I have a monthly income of about 50,000 yuan," or about $7,475.The facade holds up less well with Kashgar’s mosques. Many of the smaller neighborhood mosques appear to be out of use, their wooden doors damaged and padlocked shut — and others have been demolished completely or converted to other uses, including cafés and public toilets.Inside the Id Kah mosque, many of the cameras, including inside the prayer halls, have disappeared. But as might be expected given the past five years, many of the worshippers have disappeared too, down from 4,000–5,000 at Friday prayers in 2011 to just 800 or so today.The mosque’s imam, Mamat Juma, acknowledged as much in an interview with a vlogger who often produces videos that support Chinese government narratives, posted in April 2021. Speaking through a translator, he is at pains to point out that not all Uyghurs are Muslims and to diminish the role of the religion in Uyghur culture. “I really worry that the number of believers will decrease,” he said, “but that shouldn't be a reason to force them to pray here.” ●Additional reporting by Irene Benedicto
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Topline More than 150 cultural sites in Ukraine–including churches, museums and monuments–have been damaged or destroyed in warfare since Russia invaded the country earlier this year according to UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural branch, as officials claim that Russian forces are deliberately targeting Ukrainian culture. Local children play close to Ascension Church in Lukashivka in the Chernihiv area April 27, 2022, ... [+] after the church was damaged in warfare. NurPhoto via Getty Images Key Facts On Thursday, UNESCO said the agency has verified 152 cultural sites that have been partially or totally destroyed as a result of warfare, including 70 religious buildings, 30 historical buildings, 18 cultural centers, 15 monuments, 12 museums and seven libraries. Most of the damaged sites are located in those regions that have seen the heaviest warfare, including 45 in Donetsk, 40 in Kharkiv, and 26 in Kyiv, according to UNESCO. UNESCO noted that none of Ukraine’s seven World Heritage Sites—designations given by the organization to places with “outstanding universal value,” including St. Sophia Cathedral and Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv and the historic Old Town in Lviv—appear to have been damaged since the invasion began. Key Background
Some officials and diplomats claim Russia is deliberately targeting Ukraine’s cultural heritage to further their assertion that the country is rightfully a part of Russia (Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously described Russia and Ukraine as “two countries, one people.”) “The occupiers have identified culture, education and humanity as their enemies,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in May, just after Russian bombs destroyed a cultural and educational center in the Kharkiv region. The destruction of cultural sites and schools in Ukraine by Russian forces “looks systematic,” Michael Carpenter, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said earlier this month. Ukrainian Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko said Russian forces also appear to be targeting religious sites in Ukraine with no clear military significance. “Such crimes of the occupiers cannot destroy our identity,” he said in a statement earlier this month. “On the contrary, they have only united Ukrainians.” A man walks past the destroyed Community Art Center in the city of Lysychansk at the eastern ... [+] Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 17, 2022. AFP via Getty Images An aerial view shows the destroyed Community Art Center following a strike last week. AFP via Getty Images The interior of the Church of Saint Oleksandr in Novoivanivka, which has been a focus of Russian ... [+] attacks since the invasion began. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images A damaged religious painting at a damaged cathedral in Lisne, just outside of Kharkiv. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The Central House of Culture with damage caused by Russian shelling in Irpin, Kyiv Region, northern ... [+] Ukraine. Future Publishing via Getty Images View of a damaged World War II memorial in Nikishyne, south east of Debaltseve. AFP via Getty Images A man walks past a destroyed building of the Hryhoriy Skovoroda National Literary Memorial Museum in ... [+] the village of Skovorodynivka, in Kharkiv Region, in May. AFP via Getty Images Museum workers carry the sculpture of Ukrainian philosopher Hryhorri Skovoroda from a museum ... [+] dedicated to him in Kharkiv that was damaged in warfare. AFP via Getty Images The Historical Chernihiv Library, located in a residential area of the city, was heavily damaged by ... [+] bombing during the Russian invasion on April 16, 2022. AGF/Universal Images Group via Getty Images A look at damage at Orthodox Pokrovsky Church in the Malyn Zhytomyr area in April. NurPhoto via Getty Images Further Reading
In Photos: Here Are The Ukrainian Cultural Sites Damaged Amid Russian Invasion (Forbes)
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World June 22, 2022 / 8:14 AM / AFP Muslim Palestinian workers of Israel's Antiquities Authority pray amid the remains of a recently discovered ancient mosque dating back to the early Islamic period, in the Bedouin town of Rahat in Israel's southern Negev desert on June 22, 2022. MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images Israeli archaeologists on Wednesday unveiled a rare ancient mosque in the country's south that the antiquities officials said sheds light on the region's transition from Christianity to Islam. The remains of the mosque, believed to be more than 1,200 years old, were discovered during construction of a neighborhood in the Bedouin city of Rahat, the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement. The mosque, in the Negev desert, contains "a square room and a wall facing the direction of Mecca" with a half-circle niche in that wall pointing south, the IAA said. An aerial view shows Palestinian workers of Israel's Antiquities Authority during work at a recently discovered ancient mosque from the early Islamic period, in the Bedouin town of Rahat in Israel's southern Negev desert on June 22, 2022. MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images "These unique architectural features show that the building was used as a mosque," the authority said, noting it probably hosted a few dozen worshippers at a time. A short distance from the mosque, a "luxurious estate building" was also discovered, with remains of tableware and glass artifacts pointing to the wealth of its residents, the IAA said. Three years ago, the authority unearthed another mosque nearby from the same era of the seventh to eighth century AD, calling the two Islamic places of worship "among the earliest known worldwide." Palestinian workers of Israel's Antiquities Authority are pictured around the remains of a recently discovered ancient mosque that dates back to the early Islamic period, in the Bedouin town of Rahat in Israel's southern Negev desert on June 22, 2022. MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images The mosques, estate and other homes found nearby illuminate "the historical process that took place in the northern Negev with the introduction of a new religion -- the religion of Islam, and a new rulership and culture in the region," the IAA said. "These were gradually established, inheriting the earlier Byzantine government and Christian religion that held sway over the land for hundreds of years." The Muslim conquest of the region occurred in the first half of the seventh century. The IAA said the mosques found in Rahat would be preserved in their current locations, whether as historic monuments or as active places of prayer. Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue
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TravelWorld HeritageDiscover humanity’s most awe-inspiring places and traditions, from Rome’s Colosseum to Bali’s shadow puppeteers.Volcanic stone structures resembling “fairy chimneys.” A prehistoric land of dinosaurs. A subterranean maze for fierce gladiators and wild animals. These are just a few of the global destinations given World Heritage status by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). And they could be your family’s next vacation.Since 1972, UNESCO has recognized more than a thousand cultural and natural places “of universal value” by adding them to its World Heritage List. It’s not just a catalog of trophies; World Heritage status means the home nation commits resources to protect and preserve these irreplaceable areas for future generations. Over the years, the program has helped prevent harmful developments, such as a dam above Africa’s Victoria Falls and a highway near Egypt’s Giza Pyramids.For travelers, such preservation measures help build a bucket list of once-in-a-lifetime spots to visit. But with 1,153 properties in 194 countries (and counting), where to start? From geological wonders to marvels of engineering, here are 10 family-friendly global treasures to get you going.See Northern Ireland’s coastal wonderlandGiant’s Causeway is a volcanic formation of nearly 40,000 hexagonal columns, forged 60 million years ago when molten lava cooled in the ocean and crystallized into basalt pillars, some towering more than 80 feet tall.According to legend, this geological marvel is the handiwork of mythical warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill (or Finn McCool), who summoned his heroic strength and built a bridge across the Irish Sea to attack foes in the Scottish Hebrides.From the 18th century onward, this land bridge emerged as a popular destination for families attracted by the honeycomb-like promontory.Explore Rome’s legendary ColosseumThe Roman Empire’s largest amphitheater set the stage for chariot races, executions, and gladiatorial death matches. Initiated under Emperor Vespasian and completed in A.D. 80 under the rule of his son, Emperor Titus, the Colosseum (also known as the Flavian Amphitheater) is a marvel of engineering.Built to accommodate an estimated 50,000 spectators, the freestanding elliptical theater was originally covered in white travertine limestone. Beneath the arena’s sand-covered wooden floor is a now visible subterranean maze of tunnels and cages where gladiators and beasts—rhinos, elephants, lions, tigers, and crocodiles—were housed before contests.Family-friendly tours of the Colosseum trace the Eternal City’s history, from the fabled founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus in 753 B.C. to the establishment of Vatican City.Examine the earliest mummies in ChileWrapped simply in reeds and decorated with wigs and clay masks, Chile’s Chinchorro mummies are 2,000 years older than Egypt’s and shed light on the ancient Indigenous community that once roamed Chile’s northern coast.Visitors can learn more and see examples in Arica, a surf town near the Atacama Desert dotted with War of the Pacific battlefields and volcano-filled treks. At San Miguel de Azapa Archaeological Museum only a few of the 300 specimens are on view, while at Colón 10, visitors can peer through a glass floor under which 48 mummies are still buried in the earth. Soon, a 53,820-square-foot museum will open to showcase and preserve the mummies, which are deteriorating from the damaging effects of climate change.Along the road leading into nearby Caleta Camarones, six contemporary statues—some soaring 16 feet—visually represent the mummies yet to be discovered.Watch shadow puppets in IndonesiaShadows come to life in the artful hands of an Indonesian dalang (master puppeteer), an expert storyteller who animates flat leather puppets behind a backlit screen to create dazzling dramatizations for children and adults alike. It’s also on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, a special designation for living traditions and practices that help tell the tale of our shared humanity.Hundreds of years before the advent of television, wayang puppet theater—accompanied by ethereal gamelan music—brought colorful myths, morality tales, and political commentary to center stage in the royal courts and rural areas of Java and Bali. While elaborate, three-dimensional wooden puppets are also part of a dalang’s repertoire, it’s the mystical movements of shadow puppets that light up the night.Learn the legends of Hawai‘i’s volcanoesAccording to Hawai‘ian mythology, the Halema‘uma‘u caldera of Kilauea was the fiery home of Pele, the goddess of fire, lightning, wind, and volcanoes. This simmering cauldron atop one of the five shield volcanoes that form the Big Island of Hawai‘i has inspired ritual and reverence for generations. Along with Mauna Loa, these active and accessible fire-breathers make Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park one of the best places for observing the churning geological forces that shape our planet. The park, which covers some 335,000 acres, is a hotbed of family-friendly activity, including ranger-led hikes, interpretive centers, and viewing platforms near active flows. Drive the 11-mile Crater Rim, an awe-inspiring tour of Kilauea with stops at steam vents, lava tubes, and high volcanic vistas.Meet a master papermaker in JapanIn a country known for its technological advances, master craftspeople spend hours on the analog art of making washi by hand.These biodegradable sheets of paper line glowing lanterns hanging from storefronts and wooden sliding doors in traditional homes. Thick sheets are even transformed into wearable art as clothing and handbags. In 2014, the centuries-old process of making honminoshi, the purest and most traditional form of washi, was bestowed with UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status.Three towns—Mino, Hamada, Ogawa/Higashi-Chichibu—are best known for the craft and offer a myriad of opportunities to learn, try, and buy. You can also head out to rural Echizen Washi Village, home of roughly 60 mills producing handmade versions of washi and the Paper & Culture Museum. In the bright-light capital of Tokyo, 17th-century wholesaler Ozu Washi leads small groups of visitors through the ancient process.Spot wildlife wonders in BotswanaFed by rainwater flowing from Angola’s highlands, the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana is one of southern Africa’s biggest and most biodiverse freshwater watersheds and a dream destination for animal lovers of all ages.The delta sustains the planet’s most endangered animals, including the largest remaining elephant population, cheetahs, African wild dogs, wattled cranes, and Great white pelicans. The National Geographic Society’s Okavango Wilderness Project continues to make discoveries in Angola. To date, the study has logged more than 130 previously unknown animal species, 75 species potentially never studied before, and 26 species new to scientists.From navigating reed-fringed canals in traditional dugout canoes to camping in one of the nearby national parks, a family-friendly safari here can excite even the most jaded teen. Look for outfitters with accommodations large enough for your brood and downtime boredom busters, such as swimming pools.Camp in a biosphere in MexicoSian Ka’an, which means “origin of the sky” in Maya language, is a 1.3-million-acre biosphere reserve on the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Extending from tropical forests and marshes to coral reefs along the coast, the reserve counts sea turtles, crocodiles, jaguars, spider monkeys, manatees, nurse sharks, and flamingos as resident fauna.Families can rent beachside tent cabins and book kayaking, fly-fishing, cenote snorkeling, and canal tour excursions within the reserve. Kids can let their inner archaeologist run wild at Muyil (or Chunyaxché), a pre-Hispanic settlement featuring a steep, walled pyramid built nearly a thousand years ago. “El Castillo,” as the castle is known, towers over the fringe of Mexico’s crown jewel in conservation.Balloon over Turkey’s fairy chimneysCentral Turkey’s Göreme National Park is an arid region of eroded volcanic stone that takes fantastic forms. Often called fairy chimneys, or hoodoos, these whimsical wonders can rise dozens of feet over the chalky soil. Some of the most striking sights within the Cappadocia Plateau are villages carved into the volcanic tuff.The town of Göreme, in a region first settled during Roman times, emerged as a center of monastic activity in the fourth century, when Christians created subterranean communities and frescoed sanctuaries that visitors can see today. The Göreme Open Air Museum, valley hikes, cave hotels, hot air balloon rides, and guided tours are highlights for all ages.Discover dinosaur fossils in CanadaThe Age of Reptiles lives on in the geologically fascinating badlands of Alberta, Canada. Dinosaur Provincial Park gives budding paleontologists a chance to explore landscapes where experts have discovered more than 35 species of dinosaur.During the Cretaceous period, which ended about 65 million years ago, this region looked strikingly different from the arid steppes and hoodoos that visitors see today. Back then, dense forests, swampy marshes, and flowing rivers were home to a variety of reptiles, fish, amphibians, mammals, and plants.Although visitors are not permitted to dig in this fragile environment, the park offers a full schedule of family-friendly fossil safaris, guided activities, and dinosaur displays. Families can camp out under the stars and dream of the days when Tyrannosauridae (“tyrant lizards”) and Troodontidae (birdlike dinosaurs) inhabited this region.This story was published in 2012 and updated in August 2019 and in July 2022.
