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Lion King at 30: the global hit that Disney didn’t believe in

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joel-gray-1539770">Joel Gray</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/sheffield-hallam-university-846">Sheffield Hallam University</a></em></p> <p>Thirty years ago audiences were introduced to the epic story of one little lion’s journey to find himself and his family. Little did Disney know what a roaring success the Lion King would be when it was released in 1994. In fact, they fully expected it wouldn’t be.</p> <p>In the 80s and 90s, the movie studio experienced huge hits with the animated films The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991). This left many of the creatives at the Disney studio keen to <a href="https://www.theringer.com/movies/2019/7/19/20699678/the-lion-king-original-animation-1994">continue making princess stories</a>. Disney executive and Hollywood stalwart Jeffrey Katzenberg was banking on Pocahontas (1995) to be their next hit.</p> <p>Therefore, the Lion King’s development was undertaken by artists and storytellers who were expected to produce something that would only ever be second best. It’s this underdog feeling that resulted in a hungry and competitive creative team producing this original hit story (it’s <a href="https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a28376309/the-lion-king-hamlet-comparison/">not a direct retelling of Hamlet</a>, as some might think).</p> <p>Taking heed of its immediate film predecessors, Disney ensured the movie put music at the forefront of its storytelling, teaming up film scorist Hans Zimmer (Rain Man, Gladiator) with lyricist Tim Rice (Aladdin, Jesus Christ Superstar) and acclaimed international pop star Elton John. This combination of talent resulted in a soundtrack that won the film two Oscars in 1995 (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB5k_flnqf0">best score</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjgWWjkNbhU">best original song for Can You Feel The Love Tonight?</a>). The songs and music have played a critical role in the cultural and commercial impact of The Lion King. While some elements might change, in nearly every adaptation the songs have remained.</p> <p>The measure of success often used for movies is box office revenue, and the film’s 1994 total was <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0110357/">US$763 million</a> (£603 million) worldwide. Compare that with Disney’s previous great successes, The Little Mermaid <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0097757/">US$84 million</a> worldwide and Beauty and the Beast <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0101414/?ref_=bo_se_r_2">US$249 million</a>. Pocahontas, the great hope, also failed to outperform The Lion King bringing in <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0114148/?ref_=bo_se_r_1">US$142 million</a>.</p> <p>Its success spawned direct-to-video sequels, including The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride. In 1997, the film was adapted into a <a href="https://www.thelionking.co.uk/about-the-show">musical theatre production</a>, which, as well as touring globally, is a permanent fixture in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Then in 2019, Disney released <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TavVZMewpY">a live-action remake</a>. And now, as the original celebrates its 30th anniversary, the prequel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjQG-a7d41Q">Mufasa: The Lion King</a>, will hit cinemas.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lFzVJEksoDY?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Disney has cleverly followed the fans with these iterations. The 1997 stage adaptation tapped into the late <a href="https://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2017/4/13/the-50-best-musicals-of-the-1990s">90s resurgence in live musical theatre</a>. Since its debut the musical has received 70 major arts awards, including the 1999 Grammy for best musical show album and the 1999 Laurence Olivier awards for best choreography and best costume design.</p> <p>Then 25 years after the original’s release, Disney decided to remake The Lion King (following other hits such as Beauty and the Beast remake in 2017) – but the social environment had changed. In 2019, the “live action” remake of the movie ensured that this story set in Africa was rightly <a href="https://toofab.com/2019/07/04/original-lion-king-had-35-percent-black-main-cast/">cast with majority Black performers</a>. The cast introduced new names, but also attracted huge stars, including Beyoncé Knowles-Carter who voiced the character Nala.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MjQG-a7d41Q?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>After The Lion King’s early success, Disney’s subsequent movies (including Pocahontas) did not live up to commercial expectations. From the mid-90s, Disney’s dominance at the animated movie box office was overtaken by Pixar and their hits, including Toy Story.</p> <p>Disney experienced inconsistent success until 2010 when they embraced CGI 3D animation as the primary production technique for their movies. This new style was applied to their tried-and-tested format of retelling classic fairytales and placing music at the heart of the storytelling, leading to hits such as Tangled (2010) and Frozen (2013).</p> <p>The Lion King’s enduring success should be a stand-out moment of clarity for Disney: with a focus on good quality animation and solid music storytelling, even the unexpected can become a roaring success.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/233024/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joel-gray-1539770">Joel Gray</a>, Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/sheffield-hallam-university-846">Sheffield Hallam University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Walt Disney Pictures </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/lion-king-at-30-the-global-hit-that-disney-didnt-believe-in-233024">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Movies

