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Beloved teddy bear left in airport lounge rescued by airline

<p dir="ltr">Staff at British Airways have rescued a child’s stuffed teddy bear that was left behind in an airport lounge, documenting the toy’s safe journey home. </p> <p dir="ltr">The treasured teddy was found in the British Airways lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport by nine-year-old Alex, who accidentally left the toy behind before boarding a flight home to Dubai. </p> <p dir="ltr">After staff found the stranded toy, a new flight and boarding pass was created for Postman Bear, while members of the BA team gave the teddy the”'VIP treatment”  with a journey on an airport buggy to “catch up” with the Cabin Crew Operations team in the Crew Report Centre.</p> <p dir="ltr">Postman Bear was then taken to meet the cabin crew on his new flight to Dubai and was pictured “patiently” waiting for his flight at the gate, drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying “some great views of the aircraft” while waiting to board. </p> <p dir="ltr">The teddy’s journey home was lovingly captured by British Airways customer manager, Ed Tumath, who sent the snaps back to young Alex to assure him his beloved bear was being looked after. </p> <p dir="ltr">After touching down in Dubai, the cabin crew took Postman Bear to reunite with Alex and the rest of his family for a “bear-y happy reunion”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Stuart, Alex's parent, recalled the moment they knew the teddy was missing, while praising British Airways for their tireless journey to reunite Alex with his bear. </p> <p dir="ltr">Stuart said, “My son had left his teddy bear - huge sentimental value as he has had the teddy since birth - in the British Airways lounge ahead of the flight. We noticed as the aircraft doors were closing so nothing could be done at that point.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“This was very distressing to my son who uses the teddy as a calming item, especially when flying. This was incredibly stressful and we feared that his beloved teddy may be lost forever.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Whilst onboard the flight, I took to a series of Facebook groups to seek help in finding the teddy. A member of the group contacted Ed who came to the rescue. I managed to communicate with Ed on the flight and received a picture showing that the teddy had been found, which calmed my son.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not only did Ed go out of his way to find the teddy but he communicated so well throughout. He genuinely cared about the situation and worked so hard to get the teddy back to us.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He arranged for the teddy to board a flight to Dubai a couple of days later and a crew member handed the teddy back to us. Not only did Ed excel in his caring manner and communication, he even provided a few pictures of the teddy's journey, which my son will treasure forever.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“My son was so relieved - words could not express how grateful we are to Ed for his kind act and dedication to getting the teddy back to us. I have been flying with BA for many years - this is the best experience I have had by far and I am overwhelmed by Ed's efforts.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Sometimes amazing people do incredible things and show such kindness along the way... these things matter. This meant a huge amount to my family and I, and we will be forever grateful.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: British Airways</em></p>

International Travel

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Zoo's upright bear accused of being just a guy in a suit

<p>A Chinese zoo has had to be completely trans-bear-ant about its popular sun bear, following allegations that it was actually a human in disguise.</p> <p>The Hangzhou Zoo in China gained international recognition after video footage of their sun bear standing on its hind legs and waving at visitors caused many to paws and look twice.</p> <p>Many were bear-side themselves with excitement as theories that it was a human in disguise continued to spread.</p> <p>The local Hangzhou Daily first reported on the attention that the four-year-old sun bear named Angela was receiving.</p> <p>“Because of the way they stand, some people online question whether they are ‘humans in disguise’,” they wrote.</p> <p>As Angela gained popularity, experts were summoned and had to confirm that the bear was in fact fur-real.</p> <p>Ashleigh Marshall, an expert from Chester Zoo, told <em>BBC News</em> that the animal “is definitely a real bear,” and affirmed to doubtful visitors that sun bears do often “look a lot like people in costumes”.</p> <p>The animal expert also pointed out that the folds on the sun bear’s back weren’t because the costume was loose, but its actual function is to protect the bear from predators and allow them to “turn around” and fight back if attacked.</p> <p>Various representatives of the zoo have had to come out and release statements addressing the controversy.</p> <p>A spokesperson has reportedly said that the state-run facility would never intentionally deceive people, in an audio clip circulating on popular Chinese social media platform WeChat.</p> <p>“Some people think I stand like a person,” read another social media post, written from the point of view of the bear.</p> <p>“It seems you don't understand me very well.”</p> <p>Another spokesperson for the zoo has also denied the allegations and said that a human in a fur bear suit “would not last more than a few minutes before collapsing” in the 40°C summer temperatures.</p> <p><em>Images: Twitter / WeChat</em></p>

International Travel

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“Please look after these bears”: Camilla helps Paddington bears find their new homes

