For the first time in three decades, a tiny fanged deer had been seen and photographed by a research team in a forested area in southern Vietnam.
Called the silver-backed chevrotain, the Vietnamese mouse deer is the smallest ungulate in the world that has been included in an environmental group’s top 25 lost species.
Before the recent rediscovery, the miniature animal was last seen in 1990.
An unusually tiny deer with a silver sheen that conservationists thought to be extinct had been spotted for the first time in Vietnam after nearly 30 years.
The silver-backed chevrotain, also known as the Vietnamese mouse deer, had been sighted only five times in the wilderness before researchers caught sight of it outside Nha Trang, a coastal rainforest where poaching snares are prevalent, according to the environmental group Global Wildlife Conservation.
Dubbed a “miniature fanged deer,” the chevrotain typically weighs below 10 pounds and is as small as a rabbit. However, they are neither deer nor mice despite the name, but ungulates, or the smallest hoofed animals in the world.
GWC says the silver-backed chevrotain was first described by scientists in 1910 when four samples of Vietnamese mouse deer were collected. It was only until 1990 when the fifth was spotted. Since then, no others had been sighted. The animals had since been listed on the group’s top 25 most wanted lost species.
“For so long this species has seemingly only existed as part of our imagination. Discovering that it is, indeed, still out there, is the first step in ensuring we don’t lose it again,” said Vietnamese biologist An Nguyen, an associate conservation scientist with GWC and a PhD student with the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research.
For five months, GWC and its team set up camera traps in forested areas after learning from locals and forest rangers that chevrotains with grayish backs had been spotted in southern Vietnam.
In a statement, Nguyen, who also led the expedition wrote “We had no idea what to expect, so I was surprised and overjoyed when we checked the camera traps and saw photographs of a chevrotain with silver flanks.”
The team was able to capture 275 photos of the mammal, after which 1,881 photographs followed after the team set up another 29 cameras in the same area.
The team of researchers from Global Wildlife Conservation together with the Southern Institute of Ecology and Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research suggested that further studies be made on the threats in the regions where the chevrotains live in order to ensure their protection.
Details about the findings were published on Monday in the peer-reviewed Nature Ecology & Evolution.
A 19-year-old Colombian woman, claiming to have never been with a man, asserts she was impregnated by an ‘evil spirit’, sparking a spirited debate on social media.
Following strange dreams and a sense of supernatural presences, along with her missing periods, a visit to the gynecologist confirmed her pregnancy.
Despite some skepticism and accusations of her fabricating the story, there are also supporters who believe her claims, citing they’ve heard similar stories before.
When it comes to tales of the unexpected, this one is surely one for the books.
A 19-year-old woman from Colombia, who says she has never been romantically involved with a man, now insists that her current pregnancy is the work of an ‘evil spirit.’
A supernatural Casanova, if you will.
The Colombian teen has been stirring up all kinds of chatter on Latino social media after she boldly told TV Malambo, a local media outlet, that she’s convinced her pregnancy is a supernatural event.
According to her, she began having strange dreams and experienced eerie presences in her room.
Then suddenly, she stopped having her period, leading her mother to rush her to a gynecologist, who declared her pregnant.
Advertisement
She made the claim inn a statement that almost reads like a novel.
“I have not been with any man, suddenly I stopped menstruating and my mother took me to the health center for a check-up and there I found out that I got pregnant.”
The young woman accepts that her story is difficult to swallow and confesses that she herself is puzzled about her mysterious pregnancy.
However, this hasn’t stopped the internet from erupting into a spirited (pun intended) debate.
Some skeptics suggest she concocted the story to dodge parental wrath, while others back her claim, swearing they’ve heard of similar instances.
One supporter commented, “She is telling the truth, I have heard of other cases like this. The last thing her father or mother should do is kick her out of the family home.”
It should be noted that in Colombia, teen pregnancies are more common than in most countries worldwide.
But this is definitely not your average teen pregnancy story.
Advertisement
In fact, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first ‘supernaturally-induced’ pregnancy we’ve heard about.
Just last year, an Indonesian woman claimed she got pregnant after a gust of wind swept through her.
With stories like these, who needs Netflix for entertainment?
Popular Japanese YouTuber ‘homosapi’ stirred up a controversy by cooking and eating a broth made from Portuguese Man-o-Wars, a marine organism known for its deadly sting, in a video for his over one million subscribers.
While the YouTuber reported no ill effects and described the taste as similar to scallops, marine experts strongly cautioned against trying to recreate the risky recipe, due to the potential for remaining toxicity and risk of inhaling poisonous fumes during cooking.
Despite having a health professional present during the stunt, homosapi’s video has sparked a debate about responsible content creation, and experts are urging the public to avoid attempting to cook or consume dangerous marine creatures like the Man-o-War.
