Small alligator rescued in Boston after slithering into the city's heart on social media
BOSTON (AP) — Wildlife officials say a small alligator spotted along the Charles River in Boston this week has been rescued and delivered to safety. The foot-long crocodilian startled a few people this week and became an instant star on social media as it slithered away from confused onlookers. Officials say a local wildlife educator captured the critter on Wednesday night, and it’s now awaiting a permanent home. The officials say the animal was most likely an escaped pet, although it's not legal to keep alligators as pets in Massachusetts. Alligators have a history of occasionally showing up in urban areas. One appeared in Chicago in 2019 and was eventually trapped. Another one showed up on the Charles River in the Boston area in 2010.
Bagpipers claim world record with AC/DC's 'It's a Long Way to the Top'
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An ensemble of 374 bagpipers has claimed a new world record by playing AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top.” The event, called “The Great Melbourne Bagpipe Bash,” took place in Melbourne’s Federation Square, on Swanston Street, on Wednesday. The Australian Book of Records certified the achievement, breaking a previous record set by 333 pipers in Bulgaria in 2012. Thousands of spectators gathered to witness the performance. Swanston Street was the scene of the Australian hard rock band’s 1976 film clip in which they played the hit on the back of a flatbed truck.
Solar storms bring colorful northern lights to unexpected places
NEW YORK (AP) — Solar storms brought colorful auroras to unexpected places and there could be more to come. Space weather forecasters confirmed that storms reached severe levels Tuesday night, triggering northern lights in Europe and as far south as Kansas and Texas in the U.S. There were some impacts to GPS communications and the power grid. Over the past few days, the sun has burped out several bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections. Two have reached Earth, but at least one more is still on the way. The sun is at the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle, making auroras more common and widespread.
Rare footage shows sucker fish as they whale-surf in the ocean's wildest joyride
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Scientists have captured rare footage of remoras, also known as sucker fish, hitching rides on humpback whales off the coast of Australia. The footage shows these fish peeling away just before the whale breaches, then returning to the same spots with precision. Remoras use an adhesive plate on their heads to cling to whales, feeding on dead skin and sea lice. Marine scientist Olaf Meynecke recorded the footage using suction-cup cameras on the whales. The remoras seem to know when to let go, he says. While the fish are harmless, the footage suggests whales might find them annoying.
Wrong-way rover: Dog is rescued from a busy Boston tunnel during rush hour
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts state police came to the rescue when a dog wandered into a tunnel in Boston and narrowly escaped being hit by traffic. Surveillance video from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shows the black and white pup heading toward oncoming vehicles in the Ted Williams Tunnel on Thursday morning. With cars and trucks whizzing by, it moves from the middle of the lane to a side wall. A later video shows six state police vehicles parked in a staggered formation and a trooper beckoning to the pup, which runs away from the officer but then hops into the backseat of a cruiser.
All roads in ancient Rome stretched far longer than previously known, study shows
WASHINGTON (AP) — As the saying went, all roads once led to Rome — and scientists now say those roads stretched 50% longer than previously known. A new study combines information from historical records, ancient journals, locations of milestones and other archival data with newly available satellite imagery to map all known roads in the ancient Roman Empire. Researchers say these feats of Roman engineering still shape the geography and economy of the Mediterranean region and beyond. The new dataset and digital map are available online for scholars, history teachers and people with an interest in ancient Roman history. Results were published Thursday in Scientific Data.
Colombian artists transform Pablo Escobar's hippos and excesses into art
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian photographer Édgar Jiménez is showcasing his portrait of two hippos brought to Colombia by Pablo Escobar in the 1980s. Jiménez, who was Escobar’s personal photographer, recalls taking the picture without protection, unaware of the danger. The hippo population has since grown to over 160 and is now considered an invasive species in Colombia. Jiménez’s work is part of a Bogotá exhibition featuring 20 artists critiquing Escobar’s legacy. The exhibit includes paintings, graffiti and even mushrooms grown in hippo dung, highlighting the paradoxes of the late kingpin's influence.
Former jail building draws couples for Halloween weddings in Ohio
DELAWARE, Ohio (AP) — Nine couples got married on Halloween inside a former county jail in central Ohio that was decorated for the holiday. The Delaware County Historical Society has opened the former jail and sheriff's residence to people getting hitched on Friday. Court employees wore costumes and decorated the space with pumpkins and a spider web. Couples were provided with a way to take mugshot-style photos. They capped the number of weddings at 10 but only nine showed up. There’s no word on whether the tenth bride or groom got spooked.
Birders going ‘cuckoo’ after unexpected sighting in New York City area
A bird sighting on New York's Long Island has avian enthusiasts flocking to the region in the hopes of spotting a feathered friend who has never been seen before in the state. The common cuckoo is typically found from Europe to Japan, with the majority of the population wintering in Africa. But one was recently spotted in Riverhead on the north shore of Long Island. Once the bird was confirmed as a common cuckoo, birders quickly shared the news in their online communities. The bird has since been spotted more than 200 times. It’s not clear how or why the bird ended up there.
A solid gold toilet is up for auction with a $10 million starting price
LONDON (AP) — Sotheby’s has announced it will auction a solid gold toilet, a sculpture by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan called “America.” The auction is set for Nov. 18 in New York. The starting price will be based on the value of the gold's weight, currently about $10 million. Cattelan, known for provocative art, created “America” as a satire on excessive wealth. The piece gained fame after a similar version was stolen from England’s Blenheim Palace in 2019. The toilet will be on display at Sotheby’s New York headquarters from Nov. 8, but visitors won’t be able to use it.