<p dir="ltr">The thousands of Paddington bears left in tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II are finally finding their new homes, with Queen Consort Camilla describing it as a “pleasure” to be involved in the process.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4e8f7f0e-7fff-675c-82b7-8856234ab3ef"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">With the bears slated to be given to the children’s charity Barnados, Camilla delivered the fuzzy stuffed toys to the charity with a convoy of electric taxis through the London Taxi Driver’s Charity for Children.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today, The Queen Consort delivered hundreds of Paddington bears and cuddly toys to children who are supported by <a href="https://twitter.com/barnardos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@barnardos</a>.</p> <p>Take a look at their journey to their loving new homes ⬇️<a href="https://t.co/hJE3uf39B0">https://t.co/hJE3uf39B0</a></p> <p>— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1595840343664115716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">During her visit to Bow day nursery in east London, where they held a special teddy bear’s picnic, complete with marmalade sandwiches, Camilla gave bears to children at the nursery, who are among more than a thousand recipients of the bears and toys left outside the Queen’s residences.</p> <p dir="ltr">The royal also revealed that she “loves mess” and told the kids to look after their new friends.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It has been a pleasure to find a home for these bears - please look after them carefully,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Camilla was also joined by members of the cast of the <em>Paddington </em>film, Hugh Bonneville and Madeleine Harris, as well as Karen Jenkel, whose father Michael Bond wrote the Paddington series of books for her.</p> <p dir="ltr">At the end of her visit to the Bow nursery, Camilla was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a thank-you note by carer Leighann Ives and three-year-old Serena Wicks.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2b78acdb-7fff-7ec8-ea7d-da6c9a60d759"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">In the lead-up to the delivery of the bears, the royal family shared sweet updates on the toys, including their antics at the royal residences.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We’ve had a lovely stay at Clarence House and Buckingham Palace (doing our best to keep out of mischief…)</p> <p>Looking forward to arriving at our new homes next week!</p> <p>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/ziDWQhFZtK">https://t.co/ziDWQhFZtK</a> <a href="https://t.co/PmZy5c8moh">pic.twitter.com/PmZy5c8moh</a></p> <p>— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1593575755715420164?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“We’ve had a lovely stay at Clarence House and Buckingham Palace (doing our best to keep out of mischief…),” the royal family wrote on social media, sharing a series of photos of a Paddington bear in different spots around the palace.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Looking forward to arriving at our new homes next week!”</p> <p dir="ltr">The decision to donate the bears to Barnados, which Camilla is a patron of, <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/what-will-happen-to-the-thousands-of-paddington-bears-left-for-the-queen">was announced last month</a> with the release of a sweet photo of the Queen Consort surrounded by Paddington bears.</p> <p dir="ltr">The bears were collected from outside the gates of the royal residences by 200 volunteers, who loaded the toys into wagons drawn by grey Shire horses.</p> <p dir="ltr">So many of the bears, along with other toys, flowers, and marmalade sandwiches, were left by mourners that the Royal Park urged members of the public to stop.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3b56f32f-7fff-927b-4fcb-cfc993608794"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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What will happen to the thousands of Paddington Bears left for the Queen

<p dir="ltr">More than 1,000 Paddinton Bears left for Queen Elizabeth II since her passing will be donated to charity. </p> <p dir="ltr">The plush toys were left at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle following the late monarch’s passing on September 8.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Palace announced that the toys will be cleaned and donated to children's charity Barnardos. </p> <p dir="ltr">They released a photo of the Queen Consort Camilla surrounded by the teddies to mark the special occasion. </p> <p dir="ltr">Queen Elizabeth and Paddington Bear had a loveable friendship when he made a surprise appearance at the Platinum Jubilee.</p> <p dir="ltr">The adorable skit showed the Queen sitting down for tea with Paddington Bear who told the monarch that he hoped she was “having a lovely Jubilee”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Queen then offered Paddington some tea as the pair discussed their shared love for marmalade sandwiches. </p> <p dir="ltr">Paddington Bear then offered Her Majesty an emergency marmalade sandwich, something he always keeps hidden away in his hat. </p> <p dir="ltr">In a funny turn of events, the Queen did not need the emergency marmalade sandwich as she had also come prepared with her own sandwich in her handbag. </p> <p dir="ltr">The skit, which took the Queen half a day to film, was described better than her Olympic opening show cameo with James Bond.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Fat Bear Winner: ‘747’ lays b-ruin to rivals despite fishy voting

<p>After eating lots of tasty fish in preparation for the northern hemisphere’s winter, Brown bear 747 has been crowned the winner of the annual Fat Bear Week.</p> <p>The initiative, run by the US National Parks Service and multimedia organisation <em>explore</em>, gives the public a chance to vote for the biggest brown bear in Alaska’s Katmai National Park.</p> <p>Over one week, people cast their votes for eight nominated bears that have been gorging on river salmon in the lead up to their hibernation.</p> <p>After a summer of catching and eating fish – usually salmon – in the Brooks River, the bears reach peak size in early to mid-October.</p> <p>Shortly, they’ll go into a five-to-eight-month slumber, emerging after the coldest part of the Alaskan winter.</p> <p>The initiative shines a light on the behaviours and survival methods of the species which resides across northern hemisphere continents towards the Arctic Circle.</p> <p>Although brown bears are now extinct in much of central and southern Europe, some still persist in Romania and the Balkan states, and they remain across Russia, Alaska, Canada, the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau.</p> <p>It is also an important indicator species for other wildlife due to their wide habitat range, and play important ecological roles as seed dispersers, and lower-level species managers through predation.</p> <p><strong>Get stuffed! Cheating claims in lead up to Fat Bear final</strong></p> <p>Prior to the grand final between 747 and brown bear 901, a shocking case of voting fraud left organisers decidedly grizzly.</p> <p>A spam attack of votes during the semi-finals threatened to derail 747’s quest for a second Fat Bear crown.</p> <p>Fortunately, organisers were hot onto the bogus bruin ballots.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p218507-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> <p>“Like bears stuff their face with fish, your ballot box, too, has been stuffed,” Katmai organisers said on Monday.</p> <p>“It appears someone has decided to spam the Fat Bear Week poll, but fortunately it is easy for us to tell which votes are fraudulent. We have discarded the fake votes.”</p> <p>Publicly voted animal awareness competitions are notoriously prone to phony voting.</p> <p>The Guardian Australia Bird of the Year competition infamously saw a case of dodgy democracy in 2019 when a case of automated voting was detected by the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2019/nov/11/voter-detected-in-guardians-australian-bird-of-the-year-poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">avian electoral commission.</a></p> <p><em>Cosmos’</em> own Australian Mammal of the Year competition <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/amoty/too-much-love-for-the-mammals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was this year hit</a> by a bout of egregious electioneering when hundreds of spam votes were cast for some animals vying for the crown.</p> <p>Fortunately, as with Fat Bear Week, spotting and omitting a bad ballot is a straightforward task of, usually, spotting unusual voting patterns.</p> <p><em><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/fat-bear-2022-1.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="675" /></em></p> <p><em>2022 Fat Bear Week winner ‘747’ hunts for a tasty fish. Image: Courtesy L. Law via Katmai National Park.</em></p> <p><strong>747 does it again</strong></p> <p>Brown bear 747 – aptly named after a jumbo jet – claimed victory with 68,105 votes to rival 901’s 56,875.</p> <p>It was 747’s second premiership, having previously claimed the title in 2020. ‘480 Otis’ holds the record of four titles – exactly half the number of Fat Bear Weeks held.</p> <p>“Though he may be blissfully unaware of his two titles, the gains are real,” say the Fat Bear Week organisers.</p> <p>“In the bear world, fat is fit and these chunky contenders have been working tirelessly to pack on the pounds necessary for survival.”</p> <p>A record 1.027 million votes were cast in the 2022 edition of the event.</p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=218507&amp;title=Fat+Bear+Winner%3A+%26%238216%3B747%26%238217%3B+lays+b-ruin+to+rivals+despite+fishy+voting" width="1" height="1" /></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/fat-bear-voting-winner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by Cosmos. </em></p> <p><em>Image: Courtesy L. Law via Katmai National Park.</em></p> </div>

