Baby panda “Fuhin” Kaedehama from the theme park Adventure World uses another opportunity to turn bonding time with her mother into a play-fight tournament. The growing panda cub is seen trying to climb on her mother’s back in the latest video posted by the theme park on May 20. The cub is determined to climb all over her mother, not minding that she takes a few falls during her efforts. The patient mother gently bites her young as if trying to calm her down — although nothing seems to discourage Fuhin from play. (Edited by Fern Siegel and Judith…
Author: zenger.news
Humboldt penguins in the Zurich Zoo in Switzerland have started hatching eggs and rearing their young, sometimes helped by male-male couples. “The lives of male and female penguins are not as different from each other as we may expect,” according to an article from Museum Studies at Tufts University in Massachusetts. “Regardless of sex, a parent’s responsibilities are similar — both invest equally in raising their chick. Aside from reproductive barriers, there is no reason why same-sex penguin couples cannot be successful parents.” The Humboldt species are medium-size penguins native to the west coast of South America, from Peru to…
About 14 tons of water were dumped from a military helicopter to help extinguish fires near a village in the Yekaterinburg region in Russia. The blaze began on May 17. The Ministry of Defense of Russia posted a video of the Mi-8MTV5 military transport helicopter using a large tethered bucket to gather some water at a nearby lake. It then dispersed the liquid on the burning areas on May 18. Seven ground-based pieces of equipment were also used to help tackle the flames, along with more than 50 military personnel, according to local press reports. The main goal was to…
A Siberian tiger from Portugal is expected to become the new mating partner of a tigress in the Tiergarten Schonbrunn Zoo in Vienna. “Pepe is 2 years old and comes from the Lisbon Zoo,” said zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbecke. “He is the new partner for our tigress Ina, who was born in our zoo in 2008.” Though the two animals have been kept apart for now, the 13-year-old tigress was curiously watching Pepe after his arrival on May 17, the zoo director said. The two animals have similar physical traits, but Pepe is a bit taller, and Ina has a…
A surrogate mother has taken over care of Hasani, an infant Western lowland gorilla, at England’s Bristol Zoo Gardens. His mother, Kala, was unable to care for him after giving birth last August. Six zookeepers took turns tending to Hasani and feeding him around the clock for seven months. Eventually, keepers slowly introduced Hasani to 16-year-old Kera, hoping the two would bond and she could become his surrogate mother. It is the first time Kera has looked after an infant. She had a daughter, Afia, five years ago by caesarean section, but she was so ill another gorilla, Romina, became…
REDCLIFFE, Australia — Australian state Queensland’s health minister has threatened to sack the board that manages health services for some of the most remote communities in the state. Yvette D’Ath has issued a show-cause notice to the board of the North West Hospital and Health Service (NWHHS), saying there are concerns about governance and financial management. The board is responsible for managing health service finances, land, buildings, and staff. “The action I have taken today asks the board to show cause as to why they should not be dismissed and an Administrator appointed,” the minister said in a statement on May 19. “Ensuring the…
PETERSHAM, Australia — The comments sections underneath opinion pieces on Australian media websites are “Petri dishes,” where racism grows and flourishes, a new analysis suggests. Islamophobic beliefs are normalized in the comments on opinion pieces expressing negative views on Muslim people. People with similar views embolden each other, the research from anti-racism organization All Together Now suggests. Though these comments are often expressed relatively politely, they still convey racist ideas. “The impact race-related media pieces have on people is tangible, and our report shows the dangerously polarizing effect they can have,” All Together Now managing director Priscilla Brice said. All Together Now analyzed more than…
HELENSVALE, Australia — The Queensland government will back a rocket launch facility in the state’s north coast and potentially multiple facilities in a bid to see economic recovery from the Covid-19 lift-off. Deputy Premier Steven Miles says a technical and environmental assessment has found the Abbot Point site suitable for small-scale rocket launches. He says the government will work with proponent Gilmour Space Technologies and locals to develop the launch facility near the Abbot Point coal terminal. “Growing our space industry in Queensland will add billions to the economy and create thousands of local jobs. That’s why we are committed to the development of launch infrastructure,” Miles…
MELBOURNE, Australia — South-eastern Australian state of Victoria’s budget rests on the assumption the state won’t have another prolonged coronavirus lockdown. The seventh budget by Treasurer Tim Pallas, unveiled on May 19, forecasts any further outbreaks of Covid-19 in Australia will be “contained and only result in localized, short-term restrictions.” Following the federal government’s lead, the Victorian treasury anticipates international borders won’t reopen until 2022, with the student, tourist, and migrant numbers to pick up in the middle of the year as travel bubbles are created with other countries. It is six months later than treasury initially forecast and is blamed on…
SYDNEY — The entire audit office team fronting a parliamentary inquiry has been silenced by a Morrison government gag. Auditor-General Grant Hehir said they were unable to speak on the record about the redacted part of an assessment of the army’s AU$1.3 billion ($1 billion) acquisition of Hawkei vehicles from Thales Australia. Labor Member of Parliament Julian Hill slammed the “nonsense” and “tortuous lines of reasoning” stopping taxpayers from seeing whether they were getting value for money on the acquisition or other defense spending in the future. Hill tweeted “If you see a Liberal MP, be sure to ask them how…