Animals

Three gored at Pamplona’s fifth bull run

An American and two Spaniards were gored on July 10 during a danger-filled fifth bull run of Spain's famed running of the bulls through the cobblestoned streets of Pamplona.

The bulls broke into separate groups, and one of them trailed behind the rest, making the course extra unpredictable for runners trying to scamper out of their way.

Oldest Magellanic penguin at San Francisco Zoo dies at 40

The oldest Magellanic penguin at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, one of the oldest penguins living under human care anywhere in the world, died on June 6 at the age of 40, the zoo reported.

The estimated age of the male, called Captain Eo, was well over the species' average life expectancy of 20 to 30 years, the zoo said in a statement.

White rhinos return to Mozambique park after 40 years

A Mozambican park welcomed its first white rhinos last week in 40 years after 19 of the threatened animals completed a 1,600-kilometer truck ride from South Africa, conservationists said.

The rhinos were reintroduced to Zinave National Park in southern Mozambique under an initiative to restore wildlife and boost the local economy.

Fossil discovery solves mystery of how pandas became vegetarian

The discovery of panda fossils in China has helped researchers solve the mystery of how the giant species developed a "false thumb" and became the only dedicated vegetarian in the bear family.

Fossils dating back about six million years found in southwest China's Yunnan province included a greatly enlarged wrist bone called a radial sesamoid.

Byzantines cast spells with dolphin oil, says expert

The Byzantines hunted dolphins and used dolphin oil in the pharmaceutical industry, in oil lamps and in some superstitious works, said Vedat Onar, professor at Istanbul University, examining animal bones unearthed in archaeological excavations at Istanbul's Haydarpaşa, a historic train station on the Asian side.

They used dolphin oil to cast spells, according to Onar.

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