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I first visited Poland when travel restarted after lockdown. Going somewhere unfamiliar is invigorating: fresh air for the brain. It is one reason why we travel. And after months embalmed at home, I wanted to feel the joy again of roving through city parks and dabbling in food overseas. Poland felt right – for its proximity, affordability and, most of all, for me at least, its cuisine.During lockdown I’d become fascinated by Polish food culture. I’d travelled vicariously to Poland’s pine forests and Baltic coastline with Polska: New Polish Cooking (Quadrille, 2016), a book by Zuza Zak, a “storyteller cook”. Born in the Mazowsze region in north-eastern Poland, she is brilliant at challenging misconceptions about the food of her homeland. Yes, it is hearty, but it is also fresh and complex, with pickles, berries, cheeses, game, fish and herbs. Through wine-spattered pages, I’d learned to make rose petal jam doughnuts, sauerkraut slaws, and mackerel baked with cherries.Curiosity had also been sparked by reading Pan Tadeusz, an epic poem by Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855). In the book, he describes bigos, Poland’s ultimate wintertime stew, historically made in forest clearings where hunters would drop their game into a pot simmering with pickled fruit: “In the pots warmed the bigos; mere words cannot tell / Of its wondrous taste, colour and marvellous smell.”St Mary’s Basilica and Adam Mickiewicz monument, Kraków. Photograph: Mikolajn/AlamyI wanted to try those flavours in situ during a quick taster trip to three cities: Warsaw, Kraków and Gdańsk. And I did. But before we get to that, I want to say that I’ve just returned from Poland once again. I took a short trip to Warsaw during a gap between fundraising events for Ukraine, which I’ve been involved with since Russia’s invasion began. And I learned that food aside, there is now another pressing reason to go. Poland is making enormous efforts to assist Ukrainians, still arriving in their thousands by bus and train every day (around 1.2 million have applied for temporary residence in Poland). Giant tented kitchens are operating around the clock at railway stations, hotels are hosting refugees, cafes are raising money, chefs are delivering meals and museums and galleries all have donation boxes. There is an intense atmosphere of solidarity. For every Polish flag flying, there is a Ukrainian one. The question is, does it feel right to be a “tourist” at a time like this? I would say absolutely, yes. By spending money in Poland you are directly supporting those helping Ukrainians – hotel owners who are offering free stays to those who have fled, restaurant chefs delivering free meals to refugee centres, and ordinary Poles, from shop owners and waiters to bartenders and taxi drivers, who have offered millions of refugees a place to sleep in their homes. At art galleries and museums there are QR codes to scan to donate to charities and boxes to drop cash in. In many cafes the price of your cappuccino is donated to Ukrainian charities. The generosity here is heartfelt and moving.Massolit bookshop and cafe, Kraków. Photograph: Kate Hockenhull/AlamyDuring that first post-lockdown visit, I fell for Warsaw immediately, walking for hours through the elegant grounds of Łazienki Park, with its ornate follies, lakes and pavilions. By the park’s botanical gardens, Flora Caffé pulled me in with its sun-drenched wicker chairs. Turning down the waiter’s suggestion of szarlotka, apple cake, I asked instead for a plate of seasonal fruit.“Berries? We only have berries.” “Perfect, thank you.”Under a thick slice of sun, I devoured this small hillock of naked Polish blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. They were the best I’d ever eaten, each one a grenade of flavour, as superior tasting as wine. I quickly sought them out in other ways, mainly in soups, which Poland excels at. I loved the unexpected sour-sweetness of a hot tomato and raspberry soup at Pyszna i Próżna and the cooling blueberry pierogi (dumplings) eaten at the old-school Radio Café, owned by Stanisław Prószyński, a journalist who – now well into his 80s – has pinned up anti-Putin posters.Fresh produce including berries at the Stary Kleparz market. Photograph: M Ramirez/AlamyOn my first day, I stopped, too, at the grand National Museum, crammed with 800,000 items. One curiosity in particular stood out: a glittering 18th-century travelling medicine chest with writing accessories, made from ruby glass, silver and velvet. What a timely, if cumbersome, accessory for wandering, pandemic-age writers, I thought.The following day I bought a ticket for Kraków at Warsaw’s Central train station, where departure boards, showing Prague and Berlin, gave rise to ideas of future adventures. Seated in the comfortable carriage, the scenery quickly turned from tower blocks to Polish pastoral: fields green with summer, bisected by fast-running streams. Time slowed right down until three hours later, almost too soon, we arrived in Kraków. Navigating tight lanes and secretive corners, past pubs with charming names such as Dog in the Fog, I came upon the medieval main square and a towering statue of Adam Mickiewicz, which reminded me of the bigos I was yet to try.Eager, I decided to split dinner: savoury at one place, sweet at another. The bistro Kielbasa I Sznurek, or Sausage and String, looked inviting, with a menu “directed” by Magda Gessler, an authority on Polish gastronomy. I started with a dill-heavy bowl of cold beetroot soup, chłodnik, and as Poland’s famous sausages are vegetarian too, nowadays, I tried the black lentil, buckwheat and linseed ones; then a plate of complex, but not heavy, bigos cooked with beef, wild mushrooms, smoked plums and red wine. Many of the ingredients had been gathered from nearby Stary Kleparz, an 800-year-old market, which in summer smells of lavender. For pudding, I headed to Jama Michalika, a short walk away, where under a stained glass art nouveau window depicting a peacock, I surprised myself by demolishing a gigantic ice-cream sundae, topped with advocaat.Chłodnik is cold beetroot soup. Photograph: Jurate Buiviene/AlamyA bugle woke me the next morning, and, following shuffling nuns dressed in grey habits, I went along narrow cobbled lanes, through Kraków’s compact centre, which encourages aimless wandering. I soon found the dimly lit Massolit bookshop, where inside I lost hours browsing paperbacks before settling into their cafe, a space so appealing – with elegant wallpaper, armchairs and customers quietly writing (with pens! On paper!) – that I thought I might stay for ever. But it was time to move on. Getting to the Baltic port city of Gdańsk involved a quick stop back in Warsaw, but the train north from there is easy – three hours or so.In Gdańsk, I headed straight to the European Solidarity Centre, a hulking cultural institution, spread over five storeys, brimming with intense exhibitions – utilising everything from old lockers and typewriters to 3D projections – all helping to tell the story of Poland’s struggle for freedom. From the observation deck I could see shipyard cranes and the former Lenin shipyard, where dissent in the 1970s and 80s led to resistance and the Solidarity movement that contributed to the eventual collapse of communist rule in Poland and the entire eastern bloc.The European Solidarity Centre, Gdańsk. Photograph: Peter Erik Forsberg/AlamyUndoubtedly the must-see place in Gdańsk, it is also a lot to take in; so that night I sat down to think about it all at cosy-looking Fino. With a glass of crisp white wine from north-west Poland, I ordered pickled red cabbage butter for sourdough bread, spicy fish soup, zander from Poland’s northern lakes in a caviar sauce, and almond ice-cream with strawberry soup. It was all so good that the next day I took a little commuter train to nearby Gdynia, on the Baltic coast, to try their sister restaurant, Osteria Fino, for lunch (very good, too, but not as good).I left Gdańsk nurturing a strong fascination for Poland and its long culinary culture. And, after my recent trip to Warsaw, I’ve plans to return again, as soon as possible, to spend my money where it can make a difference while I can, in Lublin, Poznań and Wrocław, for bakeries, berries and the best soups in the world.For more ideas on what to do and where to eat in Poland, see inyourpocket.com
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When looking for Lisbon hotels, you’re met with a myriad of enticing—albeit unconventional—options. While you’ll certainly find your crop of classic stays, it’s not a city brimming with traditional hotels. The best places to stay in Lisbon provide a more immersive plunge into the culture of the old city, including self-serviced apartments designed to feel like a home away from home, former 18th century buildings renovated by famous Portuguese architects offering on-site communal dining, and a family home-turned-hotel where the family acts as your host. There’s also an abundance of stylish Airbnbs in any neighborhood of your choosing if you prefer to go that route. The one thing all of these stays have in common is they each serve as the perfect launchpad for exploring Lisbon’s labyrinth of vibrant old streets, bustling nightlife, evolving food scene and scenic beaches. Below, the 18 best Lisbon hotels and unique stays to book if you’re traveling to Portugal this summer.Classic HotelsFour Seasons Hotel RitzThe Four Seasons Ritz is for the fundamentally traditional travelers who opt for a luxury stay (including a Michelin star restaurant!) in an environment that certainly won’t disappoint. Art decor interiors meet exceptional service here; and an added perk is the wellness offering with the chic indoor lap pool and the rooftop running track.Photo: Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel RitzVerride Palácio Santa CatarinaIn the heart of Lisbon’s old town, set in an 18th-century palace restored for modern comforts, this hotel features 18 luxurious rooms embellished with original stucco work that’ll have you feeling like a royal. On the rooftop, the Suba Restaurant sits beside the pool and features panoramic views of the sea against the backdrop of Lisbon’s red roofs.Photo: Courtesy of Verride Palácio Santa CatarinaThe Ivens HotelNew to Lisbon’s hotel scene is the Ivens Hotel, conveniently located in the bustling Chiado neighborhood and set in a former warehouse from the 19th century. While you’re spoiled for choice with 87 rooms, some with floral and fauna wallpaper and others with decadent marbled bathrooms, the hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant, Rocco—the place to be in Lisbon right now—is the real reason to book.Photo: Courtesy of The Ivens HotelHotel Valverde LisboaHotel Valverde is the perfect urban escape as it’s situated on Lisbon’s famed Avenida da Liberdade, known for its designer shops and top restaurants. While it has a stylish townhouse feel, it’s host to 48 rooms, a chic restaurant that spills out into a courtyard, and a pool to plunge into after a day of shopping.Valverde Hotel, Luxury Hotel in Avenida da LiberdadePhoto: Courtesy of Sivan AskayoThe Vintage LisbonMid-century furniture and Portugal-made decor fill the 56 rooms at The Vintage Lisbon. The street-facing restaurant offers Portuguese fare, while the free-standing bar features a variety of Portuguese wines. The rooftop bar and restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy light bites and cocktails during warmer months overlooking views of the city.Photo: Courtesy of The VintageMemmo AlfamaMemmo Alfama is the first boutique hotel in the city’s oldest neighborhood, Alfama. If the unmatched views of the city and Tagus River from the terrace pool bar aren’t enough to entice you, maybe it’s the airy rooms, each with a coastal feel that’ll seal the deal. While there’s no restaurant here, breakfast is served in the laid-back living room where you can help yourself to the honest bar.Photo: Courtesy of Memmo AlfamaThe IndependenteSet within two 19th century palaces, The Independent is a bohemian and deeply immersive 22-room stay nestled between Lisbon’s trendiest neighborhoods, Chiado and Principe Real. Think of it as the chicest hostel you’ll ever stay in, where you’re given the option of a stylish single suite or spacious dorm-style room with bunks if you’re traveling with friends—or open to meeting strangers.Photo: Courtesy of The IndependenteApartment HotelsSanta Clara 1728Renowned Portuguese architect Manuel Aires Mateus helped to renovate this 18th century building in the heart of Lisbon’s old quarter, turning it into an airy, bright guest house consisting of six suites and Ceia, a fine dining restaurant where 14 guests share a table and menu for a community dining experience. Important to note: there’s no AC here.Photo: Courtesy of Francisco NogueiraBaixa HouseOne of the most homey stays in Lisbon is at Baixa House, where you choose from 13 quirky apartments, each with their own unique design aesthetic and color palette, making it feel like you’re staying at a friend’s house. While the apartments are self-service, breakfast items for the following day are replaced every day between noon and 4 p.m. and fresh bread is delivered between 8 and 8:30 p.m. daily.Photo: Courtesy of Baixa HouseThe LisboansIn a centrally located residential neighborhood between Alfama and Chiado sits The Lisboans, a former 19th-century factory building turned apartment complex. But these apartments weren’t put together by the usual Ikea enthusiast; rather, the 15 charming one and two bedroom apartments feature furniture and decor from local antique shops, Portuguese folk art, and handcrafted textiles by local artisans. Each has its own kitchenette, which guests can stock up at the on-site mini grocery. A continental breakfast will also be dropped off in your apartment’s fridge everyday at 8 a.m. For those who prefer eating every meal out, head to The Lisboans’ sister restaurant, Prado, next door which is open for lunch and breakfast.Photo: Courtesy of The LisboansCasa Fortunato LisboaThis historic 20th-century building in the city’s central Amoreiras district was formerly the office of architect António Costa Lopes before he moved in with his architect wife, Filipa and their four kids. Following their longtime dream of opening a hotel together, António and Filipa decided to move their family living quarters to a newly converted attic floor so they could host their guests under their roof. Below the family’s quarters, the home features nine impeccably-designed suites, a reception area, a library for remote work (and homework!) and a living room, all with floor-to-ceiling windows and geometric wallpapers. The warmest space is the kitchen: It’s not just the chef’s high end macrobiotic food offering, but the familial feel of guests and the family sitting around the communal table in the kitchen.Photo: Courtesy of Casa Fortunato LisboaDona GraçaGraça is one of Lisbon’s oldest suburbs, steeped in cultural traditions and lined with stunning mansions atop the city’s highest hill. With a more local feel, it’s the ideal neighborhood if you’re hoping for a relaxing stay. Dona Graça is the perfect launchpad for visits to the bustling Bairro Alto and Baixa neighborhoods, a short 15 minutes away, balanced with some sun soaked R&R in the aromatic orange garden which features a swimming pool and lounge areas. Inside the 19th century family home, you’ll find eight carefully renovated apartments with wooden floors, limestone furniture, and local clay pottery.Photo: Courtesy of Dona GracaHermitage Castelo - Casa ChafarizHermitage Castelo Casa Chafariz is breathing new life into Lisbon’s oldest neighborhood, Santos-O-Velho (directly translating to Santos the old). This crimson red building that adjoins Chafariz da Esperança, a baroque fountain and national monument from 1760, has recently undergone a renovation leaving behind five modern apartments spread across four floors. Here, old meets new where juliet balconies and hand-carved moldings can be