In what might be the next “do not try this at home” viral sensation, popular Japanese YouTuber ‘homosapi’ has stirred the pot, quite literally, with a marine menace: the Portuguese Man-o-War.
To his over one million subscribers, he served up a video of himself cooking and slurping a broth made from these dangerous dwellers of the deep.
Known for their venomous sting capable of immobilizing or even killing its prey, the Portuguese Man-o-War is not your usual soup du jour.
However, homosapi was not deterred, having been inspired by adventurous eaters who allegedly claimed the venomous creature’s broth was as delectable as the finest delicacy.
Seeking not only the thrill of the culinary dare but also the promise of viral views, homosapi and his friends embarked on a beach trip, hunting for washed-up Man-o-Wars.
Once they’d bagged their jelly-like prizes, the YouTuber proceeded to cook them into a wobbly blob.
He added veggies, sauces, and a suspect pinch of MSG before diving in with a daring taste test.
Advertisement
His verdict?
It’s somewhat scallop-esque, with no apparent ill effects.
While the YouTuber may have taken the phrase “anything for views” quite literally, marine life experts were quick to condemn the stunt.
Warning the public against recreating this risky recipe, they emphasized that while a boiled Man-o-War might lose some of its toxicity, there’s no guarantee that the potent, protein-based poison is completely neutralized.
Shuhei Ikeda, a jellyfish breeder at the Kamo Aquarium, also highlighted the danger of inhaling toxic fumes during the cooking process, which could result in serious allergies and breathing issues.
In an attempt to counterbalance the wild stunt, homosapi revealed that a health professional was on hand throughout the precarious cooking show.
Nonetheless, the video continues to raise eyebrows and spark debates about responsible content creation.
So, folks, let’s stick to more traditional soup ingredients, shall we?
Advertisement
Leave the Man-o-Wars to the marine experts, not the daredevil YouTubers.
Archaeologists recently discovered two human skeletons in Pompeii, trapped under a collapsed building during the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. These individuals likely perished in an initial earthquake, offering new insights into the unfolding of this historic disaster.
Located in a building known as the “Insula of the Chaste Lovers,” this discovery emphasizes how much more is yet to be unearthed about Pompeii’s tragic end. The skeletons, along with the detailed accounts of Pliny the Younger, contribute to our understanding of the city’s demise and Roman life.
As a major archaeological site, Pompeii continues to provide significant scientific value, shedding light on the scale of the disaster that buried the city. Ongoing excavations and advancements in archaeological techniques promise to reveal further aspects of this ancient catastrophe.
Pompeii, the ancient city frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, continues to reveal its hidden tales nearly 2000 years later.
Recently, archaeologists made a grim but fascinating discovery of two human skeletons crushed beneath the ruins of a collapsed building, adding a new perspective to the understanding of this historic catastrophe.
The two unfortunate victims are believed to have been trapped during an earthquake that heralded the volcanic eruption.
Their discovery within a building, quaintly known as the “Insula of the Chaste Lovers,” underscores how much remains to be unearthed about this monumental disaster.
“The discovery of the remains of these two Pompeians shows how much there is still to discover about the terrible eruption of AD 79,” said Gennaro Sangiuliano, Italian Minister of Culture, emphasizing the importance of the find.
The skeletal pair was found along the side of a utility room, trapped beneath the debris of a fallen wall.
The dramatic pose of one man, his arm raised against the rubble, illustrates a vain attempt to shield himself from the collapsing building.
Advertisement
An in-depth examination revealed the cause of their demise to be multiple traumas from the building’s partial collapse.
This poignant snapshot gives a chilling insight into the terror experienced by Pompeii’s residents during the city’s last moments.
In the span of just over 24 hours, the Vesuvius eruption obliterated Pompeii, ending the lives of 15 to 20 percent of the city’s population.
Buried under a thick blanket of volcanic ash, the Roman city was frozen in a horrific tableau, remaining untouched for centuries until its rediscovery in 1748.
The findings at the site, combined with historical accounts like those of Pliny the Younger, have helped archaeologists piece together the timeline of the catastrophic event and provide a glimpse into Roman life.
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, expressed how “modern excavation techniques help to shed light on the inferno that descended on Pompeii over two days, leading to the city’s complete destruction.”
The earthquake that claimed the lives of the unearthed men most likely occurred during the eruption’s initial stages, before the torrent of pumice stones and deadly pyroclastic flows further devastated the city.
Sangiuliano stressed that discoveries such as this “confirm the necessity of continuing scientific investigation and excavations” in Pompeii, a sentiment echoed by many in the archaeological community.
Advertisement
An “immense archaeological laboratory,” Pompeii continues to amaze the world with its ongoing revelations, vividly illustrating the human side of one of history’s most notorious natural disasters.
Business1 year ago
Entertainment12 months ago
Science12 months ago
Business1 year ago
Entertainment1 year ago
Entertainment12 months ago
Tech12 months ago
U.S.1 year ago