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Unlikely Animals Snuggling Together at the Denver Zoo Have Melted the Internet with Their Cuteness

By
Nathan Frederick
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Capybara and howler monkey snuggling –Courtesy of the Denver Zoo
Capybara and howler monkey snuggling –Courtesy of the Denver Zoo

We could all learn a few things from the animal world.

This week’s lesson comes courtesy of a capybara and a howler monkey, two animals you would not expect to see together in close contact in the wild.

The world’s largest rodent, capybaras are typically found in marshy grasslands and swamps. Howler monkeys spend most of their time in trees, living in the dense canopies of the Central and South American forests.

But captivity in the Denver Zoo has given this unlikely pair a chance to get acquainted. ‘Baya’, the 16-year-old monkey was visited by 6-year-old ‘Rebecca’ of the very docile capybara species. The two, in real life, share geographic locations in the southern hemisphere.

Currently, a Denver Zoo exhibit features Baya and Rebecca as the only females in an enclosure filled with other male animals, so, the females have looked past their differences and everything else that might divide them.

Instead, Rebecca and Baya have become best friends, spending tons of time cuddling together and piggybacking across their enclosure.

“I think Baya just really finds Rebecca as a comforting friend,” Jessica Newell, the Denver Zoo’s assistant curator of Tropical Discovery told Axios Denver.

MEANWHILE, THESE GUYS: Zoo Officials Baffled When Lost Otter Cub is Found Snoring Among the Flamingos

“Rebecca’s pretty calm, and Baya’s able to go to her for comfort. They are very content with each other.”

The furry, golden-haired roommates have captivated the attention of spectators at the zoo and others beyond its walls. Pictures of the animals in various snuggling poses were posted to social media recently and the images have been spreading joy across the internet ever since.

“Animals can teach us a lot,” a Facebook commenter named Maureen wrote. “Love one another. We are all in this together.”

BEAR-Y GOOD NEWS: Bear Shocks Vets By Going into Remission From Terminal Cancer After Taking Meds in Honey–a Rare Treat That Delights Her

“We humans could take a page from their playbook,” added Ann, another Facebook commenter. “Kindness. Sharing. Mutual respect. Once again, love is re-imagined through nature.”

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Acupuncture is an Effective Treatment for Back Pain in Seniors–And Sometimes it’s Covered by U.S. Medicare

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Good News Network
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Credit: Getty Images / Unsplash+
Credit: Getty Images / Unsplash+

Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for back pain in older people, according to new research.

Chronic back pain for the study participants (aged 65 and older) showed greater improvement—in both physical function and reduced pain—when treated with the traditional Chinese method of inserting needles into specific meridians on the body, when compared to common medical care, according to new research.

Affecting over one-in-three older adults, the condition is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and one of the key drivers of the opioid addiction. But treatment options like pain-relieving drugs have a somewhat modest effect.

“They often reduce pain by about a third at best—and can help people function better,” said study lead author Dr. Lynn DeBar, who researched alternative solutions.

The BackInAction clinical trial by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research enrolled 800 participants including men and women over 65 with a medical history of low back pain for at least three months.

While acupuncture has been found to be safe and effective for chronic low back pain in adults overall, few studies have focused on senior citizens.

A third of the participants received up to 15 acupuncture treatments over three months, while another third received an additional six acupuncture treatments over the following three months.

At three study milestones—after 3, 6, and 12 months from enrollment—participants provided self-assessment of their pain and physical limitations. They agreed or disagreed with 24 statements that describe everyday activities made difficult because of back pain.

Their findings, published in JAMA Network Open, showed that—at the six-month and 12-month assessment—both groups who received acupuncture had greater reductions in pain disability than those who received usual medical care alone.

The acupuncture-treated groups also had reduced pain intensity and greater physical function after six months compared to participants who did not receive acupuncture.

MORE ACUPUNCTURE GOOD NEWS:
• How Acupuncture May Ease Symptoms of Menopause
• Tortoise Gets Second Chance After Healing With Acupuncture

“We found that the size of this effect, while modest, was positive and sustained,” said Dr. DeBar, who works with the California-based Kaiser Permanente research group.

She explained what sets the BackInAction study apart, apart from the fact that it’s large and randomized controlled.

It was focused specifically on adults 65 years of age and older, and it was pragmatically designed to involve seniors from multiple regions of the country so the demographics were consistent with the US census.

