Placeholder Content Image

E-scooter hit and run victim embraced by Magpies club

<p>In a heartwarming display of community and sportsmanship, the Collingwood AFL club has come together to support a cherished fan, 81-year-old Jessie Hatch, after a distressing e-scooter incident following the Collingwood-Carlton game two weeks ago.</p> <p>Jessie, a lifelong devotee of the Magpies, was leaving the Melbourne Cricket Ground when she was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/such-a-cowardly-thing-police-hunt-after-e-scooter-hit-and-run-on-81-year-old-woman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struck by an e-scooter</a> in what she described from the hospital afterwards as "such a cowardly thing".</p> <p>In a touching twist, it was a member of the rival Carlton cheer squad who first rushed to her aid. Reflecting on the incident, Jessie <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/great-grandmother-embraced-by-beloved-magpies-after-ugly-escooter-incident/73445ba6-69f0-4954-8984-cc3109e3de30" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recounted to 9News</a>, "Apparently I passed out and they couldn't get a pulse or a heartbeat and I came around finally with someone screaming my name and telling me to wake up and also my son was so distressed."</p> <p>Jessie's son, Greg, expressed his confidence in his mother’s resilience. "She was born in Carlton - she won't admit that - but she was raised in Collingwood . . . So they build them a bit different when they're raised in Collingwood. Tougher than any of us."</p> <p>Despite her injuries, Jessie’s spirit remains unbroken. Dressed proudly in her Magpies jumper, she recently attended a training session where she was warmly welcomed and embraced by the players. </p> <p>The club’s support has been a balm for Jessie. "This is just amazing," she beamed. True to her unwavering dedication, she declared, "I'm going to the game on Saturday. That won't keep me away."</p> <p>In an inspiring gesture of goodwill, Jessie also plans to set aside traditional rivalries to visit Princes Park and thank the Blues fan who helped her. </p> <p>Meanwhile, police have alleged that the e-scooter rider intentionally knocked Jessie down. To that end, a 46-year-old man remains in custody, with his next court appearance scheduled for May 22.</p> <p><em>Images: Nine News | Seven News<br /></em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

“Such a cowardly thing”: Police hunt after e-scooter hit-and-run on 81-year-old woman

<p>Victoria Police have released an image of a man wanted in connection to an alleged attack on at 81-year-old outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground after an AFL game last Friday. </p> <p>Jessie Hatch, 81, was walking towards Jolimont Railway Station around 11pm when she was confronted by a man on an e-scooter, who told her to “move off the footpath”.</p> <p>Hatch then "explained that the footpath is not for vehicles and walked around him”, prompting the man to ride off, but he quickly turned around before allegedly hitting her from behind, causing her to fall to the ground and lose consciousness.</p> <p>According to Victoria Police, the rider allegedly did not stop to assist Hatch, and was unsuccessfully chased by a passerby.</p> <p>He was last seen heading west from the Swan Street Bridge.</p> <p>“She walked between 7-10m away and this guy’s doubled back and then smashed her from behind,” Jessie's son Ken told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/mans-words-to-elderly-collingwood-fan-jessie-hatch-before-allegedly-hitting-her-with-e-scooter-in-mcg-hit-and-run-c-14571902" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>7News</em></a>.</p> <p>“Apparently she stopped breathing for 20 seconds or so, that’s what we heard.”</p> <p>Jessie is still in hospital recovering with five stitches in her hand and undergoing more tests on her spine to see if there is permanent damage.</p> <p>“Such a cowardly thing, I don’t know what would have gone into his head to do that,” Jessie told <em>7News</em> from her hospital bed.</p> <p>“Why would somebody do that? He should be ashamed of himself.”</p> <p>Police are investigating the incident, with Ken calling on the alleged perpetrator to come forward.</p> <p>“You made a mistake, you did something wrong, come forward,” he added.</p> <p>The man allegedly involved in the incident was of average height and had fair skin and a stocky build, with straight blonde/brown hair and grey/blue eyes.</p> <div> </div> <p>He was wearing thick-lensed glasses and a red jacket made of a shiny, waterproof material.</p> <p>Jessie’s story quickly gained attention around the AFL world, and Collingwood legend Peter Daicos was among those to offer his support.</p> <p>“I wanted to reach out, I heard about the incident after the game,” he said.</p> <p>“I hope you’re feeling better and I’m really looking forward to hearing that you’re back at the Collingwood games.</p> <p>“All the best from not just myself, but the boys and importantly the Collingwood Football Club. All our love, get well soon.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News</em></p> <div class="hide-print ad-no-notice css-qyun7f-StyledAdUnitWrapper ezkyf1c0" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: #292a33; color: #292a33; font-family: HeyWow, Montserrat, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> </div>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