found across five modern apartments spread across four floors.AirbnbsA Duplex with a Terrace in ChiadoLisbon’s Chiado neighborhood is the city’s theater and arts hub, and is thus referred to as the “Montmartre of Lisbon.” The lively and bohemian streets are lined with restaurants and shops open until late, and at this sundrenched duplex on Rua da Bica, you won’t even have to leave the house to feel the energy come alive at night, given the two outdoor spaces from where you can kick back with a Douro red to end the day or begin the night. In the loft’s lower floor, there’s a fully-equipped kitchenette, a spacious living and dining area and the bathroom. The top floor features the bedroom which looks out to the terrace. While the streets can get busy at night— especially on Fridays and Saturdays—the double glass windows keep the noise at bay.Photo: Courtesy of PropertyCascais Garden House With a Plunge PoolIf you need a break from the city, the seaside town of Cascais is just a short 30-minute train west of Lisbon’s city center. The charming fishing village has long gripped the admiration of travelers, as much for its white sandy beaches as its cobbled streets and abundance of shops and restaurants. Post up at this cozy garden studio whose sense of calm is perfectly matched by its organic quality, where natural materials like warm woods and crunchy linens complement the white stucco walls in the bathroom. Facing the bed, large patio doors lead out to the private terrace perfectly suited for lounging. Hints of blue, visible from the patio stairs that wind their way through the apartment complex, indicate the shared plunge pool that’s open from April through October.Photo: Courtesy of PropertyRemodeled Historic Apartment in Bairro AltoHomey comforts are abundant in this private corner apartment in the city’s bustling Bairro Alto district, complete with modern furniture, rustic wood floors and a bright living space with a street view from the juliette balconies. While you’re in the heart of Lisbon’s nightlight, the apartment remains quiet and tucked away so you’ll still get a good night’s sleep.Photo: Courtesy of PropertyCollector House with Swimming PoolWhat was once Lisbon’s industrial district, brimming with factories and warehouses, is now one of the city’s coolest up-and-coming arts neighborhoods. This collector’s house in the heart of Beato is the perfect place to discover this untapped labyrinth of galleries and restaurants, while still being just a 10-minute drive from the city center. Although you may wish to take it all in from home with spacious interiors (there are three bedrooms and a cozy living and dining space) or in your private garden with a pool.Photo: Courtesy of PropertyModern and Minimalist Studio Reno in a Historic BuildingThe tranquility of Graça’s scenic landscape carries into this modern, minimalist studio in one of the neighborhood’s historic 19th-century buildings. Freshly renovated with blond cabinetry and cooling concrete floors inside, along with lounge chairs on the terrace of an urban garden, you’ll find little excuse to leave the house; but if you do, there are plenty of shops and restaurants within walking distance, as well as Miradouro da Graça, the neighborhood’s best viewpoint.Photo: Courtesy of PropertyWhen you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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Afroditi Panagiotakou on the city’s jazz bars, fish markets and open-air cinemas© Marco Argüello | Afroditi Panagiotakou on her terrace in AthensReceive free Travel updatesWe’ll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Travel news every morning.Athens is more of a person than a city. It has a strong personality that is sometimes adorable, sometimes overwhelming. Talking about Athens is a bit like going to a marriage counsellor: it reminds you of the reasons you fell in love with this crazy creature. I love that it’s a place more interesting than beautiful, a city that is always changing.Our cultural work at the Onassis Foundation aims to connect people, ideas, content and buildings with events in the city such as Plásmata, an outdoor exhibition of digital art in Pedion Areos Park (until 10 July). Pedion is not a tourist destination, so you will see people praying towards Mecca, doing yoga or smoking; people who have lived there since the ’60s. But right now you will also see a huge red planet – a light sculpture by Spanish artist SpY.Divided (2022) by SpY, at the Plásmata exhibition (until 10 July) © Pinelopi GerasimouI love how Athens has real neighbourhoods. If you take the cable car up to Mount Lycabettus you get a good sense of the city and its contradictions – the ancient ruins but then also the ugly blocks of flats. I think I live in the best area, in Mets. It’s in the centre, but hidden, next to the Kallimarmaro stadium. It has a boho vibe and you can sit in Odeon café and just enjoy the people passing by. But it’s when you walk around Athens that you begin to understand all the layers of time beneath your feet. There are only a few cities in the world that have been inhabited for more than 3,000 years. The National Archaeological Museum, right next to Pedion Park, has the most amazing collections, although everybody tends to go to the Acropolis Museum instead.The Perianth HotelThe Acropolis, with its glass accessibility lift installed by the Onassis FoundationHaving said that, you can’t come here and not go to the Acropolis. The Foundation is really proud of its work to make the site more accessible, with an amazing glass lift. You get good Acropolis views from Perianth Hotel – all terrazzo floors and Athenian modernism – and at the Grande Bretagne, an Athenian landmark with a rooftop bar.Panagiotakou at Galaxy bar © Marco Argüello Abigail and Kyniskos, 2022, by Barry Yusufu, at The Breeder gallery © Barry Yusufu. Courtesy The Breeder But for deep talk with my friends, I go to the Galaxy bar. For 50 years Mr Yannis has been behind the bar, listening to all of Athens’ discussions and never saying a word. This is my place; it’s where I’ve made my best mistakes. It opens up at 5pm and it closes when the last person leaves. It’s a proper bar, with jazz in the background and real liquor. And they always serve the same thing with it: toasted bread with butter, hot mustard, cheese and peanuts. My favourite restaurant, though, is Seychelles in the ancient neighbourhood of Keramikos. It’s Greek Mediterranean cuisine. Just order the whole menu and put it all in the middle to share, then wander around Avdi Square, where there is a huge public artwork we commissioned: a mural by Ilias Papailiakis called The Kiss. Panagiotakou on her terrace in Athens © Marco Argüello The Roof Garden restaurant at Grande Bretagne HotelDuring the summer, there is something romantic about the city’s open-air cinemas, such as Riviera in Exarchia. And for shopping, I love the little wholesale shops that surround the fish and meat markets on Athinas Street. They have huge basements selling plates for restaurants and baskets for farmers, where you can find things that are actually made in Greece such as a unique olive oil bottle or a brilliant bread knife. There are lots of little restaurants around the markets too; the best is Díporto. There isn’t a menu; you eat whatever is served that day. It could be fava bean soup or sardines. The only time it’s closed is in November when the owner goes back to his village to make Tsipouro, which is like Greek grappa, and something you have to try in Athens. It’s also worth exploring the local jewellery designers – Lito, Nikos Koulis, Ileana Makri and Yannis Sergakis. They all do very different work, yet combine cosmopolitanism and Greekness. And the Athens art scene is fascinating. The National Museum of Contemporary Art is a great starting point, and there are lots of galleries that I like, such as The Breeder, PET Projects, Eleftheria Tseliou, Rodeo and Carwan. But just walking around areas such as Neos Kosmos or Mets can lead to conversations with artists. You’ll probably end up in their studio at two o’clock in the morning, talking about the most important things in life.Next year, a new Onassis cultural space will open, designed by Yinka Ilori, to bring together fashion and crafts, biotechnology and design. It will be a place for the things that make everyday life more human: food, drinks, music, art. Athens will be more interesting than ever. Get alerts on Travel when a new story is published
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Now that pandemic travel regulations are fading, the thirst for European trips is soaring. “Airlines continue to see a rise in bookings from America to Europe, and the European Travel Commission recently released a survey that found 88 percent of respondents had plans to book summer travel to Europe in 2022,” says Antonia Koedijk, North American director of the Netherlands Board of Tourism. But some European cities are wary of the coming crush. Venice recently banned large cruise ships from docking in the city, and Amsterdam is working to ban bachelor parties that overwhelm the city. That has led to new strategies. “Due to the small size of the Netherlands, we aim to bring awareness to travelers that they can visit Amsterdam but then easily visit a variety of other towns and regions too,” says Koedijk. And the strategy seems to be working. “In recent years, Americans have become increasingly interested in combining visits to the major cities with smaller towns and villages.” That interest has become the norm for savvy travelers who see villages as anything but small. Whether it’s a food market or arcane festival or the way a hamlet plays muse to an artist, here are seven villages that epitomize our romance with Europe. Giethoorn, NetherlandsBest for: Intimate canal hopping in the Dutch Venice.This village in northeastern Holland, located about 75 miles from Amsterdam, is known as the “Venice of the North,” since local peat digging created a town center seamed by waterways. The best way to see the mostly street-free hamlet and its thatched-roof farmhouses—all built on peat islands connected by over 170 small wooden bridges—is by boat. You can rent a variety of motorboats, but the more relaxed option for couples is to hire a punter who will use poles to propel his long, flat-bottomed craft through the village. Think of him as a lowlands gondolier.(Venice is flooded with tourists—visit these floating cities instead.)The most scenic canal for photos? Binnenpad, with its magical interplay of quaint houses, bridges, and sunlit waters. It and other waterways are lined by canal-side restaurants for leisurely terrace lunches.Haworth, EnglandBest for: Bibliophiles inspired by love stories.At first glance, the English village of Haworth could stand in for any limestone Yorkshire hamlet. But at the top of its steep climb of a high street is the Brontë Parsonage Museum, where sisters Charlotte, Emily, and Anne lived and wrote. On exhibit every year is one of the miniature books the sisters created as children. “They contain prose, poetry, and reviews,” says curator Ann Dinsdale. “The tiny scripts are difficult to read without a magnifying glass. Their small size became a secret code for the sisters.” Also on display is the dining room table where the Brontës wrote. “Every evening they would walk around the table reading aloud from their work and discussing ideas for their stories,” Dinsdale notes. The claustrophobia of that room and the image of the sisters pacing around that small table underscore their love of the surrounding moors, where they found boundless inspiration—including for Emily’s haunting classic love story, Wuthering Heights.Haworth—all tearooms and pubs behind gray stone facades—is also a stop on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, where vintage steam trains ferry passengers between other bucolic Yorkshire hamlets.Giverny, FranceBest for: Lush gardens and odes to French Impressionist art.Some artists find their muse in their surroundings, but few actually construct a muse as determinedly as Claude Monet. For over 40 years, Monet’s Giverny, a pastoral riverside village in Normandy 45 miles northwest of Paris, was his home, subject, and landscaped creation. (Step into Impressionist paintings on this French tour.)His water-lily pond is lined with weeping willows and anchored by an arched bridge painted green. Monet immortalized the water lilies in more than 250 oil paintings. Fans of French Impressionism can visit the artist’s home and gardens, as well as the neighboring Musée des Impressionnismes, where an exhibit exploring the dialogue between the works of Monet and abstract painter Mark Rothko runs until July 3. On certain days, visitors can picnic in the museum’s meadow.Klädeshomen, SwedenBest for: Sumptuous seafood and a dreamy island setting.Klädeshomen, in the western archipelago of Sweden, sits on its own small island. Starting out as a crown islet, where fishermen had the right to settle, the village became rich through its herring trade. Quieter now, it is home to a fishing museum and a cluster of pastel-colored cottages flanked by large banks of roses. The Salt & Sill hotel floats on the water; some rooms come attached to their own pier if you want to dive into the clear Baltic water before a dinner of herring boards that pay homage to the island’s prosperous past. Boat rides or kayak trips from the town dock let couples dip into the surrounding blue sea.Lourmarin, FranceBest for: Tempting food markets and picnics just for two. Most days of the week, Lourmarin, 40 miles east of Avignon in Provence, is a classic, quiet southern French village crowned by a 16th-century chateau and filled with stone plazas. It’s also known for writer residents including Peter Mayle and Albert Camus, who is buried here in the small cemetery. Come Friday, though, the village wakes up with a vengeance, when a market springs up in the center of town precisely at 8 a.m. under the plane trees. The marché is partly devoted to local artisanal crafts, ceramics, and everything lavender, from soaps to sachets. At the real heart of the sprawling smorgasbord are vendors selling Provençal olives, jam, strawberries, wine, sausages, bread, and pastries. Arrive early to snag the best of the produce and assemble a picnic for two to eat in the shadow of the chateau.Telč, CzechiaBest for: Indulging in romantic Renaissance architecture and tales of enduring heritage. Like many villages in Czechia (Czech Republic), Telč, 90 miles south of Prague, is good at reinventing itself. In 1530, a fire burned the hamlet to smoking rubble. Seventeen years later the local ruler of Telč reconstructed the town in an opulent Renaissance style. The buildings on the central square, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, sprout gables and arcades and shine in bright sherbet-colored paint. (Here are 19 of the most romantic destinations in the world.)You can tour a maze of 14th-century tunnels that run under the village center and then come up for air before climbing to the top of St. James Church, which offers the best view of the town. Then walk the gardens of the castle for a final study in Renaissance beauty.Montefalco, ItalyBest for: Al fresco dining amid the bustle of a classic Italian piazza. In Italy’s Umbria province, Montefalco has been settled since pre-Roman times in an area known for its vineyards and olive groves. It’s famous for its red Sagrantino vino and hosts a wine festival every year around Easter. Sample this regional bounty at one of the town’s wine bars. One of the finest is Enoteca L’Alchimista. Sitting on a large piazza set up for al fresco dining, the kitchen sources from its own gardens and lives up to its name by turning the local larder into something special (think truffle pasta in truffle sauce, crowned with shaved truffles). It’s a good place to toast the town, or each other, with a local vintage. Bunk down in centuries-old village houses-turned-inns or at nearby agrotourism properties.Raphael Kadushin is a Wisconsin-based food and travel journalist.