Most importantly, they worked with licensed acupuncturists in these communities, who are most likely to deliver these services.

The research team suggested that access to acupuncture is important, but if the practitioners could bill Medicare directly it could greatly improve access to such services.

Five years ago, Medicare agreed to begin covering limited numbers of acupuncture treatments for lower back pain, but only when administered or supervised by a physician or other qualified provider in a hospital or clinic setting.

That means state-licensed, independent, community-based acupuncturists, who comprise the vast majority of providers, are not considered qualified and thus cannot bill Medicare directly under current law.

Today, Medicare covers a maximum of 12 acupuncture treatments within a 90-day period in a doctor’s office or hospital. If the patient shows improvement, Medicare may cover up to 8 additional treatments within the same 12-month period, with the patient responsible for a 20% copay after meeting their Part B deductible.

The Backinaction study was undertaken as part of the NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term, or HEAL, Initiative, which seeks to speed scientific solutions to stem the opioid crisis, according to UPI news.

UPI talked to experts who were surprised that the effects lasted until the end of 12 months after only three months of the once-weekly sessions, which can’t be said about pain pills. The effects stop after you stop taking the pills. Not so for acupuncture, according to this study.

“This study shows that achieving back pain relief from acupuncture is verifiable and replicable, and that treatments can make a huge differences in people’s lives at one year out,” Amy Mager, for the American Society of Acupuncturists told UPI.

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“Love’s greatest gift is its ability to make everything it touches sacred.” – Barbara De Angelis

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Credit: Getty Images For Unsplash+

Quote of the Day: “Love’s greatest gift is its ability to make everything it touches sacred.” – Barbara De Angelis

Photo by: Getty Images for Unsplash+

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Credit: Getty Images For Unsplash+

Good News in History September 21

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Good News Network
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Sandra Day O'Connor being sworn in - public domain

44 years ago today, Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in as the first female Supreme Court Justice. She was approved in the Senate 99-0, with one Montana Senator being absent from who vote, who later sent her a copy of A River Runs Through It, by way of an apology. In her first year on the Court, she received over 60,000 letters from the public, more than any other justice in history. READ more about this famous justice… (1981)

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Farmer Pops the Question with Sky High Proposal Over a Special Canola Crop

By
Andy Corbley
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Will Henderson and Steph Carter get engaged – Photo supplied
Will Henderson and Steph Carter get engaged – Photo supplied

An elementary school teacher in Australia has her head in the clouds after an elaborate marriage proposal from her new fiancé.

Will Henderson’s sky-high idea hatched in the spring when he was preparing to seed the canola crop.

Williams handiwork – credit, supplied

Blooming yellow in September, he took Steph Carter up on a plane and popped the question, hoping a 10,000 foot view of their relationship would be the winning formula to make a bride out of his childhood sweetheart.

“It was really special,” Carter, who said yes, told ABC News AU. “I thought that he would propose soon, but I wasn’t expecting him to do it the way that he did.”

The way he did took months of planning and a few “white lies.”

The 25-year-old farmer in New South Wales spaced out 12-meter-long rows to form each letter, marked them out on a GPS file, and used that as a guide in his air-powered seed spreader.

“You can see the “E” and the start of a couple of letters struggled a bit … so I had to re-sow that by hand weeks later,” he said. “[Ms. Carter] usually wanted to go on a crop tour and I had to say no, which she didn’t like too much.”

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS: 

Almost as surprising as the proposal was the extra touch of inviting friends and family to cluster at their house for their triumphant homecoming. In the Blighty District of New South Wales, going anywhere takes time, and many of their relations live hours away.

24-year-old Carter explained that they are aiming for a 2027 marriage, in the garden at mom and dad’s house.

CELEBRATE YOUNG LOVE And The Drama It Brings On Social Media…

Diligent Barber May Have Saved Boy’s Life After Spotting Cancerous Lump on His Neck

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Good News Network
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Barber Firat Davutoglu and Owen Norgrove - SWNS
Barber Firat Davutoglu and Owen Norgrove – SWNS

An eagle-eyed barber saved a teenager’s life by spotting a lump that turned out to be a rare cancer.

A Turkish stylist name Firat Davutoglu spied it the 17-year-old’s neck after he’d come in for a trim of his back and sides.

He advised him to “get it checked out”—and the next week Owen went to his doctor who referred him to a specialist.