Family & Pets

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‘Thank you Ma’am, for everything’: Paddington Bear joins worldwide tributes

<p>The adorable Paddington Bear himself has paid a touching tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, only a few months after they warmed hearts around the world with a hilarious collaboration during the <a href="https://oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/our-favourite-highlights-of-the-close-of-the-platinum-jubilee-celebrations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Platinum Jubilee celebrations</a>.</p> <p>Much to the delight of millions of viewers, the Queen herself appeared in the sketch with the famed British bear that no one could have foreseen to kick-start the Party in The Palace concert.</p> <p>The much loved duo tapped out the beat of Queen’s We Will Rock You anthem together on china teacups using silver spoons as a unique way of getting the celebrations under way.</p> <p>The sketch, which the Queen spent half a day filming, was dubbed better than her Olympic opening show cameo with James Bond.</p> <p>Sitting opposite each other at a table, laid for afternoon tea, Paddington began by telling the Queen that he hoped she was “having a lovely Jubilee” before Her Majesty offered some tea.</p> <p>During a special moment shared by the two, the Queen revealed she shares Paddington's love of marmalade sandwiches and keeps an emergency stash in her trademark handbag.</p> <p>Britain's favourite bear took time to congratulate his new friend on her outstanding 70 years of service. Commenting on her record-breaking reign Paddington said: “Happy Jubilee Ma'am. And thank you. For everything” to which she replied, “That's very kind”.</p> <p>Upon The Queen’s passing, Paddington has paid his respects one last time, tweeting: “Thank you Ma’am, for everything”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you Ma’am, for everything.</p> <p>— Paddington (@paddingtonbear) <a href="https://twitter.com/paddingtonbear/status/1567931094858702850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><em>Image: YouTube</em></p>

Caring

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Prince Charles’ emotional tribute to “Your Majesty, mummy”

<p>Prince Charles paid an emotional tribute to “Your Majesty, mummy” during the star-studded Party at The Palace concert.</p> <p>The Prince of Wales poured his heart out as he praised the Queen for being with Brits “in our difficult times”.</p> <p>Millions of viewers watching from home were deeply moved as he said: “You have met us and talked with us.</p> <p>“You laugh and cry with us and, most importantly, you have been there for us.”</p> <p>Directly addressing The Queen as “Your Majesty, mummy”, he said: “The scale of this evening’s celebration – and the outpouring of warmth and affection over this whole Jubilee weekend – is our way of saying thank you – from your family, the country, the Commonwealth, in fact the whole world.</p> <p>“On behalf of us all, I wanted to pay my own tribute to your lifetime of selfless service.</p> <p>“Your family now spans four generations. You are our Head of State. And you are also our mother.”</p> <p>And he said the Queen’s “strength and stay” – her late husband Philip, who died last year – is “much missed”.</p> <p>“I am sure he’s here in spirit,” Charles said.</p> <p>“My papa would have enjoyed the show and joined us wholeheartedly in celebrating all you continue to do for your country and your people.”</p> <p>He addressed the crowd only moments after his son, the Duke of Cambridge, took to the stage to speak about the Queen’s service, using this time to talk about the environment, praising his father Charles and grandfather Philip for their work.</p> <p>“While no one’s grandmother thanks them for talking about their age, my own grandmother has been alive for nearly a century,” he said.</p> <p>“In that time, mankind has benefited from unimaginable technological developments and scientific breakthroughs.”</p> <p>“And although those breakthroughs have increased our awareness of the impact humans have on our world, our planet has become more fragile.</p> <p>“Today, in 2022 – as the Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee – the pressing need to protect and restore our planet has never been more urgent.”</p> <p>However, he said he is an “optimist” and said the Jubilee has provided great “joy” to Brits.</p> <p>William was accompanied to the concert by wife Kate and their eldest children Charlotte and George.</p> <p>The family were seen laughing and joking together as they took their seats for the party at Buckingham Place and hundreds of thousands of people lined The Mall to celebrate. There were huge cheers as the Cambridges arrived, hours after a royal visit to Wales with their two eldest children.</p> <p>The Queen did not attend the festivities, although she recorded a hilarious clip with Paddington Bear, which was screened before the performances began.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8H3WJ2qRwiQ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Relationships

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Community unites to help long-lost teddy find its way home

