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First look at All Creatures Great and Small remake

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The countryside drama </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">All Creatures Great and Small</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is returning for a second season, after the first season of the beloved BBC series was newly remade last year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the new adaptation’s first season bringing in five million viewers, the second season is expected to be as much of a success.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Based loosely on a series of books written by veterinary surgeon Alf Wright, under the pen name James Herriot, the second season is expected to pick up right where season one ended.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After Helen (played by Rachel Shenton) calls off her relationship with Hugh (played by Matthew Lewis) in season one, the second instalment is expected to start with Helen coming to terms with her decision and considers her feelings for James, who himself has to decide between duty and love.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843721/234789410_875048113117466_8158000647066268757_n.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/76f79034577b492c9117a018ff4329e5" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Channel 5 / Instagram</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As Helen and James navigate their feelings for one another, Siegfried, Tristan, and Mrs Hall are also forced to consider the places in the world,” writes </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> magazine, “while James must ultimately decide between duty and love.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like many shows filmed over the last two years, the creators of </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">All Creatures Great and Small</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> had to adapt their filming schedule around the COVID-19 pandemic.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, <em>The Daily Mail</em> has reported that production of the series started in early 2021, with filming wrapping up in Yorkshire a few months ago.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">One of our beautiful period motorcars, behind the scenes on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ACGAS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ACGAS</a> Series 2! <a href="https://t.co/XfYlABqApu">pic.twitter.com/XfYlABqApu</a></p> — All Creatures Great and Small (@AllCreaturesTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/AllCreaturesTV/status/1426868786045628419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As for the cast, it remains the same from season one, with Nicholas Ralph returning as leading man James Herriot, along with Samuel West as Siegfried Farnon, and Rachel Shenton as Helen Alderson.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The only change is the addition of Patricia Hodge, star of </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Miranda</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Very British Scandal</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, playing Mrs Pumphrey, replacing Diana Rigg.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rigg played Mrs Pumphrey throughout season one, but passed away from cancer in September last year.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843722/235835266_228981639134027_4669993659719690094_n.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/68307d53884f4caabd46c34ae0217d5d" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">A first look at Hodge as Mrs Pumphrey in series two.</span></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Channel 5 / Instagram</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the remake comes 30 years after the original series ended, executive producer Colin Callender said it was something people needed to see once again.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Even before COVID, I felt the audience wanted the sort of show that you could watch and revel in and not be beaten by,” he told </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Deadline</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There was something about </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">All Creatures Great and Small</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> with its themes of community and family, harking back to a kinder, gentler world, compared to the divided, complex, and rather brutal one that we’re now living in.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Watch the first trailer here.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Channel 5 / Instagram</span></em></p>

TV

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Surprised mum discovers "weird" creature in home

<p>An Aussie mum was left very confused after spotting a bizarre "creature" in her home.</p> <p>She posted on the popular Facebook page Mums Who Clean, asking for help identifying the creature.</p> <p>“Does anyone know what this weird-looking creature is please?” she wrote on the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/mumswhoclean" target="_blank">Mums Who Clean</a><span> </span>page.</p> <p>Many thought it was a stingray.</p> <p>“Not gonna lie, I thought it was a mini stingray at first glance!” said one.</p> <p>Added another: “Go home stingray, you’re drunk!”</p> <p>Luckily, a pest controller on the page provided info as to what it is.</p> <p>“Pest controller here!” said one.</p> <p>“It looks weird, I’ll admit! But it’s nothing concerning, simply the dropped tail from a broad-tailed gecko (Phyllurus platurus).</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838939/gecko-body.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3bde4f6931ac4e8788ced0b2e895b2f1" /></p> <p>“They throw the tail off to act as a decoy when threatened.”</p> <p>Many were surprised after learning the truth.</p> <p>“Well you learn something new every day,” said one. “I’m Australian, and in 45 years I have never seen a gecko that looks like that and thank God, because I would literally **** my pants!”</p> <p>Wrote another: “I would be more worried that the tail has been dropped, because where the hell is the gecko?</p> <p>“Just move houses, it’s safest that way!”</p> <p><em>Photo credits:<span> </span></em><a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/baffled-aussie-mum-asks-internet-for-help-after-discovering-weird-creature-in-home-c-1648095" target="_blank"><em>7news</em></a></p>

