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Irish folklore has many mythical characters such as the banshees or Tir na nOg, but according to one man Leprechauns are 100 per cent real. Kevin Woods, recognised as Ireland’s one and only leprechaun whisperer, recently shared astonishing claims on Ireland AM. During the broadcast, Woods, who comes from Carlingford, County Louth and affectionately known as McCoillte, shared some of the secrets involving leprechauns and their long history which has become intertwined with human spirits. Is British wine the next big thing? According to woods’ official website: ‘He talks to the 236 leprechauns that still exist there. They are affectionately...

Residents in a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, had a brush with the wild when a hippopotamus escaped from a nature reserve and wandered through the streets. Grassy Park residents captured photos and videos when the hippo broke through a fence at the Rondevlei Nature Reserve and went wandering through residential streets just after midnight Saturday. Resident Ashraff Schwartz said police pursued the hippo into the yard of his family's home. "My 74-year-old mom watched from inside the house, very scared, as the hippo came straight for our door. The police were standing outside the yard," he told Independent...

The Loch Ness Centre has reached out to NASA for assistance in a new quest to search for the Loch Ness monster. Following last year’s extensive search of Loch Ness in the Highlands, which included the capture of loud underwater noises and several potential sightings, the centre is eager to enlist NASA’s expertise in their pursuit. Scheduled to coincide with the 90th anniversary of Sir Edward Mountain’s expedition, the latest search will take place from May 30 to June 2. Since the inaugural expedition in 1934 by the Watchers of the Monster, over 1,156 sightings have been documented on the...

BUTTE, Mont. — Montana is known for plenty of large wildlife, like bears, mountain goats and elk. But elephants are a new one. Butte resident Mataya Smith was driving south on Harrison Avenue with her husband, who alerted her to the strange scene at noon on Tuesday. “I though he just meant it was in the parking lot. And then I looked up and was like, ‘No, there is an elephant in the road!’” said Smith. “My coworker pointed out, ‘There’s an elephant!’ Started jumping up and down, pointing out the window,” Civic Center Town Pump co-manager Josh Hannifin said....

Mad cool points earned for Brock Purdy. If you’re a quarterback in the NFL, one of the biggest skills that you’re going to need is situational awareness — San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy has that in flying colors. Making an appearance Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Purdy gave confirmation that he issued an alert to a local reporter about a coyote that was approaching both her and her dog during a commercial shoot he was doing for John Deere. We can only assume that this story flew under the radar and is now going viral, because back in Feb.,...

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission on Tuesday issued a stark condemnation of the apparent capture, abuse and killing of a wolf in Sublette County. Meanwhile, Gov. Mark Gordon is “monitoring the situation.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Screenshots from a video clip provided exclusively to Cowboy State Daily show Daniel, Wyoming, resident Cody Roberts kneeling over and kissing the muzzle of a weak and injured wolf in the Green River Bar in Daniel on Feb. 29. No reproduction without permission. (Cowboy State Daily Staff) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ While meeting Tuesday in Riverton, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission issued a statement starkly condemning the apparent...

Spain: Mutant cockroaches pose health risks Image of a cockroach. Credit: chaipanya/Shutterstock.com Recent findings suggest a disturbing trend in the genetic alterations of cockroaches, directly linked to ongoing climate changes. So far in 2024, Spain has reported a significant rise in cockroach infestations, with incidents increasing by 33 per cent compared to the previous year. Experts, including Jorge Galvan, director of the National Association of Environmental Health Companies (Anecpla), attribute this surge to the record temperatures that are accelerating the metabolic cycles of these pests, notably the Germanic cockroach, commonly found in homes and food-related businesses. Most Read on Euro...

A golden retriever boarding a BARK Air flight Traveling with a dog can be challenging, and one dog brand is helping to change that. BARK, known for their subscription BarkBoxes and dog products, announced on Thursday, April 11 that they’re launching a new travel service, BARK Air. In partnership with a charter jet company, BARK Air is designed to prioritize four-legged travelers, followed by their humans, so they can travel together comfortably and conveniently. At launch, routes will serve the New York City metro area via Westchester County Airport (HPN) with flights to the Los Angeles area via Van...

We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news storyA young girl was rushed to hospital after she was bitten by an XL Bully in a horror attack at home. Police were called by the ambulance service at around 7.10pm on Saturday to a property in Falmouth, Cornwall. The unnamed youngster suffered "serious injuries" in the incident. A statement from Devon & Cornwall Police read: "Police were called by the ambulance service at around 7.10pm on Saturday 13 April to a property in Lowenek Close, Falmouth. It was reported a child had been bitten...