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At the entrance to Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, a bronze relief of the face of Mykhailo Hrushevsky stares out towards the red-painted portico. A historian by training, and a key figure in Ukraine’s national revival in the early 20th century, Hrushevsky served briefly as the head of Ukraine’s revolutionary rada – or parliament – in 1918.Taras Pshenychnyi, deputy dean of the history department, pauses to examine the image of his distinguished forebear, and to reflect on the extraordinary times the university is seeing since the Russian invasion.The dean of history and five other professors from his department are serving in the military, he says, along with 15 students, one of whom has been killed in the fighting.But for people like Pshenychnyi, another, subtler, battle is being fought away from the artillery exchanges on the frontlines. It is a bitter war of memory between two versions of Ukraine’s past and its relationship to Russia, of which Ukraine was a part for centuries until it gained independence in 1991 as the Soviet Union collapsed.On one side, as Mark Galeotti writes in his recent book A Short History of Russia, is a “crude cut-and-stitched” version of history promoted by Vladimir Putin. Galeotti describes the Russian president as “unwisely considering himself an amateur historian of note” who has used history both to justify his war against Ukraine and to make his “own battle plans on the basis of his misunderstanding of it”.Taras Pshenychnyi with the bronze relief of Mihailo Hrushevsky at Taras Shevchenko University, Kyiv. Photograph: Peter Beaumont/the ObserverPutin has argued that Ukraine has no experience of “genuine statehood” outside the USSR and that, by seeking to abandon its Soviet legacy, it has delegitimised itself.“You wanted to decommunise,” Putin threatened Ukraine before the war. “We’ll show you what decommunisation really means.”Echoing and amplifying a view of history held by Russian elites going back to the Bolsheviks and before, the Putin version views Ukraine as not a proper country and Ukrainian as not a real language; rather, it is a place to be fought over, dominated and periodically plundered.All of this has required Ukrainians to follow Hrushevsky and promote their own history. “Russia uses history as a weapon,” says Pshenychnyi, who wrote his doctoral thesis on the devastating famine – the Holodomor – that Stalin created in Ukraine in the early 1930s, which claimed the lives of more than 3 million people and was itself suppressed from Soviet history.“It has done it before. This is why the conflict is happening now: because Russia has stolen and misinterpreted the history of Ukraine.”And it is a history that, in the last century at least, is full of grim echoes. Pshenychnyi points to the Russian grain thefts of today as repeats of the Bolshevik and then Stalinist monopolisation of Ukraine’s grain that twice led to famine. He points to the suppression of Ukrainian culture. And to deadly persecutions for using the Ukrainian language and symbols.“[Putin’s] manipulation of history has created a fake space in Russia to allow the perception of Ukraine as something like a Nazi state,” he says. He is referring to one of the Kremlin’s main talking points: that its “special military operation” is required to “denazify” Ukraine.And in the midst of a brutal conflict and oppressive occupation, Ukraine’s “war of memory” is not just academic. Several museums, including one in Kharkiv that celebrated 18th-century philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda, have been destroyed, and Russian history books are being imposed in occupied regions.Valery Galan, with an anti-tank missile for his new museum. Photograph: Peter Beaumont/the Observer“Our main task is the fight against Russian pseudo-historic narrative,” says Pshenychnyi. “But a second task is to create a new historical space cleared from Russian narratives, because since 24 February [when Russia launched its invasion], there has been a wholesale change of national perception.“Now my students want to know about the Soviet Union’s history, about totalitarianism. One of the courses I teach is about protecting Ukraine’s cultural heritage.”For some, however, the desire to recast history is more populist and trenchant: in a trend that has been apparent since independence in 1991, they see reclaiming Ukrainian history in more explicitly nationalist terms.In his Cossack-themed restaurant, Valery Galan, founder of the Museum of the Establishment of Ukrainian State, has signs insisting to customers and staff: “We speak Ukrainian. Language matters.”An amateur historian who admits to admiring Stepan Bandera – head of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists, which collaborated with the Nazis during the second world war, who was assassinated by KGB agents in Germany in 1959 – he sees the instrumentalisation of history in more brutal terms.“My hope is that after this horrifying aggression, people will open their eyes. Museums are weapons against fake history. History is not like a rifle that you fire only once. It is a weapon that lasts for decades.“There’s still a certain part of our society – ethnic Russians or those who supported Russia – who should have been educated sooner.Galan, who served as an officer in the Soviet Armed Forces, has a new project: a series of museums and exhibitions commemorating the current war. He takes me to a back room where he is collecting artefacts for this new venture, including a spent Javelin anti-tank missile.“Our language was forbidden. Our Cossacks were sent to Siberia. We need to show people our achievements. How, since the Golden Horde [the period of Mongol rule until 1502], we have stood as a buffer for Europe.”For Yaroslav Hrytsak, a historian at the Catholic University in Lviv, the practice of history during a war of national survival is less demagogic: “I would say that the main function of the historian now is to provide stability, and assurance that Ukraine has legitimate claims and is bound to win.“History serves a therapeutic function. The main aim of Putin is to create chaos and confusion. He uses history. To counterattack is to restore real history. The thing is, Putin knows he is lying. But he thinks that everyone is lying, and there is no truth. But there is such a thing as historical truth. I spent half of my life under the Soviet Union. What is important to remember is the extent of historical amnesia imposed on Ukraine.“I had no idea about the Holodomor because it was erased. The Holocaust was played down to suggest that Soviet Jews were killed not because they were Jews, but because they were Soviet citizens. And while history was treated differently in different Soviet republics, the suppression of history was extreme in Ukraine.“Ukraine and Russia have two entirely different strategies to the past. For Russia, it’s about making Russia big again, and it’s doing that by turning to history. I have a friend who is a Russian liberal intellectual. He says Russia is like an SUV driving on dirt roads. The windscreen is covered in mud, so all it can see is what’s in the rear view.“Ukraine’s view of history is different. It wants to leave the past – where there’s nothing but great suffering and war and revolution – behind. For Ukraine, history is about never needing to go back again.”
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By Ittay Weis - University of PortsmouthA small dot on an old piece of birch bark marks one of the biggest events in the history of mathematics. The bark is actually part of an ancient Indian mathematical document known as the Bakhshali manuscript. And the dot is the first known recorded use of the number zero. What’s more, researchers from the University of Oxford recently discovered the document is 500 years older than was previously estimated, dating to the third or fourth century – a breakthrough discovery. Today, it’s difficult to imagine how you could have mathematics without zero. In a positional number system, such as the decimal system we use now, the location of a digit is really important. Indeed, the real difference between 100 and 1,000,000 is where the digit 1 is located, with the symbol 0 serving as a punctuation mark.Yet for thousands of years we did without it. The Sumerians of 5,000BC employed a positional system but without a 0. In some rudimentary form, a symbol or a space was used to distinguish between, for example, 204 and 20000004. But that symbol was never used at the end of a number, so the difference between 5 and 500 had to be determined by context.What’s more, 0 at the end of a number makes multiplying and dividing by 10 easy, as it does with adding numbers like 9 and 1 together. The invention of zero immensely simplified computations, freeing mathematicians to develop vital mathematical disciplines such as algebra and calculus, and eventually the basis for computers. Zero’s late arrival was partly a reflection of the negative views some cultures held for the concept of nothing. Western philosophy is plagued with grave misconceptions about nothingness and the mystical powers of language. The fifth century BC Greek thinker Parmenides proclaimed that nothing cannot exist, since to speak of something is to speak of something that exists. This Parmenidean approach kept prominent historical figures busy for a long while.After the advent of Christianity, religious leaders in Europe argued that since God is in everything that exists, anything that represents nothing must be satanic. In an attempt to save humanity from the devil, they promptly banished zero from existence, though merchants continued secretly to use it.By contrast, in Buddhism the concept of nothingness is not only devoid of any demonic possessions but is actually a central idea worthy of much study en route to nirvana. With such a mindset, having a mathematical representation for nothing was, well, nothing to fret over. In fact, the English word “zero” is originally derived from the Hindi “sunyata”, which means nothingness and is a central concept in Buddhism.So after zero finally emerged in ancient India, it took almost 1,000 years to set root in Europe, much longer than in China or the Middle East. In 1200 AD, the Italian mathematician Fibonacci, who brought the decimal system to Europe, wrote that:The method of the Indians surpasses any known method to compute. It’s a marvellous method. They do their computations using nine figures and the symbol zero.This superior method of computation, clearly reminiscent of our modern one, freed mathematicians from tediously simple calculations, and enabled them to tackle more complicated problems and study the general properties of numbers. For example, it led to the work of the seventh century Indian mathematician and astronomer Brahmagupta, considered to be the beginning of modern algebra.Algorithms and calculusThe Indian method is so powerful because it means you can draw up simple rules for doing calculations. Just imagine trying to explain long addition without a symbol for zero. There would be too many exceptions to any rule. The ninth century Persian mathematician Al-Khwarizmi was the first to meticulously note and exploit these arithmetic instructions, which would eventually make the abacus obsolete.Such mechanical sets of instructions illustrated that portions of mathematics could be automated. And this would eventually lead to the development of modern computers. In fact, the word “algorithm” to describe a set of simple instructions is derived from the name “Al-Khwarizmi”.The invention of zero also created a new, more accurate way to describe fractions. Adding zeros at the end of a number increases its magnitude, with the help of a decimal point, adding zeros at the beginning decreases its magnitude. Placing infinitely many digits to the right of the decimal point corresponds to infinite precision. That kind of precision was exactly what 17th century thinkers Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz needed to develop calculus, the study of continuous change.And so algebra, algorithms, and calculus, three pillars of modern mathematics, are all the result of a notation for nothing. Mathematics is a science of invisible entities that we can only understand by writing them down. India, by adding zero to the positional number system, unleashed the true power of numbers, advancing mathematics from infancy to adolescence, and from rudimentary toward its current sophistication.Source: The ConversationFurther reading in mathematics:Some infinities are bigger than others If you enjoy our selection of content please consider following Universal-Sci on social media:
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Approximately 4 billion years ago, Mars was an entirely different place compared to the cold and dry wasteland we know today. Evidence shows that it had numerous flowing rivers and lakes. Many of these ancient rivers and lakes left behind marks and etchings that we can still observe today. Naturally, the question arises, where did all that water go? The prevailing hypothesis has been that a lot of it has evaporated with the remainder stored in the form of ice on Mars' north and south pole. However, a mystery arose after it became clear that not enough evaporation has taken place to account for the disappeared water. In addition, satellite observations showed that there isn’t enough ice to account for even the lowest of estimates for the amount of water that was once there. So, where did missing water go? A team of two researchers from Binghamton University thinks they may have found the answer. They published their findings in Icarus, a science journal dedicated to planetary science. The main discovery described in the paper is that iron-rich smectite (a group of clay minerals) can exist at higher temperatures than previously thought. It can hold itself up to 600 degrees Celcius. The team determined in the lab by literally heating up and squeezing materials to find their limits instead of the traditional way of visiting mountains and looking at rock formations. So why is this important? The scientists hypothesize that the missing martian surface water may have disappeared underground, sealed in clay. But there has to be enough of it to contain the vast amount of missing water. As the least thermally stable form of smectite, it has been presumed that iron-rich smectite cannot exist deep beneath the surface of Mars. Now that it has been determined that it can withstand temperatures of up to 600 degrees. Celcius, it turns out that it can actually exist at depths of up to 30 kilometers. All of this means that iron-rich smectite can potentially form a vast reservoir that is large enough to account for the 'missing surface water' on the red planet. How to test this theory without drilling on Mars?The fact that it is extremely difficult and expensive to get equipment to mars means that it is (currently) not impossible to drill deep enough to verify the team's theory. Luckily there exist some features on mars that could help us out, namely impact craters. While there are only about 120 identified impact craters on Earth, Mars is literally littered with them; it has over 40,000 impact craters have a diameter greater than 5 kilometers.Satellites can remotely collect mineralogy-related data by analyzing light reflected from the surface. So it is possible to set up future studies that can help confirm whether clay minerals really are the main water reservoir on Mars.Sources and further reading:The upper-thermal stability of an iron-rich smectite: Implications for smectite formation on Mars - (Icarus)Mysterious discovery: Mars didn't dry up at once; it had alternating dry and wet eras (Universal-Sci)Mars colony: how to make breathable air and fuel from brine – new research (Universal-Sci)