Home & Garden

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Don’t like spiders? Here are 5 reasons to change your mind

<p>Australia is famous for its supposedly scary spiders. While the sight of a spider may cause some people to shudder, they are a vital part of nature. Hostile reactions are harming conservation efforts – especially when people kill spiders unnecessarily.</p> <p>Populations of many invertebrate species, including <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297742805_Quality_not_quantity_Conserving_species_of_low_mobility_and_dispersal_capacity_in_south-western_Australian_urban_remnants">certain spiders</a>, are highly vulnerable. Some species have become extinct due to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07916-1">habitat loss and degradation</a>.</p> <p>In dramatic efforts to avoid or kill a spider, people have reportedly <a href="https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/4448093/huntsman-spider-sparks-four-car-crash/">crashed their cars,</a> <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/man-tries-to-kill-wolf-spider-with-a-blowtorch-but-sets-apartment-on-fire/news-story/13ba250e2d8a58658b6c2960d69bd815">set a house on fire</a>, and even caused such a commotion that <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-03/wa-police-called-out-for-man-trying-to-kill-spider/10683454">police showed up</a>.</p> <p>A pathological fear of spiders, known as arachnophobia, is of course, a legitimate condition. But in reality, we have little to fear. Read on to find out why you should love, not loathe, our eight-legged arachnid friends.</p> <p><strong>1. Spiders haven’t killed anyone in Australia for 40 years</strong></p> <p>The last confirmed fatal spider bite in Australia <a href="https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/spiders/spider-facts/">occurred in 1979</a>.</p> <p>Only a few species have venom that can kill humans: some mouse spiders (<em>Missulena</em> species), Sydney Funnel-webs (<em>Atrax</em>species) and some of their close relatives. <a href="https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/spiders/spider-facts/">Antivenom</a> for redbacks (<em>Latrodectus hasseltii</em>) was introduced in 1956, and for funnel-webs in 1980. However, redback venom is <a href="https://www1.health.nsw.gov.au/pds/pages/doc.aspx?dn=GL2014_005">no longer considered life-threatening</a>.</p> <p><strong>2. Spiders save us from the world’s deadliest animal</strong></p> <p>Spiders mostly eat insects, which helps control their populations. Their webs – especially big, intricate ones like our orb weavers’ – are particularly adept at catching small flying insects such as mosquitos. Worldwide, mosquito-borne viruses <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-animals-that-kill-most-humans.html">kill more humans</a> than any other animal.</p> <p><strong>3. They can live to an impressive age</strong></p> <p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1071/PC18015">world’s oldest recorded spider</a> was a 43- year-old female trapdoor spider (<em>Gaius villosus</em>) that lived near Perth, Western Australia. Tragically a wasp sting, not old age, killed her.</p> <p><strong>4. Spider silk is amazing</strong></p> <p>Spider silk is the <a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-what-are-spider-webs-made-from-and-how-strong-are-they-91824">strongest</a>, most flexible natural biomaterial known to man. It has historically been used to make bandages, and UK researchers have worked out how to load silk bandages with <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/adma.201604245">antibiotics</a>. Webs of the golden orb spider, common throughout Australia, are <a href="https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/spiders/golden-orb-weaving-spiders/">strong enough to catch bats and birds</a>, and a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2012/jan/23/golden-silk-cape-spiders-in-pictures">cloak was once woven</a> entirely from their silk.</p> <p><strong>5. Their venom could save our life</strong></p> <p>The University of Queensland is using spider venom <a href="https://imb.uq.edu.au/article/2017/07/taking-bite-out-chronic-pain-new-spider-venom-treatment">to develop</a>non-addictive pain-killers. The venom rapidly immobilises prey by targeting its nervous system – an ability that can act as a painkiller in humans.</p> <p>The venom from a Fraser Island funnel web contains a molecule that <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-02/funnel-web-spider-venom-could-help-protect-brain-stroke-damage/10959032">delays the effects of stroke on the brain</a>. Researchers are investigating whether it could be administered by paramedics to protect a stroke victim on the way to hospital.</p> <p>Funnel-web venom is also being used to create <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/technology/funnel-web-venom-the-bees-knees-of-natural-pesticides-20160516-govvss.html">targeted pesticides</a> which are harmless to birds and mammals.</p> <p><em>Written by Leanda Denise Mason. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-like-spiders-here-are-10-reasons-to-change-your-mind-126433">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

