Scientist clone two black-footed ferrets to save endangered species
By Dean Murray
Scientist have cloned two black-footed ferrets to help conserve the endangered critters.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (UFSWS) and its genetic research partners have announced the birth of the ferrets – known as Noreen and Antonia – along with updates on their latest efforts to breed previously cloned black-footed ferret, Elizabeth Ann.
The black-footed ferret is one of North America’s most endangered mammals. Thought to be extinct, captive breeding, habitat protection, reintroductions and cloning have helped restore them to over 300 animals in the wild.
Noreen was born at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado, while Antonia resides at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute in Virginia.
UFSWS say: "Both were cloned from the same genetic material as Elizabeth Ann. They are healthy and continue to reach expected developmental and behavioral milestones."
The Service and its research partners plan to proceed with breeding efforts for Noreen and Antonia once they reach reproductive maturity later this year.
This scientific advancement to clone the first U.S. endangered species is the result of an innovative partnership among the Service and critical species recovery partners and scientists at Revive & Restore, ViaGen Pets & Equine, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
UFSWS say: "The application of this technology to endangered species addresses specific genetic diversity and disease concerns associated with black-footed ferrets. The Service views this new potential tool as one of many strategies to aid species recovery alongside efforts to address habitat challenges and other barriers to recovery."
UFSWS say Elizabeth Ann remains healthy at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in northern Colorado, exhibiting "typical adult ferret behaviour".
Planned efforts to breed Elizabeth Ann were unsuccessful due to a condition called hydrometra, where the uterine horn fills with fluid.
Her other uterine horn was not fully developed, which UFSWS say is not unusual in other black-footed ferrets and therefore not believed to be linked to cloning.
"Elizabeth Ann otherwise remains in excellent health, symbolizing the early progress in biotechnology for species conservation," adds UFSWS.
Elizabeth Ann, Noreen and Antonia were cloned from tissue samples collected in 1988 from a black-footed ferret known as Willa and stored at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Frozen Zoo.
All black-footed ferrets alive today, except the three clones, are descendants of the last seven wild individuals. This limited genetic diversity leads to unique challenges for their recovery. Besides genetic bottleneck issues, diseases like sylvatic plague and canine distemper further complicate recovery efforts.
Cloning and related genetic research could offer potential solutions, aiding concurrent work on habitat conservation and reintroducing black-footed ferrets into the wild.
Continuing genetic research for black-footed ferrets includes efforts to breed offspring from Noreen and Antonia, which would significantly increase the species’ genetic diversity.
The UFSWS say collaborative work among partners also aims to achieve other long-term goals, such as developing resistance to sylvatic plague and potentially other diseases.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
"My body is 70% tattoos - I've lost work and get followed around shops by security"
by Natasha Leake
A woman whose body is 70 per cent covered by tattoos says she has lost work and gets followed round shops by security guards.
Sarah Hutchinson, 29, known by fans as Joey, is an actress and says the ink art which covers 70% of her body means she gets typecast as a criminal or homeless person.
Colleagues tell her the artwork - which covers her arms and legs - is intimidating and people assume she's "mean".
Sarah, who starred in ITV's The Cabin, got her first tattoo - "4ever in my heart" on her wrist when she was 15 - and reckons she has spent around £7,000 on tattoos since.
The personal trainer and musician says her hand tattoos of a star, a moon and the word 'why' are her biggest regret.
She has an ex's name tattooed her wedding ring finger - but it's too painful to remove, and she says her girlfriend won't marry her while it's still there.
Sarah reckons repairing or covering up "shoddy" work will cost her £1500 - and her top tips to others include never booking an artist who costs less than £350 a day.
She also recommends waiting at least three months AFTER picking a design, before having it inked.
Sarah, from Ancoats, Manchester, said: "“Everyone has this perception that I’m mean.
“People I met at work have told me they didn’t speak to me for a really long time because they said I looked intimidating.
“I always get cast as the homeless person. I’m typecast as a criminal - I only get really crap things because of my tattoos.