Aussie town welcomes first baby in 15 years

<p dir="ltr">A remote Australian town has welcomed its first baby in 15 years with the father just making the delivery after trekking a crazy 280km. </p> <p dir="ltr">Jessie Harvey rushed to Richmond Hospital in outback Queensland about 3am on April 30 when she started experiencing contractions. </p> <p dir="ltr">There were no midwives or births at Richmond Hospital and the doctor who had checked Jessie fainted soon after telling her she was 8cm dilated.</p> <p dir="ltr">The hospital called for help from the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and staff were relieved to have someone experienced on hand.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the only problem was Jessie’s partner Sam McGrath was 280km away working on a remote cattle station at East Creek, Woodstock when he received the surprising news. </p> <p dir="ltr">He immediately jumped into his ute and drove the hundreds of kilometres and shockingly made it in time for his son’s birth. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I had just taken a sip out of my coffee when I got the call. I grabbed my bag and chucked it on the ute then had to high-tail it into town,” he told Daily Mail Australia. </p> <p dir="ltr">RFDS doctor Shima Ghedia helped deliver baby Darby who was welcomed into the world with cheers after being the first baby born in 15 years in the remote town. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It was honestly amazing everyone was so stoked, so happy to see a child being born [at Richmond],” Sam said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was pretty well a cheering vibe, everyone was quite ecstatic.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

Placeholder Content Image

“Something hatched!" Mum’s disturbing backyard discovery

<p><span>A woman’s terrifying discovery in her yard has left a number of social media users baffled.</span></p> <p><span>The woman, believed to be from Australia, posted a video of a small black mound sitting on top of dirt to a Facebook group last week, as she asked members to help her figure out what it is.</span></p> <p><span>“Has anyone seen these before? Just appeared today in a few spots around the yard. It has been raining here overnight,” she said. </span></p> <p><span>In the footage, the woman touched the mound, causing what appears to be thousands of tiny alive bugs to move.</span></p> <p><span>They seem to go right back to where they were as she pulls her fingers back.</span></p> <p><span>Horrified users on Facebook jokingly told the mum to burn her house down or move away from the “alien eggs”.</span></p> <p><span>“I have never seen anything like that before!” one woman said.</span></p> <p><span>“It looks like kinetic sand,” another wrote. </span></p> <p><span>“Something hatched!” a third chimed in. </span></p> <p><span>But one person revealed that the bugs appear to be springtails, otherwise known as Anurida Maritima.</span></p> <p><span>“Springtails for sure! We have the same thing happen to us and know they come every year. Hate it lol,” someone responded to her. </span></p> <p><span>Springtails are a common occurrence in gardens, but they’re still relatively unknown due to their small size, according to the agricultural school of Texas A&amp;M University.</span></p> <p><span>“Springtails are common insects that live in leaf litter, compost piles and lawn soils, recycling dead plant material into nutrients to fertilise your lawn,” according to the school.</span></p> <p><span>“Only about a millimetre long, springtails are rarely seen, but given the right environmental conditions, they can multiply to become a nuisance.”</span></p> <p><span>They are not harmful and do not bite people, pets, spread disease or damage homes. </span></p>

Home & Garden

Placeholder Content Image

Don’t count your fish before they hatch: experts react to plans to release 2 million fish into the Murray Darling