An Oklahoma family had no idea that a birthday gift for their nine-year-old son would lead to the birth of 50 octopus babies, numerous water tanks that took over half of a bathroom, and thousands of dollars on food supplies and water damage repairs. Cameron Clifford, a 36-year-old dentist, said his son Cal had been obsessed with octopuses since the age of three. 'Every birthday, every Christmas, every holiday, he would always say: 'All I want is an octopus,'' Clifford told the New York Times. In October, Clifford made a call to a local aquarium store and acquired a female...

A recent drone search for a missing husky in Kamchatka, Russia, took a surprising turn when the pet was found not alone, but playfully interacting with a group of wild brown bears. The undated footage, now going viral on social media, shows the husky trailing the bears and even circling them excitedly. While one bear attempts to nudge the dog away when it gets too close, the overall interaction appears non-threatening.

Doctors described a case of a rare infection called ocular pentastomiasis, which is caused by a parasite known to lay its eggs in snakes. A mass that had been growing in a woman's eye for two years turned out to be a parasite that sometimes passes from reptiles to humans, doctors say. The doctors flagged contaminated crocodile meat as a potential source of the rare infection, which may make it the first case of its kind in medical literature, they reported Thursday (April 11) in JAMA Ophthalmology. The report's authors diagnosed the woman with an infection called "ocular pentastomiasis," a...

9. Coachwhip — 8.5 feet A long snake with an unusual appearance is the coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum), which is named because it looks like a braided coachwhip. The nominotypical subspecies — the eastern coachwhip — typically has a black head and neck but their color gradually lightens to tan at their tail. They are also the longest subspecies and can reach 8.5 feet long. Coachwhips live in the southern region of the US and inhabit fields, prairies, and open forests. They are diurnal and prey on a variety of birds, rodents, and lizards. They are ambush predators but are not...

Native to the Southern US and China, alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) among the largest reptiles in the world. They look very similar to their cousins, crocodiles, which people often mistake them for. However, while crocodiles have a broad and short U-shaped snout, that of the crocodile is V-shaped and pointed. If you study them carefully, you’ll notice more differences. There are numerous exciting, unique facts to learn about this fascinating reptile. For example, did you know that alligators have two eyelids and are related to dinosaurs? We bet you didn’t. If you’re interested in learning more exciting information about alligators, there’s...

April 12 (UPI) -- The Florida Highway Patrol posted security camera footage showing a hungry bear attempting to break into a parked patrol car. The FHP's Troop F, based in the southwest part of the state, posted a video to Instagram showing the furry suspect who is "wanted" for "attempted burglary of [an] FHP state trooper car." The footage shows the bear, apparently on the hunt for snacks, approach the parked vehicle and attempt to use its mouth and paws to work the door handle. The attempted break-in by the bear, nicknamed "Teddy" by the FHP, was ultimately unsuccessful, as...

The 'Automated Treat Machine' at the South Broad Street store dispenses free treats when pups step on a motion-detecting pad. With innovations like "pup cups" at coffee shops and dog-friendly menus at restaurants, pets are becoming more and more integrated into daily human life. Now, dogs in Philly can even participate in the ever-thrilling activity of withdrawing from an ATM. TD Bank's South Philly location, at 2201 S. Broad St., has debuted a dog ATM — which stands for Automated Treat Machine because it dispenses free biscuits to furry friends.

Dogs who are tired of being stuffed in bags when flying with their owners — or worse, crated in a cargo hold — can breathe a sigh of relief today, as Bark is launching an airline for dogs.

Our ancestors may have kept foxes as pets long before domestic dogs came on the scene. Archaeological evidence suggests ancient human societies in South America revered foxes to such an extent that they were buried next to them. Scientists were surprised to find a fox buried in a human grave dating back 1,500 years in Patagonia, Argentina. They think the most likely explanation is that the fox was a highly valued companion or pet. DNA analysis shows the animal dined with prehistoric hunter gatherers and was part of the inner circle of the camp. A fox of the same species...

The city of Pacific Grove began an abatement effort to keep seagulls from public places within the city by using birds of prey. On Sunday, the city said they are using birds of prey to deter birds from "nesting on rooftops, rummaging through trash, littering, and leaving unwanted droppings." This is an effort to minimize inconveniences for locals and tourists, said the city on a social media post. The city says falconers will be on patrol with Harris Hawks and other birds of prey in the coming weeks. The city listed the following benefits for deterring seagulls from rooftops: Keeps...

The dramatic moment cops raced to save K9 Enzo who was stabbed in the line of duty by a violent murder suspect has been revealed in new bodycam footage. Three-year-old Belgian Malinois, Enzo, was stabbed multiple times by suspected murderer Thurman Lowe, 64, in downtown Las Vegas on March 29. The dog's Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department handler can be heard on bodycam reassuring him, 'you did so good, buddy. You're a good boy.' Enzo was rushed to a vets and then flown by helicopter to another hospital where he could receive more specialist care. He survived the attack and...