Sydney lions’ great escape finally explained

<p dir="ltr">The mystery surrounding the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/five-lions-escape-from-taronga-zoo-enclosure">five lions that escaped from their enclosure</a> at Taronga Zoo has been solved, after the zoo revealed the big cats were able to roam free due to a small gap in the fence.</p> <p dir="ltr">Male lion Ato and 16-month-old cubs Khari, Luzuko, Malike and Zuri sent the Sydney zoo into lockdown last week after they got out of their enclosure.</p> <p dir="ltr">The five lions were found in an area adjacent to the main exhibit and returned to their enclosure before the zoo opened to the public.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a statement on Thursday, officials said that clamps used to join wire cables together had “failed”, leading to a cable unravelling to create a gap in the fence.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Preliminary independent engineering advice has confirmed that swages (clamps that join wire cables together) failed, enabling a lacing cable that connects the fence mesh to a tension cable to unravel,” <a href="https://taronga.org.au/media-release/2022-11-01/statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the statement read</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">”The lions were then able to create and squeeze through a gap.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The review into the incident found that the lions were “playing and interacting” with the fence for around 20 minutes before the gap formed.</p> <p dir="ltr">While the lion and cubs took the opportunity to escape, “lioness Maya and one cub chose to remain in the exhibit”, according to officials, and were later called back into their dens by keepers.</p> <p dir="ltr">While families who were camping at the zoo overnight were taken to a safe area by staff, other Taronga Zoo employees worked to bring the lions back safely and used vehicles to “monitor and control the situation”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This enabled keepers to use their relationships with the lions, as well as their training for such incidents, to calmly call the lions back to their exhibit, ensuring a peaceful and safe outcome for all people and animals,” the zoo said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The four other cubs and adult male lion appeared to remain calm and investigated the other side of the main containment fence, remaining within metres of their exhibit, before actively trying to find their way back under the fence.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After the five lions escaped, two cubs then breached a second fence while trying to find access back into the exhibit, with one walking back to the exhibit without issue and the other needing to be tranquillised by vets and returned.</p> <p dir="ltr">The zoo concluded the statement by saying the lions would “remain in an outdoor, back-of-house holding area pending specialist engineering advice”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The ongoing review of the incident has recommended that the fence be investigated by an independent tensile-structure engineer, who would advise the zoo on how the clamps broke and how the fence can be fixed.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-bbc3bb5a-7fff-23af-6c43-dd3f90bf6372"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

Sam Mac’s terrifying close call at the zoo

<p dir="ltr">Sam Mac has had a close call with a menacing lion at Sydney Zoo, just days after<a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/five-lions-escape-from-taronga-zoo-enclosure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> five of them escaped at Taronga Zoo</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Sunrise </em>weatherman was speaking to Marco, one of the zoo’s lion keepers, about Virunga, a massive 220kg lion.</p> <p dir="ltr">Virunga kept pacing up and down his enclosure as the pair discussed how big he is before Sam got the fright of his life.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The size of the paws, you feel their breath, the sounds that they make,” Sam said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Suddenly, Virunga jumped at the fence causing Sam and Marco to jump back, while in the studio Natalie Barr and David Kochie could be heard exclaiming “oh my goodness”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He’s very hungry,” Marco said.</p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSunrise%2Fvideos%2F5579584545490670%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">Sam then jokingly mentioned the incident at Taronga Zoo in which five lions escaped their enclosure - sounding the warning alarm.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Did you have that moment when you suddenly realise you’ve left the iron on at home?” he asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Like, ‘have I done all of my checks, are all of the gates closed? Did you have that moment?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Marco confessed that the incident at Taronga Zoo was a “definitely a good reminder” to ensure that he’s locked up the lions for everyone’s safety.</p> <p dir="ltr">He then handed Sam a piece of meat to feed Virunga and put his palm up against the fence before getting another fright.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So, just keep the fingers away, that’s all I need to know?" Sam asked</p> <p dir="ltr">“Yep, just keep the meat in the palm of your hand, aim for one of the squares around his head height, and keep your hand nice and flat,” Marco said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Once again, Virunga jumped at the fence, placing his large paw on it, scaring Sam away.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Whoah - ohhh. I know there’s a cage there, but it’s still just ... it’s so intimidating!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Marco tried to hand Sam another piece of meat to feed Virunga but he said he was “good”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My favourite animal - but ideally with a fence between us.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Sunrise</em></p>

Fence and digging marks at the centre of lion’s escape

<p dir="ltr">A fence and digging marks are at the centre of an investigation into how five lions managed to escape their enclosure at Taronga Zoo.</p> <p dir="ltr">One lion and four cubs were roaming around the Sydney tourist destination prompting emergency alarms to go off and people to run to safety. </p> <p dir="ltr">A family who was sleeping overnight at the zoo as part of the “Roar and Snoar” program were ordered to run as alarms blared “code one”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily no one was injured and the lions are back in their enclosure with a statement revealing what caused the animals to escape. </p> <p dir="ltr">“An initial review of this morning’s incident has confirmed that an integrity issue with a containment fence enabled five lions to temporarily exit their main exhibit,” Taronga said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The lions are now in a back-of-house holding area while a full review continues.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A full report will now be prepared for the NSW Department of Primary Industries.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Keepers and vets report all lions are doing well.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Taronga Zoo remains open and is extremely grateful to its staff and the community for their support today.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

News

Five lions escape from Taronga Zoo enclosure

<p>Sydney's Taronga Zoo was placed under heavy lockdown on Wednesday morning as five lions escaped from their enclosure. </p> <p>At 6:30am on Wednesday, one adult lion and four cubs were spotted outside of their main enclosure, but were still separated from the rest of the zoo by a six-foot fence.</p> <p>When the animals were discovered, a full scale emergency response was enacted in the zoo. </p> <p>Locals from the area reported loud alarms and directions for all staff apart from the lion keepers to go to "safe havens".</p> <p>A Sydney family who were staying overnight at the zoo as part of its luxury "roar and snore" program told the <a title="" href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/taronga-zoo-put-into-lockdown-after-five-lions-escape-enclosure-20221102-p5buua.html" target="" rel="">Sydney Morning Herald</a> they were told to leave their tent and run.</p> <p>"They came running into the tent area saying, 'this is a Code One, get out of your tent and run, come now and leave your belongings'," Magnus Perri said.</p> <p>"We had to run to this building, it was only 50 or 70 metres. They counted us, then locked the door."</p> <p>Taronga Zoo's Executive Director Simon Duffy confirmed that one of the cubs was tranquillised by a veterinarian on site. </p> <p>Taronga Zoo issued a statement just before 9am confirming the lions had escaped but they had been returned to their enclosures with no further issues.</p> <p>"An emergency situation occurred this morning at Taronga Zoo Sydney when five lions were located outside their enclosure. The Zoo has strict safety protocols in place for such events," the statement read.</p> <p>"All persons on site were moved to safe zones and there are no injuries to guests or staff. All animals are now in their exhibit where they are being closely monitored."</p> <p>"The zoo will be open as normal today. Further details will be provided when possible."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Nine News</em></p>

