Posts by Jamie Maddison
Baby elephant is sung to sleep with a soothing lullaby
If ever there was a sight that reaffirmed humankind’s basic capacity to do nice by the world, then this might be it. In the video, a three-week-old baby elephant lays curled up on a women’s lap, as she softly sings a lullaby to the drowsy pachyderm, gently stroking its head. The clip was filmed at … Continued
Swedish film company pays tribute to Monty Python with this funny, yet beautiful film
Today is the 40th anniversary of Monty Python’s iconic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail and—in a bit of spirited high jinx—a Swedish company decided to pay tribute to the British comedy group with a modern interpretation of their classic Lumberjack Song. Based out of the fifth largest city Västerås, Film Kollektivet’s short film … Continued
Inquisitive moose plays with drone
Technology’s latest flying gizmos and Mother Nature aren’t always the best of buddies. In fact, it was only last year that drones were banned from all US National Parks over their intrusive noise and safety concerns. Yet it seems that, sometimes, UAVs aren’t as much as a nuisance as we believe them to be—at least … Continued
It’s a virgin birth! Female snake produces offspring without help from a male, for the second year running
In a bizarre mash-up of biblical narratives, a female serpent in southeast Missouri gave ‘virgin birth’ to live offspring, all without any interaction from a member of the opposite sex. The yellow-bellied water-snake at Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Centre has been alone and devoid of male companionship for around eight years. Nevertheless this is the … Continued
Amazing drone footage shows a couple of curious whales greeting a paddle-boarder in Australia
Absolutely stunning drone footage has emerged of the moment when two whales swam through a crystal-clear ocean to greet an Australian paddle-boarder. The serene video shows the southern right whales calmly approaching Dave Price through still and turquoise waters near the town of Esperance in Western Australia—the footage perfectly accompanied by a Jack Johnson cover … Continued
Playtime! Watch these orphaned baby rhinos frolic about with a completely new lease on life
Sadly, like too many baby rhinos these days, PJ and Monty have experienced much more trauma then they ever should have. But thankfully, through the tireless efforts of a few kind-hearted helpers, these two cheeky little fellas finally have a chance to once again do what all youngsters do best: play! PJ lost his mother … Continued
We ain’t lion, this big cat’s breathtaking bouffant has become an internet sensation
This is Leon the Lion, and he’s obviously one cat that takes great pride in his appearance. With a perfectly coiffured mane of lusciously thick golden locks, it’s obvious why this Congolese lion has stood head and shoulders above all the other animals at Ústí nad Labem Zoo in the Czech Republic since 2005. The … Continued
The world’s first ever Croc-Cow! Thai villagers mystified by ‘half buffalo, half crocodile hybrid’
It would be a touch melodramatic to say that onlookers in a remote Thai village were left terrified by the appearance of a weird-looking creature in their midsts. But they’re definitely intrigued and more than a little confused—as we all are—about how this abnormal creation came about. One glance at the video—taken in High Rock, Wang Hin—shows … Continued
Three bears chased from property by tiny French Bulldog
A plucky guard dog has shown that enough courage can make even opponents five-times your size cower in their fur, after it chased away three bears from its California home. When the bears—believed to each be about a year old and weighing more than 100lbs—wandered into Jules’ front yard (and one onto the balcony, out of … Continued
Sea turtles sport trendy swimsuits for science
How do you go about collecting the faeces of an extremely tough, 120kg ocean-roaming sea turtle? The answer, it seems, is with a customised and oh-so-fashionable swimsuit. Owen Coffee, a PhD student from the University of Queensland’s School of Biological Sciences, has recently been researching the diet of endangered sea turtles in the hope of … Continued
Twitter celebrates #IRAD, International Racoon Appreciation Day
Today is International Raccoon Appreciation Day, and yes, that’s a real thing. It was started back in 2002 for the express purpose of celebrating racoons and all those other poor, maligned animals us pushy humans generally regard as pests, and to highlight the important and often overlooked role they play in our respective ecosystems. Whether it’s … Continued
Thirsty leopard gets its head stuck in metal pot
A rather unlucky male leopard was forced to spend five hours with its head stuck inside a metal pot after it went searching for water in an Indian village. Residents of Sardul Kheda, in India’s northern state of Rajasthan, discovered the agitated animal wandering about blindly, trying in vain to remove its head from the sturdy … Continued
Mars has flowing liquid water, NASA confirms
It seems the Red Planet has a little bit more in common with its blue neighbour than than her arid appearance first suggests, it’s confirmed today after NASA announced that liquid water has been detected on the surface of Mars for the first time. Images from the space agency’s orbiting satellite, The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), … Continued
It's #WorldRhinoDay! Let's raise awareness about these majestic animals
It’s World Rhino Day today, and people right across the planet are joining together to celebrate all five species of rhino—Black, white, greater one-horned, Sumatran and Javan—as well as raise awareness about the continued and desperate need to protect these majestic animals. First announced by WWF-South Africa in 2010, the international day of celebration has since grown … Continued
