Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the dreadful day two student shooters stormed into their high school on a murderous rampage, massacring 12 fellow students and a teacher before taking their own lives. The shooting sent shockwaves all over the world, as horrified parents and members of the public watched live footage as events unfolded in Columbine High, although the true extent of the terror wasn’t revealed until later on, and the debate about how we deal with school violence goes on to this day. On April 20 1999, news outlets waiting outside the school interviewed students who had witnessed…
Author: Jo Marney
When it comes to unlikely pets, hippos have got to be near the top of the list. Weighing up to nearly 10,000 pounds, hippopotamuses are one of the deadliest species in Africa. Well known to be aggressive and attack humans, the huge water-dwelling animals are responsible for around 500 deaths every year – more than any other mammal on the African continent. But one hippo seems to break every rule in the book. Meet Jessica, a gentle, human-loving hippo with a story that has touched millions of people’s heart all over the world and even inspired Animal Planet to create a special…
The crossbreed’s story was so inspiring, filmmakers decided to produce a Netflix movie about her. Ruby didn’t have the best start in life. The Australian Shepherd cross Border Collie was returned to Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals shelter a heart-breaking five times by the time she was just eight months old. Patricia Inman, a shelter volunteer and dog trainer at the center remembers Ruby as a larger-than-life character, full of pent-up energy and frustration. Ruby was so out of control at the shelter that Patricia said she had to persuade other members of staff not…
The Holocaust was one of the most horrific events in human history, so it’s no wonder that those whose fate brought them together at Nazi slave labor camps feel a brotherly connection with each other that will last a lifetime – even for those who have never met since. Sam Ron and Jack Waksal faced the hardships together in a forced labor camp in Pionki, Poland 79 years ago. Many Jews and prisoners of war were sent to work for the Germans, often having to do grueling or dangerous work on behalf of the Nazis. Those deemed to be unusual…
It’s commonly said that dogs have a sixth sense – an ability to sense when something just doesn’t seem right and they have their own subtle ways of letting us know. Lauren Gauthier from Buffalo, NY says her dog “rescued” her by alerting her to small lump on her nostril which, after clear warning signs from her dog, she decided to have examined by a doctor and couldn’t believe what he told her. Victoria is a gorgeous Treeing Walker Coonhound who sadly lost an eye before Lauren and her husband Benjamin decided to adopt her from Magic Mission’s Beagle and…
Remember the scene in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone where Harry and Ron indulge in magical, jumping chocolate frogs on the train to Hogwarts? Scientists have just discovered the next best thing – although they probably wouldn’t recommend eating one! This tiny ‘chocolate’ colored frog was only discovered when biologists in the Amazon heard its unique ‘beep’ sound coming from underground. The burrowing species of frog is around 6cm long and its skin is a unique dark, brown colour – probably as a means of camouflage. While the Peruvian locals knew about the elusive little creature, biologists had until…