News

Nick "Honey Badger" Cummins welcomes "little badger cub"

<p>Former Bachelor and rugby star Nick Cummins AKA the “Honey Badger” has welcomed a baby with girlfriend Alexandra George.</p> <p>In a heart-warming post shared to Instagram, Cummins shared a cute photo of him kissing his partner as she cradled the newborn.</p> <p>“What an amazing life experience, so much love for my mob,” he wrote.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjXkl_2LSbD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjXkl_2LSbD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Honey Badger (@nickbadger)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Celebrities wished them well in the comments, with swimmer Shayna Jack writing “Congratulations to you both! Amazing news.”</p> <p>The couple are yet to make a public comment regarding the baby's name or gender.</p> <p>Earlier this year, Cummins shared an intimate Instagram post in which he announced that he and Ms George were expecting a “little badger cub”.</p> <p>The "Honey Badger" and girlfriend Alexandra have been public with their relationship since March 2021, after having secretly dated since June 2020. It has been rumoured they spent lockdown together on the NSW mid-north coast.</p>

Family & Pets

"Return our stolen diamonds!": Renewed pleas over the Great Star of Africa

<p>In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's passing, calls in South Africa are growing stronger for the British royal family to return the world’s largest known clear-cut diamond.</p> <p>Known as the “Great Star of Africa” or “Cullinan I”, the diamond is cut from a larger gem that was mined in South Africa in 1905. It was handed over to the British royal family by South Africa’s colonial authorities. At the moment, the diamond resides on a royal sceptre that belonged to Queen Elizabeth II.</p> <p>Demands for the return of the Great Star of Africa and other items have intensified since the Queen's death, as many South Africans view Britain's acquisition of the jewels as illegitimate.</p> <p>"The Cullinan Diamond must be returned to South Africa with immediate effect," activist Thanduxolo Sabelo has told local media, adding that: "The minerals of our country and other countries continue to benefit Britain at the expense of our people."</p> <p>According to the Royal Collection Trust, which oversees the royal collection of the British royal family, the Great Star of Africa was presented to King Edward VII in 1907, two years after its discovery in a private mine.</p> <p>Supporting the British monarchy's claim to the precious stone, the Royal Asscher Diamond Company has said that the gem was purchased by South Africa's Transvaal government (run by British rule) and presented to King Edward VII as a birthday gift.</p> <p>A University of South Africa professor of African politics, Everisto Benyera, rejects this narrative, telling CNN that "colonial transactions are illegitimate and immoral”.</p> <p>"Our narrative is that the whole Transvaal and Union of South Africa governments and the concomitant mining syndicates were illegal," Benyera has said, arguing that: "Receiving a stolen diamond does not exonerate the receiver. The Great Star is a blood diamond ... The private (mining) company, the Transvaal government, and the British Empire were part of a larger network of coloniality."</p> <p>According to the Royal Asscher, the Cullinan diamond was cut into nine large stones and 96 smaller pieces. The largest of these was named the Great Star of Africa by King Edward VII, who also named the second largest cut stone the Smaller Star of Africa.</p> <p>The larger diamond was set in the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross and the second cut stone was mounted in the Imperial Crown, which has been on display this week on the Queen's coffin.</p> <p>African countries continue to fight for the recovery of cultural artefacts that have been stolen by colonial troops, with more than 6000 people signing a petition for the return of the jewel so that it can be displayed in a South African museum.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Legal

Hollywood actor spotted next to crime scene

<p dir="ltr">Hollywood actor Dev Patel has been spotted speaking to police next to a crime scene in Adelaide. </p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Lion </em>and <em>Slumdog Millionaire</em> actor, who lives in Adelaide with his Aussie girlfriend, was at Gouger Street in the Adelaide CBD around 8.45pm on Monday. </p> <p dir="ltr">Police were called following reports of a man and woman fighting in the street which then continued to a nearby service station.</p> <p dir="ltr">Witnesses attempted to break the pair up before the woman allegedly stabbed the man in the chest. </p> <p dir="ltr">Paramedics arrived and treated him at the scene before taking him to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. </p> <p dir="ltr">His injuries are not considered life threatening. </p> <p dir="ltr">Following investigations, police arrested a 34-year-old woman and charged her with aggravated assault causing harm.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police say the incident is not random and the pair are known to each other. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: 7News</em></p>

