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Lost Dog Finds Way Home Across 150 Miles of Neighboring State, Villages Hold Feast in His Honor

By
Andy Corbley
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Maharaj was lost in the crowd in the pilgrimage town of Pandharpur in South Maharashtra (Photo Facebook/BAWA)
Maharaj was lost in the crowd in the pilgrimage town of Pandharpur in South Maharashtra (Photo Facebook/BAWA)

Yamagarni village in the Karnataka state of India recently witnessed a strange sight. A jubilant crowd paraded a black dog covered in garlands through the streets until they reached a feast prepared in its honor.

For the villagers, the return of the dog, which had been lost, was a miracle.

Fondly called Maharaj, the elderly companion was lost among the crows of pilgrims at a site in the neighboring state of Maharashtra, but managed to navigate by memory back home, traveling nearly 150 miles on its own.

In the last week of June, Maharaj joined its owner Kamalesh Kumbhar on a pilgrimage

Kumbhar told news media that he visits the sacred site of Pandharpur every year on Hindu holy days in July and August.

“Maharaj has always liked listening to bhajans [a devotional song]. Once, he had accompanied me on another padayatra trip to Jyotiba temple near Mahabaleshwar,” Kumbhar told Indian news outlet PTI.

For nearly 150 miles, the dog followed the master, who walked with a group of his friends, chanting these songs.

At a certain point in his devotionals, Kumbhar said he noticed that the dog was missing. When he went looking for him, a group of people told him that the dog had left with another group.

“I still searched for him everywhere and I could not find him. So, I thought maybe the people were right, that he left with someone else. I returned to my hometown on July 14th,” Kumbhar said.

MORE TAIL-WAGGING STORIES: Missing Toddler Found Sleeping in Woods with Dog as A Pillow After Walking 3 Miles Barefoot

The very next day though, Kumbhar said, to his surprise “Maharaj was standing there in front of my house, wagging his tail as if nothing had happened. He looked well fed and perfectly fine.”

MIRACLES WITH PAWS: Helicopter Herder Follows a Dog’s Tracks from the Air to a Miracle Rescue

Overcome with happiness, Kumbhar said, he and the villagers celebrated Maharaj’s return with a feast.

“It is such a miracle that the dog could find its way, although it was 250km or so away from home. We think it was Lord Panduranga who guided him.”

SHARE The Story Of This Panduranga-Blessed Pooch And His Incredible Journey Home… 

Art Historian Discovers Long-Lost Portrait of Henry VIII in Background of Social Media Post

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - Warwickshire County Council
credit – Warwickshire County Council

Social media allows for the darndest things: like this story from the UK where an art consultant and historian saw a post on X and noticed a lost work of art hanging in the background.

It was in the judge’s room of the Shire Court in Warwickshire, England, where the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire was hosting a soiree.

Art historian and consultant for Sotheby’s, Dr. Adam Busiakiewicz, came across the post on X by Warwickshire Lieutenancy by chance and noticed a portrait with a distinctive arched top depicting that most famous of English kings, Henry VIII.

Holding a sword and wearing his customary golden chains, the arched top gave Dr. Busiakiewicz the distinct impression of a set of portraits painted centuries ago depicting European royals like Henry, Richard III, and Catherine de Medici.

“Social media is a crazy thing,” Busiakiewicz tells CNN’s Lianne Kolirin, “because some people use it to watch cat videos and follow what’s going on in the world, and then people like me just look at what people have hanging on their walls.”

Painted by an anonymous artist known as the Sheldon Master, either an associate, relative or descendant named Ralph Sheldon incorporated the works into an architectural frieze at his Warwickshire estate, Weston House, where they hung at least until the 18th century.

Today, only a handful survive in public and private collections, with most disappearing after a 1781 auction. Busiakiewicz was able to visit Warwickshire and inspect the work himself. He noted that at 3 feet tall it was the same as other known paintings in the set. Additionally, the portrait was obviously done by a skilled artist.

LOVE A STORY ABOUT A LOST WORK OF ART?

“There are lots of Tudor corridor sets which were produced at the time,” Busiakiewicz tells the London Times’ Jack Blackburn. “But I think the Sheldon set is important because it was probably the grandest. They are much larger than the standard corridor set. They are also, I think, much higher quality.”

The provenance of the painting is unknown to any great degree, as its last known location was an auction purchase in 1901, before it was finally acquired by Warwickshire from the University of Cambridge. At neither time was the true identity of the painting suspected. A statement from Warwickshire City Council read as follows.

“We are grateful to Adam Busiakiewicz and Aaron Manning for sharing their expertise with us, which has led to the exciting identification of this piece connected to Ralph Sheldon. We look forward to working with art historians and experts to further explore the painting’s history and significance”.