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QLD’s Sunshine Coast under attack by mysterious creature

<p>The Sunshine Coast in Queensland is under attack… by caterpillars, according to photos on social media.</p> <p>Photos posted on social media show a long procession of caterpillars crawling around Noosaville.</p> <p><img width="376" height="501" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/03/22/13/4A6F0F4E00000578-5531417-Processionary_caterpillars_which_turn_into_the_bag_shelter_moth_-a-17_1521725491589.jpg" alt="Processionary caterpillars, which turn into the bag-shelter moth, can be extreme harmful to wildlife. For instance, they can cause miscarriages in mares" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-e3e6d7c411839e57"/><br /> Scientific Pest Management owner Brett Johnstone told the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/killer-caterpillar-invasion-hits-coast/3368175/" target="_blank">Sunshine Coast Daily</a></strong></span> based on the images he couldn't confirm the species of the insect but believed if these bugs were processionary caterpillars that “wet weather coupled with the heat and humidity may have sent them through another life cycle and drawn them out earlier”. </p> <p>Processionary caterpillars, which turn into the bag-shelter moth, can be harmful to wildlife.</p> <p>The toxins on their hairs are poisonous to dogs and even humans can experience skin irritations when coming in contact with these caterpillars.</p>

Home & Garden

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Man narrowly avoids running over mysterious creature crossing the road

<p>Matt Anderson, a video blogger, was driving in Brisbane recently when he almost ran over a mysterious-looking creature.</p> <p><img id="i-514ba734aef3ff73" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/11/01/10/45E4E5D900000578-5038533-image-m-53_1509531381385.jpg" alt="A video blogger has stumbled across a line of over 150 insects crossing the road together" width="398" height="262" /></p> <p>On closer inspection, he realised it was a line of over 150 insects crossing the road together.</p> <p>“Only in Australia have I seen something this crazy and makes you realise how amazing nature can be,” Matt said.</p> <p>“A line of worm insects over 150 crossing the road in a line!</p> <p>“This could be straight from the animal planet of a David Attenborough documentary.”</p> <p><img id="i-3bcc5dd8da4646f1" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/11/01/10/45E4E5DD00000578-0-image-m-41_1509531053333.jpg" alt="Mr Anderson took his phone out and filmed the insects crossing the line in a Congo line" width="452" height="309" /></p> <p>The insects look like caterpillars crossing the road in seemingly conga line fashion.</p> <p>“Maybe it's because of a defence to larger pray and replicating a snake or perhaps they find it easier to cross large distance together in unison,” muses Matt.</p> <p>“I am so happy to have experienced this line of worms. Just wow.” </p>

Domestic Travel

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Melbourne teen has legs ‘eaten’ by mysterious sea creatures

