Planetsave

A man lost control of his car and caused mayhem in a Connecticut street, after two snakes escaped from his pants.

Angel Rolon told police that he lost control of his sports utility vehicle after the baby reptiles distracted him by slithering over the throttle and brake pedals. Eyewitnesses then report seeing the 20-year-old’s vehicle swerving as he made a desperate bid to catch the creatures.

Alas, his efforts were to no avail, and the SUV crashed into some nearby parked cars before overturning in a street in Hartford, Connecticut.

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Dunham the bottlenose dolphin was attacked by sharks and euthanized this Tuesday just 3 hours after being released from Florida’s Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Experts nearby monitoring the dolphin said he was attacked by at least two different sharks, and that the wounds were life-threatening. They euthanized him immediately upon arriving at the scene.

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 The beautiful parrotfish (family Scaridae) performs many roles in coral reef ecosystems. With their large teeth they munch algae off the coral so that it stays healthy and alive. Parrotfish are constantly eating and digesting bits of coral whole, and excreting sand that helps create beaches. Since parrotfish spend all day searching the reef for food to eat and then turning it to sand, they actually produce up to 2,200 pounds (1 metric ton) of sand per year. 

Ocean Conservancy tells us that in “reefs, parrotfish play a critical role as grazers keeping algae in check. Without grazers, algae out-compete the coral until they weaken or even die.” Actively protecting the gorgeous parrotfish from overfishing is the most important way to make sure that reefs are healthy, resilient, and bountiful. 

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I can’t believe I’m writing an article about Justin Timberlake. On Saturday, the 27-year-old actor and singer opened the first LEED Platinum certified golf course in the United States.

The multi-talented Timberlake’s latest business venture, Mirimichi Lakes golf club in North Shelby County, Tennessee, opened Saturday after Timberlake christened the course with a 291-yard drive crushed down the middle of the fairway, after which, the singer and actor grinned and said, “nobody’s happier about this course.” Read the rest of this entry »

A 150 lb feral pig has emerged as an unlikely hero after evading capture by the authorities in Florida for an incredible five months.

The pig, dubbed ‘Wilbur’ or the ‘freedom pig’ by supporters, has survived being shot with tranquiliser darts and a taser stun gun since first appearing in a park in the Cove neighbourhood of Panama City.

Last week, Mary Sittman a follower on the “Pig of the Cove” Facebook group launched to chronicle the pig’s adventures asked, “Is the pig a symbol of our desire to live free of government controls?”

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A New Zealand woman was rescued freezing and exhausted from the sea yesterday after a playful dolphin prevented her return to shore.

Eyewitnesses at the town of Mahia noticed the woman was at sea with the dolphin, known locally as Moko, for some time late yesterday afternoon, before she began screaming for help.

Speaking about the incident, Juanita Symes the manager of a local bar said, “My uncle Ian was down at the beach getting some salt water and he heard her screaming. He came running into the restaurant and said to me ‘there’s a girl stuck on the buoy and Moko won’t let her come back in.”

“At first I thought he was joking. Then another guy ran in from the beach and said we needed to get help.”

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Most of us know the sad and destructive history of former widespread pesticide DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane for you chemists). It’s egg shell thining properties have famously taken out many a generation of bald eagle, as well as many other bird species. The once heralded solution to malaria, DDT was sprayed everywhere without a thought. This attitude of pesticide being “a-ok” lasted into the 1980’s, and lead to this most hilarious and sad poster (seen above) of two attractive young ladies having a pesticide fight. Try suggesting that one these days as a fun game for the whole family.

When environmental and health concerns were raised in the scientific community, an out cry called for the banning of DDT, and in 1972 the ban went into effect. Unfortunately for all of us, the half life of DDT is 30 years. So for those of us scoring at home, there is still almost half the DDT left floating around in our environment that was sprayed the year of the ban… 37 years ago!

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A new study finds that there is a 50-50 chance all of the Colorado River reservoirs — in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona — will run completely dry by the year 2057 if currents trends and practices continue.
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Conservationists are delighted at news that Lonesome George, the last remaining giant tortoise of his kind, may soon become a father … at the age of 90.

Last Tuesday, amazed keepers discovered a clutch of unhatched eggs in his “bachelor” pen in the Galapagos Islands.

No wonder they were amazed - a team of scientists have been doggedly coaxing the sullen creature to mate since 1993, when they introduced two female tortoises of a different subspecies into his pen. Until now, George, the last known Pinta Island tortoise had shown little interest in his companions. But at age 90, George, now said to be in his sexual prime, was finally spurred into action.

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Most of us think that we can do pretty much whatever we want with our property. If we own land, we can build a house, right? Well, that’s what Jack Barron of Bonner County, Idaho thought, too. However, the EPA says otherwise.

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