Following a series of tests, Owen was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system—and he immediately started aggressive chemotherapy following the diagnosis in January.

Owen Norgrove, from Shropshire, England, is now in remission and hoping to be given the all clear next June.

“Owen had just gone for his normal haircut and Firat noticed the tiny lump on his neck,” his mother Hayley told SWNS news agency. “When Owen came home he told us what Firat had advised and we immediately got him an appointment with his GP.

“Once we saw it, it did start to grow; by the time he was diagnosed it was a sizable lump in his neck.

“Firat really helped Owen have the cancer diagnosed much quicker so he could start treatment sooner. He underwent five months of chemotherapy at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and is being supported by the Teenage Cancer Trust.

“He had his last chemo on May 1. Then in early June he was in remission.

“You just don’t expect cancer at that age, it was a shock for everyone. But everyone rallied around and we had a strong support network. With his age and resilience, his body fought back.

This week Owen was reunited with Firat for the first time since he took the barber’s life-saving advice.

Teen Boy Owen Norgrove getting chemo VERTICLE – via SWNS

Recalling the day he had his trim, Owen said: “I came to the barber as I do every few weeks. Suddenly Firat stopped and said to me ‘do you realize you’ve got a lump on your neck? You might want to get that checked by a doctor.’

“I’m really grateful that the barber noticed the lump,” he said recently.

ANOTHER CLOSE CALL:
• Shelter Dog Who Recognized Man’s Oncoming Seizure Finds Forever Home
• ‘Hero’ Gamer Thwarts Attack on California School by Reporting Teens Discussing Bombing Intentions Online

Firat, who runs New Styles hair salon, said: “I’m just giving him a haircut and I saw that his neck, the right side of it, is swelling. I just asked what is it?

“He said he didn’t know and I got the mirror and he said he hadn’t seen it before. I told him, ‘Mate, you should go see the doctor’.

“He came with his dad (five months later) and I didn’t remember him because he had chemotherapy and had no hair. His dad told me the story and I feel emotional.

“He’s alright now and that’s what’s important now.

“I hope he’s going to have a long life, healthy, and he’s never going to see the hospital and doctors again.”

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9-Year-old Goes to College to Be Brain Surgeon for Kids His Age –And Wait ‘til You Hear Him Talk

By
Nathan Frederick
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Aiden Wilkens Family photos
Aiden Wilkens Family photos

At a time when most of his peers are navigating elementary school cafeterias, playgrounds, and yellow buses, Aiden Wilkens is embracing an entirely different challenge.

The 9-year-old Pennsylvania boy is already off to college—a fitting outcome for the lad who lives with his family in ‘Collegeville’.

As the youngest student ever to enroll at Ursinus College, studying anatomy and chemistry fits perfectly for Aiden, who’s been exceptional his entire life.

His mother, Veronica, said he was reading signs and correcting people’s sentences almost as soon as he could speak. As other toddlers watched cartoons, he became fascinated with the brain after watching dozens of intricate anatomy videos.

Aiden has been able to write algebraic equations for years—and passed his high school’s gifted test when he was only about six years old. A year later, he was enrolled in high school and is now a sophomore at Reach Cyber Charter School.

The articulate boy attends college classes three days a week and spends his other days working through high school coursework. He has set his sights on becoming a brain surgeon—and no one doubts he will achieve it.

“The reason why I want to be a pediatric neurosurgeon is mainly because I like helping kids my age,” Aiden told NBC Philadelphia in the video below. “It’s sad to see kids around my age with neuro-disabilities so I want to help them out.”

If Aiden stays on his present path, he might continue making history. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Balamurali Ambati currently holds the record for being the youngest doctor, having graduated from New York’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1995 at the age of 17 years, 294 days.

At Aiden’s pace, he may smash that record. But regardless of where he goes next, the 9-year-old college kid has already provided plenty of inspiration.

MORE INSPIRING KIDS:
• 4-Year-old Brit Taught Himself All 195 World Flags And Knows Every Country on the Map
• Two 10-Year-old Girls Just Defeated Chess Grandmasters on Separate Continents Just Hours Apart

“What I really want people to know from my story (is) all you have to do is put in work to do whatever you want.”