<p>Sam Kanizay, a 16-year-old from Melbourne, has been rushed to hospital after going for a dip in the beach and walking out to find his legs covered in blood.</p> <p>Sam’s legs were reportedly sore after football on Saturday so he decided to soak them in the water at Dendy Street Beach in Brighton. When he walked out he was covered in what his family said were tiny marine creatures.</p> <p>“When he got out, he described having sand on his legs, so he went back in the water,” his dad Jarrod Kanizay told AAP.</p> <p>“He went back to his shoes and what he found was blood on his legs. “They ate through Sam’s skin and made it bleed profusely,” he said.</p> <p><img width="500" height="555" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/40701/sam-in-text_500x555.jpg" alt="Sam In Text"/></p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter / 3AW</em></p> <p>When Mr Kanizay couldn’t stop the bleeding they went to hospital, where staff were at a loss to figure out just exactly what had happened to the teenager. </p> <p>“As soon as we wiped them (his legs) down, they kept bleeding,” he said.</p> <p>“There was a massive pool of blood on the floor (at the hospital).</p> <p>“No one knows what the creatures are. They’ve called a number of people, whether it’s toxicity experts or marine exerts and other medics around Melbourne at least ... (and) yep, no one (knows).”</p> <p>Our thoughts are with Sam. We hope he’s on the mend soon.</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Twitter / SMH</em></p>

Cruising

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10 incredible photographs of deep sea creatures

<p>If you ever venture to the depths of the ocean you’ll find a range of bizarre, almost alien-like creatures that are equal parts captivating and terrifying.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see some of these creatures.</p> <p>And while we’re happy sticking to the shallows for the time being, countless explorers have ventured to the depths to capture fascinating images of these ocean creatures.</p> <p>From see-through sea cucumber to light-studded angler fish, comb jellyfish, giant isopods and bloated blowfish, these creatures will capture your imagination.</p> <p>Some of these incredible creatures live up to two kilometres beneath the ocean’s surface, withstanding more than 150 atmospheres. That’s a pressure that’s equivalent to 150 times that experienced when you’re at sea level.</p> <p>To see all the amazing sea life, scroll through the gallery above. Which creature do you find the most fascinating (or by the same token, most terrifying)?</p> <p>Share your thoughts in the comments.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Imgur / uHaa9</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/domestic-travel/2016/06/10-lesser-known-new-zealand-holiday-spots/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>10 lesser-known New Zealand holiday spots</strong></span></em></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/06/japan-beach-illuminated-by-mysterious-natural-phenomenon/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>Japan beach illuminated by mysterious natural phenomenon</em></strong></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/06/10-breathtaking-photos-celebrate-the-beauty-of-britain/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 breathtaking photos celebrate the beauty of Britain</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

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99-year-old woman wakes up to find raccoon-like creature sleeping on her chest

<p>We’ve heard of wake up calls, but this is something else entirely.</p> <p>A 99-year-old woman in the US has woken to the disturbing sight of a kinkajou sleeping peacefully on her chest. The big, furry racoon-like creature is traditionally found in rainforest in South America.</p> <p>The woman was startled (quite understandably) when she noticed the creature sleeping on her chest, which jumped out of bed and fled to the attic when she woke up.</p> <p>The woman’s friend Cathy Moghari was able to lure the animal out of the attic and take it to a veterinarian. Ms Moghari said, "I start thinking, 'How are we going to get this animal out?' So I googled kinkajou sounds and found a video. And I was holding it up to the ceiling, and we hear a rumbling. And, sure enough, it came out to the opening that we had in the ceiling."</p> <p>With the animal now safe it seems as though all’s well that ends well, but there may be a couple of sleepless nights for the 99-year-old woman in the coming weeks.  </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/02/cat-shows-dog-how-to-escape/"><strong>Hero cat shows anxious dog how to escape</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/01/petition-to-put-fred-hollows-on-5-dollar-note/"><strong>Petition to put Fred Hollows on $5 note gains support from high profile Aussies</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/01/can-you-find-the-6-words-hidden-in-this-picture/"><strong>Can you find the 6 words hidden in this picture?</strong></a></em></span></p>

News

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Photographer captures photos of cutest underwater creature ever

