Pikachus march through Japan’s roads

Japan was infested with giant yellow mice, as hundreds of Pikachu took to the street to celebrate the popular Pokemon franchise.

The Yokohama Minato Mirai area of Japan was filled with the iconic Pokemon mascot for a week-long event known as ‘Pikachu Outbreak.’

“This year, lots of Pikachu will appear for various parades and shows all over the area, but they are also expected to be in the sky and water!” the event’s website states. “Have an electrifying summer together with over 1,500 Pikachu!”

More than 100 Pikachu marched down Nihon-oodori Boulevard for the massive Pikachu Carnival Parade.

Smaller parades also took place during the week, as shops and landmarks were filled with Pikachu models and merchandise. A massive 55-foot long Pikachu blimp was seen flying over a boat full of Pikachu throughout the week.

Special events were also held for fans of the mobile game Pokemon Go, including a designated ‘Pokemon Go Park’ for players to catch the digital creatures.

Teacher dons mask to hide expression while grading

A university student in Malaysia revealed her teacher’s unconventional way of hiding his facial expressions while grading — donning an Iron Man mask.

Nur Izyan Farhani Binti Arifin, a student at the International Islamic University in Malaysia, tweeted a pair of photos showing her teacher in a thinking skills class grading papers while wearing a mask modelled after the Marvel superhero.

“My lecturer wears mask to hide his expression so students wouldn’t get nervous when he’s giving marks,” she tweeted.

The student said her teacher’s mask does more than just hide his face, it broadcasts his fandom.

“He’s also a big fan of Marvel and Iron Man in particular,” Izyan told.

“We were surprised of course, and most of us were taking pictures to post it online, like I did, but a few of them became nervous, saying it must be a bad sign or, even worse, a bad grade,” Izyan said.

Rare white baby koala introduced at Australia Zoo

The Australia Zoo welcomed a new baby koala with rare white fur and is now asking the public for help choosing a name.

The rare white koala was one of 12 joeys born to mum Tia and dad Slater in January and the zoo said she is not albino, which makes her unusual colour even more rare.

Australia Zoo said the koala’s eyes and nose are the usual brown/black colour rather than being pink or white, because her white colour is due to a recessive trait passed on by her mother.

“In veterinary science it’s often referred to as the ‘silvering gene,’ where animals are born with white or very pale fur and, just like baby teeth, they eventually shed their baby fur and the regular adult colouration comes through,” Dr Rosie Booth told.

The baby is now on display with her mother and siblings, while the zoo has tasked the public with giving her a name.

Published in Dawn, Young World September 2nd, 2017