SHARE This Remarkable Sequence Of Events And A Portrait Lost No Longer… 

Titanium Maglev Heart Implanted Successfully in a Patient for First Time May Help Others Waiting for a Transplant

By
Andy Corbley
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The Total Artificial Heart, made of titanium - credit BiVACOR
The Total Artificial Heart, made of titanium – credit BiVACOR

In a highly-anticipated world-first, the Texas Heart Institute has successfully implanted an artificial titanium heart that uses the same technology as bullet trains to pump blood mechanically throughout the body.

Called the Total Artificial Heart (TAH), the feat is seen as a major step in keeping people alive for longer and longer periods while they wait for heart transplants.

Texas Heart partnered with the medical tech company BiVACOR to create the TAH. It’s a titanium-constructed biventricular rotary blood pump with a single moving part that utilizes a magnetically levitated rotor that pumps the blood and replaces both ventricles of a failing heart.

The benefit of using magnetic levitation is that none of the moving parts ever scrape or slide against each other, reducing friction, and dramatically increasing the longevity of the device. But what’s really cool is the TAH can pump blood at a rate of 12 liters per minute, enough to allow an adult male to engage in exercise.

The first-in-human clinical study, overseen closely by the FDA, aims to evaluate the safety and performance of the BiVACOR TAH as a bridge-to-transplant solution for patients with severe bi or univentricular heart failure. Following this first implantation completed at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Texas Medical Center, four additional patients are to be enrolled in the study.

BiVACOR founder and CTO Daniel Timms tests the artificial heart – credit BiVACOR

“The Texas Heart Institute is enthused about the groundbreaking first implantation of BiVACOR’s TAH. With heart failure remaining a leading cause of mortality globally, the BiVACOR TAH offers a beacon of hope for countless patients awaiting a heart transplant,” said Dr. Joseph Rogers, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Texas Heart Institute and National Principal Investigator on the research.

REDUCING HEART FAILURE: New Pacemaker Developed that Uses the Heartbeat to Recharge its Battery

“We are proud to be at the forefront of this medical breakthrough, working alongside the dedicated teams at BiVACOR, Baylor College of Medicine, and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center to transform the future of heart failure therapy for this vulnerable population.”

Heart failure is a global epidemic affecting at least 26 million people worldwide, 6.2 million adults in the US, and is increasing in prevalence. Heart transplantations are reserved for those with severe heart failure and are limited to fewer than 6,000 procedures per year globally. Consequently, the US National Institutes of Health estimated that up to 100,000 patients could immediately benefit from mechanical alternatives.

TRANSPLANT DEVELOPMENTS: New Tech Revives ‘Unusable’ Organs–10 Successful Transplants Used Kidneys That Are Normally Discarded

The successful implantation of BiVACOR’s TAH highlights the potential of innovative technologies to address critical challenges in cardiac care, such as long transplantation waitlists.

“This achievement would not have been possible without the courage of our first patient and their family, the dedication of our team, and our expert collaborators at The Texas Heart Institute,” said Daniel Timms, founder and CTO of BiVACOR.

WATCH the story below… 

SHARE This Groundbreaking First Step On A Journey Towards Better Transplant Science… 

“Where hast thou wandered, gentle gale, to find the perfumes thou dost bring?” – William Cullen Bryant

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Where hast thou wandered, gentle gale, to find the perfumes thou dost bring?” – William Cullen Bryant

Photo by: k8_iv

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Good News in History, August 1

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Good News Network
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Dune first edition cover (Copy)

59 years ago today, Frank Herbert’s epic science-fiction novel Dune was published. Set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which various noble houses control planetary fiefdoms, it tells the story of young Paul Atreides, whose family accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis. While the planet is an inhospitable and sparsely populated desert wasteland, it is the only source of melange, or “spice”, a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities. Dune is a landmark in science fiction; a Hugo Award winner that has sold 20 million copies in dozens of languages. READ more… (1965)

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Trees Reveal Climate Surprise: Bark Removes Methane from the Atmosphere

By
Andy Corbley
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Tree bark contains microbes that absorb methane from the atmosphere. Viswaprem Anbarasapandian - Unsplash
Tree bark contains microbes that absorb methane from the atmosphere. Viswaprem Anbarasapandian – Unsplash

A surprise discovery from the University of Birmingham shows that we may be significantly underestimating the potential of trees to regulate the variables of climate change.

That’s because they found microbes living inside trees’ bark absorb the greenhouse gas methane about as significantly as microbes living in the soil.

It’s long been thought that soil is the only effective terrestrial methane sink, as certain microorganisms use methane as a food source, but similar creatures live under a tree’s layer of bark, meaning that not only do our woody cousins withdraw CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in their roots, but also remove methane as well, about as effectively or perhaps more so than soil.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas for the few short years it exists in the atmosphere before degrading.

Professor Vincent Gauci of U. Birmingham led the study, published in the journal Nature.

In the study, the researchers investigated upland tropical, temperate, and boreal forest trees. Specifically, they took measurements spanning tropical forests in the Amazon and Panama; temperate broadleaf trees in the UK; and boreal coniferous forests in Sweden.

