Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer.
Talkative tūī a big hit
Pleakly – a young tūī with a gift for mimicking human speech has become a big hit online, as well as at his home at the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House in the Waikato. Hundreds of thousands of views videos of his chat on on Tiktok match up with his popularity when seen in person.
“The cheeky bird hasn’t just entertained people online – he’s one of the main attractions at the sanctuary, said marketing manager Tyler Lloyd. ‘He’s probably honestly our … most-loved bird at the park. People come for the kiwis, but stay for him, to be honest.’
“Usually aggressive and territorial birds, Pleakly differed from most tūī as he thrived on human interaction, so the staff decided to put him in a visitor-facing area. ‘Our visitors have taught him some fantastic words and excellent phrases. He’s a bit of a laugh now, to be honest.’
“His special circumstances mean he’s the only tūī at the park that mimics people. Pleakly can say ‘hey buddy’, ‘good boy’, along with a whistle which sounds like ‘a little bit of a cat call’. ‘He’s got probably about 10 to 15 different phrases that he says, but they say they [tūī] can remember up to about 150 different phrases.’ Guests often tell the staff he’s said phrases they haven’t heard before. ‘So he’s clearly got a decent vocabulary he’s not sharing with all of us,’ Lloyd said.” (Source: “Pleakly the talking tūī: Ōtorohanga Kiwi House’s ‘golden attraction,'” by Lochlan Lineham, August 26, www.nzherald.co.nz).
5 stars – our bird friends are incredible and we really are blessed with some amazing native birds!
Sunken city reveals its marvels
Not seen in over 2,000 years, parts of a sunken city off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, have recently been brought to the surface – amazing archaeologists and the public.
“Egypt has unveiled parts of a sunken city submerged beneath waters off the coast of Alexandria, including buildings, artefacts and an ancient dock that date back more than 2,000 years. Egyptian authorities said the site, located in the waters of Abu Qir bay, may be an extension of the ancient city of Canopus, a prominent centre during the Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years, and the Roman empire, which governed for about 600 years. Over time, earthquakes and rising sea levels submerged the city and the nearby port of Heracleion.
“Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister, Sherif Fathi, said: ‘There’s a lot underwater, but what we’re able to bring up is limited, it’s only specific material according to strict criteria. The rest will remain part of our sunken heritage.’
“The underwater ruins include limestone buildings that may have served as places of worship, residential spaces and commercial or industrial structures. Reservoirs and rock-carved ponds for domestic water storage and fish cultivation were also uncovered. Other notable finds include statues of royal figures and sphinxes from the pre-Roman era, including a partially preserved sphinx with the cartouche of Ramses II, one of the country’s most famous and longest-ruling ancient pharaohs.” (Source: “Remnants of 2,000-year-old sunken city lifted out of the sea off Alexandria,” August 21, www.guardian.co.uk).
5 stars – whilst it’s fascinating to see so many ancient wonders brought up from the deep, it’s fantastic that Egyptian authorities have also decided to leave a lot of their sunken heritage as it is. Upside!
Sports card sells for record price
In the United States, as well as other places in the world, sports cards are a passionate hobby that can become expensive, especially when attempting to acquire rare cards. Recently a very rare card was sold for $US12.932 million, setting the record for the most ever paid as well.
“The 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman, which was sold in Dallas, Texas through Heritage Auctions, features images of the two stars, as well as their signatures and NBA logo patches from their jerseys. The buyer’s identity was not revealed.
“’The demand for this card is astronomical, which makes sense, because it has everything, including photos, jersey patches and signatures from two of the greatest players who ever stepped on the court,’ Chris Ivy, Heritage’s Director of Sports Auctions, said.
“’The Dual Logoman card offered in this auction is the only example created that includes only Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant – making it the most sought-after example of the incredible Upper Deck Logoman series, and because of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death in 2020, it always will be the only one.'” (Source: “Basketball card featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant sells for world-record $12.9 million,” by Jamie Barton, August 24, www.edition.cnn.com).
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