St. Lucia is near the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, home to around 800 hippos. That means that, while visiting the area, you may see hippos roaming freely around the estuary and even in town. These hippos were caught parading around the streets one evening.

@beauspaans Meanwhile on the streets of St. Lucia 🦛. #stlucia #southafrica #hippo #streets #animals ♬ origineel geluid - Beau Spaans

While these hippos seem complacent walking down the street, we should note that hippos can be very dangerous. Local residents know to use caution around them. The hippos have grown accustomed to cars, people, and camera flashes, but they can still be dangerous. 

The St. Lucia Tourism Bureau has compiled a hippo fact sheet that all visitors should read. Hippos cause more deaths than any other animal in South Africa. Although baby hippos are the cutest animals on the planet, adult hippos are an entirely different matter. Check out this clip of cuteness overload!

@babyhippoco Baby Hippos Are The Cutest Animals On The Planet #babyhippo #pygmyhippo #hippo #babyanimals #cute #foryou #fyp ♬ stuff we did - LBFD

In Columbia, there are around 130 hippos that wander the street. Pablo Escobar imported them for a private zoo. Authorities could not capture them, so they roam freely and are invasive. They have been roaming since the 1980s and are the largest population of hippos outside of Africa. Although many hippo sightings happen at night in St. Lucia, there are plenty of daytime encounters too. It is not uncommon to see a random hippo or two walk down the street. The folks who took the video of the hippo on the left below could not get to their hotel. 

The hippo was in the street, blocking the entrance. The two on the right were in a residential area. If St. Lucia, South Africa, is on your bucket list, catch a guided safari tour. But also be aware of the hippos in the street and use caution.
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  “I was utterly surprised and mystified when I first spotted a distant bright light coming toward me from the northern horizon,” he shared. “At first, I thought it was a jet airliner flying through some clouds. Then it took on the spiral shape and grew big fast!” Salat couldn't believe what he was seeing and was left feeling a bit confused about what had taken place. Luckily, he was able to act quickly and capture the event so that he could share it with the world. 

“I was shooting frantically with two camera/tripod set-ups knowing that this was a unique event, and within about seven minutes, the ‘apparition' swept by and disappeared. It was spellbinding! For the past two nights, I had been photographing auroras over this dome (Donnelly Dome) and hoping to catch something special. I got my wish!” 

 Once Salat got home, he began doing some research and that's when he realized that what he'd seen in the sky wasn't natural. Just three hours earlier, in California, a SpaceX Transporter-7 mission launched on the Falcon 9 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. The spiral is actually frozen rocket engine exhaust. When it catches the sunlight at high altitudes, it glows, and a spiral formation is created. Salat wasn't the only one to get a glimpse at the rare event. 

The University of Alaska's Poker Flat Research Range has an all-night camera that also recorded the event. At around 09:50 UT mark, the spiral appears and then mysteriously vanishes just as quickly as it came into view. Transporter is SpaceX's rideshare mission, and this was its seventh launch. 

According to SpaceNews, it was carrying 51 satellites. Though the full payload list wasn't available, some of the satellites included were for greenhouse gas monitoring, as well as weather monitoring. This was the first time that a Transporter mission had launched from California, with the previous six missions taking off from Florida's Cape Canaveral. 

The spiral caused by a SpaceX rocket was also caught on film. It's visible in the aurora at around 09:50 UT.

 
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That was the case recently, when a horse decided to mug for the camera and hilariously steal the show during a couple’s photoshoot. A mom-to-be named Amanda Eckstein, from Indiana, wanted to have a nice maternity photoshoot with her partner, and hired Cincinnati photographer Kristen Zaffiro to take the pictures. During the shoot, the couple decided they wanted to get their horses in a few of the shots. But it took some time for Kristen to get the horses to pose correctly. “When we got to the time to do the horse pictures, they were not standing the way we had hoped they would,” she told WJW. Finally, she got one of the horses, Buckshot, to face the camera. Now she just needed him to look happy. 