“It’s really crappy because I’m gay and I know that enhances my chances with things, but my tattoos do the opposite.
"It annoys me because people automatically think that people who have tattoos are knobheads.
“I think they’re still associated with bad behaviour, and being stupid or idiotic - people pair that with criminal.
“I was in Marks & Spencer at summertime, wearing shorts and a top.
“I was walking round, trying to find something for lunch, when my girlfriend said that the security guard was following me.
“I purposely walked round the aisles to see if he was - and he was. I said to him ‘I will steal something if you keep watching me’.
“I’m really used to it - sometimes I’m oblivious to it and it’s my partner that points it out.
"It sounds mad in this day and age but I get stared at pretty much everywhere I go.
“I’m not stealing - I’ll swing the bag and show them I’m not stealing."
Sarah's tattoos include a cover-up of five friend's names which she got on a night out.
"I had 5 names tattooed on my bum in a list and I’ve had them covered now, but you can still sort of see it through the cover up," she said.
"They were my best mates names, and I was 18. I got a sixth name from someone I met one night in Magaluf and I never spoke to them again - so that was probably a dumb move!"
Her other tattoos include sea-themed tattoos, including a bottle with the words 'Not all who wander are lost', and ancient Egyptian murals which she says she doesn't regret.
"There's a lot I don't regret, it's just the bad artistry and the one I got as a kid that I do. I wouldn't have them all removed if I could, just corrected."
She is hoping to get a black out skeleton tattoo on her two hands in the next few months to repair some tattoo work she had done.
“My hand’s are my biggest regret - they’re a bit scruffy and I’m currently in the process of getting them covered,” she said.
“They’re not really bad, but they’re just a bit shoddy.
“I have one of my ex-girlfriend’s names tattooed on my wedding ring finger. I’ve tried to have it removed but it was too painful so I have a blurry name now.
“My girlfriend said she will never marry me until its fully removed but it hurts too much to get it removed - so I guess we will never get married.
“I have a moon and a star, and next to that I have the word 'why'. I ask ‘why’ I did it.
“Now I’m booked in for blacked out skeleton fingers so it will be the image of the bone through the finger because that’s the only tattoo that will cover it.”
Her advice to people considering tattoos is to “pick a design and wait a minimum of three months before you get it".
She added: “I have a lot of shoddy work. I went to cheap people and so I have a lot of crappy artwork on me that I’m getting fixed.
“They have to have a decent waiting list. If they have walk-ins they are bad.
"Anything less than £350 a day will be bad.”
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Baby boy arrives on his dad AND grandfather's birthday!
By Kate Pounds
A family were thrilled when their baby boy arrived on his dad AND his grandfather's birthday.
Chester Bussey was born on Sunday April 14 - his dad Aaron's 36th birthday and his grandfather Mark's 58th.
The tot arrived eight days before his due date to beat the odds for three generations of men in a family to share a birthday.
It is thought the odds are 133,000 to one.
Aaron, and partner Devon Mayhew, 32, didn't know they were expecting a boy and had joked about him being born on April 14.
Aaron, a bricklayer from Colchester, Essex, said: "We're really chuffed about it, and still pretty shocked.
"It was a very exciting birthday and such a lovely surprise.
"It's a very special day already with me and my dad sharing our birthday but it's extra special now.
"I can't wait for the three of us to celebrate together each year.
"It's really exceptional for something like this to happen to us. It's so rare.
"If you put a pound on it you'd never have to work again - I wish I'd done that."
Devon, a maths teacher, had prepared a birthday card from their newborn to Aaron just in case the baby came early - which he did.
"It was very special to get a card from him", said Aaron.
Aaron's mum Tracey, 59, popped to the shops just after the birth and had a cake made for all three birthday boys.
Aaron and Mark celebrate their birthday together every year.
They had a very special year in 2006 when Aaron turned 18 and Mark 40 on the same day.
Mark, whose birthday is April 14 1966, said it was astonishing when Aaron arrived a month early, on April 14 1988.