Legal

"Never forgive!": Lion King and The Hobbit actor killed defending Ukraine

<p dir="ltr">A Ukrainian actor and TV host <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/celebrity-deaths/the-hobbit-and-lion-king-actor-pasha-lee-33-killed-in-ukraine-invasion/news-story/196a4a99f7c1c08d37388615191f04ab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has died</a> in the Russian invasion after quitting his job and joining the army to defend his country.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 33-year-old signed up to Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces just last week, and died during Russian shelling in Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, on Sunday.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2909e28d-7fff-abf8-bcec-915db6febe48"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">In his final post to Instagram, Lee shared a photo of himself smiling in his military uniform.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CasIphINGKk/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CasIphINGKk/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by ПАША ЛИ | АКТЕР | TV HOST (@pashaleeofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“For the last 48 hours there is an opportunity to sit down and take a picture of how we are being bombed, and we are smiling because we will manage and everything will be UKRAINE, WE ARE WORKING!” he wrote on Saturday.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-05bf1250-7fff-c7e8-1b63-17213acfb80c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">In another post from two days prior, he shared another picture of himself and called on Ukrainians to “join” him in the war.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CakIYNVNZea/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CakIYNVNZea/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by ПАША ЛИ | АКТЕР | TV HOST (@pashaleeofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">His post came as four civilians were killed, including a family of three, in the same city while attempting to flee Russian bombardment.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lee was known for his roles in Ukrainian films <em>#SelfieParty</em> and <em>The Fight Rules</em>, and for contributing to Ukrainian dubs of <em>The Hobbit</em> and <em>The Lion King</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sergiy Tomilenko, a Ukrainian journalist and President of Ukraine’s National Union of Journalists, confirmed Lee’s death on social media and expressed “sincere condolences” for his family on behalf of the union.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our words of support to all the staff of the DOM channel [where Lee previously worked], which embodies the noble mission of broadcasting for the de-occupation of the Donetsk, Luhansk regions and Crimea,” Tomilenko <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sergiy.tomilenko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">A former co-star, Anastasiya Kasilova, who appeared with Lee in one of his final projects, also paid tribute to him on Facebook.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He is an actor, TV presenter, my colleague and a good acquaintance,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Never forgive!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Lee reportedly joined Ukraine’s armed forces on the first day of the Russian invasion and was stationed in Irpin.</p> <p dir="ltr">Russia continued shelling Kyiv suburbs, including Irpin, over the weekend, resulting in the city being cut off from heating, electricity and water for three days.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following Sunday’s attack, which saw a mother and two young children among the eight civilians killed as they attempted to flee, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to punish “every b***ard” who committed atrocities during the invasion.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They were just trying to get out of town,” Zelensky said of the family who died. </p> <p dir="ltr">“To escape. The whole family. How many such families have died in Ukraine?</p> <p dir="ltr">“We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will punish everyone who committed atrocities in this war.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d8137e90-7fff-de91-8263-3913bb3e4f2d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @pashaleeofficial (Instagram)</em></p>

News

Australia Zoo welcomes two red panda cubs

<p dir="ltr">Australia Zoo is celebrating the arrival of two red panda cubs, the first to be born at the Queensland-based facility run by the Irwin family.</p> <p dir="ltr">Announcing their birth on social media, the zoo posted, “Our Australia Zoo family has gotten a little bigger - Introducing our 2 red panda cubs! These two adorable fluff balls are enjoying lots of snuggles from their mama. This is a first for us and a proud moment to be giving this critically endangered species a helping hand.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AustraliaZoo?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AustraliaZoo</a> family has gotten a little bigger - Introducing our 2 red panda cubs❤️ These two adorable fluff balls are enjoying lots of snuggles from their mama. This is a first for us and a proud moment to be giving this critically endangered species a helping hand. <a href="https://t.co/sK1w9WKb8I">pic.twitter.com/sK1w9WKb8I</a></p> — Australia Zoo (@AustraliaZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustraliaZoo/status/1481593303347138562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Red pandas are native to the high-altitude forests of Nepal, Burma, and China, and they usually give birth in early winter. They are considered endangered, largely as a result of habitat destruction and poaching.</p> <p dir="ltr">The zoo has also recently welcomed three cassowary chicks, and one of them, Fergo, has already become good friends with Bindi Irwin’s daughter, Grace. Irwin posted a photo on Instagram of the adorable pair last month, writing, “Two cute chickies! Meet Grace’s new best friend, Fergo, the cassowary chick. They absolutely love each other! We are so proud of our breeding program to protect this endangered species.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXrfhLVvt1c/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXrfhLVvt1c/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Irwin also celebrated the arrival of the red panda cubs, posting several photos of them with their mum on Instagram, and writing, “Welcoming the two sweetest bundles of fluff to our family. We are incredibly proud to be part of a breeding program for this critically endangered species.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYq1lQtBz_5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYq1lQtBz_5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Family & Pets

Taronga’s five new lion cubs make their public debut

<p dir="ltr">Taronga Zoo’s<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://taronga.org.au/sydney-zoo/lion-cubs" target="_blank">new lion cubs</a><span> </span>have made their public debut and are now accepting visitors to their harbourside home in Mosman.</p> <p dir="ltr">The five cubs, three females, named Malika, Zuri, and Ayanna, and two males, named Khari and Luzuko, were born to experienced mum Maya and first-time dad Ato on August 12, which also happened to be dad’s fourth birthday.</p> <div class="embed"><iframe class="embedly-embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FcNMiveGs600%3Ffeature%3Doembed&display_name=YouTube&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DcNMiveGs600&image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FcNMiveGs600%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="450" height="253" scrolling="no" title="YouTube embed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div> <p dir="ltr">Once the cubs turned 12 weeks old, they were ready to be introduced to their new home, under the watchful eye of mum Maya, of course. It has been over 18 years since lion cubs were born at Taronga Zoo, and this litter marks the first time there has been an entire pride in the zoo’s African Savannah.</p> <p dir="ltr">The cubs’ names are all Swahili, chosen by zoo supporters because of the lion’s African roots. Malika means ‘like a queen’, Zuri ‘beautiful’, and Ayanna ‘beautiful flower’, while Khari means ‘like a king’ and Luzuko, chosen by Taronga’s carnivore keepers, means ‘glory’.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">We're brimming with pride to announce the public debut of five beautiful lion cubs! 🐾🦁 <br /><br />The cubs who are now 12-weeks-old have taken their first steps into their new home under the watchful 👁️ of mum Maya!<br /><br />To find out more or to book tickets check out <a href="https://t.co/sC6cg9rIna">https://t.co/sC6cg9rIna</a> <a href="https://t.co/eKqEcH0Lh7">pic.twitter.com/eKqEcH0Lh7</a></p> — Taronga Zoo (@tarongazoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/tarongazoo/status/1456079093787729920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Mum and the cubs will have access to their exhibit from 10 am to 2 pm each day, and dad will be in the exhibit from 2 pm onwards. The zoo explains that just like any newborns, the cubs have “bursts of activity followed by napping and cuddling”, so their limited access to the exhibit reflects this; the family needs private time for very important napping and bonding time!</p> <p dir="ltr">This is the third litter for Maya, who was moved to Taronga from the zoo’s sister zoo in Dubbo last year, where she had lived since moving from a South African zoo in 2014.</p> <p dir="ltr">Carnivore unit supervisor Louise Ginman said that the cubs are growing at a rapid rate, currently weighing between 11 and 13kg each, and they’re already developing their own unique personalities. “Our guests are going to be in for a real treat every time they come to visit and see the cubs - with so many milestones on the horizon, no two visits will be the same,” Ms Ginman said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Rick Stevens/Taronga Zoo, Cameron Spencer/Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

