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"We love each other": Mayor marries reptile in stunning ceremony

<p dir="ltr">Love comes when you least expect it and for one mayor in the small town of San Pedro Huamelula, Mexico, his match caiman he never looked back.</p> <p dir="ltr">Victor Hugo Sosa, the mayor of the town has said “I do” to his “princess girl”, a caiman named Alicia Adriana, and his wedding speech is one for the books.</p> <p dir="ltr">'I accept responsibility because we love each other. That is what is important. You can't have a marriage without love... I yield to marriage with the princess girl,' he vowed.</p> <p dir="ltr">Onlookers clapped and danced in celebration as the mayor kissed and embraced his new bride who was dressed in a white gown and veil.</p> <p dir="ltr">The ceremony is part of a 230-year tradition which symbolises the joining of humans with the divine, as she is thought to be a deity representing mother earth.</p> <p dir="ltr">It also commemorates the day when two Indigenous groups came to peace- with the marriage between a Chontal king, now represented by the mayor, and a princess girl of the Huave Indigenous group, now represented by the female alligator.</p> <p dir="ltr">The age-old ritual involves the reptile being taken house to house before the wedding so that residents can take their turn dancing with it.</p> <p dir="ltr">She is later on changed into her wedding dress, which Olivia Perez was in charge of during this ceremony.</p> <p dir="ltr">"For us, the crocodile is important because she is the princess who comes to bring us water, a good harvest, rains, so that God the Almighty Father sends us food, fish, corn, the harvest," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">After the wedding, the mayor dances with his bride to traditional music.</p> <p dir="ltr">Local fishermen would also take part in the ritual and toss their nets on the ground in hopes that their marriage would bring “'good fishing, so that there is prosperity, equilibrium and ways to live in peace.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty, Oaxaca Informa10 Twitter</em></p>

Relationships

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Snake catcher’s “hilarious” find in homeowner's toilet

<p>Adelaide man Rolly is no stranger to catching and safely relocating venomous snakes, but a recent job had him in stitches.</p> <p>He has been a snake catcher for over five decades and revealed to <em>Yahoo News Australia </em>that it’s not often the reptiles that shock him the most, rather it's his insight into other people’s lives.</p> <p>"I've seen everything," he said. "From whips and chains in the cellar to dope crops in a shed.”</p> <p>The most recent and “hilarious” insight came from a phone call he received from a panicked resident who asked him to retrieve a snake from her toilet. After receiving an image of the “reptile”, Rolly called the resident back immediately.</p> <p>"Look it's not a snake, it's some type of tapeworm... and it's probably come out of your bum," he recalled himself telling her. "I think you need to go to a chemist.”</p> <p>Rolly uploaded the image of the creature and shared the conversation with followers.</p> <p>“As snake catchers we do quite often get unusual phone calls and findings - so this one we just add to the list…,” he began his caption.</p> <p>“phone call “I’ve got a snake in my toilet”. Snake Catcher “Ok can you send me through a photo and I’ll call you back”.”</p> <p>“Caller “Sure I’ll do that now”.”</p> <p>“Snake Catcher “Ah I think you need to go to the chemist and ask for some Conbantrin - it’s not a snake”.”</p> <p>“Caller “Con wha”.”</p> <p>The post, which attracted more than 3,000 reactions on the social media site was instantly flooded with comments.</p> <p>“I'd rather see a snake in my loo then that lol,” one wrote.</p> <p>“At least the toilet is clean !” another joked.</p> <p>A person with seemingly first-hand experience chimed in and said, “I went on a call out years ago and had the same thing. I didn't know what to say to them.”</p> <p>The situation did not deter Rolly from his job and he seemed in good spirits.</p> <p>"I was going to ask her if she wanted to go fishing and she could have stood next to me and supplied the worms," he joked.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

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The rising popularity of keeping reptiles as pets