“We finally got them turned around the correct way and I said, ‘At least you could smile,'” Kristen recalled. But she never expected the horse to actually listen — but then suddenly Buckshot posed with a huge, hilarious smile for the camera! And the funny photos kept coming. “When I laughed, he smiled more,” Kristen said. In another great pic, the horse is laughing with his mouth wide open, as Amanda gives him a look: As their horse stole the show, the couple couldn’t help but break their poses and start laughing hysterically at his big smile. “I laughed so hard!” Kristen wrote on Facebook. “Best maternity session ever.” What hilarious photos! This is definitely a maternity shoot to remember, thanks to one photogenic horse.
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At the end of Monday’s Daily Show, Stewart took a pause from his trademark political satire and shared a personal story with the audience. He recalled how 12-13 years ago, his two children wanted to raise money for a NYC no-kill animal shelter, Animal Haven. The family set up a stand selling cupcakes outside the shelter, and employees brought out one of their dogs: a 1-year-old brindle pitbull who had lost his right leg after being struck by a car in Brooklyn. 

Stewart starts to get emotional recalling this first meeting with his beloved dog, pulling out a tissue box from beneath his desk: “I thought I’d get further,” he joked to the audience. He then explained that he and his family went home with the dog that day, naming him Dipper. “In a world of good boys, he was the best,” Stewart says. Stewart says he would take the dog to the office every day, and Dipper was part of the “OG Daily Show dog crew.” 

Over the years, Dipper became a staple of Stewart’s Daily Show routine and got to meet many of the show’s high-profile guests. “We’d come to tape this show, and Dipper would wait for me to be done,” Stewart said said. “And he met actors and authors and presidents and kings.” “And he did—he did what the Taliban could not do, which is put a scare into Malala Yousafzai,” Stewart joked, playing a clip of Dipper startling the Nobel Peace Prize laureate behind the scenes of the show. An emotional Stewart then announced that Dipper passed away on Sunday, surrounded by the family. “He was ready. He was tired… but I wasn’t,” Stewart says. 

“My wish for you, is that one day you find that dog,” Stewart tells the audience. “That one dog. And just… he’s the best.” He then ended the show dedicating the nightly “Moment of Zen” to footage of Dipper happily playing in the snow. 

 Watch the video below:

  Stewart, 61, hosted The Daily Show from 1999 to 2015, turning the late night Comedy Central series into a political comedy institution and receiving 22 Primetime Emmy Awards. 

He returned to the show this month as executive producer and host of Monday night’s shows, and will continue through the election. Stewart’s love for animals goes beyond his rescue dog Dipper: he and his wife Tracey also turned their 45-acre farm into a sanctuary for abused animals.

  It’s always heartbreaking to say goodbye to a beloved dog, and our hearts are with Jon Stewart and his family after their loss. Thank you for rescuing Dipper and giving him such a great home all those years ❤️💔 Please share this story in memory of Dipper.
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  While we love inspiring stories of human babies who were born in miraculous ways, like this postmenopausal surrogate who gave birth to her own grandson, we also love stories about extraordinary animal births. 

For instance, BBC Earth was there to record a mama tiger when she gave birth to twin tiger cubs at the Australia Zoo. This tiger was a first time mom, so we can imagine that she didn’t entirely know what to expect, but thankfully, her animal instincts were right on. You see, the first baby tiger wasn’t breathing when he was born. He made a few gasps for air, but more than two minutes went by without the cub truly breathing properly. 

Mom did what cats naturally do when their babies are born. She licked the cub, and licked and licked and licked. Her licking was a way of cleaning the cub. This licking is similar to what a nurse might do in the hospital when a human baby is born. A nurse might wipe away the amniotic fluid and suction any fluid out of the baby’s nose so that he could breath easily. 

Mama tiger’s licking would hopefully stimulate the cub to breath and clear the airways. There’s no way to know if mama tiger was worried about her baby or not, but the staff at the Australia Zoo, who were watching on a TV monitor, were on the edge of their seats. 

Finally, the baby cub took a couple normal breaths. Mama tiger did her job and did it amazingly well. The tiger responded with his first ever sound, and the staff at the zoo clapped and cheered. Everyone was relieved and even joyful. Mama tiger wasn’t done yet though. She was having twins. 

We’re sure everyone was hopeful that the second baby would have an easier time breathing than the first. His birth ended up being quite a bit different than that of his brother’s. While the first cub was lifeless and struggling to breath for the first few minutes of his life, the second cub was immediately moving around and breathing easily. 

 Watch the video below to see mama tiger give birth to her twin boys. She makes it look so easy.

 
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  According to a Facebook post from the Waldens Creek Volunteer Fire Department, the Sevier County Technical Rope Rescue Team, consisting of rope rescue technicians from different local fire departments, was deployed to rescue a dog named Charlie. 