African-American Google employee mistakenly escorted off premises

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Angel Onuoha was innocently riding his bicycle around the Mountain View, California, Google office where he worked as an associate product manager.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He was shocked and confused when he was stopped by security and asked to provide proof of identification, after being reported by someone who thought he was trespassing on company grounds. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Riding my bike around Google’s campus and somebody called security on me because they didn’t believe I was an employee,” his recently shared viral tweet read. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Had to get escorted by two security guards to verify my ID badge.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">A lot of people keep DM’ing me asking for the full story…<br /><br />They ended up taking my ID badge away from me later that day and I was told to call security if I had a problem with it. And that was after holding me up for 30 minutes causing me to miss my bus ride home <a href="https://t.co/UBzHDC1ugG">https://t.co/UBzHDC1ugG</a></p> — Angel Onuoha (@angelonuoha7) <a href="https://twitter.com/angelonuoha7/status/1440727156896661511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Angel’s ID badge was taken off him, as he was instructed to take up the matter with the campus security. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And that was after holding me up for 30 minutes causing me to miss my bus ride home,” he wrote. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Almost 2,000 people responded to his original tweet as they expressed outrage at how such an incident, largely presumed to be racially motivated, had played out in 2021.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One response was from a black man who said he previously worked in security at another Google campus. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Dawg I worked as security at Google and got security called on me,” he wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Angel was inundated with messages from individuals who had faced similar acts of discrimination in the workplace. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A spokesperson for Google told </span><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johanmoreno/2021/09/23/black-google-associate-product-manager-detained-by-security-because-they-didnt-believe-he-was-an-employee/?sh=1ee730742349"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forbes</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">the company was taking Mr Onuoha’s “concerns very seriously”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We take this employee’s concerns very seriously, are in touch with him and are looking into this. We learned that the employee was having issues with his badge due to an administrative error and contacted the reception team for help,” the spokesperson said. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“After they were unable to resolve the issue, the security team was called to look into and help resolve the issue.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The incident comes after Google’s public support for the Black Lives Matter movement, as they vowed to double its black workforce by 2025.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since its pledge however, black employees have increased by just one per cent, while white employees have declined 1.3 per cent.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Twitter @angelonuha7 / Shutterstock</span></em></p>

Technology

New baby lion cubs! And you can watch them live

<p>For the first time in 18 years, Taronga Zoo has five new African lion cubs and you can watch them live on the zoo’s cub cam for a small charge.</p> <p>Sydney's Taronga Zoo hasn't been humming with crowds over the past three months, given it's been closed due to Sydney’s ongoing lockdown.</p> <p>But there’s a lot more activity and there’ll be a few roars from the lion enclosure from now on.</p> <p>It was about a month ago on August 12 when the zoo first welcomed the five African lion cubs — three females and two males — a quintet of cuteness.</p> <p>These little balls of fluff were born to experienced mum, Maya, and first-time dad, Ato, and they've grown from weighing around 1.5 kilograms at birth to hitting the scales at between five and six kilograms now.</p> <p><strong><img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b2adcb784c574162ac621ac73145584a" /><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844172/african-lion-2-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b2adcb784c574162ac621ac73145584a" /></strong></p> <p><strong>Watch the cubs grow on the zoo’s 24/7 live-stream</strong></p> <p>As they've been growing, Taronga's staff have been keeping an eye on them via the zoo's CCTV cameras. And, if that sounds like a great way to spend your own day, you can now join them via a new 24/7 live-stream.</p> <p>Taronga already lets you fill your time staring at capybaras, seals, meerkats, otters, Sumatran tigers, lions and elephants, all without leaving your home, thanks to <a rel="noopener" href="https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/travel-leisure/leisure/taronga-tv-returns" target="_blank">its online TV channel</a>.</p> <p>All those animals are all well and good. They're great, and they're very easy to spend too much time staring at, actually. But, because we all grew up watching <em>The Lion King</em>, many of us have an extra fondness for lion cubs.</p> <p><strong>Small donation is required for the live-stream</strong></p> <p>Previously, the zoo's live-stream TV channel was free but now you'll need to make a tax-deductible donation of $7 to access the all-day camera footage – but you can donate more if you like.</p> <p>Your payment will help support Taronga, its ongoing research and conservation programs, and its work to save African lions.</p> <p>But the good thing is, there's your background viewing sorted. Popping the stream on in the background while you work from home can be a good idea. Sometimes, the animals you’re trying to watch aren't in view. And be warned – African lion cubs do like to sleep between 12 and 20 hours per day.</p> <p>Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo started their online streams in 2020, and they're back now for obvious reasons. Taronga is also releasing regular videos across its Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels, and they load keeper talks and other clips online regularly.</p> <p><em>To subscribe to Taronga Zoo's cub cam, head to <a rel="noopener" href="https://taronga.org.au/sydney-zoo/lion-cub-cam" target="_blank">the zoo's website</a>. To check out <a rel="noopener" href="https://taronga.org.au/taronga-tv" target="_blank">Taronga TV</a>, head to <a rel="noopener" href="https://taronga.org.au/taronga-tv" target="_blank">the channel's website</a> — or keep an eye on its videos on its <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/tarongazoo/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tarongazoo/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/TarongaSydney/" target="_blank">YouTube</a><br />pages.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Taronga TV</em></p>

