THE animals went in one by one…
It was a busy old time at London Zoo this week, reports the Daily Mail, where over 19,000 animals were having their annual weight and height checked.
Some creatures, such as rhinos, tigers and okapis, had to be coaxed on to specially constructed larger scales.
The statistics are shared with other zoos across the world to allow keepers to compare information about endangered species.
Zoological manager Mark Habben said: “We have to know the vital statistics of every animal at the zoo, however big or small.”
Described as a ‘macabre relic,’ a porcelain pot which survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 intact has been sold at a UK auction for £3,250.
The Daily Express reports that the small white jar and lid had a chunk of melted glass welded to the side of it from where it had been flung towards it in the nuclear explosion.
It was picked up by an Allied soldier weeks after the bombing and has now been sold at Henry Aldridge & Son of Devizes, Wiltshire as part of a collection kept by a British man.
A spokesman for the auctioneers said: “This pot shows the horrific, raw power the Atomic bomb created.
“The glass stuck to the side of it had melted to goo and was flung towards the pot and solidified.
“When you think that glass melts at temperatures of 1,000F, it gives you some idea of the intense heat the bomb caused.”
On the market for £750,000, is a cottage in the Cornish village of Zennor with an interesting history.
The Daily Mail says Tower House has been rented by DH Lawrence in the past and also owned by Michael Morpurgo when he wrote War Horse.
Apparently both men used the location as inspiration in their writing.
Writer and poet DH Lawrence and his German wife Frieda moved to Zennor in December 1915 and rented the property for £5 a year.
In what is seen as the latest move towards a cashless society, the Royal Mint has cut the number of coins it puts into circulation by nearly half in four years
According to the Daily Express, the government-owned mint issued 1.3 billion coins last year – down from 2.3 billion in 2014.
The number of 1p, 2p and 5p coins being issued all fell by more than half, while the number of pound coins trebled due to the introduction of the new 12-sided coin last year.
|
Reference list:
The Express (www.express.co.uk)
Daily Mail (www.dailymail.co.uk)