<p>The New South Wales government <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/two-million-fish-to-be-released-into-murray-darling-system-20200608-p550gu.html">plans to release</a> two million native fish into rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin, in the largest breeding program of its kind in the state. But as the river system recovers from a string of mass fish deaths, caution is needed.</p> <p>Having suitable <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aquaculture/publications/species-freshwater/collecting-finfish-broodstock">breeding fish</a> does not always guarantee millions of healthy offspring for restocking. And even if millions of young fish are released into the wild, increased fish populations in the long term are not assured.</p> <p>For stocking to be successful, fish must be released into <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/Strategies-to-improve-post-release-survival-of-hatchery-reared-threatened-fish-species_0.pdf">good quality water, with suitable habitat and lots of food</a>. But these conditions have been quite rare in Murray Darling rivers over the past three years.</p> <p>We research the impact of human activity on fish and aquatic systems and have studied many Australian fish restocking programs. So let’s take a closer look at the NSW government’s plans.</p> <p><strong>Success stories</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/two-million-fish-to-be-released-into-murray-darling-system-20200608-p550gu.html">According to</a> the Sydney Morning Herald, the NSW restocking program involves releasing juvenile Murray cod, golden perch and silver perch into the Darling River downstream of Brewarrina, in northwestern NSW.</p> <p>Other areas including the Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Macquarie and Murray Rivers will reportedly also be restocked. These species and regions were among the hardest hit by recent fish kills.</p> <p>Fish restocking is <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233194500_Stocking_Trends_A_Quantitative_Review_of_Governmental_Fish_Stocking_in_the_United_States_1931_to_2004">used worldwide</a> to boost species after events such as fish kills, help threatened species recover, and increase populations of recreational fishing species.</p> <p>Since the 1970s in the Murray-Darling river system, <a href="https://www.bnbfishing.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Assessment-of-stocking-effectiveness-of-Murray-cod-and-golden-perch.pdf">millions of fish</a> have been bred in <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/science-and-research/centres/narrandera-fisheries-centre">government</a> and <a href="https://www.murraydarlingfisheries.com.au/">private</a> hatcheries in spring each year. Young fish, called fingerlings, are usually released in the following summer and autumn.</p> <p>There have been success stories. For example, the endangered <a href="https://www.fishfiles.com.au/media/fish-magazine/FISH-Vol-23-2/Back-from-the-brink">trout cod</a> was restocked into the Ovens and Murrumbidgee Rivers between <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235774467_Reintroduction_success_of_threatened_Australian_trout_cod_Maccullochella_macquariensis_based_on_growth_and_reproduction">1997 and 2006</a>. Prior to the restocking program, the species was locally extinct. It’s now re-established in the Murrumbidgee River and no longer requires stocking to maintain the population.</p> <p>In response to fish kills in 2010, the Edward-Wakool river system <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aec.12424">was restocked</a> to help fish recover when natural spawning was expected to be low. And the threatened Murray hardyhead is now increasing in numbers thanks <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/water/wetlands/publications/wetlands-australia/national-wetlands-update-february-2020/murray-hardyhead#:%7E:text=In%20November%202018%2C%20around%20800,fish%20to%20NSW%20river%20systems.">to a successful stocking program</a> in the Lower Darling.</p> <p>After recent fish kills in the Murray Darling, breeding fish known as “broodstock” were <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/worldtoday/mass-fish-rescue-gets-underway-in-darling-river/11492042">rescued from the river</a> and taken to government and private hatcheries. Eventually, it was expected the rescued fish and their offspring would restock the rivers.