The methane absorption was strongest in the tropical forests, probably because microbes thrive in the warm wet conditions found there. On average the newly discovered methane absorption adds around 10% to the climate benefit that temperate and tropical trees provide.

By studying methane exchange between the atmosphere and the tree bark at multiple heights, the researchers were able to show that while at soil level the trees were likely to emit a small amount of methane, from a couple of meters up the direction of exchange switches and methane from the atmosphere is consumed.

MORE GLOBAL WARMING SURPRISES: Full Recovery for Coral Reef Within 4 Years – The Speed of Restoration They Saw was ‘Incredible’

In addition, the team used laser scanning methods to quantify the overall global forest tree bark surface area, with preliminary calculations indicating that the total global contribution of trees is between 24.6-49.9 Tg (millions of tonnes) of methane. This fills a big gap in understanding the global sources and sinks of methane.

“Tree woody surfaces add a third dimension to the way life on Earth interacts with the atmosphere, and this third dimension is teeming with life, and with surprises,” said co-author Yadvinder Malhi of the University of Oxford.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Five Top Headlines that Showcase the World’s Progress in the Climate Fight

It’s not the first time scientists have made estimations regarding climate change and come up incorrect in the wrong way. Climate scientists in the Netherlands recently found that previous estimates about how much plastic entered the oceans over the last 20 years are probably exaggerated by three thousand percent.

Trees Had An Ace Up Their Bark This Whole Time, SHARE The Story With Your Friends… 

When Tornado Interrupts Wedding They Had First Dance in Basement Shelter: ‘Restored my faith in humanity’

By
Andy Corbley
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Alex and Sarah dancing in the basement - SWNS
Alex and Sarah dancing in the basement – SWNS

Fleeing to the basement shelter of a hotel during a tornado isn’t exactly a mood-setter for a romantic dance, but that’s exactly the bizarre situation that 25-year-old newlyweds Alex and Sarah Schilke found themselves in back in June.

Hosting their wedding at the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa Hotel in Wisconsin, the reception was already underway when a tornado warning was issued for the area.

The wedding party and the rest of the hotel’s guests took shelter in the venue’s basement.

A group of strangers heard that the newlyweds hadn’t had their first dance and offered to sing and play the guitar.

A heartwarming mobile phone video shows Alex and Sarah swaying to their first dance with strangers staying at the hotel shining their phone flashlights upon them to drive away the darkness.

“That moment of having our loved ones and strangers come together to create this beautiful moment and share it with us was so important,” said Sarah to the news outlet SWNS. “It restored my faith in humanity.”

We could feel the care and compassion from all the people in the room,” Alex comments. “After the dance I remember walking out into the crowd and I saw one of my groomsmen. We just fell into a hug and both started weeping. It was all very emotional.”

Alex and Sarah met four and half years ago when they were studying computer science at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.

Alex proposed to Sarah and the couple tied the knot after 15 months of planning. It could have been 15 years and they probably still wouldn’t have had contingency plans for tornado alerts.

“When we were first told everyone was moving to the shelter, I was so shocked that I didn’t even process what was happening around me,” Sarah said. “And of course, there was a moment of grieving the wedding reception that we had spent 15 months planning.”

As the 181-strong wedding party moved to the basement shelter, they were joined by members of every other ongoing party at the resort.

Things went from bad to worse for the couple when the basement was plunged into darkness when power went out, which Sarah described as a chaotic scene.

“A few people from our party braved the storm and went upstairs to grab some drinks so we had some comfort.”

OTHER WEDDINGS RUINED AND SAVED: Muddy Bride Sacrifices Dress to Deliver Calf During Wedding Reception

As Sarah was losing hope, a group from a family reunion in a neighboring room offered one of their own to sing and play the guitar for them.

The couple agreed and professional singer Jack Jones sang a rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” as wedding guests shone phone flashlights at the couple in the darkness.

Recalling the unlikely setting for such a key moment, Sarah remembered a bunch of strangers coming up to ask if they’d had a first dance yet.

“They said a member of their family attending the reunion is a professional singer and offered for him to sing us our first dance.”

WILD WEDDING STORIES: Grandma Dances All Night at Granddaughter’s Wedding After Being Told She Wouldn’t Live to See it (Watch)

“I was going around yelling ‘Anyone from the Schilke wedding, we’re doing a first dance!'” Alex recounted. “Sarah was doing the same in the other direction so we could cover the most ground.”

“I walked into a sea of flashlights and it almost felt like walking through stars. I saw Sarah standing in the middle of a circle of people looking quite anxious.”

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An hour and a half later, all guests were permitted to leave the tornado shelter.

“We were really surprised that about 75% of our guests wanted to continue the party after all that,” said Alex. “We ended up continuing on the reception, finally began the speeches, and enjoyed a few more dances throughout the night.”

