thecooldown

After 40 years performing, Portugal's last circus elephant reaches the country's first sanctuary

Portugal's final circus elephant is no longer in the ring: after 40 years of performances, Julie, an African elephant captured as a calf in the late 1980s, has been moved into retirement and into a ...
The Cool Down

18 python hatchlings found around a house in 2 days, and residents fear more nearby

A homeowner in southwest India got a startling surprise after 18 python hatchlings were discovered around a single property in just two days.
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At a wedding in Malaysia, a DJ paged a car owner, and a giant python was under the hood

A wedding in Malaysia was unexpectedly interrupted after the DJ announced that local officials had discovered a massive python coiled inside the engine compartment of one guest's car. AsiaOne said the ...
thecooldown

San Francisco roommates heard scratching in bedroom walls, then learned a raccoon had given birth

Two roommates in San Francisco were plagued with scratching sounds coming from inside the walls of a bedroom for months. After an inspector investigated the noises, they discovered a whole family of ...
The Cool Down

Florida park finds 19 albino alligator eggs, the first known successful batch laid in captivity

A Florida-based alligator park has discovered the first-ever recorded successful batch of albino alligator eggs laid in ...
The Cool Down

In Australia, a couple demolished their home after termites 'rained out of the wall'

The Healesville home the couple had planned to keep as their forever home had to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch.
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California mom on JetBlue flight tries to sleep, then finds rodent in overhead bin

Falling asleep on a long trip is hard enough for parents traveling with small children. For one California mother on a JetBlue flight, the disruption became far more alarming when a rodent appeared in ...
The Cool Down

In the US, millions of feral hogs are wrecking farms, fouling water, and defying control

Millions of feral hogs now occupy parts of the United States, and the destruction they cause reaches far beyond churned-up ...
thecooldown

Pennsylvania families say 'not much has changed' 18 months after jet fuel leak hit wells

More than 18 months after officials confirmed that a jet fuel pipeline leak in Upper Makefield Township contaminated at least six private wells, some families in southeastern Pennsylvania say they are ...
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US solar expert builds $8,000 battery tester to see if home storage lives up to the label

A new tool in one United States workshop could make it easier for anyone shopping for home battery storage to separate slick marketing from hard data. As more households add backup power for storms, ...
thecooldown

Pepper plants can look healthy, but these summer mistakes may be why you're barely harvesting

Pepper plants can look lush, green, and full of promise in midsummer, yet still leave gardeners wondering why the harvest basket is nearly empty. A recent gardening video suggests the issue is often ...
The Cool Down

New York pauses mega data centers as Hochul warns communities could inherit the mess

New York has paused some of its largest proposed data center projects, allowing state officials to weigh the true impact of these sites rather than simply trusting VC buzzwords.