He said: "It was a lovely surprise, and I was over the moon when Chester was born on our birthday."
Tracey said: "This is such a incredible surprise. It's the perfect and ready made birthday present for them all."
Aaron and Devon had been trying for a baby for a year when they made a wish in the Trevi fountain, in Rome, while on holiday last year - and returned home pregnant.
Aaron said: "He was already a very special baby and this just makes it even more lovely."
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Elephant returns visitor's shoe after it fell into its enclosure
By Leo Black
This is the moment a clever elephant returned a shoe using its trunk after it fell into its zoo enclosure.
Video shows the animal stooping to pick up the footwear before gently dropping it back into the visitor's hand.
The elephant called Shanmai, which means "Mountains," resides at Shendiaoshan Wild Animal Nature Reserve in Weihai, China.
According to a staff member, the elephant first thought the shoe was food but when it realised it wasn't upon picking it up, it returned it to its owner.
Shanmai's keeper rewarded the animal's kind gesture with a watermelon.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Tot has adorable argument with Alexa
By Leo Black
This is the funny moment a toddler got into an argument with Amazon Alexa after the virtual assistant struggled to understand her.
Video shows Aria Coleman, three, frustratedly pleading the gadget to play the popular children's song "The wheels on the bus."
Aria can be heard saying: "Come on Alexa, wheels on the bus. Come on Alexa, wheels on the bus, please."
But instead of playing the tot's song, Alexa offers Aria the location of the bus.
Aria and her mum Amanda Coleman were visiting great-grandmother Mary Ivers, 77, in Sterling Heights, Michigan, USA, when the cute exchange happened.
Mary explained: "She tried to interact with Alexa for a bit but it was the same every time.
"She noticed that Alexa was giving me reminders to take my medication.
"It was the first time she had seen one and she was fascinated by it."
Mary added: "She was very confused the first time I spoke to it. She kept asking where is she? Who is that?"
Eventually, Mary had to step in to help and give Aria a hand with her request.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Man reveals heart-warming friendship with fox he cured of illness
By Faye Mayern
A wildlife fan has struck up an extraordinary friendship with a young fox after he noticed she was ill.
Bob Dunlop, 69, spotted the fox had developed mange on her tail on wildlife cameras he had set up near his home in Littleport, Cambs.
Mr Dunlop worked out where the animal was living and began to treat the fox by feeding her bread with a homeopathic remedy.
Their heart-warming friendship blossomed as the young vixen began to greet Mr Dunlop on his daily walks through the forest.
Mr Dunlop said he knows he must let her re-wild and is slowly cutting down amount of time he visits and has stopped feeding her.
The retired health and safety manager, said: "She's such a special animal, it will be hard to let go."
"I'm going to cut down the amount of time I spend with her. I do not intend to make her tame as she is a wild fox."
In the videos, the young vixen, affectionately named Ms Fox, can be seen rolling on her back and affectionately biting at Mr Dunlop's trousers for his attention.
She also greets him as he approaches, yelping and whining in excitement.
Mr Dunlop, originally from Fife, Scotland, noticed the fox with mange on her tail - a skin disease that is caused by microscopic mites that burrow into skin - back in December.
After curing her of the mange, Mr Dunlop has shared videos of their unique bond - with the fox acting more like a dog than a wild animal.
He said: "It was a labour of love but I monitored and fed her on a daily basis.
"I could put the drops of the remedy on some bread and I would go and feed it to her alongside some dried food.
"I think she's coming up to a year old because I believe she is the last remaining cub of a previous fox family who lived there.
"My view is that if she'd been dumped and was already tame, she wouldn't naturalise herself in a rural area.
"The mother of those cubs have some mange on her tail too - I think that's where she got it from."
Mr Dunlop was unwilling to leave the mange untreated and sought advice from the National Fox Welfare Society.
They sent Mr Dunlop an arsenicum and sulphur 30c homeopathic remedy to treat it, free of charge.