</p> <p><strong>Words of caution</strong></p> <p>Fish hatchery managers rarely count their fish before they hatch. It’s quite a challenge to ensure adult fish develop viable eggs that are then fertilised at high rates.</p> <p>Once hatched, larvae must be transported to ponds containing the right amount of plankton for food. The larvae must then avoid predatory birds, be kept free from disease, and grow at the right temperatures.</p> <p>When it comes to releasing the fish into the wild, careful decisions must be made about how many fish to release, where and when. Factors such as water temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen levels must be carefully assessed.</p> <p>Introducing hatchery-reared fish into the wild does <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848610004540?casa_token=NbFwq0hZLSgAAAAA:SntmSZkoWH387KKTDvXn-rHg-I6P0P0Q-OfgI6hvb6gp_Hxy82Y9AMIndcMYR3yarSkeFOY_cWE">not always deliver</a> dramatic improvements in fish numbers. Poor water quality, lack of food and <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/A-review-of-domestication-effects-on-stocked-fish-in-the-MDB.pdf">slow adaptation to the wild</a> can reduce survival rates.</p> <p>In some parts of the Murray-Darling, restocking <a href="https://researchers.cdu.edu.au/en/publications/contribution-of-stocked-fish-to-riverine-populations-of-golden-pe">is likely to</a> have slowed the decline in native fish numbers, although it has not stopped it altogether.</p> <p><strong>Address the root cause</strong></p> <p>Fish stocking decisions are sometimes motivated by economic reasons, such as boosting species sought by anglers who pay licence fees and support tourist industries. But stocking programs must also consider the underlying reasons for declining fish populations.</p> <p>Aside from poor water quality, fish in the Murray Darling are threatened by being sucked into irrigation systems, cold water pollution from dams, dams and weirs blocking migration paths and invasive fish species. These factors must be addressed alongside restocking.</p> <p>Fish should not be released into areas with unsuitable habitat or water quality. The Darling River fish kills were caused by <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/managing-water/drought-murray-darling-basin/fish-deaths-lower-darling/independent-assessment-fish">low oxygen levels</a>, associated with drought and water extraction. These conditions could rapidly return if we have another hot, dry summer.</p> <p>Stocking rivers with young fish is only one step. They must then grow to adults and successfully breed. So the restocking program must consider the entire fish life cycle, and be coupled with good <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-08-28/more-fish-kills-expected-as-nsw-government-announces-rescue-plan/11457826">river management</a>.</p> <p>The Murray Darling Basin Authority’s <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/Native%20Fish%20Emergency%20Response%20Plan%20-%20October%202019_0.pdf">Native Fish Recovery Strategy</a> includes management actions such as improving fish passage, delivering environmental flows, improving habitat, controlling invasive species and fish harvest restrictions. Funding the strategy’s implementation <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-good-plan-to-help-darling-river-fish-recover-exists-so-lets-get-on-with-it-110168">is a key next step</a>.</p> <p><strong>Looking ahead</strong></p> <p>After recent rains, parts of the Murray Darling river system are now flowing for the first time in years. But some locals say the flows are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-11/lower-darling-flows-hit-pooncarie-first-time-in-18-months/12137306">only a trickle</a> and more rain is urgently needed.</p> <p><a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/rainfall/median/weekly/0">Higher than average rainfall</a> is predicted between July and September. This will be needed for restocked fish to thrive. If the rain does not arrive, and other measures are not taken to improve the system’s health, then the restocking plans may be futile.</p> <p><em>Written by Lee Baumgartner, Jamin Forbes and Katie Doyle. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-count-your-fish-before-they-hatch-experts-react-to-plans-to-release-2-million-fish-into-the-murray-darling-140428">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