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A 3,000-year-old canoe has been discovered in a Wisconsin lake, the Wisconsin Historical Society announced Thursday. The canoe dates back to 1000 B.C., making it the oldest ever discovered in the Great Lakes region by about 1,000 years.The discovery in Madison's Lake Mendota comes less than a year after a 1,200-year-old canoe was found, the historical society said in a press release. Both of the canoes are now being preserved with help from Wisconsin's Native Nations.The 3,000-year-old dugout canoe was found by a maritime archaeologist during a recreational dive in May. Tamara Thomsen found the canoe in the same area where the first was discovered. It was excavated by hand on Thursday and will now be cleaned and cared for by tribal members and the historical society. The canoe will then be hand-lowered into a large preservation vat, which also contains the 1,200-year-old canoe. The preservation process will take two years, and the canoes will be freeze-dried to remove any remaining water. The 3,000-year-old canoe was excavated by hand on Thursday and will now be cleaned and cared for by Tribal members and the historical society. Wisconsin Historical Society The 3,000-year-old canoe is carved from a single piece of white oak and is about 14.5 feet long. The first canoe was fully intact when found. It dates back to 800 A.D. and is the oldest fully intact vessel ever to be extracted from Wisconsin waters. That boat also had net sinkers on board used for fishing. The canoes could have been left on the shoreline, which changed over time and got much lower, according to Dr. James Skibo, Wisconsin Historical Society's state archaeologist. The 3,000-year-old canoe was discovered by maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen during a recreational dive in May. It dates back to 1000 B.C. Wisconsin Historical Society "Finding an additional historically significant canoe in Lake Mendota is truly incredible and unlocks invaluable research and educational opportunities to explore the technological, cultural, and stylistic changes that occurred in dugout canoe design over 3,000 years," Skibo said. The canoes will also help provide more details about how the Ho-Chunk and other Native Americans lived in the area thousands of years ago, the society said. The 1,200-year-old canoe found in 2021 was fully intact. Wisconsin Historical Society The Ho-Chunk Nation is a federally-recognized tribal nation based in Wisconsin, previously known as the Wisconsin Winnebago Tribe. The Ho-Chunk, which means "People of the Big Voice," are not located on a single reservation but own land throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. "The recovery of this canoe built by our ancestors gives further physical proof that Native people have occupied Teejop (Four Lakes) for millennia, that our ancestral lands are here and we had a developed society of transportation, trade and commerce," said Ho-Chunk President Marlon WhiteEagle. "Every person that harvested and constructed this caašgegu (white oak) into a canoe put a piece of themselves into it. By preserving this canoe, we are honoring those that came before us. We appreciate our partnership with the Wisconsin Historical Society, working together to preserve part of not only our ancestors' history but our state's history." In: Wisconsin Caitlin O'Kane Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue
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TravelFrom safety tips to packing advice, here’s everything you need to know about sleeping under the stars.From rustic camping experiences under twinkling night skies to plush glamping retreats with electric blankets and air-conditioned cabins, outdoor overnights offer a refreshing escape for nature lovers who want to see more of the wilderness—and less of each other.The call of the wild is increasingly turning travelers into campers. More than 66 million people went camping in the U.S. last year and some 8.3 million tried camping for the first time, according to a 2022 camping report from The Dyrt, a popular camping trip planning website.National parks have seen a surge in interest, too. Forty-four parks set a new record for recreation visits in 2021, despite visitation numbers across the entire National Park System remaining below pre-pandemic totals. Several parks have instituted a timed-entry reservation system between April and October to encourage people to come during off-peak times or explore lesser crowded recreation areas. After all, one of the pleasures of camping is getting away from crowds.Whether you’re new to camping—or usually prefer resort beds to sleeping bags—these tips will help ease you into close encounters with nature that will bring discovery, joy, and a deeper connection to the natural world. You might even see a shooting star—if you can stay awake.(Here are 14 campings hacks for families this summer.) Where to campWhy it matters: Location—whether in a national park or recreation area—can make or break a camping trip. “As you add requirements, location gets more important. What I mean by that is if I have a family and a dog coming on the trip, they all need to be comfortable and safe,” says Fliss. Some campgrounds require reservations in advance, but plenty allow for walk-ins.Think less popular: Most reservations for campsites in the National Park Service (NPS) are made through Recreation.gov. But with some national parks experiencing record-breaking tourism, think about giving a little love to lesser-visited spots.Lake Clark, North Cascades, and Great Basin all have low visitation numbers when compared to their popular neighbors—Denali, Mount Rainier, and Zion, respectively, though it is worth noting that even the most popular of national parks are experiencing a drop in numbers right now. Other NPS lands with campsites include national monuments, preserves, and recreation areas, among others. National forests, which are managed by the U.S. Forest Service, also offer spots to stay.<p>This pristine tropical reserve—covering almost two-thirds of St. John, plus 5,650 acres underwater—saw 133,398 visitors in 2019. Leisure travel to the Virgin Islands has been closed and reopened several times throughout 2020. <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/article/virgin-islands-national-park" target="_blank">Virgin Islands National Park</a> is currently open to local visitors, who are asked to practice social distancing, even on park beaches.</p>
10. Virgin Islands National ParkThis pristine tropical reserve—covering almost two-thirds of St. John, plus 5,650 acres underwater—saw 133,398 visitors in 2019. Leisure travel to the Virgin Islands has been closed and reopened several times throughout 2020. Virgin Islands National Park is currently open to local visitors, who are asked to practice social distancing, even on park beaches.
Photograph by Dennis Frates, Alamy Stock PhotoUse maps: When looking at a map of a big-name park, zoom out and look around to find other places nearby. For example, near Great Smoky Mountains—which has consistently been the most visited national park, with more than 14 million visitors in 2022—is Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Its views and spaces are almost identical, if a little less mountainous, but with only a fraction of the visitors.Explore alternatives: To find state parks, turn to each state’s Department of Parks and Recreation website. ReserveAmerica is another great resource to find potential spots, while Kampgrounds of America can assist with private campsites.Go wild: With wild camping, also known as dispersed camping, you can just hunker down at some sweet spot, usually without a permit, fee, or reservation. While some national parks and forests do have a few spaces that allow for wild camping, areas overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are the best bet. People can camp for up to 14 days within a 28 consecutive-day period on BLM’s public lands.(Here are tips for visiting national parks safely.)What to bringThe basics: The right tent for you should take in two main considerations: sizing and season rating. Sizing is usually based on how many people a tent can sleep, and if comfort is the goal, bigger is always better. Season ratings indicate in what seasons the tent works best, and most are generally three-season tents, which means you can use them in the spring, summer, and fall. A four-season tent will cover the winter, with extra weather protection and heat retention.A sleeping bag has the same considerations as a tent. Three-season bags are suitable for hot and cold temperatures and are identifiable by their temperature rating, which will display a range of 15 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Sleeping pads, which are just cushioned pads, can be used in conjunction with a sleeping bag to provide extra comfort and insulation, but can also be used on their own as a bed.Small but essential: Don’t forget a flashlight or headlight, batteries, a lighter (for a campfire), a first aid kit, bug repellent, sunscreen, and extra clothing. If you're backpacking or overlanding, bring printed maps as a backup for digital mapping apps.Leave no trace: We want to leave places better than we found them, so it’s crucial to avoid littering and to take any trash out. You never know what the trash bin situation is at the campsite, especially if you go the wild route, so bring your own trash bags.The same principle applies to restroom needs. If there are no physical restroom locations, never go in small bodies of water and always make sure to deposit any human waste in a cathole 6 to 8 inches deep, about 200 feet away from water, campgrounds, and trails (cover the cathole when finished). Some retailers, ranging from your local discount store to REI offer travel-sized waste bags that you can use to go anywhere.COVID-19 protection: “Follow the same rules about the distancing, the wearing of face coverings, etcetera, so that you are [safe],” says Wafaa El-Sadr, an epidemiology professor at Columbia University and the founder and director of ICAP, a global health program. Even if you’re with people from your same household, bring masks, hand sanitizer, and antimicrobial wipes. Budget: A camping trip can run the gamut from cheap to expensive, depending on the gear and where you’re planning on camping. Campsites that require reservations or fees can run as low as $5 a night but can also go well over $60. Gear in itself is an investment, but it doesn’t have to be. Companies like Outdoors Geek and Arrive Outdoors offer rentals on almost every kind of camping item, from tents to sleeping bags to cookware. “It makes it so much easier to know what gear you need, don’t need, like and don’t like when you've tried it first,” says Fliss. “And if you don’t enjoy yourself, you don't have to buy gear.”(Go wild—and skip the crowds—at these 7 spectacular parks.)What to eatThe basics: If you’re planning on making food on-site that requires a heat source, then you’ll need to decide whether you’re going to use a campfire or a campstove, and there are several things to keep in mind if going with the latter. Some areas have campfire restrictions or ban them entirely, while others have grills for public use, though you’ll have to bring your own fuel. As for cookware, pots, pans, plates, and utensils are other things that you might have to bring along depending on what you plan on eating. Bring what cookware you can from home and purchase recyclable versions of what you can’t.No fuss cooking: You don’t have to cook while camping if you don’t want to, and can just as easily bring sandwiches from home. Another option is to avoid grocery shopping altogether and purchase meal kits that are geared toward campers, like the ones from REI and Patagonia Provisions, with dishes such as red bean chili and green lentil soup.(Recreate camp experiences with Nat Geo Family Camp.)How to keep safeStay in touch: Whether or not you’re camping with other people, always let someone know where you’ll be and if you plan on doing any other outdoor activities while camping, such as hiking or swimming. Share your phone’s location with other people, which is a great way for loved ones to check in to see if you’re safe and sound. Always bring a portable battery, which will come in handy if anyone’s cell phone runs out of juice. However, cell phone signals are notoriously weaker the further into nature you go, which can be tricky if you’re using it to navigate. The Google Maps and Gaia GPS apps allow users to download maps to use offline.Keep your distance: Embrace the outdoors but give wildlife their space. Research a place ahead of time to see whether there are issues with dangerous insects or animal sightings.(Bear safety rules are easy to learn. Here’s how to prevent incidents.)Watch the flames: Fire hazards abound when it comes to using open flames in the outdoors. If you’re going somewhere that allows campfires, make sure to read up on fire safety beforehand. Never leave campfires unattended, always keep water nearby to put it out, and make sure it’s completely extinguished before going to sleep.Hike with us: National Geographic’s Trails Illustrated maps highlight the best places for hiking, camping, boating, paddling, and wildlife viewing in North America’s rugged frontiers and urban fringes. Created in partnership with local land management agencies, these expertly researched maps deliver unmatched detail and helpful information to guide experienced outdoor enthusiasts and casual visitors alike. Aryana Azari is a journalist and photographer based in New York City. Find her on Instagram.This story first published on July 31, 2020. It has been updated with new tips and insights for campers.
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Astoria, OregonTimbers from the wreck of a 17th-century Spanish galleon have been discovered on Oregon’s northern coast, state officials confirmed today.The extraordinarily rare hull remains were removed from sea caves near Manzanita earlier this week in a risky emergency recovery mission involving archaeologists, law enforcement personnel, and search-and-rescue teams from multiple state and local agencies.“I’m impressed and relieved,” says Scott Williams, an archaeologist with the Washington State Department of Transportation and president of the Maritime Archaeology Society (MAS), an all-volunteer group that spearheaded a 15-year search for the shipwreck.The dozen timbers are believed to be pieces of the Santo Cristo de Burgos, a Spanish galleon that was sailing from the Philippines to Mexico in 1693 when it veered off course and vanished, most likely wrecking on what’s now Oregon’s coast. Its cargo included costly Chinese silk, porcelain, and blocks of beeswax for making candles.Santo Cristo de Burgos was a Manilla galleon, a type of sturdy wooden vessel that plied an annual trade route between Spanish colonies in the Philippines and Mexico from 1565-1815, a period that marked the first era of global trade. The workhorse European ships were built in Asian ports by Asian craftspeople using Asian materials.Despite their 250-year run—and the inevitable loss of wooden vessels crossing the hazardous Pacific—remarkably few Manilla galleon shipwrecks have been found. Only three are known from the west coast of the Americas—with one each in Oregon, California, and Baja Mexico—and no surviving hull remains have been discovered until now.Telltale signs of a sunken shipThe Santo Cristo is better known along the Oregon coast as the legendary “Beeswax Wreck”—a moniker derived from distinctive blocks of beeswax that washed ashore for centuries and were traded by local Native American tribes and later Anglo-European settlers. Because honeybees are not native to the Americas—they were imported from Europe in the 17th century—Asian beeswax was a major import for Spain’s colonies, where beeswax candles were required for Catholic services.There were other clues that a shipwreck lay hidden somewhere offshore, from small bits of blue-and-white porcelain to large pieces of wood tossed up on the rocks or buried in the shifting sand. A section of the upper deck of a wooden ship was visible at the mouth of a river near Manzanita until about the 1920s. And oral histories from the area’s Indigenous tribes tell of a foreign ship that wrecked long ago, with a crew that came ashore and met varying fates.The discovery of the galleon’s remains “confirms that our ancestral people knew what they were talking about,” says Robert Kentta, cultural resources director for the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz and a member of the Siletz Tribal Council. “They related oral histories in a way that just spoke the truth.”As white settlers came to this dramatic, craggy coast, the Native American accounts became embroidered with increasingly fantastic tales of hidden riches. By the late 20th century, local legends of treasure and galleons—and the hunt for them—appeared regularly in the pages of Oregon newspapers. Those reports caught the attention of filmmaker Steven Spielberg and likely inspired his idea for the 1985 film The Goonies, a Gen-X cult tale of treasure-seeking kids and a mystery galleon on Oregon’s wild Pacific coast.But for all the talk of treasure, there were two glaring questions: Where—and what—exactly was the Beeswax Wreck?Secrets from a tsunamiIn the mid-2000s, a group of researchers and community members including Williams decided to answer that question, eventually forming the Maritime Archaeology Society (MAS). They studied thousands of pieces of Chinese porcelain collected by beachcombers over the years and determined they were from the Kangxi period (1661-1722).The Chinese ceramics and Asian beeswax blocks with Spanish markings led them to conclude that the Beeswax Wreck had to be one of two Manilla galleons that went missing between roughly 1650 and 1750: the Santo Cristo de Burgos, which was lost in 1693, or the San Francisco Xavier, which disappeared in 1705.At first, the archaeologists suspected that the Beeswax Wreck was the 1705 San Francisco Xavier—and with good reason. In 1700, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck the West Coast, trigging an enormous tsunami. If the Santo Cristo had wrecked in the area, they reasoned, the tsunami that swept the coast just a few years later would have destroyed anything that was left.Then a geological study revealed something surprising: The area near the Nehalem River where beeswax, porcelain, and pieces of a wooden ship had been found was under and within—not above—the sediment layer left by the estimated 25-foot-high wave that struck the coast. This meant that the mystery shipwreck must have already been there when the tsunami hit in 1700. But was it the Santo Cristo de Burgos? A catalog of Spanish ships published in the 1930s—a source still widely consulted by archaeologists—claimed that, according to Spanish records, the Santo Cristo burned somewhere in the middle of the Pacific. But the volunteer group raised money to fund research in Spain’s exhaustive naval archives, which eventually told a different tale: Despite a multi-year search by the Spanish crown, Santo Cristo de Burgos had simply vanished. MAS researchers were then fairly confident that the Beeswax Wreck and the Santo Cristo de Burgos were one and the same vessel. But identifying the shipwreck’s whereabouts would prove even more challenging. For the all-volunteer MAS, it meant diving and surveying in their free time in difficult conditions that could change in an instant.By 2019, their remote-sensing tools had detected a few objects off the coast near Manzanita that might be the remains of a wooden ship—or just an odd boulder on the seafloor. Yet despite the absence of conclusive evidence, the wreck of the Santo Cristo had to be somewhere offshore, they reasoned, for it had sent a steady stream of beeswax and porcelain ashore for generations of beachcombers to discover and ponder.Growing up GooniesCraig Andes is one of those beachcombers, a commercial fisherman who belonged to a “Goonies gang” of kids who grew up exploring the coast, inspired by tales of treasure. He began sharing his knowledge of the area’s artifacts with MAS after reading about their hunt for the Beeswax Wreck.That information included the presence of bits of wood in sea caves that Andes first spotted in 2013. He kept a watchful eye on them and strongly believed they were ship timbers. He also grew concerned that the smaller pieces were at risk of being washed away. So in 2020 he contacted the MAS and urged them to test a sample of the wood.