Charlie was trapped 40 feet down an extremely narrow cave shaft. After arriving on the scene and hiking to Charlie’s location, two firefighters descended down into the cave to look for the dog — but got a scare when they realized they weren’t alone. 

Inside the cave was a 2-year-old, 200-pound bear, sleeping five feet below and trapping Charlie inside. Unable to get to Charlie without startling the bear, the team set up cameras before exiting the cave, and waited for the bear to leave. The crew returned the next day and found the bear had left the cave. With the coast clear, a team of firefighters descended down into the cave and found Charlie. They attached a harness to the dog and brought up back up to safety. 

Charlie reportedly was “quickly reunited with his happy owner.” The fire department wrote that Charlie was in the cave for approximately three days: he was “dehydrated and hungry,” but in “otherwise good condition.” 

Coincidentally, the same rescue team had saved another dog named Storm from a cave last year: that dog is Charlie’s “cousin,” the department writes. It runs in the family, it seems — hopefully these dogs stay safe in the future!

  Thank you to this rescue team for going the extra mile to save Charlie! We’re so glad he’s safe and sound now!

  This spectacular new fossil has allowed scientists to see the full anatomy of this bizarre prehistoric beast. Dr Nick Fraser, from National Museums Scotland, who was part of the international team that studied the fossil, said this was the first time scientists had been able to see it in full. 

He described it as "a very strange animal". 

"It had flipper-like limbs and its neck is longer than its body and tail combined," he said. The researcher speculated that a "long, bendy and flexible neck", with its 32 separate vertebrae, might have provided a hunting advantage - allowing Dinocephalosaurus orientalis to search for food in crevices under the water. Artist Marlene Donelly recreated a scene of Dinocephalosaurus orientalis swimming with prehistoric fish
The fossil was discovered in ancient limestone deposits in southern China. "This discovery just adds to the weirdness of the Triassic," Dr Fraser told BBC News. "And every time we look in these deposits, we find something new." 

The paper describing a set of new fossils of the animal is published in the journal Earth and Environmental Science: Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
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In this case, let’s take a closer look at how it all unfolded when the animal heroes from the Teddy Kitten Rescue Center took on a very special case. They usually feed the stray cats roaming the streets. But one day, they spotted a cat they hadn’t seen before. She was walking towards them with a kitten in her mouth. She gently placed her little one on the ground and allowed one of the animal lovers to pet her. Then they both received food. It seemed early on that the cat mom, who no one in the neighborhood seemed to recognize, trusted these people. For a moment later, she returned with another kitten. 

”Today, as soon as we fed the cat, she started bringing her kittens to us. Perhaps she trusted us, and maybe she hadn’t found a safe place for her babies. At first, she brought one kitten to us. Then she brought another one. The cat seemed very concerned about the safety and health of her kittens,” writes the Teddy Kitten Rescue Center on YouTube, where they also posted a video of the whole thing.

The video currently has over eleven million views, and it’s not hard to understand why. At the same time, it wasn’t “just” two kittens that this mother wanted them to help her take care of. A little further away, there was another kitten, hidden in a bush. They picked up the kitten and brought it to the rest of the family. Then the cat mother did something remarkable. She left the group once again – and soon returned with a fourth kitten (!). But this kitten was in bad shape. According to the organization, it was unconscious. ”It was as if the cat was trying to tell us ‘help my kittens’ with her head movements,” they write. And help, they all received. Soon they arrived at the cat shelter where they received food and shelter. The unconscious kitten soon started to feel better. 

 Feel free to watch the clip below to see how the cats are doing now at the shelter, they are all much better:

 
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Bees are usually, entirely interdependent on flowers for food, which consists of pollen and nectar. It can be later modified and stored as honey. As bees fly from flower to flower gathering small amounts of pollen, this amount is rubbed from their bodies and deposited on the flowers they land on. This loss of pollen is significant, for it often results in a cross-pollination of plants. This article is about an adorable bee species that Joe Neely came across. They seemed to have been snuggling together. The story behind this discovery was when he and his wife went out to capture a bunch of poppy flowers by the highway. Suddenly, his wife was captivated by an orange Globe Mallow plant which gave out small buzzing noise, and turns out, there were bees inside these flowers who were not moving. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the forest service stated that these bees belonged to the species of “Diadasia diminuta” and that their nests are usually found in compacted soil along dirt roads. Talking with team “theinfo.me’ Joe Neely mentioned that “This photo is also in the National Geographic Magazine this month (November 2021) issue”. 