Mr Dunlop, who lives with his wife Sue, 75, visits the fox almost every day to keep an eye on her progress.
He added: "Back in January, I lost my dog. All the time my dog was with me on my walks, Ms Fox would hide.
"Once my dog had passed, I noticed her mange was gone and she became less withdrawn and more attached to me.
"The day I first put the food down and she showed her belly, it was just wonderful.
"I know at some point I've got to stop and let her rewild. I think she was just a lonely animal that was ill, has recovered and is showing her appreciation.
"She hides when she hears other people approach and is hunting at night which I see on my camera so I'm not concerned she's at risk of being too tame."
Mr Dunlop said his plan is to let Ms Fox re-wild completely and hoped she might have her own cubs one day.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Farmhouse left hanging over perilous cliff edge thanks to erosion
By Faye Mayern
New shocking photos show an 18th century farmhouse hanging perilously over a cliff edge which has been eroded away along the coast.
The old farmhouse at Cliff Farm in Trimingham, Norfolk can be seen dangling over the cliff in a precarious position after the land slipped away at the beginning of the month.
The three-bedroom home was bought at auction five years ago for £132,000 and one photo shows the extent of the coastal erosion over the years.
The farmhouse used to sit much further away from the cliff while recent landslips have left the back part of the home exposed.
North Norfolk District Council has confirmed it will be demolishing the property in the coming days before it falls onto the beach and the homeowner has evacuated.
Harry Blathwayt, North Norfolk District Council’s portfolio holder for coast, said previously: “It’s very sad that the old farmhouse has been undermined by landfall over the last few weeks.
“Sadly, it will have to be demolished.
“The owner of the property has spoken to council officers and he fully accepts that the building is in a precarious position to say the least.
“As such, the council’s Coastwise team will be helping demolish it - getting contractors in and taking it down before it can fall on the beach."
Erosion at Trimingham has been happening at an alarming rate due to heavy rainfall over the winter which has saturated the soft cliffs, leading to frequent landslides.
In January 2020, the cliff fell at Trimingham overnight, sending tonnes of sand and silt plummeting onto the beach from the Trimingham House Caravan Park above.
The seaside resort of Hemsby has also lost several homes due to coastal erosion with ex-soldier Lance Martin hitting the headlines for dragging his bungalow away from the cliff edge twice.
Mr Martin, 66, initially admitted defeat last November but has now announced plans to airlift his home by helicopter away from the seafront in a military-grade operation.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Moment climber disturbs hidden owl - but manages to hang on
By Josie Adnitt
Amazing slow-motion footage captures the moment an owl flew out over a climber in a ‘once in a lifetime’ moment.
The video, captured by Will Birkett, 28, shows the bird leap from its perch as he scaled a quarry wall in Silverdale, Lancs.
He reaches into the hold where the owl is sheltering, unaware the bird is there, and the owl then takes flight – wings skimming the top of his head.
Will, who was climbing without the aid of ropes, was filming for his social media account @willbirkett_lakes when the moment happened.
And he said while it was common for climbers to disturb crows and ravens throughout their climbing career, the owl was a ‘once in a lifetime’ moment.
Will, from Langdale Valley, Lake District, said: “I was going up a crack in a local quarry and just as I was reaching out to grab the hold, the owl came out of nowhere.
“It’s unique that it’s an owl. Climbers will quite often disturb birds not knowing they’re there.
“More typically it's a crow or raven, an owl is unusual – it was once in a lifetime.
“You can’t really afford to jump in that situation, I was climbing without a rope or anything.
“I had no choice but to hold on and deal with it - it was quite alarming at the time for sure.”
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Man relearns to walk after three week coma is now running London marathon
By Ben Barry
A man who had to learn to walk again after being in a coma for three and a half weeks is training to run the London Marathon.
Connor Blundell, 25, was on a year abroad in Valencia, Spain, studying mechanical engineering.
Five weeks into his studies, Connor was out with friends when he fell four metres from a platform and landed onto his head.