Family & Pets

Heroic mum fights off mountain lion with her bare hands

<p>A mother in California is being hailed a hero after fighting off a dangerous mountain lion that attacked her son.</p> <p>The woman used her bare hands to fend off the animal after it lunged at her five-year-old son and dragged him along the front lawn of his home. </p> <p><span>The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the boy was playing near his house, west of Los Angeles, when the mountain lion attacked. </span></p> <p><span>After the mother heard the boy's screams, her protective instincts kicked in and she rushed to the rescue. </span></p> <p>"She ran out of the house and started punching and striking the mountain lion with her bare hands and got him off her son," Department spokesman Patrick Foy told the Associated Press.</p> <p>"The true hero of this story is his mom because she absolutely saved her son’s life."</p> <p>Once the boy was free from the jaws of the mountain lion, he was immediately taken to the hospital where law enforcement were notified of the attack. </p> <p>Mr Foy shared that the five-year-old boy had sustained traumatic injuries to his head and torso.</p> <p>Authorities also confirmed that following the attack, the mountain lion has been shot and killed by a wildlife officer. </p> <p>The officer was sent to the scene shortly after the attack, arriving to find the mountain lion crouching in the bushes with its “ears back and hissing” at him.</p> <p>“Due to its behaviour and proximity to the attack, the warden believed it was likely the attacking lion and to protect public safety shot and killed it on site,” the wildlife department said in a statement Saturday.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Panicked sea lions almost sink fishing boat

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A fishing crew in southern Chile had a surprising catch, after dozens of sea lions tried to board their boat en masse to escape a pack of hunting killer whales.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fisherman Antonio Zapata said he had never experienced anything like it in his four decades at sea, despite the fact that encountering hunting orcas was a relatively common experience.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the crew were sympathetic to the plight of the sea lions, they feared the boat would be damaged or sink even lower into the water under the combined weight of the animals and a full haul of sardines.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They were trying to climb on board and we had to spread ourselves around the vessel to try to get them off with sticks because the ones that were getting on were making us sink,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was a dangerous situation because we couldn’t get the sea lions to go away or make the killer whales leave either.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Footage captured on a mobile phone showed the water around the boat filled with thrashing sea lions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the 10-man crew could be heard joking in the video, Mr Zapata said they were also genuinely worried they could end up in the water too.</span></p> <p><iframe width="600" height="338" src="https://rudo.video/vod/bLSQN9/skin/simple/o/MjAyMS8wNi9sb2Jvcy1tYXJpbm9zLTc1MHg0MDAuanBlZw==" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; fullscreen"></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There were so many sea lions around the hull that we couldn’t move much - every time we did they got caught up in the propellers and I was worried they could break them altogether,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The crew attempted to approach a nearby island so the sea lions could take refuge there instead, but the whales blocked them from nearing the shore.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once the whales finally drifted away, the sea lions were able to swim for cover as the boat neared the Talcahuano port.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Some of the sea lions came with us into port. We couldn’t get rid of them,” Mr Zapata said.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: ABC news</span></em></p>

International Travel

New South African COVID cases have NSW scrambling

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NSW Health authorities are scrambling to trace the possible transmission of the South African COVID-19 strain within the Mercure hotel after three returned travellers staying at the Sydney hotel tested positive.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Authorities are searching for any other travellers who stayed at the hotel between April 7-12.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The three infected travellers entered the country on April 3 on the same flight before staying in adjacent rooms on the 10th floor. Two are related to each other.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B88FxBcgnGp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B88FxBcgnGp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Mercure Sydney (@mercuresydney)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The news comes as the WA Health Department recorded two new cases of hotel-quarantine acquired COVID-19 on Wednesday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Two sets of guests in quarantine at the Mercure Hotel Perth in opposite rooms shared the same virus sequence, the Department confirmed. This is despite the travellers arriving from different countries at different times.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Y0BmCjfIe/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Y0BmCjfIe/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Mercure Perth Hotel (@mercureperthhotel)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Genomic testing of the NSW cases found that all three had the same strain, the B1.351 variant of COVID-19, commonly known as the South African strain.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On day two of quarantine all three tested negative, but were later positive on day seven, ten, and 12 respectively.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Any guests who stayed on the 10th floor during that period that have since been released are being asked to get tested and self-isolate.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Staff who worked in the area are also isolating and getting tested.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The three positive NSW cases have been transferred to the Special Health Accommodation and will stay there until they are no longer infectious.</span></p>

