Smile, you won the prize
A terrifying grizzly bear made you a photo-bomb and destroyed your luxury camera?
Not bad, all for the better.
Indeed, when American nature photographer Zack Clothiere placed one of his cameras in the Montana steppe, leaving it there to document scavengers feeding on a deer's retard, he had no idea what was going to happen.
When Zack returned to check after about two months what his camera had captured in her lens, he was horrified to find that she had been torn from her tripod and that she had suffered significant damage.
There were also paw marks on it and mucus covered the lens, which was now facing up.
Fortunately, the camera survived the attack, and Zack was able to extract the incriminating images from it.
It turns out that a large grizzly bear, which the camera apparently did not like so well, attacked her.
However, the camera's infrared sensor was able to document the curious predator examining the device during the commotion.
"I was in the market and I did not believe. I really like this picture and I think it is unique," said the enthusiastic photographer.
It turns out that not only does he think so, as the photo, which was named Grizzly Leftovers, last week won the happy Mr Klothyer the prize in the London Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, in the "Animals in Their Natural Environment" category.
With the winning money he will probably buy a new camera.
The first action gecko
Hong Kong-based film and martial arts star Jackie Chan has received the ultimate honor: Indian reptologists (reptile researchers) have named a newly discovered species of gecko (Gekko) after him.
The scientists, big fans of Chan, have decided to name one of the 12 new lizards they have identified this year in the Western Ghetto Mountains in India Jackie's Day Gecko, due to its tremendous flexibility and tininess, which reminded them of the dynamic star.
The recently discovered gecko, Photo: Saunak Pal / Zoological Research
"Every time we tried to catch this gecko, it leaped from rock to rock and crept into the narrowest crevices to dodge us," explained Sunk Pal of the Mumbai Natural History Museum.
"When you call a particular species that way, especially when it comes to less beloved animals like reptiles, people tend to connect with them more," added Zysh Mirza of the National Center for Biological Science in Bangalore, a research partner who apparently knows what he is talking about: Mirza has so far identified about sixty species of husband. Life, including the viper snake known as Salazar's Pit Viper, named after Salazar Slytherin, the cunning wizard from the world of Harry Potter.
"I hope the catchy names will help preserve these species and their natural habitats," the excited reptologist concluded.
Mr. Chan's response has not yet been received.
Did you snore alone?
The newest employees of Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, which is considered the busiest in Europe and the third largest on the continent, are twenty industrious pigs (!) Who patrol purposefully between the runways.
At the head of the pig squad is farmer Joss Haruss, who proudly oversees his pink herd.
And what exactly is the idea behind the a-dir project?
Well, this is a six-week experiment, designed to test the effectiveness of pigs in preventing the approach of winged animals - especially the many geese that frequent the area - that can disrupt the routine of takeoffs and landings and even cause accidents.
Last February, for example, a plane from Amsterdam to Tanzania was forced to retrace its steps after a six-hour flight, after damage to one of its engines was discovered as a result of an encounter with an unlucky bird.
Twenty pigs patrolling between runways, Photo: Schiphol Airport
Although Schiphol employs about twenty human "bird inspectors," it was decided to reinforce the crew with the determined pigs, placed in the sugar beet plantations adjacent to the runways.
At this time of year these orchards tend to attract the hungry geese that fly next to them at low altitude, and often touch the ground to enjoy a quick and sweet meal.
But now that the pigs are devouring the remains of the beets that have already been harvested and cleaning the area properly, the geese no longer have anything to look for there, and the planes are safe.