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Your Weekly Horoscope – ‘Free Will Astrology’ by Rob Brezsny

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Good News Network
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Our partner Rob Brezsny, who has a new book out, Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle, provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of September 20, 2025
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
A supple clarity is crystallizing within you. Congratulations! It’s not a brittle or rigid certainty, but a knack for limber discernment. I predict you will have an extra potent gift for knowing what truly matters, even amidst chaos or complication. As this superpower reaches full ripeness, you can aid the process by clearing out clutter and refining your foundational values. Make these words your magic spells: quintessence, core, crux, gist, lifeblood, root. PS: Be alert for divine messages in seemingly mundane circumstances.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The ancient Mesopotamian goddess Inanna was called “the Queen of Heaven.” Her domains were politics, divine law, love, and fertility. She was a powerhouse. One chapter of her mythic story tells of her descent into the underworld. She was stripped of everything—clothes, titles, weapons—before she could be reborn. Why did she do it? Scholars say she was on a quest for greater knowledge and an expansion of her authority. And she was successful! I propose we make her your guide and companion in the coming weeks, Libra. You are at the tail-end of your own descent. The stripping is almost complete. Soon you will feel the first tremors of return—not loud, not triumphant, but sure. I have faith that your adventures will make you stronger and wiser, as Inanna’s did for her.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
In ancient Rome, the dye called Tyrian purple was used exclusively for garments worn by royalty and top officials. It had a humble origin: murex snails. Their glands yielded a pale liquid that darkened into an aristocratic violet only after sun, air, and time worked upon it. I’m predicting you will be the beneficiary of comparable alchemical transformations in the coming weeks. A modest curiosity could lead to a major breakthrough. A passing fancy might ripen into a rich blessing. Seemingly nondescript encounters may evolve into precious connections.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Bees can see ultraviolet patterns in flowers that are invisible to humans. These “nectar guides” direct bees to the flower’s nectar and pollen, functioning like landing strips. Let’s apply these fun facts as metaphors for your life, Sagittarius. I suspect that life is offering you subtle yet radiant cues leading you to sources you will be glad to connect with. To be fully alert for them, you may need to shift and expand the ways you use your five senses. The universe is in a sense flirting with you, sending you clues through dream-logic and non-rational phenomena. Follow the shimmering glimmers.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
At the height of her powers, Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut declared, “I have restored what had been ruined. I have raised up what had dissolved.” You now have a similar gift at your disposal, Capricorn. If you harness it, you will gain an enhanced capacity to unify what has been scattered, to reforge what was broken, and to resurrect neglected dreams. To fulfill this potential, you must believe in your own sovereignty—not as a form of domination, but of devotion. Start with your own world. Make beauty where there was noise. Evoke dignity where there was confusion.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
In the high Himalayas, there’s a flower called Saussurea obvallata—the Brahma Kamal. It blooms only at night and for a short time, releasing a scent that legend says can heal grief. This will be your flower of power for the coming weeks, Aquarius. It signifies that a rare and time-sensitive gift will be available, and that you must be alert to gather it in. My advice: Don’t schedule every waking hour. Leave space for mystery to arrive unannounced. You could receive a visitation, an inspiration, or a fleeting insight that can change everything. It may assuage and even heal sadness, confusion, aimlessness, or demoralization.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
The human heart beats 100,000 times per day, 35 million times per year, and 2.5 billion times in an average lifetime. It’s the most reliable “machine” ever created, working continuously and mostly without special maintenance for decades. Although you Pisceans aren’t renowned for your stability and steadiness, I predict that in the coming weeks, you will be as staunch, constant, and secure as a human heart. What do you plan to do with this grace period? What marvels can you accomplish?