<p dir="ltr">A teddy bear, thought to be lost in the outback, has been reunited with his family after their appeal for help went viral online.</p> <p dir="ltr">Godron Wilson had been photographing his son’s ‘Pooh’ bear to keep the family entertained on their 5000-kilometre trip from Bowen, north Queensland, to Perth.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, while snapping a photo of the cute stuffed animal on a fence post along the Barrier Highway near Broken Hill, Mr Wilson was “distracted by flies” and drove off with the family - only to realise hours later that the teddy was more than 150km away.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though he decided against going back to retrieve it, he and his wife Lois took to social media to try and find the bear instead. </p> <p dir="ltr">They posted in several Broken Hill Facebook groups asking if someone had seen or picked up the bear, and what came next shocked them.</p> <p dir="ltr">Their appeals for help quickly spread all over the internet.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was actually quite amazed by the reaction and how many people were following the story,” Mr Wilson told the <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-12/lost-teddy-bear-reunited-with-family-after-being-lost-in-outback/101059032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a></em>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9e7da5ae-7fff-487c-ffb3-afa4865dd844"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Grazier Mitch Rodgers became one of many interested in the story, and took matters into his own hands.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/bear2.jpg" alt="" width="862" height="575" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Mitch Rodgers found the bear and planned to send him home by mail - until he had a better idea. Image: Mitch Rodgers</em></p> <p dir="ltr">He drove out from Comarto Station near Wilcannia to find the bear - but that’s not where the story ends either.</p> <p dir="ltr">Initially planning to send the bear home by mail, Mr Rodgers and Mr Wilson thought the adventure should continue and decided to find more people who wanted to travel with the bear on its journey home.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Mitch went to great trouble and started to share the story on social media with some great photos,” Mr Wilson said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The story then took on a life of its own and if it wasn’t for Mitch it probably wouldn’t have got off the ground like it did.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Wilson said the story even gained fans in Scotland, where he has relatives.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-23951c11-7fff-81a8-5224-348f25c89157"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">He said Pooh travelled 150km to Broken Hill, then visited Silverton before heading south to Mildura, Victoria.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/bear1.jpg" alt="" width="862" height="575" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Mitch Rodgers with Pooh. Image: Mitch Rodgers</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“He then received a lift from a couple to Adelaide and from there flew to Perth,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ll tell you what it took off pretty quick,” Mr Rodgers said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was just good to hear that people were getting a bit of joy out of it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ben Wilson, 24, has had the bear since he was a baby and is still stunned that so many people went to such great lengths to return the teddy.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I thought that was it, and I was never going to get him back,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m grateful for Mitcch, the Broken Hill community along with anyone and everyone who was involved.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When asked if Pooh would be heading out for another adventure anytime soon, Ben said it was “unlikely”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He’ll be staying with me until I have my first child and then when he or she gets old enough, I’ll tell them the story of what happened here,” Ben said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Because it’s not something we’re going to forget anytime soon.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-cdeb44a0-7fff-e63c-d7e2-f8f0c8cad160"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Gordon Wilson</em></p>

Caring

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President, actor, dancer - what else can Voldoymyr Zelenskyy do?

<p dir="ltr">He’s a man of many talents and it's no secret Volodymyr Zelenskyy was an actor before becoming Ukraine’s President.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, did you know that he voiced the much loved Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian version of the hit 2014 and 2017 animated film?</p> <p dir="ltr">Yep, neither did we. But also, how cool is that?!</p> <p dir="ltr">The movie’s production studio, StudioCanal, confirmed the news to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ukrainian-president-volodymyr-zelensky-paddington-voice-1235100949/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hollywood Reporter</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Actor Hugh Bonneville, who plays Paddington’s foster parent was surprised at the news and thanked the President.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Until today I had no idea who provided the voice of @paddingtonbear in Ukraine,” he tweeted on February 28.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Speaking for myself, thank you, President Zelenskiy. #PaddingtonBear.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A dig into Zelenskyy’s career before becoming president revealed that he was in fact quite a popular and successful comedian in Ukraine. He also starred in several films and TV shows.</p> <p dir="ltr">In an incredible moment of life imitating art, Zelenskyy played a school teacher in the political satire series Servant of the People.</p> <p dir="ltr">Spoiler alert: he becomes Ukraine’s president in the series. </p> <p dir="ltr">And if that wasn’t enough, the talented President also won Ukraine’s version of Dancing With the Stars in 2006.</p> <p dir="ltr">Makes you wonder what other leaders have achieved compared to him…</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: YouTube</em></p>

Movies

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Court 'approves' young boy's appeal to adopt teddies

<p dir="ltr">The Family Court of Western Australia has granted a seven-year-old boy approval to adopt several teddy bears, in a gesture described as “humanity at its best”.</p> <p dir="ltr">After writing a letter to the court, the young boy received a sweet yet official-looking response, complete with a reference to the fictitious International Teddy Act of 1908 and a description of the adoptees as “a hug of teddy’s”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In the matter of Mr Denham, Baby Denham, Brown Bear, Bamboo, Special Teddy Jnr and Tiny,” the unofficial court order <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/good-news/family-court-gives-sevenyearold-boy-approval-to-adopt-teddies-in-heartwarming-letter-exchange/news-story/acbf28abee7da98ed1c794731b61b71c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Before a Teddy in Chambers.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Application having being [sic] made under the International Teddy Act 1908 for an adoption order in relation to a hug of teddy’s known as Mr Denham, Baby Denham, Brown Bear, Bamboo, Special Teddy Jnr and Tiny who reside in … Western Australia.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5f5054de-7fff-d49d-536f-2198a04ea272"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“It is ordered that the said Mr Denham, Baby Denham, Brown Bear, Bamboo, Special Teddy Jnr and Tiny be adopted by (the boy) to be treated lovingly as child and teddies.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/court-teddy-adoption.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The Family Court’s order was shared on social media. Image: Twitter</em></p> <p dir="ltr">A photo of the court order was shared on social media by the boy’s uncle, Dr Stephen Bright, prompting dozens of responses.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not sure how many similar requests they get, but this seemed to go above and beyond. Thank you,” he wrote on the since-deleted post.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many shared how the story brought a “tear to the eye”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That is absolutely adorable, your nephew must be so happy! Such a beautiful, yet simple gesture, definitely put a smile on my face and a tear to the eye,” one person shared.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a follow-up post, Dr Bright <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/stephenjbright/status/1495448183614283778" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>: “I don’t usually post personal stuff on Twitter, though I’m glad I did share this as it seems to have touched so many people. It’s nice to be able to pay it forward.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Some dubbed the gesture as an example of “humanity at its best”, while others shared their well wishes for the boy and his teddies.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s lovely. These warm and kind actions show humanity at its best. We need this in our lives,” one person wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Sometimes it’s good to start my day with a happy cry. Thank you for sharing,” another said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This reminds me to have faith in humanity, both in adults and the next generation. My best to your nephew, his teddies and family.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9734c2ee-7fff-03b7-c31e-38f825ebb98e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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225kg "Hank the Tank" bear ransacks wealthy neighbourhood