WATCH the makeshift wedding dance below… 

KNOW ANYONE WHO HAD WEDDING TROUBLES? Share This Crazy Story With Them…

Uranium Mine Leased for Years Becomes Part of National Park in Historic Win for Native Activists

By
Andy Corbley
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A protest at the mine's access road in 1991 - Supplied by Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation / ABC News
A protest at the mine’s access road in 1991 – Supplied by Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation / ABC News

In a major win for the traditional owners of Australia, the federal government has ordered the end of the land leasing program for the Jabiluka uranium deposit, ensuring that mining will never occur on the land owned by the Mirarr people.

At the same time, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his coalition added it to the nearby Kakadu National Park, a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site twice the size of Yellowstone.

Various parties to the disagreement over the destiny of Jabiluka described the decision as “a great day for the Mirarr people, for Kakadu, the Northern Territory, and for Australia,” “a genuine and welcome surprise,” and “a reminder of the extraordinary privilege all of us have, to share this continent with the world’s oldest continuous culture.”

The dispute over Jabiluka dates back to 1991, when traditional owners, environmental groups, peace activists, and others protested the granting of a lease for Jabiluka to Energy Resources Australia (ERA) majority-owned by the Australian mining giant Rio Tinto Group.

Located in the Northern Territories, activism by Indigenous owners like the Mirarr and Djot has forced successive administrations to defer or avoid the actual development of the potential mine. This included a road blockade in 1998 during which 500 people were arrested.

The Jabiluka Long-Term Care and Maintenance Agreement signed in February 2005 gave the traditional owners veto rights over the future development of Jabiluka.

Key details about the history of Jabiluka to understand are that the land has been under mining leases for over 30 years, but they’ve never been developed. ERA was not seeking to renew the 10-year lease to try and push forward with uranium mining, as they acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land have the ultimate say as per the 2005 agreement.

ERA stated they sought renewal of the lease in order to secure the asset should the traditional owners ever change their minds. Jabiluka is one of the world’s richest and most extensive uranium deposits ever located.

In 1991, PM Bob Hawke declined to exploit the mine’s riches, as did the Gillard Administration in 2013, but with Rio Tinto and ERA never forsaking the mine as a lost cause, and the Albanese government planning to move forward with nuclear power expansion, the Mirarr and others felt that another, hopefully final push was necessary.

Jabiluka Uranium Mine as seen from an Airvan aircraft – Djapa84, CC 3.0. BY SA

As a result, the federal government provided recommendations to the state government of NT that the will of the people should be respected, and that the lease should not be renewed.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Norway Rewilds Arctic Coal Mining Town in Largest Operation of its Kind, Gives New Hunting Ground for Polar Bears

“[It]means there will never be mining at Jabiluka,” Mr. Albanese was quoted as saying last Saturday. “This beautiful part of Australia is home to some of the oldest rock art in the world, a reminder of the extraordinary privilege all of us have, to share this continent with the world’s oldest continuous culture.”

A Rio Tinto spokesperson acknowledged the announcement, and told ABC News Down Under that the company “is pleased that the wishes of the Mirarr People … have been respected.”

MORE MINING ENDED: He Saved One of the Largest Forests in India from Coal Mining–and Was Honored With 2024 Goldman Prize

Officials from the NT government said the decision was made based on the recommendations from the Coalition government in Sydney, saying that Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King advised that the most important position to respect was that of the Mirarr.

SHARE This Amazing Environmental Victory For The Land Owners Of Australia… 

Missing Horse Reunited With its Family After ‘Crazy Journey’

By
Andy Corbley
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Photo of Flex, by Rosalynn Peschl
Photo of Flex, by Rosalynn Peschl

A horse that bolted from the trail in a remote countryside area of Alberta has been found after a “crazy journey” that saw professional trackers, planes, and emotional support from strangers as far away as Germany, all lend a hand in looking for him.

Flex is a championship endurance horse, and an inseparable companion to Houston Peschl, resident of the small hamlet of Bragg Creek in Station Flats, but no matter how close a bond one has with a horse, when they spook, they spook.

In this case, Flex bolted after suffering a bee sting whilst Houston was saddling him. He ran so fast and so far that Houston lost all sight and sound of his horse’s whereabouts, and a frantic search that stretched across days began.

Houston initially went out with his bike to comb the trails around the West Bragg Creek Day Use trail area, but when no sign of Flex was found, he and his wife enlisted social media to lobby for assistance, with many of their friends coming from the horse community and feeling their distress keenly.

“There’s a saying that ‘a stranger is a friend you just haven’t met yet,’ and I felt that that was just so incredibly true,” said Houston’s wife, Rosalynn Peschl.

“These are friends I haven’t met, even though they’ve been so tremendous and pivotal in this whole crazy journey.”

On Wednesday, the search continued, and by Thursday, professional tracker Terry Grant, who starred in 6 seasons of the Canadian reality television series Mantracker, came into town to help. A cowboy at heart, Grant was also able to sympathize with the Peschl’s plight, and took the day off work to come to Bragg Creek and help.