News

South Australian zoo tragedy after lioness loses five cubs

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>South Australia’s Monarto Safari Park staff are currently in mourning after the loss of five lion cubs to lioness Nia.</p> <p>The open range zoo is the largest safari park outside Africa and released a statement on Facebook sharing the heartbreaking news.</p> <p>“Friends, it's with great sadness that we let you know about the loss of five lion cubs who were stillborn to lioness Nia yesterday,” the safari park wrote. “Nia, the second pregnant African Lion in our pride, went into labour on Tuesday morning. Sadly, she gave birth to two stillborn cubs early yesterday morning. “Keepers kept an eye on Nia via a live cam in her den and could see that, after these first two cubs, her labour was not progressing fast enough. Nia's welfare during this time was our utmost priority so the decision was made to intervene around midday on Wednesday to ensure she didn't develop an infection or experience complications associated with prolonged labour.</p> <div id="fb-root"></div> <div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/MonartoSafari/photos/a.192986660760871/2908160175910159/?type=3&theater" data-width="auto"> <blockquote class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"> <p>Friends, it's with great sadness that we let you know about the loss of five lion cubs who were stillborn to lioness Nia...</p> Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MonartoSafari/">Monarto Safari Park</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MonartoSafari/photos/a.192986660760871/2908160175910159/?type=3">Wednesday, March 4, 2020</a></blockquote> </div> <p>“The vet team carried out a caesarian procedure but, despite the team's best efforts, the three cubs delivered by caesarian were unable to be revived. “Unfortunately, there was nothing more that could be done to save these cubs despite Nia showing all the instincts of being an excellent mum.</p> <p>The park’s director, Peter Clark, said that staff were “deeply saddened”. “We're all deeply saddened these cubs didn’t make it. Every birth at Zoos SA is a step towards saving species from extinction and these cubs were no exception. “Keepers and the vet team will monitor Nia to make sure she recovers comfortably.”</p> <p>Monarto just welcomed four healthy cubs born to another lioness Husani in February.</p> <p>The park often sees the “circle of life play out”.</p> <p>"Husani, one of our other lionesses, only gave birth to four healthy lion cubs just a few weeks ago," he said.</p> <p>"At two-and-a-half weeks old, these cubs have their eyes open and are moving around quickly as well as sleeping lots too. It will still be another week or so until they can see properly.</p> <p>"During this time the cubs stay close to Mum and she only leaves for short periods to feed and be with her sisters."</p> <div id="fb-root"></div> <div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=191037925551658"> <blockquote class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MonartoSafari/videos/191037925551658/">Two-week-old cuties!</a> <p>African Lion Husani's gorgeous cubs are almost two weeks old and growing fast! 🦁As you can see here, they're very good at yawning and rolling around and showing off their pink little bellies. 😍 And Husani is continuing to be an excellent parent, attending to her cubs' every need and making sure they're always clean, warm and fed. Keep your eyes peeled for more cub cuteness on our Facebook page soon!</p> Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MonartoSafari/">Monarto Safari Park</a> on Thursday, February 27, 2020</blockquote> </div> <p>The tragedy surrounding the lion cubs comes almost a year after the zoo was forced to euthanise a two-day-old zebra foal as it sustained an injury that was “drastically affecting its quality of life”.</p> </div> </div> </div>

Family & Pets

New technology can help understand the decline in Australian sea lions

<p>Australian sea lions are in trouble. Their population has never recovered from the impact of the commercial sealing that occurred mainly in the 19th century.<span class="attribution"><span class="source"></span></span></p> <p>Currently, the Australian sea lion is a threatened species (listed as <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/14549/4443172">endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN)</a> with the population estimated at 10,000 – 12,000. More than 80% of these animals live in the coastal waters of South Australia, where their numbers are estimated to have fallen by more than half over the past 40 years.</p> <p>The sea lions’ survival is threatened by many factors, including bycatch in commercial fisheries, entanglement in marine debris and impacts related to climate change.</p> <p>With time running out, the sea lions’ survival depends on informed management. One important step is to establish a low-risk way of quickly assessing the health of the current population. The results could help us identify how to stop the population declining.</p> <p><strong>Technological insight</strong></p> <p>One common way to get a quick idea of an animal’s health is to assess its body using a measure equivalent to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index">body mass index</a> (BMI) for humans, which is calculated from a person’s mass divided by the square of their height. But using a tape measure and scales to obtain the size and mass of Australian sea lions is time consuming, costly and involves risky anaesthesia of endangered animals.</p> <p>With our colleagues Dirk Holman and <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/science/meet-our-scientists/dr-aleks-terauds">Aleks Terauds</a>, we recently developed a technique to non-invasively estimate the body condition of Australian sea lions by using a drone to collect high-resolution photos of sedated sea lions. We then used the photos to digitally reconstruct a 3D model of each animal to estimate its length, width and overall volume – and compared these to physical measurements.</p> <p>The technique, recently published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108402"><em>Biological Conservation</em></a>, worked better than expected.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303405/original/file-20191125-74599-16xcgmq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">Drone-captured photographs were processed to create 2D mosaics of images and 3D models. These were used to measure area and volume, both of which approximated animal mass.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">J. Hodgson</span></span></p> <p>The measurements were accurate, and we found a strong correlation between the mass of an individual and the area and volume measurements derived from the drone pictures. These are the key ingredients needed to assess sea lion condition without handling animals.</p> <p><strong>Conserving an iconic species</strong></p> <p>While simple body condition measurements have limitations, they are useful for conservation because they provide rapid health insights across a species’ range.</p> <p>Australian sea lions breed at around 80 known sites spanning more than 3,000 km of southern Australian coastline within the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-other-reef-is-worth-more-than-10-billion-a-year-but-have-you-heard-of-it-45600">Great Southern Reef</a>.</p> <p>Our technique can be used to study free-ranging animals at colonies across this range, from Kangaroo Island in South Australia to the Houtman Abrolhos Islands in Western Australia, and test for differences in condition.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309600/original/file-20200113-103990-1364qeo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309600/original/file-20200113-103990-1364qeo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <span class="caption">3D models of animals measured in the study.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">J. Hodgson</span></span></p> <p>This can give us valuable information about how individual health and colony trends in abundance are related. For example, if a colony is in decline and its members are in poor condition, it could be that factors such as food availability and disease are driving the decline.</p> <p>However, if there is no difference in the condition of animals from declining and recovering colonies, then declines may be due to direct human impacts such as bycatch in commercial fisheries and entanglement in marine debris. We could then target the most likely threats identified using this technique to better understand their impact and how to protect the sea lions against them.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/303404/original/file-20191125-74599-kf9j1s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">These two adult male Australian sea lions differed by just 11 cm in length but more than 130 kg in mass.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">J. Hodgson</span></span></p> <p>This technique could be used to complete a population-wide survey of Australian sea lion condition and help ensure the species’ survival. It would build on past mitigation measures which include successfully <a href="https://www.afma.gov.au/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/03/Australian-Sea-Lion-Management-Strategy-2015-v2.0-FINAL.pdf">reducing by-catch from gillnet fishing along the sea floor</a>.</p> <p>It will also complement current initiatives, including a trial to <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4481-4">control a parasite</a> that may improve <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2019/07/22/saving-our-sea-lions.html">pup survival</a>.</p> <p>Australian sea lions are an icon of Australia’s Great Southern Reef. As an important top-order predator in these coastal waters, they are indicators of ocean health. Understanding and mitigating the causes of their decline will not only help the species recover, but it will also help to ensure the unique coastal ecosystems on which Australian sea lions depend remain intact and functional.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127523/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jarrod-hodgson-247691">Jarrod Hodgson</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119">University of Adelaide</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lian-pin-koh-247692">Lian Pin Koh</a>, Professor, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119">University of Adelaide</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/simon-goldsworthy-939775">Simon Goldsworthy</a>, Principal Scientist, Ecosystem Effects of Fishing & Aquaculture, South Australian Research and Development Institute, and Affiliate Professor, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119">University of Adelaide</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-sea-lions-are-declining-using-drones-to-check-their-health-can-help-us-understand-why-127523">original article</a>.</em></p>