<p dir="ltr">The scaly little creatures now account for 14% of Australia’s pets. </p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>PETstock 2022 Pet Parent Report </em>revealed the growing trend, with the reptiles and small animal category now as equally as popular as birds sitting at 14%. Other small animals include chickens, turtles, goats, and frogs, with the owners of these animals 62% more likely to have more than one pet. </p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Kate Mornement, Animal Behaviourist, said smaller pets are appealing for those who live in urban areas with less space.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Their popularity may be because they are pets which children can more easily manage and care for, giving them the experience of autonomy and greater responsibility.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Reptiles and birds can have wonderful personalities and are so interesting to watch. They also provide many of the benefits larger pets provide such as companionship and a connection to the natural world.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Dion Collard, Marketing Manager at PETstock, said there is a trend towards adopting or rehoming pets with more than two of every five pets being adopted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“People are more open to adopting rescue pets identified as most in need too, including older dogs, bonded pairs or cats.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-38983dce-7fff-f186-0976-170b5614dec2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The adoption trend differs between dogs and cats with 58% of dogs more likely to be bought from a breeder, while 61% of cats are rescued or rehomed.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Family & Pets

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The best low maintenance pets

<p dir="ltr">If you’ve always wanted a pet but never really bothered because of how high maintenance it is, fret not.</p> <p dir="ltr">Below is a list of five of the lowest maintenance pets to have. </p> <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Hamster</strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">These cute little furry animals are super easy to take care of once they’re set up.</p> <p dir="ltr">All you need is to make sure they have a water bottle, food bowl and their wheel. </p> <ol start="2"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Guinea Pig</strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">The adorable guinea pigs are low maintenance and look after themselves. A dream, right?! </p> <p dir="ltr">They require a bath here and there and the usual cage, bedding, food and water. </p> <ol start="3"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Turtle</strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">The Painted Turtle is possibly one of the best pets to have because it doesn’t even need to be fed everyday. </p> <p dir="ltr">Feed it a couple of times a week, make sure it's comfortable in the new aquatic home where the temperature and cleanliness are looked after. </p> <ol start="4"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Snake</strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">You’re probably thinking what the hell? But obviously get a reptile that isn’t venomous. </p> <p dir="ltr">They are super easy to care for as long as you keep them in a properly sized tank, maintain the tank at a comfortable temperature and feed them their preferred meals.</p> <ol start="5"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Sea Monkey (aka Brine Shrimp)</strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">These tiny creatures were only created in the last century and are sold in hatching kits.</p> <p dir="ltr">All you need to do is set up their water tank, feed them every five days and keep their tank well-oxygenated. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Yikes! Gigantic red-bellied black snake found hiding in the suburbs

<p>An enormous 1.8m red-bellied black snake has been discovered in suburban Brisbane.</p> <p>Snake Catchers Brisbane shared a photo of the terrifying reptile to its Facebook page, which was captured on Tuesday in the southeast suburb of Belmont.</p> <p>Commenting on the snap was a woman who said that the area was “overloaded” with snakes and was concerned one may have killed her father’s dogs.</p> <p>“I’m so bloody freaked out at the moment! My poor father has lost three dogs now and the next door neighbours with damn snakes in Belmont,” she said.</p> <p>Others were a bit more relaxed saying how the snake was a “beautiful” and “spectacular” specimen.</p> <p>Speaking to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://10daily.com.au/" target="_blank"><em>10 daily</em></a>, snake catcher Bryce Lockett said it was a “solid build animal” that people shouldn’t be afraid of.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwww.snakecatchers.com.au%2Fposts%2F1098654720323140&amp;width=500" width="500" height="618" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>“They’re generally a very placid snake, they aren’t really defensive,” he said.</p> <p>“During breeding season male snakes tend to travel some distance looking for a mate.</p> <p>“We’re being called out to a lot of carpet pythons fighting in people’s roof cavities.”</p> <p>He told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nine.com.au/" target="_blank"><em>Nine</em></a><span> </span>it was “abnormally large” for that type of snake.</p> <p>The average size for an adult is between 1.5-2m, with males growing slightly larger than females.</p> <p>The snakes are found in northern and central eastern Queensland and then more continuously from southeastern Queensland through eastern NSW and Victoria.</p>