Grant told CBC News that basically looking for a horse involves looking for the things they need—water, good forage, and shade.

A SIMILAR STORY FROM CALIFORNIA: Lost Donkey Seen Living With Elk Herd 5 Years Later: ‘Living His Best Life’

By Friday morning, the search gained the addition of a small airplane which proved the ultimate difference in locating Flex. The neighbor and pilot spotted a horse with a saddle sitting in a clearing, yawning and chewing, a sign of releasing stress.

“By the time I had the halter on him and knew that he was secure, we both just started crying with relief and joy and all of the emotions that have been bubbling under the surface for the last couple of days,” Mrs. Peschl told CBC about the ordeal.

MORE LOST AND FOUND STORIES: She’s a Pet Detective Who’s Tracked Down and Reunited 330 Lost Dogs with Owners for Free–Using Thermal Imaging

Houston had bought Flex 10 years ago after a failed career as a racing horse. He was timid and nervous around people, but Houston forged a bond with the beast that allowed them to win several endurance championships. He describes the horse as his best friend, and one can assume the horse would say the same.

SHARE This ‘Crazy Journey’ Of Neighbors Helping Neigh-bors On Social Media… 

“Time spent with cats is never wasted.” – Sigmund Freud

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Time spent with cats is never wasted.” – Sigmund Freud

Photo by: Anton Lochov

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Good News in History, July 31

By
Good News Network
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The Apadana plates - Erich Schmidt CC 30. SA

86 years ago today, a pair of remarkable treasures were uncovered in the palace called Apadana, in the ruins of the Persian capital of Persepolis. Large gold and silver plaques bearing trilingual inscriptions were found secured inside boxes under the foundations of the building. They contained an inscription by Darius in Old Persian cuneiform, as well as two other languages, which describe the extent of his Empire in broad geographical terms. READ what they tell us… (1938)

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Armed with Backpacks of Seeds, Local Pooches Enlisted to Help Rewild Urban Nature Reserve

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - Railway Land Wildlife Trust Lewes
credit – Railway Land Wildlife Trust Lewes

Inspired by an innovative Chilean forest restoration effort, the English town of Lewes is enlisting the help of dog walkers to rewild a local nature reserve.

Heavily degraded by foot traffic, the project co-ops dogs’ tendency to run about in the woods to spread wildflower seed from saddlebags strapped to a harness around the dog’s abdomen.

The idea mimics the function that wolves once played in that part of England, roaming over vast distances getting grass and flower seeds stuck in their coat, only to fall off and germinate somewhere else.

This helter-skelter seed-spreading is actually how many plants evolved to reproduce, and it’s key to maintaining a biodiverse and native ecosystem.

“We’re really interested in rewilding processes, but they often involve reintroducing big herbivores like bison or wild horses,” said manager Dylan Walker from the Railway Land Wildlife Trust who organized the project back in 2019.

“In a smaller urban nature reserve it’s really hard to do those things. So, to replicate the effect that those animals have on the ecosystem we aimed to utilize the vast number of dog walkers that are visiting the nature reserve daily.”

The saddlebags are filled with a variety of perennial plant seeds mixed together with sand. This allows the seed to be spread for longer across larger distances, while also providing a helpful tracking sign to inform the Trust’s employees where dogs are walking.

THE REWILDING MOVEMENT IN ENGLAND…

“I signed up because it sounded like such a good fit. I was asked to place a harness on my chocolate cocker spaniel called Bertie and he ran around spreading seeds like wolves used to do many years ago,” Cressida Murray, a dog walker who regularly uses the nature reserve, told The Guardian. 

Wolves were persecuted to extinction in England as early as the reign of Henry VII, who reigned during the latter third of the 15th century.

“A community-based project like this not only helps engage and teach people about the ecological impacts of wildlife but also allows us to make our wildlife and environments richer in the process,” said Walker.

SHARE This Adorable And Intelligent Way to Rewild Britain’s Forests… 

LA Zoo Breaks Record for Condors Hatched in a Season with 17 Ugly-Cute Chicks Poised to Bolster Species

By
Andy Corbley
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credit - Jamie Pham / LA Zoo released
credit – Jamie Pham / LA Zoo

The Los Angeles Zoo is capping off its 2024 California condor breeding season with a record-breaking 17 chicks hatched all of which will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program (CCRP).

The 17th and final chick of the season hatched in June and is thriving. The previous record of 15 California condor chicks hatched at the LA Zoo was set in 1997.

Photographers were at pains to capture this famously ugly bird during the miracle of birth, and the photos were announced in the LA Times as “Ugly-cute baby photos.”

“Our condor team has raised the bar once again in the collaborative effort to save America’s largest flying bird from extinction,” said Rose Legato, Curator of Birds at the Los Angeles Zoo.

“What we are seeing now are the benefits of new breeding and rearing techniques developed and implemented by our team which put two or three condor chicks together with adult surrogate condors to be raised. The result is more condor chicks in the program and ultimately more condors in the wild.”