 Image Credit & More info: jmneelyphotography.com | Facebook | Instagram
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  It’s no secret that working in an office requires unwavering patience due to the often monotonous and repetitive work. When office workers get bored, work performance and productivity significantly decline. 

In order to increase employee morale and productivity, companies can make the office environment more entertaining and pleasurable. For example, try turning your office into an exciting Jurassic Park by replacing your regular office chairs with these dinosaur ones. This dinosaur office chair has a brachiosaurus design, with its flat back serving as a comfy seat. The good thing about these chairs is that they allow you to sit in different positions in order to find your most comfortable sitting posture. 

You can use the chair’s long neck as a backrest, which allows you to sit backwards for optimal comfort. You can also sit with your legs around its neck or with your legs to the side of its body. These dinosaur office chairs are made from durable fiber-reinforced plastic resin, which is weather-resistant and can last for years. Each chair measures 39 inches long, 17 inches wide, and 39 inches high. It only weighs 28.6 pounds, but this reliable chair can hold up to 300 pounds of weight. 

What’s more, it is available in 4 lively colors – blue, pink, yellow, and green. If your favorite color isn’t on the list, you can also customize the chairs in your preferred colors. Additionally, you can also opt to have your company logo printed anywhere on the chairs. Watch the video below to learn more about the Lounge Dino Chair

 
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  The amber itself derives from the extinct Hymenaea protera, a prehistoric leguminous tree. Most amber found in Central and South America comes from its resin. Amber from the Dominican Republic is known as Dominican resin, which is noted for its clarity and a high number of inclusions. 

Heritage Auctions dates the piece in question to the Oligocene period, placing it anywhere from about 23 million to 33.9 million years old. It's an important period of time where the archaic Eocene transitions into more modern ecosystems of the Miocene period, which lasted until 5 million years ago. Incredibly, the mantis itself doesn't appear so different from what we see today. 

There are over 2,400 species of mantises today, mainly living in tropical climates. But the earliest mantis fossils, which date back 135 million years, come from a place that is, today, much colder—Siberia. 

Some early fossils even show mantises with spines on their front legs, just like modern mantises. Whoever bought this piece of amber took home an interesting piece of evolutionary history, one that can be gazed at each day.

 
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Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be a baby feathertail glider, a native species of eastern Australia. This heartwarming encounter underscores the invaluable role that animals play in our lives, not only as companions but also as guardians of the natural world. Through their instincts and compassion, these dogs demonstrated the importance of empathy and stewardship toward all living creatures, leaving a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to witness their act of kindness. This tiny creature, known as the feathertail glider, holds the title of being the smallest gliding mammal in existence. It appeared to have fallen from its mother’s pouch, facing the perilous risk of being overlooked or harmed on the ground. 

Fortunately, the watchful eyes and compassionate nature of man’s best friend intervened, ensuring the safety and rescue of this delicate life. The remarkable bond between humans and their canine companions is exemplified in moments like these, where dogs demonstrate not only their loyalty and affection but also their instinctive ability to protect and nurture the vulnerable members of the animal kingdom. 

Through their actions, they serve as shining examples of empathy and compassion, inspiring others to follow suit in safeguarding the welfare of all creatures, big and small. 

 Click the video below to watch this incredible story!

 
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Known as the “sprite chaser,” Smith travels around North America to document this incredible phenomenon and leads workshops to help others enjoy their beauty. For Smith, these rare occurrences provide endless inspiration. “They are so beautiful—to me they are truly one of the most eye-catching events in nature,” said Smith. “They are so mysterious. I love to be capturing something that is still in the process of being understood. Every capture could hold another clue in helping us understand the processes.” 

In fact, when one considers that it wasn't until 1989 that the first red sprite was caught on film, it's a stunning feat that Smith is able to track so many. This is partially due to his ability to forecast the weather and predict the potential for sprites within a storm system. This, coupled with detailed research and an expert knowledge of his equipment, helps him capture his best images. Smith hopes that his work will spark curiosity in others to understand more about the different mysteries of nature. 

“I think it is humbling to realize that we don't know everything on our planet yet and that we are still finding new things even now,” he admits. “Sprites are very exciting because our upper atmosphere is so poorly understood and hard to study. Sprites and other transient luminous events give us a look into that area of our planet that has not been possible before.” These fiery explosions are triggered by positive discharges of lightning above thunderstorm clouds.
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