DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Teddy Hobbs. PICTURE: Reuters video
• Four-year-old Teddy Hobbs has become Britain’s youngest member of Mensa. Hobbs taught himself how to read at the age of two. “During lockdown obviously he watched a bit more telly than he would do normally, but he was asking to watch Alphablocks and Numberblocks instead,” said Beth Hobbs, Teddy’s mum. “And, you know, we were asking the questions, you know, that’s interesting but do you want to watch Teletubbies instead or do you want to watch more generic children’s programming? He was adamant he only wanted to watch the educational ones. And again, you’re there as a parent. You there like, well, if you’re asking for education, like, go for it. And then he suddenly started picking up on it.” Mensa is an international organisation for high-IQ individuals. Teddy gained entry after scoring above the 98th percentile on a Mensa IQ test. He can count to 100 in several languages, including Mandarin. – Reuters
• Italy was on Tuesday mourning the death in a road accident of a rare brown bear that made international headlines when it broke into a bakery and feasted on biscuits. The marsican bear, which had been named Juan Carrito, was killed after it was hit by an Opel Corsa car on a mountain road near the town of Castel di Sangro in central Italy on Monday evening. “There are no words to express our sadness at what has happened,” the national park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise said on Instagram. “Juan Carrito was a problematic bear but in the park we did everything…to give him a chance and allow him to remain free,” it added. The 150-kilogram bear was captured last year and taken to a more remote region after his bakery break-in but the four-year-old liked to return to his old haunts in search of food. Before the accident, he had been spotted over the weekend in a ski resort, Italy’s Rai news reported. There are believed to be only around 50 marsican bears left in Italy. The bear’s name came in part from the village of Carrito in Abruzzo where local media reported he was first spotted crossing a road. Carrito is also a Spanish word, hence the first name Juan. – Reuters
We rely on our readers to fund Sight's work - become a financial supporter today!
For more information, head to our Subscriber's page.
Florida pooches strut in costumes at Key West’s annual ‘Wienerpalooza’. PICTURE: Reuters screenshot
• The Wienerpalooza Dachshund Parade in Key West’s historic centre, in Florida, US, attracted around 150 dogs and their owners last Sunday.Hot dogs in buns, pastel-tailed mermaids and a unicorn with a platinum horn were among the costumes worn by Dachshunds – as well as other breeds – who took part in the tail-wagging parade, a fundraiser for a local foundation that helps animals in need. The stroll began with a short walk to accommodate the Dachshunds’ tiny legs at Key West’s red-brick Custom House Museum. As fans snapped “pupparazzi” shots and praised their favourite pups, participants promenaded along a downtown boulevard to the famed Duval Street. – Reuters