In 2017, the LA Zoo pioneered a new breeding technique where animal care staff placed two condor chicks with a surrogate condor to raise them. Until that time, no other zoo or CCRP partner had attempted this process. This year, the zoo’s condor team implemented a technique allowing three chicks to be raised at the same time by a female—another first for the program.

This triple brooding process maximizes the zoo’s ability to raise condors without human interaction which helps the birds easily adjust when released to the wild. It also enables breeding pairs to produce more than one viable egg in a season.

One of the condor chicks – credit, LA Zoo released.

For the record-breaking 2024 breeding season, LA Zoo animal care staff successfully reared three single chicks, eight chicks in double brood situations, and six chicks in triple broods with adult mentors.

The condor breeding program at the zoo started all the way back in 1967 when a single individual named Topa Topa came to the zoo as a malnourished fledgling rescued in the wild. In 1983 there were only 22 California condors remaining on the planet, so the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Fish and Game Commission agreed to create a captive breeding program for the species, which the LA Zoo entered as a founding partner.

As of December 2023, there are 561 California condors in the world, of which 344 are living in the wild. The number fluctuates daily due to many outside influences.

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The California condor is the largest land bird in North America with wings spanning almost 10 feet. Adult condors stand at around three feet tall and weigh 17 to 25 pounds. The species can soar to heights of 15,000 feet and may travel up to 150 miles a day. Condors find their food mostly by their keen eyesight.

Like vultures and other scavengers, condors are part of nature’s cleaning crew, feeding on the carcasses of large mammals including deer, cattle, and marine mammals such as whales and seals.

MORE ZOO PROGRAMS LIKE THIS: This Golden Retriever is Nursing 3 African Painted Dog Pups at Indiana Zoo After Mother Abandoned Them

The LA Times reports that the chicks will remain in the zoo’s care for the next year and a half. After, as has been done before with 250 chicks born at the zoo over the years, they will be evaluated for their potential to be released back into the wild.

SHARE These Precious Eggs Hatching Precious Chicks For American Wilderness…

A Recipe for Zero-Emissions Fuel: Soda Cans, Seawater, and Caffeine

By
Andy Corbley
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MIT engineers Aly Kombargi (left) and Niko Tsakiris (right) - PC Tony Pulsone.
MIT engineers Aly Kombargi (left) and Niko Tsakiris (right) – PC Tony Pulsone.

A team from MIT has discovered a fascinating chemical reaction that could allow ships or submarines to power themselves with zero-emissions hydrogen via a combination of aluminum pellets and the seawater through which they sail.

Several clever tweaks allowed for this process to generate a not-insubstantial amount of hydrogen gas—the kind being used as an alternative to fossil fuels in heavy machinery like construction equipment, trains, and planes.

The tweak was, if one can believe it, a dash of coffee grounds, making the whole process tantalizingly sustainable as the aluminum came from old soda cans.

Hydrogen is being tested in all kinds of applications, and is extremely exciting as a potential replacement for diesel because it has completely zero carbon emissions—the only output is hydrogen dioxide—also known as water.

However, hang-ups exist as to the safety of carrying large tanks of hydrogen gas aboard vehicles due to its volatile nature. Aly Kombargi, a Ph.D. student in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, and his colleagues on the project envisioned using seawater as the hydrogen source, and aluminum pellets as the on-board fuel, a little like how coal was shoveled into steamships once upon a time.

“This is very interesting for maritime applications like boats or underwater vehicles because you wouldn’t have to carry around seawater—it’s readily available,” says Kombargi, lead author on the paper published with the experiment’s results.

The reaction works like this: pure aluminum, when dropped into water, causes a straightforward reaction that generates hydrogen gas. To reduce costs, aluminum soda cans can be used, but only if pretreated with a rare and expensive alloy called gallium indium because the non-pure aluminum in soda cans develops a protective oxide barrier upon exposure to oxygen in the air that prevents the reaction from taking place.

MORE HYDROGEN TECH ADVANCEMENTS: World’s First Electric Aircraft Flight Powered by New Liquid Hydrogen–Flew for 3 Hours

To reduce costs, it would be ideal if the alloy could be recovered—which it can if protected by a barrier of ions. Fortunately, seawater is a highly ionic solution, which allowed Kombargi to scoop out the gallium indium post-reaction.

But the process is long, taking about 2 hours to fully finish. The team started tossing ingredients from their kitchen in to see what if anything might speed the process up. To their delight and surprise, coffee, specifically imidazole, an active ingredient in caffeine, reduced the time from 2 hours down to 5 minutes.

MORE ZERO EMISSIONS ENGINEERING: Pioneering Zero-Emissions Hydrogen Fuel-Cell-Powered Ship Successfully Tested in Japan

Using these ingredients, the team estimates that just 1 gram of pre-treated aluminum pellets would generate 1.3 liters of hydrogen in just 5 minutes.