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Hindu goddess Durga rides a tiger and carries weapons in her ten hands, including a sword, axe, and thunderbolt. Yet she wears a pleasant smile. Her mandate to aid the triumph of good over evil is not fueled by hate but by luminous clarity and loving ferocity. I suggest you adopt her attitude, Aries. Can you imagine yourself as a storm of joy and benevolence? Will you work to bring more justice and fairness into the situations you engage with? I imagine you speaking complex and rugged truths with warmth and charm. I see you summoning a generous flair as you help people climb up out of their sadness and suffering. If all goes well, you will magnetize others to participate in shared visions of delight and dignity.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Born under the sign of Taurus, Maya Deren first expressed her extravagant creative urges as a writer, poet, photographer, clothes designer, and dancer. But then she made a radical change, embarking on a new path as experimental filmmaker. She said she had “finally found a glove that fits.” Her movies were highly influential among the avant-garde in the 1940s and 1950s. I bring Deren to your attention, Taurus, because I suspect that in the coming months, you, too, will find a glove that fits. And it all starts soon.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In medieval times, alchemists believed mercury was a sacred substance and divine intermediary. They knew that it’s the only metal that’s liquid at room temperature. This quality, along with its silvery sheen (why it’s called “quicksilver”), made it seem like a bridge between solid and liquid, earth and water, heaven and earth, life and death. I nominate mercury as your power object, Gemini. You’re extra well-suited to navigate liminal zones and transitional states. You may be the only person in your circle who can navigate paradox and speak in riddles and still make sense. It’s not just cleverness. It’s wisdom wrapped in whimsy. So please offer your in-between insights freely. PS: You have another superpower, too: You can activate dormant understandings in both other people’s hearts and your own.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
In the western Pacific Ocean, there’s a species of octopus that builds its lair from coconut shells. The creature gathers together husks, dragging them across the seafloor, and fits them together. According to scientists, this use of tools by an invertebrate is unique. Let’s make the coconut octopus your power creature for now, Cancerian. You will have extra power to forge a new sanctuary or renovate an existing one, either metaphorically or literally. You will be wise to draw on what’s nearby and readily available, maybe even using unusual or unexpected building materials.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
I invite you to contemplate the meaning of the phrase “invisible architecture.” My dream told me it will be a theme for you in the coming weeks. What does it mean? What does it entail? Here are my thoughts: Structures are taking shape within you that may not yet be visible from the outside. Bridges are forming between once-disconnected parts of your psyche and life. You may not need to do much except consent to the slow emergence of these new semi-amazing expressions of integrity. Be patient and take notes. Intuitions arriving soon may be blueprints for future greatness. Here’s the kicker: You’re not just building for yourself. You’re working on behalf of your soul-kin, too.

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

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“The winds and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.” – Edward Gibbon

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “The winds and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.” – Edward Gibbon

Photo by: Getty Images for Unsplash+

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Good News in History September 20

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Good News Network
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Blizzard of Ozz cover art, fair use

45 years ago today, Blizzard of Ozz, the debut solo album of the great and lately deceased metal singer Ozzy Osbourne, was released to moderate reviews and success. However it grew to become a staple of the genre, and was ranked as the ninth-greatest heavy metal album of all time by Rolling Stone. It includes the iconic singles “Mr. Crowley” and “Crazy Train,” both of which were sung by the great man only three months ago in his farewell tour, a week before his death at the age of 76 from Parkinson’s disease. READ more about the album… (1980)

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Boston to Open Series of Affordable Housing Developments Atop City’s Public Libraries

By
Andy Corbley
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A rendering of the planned library and housing project at 55 Hudson St. in Chinatown - credit, Stantec
A rendering of the planned library and housing project at 55 Hudson St. in Chinatown – credit, Stantec

Set to begin development in Boston’s historic Chinatown, an affordable housing complex will perch atop a branch of the Boston Public Library system.

It’s been 60 years since Chinatown had a BPL branch, and activists see it as the full-circle closure of a saga that began when it lost that branch all those years ago.

Demolished as part of a plan to thread Interstate 93 through town, the Chinatown library was located on Tyler St., near stretches of brick rowhouses inhabited by immigrants. A temporary library was opened nearby.

The rowhouses were demolished as part of an urban renewal project around the same time, which drove up rents and forced many residents to relocate to cheaper neighborhoods.

Now however, the interstate artery was demolished in 2008, and since 2021, the city has aimed at following New York City and Chicago’s lead of building affordable housing atop libraries—a community service at the very feet of the community that uses it.

“Families who live here will not only have affordable homes, they will also have a library just steps away, a place for children to learn, for elders to connect, for workers and students to find opportunity and to do so in community together,” said BPL President David Leonard, according to the Boston Globe.

Designed by Italian architecture firm Stantec, the 12-story mixed-use development project on 55 Hudson St. will include rental and subsidized condominium units on the top 10 floors.

BOSTON NEWS: There’s a Salt Marsh on the East Coast Where You Can See More Than 250 Species of Birds

“Seventy years ago, Hudson Street was a vibrant and tightknit immigrant community,” said Angie Liou, executive director of the Asian Community Development Corporation. “If it were not for the organizing of long time activists … we would not have reclaimed these parcels for community uses.”

