The famous Diego Maradona? Not that famous, but this one should be famous too.
Who is this Diego? A tortoise. Almost 100 years old.
A centurion tortoise? Not unusual. What is his claim to fame? He has almost singlehandedly saved his own species.
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Another Diego with a hand of god story? Not quite. Or is it? Let me fill you in.
Yes, please. Diego is a giant Galapagos tortoise. The chelonoidis hoodensis. There came a time when there were only 15 of the species left on earth and Diego was drafted into a programme to increase the population of tortoises in the 1960s.
Diego was drafted into a breeding programme to increase the population of tortoises in the 1960s. What did he do? As a part of the programme, Diego became the father of 800 tortoises. The whole programme led to the hatching of 2,000 tortoise babies, and Diego led the way. So he is the father of 40% of his species today.
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Wow! This is indeed a hand-of-god story. What is he going to do now? He is retiring to the Espanola island. Diego was most likely taken from the same island as a young tortoise. For the breeding programme, he was brought back to Ecuador from a California zoo.
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Diego won’t be having any more kids now? He might, after all he will be released in the wild. Just that it won’t be part of the programme and won’t be counted.
How long is he likely to live? Normal life expectancy is around 200 years.
Then Diego is still young. You bet he is.
Animal Control: Dog, Pigeon And Other Law-Breaking Furry Friends
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Forget jailbirds. Cats, squirrels and even bears have entered a life of crime that has resulted in them being arrested, tried and even jailed. Read on to find out about these law breaking furry friends.
Forget jailbirds. Cats, squirrels and even bears have entered a life of crime that has resulted in them being arrested, tried and even jailed. Read on to find out about these law breaking furry frien..
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This parrot was definitely no rat. During a drug raid in Brazil recently, the police nearly had their cover blown when a parrot started shouting “Mum, the police!” in a bid to save its drug-dealing owners. But, despite its squawking, law enforcement busted the couple and detained the obedient parrot, who has since not spoken a word to the police. While the bird is still in custody, it is reported that he will be taken to a zoo where zookeepers will train it how to fly.
This parrot was definitely no rat. During a drug raid in Brazil recently, the police nearly had their cover blown when a parrot started shouting “Mum, the police!” in a bid to save its drug-dealing o..
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Maybe the criminals wanted a white knight to save them from their prison, but it looks like they settled for a white cat. A cat was detained on the grounds of a jail in Brazil in 2013, as it was trying to sneak in with contraband goods for prisoners, strapped to its body with tape. The items included drill bits, files, a mobile phone and charger, plus earphones, which could be used by the prisoners to plan their escape. After a brief detention, the cat was taken to a local animal centre.
Maybe the criminals wanted a white knight to save them from their prison, but it looks like they settled for a white cat. A cat was detained on the grounds of a jail in Brazil in 2013, as it was try..
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In 2015, a pigeon was arrested by police in India on suspicion of being a spy from Pakistan. The bird was arrested after it was spotted carrying a stamped message on its body. Officers X-Rayed the bird to see if it had anything in its body and then detained it in a local police station. While pigeons have often been used as a way to send secret information, the pigeon is listed as a suspected spy.
In 2015, a pigeon was arrested by police in India on suspicion of being a spy from Pakistan. The bird was arrested after it was spotted carrying a stamped message on its body. Officers X-Rayed the b..
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A squirrel was arrested in Germany. If that wasn’t enough, here’s why: It was stalking a woman. The police arrested the furry fiend back in 2015 after a distressed woman reported that the critter was aggressively chasing her around the city of Bottrop. The woman tried to dodge the animal multiple times, but it seemed that he was determined to cause as much trauma to her as possible. Officers arrested and took the squirrel back to the station, where it was learnt it was suffering from exhaustion. It was nursed back to health with some honey.
A squirrel was arrested in Germany. If that wasn’t enough, here’s why: It was stalking a woman. The police arrested the furry fiend back in 2015 after a distressed woman reported that the critter wa..
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Talk about the bears and the bees. In 2008, an enraged beekeeper started criminal proceedings against a bear that was continually stealing honey from his property in Macedonia. The bear was a recurring nuisance and returned after the beekeeper’s generator, that emitted light and sound to keep the bear away, ran out of power. And the bear ran straight for the honey. But as the bear is a protected species, a judge ruled that it could not be detained and would face no punishment for the theft. The state government had to pay to replace the missing honey.
Talk about the bears and the bees. In 2008, an enraged beekeeper started criminal proceedings against a bear that was continually stealing honey from his property in Macedonia. The bear was a recurr..
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There’s no holding this dog back from barking for what he believes in. Back in 2010, the stray dog started making headlines when he began appearing in the front line of antiausterity protests in Greece. He has been photographed many times and has shown up for nearly every protest, dodging tear gas and police. This legend sadly died a few years ago, but that hasn’t stopped other dogs taking on the challenge as well.
(All images are for representation purpose only)
There’s no holding this dog back from barking for what he believes in. Back in 2010, the stray dog started making headlines when he began appearing in the front line of antiausterity protests in Gre..