Family & Pets

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan glowing at "second home" on Day 2 of African royal tour

<p>The Duchess of Sussex was a vision on day two of her and Prince Harry’s royal tour in South Africa. </p> <p>The 38-year-old royal stunned in a look royal watchers rarely get to see, stepping out in an elegant headscarf and dressed down, comfortable and beachy look. </p> <p>The Duke and Duchess of Sussex paid a special visit to Cape Town’s oldest mosque and took the opportunity to have tea with a local family in the colourful Bo Kaap area, where they also hugged children and chatted with excited crowds. </p> <p>Prince harry wore a light cream-coloured suit while his glowing wife donned a matching coloured headscarf and a flowing khaki dress in part of the visit designed to celebrate the “rainbow nation” of beautiful South Africa. </p> <p>It was there they were allowed to wander through the Auwul Masjid mosque, the oldest in South Africa, founded in 1794. </p> <p>Earlier in the day, the couple paid a visit to surfing charity,<span> </span><em>Waves for Change,<span> </span></em>where they parised each other as “best mum” and”best dad”, while chatting with locals about their four-month-old son Archie. </p> <p>Ash Heese, an employee at<span> </span><em>Waves for Change<span> </span></em>told<span> </span><em>Town and Country Magazine<span> </span></em>how sweet the couple were to each other. </p> <p>“She laughed and said no she doesn’t think so, but parenting is a new strength that she and Harry are learning and developing,” Heese explained.</p> <p>“She said he’s the best dad, and he said she’s the best mum.”</p> <p>Duchess Meghan wore a Madwell denim jacket with a crisp white shirt and black trousers from her own<span> </span><em>Smart Set<span> </span></em>clothing range launched earlier this month. </p> <p>Africa has proven to be a special place close to Prince Harry and his wife’s heart. </p> <p>“Africa (is) a region of the world that over the past two decades has been a second home to me,” Harry wrote on Instagram a few weeks before the trip - the first official tour as a family.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see all the pictures from their royal tour in South Africa so far. </p>

International Travel

Terrifying moment angry elephant charges at Aussie tourists during South African safari

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A jeep full of tourists got more than they bargained for as they’ve filmed the moment an adult elephant charged towards their car.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The footage posted to YouTube shows the vehicle reversing at high speed to escape the irritated animal that’s chasing the vehicle.</span></p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ksMwL-w45cw"></iframe></div> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The elephant appears to ram the front of the vehicle in the video and makes trumpeting noises while flapping its ears while chasing the vehicle.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some of the passengers used their phones to film the ordeal, while the driver desperately tried to lose the elephant. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The driver is seen reversing at high speeds to outpace the elephant, who isn’t happy at all with the intruders.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">People were quick to comment on the nerve-wracking encounter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Not even a full grown male. Wouldn’t have ended well with that happening,” someone said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Others were quick to point out the car full of people filming the event.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Getting attacked by an elephant? Get the Snapchat ready,” one person wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Quick the elephant trying to kill us, grab [your] phone,” another added.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The average African elephant will grow between 2.5 to 4 metres from shoulder to toe and weigh between 2268kgs to 6350kgs, according to the </span><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/a/african-elephant/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">National Geographic</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> They are known as the largest animals on Earth and are also known to defend their territory with the same gusto seen in the video.</span></p>

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Terrifying moment angry elephant charges at Aussie tourists during South African safari

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Terrifying moment angry elephant charges at Aussie tourists during South African safari

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