<p>Residents of a wealthy California neighbourhood have been terrorised by a 225kg black bear, nicknamed Hank the Tank by authorities. </p> <p>According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) , the one bear has been linked to "property damage at 38 different properties" in the affluent Tahoe Keys neighbourhood. </p> <p>The trouble-making bear has been the source of more than 150 calls between law enforcement and wildlife personnel in recent months. </p> <p>Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the CDFW said Hank has been spotted more and more as he has developed a taste for pizza, and has yet to be deterred by  efforts from local police to scare it off with paintballs and sirens.</p> <p>“It’s easier to find leftover pizza than to go in the forest,” Tira said </p> <p>“This is a bear that has lost all fear of people,” he added. “It’s a potentially dangerous situation.”</p> <p>Due to the heightened number of sightings and complaints about Hank, the CDFW has been setting up traps to catch the beast, but to no avail. </p> <p>“The trapping activity is a measure of last resort to capture and euthanise a specific and what we call a severely habituated or human-food conditioned black bear,” Tira said. </p> <p>Despite the potential danger, the bear hunt has sparked an outcry from local residents, who tried to sabotage them by trying to scare away the bear, playing loud music, and even spray-painting “Bear Killer” on the government’s trap.</p> <p>A bear activist group called the BEAR League has been coordinating with the CDFW for Hank the Tank to be relocated to a wildlife sanctuary instead of euthanised. </p> <p>“The BEAR League reached out to the director of an excellent out-of-state wildlife sanctuary who agreed he has room and would be very willing to give this bear a permanent home,” said executive director Ann Bryant. </p> <p>“We notified [the California Department of Fish and Wildlife] on Tuesday morning asking that this option be seriously considered rather than killing the bear.”</p> <p>While talks to relocate Hank are still ongoing, the CDFW has urged residents to practice preventive measures to keep bears out, such as securing garbage properly and keeping trash out of cars. </p> <p>According to the New York Post, when people relocated to Tahoe Keys to work from home due to the pandemic, these new residents did not adhere to preventive measures, prompting Hank the Tank to come out of the woods and forage for food. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook - BEAR League</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Cameras capture mother dropping daughter into bear enclosure

<p>A woman has dropped her toddler into a bear enclosure at a zoo in Uzbekistan. This incident follows her husband leaving to work in Russia to escape poverty.</p><p>The woman, who had become very depressed, was caught on camera approaching the bear enclosure at the zoo in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent and deliberately dropping the child over the railings.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Woman throws daughter into enclosure with live bear.<br /><br />In a blood-curdling incident captured on camera at a zoo in Uzbekistan’s capital city Tashkent on Friday, a young woman threw her three-year-old daughter into the enclosure of a massive brown bear. <a href="https://t.co/H51trJvN6z">pic.twitter.com/H51trJvN6z</a></p>— News 12PM (@News12PM) <a href="https://twitter.com/News12PM/status/1488106702994030601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2022</a></blockquote><p>Zookeepers ran into the enclosure and rescued the girl.</p><p>Officials later said the unnamed woman now faces charges of attempted murder, with a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail.</p><p>"The woman has been depressed as her husband left for Russia and no longer lives with her," the Uzbek health ministry said.</p><p>The woman has been identified as a 30-year-old university lecturer who has two children and lives with her elderly father.</p><p>Footage released by Uzbek authorities showed that the grizzly bear was initially scared off by something dropping from the sky into the moat just below the railings, before he rushed to come closer to the girl, and then went away again.</p><p>"It's scary to even think what could have happened if the bear had reacted to the child as a predator to a prey," the zoo said.</p><p>The three-year-old was taken to hospital with a concussion sustained from the fall, but her life is not in danger.</p><p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Bear breaks into people’s home to steal their KFC

<p dir="ltr">A man in California was in for quite a surprise when he arrived home to a bear in his kitchen. Not just that, but the bear was helping itself to his KFC!</p> <p dir="ltr">Sierra Madre resident John Holden found the bear in his kitchen, and said there was at least one other bear in the house and a third outside. He told ABC7, "I've had a lot of other encounters with them. I've actually had them bump into me a couple times in the backyard, but definitely never in the house like that.”</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WdMEWlEmESo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">He said that the bears made a mess of his house, and he finally got them to leave by making loud noises. Despite that, they simply retreated to his backyard, lazing around after what was obviously a filling meal.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Californian city of Sierra Madre is in Los Angeles County, in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley, below the southern edge of the Angeles National Forest. What that means is that bear sightings aren’t particularly uncommon, although catching them eating KFC certainly remains a rare occurrence.</p> <p dir="ltr"><a rel="noopener" href="https://abc7.com/bear-san-dimas-school-lockdown/11173375/" target="_blank">Just last week</a>, a bear wandered around the grounds of an elementary school in San Dimas, before making itself comfortable in a tree at a nearby home. That bear was tranquilised, caught, and released into the wild. A cub was also spotted near the elementary school, but its whereabouts are unknown. Wildlife officials believe the adult was a mother bear looking for the cub.</p> <p dir="ltr">Black bears are the only species of bear native to California, but they come in a number of colours, ranging from solid black to shades of brown. The last California grizzly bear, the bear found on the Californian state flag, was seen in 1924.</p>

