Interesting & funny news from around the world, Интересные и забавные новости со всего мира

Two chimpanzees escape enclosure at Taipei Zoo

Taiwan's Taipei Zoo revealed two chimpanzees were tranquilized after escaping from their enclosure and wandering into public areas.

The zoo said in a news release that its emergency response plan was triggered Thursday when male chimpanzees Hsiao Chiang, 44, and Wa Chih, 11, left their enclosure about 4:55 p.m.

Zoo visitors were ushered out of the area while zookeepers set up barricades and veterinary staff were deployed with tranquilizers.

Hsiao Chiang remained near the chimpanzee enclosure and was tranquilized at 5:28 p.m. while visiting with the female chimps.

Wa Chih visited the giraffe enclosure before scaling a tree near the lion exhibit. He was shot with a tranquilizer, but managed to remove the dart. He was successfully tranquilized with a second shot about 5:40 p.m.

The chimps were examined by a veterinarian before being moved to an indoor enclosure. The primates were not harmed and woke up about 8 p.m.

A zoo spokesperson explained the chimpanzee enclosure is secured by two sets of doors. The inner set of doors had been left improperly secured, allowing the chimpanzees to force them open. The two chimps then forced the outer doors open to go on their brief outing.

The spokesperson said procedures are being reviewed to prevent future incidents.

Man flips 10 cups in 6.63 seconds to claim world record

The Idaho man who holds the most concurrent Guinness World Records titles said it took five months of practice for him to break a record for flipping cups.

David Rush, who holds more than 200 Guinness World Records titles, said his goal to break the record for the fastest time to flip 10 cups started as a challenge between himself and his coworker, Alex.

"I applied on the spot in the truck with our business partner John driving and acting as witness to the challenge," Rush wrote online. "I thought Alex was going to try too and I thought I'd knock it out in a couple of weeks."

Rush said "reality had other plans."

"Getting 10 plastic cups to consistently land face down became a humbling lesson in probability," he said. "After a few weeks, I finally got good enough I could land about 50% of the cups I flipped. Statistically, that's not enough. If 50% land, it's expected only have 1 successful attempt at 10 in a row per 1,000."

Rush said he practiced so much in the ensuing five months that even his 3 year old started getting "decent" at flipping cups.

He made his official attempt during an assembly at his niece's school in April.

"I spent an entire period flipping until I nearly lost my mind, resetting after several agonizing near-misses, I kept grinding thousands upon thousands of flips," Rush said.

Finally, just as the bell was about to ring, he flipped 10 cups in 6.63 seconds, fast enough to beat the previous record of 7.57 seconds.

Rush said he has a message for people who think the record looks easy: "I dare you to try."

Turkish city cooks up world's largest pot of baked beans

A Turkish city earned a Guinness World Records title by cooking cook up a pot of 1,807 gallons of baked beans — approximately 15,000 cans worth.

The Kelkit Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Gümüşhane Governorship and Kelkit Municipality teamed up to whip up the massive serving of beans on Aug. 22.

Kelkit Şeker Fasulyesi, a type of baked beans, is a local specialty.

"This title is a historic achievement for Kelkit, Gümüşhane and our region. It represents international recognition of our agricultural heritage, our local product and our community's collective effort. We believe it will remain a source of pride for future generations," organizers told Guinness World Records.

The city now holds the record for the largest pot of baked beans. The previous record stood at 1,479.36 gallons.

"We are most proud of the teamwork behind the record. Farmers, culinary teams, engineers, food-safety professionals, sponsors, public institutions and volunteers all contributed to the achievement. The record belongs to the entire community," organizers said.

Adam Vinatieri kicks a field goal at 11,317 feet to set world record

Former New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri set a Guinness World Record by kicking a field goal at an altitude of 11,317 feet and 8 inches.

Vinatieri, who retired from the team in 2021, attempted the stunt Tuesday at Jungfraujoch, a Swiss Alps saddle known as the Top of Europe.

The 33-yard kick, organized by the Patriots, was timed to promote the team's upcoming game against the Detroit Lions at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

The stunt earned Vinatieri the Guinness World Records title for the highest altitude American football field goal scored.

"Snow is simply part of my time with the Patriots," Vinatieri said in a news release. "But kicking a field goal at 3,454 meters is something completely different from anything I've ever seen in the NFL.

"You feel the altitude with every breath you take, your heart rate is different, your rhythm is different, and no one can really tell you beforehand how it will affect the kick, because no one has done this before. The fact that we were able to set the record under these conditions makes me very proud. This is definitely one of the most special field goals I've ever made."

