World’s oldest living land animal celebrates 191st birthday

The world’s oldest living land animal, a tortoise named Jonathan, celebrated his 191st birthday on the island of St Helena — but he might be much older.

Jonathan’s exact age is unknown, but he was at least 50 years old when he was brought to the island from the Seychelles in 1882, making him at least 191 years old, and possibly much older, Guinness World Records announced. Jonathan is a Seychelles giant tortoise, a species with an average lifespan of about 150 years.

“In spite of losing his sense of smell and being virtually blind from cataracts, his appetite remains keen,” veterinarian Joe Hollins told.

A woman with the longest hair in the world

A 46-year-old Indian woman who hasn’t cut her hair since the age of 14, was awarded the Guinness World Records title for longest hair on a living person. Her tremendous tresses were measured at 7 feet and 9 inches long.

Smita Srivastava, of Uttar Pradesh, was inspired by the long hairstyles sported by Hindi actresses from the 1980s. Srivastava has no intention of cutting her hair anytime soon.

“I will take care of my hair as long as I can. I will never cut my hair because my life is in my hair,” she said. “I want my hair to grow more and see how long I can manage it.”

Lost wedding ring found under 20 tonnes of trash

Sanitation workers in New Hampshire undertook a remarkable effort, delving through 20 tonnes of garbage to recover a resident’s lost wedding ring. Guided by specific details provided by the owner, such as the time the trash was discarded, its contents and the type of car involved, they meticulously reviewed surveillance footage.

Despite having to sift through a towering 12-foot pile of trash bags, the team successfully located the right bag after two hours of diligent searching. This incident marked the third time in two years that the sanitation crew at the transfer station managed to reunite someone with their lost wedding ring.

Dog with an ‘Italian accent’!

People tend to speak to their pets more than they do with their friends and family. But do you know it is likely that pets pick up on our accents and end up sounding a bit like us?

In a viral video clip on TikTok with seven million views, Aaron the husky’s Italian owner is seen chatting to him, and he replies with what can only be described as an accent similar to hers..

Some studies have proven that animals can really have accents. Canine Behaviour Centre in Cumbria, England, found that dogs have regional accents like their owners because their owner’s speech influences the way a dog vocalises. They conducted a study in 2000 and recorded sounds of dogs barking and growling. These sound samples were then compared and analysed and the final result showed that pooches mimic the tone and pitch of their owners.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 16th, 2023