Travel Trouble

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Fat Bear Week is here and it’s full of chunky Ursidae

<div class="copy"> <p>On the northern Alaskan Peninsula, thousands of brown bears have busily spent the last few weeks gorging themselves on salmon to fatten up and survive the winter. Unbeknown to them, the entire world is watching with a burning question – who will be crowned the Fat Bear Week Champion 2021?</p> <p>Over the next seven days, the chubbiest bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve will be pitted against each other in a series of knockout rounds. The public can <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://explore.org/fat-bear-week" target="_blank">vote online</a>, using any criteria they see fit – such as weight, age, cuteness, or other circumstances – and then next week, a single bear will remain standing.</p> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><iframe title="Fat Bear Week Contenders 2021" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u_kBdhuCVIE?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://cosmosmagazine.com" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> <p>“From its humble beginnings of Fat Bear Tuesday in 2014 to over 640,000 votes cast last year in 2020, celebrating fat bears and Katmai’s healthy ecosystem has since become a tradition,” the US National Parks Service (NPS) <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-week.htm" target="_blank">wrote</a> on its website.</p> <p>The bears are all winners because a fat bear is a healthy bear – fat equals survival.</p> <h2>The annual Fat Bear Week competition</h2> <p>Each year, bears enter a winter den where they remain for the entirety of the long, cold months, unable to eat or drink until they emerge in spring. Over this time, they burn up to a third of their body weight as they draw on their fat reserves just to survive.</p> <p>This makes the six months they spend out in the world crucial – they need to find and eat a year’s worth of food.</p> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"> <div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 500px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" class="" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 500px; height: 734px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NwYWNlX2NhcmQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib2ZmIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1441568250127470592&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcosmosmagazine.com%2Fnature%2Ffat-bear-week-is-here-and-its-full-of-chunky-ursidae%2F&amp;sessionId=1bd0186a6f7f9719aa8434fd2276c9725d98d3a3&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=fcb1942%3A1632982954711&amp;width=500px" data-tweet-id="1441568250127470592"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h2>Tasty Salmon</h2> <p>Cue the salmon. These fish are one of the most important components of the Pacific ecosystem. After years at sea, they return to their home rivers in autumn months to spawn. It is an epic journey – and the final leg of their lives. From the moment they hit freshwater, their bodies begin to change and decay, but thousands still struggle upstream to the place they were born, in an attempt to reproduce.</p> <p>Bears flock to these rivers to gorge themselves on the protein-rich salmon. In times of plenty, bears will strip away the most nutritious parts of the body, such as the brain, skin and eggs, and cast the rest aside for scavengers.</p> <p>The salmon also end up fertilising the temperate rainforest adjacent to rivers and streams, with benefits for plants, fungi, algae and insects – so to appreciate the gloriously chunky bears is to also have an appreciation of the greater ecosystem.</p> <p>Katmai is home to one of the largest and healthiest runs of sockeye salmon in the world, with the fish pouring up the rivers from late June to September. The bears rely on the annual return of these fish from their ocean migration. They can chow down dozens of salmons and tens of thousands of calories per day, ready to get them through the lean winter.</p> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"> <div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 500px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" class="" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 500px; height: 727px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NwYWNlX2NhcmQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib2ZmIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1178765565273559041&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcosmosmagazine.com%2Fnature%2Ffat-bear-week-is-here-and-its-full-of-chunky-ursidae%2F&amp;sessionId=1bd0186a6f7f9719aa8434fd2276c9725d98d3a3&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=fcb1942%3A1632982954711&amp;width=500px" data-tweet-id="1178765565273559041"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>This year, 12 finalists have been selected out of the thousands of bears that call the park home.</p> <p>You can check out <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-week-2021.htm" target="_blank">photos of the finalists</a> on the NPS website. Find more info about how and when to vote <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://explore.org/fat-bear-week" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <h2>Fat Bear Junior</h2> <p>This year, NPS also announced a new segment of the competition: Fat Bear Junior. It’s even more adorable than it sounds. Pictures of the tubby cubbies can be found <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-junior-2021.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><iframe title="Fat Bear Jr! Everything You Need To Know About These Chubby Cubbies!" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A9JPoz_jesM?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://cosmosmagazine.com" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> <p>You can also keep up with the week’s action on Katmai’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-week.htm" target="_blank">website</a>, as well as its <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/KatmaiNPS" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/KatmaiNPP/?ref=page_internal" target="_blank">Facebook</a> pages. You can also livestream the bears into your own home through the park’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://explore.org/livecams/brown-bears/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls" target="_blank">bear cams</a>.</p> <p>All of this is leading up to the fateful day, Tuesday 5 October, when one bear will reign supreme.</p> <p>As NPS writes: “All bears are winners but only one true champion will emerge.”</p> <!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=167300&amp;title=Fat+Bear+Week+is+here+and+it%26%238217%3Bs+full+of+chunky+Ursidae" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication --></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/animals/fat-bear-week-is-here-and-its-full-of-chunky-ursidae/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/lauren-fuge">Lauren Fuge</a>. Lauren Fuge is a science journalist at Cosmos. She holds a BSc in physics from the University of Adelaide and a BA in English and creative writing from Flinders University.</p> <p><em>Image: 747 NPS Photo/N. Boak</em></p> </div>