78-year-old 'Fortnite' streamer earns Guinness World Record

A gamer grandma from Scotland earned a Guinness World Record as the oldest female Fortnite streamer on Twitch at the age of 78.

Cath Bowie, who has been livestreaming her gaming sessions on the website for 9 years as grumpygran48, said she was "instantly intrigued" when she saw her grandson playing Fortnite in 2017.

"Nearly nine years later I am still playing it, still absolutely loving it and although still growing older I have never made my age a deterrent," she told Guinness World Records. "Although I have tried several other games I have never found the excitement that I get from Fortnite. I call myself a 'Fortniter' more than a gamer."

Bowie, who turned 78 on Sept. 1, is featured in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2027 book.

"Being in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2027 always felt like a distant goal — something on my wish list that I never really thought I would achieve," she said. "So to have achieved this honor means a great deal."

Florida firefighter sets record as shortest woman in profession

At 4 feet, 5 inches tall, a Florida firefighter has earned a Guinness World Record for being the shortest woman in the profession.

Kelso has been a firefighter for 5 years in St. Pete Beach, Fla., after spending her 20s working in the corporate world. She said firefighter friends encouraged her to join the local fire department.

"Obviously I didn't become a firefighter thinking that this was going to unfold later down the road — I've been a firefighter for 5 years now, and this was just a joke in the firehouse," Kelso told Guinness World Records.

"One of the guys decided to look it up one day, and realized that I could in fact actually go for this award. We followed the steps, there was a big measuring process, and here we are! It's really just kind of a fun twist of fate, if you will."

Kelso said she doesn't let her height prevent her from doing her job, which entails going into burning buildings, carrying heavy equipment and enduring other extreme conditions. In fact, she said her height makes it easier for her to do some tasks, such as crawling through a window or going into a tight attic space.

"But I get the job done. A lot of the guys around here will call me 'spider monkey' because I'll climb on whatever I need to," she said.

Kelso encouraged others not to let their height prevent them from joining the service.

"Take the risk. Don't let other people define your limits. Firefighting is hard for anybody — mentally and physically. Whether you're 4 feet, 10 inches or 6 feet 3 inches. This career is not easy.

"You're going to be frustrated, probably discouraged some days, but you just have to show up and your willingness to never give up won't go unnoticed."

Vince Brasco holds the record for shortest male firefighter at 4 feet, 2 inches tall.

Escaped sheep visit new high school in Vermont

A flock of sheep escaped from their enclosure and took a field trip to a nearby high school, where a witness snapped photos.

Photos snapped by Ryan Tise and shared on social media by the Burlington School District shows several sheep wandering around Monday outside the new Burlington High School and Burlington Technical Center.

"It seems EVERYONE wants to get a look at the new Burlington High School and Burlington Technical Center," the direct said on social media.

The sheep were determined to have escaped from the nearby Episcopal Diocese. The animals were rounded up by staff and returned home.

Emu escapes from Japanese zoo, leads police on 2-hour chase

Police in a Japanese city were led on a 2-hour chase by an emu that escaped from a mobile zoo and went running through a residential neighborhood.

Moriyama City police responded Wednesday morning to reports of an "ostrich" on the loose in a residential area of the Shiga Prefecture city.

The flightless bird, later identified as an emu, led police on a 2-hour chase before being safely cornered and captured at an apartment complex.

The emu was found to have escaped from the Horii Zoo. The mobile zoo said the bird, which is less than a year old, had been allowed roam near the entrance, but the means of its escape have not yet been identified.

The zoo said it is reviewing its security measures, but plans to continue keeping emus.

No injuries were reported from the large bird's time on the loose.

California duo set Lego World Map record in under 5 hours

A pair of California friends set a Guinness World Record by assembling all 11,695 pieces of the Lego World Map in 4 hours, 59 minutes and 51 seconds.

Athena Leong and Sevy Swift took on the challenge April 12 at Brick by Brick Toys in Hayward after spending a month practicing with the Lego World Map, the largest commercially available 2D Lego set.

"When I was little, Lego gave me the tools to express my imagination long before I had the skills or resources to bring my ideas to life in any other way," Leong told Guinness World Records. "When I met Sevy a year ago, we quickly bonded over our shared love of Lego, along with many other interests."

The duo managed to complete the map in 4 hours, 59 minutes and 51 seconds, besting the goal of 5 hours and 30 minutes set by Guinness World Records.

"We realized one color at a time actually speeds you up a lot because the colors are already there for you to use," Swift told the Pioneer Online news outlet. "And then getting the right order for building. At the end you want the most amount of pieces in color because then you can just slap them in all the holes."