Home & Garden

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Woman relives horrifying encounter with snake in her bedroom

<p>A Brisbane woman who was recovering from a late night flight was woken up by what she described as something “flicking her face” – however, she didn’t think she would see a snake when she opened her eyes.</p> <p>Sally Stent returned to her home at 2am, not knowing a python was in her bedroom as she slept peacefully.</p> <p>After five hours, Ms Stent said she had been awoken by a giant python.</p> <p>“I opened my eyes and the snake was a couple of centimetres from my face looking at me. It was 5-10cm from my face. I had to focus my eyeballs to see it. It was right in there,” she told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170_a&amp;dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.couriermail.com.au%2Fquestnews%2Fsouthwest%2Fpython-uses-tongue-to-rouse-woman-from-slumber%2Fnews-story%2Fc0fe44cf81a4019e6202747b445a5e43&amp;memtype=anonymous&amp;mode=premium" target="_blank"><em>Courier Mail</em>.</a></p> <p>The slithery reptile was hanging from her beside lamp and had put his face close to Ms Stent’s.</p> <p>Although surprised, the young woman said she didn’t jump or scream, but instead remained calm and left the room.</p> <p>Her father, who was home at the time, was made a cup of tea to calm him down before he became aware of the startling news.</p> <p>“I said, ‘By the way, there’s a snake in my bedroom’. It took him 15 minutes to calm down and by that time, the snake had disappeared, and he thought I’d made it up,” she explained.  </p> <p>Ms Stent said the giant python was removed by a local snake catcher who managed to coax the reptile from its hiding place.</p> <p>The snake had reportedly slithered in through an open window, looking for a safe place to digest its last meal.</p> <p>Thankfully, Ms Stent confirmed she had learnt her lesson from the scary ordeal.</p> <p>“I have fly screens now on every window in the house. I was a bit too cool for fly screens before but now I’m not,” she said. </p>

Home & Garden

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School mum's fright as brown snake appears on windscreen

<p>An Adelaide mother has had a near lethal run-in when she found a brown snake on her car while picking her kids up from school.</p> <p>It was during her after-school pick-up when the unwanted reptile made itself known with its body wrapped around the ute’s antenna on the roof. </p> <p>Alisha Chaffey, a South Adelaide mother, became irate when the uninvited passenger revealed itself while driving her kids to swimming lessons.</p> <p>"I saw this little head come down [the windscreen] and I just thought, 'What am I going to do?'" she said, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-30/brown-snake-spotted-by-mother-on-ute-windscreen/10764912">reports ABC News.</a></p> <p>"Once you're out of the township, the speed limit goes right up to 100 [kilometres per hour] and so I first thought if I can get out of town once I hit 100 [kph] it's going to go flying off."</p> <p>Desperate for help, Ms Chaffey returned to the school with her 18-month-old in tow.</p> <p>"I wasn't going to open any door or put my windows down or beep my horn. I didn't want to scare it," the mother explained.</p> <p>"I just waved my arms frantically until someone saw me looking crazy. The teacher that saw me went and got all the other teachers."</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D2255591481393069%26set%3Dp.2255591481393069%26type%3D3&amp;width=500" width="500" height="639" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>Thankfully, the bus driver for the local school came to the rescue, using a long stick to remove the snake from the top of the ute’s windshield.</p> <p>"He just kind of hooked it onto the stick and put it on the ground and then they all stomped and made a lot of noise and scared it away," she explained.</p> <p>The mother says coming from living on a farm in Darwin made her less scared of the snake on her windshield, explaining seeing the pictures freaked her out more.</p> <p>“With my little ones still in the car and the windows down, it could have been really, really scary.”</p> <p>Ange Broadstock, the Snake Catchers Adelaide manager, told ABC News snakes are not uncommon near that area.</p> <p>“In the last week or so, one of our crew had been down to Rapid Bay … and did a snake awareness session,” she said.</p> <p>“They have so many snake sightings around their school.” </p> <p>Snakes like the one Ms Chaffey ran into are not uncommon and should be removed with caution.</p>