Family & Pets

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Beware the robot bearing gifts

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>In a future filled with robots, those that pretend to be your friend could be more manipulative than those that exert authority, suggests a new study published in <em>Science Robotics.</em></p> <p>As robots become more common in the likes of education, healthcare and security, it is essential to predict what the relationship between humans and robots will be.</p> <div style="position: relative; display: block; max-width: 100%;"> <div style="padding-top: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/5483960636001/HJH3i8Guf_default/index.html?videoId=6273649735001" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%;"></iframe></div> </div> <p class="caption">Overview of authority HRI study conditions, setup, and robot behaviors. Credit: Autonomous Systems and Biomechatronics Lab, University of Toronto.</p> <p>In the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abd5186?_ga=2.192393706.1796540797.1632092915-1153018146.1604894082" target="_blank">study</a>, led by Shane Saunderson and Goldie Nejat of the University of Toronto, Canada, researchers programmed a robot called Pepper to influence humans completing attention and memory tasks, by acting either as a friend or an authority figure.</p> <p>They found that people were more comfortable with, and more persuaded by, friendly Pepper.</p> <p>Authoritative Pepper was described by participants as “inhuman,” “creepy,” and giving off an “uncanny valley vibe”.</p> <p>“As it stands, the public has little available education or general awareness of the persuasive potential of social robots, and yet institutions such as banks or restaurants can use them in financially charged situations, without any oversight and only minimal direction from the field,” writes James Young, a computer scientist  from the University of Manitoba, Canada, in a related <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://10.1126/scirobotics.abk3479" target="_blank">Focus</a>.</p> <p>“Although the clumsy and error-prone social robots of today seem a far cry from this dystopian portrayal, Saunderson and Nejat demonstrate how easily a social robot can leverage rudimentary knowledge of human psychology to shape their persuasiveness.”</p> <p class="has-text-align-center"><strong><em>Read more: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robotics/meet-the-robots-representing-australia-at-the-robot-olympics/" target="_blank">Meet the robots representing Australia at the ‘robot Olympics’</a></em></strong></p> <p>To test a robot’s powers of persuasion, Pepper assumed two personas: one was as a friend who gave rewards, and the other was as an authoritative figure who dealt out punishment.</p> <p>A group of participants were each given $10 and told that the amount of money could increase or decrease, depending on their performance in set memory tasks.</p> <p>Friendly Pepper gave money for correct responses, and authoritative Pepper docked $10 for incorrect responses.</p> <p>The participants then completed tasks in the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.pearsonclinical.co.uk/Psychology/AdultCognitionNeuropsychologyandLanguage/AdultAttentionExecutiveFunction/TestofEverydayAttention(TEA)/TestofEverydayAttention(TEA).aspx" target="_blank">Test of Everyday Attention</a> toolkit, a cognition test based on real-life scenarios.</p> <p>After the participant made an initial guess, Pepper offered them an alternative suggestion – this was always the right answer. The participant could then choose to listen to Pepper or go with his or her original answer.</p> <p>The results showed that people were more willing to switch to friendly Pepper’s suggestions than those of authoritative Pepper.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robotics/beware-the-robot-bearing-gifts/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Deborah Devis.</em></p> </div> </div>

Technology

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Can you spot the dog among the teddy bears?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When a collector of cuddly toys lost her dog among her teddy bear collection, she faced a difficult task in trying to find it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The woman, who is not named but is from the province of Liaoning in China, owns an extensive collection of teddy bears.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As they collect dust, the collection needs a spring clean regularly to maintain them in good condition.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was while she was cleaning her bears that her Teddy Bear dog - a cross between the Shih Tzu and Bichon Frise - attempted to play with the bears.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So she could finish cleaning, she picked him up and dropped him in the middle of the toys.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, when she went to take a break and decided to look for her dog who had fallen asleep in the pile, she said could not find him.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842474/bears1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5718bf4c48db4a0b980607fccfc5a420" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After deciding to record the amusing process of trying to find him and share it with some friends online to see if they could find him, she said she was amazed when it went viral.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: 7NEWS</span></em></p>

Mind

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Insane moment teen pushes away huge mama bear

<p>A teenager is lucky to have escaped with just a sprained finger after pushing away a mother bear to protect her pet dogs.</p> <p>Californian resident Hailey was caught on CCTV coming face-to-face with the black bear, which had climbed along her backyard fence with its two cubs.</p> <p>In a TikTok video, Hailey said she initially thought her dogs were barking at another dog or a squirrel.</p> <p>"I go to tell them to stop, and when I go over there to see what they're barking at, I'm like 'that's a funny-looking dog'," Hailey said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">A 17-year-old wasted no time fending off a huge bear, pushing it off a wall, before it could get to dogs—including her mother's service dog—in her backyard. <a href="https://t.co/5rjCTRJ8uH">https://t.co/5rjCTRJ8uH</a> <a href="https://t.co/6dJ14fLy2y">pic.twitter.com/6dJ14fLy2y</a></p> — ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1399773964629590016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>The CCTV shows the two bear cubs scurrying along the brick fence to escape the four barking dogs, while the mother bear starts to swipe at the pets.</p> <p>Hailey then rushes towards the bear and pushes it off the wall.</p> <p>"By the time I get there, the bear is literally picking up one of my dogs," Hailey said.</p> <p>"I go over to the bear, I look it in the eyes and the first thing I think to do is push it.</p> <p>"I don't think I pushed her that hard, I just pushed her enough to make her lose her balance.</p> <p>"So she drops my dog and I run out of there."</p> <p>Hailey said she sprained her finger and scraped her knee but her, and her pets, were "all OK".</p> <p>A female black bear can weigh up to 80 kilograms.</p>