<p>On a scuba diving trip in Bali, one lucky amateur photographer discovered an underwater creature that’s almost too cute to be real.</p> <p>The bovine-esque sea slug has bright green tentacle-like obtrusions on its back, tipped pink and tiny black eyes. Combined with its black “horns” and pink would-be nostrils, this cute slug resembles Ermintrude, a fictional cow in children’s television show, Magical Roundabout.</p> <p><img width="498" height="330" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/8070/2b39201f00000578-0-image-m-6_1439146565184_498x330.jpg" alt="2B39201F00000578-0-image -m -6_1439146565184" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><strong><img width="499" height="354" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/8071/2b39203f00000578-0-image-m-3_1439146548752_499x354.jpg" alt="2B39203F00000578-0-image -m -3_1439146548752" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></strong></p> <p><strong><img width="500" height="333" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/8072/2b391f8400000578-0-image-m-12_1439146606101_500x333.jpg" alt="2B391F8400000578-0-image -m -12_1439146606101" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></strong></p> <p><strong><img width="500" height="343" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/8073/2b391fda00000578-0-image-m-9_1439146584882_500x343.jpg" alt="2B391FDA00000578-0-image -m -9_1439146584882" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></strong></p> <p><strong><img width="500" height="330" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/8074/2b391f6a00000578-0-image-m-15_1439146625352_500x330.jpg" alt="2B391F6A00000578-0-image -m -15_1439146625352" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></strong></p> <p><strong><img width="500" height="319" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/8075/2b391f2000000578-0-image-m-18_1439146641482_500x319.jpg" alt="2B391F2000000578-0-image -m -18_1439146641482" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></strong></p> <p><strong><img width="496" height="270" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/8076/005850b400000258-3191501-image-a-38_1439150156480_496x270.jpg" alt="005850B400000258-3191501-image -a -38_1439150156480" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></strong></p> <p><em>Ermintrude </em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/08/stop-batter-splatter/">The easy trick to stop making a mess when making a cake</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/08/dog-does-housework/">Watch this dog doing the housework</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/08/aphrodisiac-study/">Scientists discover which “aphrodisiacs" actually work</a></span></em></strong></p>

News

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Scientists say sea creatures are getting bigger

<p>According to new research, marine animals are getting bigger.&nbsp;The study reported this week in Science that measured 17,208 animals, most of which were recorded in a 50-volume Treatise on Invertebrate Palaeontology.</p><p>Researchers say the study shows that in many cases – for body size at least, evolution can be predicted. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In one of the most comprehensive studies of body size evolution ever conducted, Stanford scientists have found fresh support for Cope’s rule, a theory that states that animal lineages tend to evolve toward larger sizes over time.</p><p>“We've known for some time now that the largest organisms alive today are larger than the largest organisms that were alive when life originated or even when animals first evolved,” said Jonathan Payne, a paleobiologist at Stanford.&nbsp;</p><p>The study, published in the February 20 issue of the journal Science, reveals that over the past 542 million years, the mean size of marine animals has increased 150-fold</p><p>“That's the size difference between a sea urchin that is about two inches long versus one that is nearly a foot long,” said Noel Heim, a postdoctoral researcher in Payne's lab. “This may not seem like a lot, but it represents a big jump.”&nbsp;</p><p>The research also found that the increase in body size that has occurred since animals first appeared in the fossil record around 550 million years ago is not due to all animal lineages steadily growing bigger, but rather to the diversification of groups of organisms that were already larger than other groups early in the history of animal evolution.</p><p><strong>Related links:&nbsp;</strong><em><br></em></p><p><a href="/news/news/2015/02/orcas-rubbing-stones/" target="_blank"><em><strong>Amazing footage of orcas rubbing their bellies on stones in shallow water</strong></em></a></p><p><a href="/news/news/2015/02/ninja-cats/" target="_blank"><em><strong>Ninja cats show off their skills</strong></em></a></p><p><a href="/news/news/2015/02/worlds-cutest-animal/" target="_blank"><em><strong>Is this the world’s cutest animal?</strong></em></a></p>

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