Cruising

Placeholder Content Image

“We’ve hatched the plan”: Kelsey Grammer excited about potential Frasier revival

<p>With what was arguably the most successful spin-off in television history, it’s safe to say that fans are thrilled with the news that Frasier Crane might be returning to the small screen.</p> <p>Frasier Crane, played by Kelsey Grammer, is entertaining the idea of returning to his iconic and neurotic character.</p> <p>"My hope is that we can bring it back," he said excitedly.</p> <p>"We're shopping for the right idea because I don’t think we should just pick up where we left off. Will and Grace has done a continuation, which is like the next day after they were last on the air–they picked up right where they left off. I don't think that's appropriate for <em>Frasier,</em>"<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a26835452/kelsey-grammer-frasier-crane-revival-pay-tribute-late-john-mahoney/" target="_blank"> he explained to </a><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a26835452/kelsey-grammer-frasier-crane-revival-pay-tribute-late-john-mahoney/" target="_blank">This Morning</a>.</em></p> <p>"He was leaving town at the end of the show previously, he was going to go and explore his life in Chicago with his new lady love. Whether that went badly or it went swimmingly, who knows, these are all themes we need to settle on and figure out what he's going to do next."</p> <p>This isn’t the first time that fans of the show have been teased with news, as Grammer said that he has approved a tentative story for the show. However, a network hasn’t been secured.</p> <p>“We’ve got it hatched. We’ve hatched the plan, what we think is the right way to go,” he said,<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/11/kelsey-grammer-says-frasier-reboot-will-happen-in-2020.html" target="_blank"> during an appearance on <em>In Depth With Graham Bensinger</em></a>.</p> <p>“We’re sort of on standby a little bit. Working out a couple of possible network deals that we’re circling. Frasier is sort of in a second position to that at this point. So there’s still stuff going on. But a revisit to Frasier, Frasier’s world is I think definitely going to come.”</p> <p>While official details are slim at this point, Grammer has admitted that he wants a full cast reunion if possible.</p> <p>"We would need to deal with [Mahoney's passing] within the storytelling, but I'd want everybody back, if they want to come back," <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a26812750/fraser-reboot-kelsey-grammer/" target="_blank">he said</a>.</p> <p>This would mean his brother Niles, played by David Hyde Pierce, would be returning to the show.</p> <p>Grammer has also confirmed that Frasier has moved on from his role on the radio.</p> <p>"He’s passed the radio show. He might be an art dealer he might be a professor. We don’t know yet," <a rel="noopener" href="https://ew.com/tv/2019/02/12/frasier-revival-kelsey-grammer-james-corden/" target="_blank">Grammer told James Corden during an appearance on the <em>Late, Late Show.</em></a></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Batten down the hatches: Ferocious winds set to batter Australia

<p>With ferocious winds “thousands of kilometres long” set to hit southeast Australia for the next 24 hours, make sure you’re prepared for 100km’h winds and waves of up to 15 metres high.</p> <p>Severe weather warnings are in place for large parts of Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales, including areas that are close to Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart and Geelong.</p> <p>There are flood warnings that are out for parts of Victoria and Tasmania.</p> <p>Cape Grim on Tasmania’s west coast has already recorded winds of up to 95km/h and Essendon Airport in Melbourne’s north recorded a blast of 57km/h.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">⚠️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Warning?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Warning</a> current for damaging <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/winds?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#winds</a> across the southeast including <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Illawarra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Illawarra</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SouthernTablelands?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SouthernTablelands</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SnowyMountains?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SnowyMountains</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SouthCoast?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SouthCoast</a>. Windy conditions likely to persist until later Thursday. Check the latest at <a href="https://t.co/Z11hCDKat1">https://t.co/Z11hCDKat1</a> <a href="https://t.co/SUtLd5w9V8">pic.twitter.com/SUtLd5w9V8</a></p> — Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) <a href="https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1163940830014529536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">20 August 2019</a></blockquote> <p>“Gale force winds will continue to last for the next 48 hours as a pair of cold fronts whip across southeast Australia” said <strong><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.skyweather.com.au/" target="_blank" title="www.skyweather.com.au">Sky News Weather channel </a></strong>senior meteorologist Tom Saunders today to<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/band-of-gales-thousands-of-kilometres-long-to-batter-southeast-australia/news-story/a34e8c6e4cc71960fa0b74a769b63575" target="_blank">news.com.au.</a></em></p> <p>“There’s a long stretch of gales extending thousands of kilometres, and as a result, we’ll see massive waves along the NSW coastline averaging eight metres with maximums waves of 15 metres on Thursday and Friday,” said Mr Saunders.</p> <p>The cold fronts are set to bring wind but not much rain. Some heavy rainfall is forecasted for Tasmania, but light showers are set to hit Melbourne and no rain is forecasted for Sydney.</p> <p>Melbourne is set to reach a high of just 13 degrees on Thursday and a low of 5 degrees at night heading into Friday morning.</p> <p>Sydney’s average temperature will reach 20 degrees but will possibly be windy. Lows are looking to dip to 8 degrees.</p> <p>Perth is hitting a solid 25 degrees on Thursday, but heavy rain is set to sweep through overnight and into Friday.</p> <p>Darwin misses out on the bad weather entirely, as it will be sunny with a high of 32 degrees over the next few days.</p> <p>Canberra, however, is set to prepare for a freezing minimum of -5 degrees on Friday morning.</p> <p>Hobart is looking at a high of 11 degrees on Thursday but bracing itself for a low of 2 to 4 degrees over the next few nights.</p> <p>Adelaide is set to be cloudy with highs in the mid to high teens.</p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