Home & Garden

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The terrifying spot huge brown snake was hiding in family home

<p>A family in Queensland had the fright of their life after discovering a six-foot long brown snake making itself comfortable in their home.</p> <p>The snake was spotted after a father and his children were taking their shoes off in the garage on Saturday, when they noticed the slithering beast sitting on top of their fridge in their Yandina Creek home.</p> <p>After the snake noticed it was outed, it made its way onto the shoe rack, hiding amongst the sneakers while the father called a snake catcher for help.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsnakecatchersunshinecoast%2Fphotos%2Fa.645617402181302%2F1870658369677193%2F%3Ftype%3D3&amp;width=500" width="500" height="502" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>“By the time I arrived, it was on the ground, basically just near the shoe rack,” said snake catcher at The Snake Catcher 24/7, Stuart McKenzie to <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/terrifying-spot-huge-brown-snake-hiding-family-home-074231495.html" target="_blank">Yahoo7</a>.</em></p> <p>“It ended up going into the shoe rack and that’s where I pulled it out of.”</p> <p>Mr McKenzie was surprised by the size of the reptile, as he claims it’s the biggest he has ever dealt with.</p> <p>“I reckon it was about six foot, would have been nearly as tall as me.</p> <p>“It was pretty big, and it was real chunky, too, big girthy snake.</p> <p>“That’s about as big as I’ve caught, that’s probably equal as to the biggest Eastern Brown I’ve caught.”</p> <p>During the capture, the snake attempted to attack Mr McKenzie.</p> <p>“He felt threatened by me, cause obviously, I was this big animal coming at him and trying to catch him,” Mr McKenzie said.</p> <p>“He did try and lunge at me, just to basically say, no, you’re not touching me.”</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsnakecatchersunshinecoast%2Fphotos%2Fa.645617402181302%2F1870658283010535%2F%3Ftype%3D3&amp;width=500" width="500" height="502" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>Mr McKenzie said the best way to avoid being attacked by snakes is to leave them alone.</p> <p>“Like all snakes, you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone,” he said.</p> <p>“They can be incredibly dangerous, but only if you mess with them.”</p>

Home & Garden

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Snake catcher tears apart kitchen in search of snake

<p>A family in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast got the fright of their lives after a red-bellied black snake slithered into their kitchen.</p> <p>Naturally, they called their local snake catchers to handle the situation, but little did they know, their reptilian friend had hidden himself so well that their kitchen would need to be torn apart in order to find him.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FReptileCatcher%2Fvideos%2F1480085428734491%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>“This little Red Belly decided he wanted to get out of the rain and hang out in a [family’s] kitchen in Pacific Paradise,” Stu from The Snake Catcher 24/7 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ReptileCatcher/videos/1480085428734491/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">wrote on Facebook</span></strong></a>. “After a bit of time and effort I got him out from under the kitchen bench. It’s amazing the places snakes can get in to.”</p> <p>A bit too close for comfort, if you ask us! Tell us in the comments below, have you ever had a scary encounter with a snake?</p>

Home & Garden

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Meet Australian Reptile Park’s 5 new dingo pups

<p>Ready for your daily dose of cuteness? The Australian Reptile park has just welcomed five adorably tiny dingo pups, born to parents Adina and Fred. The early arrival of the gorgeous puppies was “definitely a surprise,” <a href="http://www.9news.com.au/national/2017/04/10/15/46/five-dingo-puppies-born-early-at-nsw-zoo" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">according to</span></strong></a> zoo spokeswoman Amanda Woodbine, who said they weren’t expecting delivery until towards the end of May.</p> <p>Watch their first special moments above – we think you’ll fall in love with them just as quick as we did. Too cute!</p> <p><em>Credit: Australian Reptile Park via Storyful.</em></p>

News

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Meet the new dingo pups at Australian Reptile Park

