Brexit stopping rhinos from mating
And other stories from the stranger side of life
UK zoos have been warned that breeding schemes for bison, rhinos, monkeys and other endangered animals are being harmed by Brexit. Previously, about 1,400 animals a year were transferred between British aquariums or zoos and those in Europe but red tape meant that last year, the number fell to just over 200, said The Times. Mark Habben, a director at the Wildwood Trust, said: “We’re in the middle of a climate crisis and an extinction crisis. Yet we’re being hindered by paperwork. It’s ridiculous.”
Oldest person says her secret is avoiding toxic people
The world’s oldest person has credited her longevity on “staying away from toxic people”, reported Sky News. Maria Branyas Morera, 115, who was born in San Francisco in 1907, has three children, 11 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. In 2020, she fought off Covid within days at the age of 113. In her Twitter bio she says she is “very old but not an idiot”. Writing on the social network, she said she had lived so long thanks to “lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people”.
Mr Blobby auction winner backs out
The winner of an online auction to buy an original Mr Blobby costume has dramatically backed out just an hour after bidding £62,000 for the prized memorabilia. The outfit was originally listed on eBay for £39 but the price soared after the page went viral on social media. The seller, a former BBC employee who wished to remain anonymous, said they were not surprised when the winning bidder backed out. “I don’t think you can lose something you’ve never had,” they said in reference to the value of the winning bid.
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Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.
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