Buffalo calf born with bear-like claws

A buffalo calf that looked quite different from the rest of the herd was spotted by Pam Bruce-Brand, while on her annual bush vacation in central Kruger National Park, South Africa.

The calf had thick legs and bear-like claws instead of hooves. The reason for the bear-like claws on the buffalo calf could be due to a nutritional deficiency or a genetic mutation.

The disease is called hyperkeratosis. Hoof problems can lead to lameness, which is a major issue for animals in the wild. Calves need strong and healthy hooves to keep up with the herd and avoid becoming prey. We hope that the calf grows out stronger to sustain its weakness and survive in the wild.

Meteorites hit Maine, museum offers $25K reward

Somewhere in a remote stretch of forest near Maine’s border with Canada, rocks from space crashed to Earth and may be scattered across the ground. An unusually bright fireball was seen around noon earlier this month.

Nasa says four radar sweeps detected “signatures consistent with falling meteorites seen at the time and location reported by eyewitnesses”, and people also heard sonic booms. It’s the first time radar spotted a meteorite fall in Maine.

The Maine Mineral and Gem Museum wants to add to its collection, which includes moon and Mars rocks, so the first meteorite hunters to deliver a one kilogramme specimen will claim a $25,000 prize.

Nasa’s website said that the “meteorite masses calculated from the radar signatures range from 1.59g (0.004 pounds) to 322g (0.7 pounds) although larger masses may have fallen.”

Man throws $200,000 on Oregon highway to ‘bless others’

Vehicles stopped on a busy Oregon highway so their drivers could get out and collect an estimated $200,000 thrown out by a driver. The Oregon State Police said Colin Davis McCarthy, 38, threw the cash out of his window on Interstate 5, near mile marker 192 in Eugene.

McCarthy, who was not charged with any crime, told officers he was ‘doing well and wanted to bless others with gifts of money’. The money is believed to have come from McCarthy’s family’s shared bank account. Police warned McCarthy he could be cited for littering or creating a hazard on the highway and he agreed to stop throwing the cash. Other drivers stopped on the highway and quickly collected the $100 bills.

Athlete spends 500 days underground in a cave

A Spanish extreme athlete emerged from a cave in Grenada after spending 500 solitary days 230 feet underground.

Beatriz Flamini, 50, entered the cave on November 21, 2021, to learn about the effects of solitude and deprivation on the human mind and body. She was monitored from afar by scientists from the universities of Almeria, Granada and Murcia. Flamini lost count of the days after about two months, and thought only 160-170 days had elapsed when she reached the project’s goal of 500 days. She passed the time by reading, writing, drawing, exercising and knitting.

Two cameras documented her time underground for an upcoming documentary. Her time in the cave is believed to be a new world record for the longest time spent alone in a cave, but it was unclear whether Guinness World Records has a category for this.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 29th, 2023