“I was convinced it was driftwood,” MAS president Williams recalls. “To think that 300-year-old ship timbers could survive the Oregon coast was just crazy.”A lab analysis revealed that the timbers were hewn from Anacardiaceae, a species of tropical hardwood found in Asia. Radiocarbon dating indicated that the tree was felled around 1650. Both facts lined up squarely with the composition and age of the Santo Cristo.During the summer of 2020, MAS archaeologists investigated the caves—reachable only by water or a perilous scramble over rocks at extremely low tides—and determined that the timbers were a “secondary deposit,” meaning they were not part of a shipwreck site but had been washed into the cave, possibly by the 1700 tsunami.The archaeologists also agreed that the timbers were at risk of being swept out to sea, but extracting them from the sea cave would be complicated and dangerous. They would have only about 90 minutes to document and remove the timbers before the tide would rise and trap them. Since the recovery could be safely done only by an expert team during an unusually low tide, they enlisted SEARCH Inc., a cultural resource management firm, to coordinate the mission. The project would be funded in part by a grant from the National Geographic Society.A dangerous recoveryAfter a year of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and unpredictable weather, a few dozen people assembled at sunrise this week on an empty beach to recover the remains of the Santo Cristo de Burgos. Personnel from the Tillamook and Clatsop Counties Sheriff’s Departments joined archaeologists from Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, MAS, and SEARCH Inc., in the risky scramble to the sea cave. Rescue swimmers from the Nehalem Valley Fire Department circled on jet skis, while ropes teams monitored the operation from the cliffs above.The timbers were recovered safely and intact, and the team felt a palpable sense of relief. “It was amazing to pull off such a complex operation, made entirely possible by teamwork, cooperation, and exceptional professionalism by all involved,” says Jim Delgado, the project’s principal archaeological investigator and senior vice president at SEARCH Inc.Andes watched the activity from the beach, marveling at the complicated choreography. Nearly a decade had passed since he spotted the timbers, and as the first, and largest, piece was towed ashore, he ran his hand appreciatively along the glistening surface and reveled in the culminating moment.The timbers are now at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, where they’ll be carefully documented and conserved. Each timber will be scanned in detail, and the scans will be shared with Manilla galleon experts around the world to better understand how the extraordinary ships were built.But the small collection of unassuming wood is not just a source of information about Manilla galleons, says Delgado. “These timbers are also the physical evidence for the stories that have been known and passed down through generations.”Chris Havel, spokesperson for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, says the agency is looking forward to learning what researchers discover about the recovered timbers, “so we can share that news with the people who visit our parks.” But he also cautions people not to risk their lives attempting to visit the now-empty sea caves.“Visitors should respect any signs or warnings you may see, and refrain from searching for artifacts or taking anything away from our parks other than the memories of a fun, safe visit.”The source of the beeswax and porcelain that still washes up along the coast remains somewhere offshore, and MAS will continue its underwater hunt for more remains of the Santo Cristo de Burgos. Meanwhile, Williams urges local community members to keep their eyes out for any “smoking gun” that could confirm the identity of Oregon’s fabled galleon, such as a coin, or any item that bears a date or name.“Somebody could have it in the attic or their basement,” he says. Or a lucky beachcomber might turn up a decisive bit of evidence after a big storm—"if someone just looks down in the right place.”Balazs Gardi is a Hungarian-born photographer whose work explores man-made conditions that threaten humanity’s existence. He has covered the war in Afghanistan and the far-reaching consequences of the global water crisis. His work has been honored with the Bayeux-Calvados Award for War Correspondents and the Global Vision Award from Pictures of the Year International. To see more of his work, follow him on Instagram.Kristin Romey is National Geographic’s senior archaeology writer and editor. Follow her on Twitter.
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World October 24, 2022 / 3:38 PM / CBS/AFP Swedish maritime archaeologists have discovered the long-lost sister vessel of the iconic 17th-century warship "Vasa", which sank on its maiden voyage, the Swedish Museum of Wrecks said on Monday. Launched in 1629, "Applet" (The Apple) was built by the same shipbuilder as the famed 225-foot "Vasa," which is now on display in Stockholm after being salvaged in the 1960s."Our pulses raced when we saw how similar the wreck was to Vasa," said Jim Hansson, maritime archaeologist at the museum, which posted video of the shipwreck on its website and images on social media.The huge shipwreck was discovered in December in a strait off the island of Vaxholm just outside the capital, Stockholm, according to the museum. Hansson said the construction and the dimensions seemed "very familiar" to them, sparking hope it could be one of Vasa's sister ships.While parts of the ship's sides had fallen off, the hull was preserved up to the lower gundeck, and the parts that had fallen off showed gunports on two levels. A more thorough survey of the wreck was carried out in the spring of 2022, which revealed ship details that had previously only been seen on the Vasa.The museum said technical details as well as measurements and wood samples confirmed that it was "indeed Applet, Vasa's sister ship."There is now a diving ban in the area where the wreck is located, the museum said.In 2019, the same museum reported the discovery of two other warships in the same area. Archaeologists at the time believed that one of them could have been Applet, but further investigations showed that those vessels instead were two medium-sized warships from 1648 — named "Apollo" and "Maria.""With 'Applet', we can add another key piece of the puzzle in the development of Swedish shipbuilding," Hansson said, adding that this enabled researchers to study the differences between Applet and Vasa."This will help us understand how the large warships evolved, from the unstable Vasa to seaworthy behemoths that could control the Baltic Sea — a decisive factor in Sweden's emergence as a great power in the 1600s," Patrik Hoglund, another maritime archeologist at the museum, said.Named after one of Sweden's kings, "Vasa" was originally meant to serve as a symbol of Sweden's military might but instead capsized after sailing just over 1,000 yards.It was salvaged in 1961 and is currently on display at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, one of Sweden's most popular tourist spots.According to the museum, the designer of both ships, Hein Jakobsson, realized that Vasa's proportions could lead to instability even before she was launched and therefore built Applet wider than her ill-fated sister.When Sweden joined the Thirty Years' War, Applet was among the ships sailing towards Germany with about 1,000 men on board, the museum said. After the war, the ship was no longer deemed seaworthy. "Applet was sunk off Vaxholm in 1659 to become part of an underwater barrier that would prevent the enemy from reaching Stockholm by sea," the museum said.Two other ships were also ordered from the same shipwright: Kronan (the Crown) and Scepter, and like Applet they also served in the Swedish navy and participated in naval battles. In: Shipwreck sweden Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue
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Nearly two years since the Mars 2020 mission first launched, the robot astrobiologist known as Perseverance has given us a novel and sometimes surprising look at the Red Planet.
Outfitted with a wealth of scientific instruments and cameras, it’s captured a whopping number of images – more than 282,000 so far – and recorded humanity’s very first audio recordings on Mars, which, in addition to adding a new sensory element to our remote exploration of the planet, helps scientists better understand its atmosphere.
To the untrained eye, our planetary neighbor’s barren, dusty terrain may not exactly look like a wealth of scientifically invaluable information. But just like the geology here on Earth, the rocks on Mars keep a record of what they’ve been exposed to across millennia. The search for biosignatures – possible hints of past life within those rocks – is integral to Perseverance’s mission.
Perseverance’s turret, halfway through sampling the second core from the rock Sid this March. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
The rover spent the first part of its journey traversing the crater’s floor, where it picked up eight rock samples. Researchers intend to transport them to Earth in an unprecedented, complicated mission that could take place in the early 2030s, using a special isolation system to ensure that they don’t jeopardize life here at home.
Before then, more work awaits. The sights and sounds collected by Perseverance so far can help us understand what the rover will pursue next, and why that’s important to its search for ancient life.
Here’s a look at how this mission is using geology to answer questions about our solar system.
How rocks help us keep time
This enhanced color image was acquired by the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover on April 18, 2021 (sol 57). Kodiak, the prominent layered mound, stands approximately 2 km from the rover and is a remnant of the ancient Jezero delta. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS
Through Perseverance, scientists are parsing the history of a heavily eroded river delta inside Jezero crater, which dates back around 4 billion years to an asteroid collision. They already know the crater was once the site of a standing lake, fed by a river that deposited sediment and rocks.
Chemical or physical clues of long-gone life, also called biosignatures, are most likely to have been preserved in the sedimentary rocks that make up Jezero’s delta, if they exist at all. They’re the type of rock that “often represent environments that we think ancient life, if it existed on Mars, might have liked to be in,” said Katie Stack Morgan, deputy project scientist with the Mars 2020 mission. That’s because in the delta environment, they would have been exposed to liquid water, which — as far as we know — is required in order for life on any planet to thrive.
But there was a surprise for researchers when Perseverance began to explore the area. Anticipating that the floor of Jezero crater would be littered with sedimentary rocks — which are accumulations of pre-existing rocks or, on Earth, long-dead organisms — they instead discovered igneous rocks, which form when molten rock solidifies. That means it’s likely that the crater was once filled with lava, which they did not expect.
Since all of the rock samples collected so far are igneous, they don’t quite boast the same potential for astrobiological discovery, Stack Morgan said. But they’re still useful. Igneous rocks are excellent timekeepers — researchers have used them to collect geologic timescales on Earth and the moon — and right now, our current understanding of Mars’ geologic time scale is fairly fuzzy, Stack Morgan noted. If the core samples Perseverance has collected successfully make it to Earth one day, scientists will be able to use them to pin major geologic events across Martian history “onto an actual geologic time scale with real dates.”
This image taken by NASA’s Perseverance rover on Sept. 7, 2021, PDT (Sept. 8, EDT), shows two holes where the rover’s drill obtained chalk-size samples from rock nicknamed “Rochette.” Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Perseverance is guaranteed to come across sedimentary rocks in the river delta, so the surprise discovery of igneous rocks on the crater floor is actually a major win for the mission.
“You can learn a lot of exciting things from sedimentary rocks or all igneous rocks,” Stack Morgan said. “But having both of those rocks is really what we want because they each tell you something different and special.”
Searching for evidence of ancient life
Stromatolites — layered rock structures formed by microorganisms that trapped, bound and cemented sediments — are some of the earliest evidence of biological activity on Earth, said Mitch Schulte, a Perseverance program scientist at NASA headquarters. Over time, those layers built up and turned into rock, preserving them as geological evidence researchers can now analyze billions of years later.
This image shows the finely layered internal structure of a stromatolite from the Pilbara Craton in Western Australia. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech
On Mars, it’s possible Perseverance could come across a visual cue akin to stromatolite that points toward the existence of ancient life. But such a discovery would take time to confirm since some strictly geological processes can visually mimic biological ones, Schulte added. Perseverance is equipped with a range of bells and whistles designed to identify the chemical composition of its observations. Finding organics, the molecules that are the elemental building blocks of life as we know it, would be another potential sign of ancient life, and one which Perseverance is capable of detecting. (Stack Morgan offered the acronym CHNOPS, which stands for carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur, as a way of remembering the elements.)
Stack Morgan said her team believes the rover has detected several different types of simple organics within the igneous rocks that it’s collected so far that are consistent with ones that other missions, including the Curiosity rover, have observed.
She emphasizes that we can’t yet know whether these organics are biological in origin — they could have rained down on Mars via meteors of various origins — and that the bar is “very high” to make a definitive declaration about ancient life on Mars. That’s why she’s excited about the potential of the sample return mission, because only then will such a conclusion become a possibility.
“We have organics, and when those samples come back to Earth, we can actually definitively — we hope — make a statement about whether that involved life or not,” Stack Morgan said.
Getting pieces of Mars to Earth
Right now, Perseverance is carrying a total of 10 sealed tubes. Eight of those contain rock samples, one contains an atmospheric sample and one is a “witness” tube that was sealed back when the rover was still on Earth to serve as a control sample within its caching system. That atmospheric sample was somewhat of a disaster-turned-happy accident for researchers. When they began to sample the very first rock core of Perseverance’s mission, the tube came up empty. Researchers were briefly panicked by what Stack Morgan dubbed “the case of the missing sample” as they scrambled to figure out what went wrong, and feared what the outcome could imply for the rest of the mission.
But they eventually discovered that the inaugural rock wasn’t the kind the system was designed to drill, and had been pulverized during that process. The team was able to seal up that empty tube as its first atmospheric sample, and drilling other rocks has been smooth ever since.