This hatching baby brown snake is cute as a button

<p>Staff from Snake Catchers Adelaide have captured incredible footage which shows the exact moment a baby eastern brown snake hatches from its egg.</p> <p>Found in most part of Australia, eastern brown snakes are a member of the cobra family, and while this little guy might grow up to be something we’d never want to see on a bushwalk, for the moment at least he’s cute as pie.</p> <p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SnakeCatchersAdelaide/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Snake Catchers Adelaide</strong></span></a> posted the video on Facebook on Monday with the caption, “Our first lot of eastern brown snake eggs are starting to hatch after 10 weeks. They have what you call an egg tooth that they scratch through the surface of the egg which then comes off when they shed their first skin.”</p> <p>Have you ever come across an eastern brown snake?</p> <p><em>Video credit: Snake Catchers Adelaide via Storyful</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2017/01/croc-surprises-aussie-town-on-nye/"><em>Croc gives Aussie town a wild New Year’s Eve surprise</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/12/snake-swallows-a-wallaby-on-australian-golf-course/"><em>Snake swallows a wallaby on Australian golf course</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/12/snake-found-lurking-in-toilet-bowl/"><em>Snake found lurking in toilet bowl</em></a></strong></span></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Baby ‘dragons’ hatch inside cave in Slovenia

<p>It sounds like something straight out of a fantasy novel, but a baby dragon has been born in a prehistoric cave in Slovenia.</p> <p>The creature was one of 23 developed eggs laid by a species called the blind salamander, once believed to be related to the legendary scaled beasts. Technically known as ‘olms’, these pale and completely blind creatures live up to the age of 100 and only reproduce every five to 10 years.</p> <p>The eggs first appeared about six months ago in Postojna Cave in Slovenia, and their hatching was live streamed around the world online thanks to an infrared camera.</p> <p><img width="499" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/21748/dragon_499x280.jpg" alt="Dragon"/></p> <p>Saso Weldt, who studies the olms at the cave, says he and his team only realised the eggs were hatching after noticing one was missing. “I was in the cave doing some other biological work,” he told <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36418545" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">BBC News</span></strong></a>. “Since we have all the eggs on an IR camera, we saw that one was missing. Then you rewind and suddenly you realise, something has happened.”</p> <p>“In the cave, in nature, they hatch all the time - but nobody here has ever seen a hatchling younger than about two years,” Weldt adds.</p> <p>It is hoped that all 23 hatchlings will grow into adults, but given that the species is so rare, the cave staff cannot be sure. “Although they may not breathe fire, this will be the right time for the fireworks!” they told <a href="http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/first-baby-dragon-hatches-inside-its-ancient-slovenian-cave/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">IFLScience</span></strong></a>.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/06/giant-panda-cub-born-in-belgian-zoo/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Giant panda cub born in Belgian zoo</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/05/bearded-dragon-and-cat-are-unlikely-best-mates/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Bearded dragon and cat are unlikely best mates</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/05/photos-of-the-tiny-tortoise-hatched-at-bristol-zoo/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Photos capture the moment a tiny tortoise hatches</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

Our Partners