Family & Pets

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"It had no bearing on anything": Martin Bashir responds to Princess Di accusations

<p>Veteran journalist Martin Bashir has said he "never wanted to harm" Diana, Princess of Wales, with his now disgraced BBC Panorama interview, telling the Sunday Times newspaper, "I don't believe we did."</p> <p>In the 1995 world exclusive interview, Princess Diana confirmed Prince Charles' relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles and described in frank detail how she believed royal life had made her bulimic.</p> <p>An independent investigation published 25 years later by the BBC and led by retired judge Lord Dyson called the tactics Bashir used to secure the sit-down "deceitful".</p> <p>The report revealed the then-32-year-old journalist forged documents to suggest Palace staff were being paid to spy on the princess.</p> <p>Bashir then allegedly presented those documents to Diana's brother, Earl Charles Spencer, who then introduced him to Diana.</p> <p>The report also found an internal BBC inquiry in 1996 covered up Bashir's malpractice.</p> <p>Bashir left his role at the BBC earlier this month citing health reasons before the findings were released Thursday.</p> <p>Speaking to the Sunday Times, he said him and Diana "were friends" and continued to be close after the interview was broadcast, with the princess even paying a visit to his wife at the hospital shortly after the birth of their third child.</p> <p>“We loved her. That’s what we wanted to protect, and that’s why I have never taken money, never said anything, never written anything,” he said.</p> <p>“Everything we did in terms of the interview was as she wanted, from when she wanted to alert the palace, to when it was broadcast, to its contents ... My family and I loved her.”</p> <p>In the<span> </span><em>Sunday Times</em><span> </span>interview, Bashir expressed his sorrow over showing the fake bank statements to the princess’ brother, but insisted I didn’t harm the princess.</p> <p>“Obviously I regret it, it was wrong. But it had no bearing on anything. It had no bearing on (Diana), it had no bearing on the interview,” he said.</p>

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New "Polar Bear Hotel" in China sparks outrage

<p>A hotel that bills itself as the world's first "polar bear hotel" has opened in China's far northeastern Heilongjiang province, drawing both guests and criticism for its central feature: live polar bears.</p> <p>The Polar Bear Hotel, part of the Harbin Polarland theme park, opened its doors on Friday with the promise of round-the-clock polar bear viewing from all 21 guest rooms.</p> <p>“Whether you’re eating, playing or sleeping, polar bears will keep you company,” Harbin Polarland’s official WeChat account said in a post dated March 11.</p> <p>Yang Liu, a spokeswoman for Harbin Polarland spoke to Reuters and revealed the bears remain indoors and are let outside when temperature and air quality permit.</p> <p>She said interest in staying at the hotel was "very high", saying it is fully booked through a trial period.</p> <p>Conservationists criticised the hotel.</p> <p>“Polar bears belong in the Arctic, not in zoos or glass boxes in aquariums - and certainly not in hotels,” Jason Baker, senior vice president at animal rights group PETA, told Reuters.</p> <p>“Polar bears are active for up to 18 hours a day in nature, roaming home ranges that can span thousands of miles, where they enjoy a real life.”</p> <p>“It is shocking and heartbreaking to see an enclosure like this, in this time and age, that houses polar bears in such appalling environments purely for entertainment,” ACRES co-CEO Anbarasi Boopal said.</p>

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Royal snub: Prince Charles' quiet decision against Prince Harry

<p>Christmas is approaching and Prince Harry has been served the ultimate royal snub by his father Prince Charles.</p> <p>Each year, the royal family releases Christmas teddy bears that are named after members of The Firm.</p> <p>However, Harry is nowhere to be found on the website this year.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838341/prince-harry.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c0a04e8d080a4650ab628eb06a7ab02c" /></p> <p>It follows after an intense year for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who announced their intention to resign as senior royal members at the beginning of the year.</p> <p>The couple are now perched in their California mansion with their son, Archie, as they pursue their own career paths.</p> <p>The teddy bears are sold through the Highgrove Gardens store along with other products.</p> <p>All funds raised going towards the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund.</p> <p>The 'William' and 'Louis' teddy bears are selling for £125 (AUD$227) and are made of alpaca hair and feature a gold-embroidered Highgrove emblem on its paw.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838339/prince-harry-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4bfcfb9ac42541ce8df3bb72580046b0" /></p> <p>The 'William' bear is described as: "Handmade by Merrythought, the last remaining British teddy bear manufacturer, William is a classically designed teddy bear crafted from the highest-quality pale gold alpaca hair.</p> <p>"Featuring a gold embroidered Highgrove emblem on his sandy-beige silk paw, he has honeyed coloured eyes, a beautifully simple smile and is wonderfully soft and cuddly.</p> <p>"His look is complete with a large green and gold satin bow – a perfect accessory for a grand looking bear.</p> <p>"An ideal companion for anyone who loves bears, William arrives in a presentation box with a certificate of authenticity.</p> <p>"William Bear is an exquisite piece of British heritage and a loyal companion to both adults and children alike."</p> <p>Only 200 William bears have been made and each comes in an easy-to-wrap presentation box.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838339/prince-harry-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4bfcfb9ac42541ce8df3bb72580046b0" /></p> <p>In 2019, a limited edition 'Harry' bear made from mohair from goats was withdrawn from sale after concerns were raised about animal cruelty.</p> <p>The gift shop told The Mirror: "We will no longer be selling products manufactured using mohair once current stocks have sold out."</p> <p>Since then though, a more ethical version of the 'Harry' bear has not been produced.</p> <p>All items relating to Prince Andrew have been entirely pulled from the gift shop.</p> <p>Prince Andrew has stepped down from royal duties after his friendship with deceased convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was made public.</p> <p>Prince Harry memorabilia is still on sale at Balmoral.</p>

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