Connor was unconscious and rushed to hospital where he spent three and a half weeks in a coma.
When Connor became conscious he was non-verbal and unable to walk and spent nine months in rehabilitation.
Connor was not able to leave Spain until May 2021 and continued his rehabilitation in the UK.
Less than four years on, Connor is walking and talking again and taking part in the London Marathon this weekend alongside his dad, Chris, 57.
Connor, an environmental consultant, from Sheffield, Yorkshire, said: "I had a one in three chance of dying and a one in three chance of being in a coma forever.
"I am pretty gassed to be here today.
"It has been a journey, the reason I am running for Crisis and WaterAid is because I don't question what if.
"Yes, it would have been lovely not to have to learn to get better again but I feel a lot of gratitude.
"I am lucky for my family’s support and beyond that to not be experiencing homelessness and to not be without clean water."
Connor and his friends were enjoying the bank holiday weekend in Valencia, Spain in October 2020.
They were in a public park, dancing on a viewing platform when Connor fell off the edge of the platform.
He said: "It was late, there was no lights.
"I was knocked out straight away when I hit my head from the fall.
"For the next three and a half weeks I was in a coma."
Connor said he "gradually" woke up from his coma and was non-verbal and unable to walk.
He said: "It wasn't like an off and on, mine was more a slow come round.
"There was a time when I could keep my eyes open, I was more or less awake, but I couldn't speak for a month or so.
"I don't remember anything from my first few weeks, my memory starts in November.
"My sister took a year sabbatical and my parents were forced to take a year off from their own jobs to stay with me in Spain.
"It was tough for me and it was tough of them. They had to sit there not knowing if I would die tomorrow."
After he woke up, Connor started physio where he would learn to walk, talk and have cognitive therapy for four hours a day.
He was in hospital for a further four months before he was discharged and became and outpatient.
Connor said: "I was walking with a Zimmer frame when I left hospital.
"We were staying around a 20 minute walk from the hospital, we walked home and I would pray for a red light so I could sit down and take a break."
After leaving hospital, Connor and his family stayed in Spain so he could recieve outpatient care.
After five months as an outpatient, Connor and his family left Spain in May 2021 and went back to the UK.
Connor said: "People expect me to hate Spain and everything about it.
"It is the opposite, I was obsessed with Spain before, and I still love it.
"It wasn't exactly the year that I expected, but there was definitely a lot of learning."
Over the past four years, Connor has been having ongoing therapeutic input to improve his mobility, cognition, and speech.
This weekend, Connor will join thousands of people and run the London Marathon, for WaterAid and Crisis, alongside his dad, Chris.
Connor said: "I am addicted to running, I ran the Manchester Marathon when I was 21 in just under three hours, which automatically qualified me to take part in the London race.
“The accident prevented me from taking part in the London Marathon the year after as previously expected.
"From day one, I said 'I want to run a marathon one day', in my head, I thought it would be ten years.
"To be here three and a half years later, running a marathon is amazing.
"I am really fortunate to do it for two charities that I care deeply about.
"To be running it with my dad will be an incredible experience.
"I have always wanted to run the London Marathon but it has a lot more meaning to me now."
Connor's fundraising link: https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/1886/2024-tcs-london-marathon/
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
"I'm a single mum-of-12 - I can't afford them, I have to feed them on coupons"
By Elise McGrath
A single mum-of-12 said she's been forced to rely on food stamps due to the cost of living crisis - and "can't afford" to feed her family without them.
Veronica Merritt, 39, says she has to feed her kids macaroni, hot dogs and packet ramen - because now her yearly food bill totals $24k.
She says she’s trolled on TikTok for “not being able to afford” her big family by people who say she shouldn’t have had kids in the first place.
But she does not regret them and said having babies feels and it's like her "superpower".
Veronica, a TikTok creator, from New York, US, said: “I never would’ve had kids if I’d waited until I was rich - I don't regret any of my kids.
