World's fattest parrot on brink of extinction
The charming and amusing kakapo parrot, a native of New Zealand, earned itself a worldwide fanbase with its amorous behaviour towards a BBC cameraman a few years back.
Sadly, it is in real danger of dying out. There are just 142 adult kakapo parrots left, and a serious respiratory disease called aspergillosis has seen a number of them die in the last few months — including a recently-born chick at Auckland Zoo. About a fifth of the population are currently being treated.
One of the great joys of Spring, in 29 seconds
The weather outside is frightful, but those great tits are so delightful.
Those pesky leaves on the track have been defeated at last
A train full of people weighs approximately 2,000 tonnes. A leaf weighs 5g. You'd think a meeting between the two would be a complete mismatch.
Yet somehow 'leaves on the track' is still one of the most common causes of rail delays in Britain. Help is here at long last, however, with The Times reporting a very 21st century solution: a camera linked to a computer that can spot leaves before they fall.
'The footage is fed into the AI system, which is able to predict where problems will emerge, including trees about to fall, branches hitting train windows and trees about to shed their leaves. Network Rail will then be able to tackle the vegetation before it delays trains.'
You read that right. They've still not figured out how the 2,000 tonne super heavyweight can beat the 5g bantamweight, but at least they've discovered how to stop the bantamweight getting into the ring in the first place.
Full story (The Times - subscription required)
Stat of the Day
59,000,000
The amount of carbon dioxide, in tonnes, emitted on an annual basis by the US military. That doesn't just sound like a lot; it IS a lot — more than the entire CO2 emissions of Portugal.
Increasingly chunky passengers force Britain's steepest cliff railway to reinforce its suspension
As it approaches its 120th birthday, the 200ft-long Bridgnorth Funicular Railway is being reinforced in order to cope with the increased average weight of the passengers. 'We are faced with people having become larger and heavier,' said the brilliantly-named Malvern Tipping, director of what is the nation's shortest and steepest railway.
Good news for snail lovers — and Chester Zoo
As a counterpoint to the kakapo story above, here's a a good news story proving that all is far from lost when people rally around to help endangered species. The Greater Bermudan Land Snail, which until recently had been thought extinct for decades, is thriving.
The creature had been thought to have disappeared in the early 1970s, but a small colony were found in 2014 in an alleway behind a restaurant. Several were taken to Chester Zoo for a breeding programme, and now 4,000 have been released back onto the island.
It's more good news for the zoo just a few days after they happily confirmed that their baby elephant has shurgged off a nasty virus.
And finally... Positive thinker of the Day
'The way I see it, if you want the rainbow you've got to put up with the rain.'
– Dolly Parton, who we can't help thinking probably hasn't spent many summers in Britain
Country Life Today: Britain's most popular dog, how birdfeeders changed Britain and getting arrested for pebble-picking
The Kennel Club have released their latest stats on dog registration; the RHS are warning about a potential new garden
Country Life Today: Has the Loch Ness monster given the game away by urinating in the water?
We take a look at the latest evidence that something extraordinary lurks in Loch Ness, breathe a sigh of relief
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Dawn Chorus: A Blue Plaque for Marc Bolan, holidaying in the Caribbean with Francis Ford Coppola and a history of the National Gallery in 25 picturesPlus the best of the property pages, and how the railways will save the countryside.
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Game, set, match: 12 of the world’s most beautiful tennis courtsFrom Italy to Indonesia, when it comes to hotel amenities, a picturesque tennis court will always trump a 24-hour gym. So, before you book your next holiday, take a look at our pick of the 12 best.
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The brilliant tractor tribute to the NHS from a group of Warwickshire farmersPeople around Britain have been paying tribute to the efforts of our NHS workers at the time of the coronavirus pandemic — but few have been as creative and clever as this one.
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London's iconic red bus at risk and 6,000 year old chewing gum gives clues into our DNA historyCuts to industry subsidies and an increase in fares has left bus use at its lowest point ever, while DNA extracted from ancient 'chewing gum' allows scientists to decipher the genetic code of a Stone Age woman.
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90-million-year-old 'swimming dinosaur' skeleton found by dogs out walking in Somerset, and the nonchalant moths who don't bother fleeing enemiesA superbly intact dinosaur skeleton — described as being 'museum quality' — has been discovered on a beach in Somerset.
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Battle to ban 4x4s from the idyllic Lake District spot bequeathed by Beatrix Potter, eagle fights octopus and the 'snail's pace' climate talksThis morning we look at Little Langdale's fight for peace, reflect on the climate change talks in Madrid and discover the soundtrack for Brexit.
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Country Life Today: How Greta Thunberg shifted the dial on climate change — and the backlash shows just how muchThis morning we ponder whether Greta Thunberg is the Joan of Arc for the environmental movement, look at a key election — one from 19 years ago — and ponder the marvel of 'dad tidying'.
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Country Life Today: Great news for those who love our great country pubs — the years of decline are overThere is a great sign of health in the pub industry, we look back at Edward VIII's abdication message and fret about Greenland's melting ice.
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Country Life Today: Spain accused of being 'a deplorable choice' for UN climate conferenceA no-holds-barred assault on the Spanish fishing industry, Banksy raising awareness of the homeless and the woes of the Christmas jumper are in today's news round-up.
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Country Life Today: 'This is perhaps the ultimate wake-up call from the uncontrolled experiment humanity is unleashing on the world’s oceans'In today's round up, we examine why oxygen loss is putting oceans at risk, discover that action to cut air pollution brings almost immediate benefits to human health and find out which bird's arrival marks the start of winter in Gloucestershire.