MIT press reports that the researchers plan to test it first in marine and underwater vehicles. They’ve calculated that such a reactor, holding about 40 pounds of aluminum pellets, could power a small underwater glider for about 30 days by pumping in surrounding seawater and generating hydrogen to power a motor.

SHARE This Amazing Discovery In Sustainable Chemical Engineering… 

Indebted Indian Laborer Finds Life-Changing $100,000 Diamond

By
Andy Corbley
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Raju Gold holding the diamond - released to the media.
Raju Gold holding the diamond – released to the media.

In central India, a hardworking family man who found himself atop a mountain of debt also managed to find himself a 19.22-carat diamond worth almost $100,000.

“Our lives have changed forever” he joyously told CNN, having just opened his first-ever bank account in anticipation of the money forthcoming from the sale of the diamond at auction.

40-year-old Raju Gond and his younger brother Rakesh Gond from the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh take home around $4 per day from digging for gold on government-leased land. When they don’t find much, they work in farmers’ fields driving tractors instead.

This uncertain work landed the older Gond in a sizable amount of debt putting food on the table for his family while renewing his prospecting lease. His luck turned down in a makeshift mineshaft, where he made a fortuitous find. With every grain of dirt removed, Gond felt an uneasy certainty grow in his throat—it must be a diamond—just look how it shines!

Raju and Rakesh jumped around and hugged in excitement before hurtling down the road across the 7 miles back home on their bike.

Next, the pair took their mother with them to the Panna Diamond Office to have the stone evaluated.

CNN spoke with the office and the Gond family about the discovery, and the way small-scale mining such as this works is that the government will allow individuals to pay around $9.50 for the rights to prospect for gemstones. Whatever is found is then evaluated and held in trust by a government office until the total value of all gemstones turned over arrives at a certain number—in the case of diamonds it’s $360,000 in estimated value.

At this point, an official auction is held. The gems are sold, the government department takes an 11.5% royalty, and the rest is given to the founder.

CHECK OUT THIS NUG: Despite Faulty Metal Detector, Treasure Hunter Unearths Largest Gold Nugget Ever Found in England

As it happened, the monsoon rains washed away a lot of work opportunities, so Raju and Rakesh decided to switch from gold panning to diamond prospecting. It’s not a daily bread sort of employment, and with a large family of inlaws and 7 children to support, Raju needed a big score.

“The first thing I’ll do is pay back debt of ($6,000). Then we will invest in all children getting educated, building homes, buy some land and maybe a tractor too,” he said.

FINDING DIAMONDS IN AMERICA: Man Finds Largest Colorless Diamond in Arkansas State Park’s Modern History

Morning light saw the two men already on their way to the mine to look for more diamonds.

CELEBRATE This Man’s Incredible Fortune With Your Friends On Social Media…

“Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.” – Anne Frank

By
Good News Network
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Štefan Štefančík

Quote of the Day: “Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.” – Anne Frank

Photo by: Štefan Štefančík

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Good News in History, July 30

By
Good News Network
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The 1930 Urugay team prepares to take the field

On this day 94 years ago, at the conclusion of the inaugural FIFA World Cup, La Celeste, or Uruguay, won the trophy. Rarely considered as favorites in the tournament’s editions these days, Uruguay was on a tear by the time the first World Cup kicked off in Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital. They had won the 1924 and 1928 Olympic football tournaments. Beating Argentina 2-1 in the ’28 Olympics, they beat their cross-border rivals again, 4-2, to win the World Cup. READ more… (1930)

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Woman Donates Kidney to Her Sorority Sister Despite Not Seeing Her for 10 Years

By
Andy Corbley
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Jess Hause (left) and Megan Schultz (right_ reunite after 10 years without contact - SWNS
Jess Hause (left) and Megan Schultz (right_ reunite after 10 years without contact – SWNS

It was an emotional reunion when old sorority sisters Megan and Jess met at the former’s house in their late 30s.

That’s because, Megan is scheduled to donate a kidney to Jess, whom she hadn’t seen in over 10 years.

After receiving a diagnosis of chronic kidney failure in September 2023, Jess Hause was stunned at the number of people offering to test themselves for a potential donation.

Her former sorority sister, Megan Schultz eventually FaceTimed Hause a few weeks later to tell her she was a match.

“I thought she was calling to say ‘I’m sorry, but I’m not a match,'” admitted Hause. The Cincinnatian said she was shocked and speechless, with the “super special” gesture taking her breath away.

Doctors first noticed Jess’ kidney function was low when she was in hospital being treated for shingles. But after losing her job and her medical insurance in April 2023 she stopped seeing the doctor regularly.

“I noticed from my knees down I started getting numb and tingling,” she explained to the British news media outlet SWNS.

Jess went to the emergency room and, after tests, she was diagnosed with total kidney failure.

“It was absolutely terrifying. I didn’t even know what kidney failure was.”

She started on dialysis last year which she now has for three days a week for three-and-a-half hours.