“I’m trying to take care of my kids as best I can. This month I didn’t have any money, so had to spend $1,400 in food stamps.
“It’s impossible to feed 11 people on $1,400 - the prices of everything right now are tight.
“I used to feed a family of 12 for $500 a month but now you need $2,000 to $3,000 a month to feed this many people ramen.”
Veronica had her first baby Victoria, 24, in March 2000, when she was aged 14, at Crouse hospital in Syracuse, NY.
The first 10 kids were with Veronica's first husband, she then went on to marry an old friend and had two more kids.
Currently, her brood consists of Victoria, 24, a mum-of-one, Andrew, 19, Adam, 17, Mara, 16, Dash, 14, Darla, 13, Marvelous, 11, Martalya, nine, Amelia, seven, Delilah, five, Donovan, four and Modi, two.
She says the family receive help from the government in the form of $1,400 in food stamps each month.
"We get $1400 in food stamps which is actually not enough at all, food is so expensive," she said.
"I've got help with food stamps on and off over the years."
Veronica said she wanted more kids but has to get hysterectomy because of a fibroid, on May 2.
"Six boys and six girls is pretty perfect, especially because I colour code and have a boy and girl for every colour," she said.
"It's oddly perfect how well it worked out.
"If I did want to have more, I'd have to be rich and hire a surrogate.
“I was 14 when I had my first, I was really young, and I didn’t really understand how reproduction worked.
“I thought you had to be 16 to get pregnant.
"I thought, ‘it won’t happen to me’, but it did, pretty much as soon as I was sexually active.
“I don't think of kids as accidents. They’re my little surprises."
Veronica added: "I really like growing my family. I like having babies.
"I thought 'I'm just going to see what nature decides and see what happens, you know?' And so I just kept getting pregnant."
She said the cost of toys and electronics vary but Christmas alone costs her $7k.
Veronica bought her nine-bedroom house on the East Coast of New York for $20,000.
She says it needs a lot of repairs that require a lot of money that the family doesn’t have right now.
But she intends to raise the money by making money on TikTok and selling paintings.
She added: "Housing is about $13k but that's just taxes and utilities - we have no mortgage or rent.
"School supplies cost me about $4k and trips to visit family cost a few thousand dollars.
"I used to work at Chuck E Cheese a few years and worked in McDonalds when I was a teenager.
"My TikTok usually makes $1200 - $7,000 a month through the creator fund but I haven't been posting much so last month I only made $300.
"This month I only made $70 - so I really need to post more."
Veronica is a single mum and she raises them alone.
She says it’s incredibly hard - but wouldn’t change it for the world.
“I wish I would have chosen better partners so that I wasn't a single mum right now,” she added.
“But I love having babies.
“I think that having a baby is like the greatest, most precious and wonderful thing ever.
"We're living on ramen, when we used to be able to buy anything.
"I used to be able to go to the grocery store and get whatever we wanted and not have to worry about it."
But Veronica says her family’s lifestyle attracts a lot of comments from trolls - who say she can’t afford to raise them.
“People comment on my TikToks that if you’re not perfect you shouldn’t have kids at all,” she said. “I’m just trying to take care of the kids as best I can.
“I’m just very honest about things online.
“I don’t only show the best meals - I’ll show them eating hot dogs and macaroni and cheese.
“I don’t make sure everything is perfect and clean. Our house gets messy.”
Veronica says she loves each of her kids equally - and she refuses to pick favourites.
She said: “People think I can’t love all the kids, which is silly because that’s like saying you can’t love 10 of your friends.
“Sure, there might be days where I spend more time with one than the other.
“I started colour coding by accident because my daughter (Victoria) was obsessed with a lot of pink.”
Mara will wear yellow, while Darla loves purple and Dash prefers to wear orange.
"It's almost like their colours shaped their personalities."
Breakdown of Veronica's costs -
Food - $24k-a-year
Christmas presents - $7k-a-year
Birthdays - $10k-a-year
Housing costs - $13k-a-year
Total - $54k-a-year
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