This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples collected from the Mars surface by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover. Credit: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech
Perseverance collects double samples, which means it takes two cores from each rock, in anticipation of a return mission. But that mission has yet to be detailed and is also years away. It’s possible that the rover could place its samples on the Martian surface so that another mission could come retrieve them. Or it could hold on to them and eventually hand them off to the lander tasked with bringing the samples to Earth. Taking two samples at a time, Stack Morgan said, keeps their options open for that future return mission.
For now, researchers are focusing on delving into the new delta science campaign and the new discoveries that await Perseverance there.
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In Edinburgh, Scotland, the remains of an ancient fort in Cramond Village have been subjected to various archaeological excavations — and tourists — since the mid-1950s. But a routine expansion of a parking lot to its north in 1975 yielded an altogether unexpected discovery: a group of skeletons.The nine adults and five infants were dubbed the “bodies in the bog,” though the term is a bit misleading here. These were not literal bog bodies, which often refers to the human remains found in peatlands or wetland environments where acid and low-oxygen levels can preserve them for hundreds or thousands of years. Instead, Cramond’s skeletons were found in a latrine (bog is a British slang term for toilet) that Roman soldiers likely created around A.D. 140 during their occupation of Scotland.Because the conditions of this burial site were so unusual, researchers initially hypothesized that the individuals died of the Black Death, a plague that swept through Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa in the 14th century with such speed that many of its victims ended up in mass graves. Radiocarbon dating later revealed that the bodies in the bog are much older — remnants of the sixth or seventh century — but many questions remained.Now, a consortium of researchers are revisiting the bodies, armed with newer technology, to glean their answers. Analyses of the skeletons’ bone collagen and tooth enamel, published in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences earlier this year, in particular have provided keen insights into their past diets and homelands. Each new finding is crucial in piecing together a picture of early medieval populations in Scotland, of which comparatively little is known.“Because of the scarcity of contemporary written sources from early medieval Scotland, we rely on archaeological and bioarchaeological investigations such as this study to shed more light on the lives of the people who lived during this period,” says lead author Orsolya Czére, a doctoral researcher at the University of Aberdeen.A Riotous RegionThe early Middle Ages were a period of mass migration throughout Europe, despite evidence of such movements being scarce in what is now Scotland. During the sixth century, at least three different groups inhabited the region: the Scotti to the west, Picts to the north and Britons in the south. Cramond, located just south of Pictland, was caught in the crosshairs.“The middle of the first millennium A.D. was a period of cultural and social transformations in the region,” says Czére. These transformations included the development of more pronounced hierarchical structures, struggles between conflicting political powers and the spread of new ideologies such as Christianity — thought to have been first introduced during the Roman occupation that lasted only a few hundred years. In addition, because each group was prone to raiding their neighbors, the Cramond bodies in the bog may have fallen victim to any of these conflicts. A reexamination of the bodies (along with around 300 other skeletons from early medieval Scotland) by osteoarchaeologist Ange Boyle at the University of Edinburgh recently uncovered evidence that at least two of them, a woman and an infant, died violent deaths, says Czére. Two additional skeletons, both men, displayed evidence of non-fatal injuries as well.But it is precisely the tumultuous nature of this period that makes the study of the bodies in the bog all the more worthy of investigation, write the authors of the latest study. Their dietary customs and geographic origins might vastly improve our understanding of the transformations taking place both between and within these warring ethnic groups.Chemical Time CapsulesFood and water consumed over the course of a lifetime leave specific chemical signatures in the body, which in turn can reveal much about diet and even the environment that a person grew up in. Czére and her colleagues explored the decades-long dietary trends of the Cramond bodies, namely the types of protein consumed, by analyzing the forms of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur in their bone collagen.They found that the people shared an extremely similar diet with one another; it consisted mainly of terrestrial food sources such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, as well as barley and wheat. This is consistent with other medieval populations from around the U.K., who generally forwent marine food sources, even at coastal locations.To identify which of the individuals grew up in the Cramond area or journeyed there from farther abroad, the researchers turned to tooth enamel. “Tooth enamel, particularly from teeth which form between around three and six years of age, act like little time capsules containing chemical information about where a person grew up," said co-author Kate Britton, a professor of archaeology at the University of Aberdeen, in a press release.This is because the amount of chemicals bioavailable to a person depends on their environment. The strontium values in tooth enamel, for example, originate in nearby soils (and by extension, plants), while oxygen values rely on the type of water or precipitation consumed and can be influenced by factors such as temperature, altitude and proximity to the coast.Far, Far AwayThe researchers discovered that all the Cramond individuals likely lived locally in their last few decades of life. One of the men, however, had chemical signatures in his tooth enamel that suggested a childhood spent in an inland location — perhaps the Southern Uplands, Southern Highlands or around Loch Lomond in Scotland. Similarly, it’s likely that one of the women was born on one of the isles of the Inner Hebrides — areas that could have been occupied by the Scotti or the Picts — or as far away as Ireland, in areas under the control of the Britons.“This suggests that movement across the different territories during this politically divided time period was not uncommon,” says Czére, “and these individuals would have been well-connected, having led lives which brought them across the country.” Theories abound as to how these two globetrotters ended up in a former latrine, hundreds of miles away from home, with perhaps a dozen strangers. Previous research has evoked the specter of a real-life Game of Thrones: that is, a large, noble family (the name of which has been lost to time) living at the site of a royal stronghold alongside ancient warriors. Cramond is, after all, well-situated geographically, with sea routes that might have been crucial for trade. But for now, this remains merely a theory.In future research, says Czére, the University of Aberdeen is interested in parsing the broader patterns of early medieval movements. Co-author Britton is already leading a larger-scale study, with a particular focus on Pictish archaeological sites, that aims to explore this in greater detail.And it’s no wonder that the topic has sparked so many archaeological avenues to pursue. “Burials and human remains are often a source of fascination for many,” says Czére, “as they provide a direct link to the past, and can reveal much about the nature of life and death through time.”
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A version of the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain will take to the seas on Saturday offering 298 passengers – paying a minimum of £5,020 a week – a cruise holiday designed to ape life on a billionaire’s superyacht.Evrima, launched by the five-star Ritz-Carlton hotel chain, boasts a restaurant designed by a three-Michelin-starred chef, “dedicated personal assistants”, four pools, a champagne bar, humidor (cigar room), nightclub and even “non-surgical facelifts”.The yacht will embark on its maiden voyage from Barcelona, Spain, to Nice in France, on 15 October after a three-year delay caused by the Covid pandemic and the supply chain crisis.An artist’s impression of the Evrima’s Signature suite. Features, plans and specifications are subject to change without notice. Photograph: Francisco Jose Martinez Mendez/Ritz Carlton Yacht CollectionDespite being launched amid a cost of living crisis and surging inflation, the company says it has been overwhelmed by demand, with almost all cabins sold out for this winter’s trips around the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.Evrima, which means discovery in Greek, is the first of three luxury yachts Ritz-Carlton has ordered as it seeks to capitalise on wealthy people’s desire to experience something akin to billionaire’s lifestyle on board their superyachts.Tickets for Evrima’s first seven-night cruise, which takes in Palma de Mallorca, Saint-Tropez and Antibes before ending in Nice, start at a minimum of £5,020 although most cabins are likely to cost a lot more.As well as standard cabins, the yacht offers a series of suites including a two-storey “loft-style” apartment, and a 1,098sq ft “owner’s suite” which includes a luxuriant living and dining area, two bathrooms and a private balcony with a private whirlpool.An artist’s impression of the Evrima dining room. Features, plans and specifications are subject to change without notice. Photograph: Ritz Carlton Yacht CollectionThose booking suites are told they will be greeted on board by a “dedicated personal assistant” with a complementary chilled bottle of champagne. The assistants are promised to ensure guests “a flawless, seamless journey from beginning to end”.Ritz-Carlton declined to state how much those suites cost.Hervé Humler, Ritz-Carlton’s president and chief operating officer, said the yachts had been designed to have a “distinctive personality” and “be true standouts in some of the most glamorous ports around the world”.“This unique combination of yachting and cruising will usher in a new way of luxury travel for guests seeking to discover the world in a relaxed, casually elegant and comfortable atmosphere with the highest level of personalised service.”As well as 24-hour room service, the yacht offers seven different bars and restaurants including S.E.A, a fine dining experience designed by Sven Elverfeld, the head chef of Aqua, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Wolfsburg, Germany. “This namesake offers an inspired European à la carte journey in a sophisticated setting with a contemporary feel,” the company says. Reservations are required, with a five-course tasting menu expected to cost a minimum of £250.An artist’s impression of the living room library view. Features, plans and specifications are subject to change without notice. Photograph: Ritz Carlton Yacht CollectionAfter-dinner entertainment is provided by the yacht’s resident jazz and classical musicians, and the company says local entertainers will come on board to perform at some ports. The deckchairs on the top deck are removed every night with the space transformed into a nightclub where guests can dance under the stars until sunrise.Those with kids can drop them off at “Ritz Kids”, the boat’s dedicated kids’ club facility offers “child-friendly amenities and menus address the day-to-day comforts of young travellers” whose “curiosity is sparked by locally inspired environmental and cultural experiences”. It costs an extra £40 a child for each visit.The yacht includes an infinity pool, as well as its own “marina” from which guests can take out paddleboards, kayaks, sailboats, windsurf boards and snorkelling equipment.An artist’s impression of the boat’s exterior view. Living Room library view. Features, plans and specifications are subject to change without notice. Photograph: Ritz Carlton Yacht CollectionThere is also a gym, sauna, steam room, a beauty lounge offering treatments including non surgical facelifts, and a “gentleman’s grooming salon”.Evrima, which has been delayed eight times, will be followed by two more identical yachts – Ilma and Luminara – which are under construction at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, where the Queen Mary 2 was built.For those with really big budgets, Ritz-Carlton says all three yachts are also available for private charter. The company did not state the fee.Ritz-Carlton, which owns 108 hotels and resorts around the world, was founded in 1983 and is part of the Marriott hotel empire. It does not own the Ritz hotel in London.
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Resorts are a place to escape. These highly curated, meticulously designed experiences should lift the everyday burdens of life off your shoulders and allow you to be free—free of work obligations, free of the everyday slog, and free to enjoy all this luxurious bubble has to offer, including the food. While everyone can appreciate soft, sandy beaches or get a thrill from a tour-guided mountain bike ride through the forest, not all can partake in typical resort food. When you’re vegan and your choices are limited to fresh fruit, grilled vegetables, and black coffee, reality intervenes in your otherwise picturesque getaway. These vegan-friendly resorts offer plenty of five-star plant-based options so you can fully immerse yourself in living the high life, if only for a few days.