“I started making reels [on Instagram] of my day-to-day life,” said Hause. “It just so happened my sorority sister Megan saw it. God puts people in our lives for a reason.”

Megan Schultz (left) and Jess Hause (right) in their sorority days

After getting tested, the hospital called Schultz and she “just started crying.”

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Two Sisters Put Up for Adoption at End of WWII Finally Reunite After 75 Years Apart

“It was immediate excitement,” she said.

Megan called Jess on June 13th, 2024, to tell her the news and the pair were then able to reunite over the weekend.

“It was wonderful. It’s one of those friendships where you haven’t seen each other for so long but it feels like no time at all,” said Hause.

MORE ORGAN DONATION STORIES: A Marathon was Blocking Delivery Route for Organ Donation So a Surgeon Ran Through the Race to Get it

Jess and Megan are set for surgery on November 12th, 2024.

Even with one kidney, human beings are capable of living long, athletic, capable lives with certain small adjustments.

SHARE This Story Of Sisters From Other Mothers And Decades On Social Media…

Honest Uber Eats Driver Working to Pay for Wedding Earns Hundreds After Leaving Viral Letter in Chipotle Bag

By
Andy Corbley
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TikTok: paulslobo711, erica_cristal
TikTok: paulslobo711, erica_cristal

When a driver for Uber Eats humbly asked for a little generosity in order to give his wife-to-be the wedding of her dreams, the world responded.

TikToker Paul Slobodzian has been driving Uber Eats as a side hustle for over a year to save for his wedding.

One evening, Erica Hernandez ordered dinner from Chipotle, and it was Slobodzian who picked it up and brought it over. Concealed inside the bag was a handwritten note.

“Thank you for your order! I’m delivering for <3 on the side to give my fiancée the wedding she deserves. Any additional tip through the app or Venmo is greatly appreciated,” the note read.

Hernandez was touched by his honesty and dedication, so she shared it on her own TikTok account, which while not being very big, was still the least she could do, she thought.

“I don’t have a lot of followers, but hopefully this reaches the right people,” Erica wrote in her TikTok video, which quickly went viral on the app.

With his Venmo ID on the note, his account was hit with a torrent of generous contributions, including a $500 gift from Chipotle itself.

“I, and Aly, my fiancée have been overwhelmed in the best way possible trying to figure out how to respond to people and show how much this means to us,” Paul said in a video on his TikTok account as messages came raining in asking for updates. “To start I just want to say thank you so so much.”

THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS A NET NEGATIVE? 

He details that both he and Aly, who was also driving with Uber Eats, were able to put their side hustle down, focus on planning, rather than paying for the wedding, and most important of all, spend more quality time together rather than working 7 days a week.

The couple, who had first met as sophomores in college, paid forward the remarkable generosity by setting aside $1,000 for Erica, who was invited as a guest of honor to the wedding, and whose idea to put it on TikTok was the genesis for so much kindness.

The pair had made more than enough to cover the event through the Venmo donations.

SHARE This Incredible Surprise Reward For A Hard-Working Husband-To-Be…

Stunning Ancient Roman Mosaic Found Submerged in the Sea off Naples

By
Andy Corbley
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Fish pass above the recovered mosaic - Parco Archeologico Campi Flegrei.
Fish pass above the recovered mosaic – Parco Archeologico Campi Flegrei.

A stunning underwater mosaic dating to the late Roman Empire has been discovered under the sea in the Bay of Naples.

Deposited there via seismic activity, it was found near the resort town of Baiae, where it would have lined the floors of a patio in a seaside villa owned by the Roman patrician class.

Mad Emperor Nero and Julius Caeser both had villas in this area, but over the years, a seismic phenomenon called bradyseism caused the luxury house and the land around it to sink into the sea.

The marble mosaic is made up of many tiles that the archaeologists at the Parco Archeologico Campi Flegrei have identified as coming from “other floors and other walls”.

“In addition to the excavation and the underwater restoration, we also are working on land,” the park authorities wrote in a Facebook post. “The recovered tiles…were placed in large tubs of fresh water to eliminate the marine salt. We’re studying them tile by tile, to see about putting together a whole section.”

A SIMILAR FIND NEAR NAPLES: 2,000-Year-Old Home Found Under a Seaside Playground May Be Pliny the Elder’s Villa

Local mayor Josi Gerardo Della Ragione called the find “stupendous” in a post on Facebook.

The floor would have been laid toward the end of the Roman Empire, “shortly before bradyseism brought these wonders to the bottom of the sea,” he said.

MORE ROMAN ARCHAEOLOGY: This 2,300-year-old Mosaic Made of Shells and Coral Has Just Been Found Buried Under Rome

Campi Flegri is 125 miles of submerged land in the Bay of Naples stretching between the islands of Capri and Ischia, which forms the caldera of a volcano that last erupted in 1538. It’s a popular diving site, with many underwater ruins surrounded by sea life to explore.

SHARE This Underwater Wonder With Your Friends Who Love Roman History… 

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