<p>A pair of proud parents at the Australian Reptile Park, on the NSW central coast, have welcomed the arrival of five fuzzy and very cute dingo pups.</p> <p>Mum and dad Adina and Fred surpassed expectations with their larger-than-usual litter of three male and two female pups, bred in captivity over the autumn months.</p> <p>The youngsters will be fully reliant on their mum for the next few weeks before they venture out of their den to meet winter school holiday makers later this month.</p> <p>Australian Reptile Park general manager Tim Faulkner said the births highlighted the critical role endangered dingoes played in the country's ecosystem.</p> <p>"Dingoes are being blasted, baited, tracked, shot and hunted in the wild because of their perceived damage to agriculture," Mr Faulkner said.</p> <p>"However, killing dingoes removes them from the critical weight eco-system, allowing feral foxes and cats to continuously increase the rate of mammal extinction. If dingoes continue to be hunted, Australia will see another endangered species disappear, just like the Tasmanian Tiger, a marsupial which shared a similar role."</p> <p>Have you ever seen cute dingo pups? What’s your favourite Aussie animal?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><em>Video credit: Facebook / Australian Reptile Park</em><strong><em><br /></em></strong></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/08/man-saves-kangaroo-from-sticky-situation/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Kind stranger saves kangaroo from sticky situation</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/07/this-baby-rhino-is-meeting-the-other-animals-at-the-zoo/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>This baby rhino is meeting the other animals at the zoo</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/07/6-best-animal-experiences-you-can-have-in-australia/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>6 best animal experiences you can have in Australia</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

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Giant alligator strolls onto Florida golf course

<p>Generally when most people hit the greens, the last thing they expect to see is a 4.6 metre long reptile wandering on to the fairway. For one group of golfers, however, that’s exactly what happened when they visited the Buffalo Creek Golf Course in Florida recently.</p> <p>“I didn’t know if we were being punked or something,” golfer Charles Helm told <a href="http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-sarasota-manatee/goliath-gator-spotted-at-palmetto-golf-course" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ABC Action News</span></strong></a> after a giant alligator wandered onto the course on his way to a nearby lake.</p> <p>According to a worker at the course’s shop, Wendy Schofield, this isn’t the first time the massive reptile has made an appearance. “He doesn't bother anybody and they don't bother him, he's like a mascot for the course,” she told <a href="http://news3lv.com/news/local/giant-alligator-roams-golf-course-in-florida" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">News 3</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>Take a look at the golfers’ stunned reaction in the video above. I think I’d run for it!</p> <p>What’s the most unexpected animal visitor you’ve ever had? Tell us about it in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/05/alligator-climbs-front-door-of-familys-home/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Alligator climbs front door of family’s home</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/04/alligator-devours-smaller-gator/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Massive alligator devours smaller gator</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/04/fisherman-finds-alligator-at-end-of-his-line/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Fisherman finds gigantic surprise at the end of his line</strong></em></span></a></p>

News

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Five-foot goanna found in Australian backyard

<p>Eric Holland, from Thurgoona in New South Wales, Australia, got the surprise of his life earlier this week when he came across a monster lizard in his backyard.</p> <p>"I was just doing a repair job in my shed when I opened the door and I saw this huge thing run across the ground and out of sight," Mr Holland said.  </p> <p>"I went inside after I saw it in the backyard and heard a banging noise coming from the side of the house,"</p> <p>"When I went outside I saw him on the side of the house with his tail hitting the drain pipe."</p> <p>Having never seen anything like it in the 18 years he has lived in his home, Mr Holland reveals, "It was a big surprise really. I sometimes get blue tongues and lizards in the backyard but never anything quite like this."</p> <p>The goanna quickly left Mr Holland's property and he has not sighted the reptile since.  </p> <p>The reptile in question is a lace monitor, also known as lace goannas, and can grow to around two-metres in length and weigh up to 20 kilograms. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/12/baby-goat-learns-to-hop-video/"><em><strong> </strong></em></a></span></p> <p> </p>

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