Leslie Durso
1 The Four Seasons, Punta Mita
Chef Leslie Durso is responsible for the 250-plus vegan options available at this luxury resort. For the past five years, she’s crafted delectable vegan menus for each of the property’s restaurants from the oceanfront Dos Catrinas to the swanky Armara. In between sipping your fresh-pressed green juice and your dark chocolate torte ordered a la room service, take a dip in the crystal blue ocean, unwind with a hot stone massage, revive your tennis skills, sign up for a tequila class, or assuage that work guilt by answering a few easy emails in the breezy lobby. It’ll take a while to try all 250 vegan items, so book your stay for as long as you can. Note: The Four Seasons is one of the more progressive resorts in regards to plant-based cuisine. No matter where you stay in the world, The Four Seasons can likely accommodate your dietary needs beyond grilled vegetables and sad salad. Find out more
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
2 The Peninsula Beverly Hills
Looking for a five-star experience without a passport? This metropolitan hotel offers resort-style luxury accommodations in the heart of Los Angeles. The wellness offerings—from meditations to a best-in-class spa—are accompanied by a stellar vegan culinary program that includes a five-course prix-fixe menu and a plant-based tea service upon request. Bask in the glorious California sun at the rooftop pool, see the sights of Beverly Hills and beyond, then retire to the Belvedere for a sublime dinner inspired by the produce of the season.Find out more
Laguna Lodge
3 Laguna Lodge
This lakeside Guatemalan eco-resort only serves vegan and vegetarian options, so you can relax about what’s for dinner and instead take in the “is this real?” atmosphere. You’ll enter the property—which sits on a nature preserve—via canoe and immediately be struck by the gorgeously blue water and towering volcanoes. The business is astutely dedicated to nature conversation and holistic wellness, which is why you’ll never see meat on the menu. Options rotate seasonally but focus heavily on vegetables and local produce along with craft cocktails, wine, and house-roasted coffee. In between meals, hike the San Pedro volcano, explore the lake via kayak, visit the nearby village of Santa Cruz, zipline off a mountaintop, or smooth out those sore muscles at the spa. Find out more
Disney
4 Walt Disney World Resort
Once upon a time, a Disney experience was a little less magical for vegan guests. Since Orlando’s Disney World—and soon after Disneyland—revamped its menus in 2018, it has become a vegan destination for kids and kids at heart (we firmly believe you are never too old for Disney). Vegan renditions of park favorite dishes can be found at nearly every eatery on the expansive property. Click the button below to read our Complete Vegan Guide to Walt Disney World. Find out more
The Standford Inn
5 The Stanford Inn
While this Mendocino, CA calls itself an inn, it’s truly more of a rustic resort. Nestled in the trees just off The Big River and the Pacific Ocean, the sprawling property houses plenty of things to do within a serene coastal forest. The resort is pet-friendly and completely vegan—from the lotions used in the massage rooms to the esteemed plant-based restaurant, The Raven. In between a savory breakfast crêpe, tea time, and wild mushroom polenta at dinner, hop on mountain bikes or canoes, take a yoga class, reserve a nature tour, say hello to the resident donkey, or book a cooking class. Whether you’re looking to relax or get in touch with your outdoorsy self, the Stanford Inn can support that with vegan meals at the ready. Find out more
Nikki Sharp
6 Palmaia the House of Aia
This Playa del Carmen, Mexico resort is meant to make you truly relax. Every service revolves around sustainability, healing, and naturopathic wellness. Beyond the prime beach real estate, amenities include a five-star spa, wellness retreats, multiple yoga modalities, ceremonial sound baths and guided meditations, and other guided tutorials centered around holistic healing. Food-wise, the resort makes plant-based the default. Those who prefer an animal option just have to ask. Menus generally follow a plant-based alkaline diet while still delivering impeccable dishes that could double as edible art. A few highlights include Smoked Carrot Toast, Watermelon Poke Bowl, a kitchen-crafted vegan cheeseburger with housemade sauerkraut, and a divine chocolate brownie with mint ice cream. Here, it’s easy to find your bliss. Find out more
The Sanctuary Thailand
7 The Sanctuary Thailand
Accessible only by boat, this wellness retreat in Koh Phangan, Thailand is for those who truly want to escape. The vibe is focused on relaxation and detoxification, right down to its mostly vegan dining options. Guests can entertain themselves with plenty of yoga classes, a traditional tea ceremony, beachfront activities, and massages. Menu options include traditional Thai dishes (made plant-based), raw items, salads, and more. Note: most accommodations are open air, meaning air conditioning isn’t available and a few forest animals may stroll by your lodging. If you prefer a cushier option, book a Garden Suite. Find out more
The Golden Door
8 The Golden Door
While legendary among the elite, few know about this tucked-away oasis in San Marcos, CA. If you’re not a celebrity or fabulously wealthy, The Golden Door is something you save up for—a one-week, all-inclusive stay will set you back $10,500. Granted, you get what you pay for. Each hour is scheduled to maximize your stay, from eight-mile morning hikes to in-room massages. If you have a moment to spare, exploring the scenic 600 acres of the property is enough to entertain you for hours—and work up an appetite. Each guest’s dietary preferences are tailored to. Guests are provided nourishing yet satisfying meals including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. The resort also offers cooking classes to help you take a little Golden Door wellness back home. Find out more
Volcano Eco Retreat
9 Volcano Eco Retreat
Need an adults-only vacation? You’ll find it nestled on four acres of Hawaiian forest on the Big Island. This place is remote, but if you have a car, it’s a stellar, all-vegan option to wake up and come “home” to after a day of exploring Hilo and other more populated areas of the island. Alternatively, this sustainably minded boutique hotel is an exceptional option for entrepreneurs and other working professionals to go heads-down and crank out some major productivity surrounded by beauty. Work in the morning, take a dip in the pool for lunch, have a productive afternoon, then sit down and relax to a nourishing vegan dinner. We love a working vacation. Find out more
Mother Earth Vegan Hotel
10 Mother Earth Vegan Hotel
When traveling to Tamarindo, Costa Rica, a stay at this sustainable, outwardly vegan resort is a must. The company offers five-star accommodations with a host of activities and tantalizing plant-based dining. Explore the jungle via ATV, take a surf lesson, or discovery a new modality of yoga in the Healing Studio. After working up an appetite, satisfy your cravings with Mushroom Ceviche, Canneollini Primavera, or a messy oyster mushroom Philly cheesesteak. Unwind in your room with a hefty slice of carrot cake or coconut crème brûlée. Find out more
Rosewood Miramar
11 Rosewood Miramar Beach
Laid-back, coastal cool meets refined resort at this Santa Barbra, CA resort. The beachfront property offers everything you could want from a vacation perspective: posh accommodations, beach access, gorgeous pools, lawn games (on perfectly manicured grounds), a luxury spa, and vegan options on every menu. For a completely curated dining experience, make your reservations at Caruso’s. The Southern Italian-inspired restaurant provides a four-course vegan prix-fixe menu, and yes, that includes a decadent dessert (spoiler alert: it’s peanut butter chocolate mousse). While a great getaway for California residents, it’s also an option to consider for all looking at vegan-friendly wedding venues. Find out more
Melissa Hom
12 W Maldives
Primarily a seafood spot, this luxury resort is changing its tune. While fish will still be on offer, the brand has invited vegan chef Priyanka Naik to create a comprehensive plant-based experience for guests through October 2023. Her sustainability-focused spread is now available at the resort’s respected FISH restaurant. The vegan options are extensive—guests certainly aren’t limited by a terse selection—but Naik gave us her recommendation for those visiting the restaurant for the first time. Start with the Charred Sweet Potato with Chili Sesame Dressing, savor the Local Kale Pesto Pappardelle with Almond Parmigiana for your entrêe, and polish off your meal with the Coconut Rose Gulab Jamuns with Passion Fruit Syrup, all while leisurely sipping her ingenious ‘Scrap’ Infused Vodka Melon Spritzer. Not even the most “sustainable seafood” can top that meal!Find out more Tanya Flink is a Digital Editor at VegNews as well as a writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.
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Teams working with one of NASA's newest spacecraft have made an unexpected discovery years before it's set to reach its ultimate destination: The smallest of the asteroids the probe plans to visit is orbited by an even smaller moon. The Lucy mission left Earth in October bound for the orbit of Jupiter and a group of asteroids known as the Trojans that tend to follow the giant planet around. The spacecraft's first encounter with an asteroid won't happen until 2025 as Lucy flies through the main asteroid belt. But in preparation the mission team is working with groups of veteran and amateur astronomers on Earth to get some early measurements of asteroids included on Lucy's grand tour. On March 27 of this year, 26 such teams spread out across a designated area to observe one of Lucy's target space rocks called Polymele as the asteroid passed in front of a distant star behind it. Capturing the asteroid from different vantage points on Earth as it briefly blocks, or occults, the star, making it appear to blink off and on again provides scientists with data that helps to precisely measure the location, size and shape of Polymele. Lucy scientists have helped to coordinate similar occultation campaigns in the past, but this one revealed a surprise. "We were thrilled that 14 teams reported observing the star blink out as it passed behind the asteroid, but as we analyzed the data, we saw that two of the observations were not like the others," Marc Buie, from the Lucy team at the Southwest Research Institute, said in a statement Tuesday. "Those two observers detected an object around 200 km (about 124 miles) away from Polymele. It had to be a satellite." Now playing: Watch this: Lucy's gigantic solar panels unfurl during testing 0:40 The Lucy team used the occultation data to determine that this mini-moon is about 3 miles (5 kilometers) across, compared to Polymele, which has a 17-mile (27-kilometer) diameter at its widest point.Remarkably, finding that one of the asteroids on its itinerary has a satellite has happened to the Lucy team before. In January 2021, images from the Hubble Space Telescope revealed that the Trojan asteroid Eurybates is circled by a smaller satellite. So basically Lucy will become acquainted with more tiny worlds than originally planned. "Lucy's tagline started out: 12 years, seven asteroids, one spacecraft," said Lucy program scientist Tom Statler from NASA headquarters in Washington. "We keep having to change the tagline for this mission, but that's a good problem to have."
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After trundling around the Jezero crater for 550 Martian days, NASA’s Perseverance rover has amassed nearly half its planned rock collection—including some containing organic molecules, a possible sign that life could have thrived there more than 3 billion years ago. These are compounds that contain carbon, and often hydrogen or oxygen, which are likely crucial to life forming.“We have discovered rocks that were deposited in a potentially habitable environment in that lake, and we have been seeking potential biosignatures,” which may have been produced by life, said Ken Farley, the Perseverance project scientist at Caltech, speaking today at a press conference at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. In fact, the Perseverance team picked the crater as the rover’s landing spot for that reason. It appears to be the site of an ancient river delta—a convenient location for microorganisms to have emerged and evolved long ago, and a shot at finally answering the question, “Are we alone in the cosmos?” Still, Farley emphasizes, organic molecules might have been produced by other means—it’s possible to make them through abiotic natural processes, too. But Percy, as the rover’s sometimes called, can’t conclusively determine their origin on its own. That’s why NASA and the European Space Agency are planning a sample return mission to pick up a variety of rocks from the region and ship them back to Earth in the early 2030s.The Perseverance team expects the rover to have a long lifespan, like its predecessor, Curiosity, which is still running. (Perseverance is actually NASA’s fifth rover to be deployed to the Red Planet.) Their preferred plan is to have Perseverance deliver the team’s favorite rock samples to a new lander equipped with a small rocket, which will launch the samples to an orbiter, which will then fly them to Earth. If the mission goes as planned, the team will launch the orbiter and lander from Earth to Mars in 2027 and 2028, respectively. The spacecraft loaded with rock samples will transport them to the western Utah desert in 2033. NASA has a backup plan, too. In case something happens to Percy over the next few years, the rover will also cache some samples in a safe, flat place where they can be retrieved easily. Because there’s hardly any weather on the planet, and few major marsquakes that could harm the samples, the cache should remain untouched until the lander comes. That mission will also include two helicopters—built like the Ingenuity craft that’s already aiding Perseverance’s mission—which could be used to retrieve samples.Mars is completely unlivable today. Thanks to the planet having very little of its atmosphere left, it’s a cold, arid wasteland, exposed to space radiation. But scientists believe that billions of years ago, it could’ve been a far more hospitable place, when it was more temperate and home to flowing liquid water. That makes it the closest world to Earth that could have once been inhabited—even if only by microbes.Perseverance’s travels have revealed that Jezero’s a geologically rich crater, with igneous and sedimentary rocks scattered about it. Not only did the crater likely hold a lake and river delta long ago, but before that, it was the site of volcanic activity. Scientists use Percy to collect samples by wheeling to a compelling spot—identified by its SHERLOC and WATSON cameras—drilling into a rock, and storing it in a heavy-duty test tube-like container stowed away in its belly. Scientists have used the rover to successfully fill 12 tubes so far, plus some control samples. It holds a total of 43 tubes.While Farley and his colleagues are excited about Perseverance’s discovery of organic molecules on Mars, it’s not the first rover to do so. Nine years ago, Curiosity came across organic matter in some rock powder samples. But Percy’s current location, in a rocky outcrop called Wildcat Ridge, seems more promising in terms of those materials being harbingers of life. It has a larger concentration of organics, including sulfate minerals, and the location seems more likely to be one that could have supported biology.The Perseverance team has also acquired evidence about the crater’s past from a sample at another outcrop, dubbed Skinner Ridge, revealing that some rocks indeed came from far away, likely transported by the ancient river before settling in the lake bed.“I think it’s safe to say these are two of the most important samples we’ll collect on this mission, and we’re all very excited about what we’ve found,” said David Shuster, the Perseverance return sample scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, at today’s press conference. “Both of these have high scientific value for the next generation of scientists when they’re returned to Earth.”
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This image taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows ice sheets at Mars’ south pole. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/JHUScientists have been arguing for years about ambiguous radar scans of Mars’ south pole. Do they reveal underground lakes of liquid water? Or something else? Two new papers out this week have added even more intrigue to the controversy.OffEnglishLuke Macfarlane | First FandomsIn 2018, a team of Italian scientists claimed to have discovered a subglacial lake near the Martian south pole using radar data from the Mars Express satellite. The discovery was met with skepticism, with other scientists suggesting alternatives like lumps of clay that could have produced the same reflection patterns. It’s a heady debate, because of water’s implications for life. While most scientists agree that Mars used to be very wet, the H2O it has left seems to be all ice.The debate is reignited this week with new evidence from NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor satellite that supports the liquid water hypothesis. The radar signals from the 2018 study pointed to a 12-mile-wide (20-kilometer) region around a mile beneath the surface, which the researchers interpreted as a subglacial lake or a patch of liquid water. In order to confirm that interpretation, a different team examined satellite data of the surface topography of the same region. Their analysis, published this week in Nature Astronomy, revealed a 6- to 15-mile (10-15 kilometer) undulation that’s made up of a depression and a corresponding raised area, which is similar to undulations found over subglacial lakes here on Earth. The team then ran a computer simulation of ice flow that’s consistent with the conditions on Mars, and the simulations generated undulations of similar size and shape to those observed on Mars’ ice cap surface. The study suggests that there is indeed an accumulation of liquid water beneath the planet’s south polar ice cap. “The combination of the new topographic evidence, our computer model results, and the radar data make it much more likely that at least one area of subglacial liquid water exists on Mars today,” Neil Arnold, a researcher at Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute and lead author of the study, said in a statement.But a separate new paper suggests that the liquid water radar data was in fact a result of interaction between different geological layers on Mars, producing a reflection pattern that could have been misinterpreted as liquid water. That study, also published this week in Nature Astronomy, provides an alternative explanation to the 2018 finding. The team behind this study created a simulation of layers made up of four materials—atmosphere, water ice, carbon dioxide ice, and basalt—and measured the layers’ interaction with electromagnetic radiation as it passes through them.They found that, depending on the thickness of the layers and how far apart they are, they produced similar reflections to the ones observed in the radar data of 2018. “On Earth, reflections that bright are often an indication of liquid water, even buried lakes like Lake Vostok [under the surface of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet],” Dan Lalich, research associate with Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science and lead author of the study, said in a statement. “But on Mars, the prevailing opinion was that it should be too cold for similar lakes to form.”“None of the work we’ve done disproves the possible existence of liquid water down there,” Lalich added. “We just think the interference hypothesis is more consistent with other observations. I’m not sure anything short of a drill could prove either side of this debate definitively right or wrong.”Temperatures on Mars can dip to around -220 degrees Fahrenheit (-140 degrees Celsius). Those frigid conditions comprise the main argument against any liquid water flowing on the Red Planet. But the researchers behind the latest pro-water study argue that geothermal heat from within the planet could be enough to keep the water in liquid form. Water is a main ingredient for life on Earth, but that doesn’t necessarily mean our sacred life juice would sprout lifeforms elsewhere in the universe. The debate over water does have implications for future crewed missions to Mars, though, especially if we ever want to set up a sustained presence there. More: NASA Refines Its Strategy for Getting Humans to Mars
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Subsets and Splits
List Unique Topics
Simple retrieval of unique topics from the dataset, useful for basic exploration but lacks deeper insights.