Furthermore, BPL’s West End branch, on Cambridge Street near Mass. General Hospital, will be built over with an additional 13 floors containing 111 apartments.

MORE GOOD PLANNING CONCEPTS: Resourceful Singapore Finds Perfect Place for 86 MW Solar Farm–its Biggest Reservoir

“An essential function of modern libraries is to be a gathering space for residents of the neighborhoods we’re in,” Leonard said in 2023. “By building housing and libraries together, we’re dramatically improving the overall benefit that we’re having on the community.”

Upham’s Corner is the third library location being proposed.

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Maine Orchard Wins Best Corn Maze in America for 4th Year Straight by Staying True to Mainers

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Andy Corbley
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The Treworgy Orchard corn maze in 2015 featured Elephants - Courtesy of Treworgy
The Treworgy Orchard corn maze in 2015 featured Elephants – Courtesy of Treworgy

In Maine, a family farm that honors children’s books and local history has once again taken the #1 spot for the nation’s best corn maze.

It’s Treworgy Orchards’ 4th win in a row in the competition that measures the most unique and expressive corn maze in the country, organized by USA Today and voted on by the outlet’s readers.

Open Tuesdays through Sundays until November, tickets are $12 on weekdays and $15 on weekends. Members of the commercial fishing industry enter for free, in addition to children 2 or younger.

The seemingly strange carve out for fishermen comes as a result of the inspiration for this year’s design—the farmer and the fisherman—an homage to two of Maine’s important industries, represented on the state flag.

The whale among amber waves, with a man holding onto a rope attached to its tail, wasn’t inspired by Moby Dick, but rather by Maine author Robert McCloskey’s well-loved book, Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man. This children’s classic is the second to lend its theme to a corn maize at Treworgy Orchards, with their 2019 edition featuring a design based on Blueberries for Sal. 

“This maze allows us to honor both Maine’s agricultural heritage and the fishermen who are such an important part of our state’s economy and culture,” said Jonathan Kenerson, co-owner of Treworgy Family Orchards.

– courtesy of Treworgy Orchards

“The Maine state flag features a farmer and a sailor; we wanted to highlight the twin industries that have defined Maine for generations: farming and fishing.”

Treworgy has also won the best corn maze vote with designs from Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit and Winnie the Pooh.

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Trail Cams Leave Park Officials Elated as Rare Gaur Seen Thriving in Forest–World’s Largest Bovine

By
Andy Corbley
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Trail cam footage -Released by Thailand Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation
Trail cam footage -Released by Thailand Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation

Thai wildlife officials are heartened by the site of the world’s largest bovine leading her calves down a forest trail.

The camera trap footage shows that conservation is working: that gaur are reproducing in numbers in the country’s Huai Kha Khaeng Forest, and that there’s enough food and habitat to facilitate that.

The gaur was once widely distributed across south and southeast Asia, but is today seriously fragmented. Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand all have small populations nestled in evergreen hills, and are generally considered vulnerable.

The beast remains widely dispersed and in healthy numbers in parts of India, but faraway Thailand boasts a lot less space.

Nevertheless, the UNESCO-listed Huai Kha Khaeng spans 1.4 million acres, and decades of conservation work have made it an enduring refuge for not only gaur, but elephants and tigers as well.

ANOTHER ASIAN SPECIALTY: Rabbit-Sized ‘Mouse Deer’ Rediscovered in Vietnam After Being Lost to Science Since 1990

The nation’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation shared camera trap footage of the 4 animals moving down the trail on Facebook.

The largest extant bovines, gaur can grow 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh over 2,000 pounds. The horns of the bulls grow to be the largest of any animal on Earth.

WATCH the video below…

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“One fails forward toward success.” – Charles Kettering

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Quote of the Day: “One fails forward toward success.” – Charles Kettering

Photo by: Kid Circus

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Good News in History September 19

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Good News Network
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50 years ago today, Fawlty Towers premiered on the BBC. John Cleese boldly stepped out into the situational comedy scene without the support of his legendary troupe, Monty Python, and created what the BBC considers “the British sitcom by which all other British sitcoms must be judged.” Capable of withstanding multiple viewings, the BBC continues, the show featuring John Cleese as a high-brow yet largely incompetent hotel owner is “eminently quotable, and stands up to this day as a jewel in the BBC’s comedy crown.” WATCH a video… (1975)

 

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9-year-old Boy Saves Parents When Tornado Sends Car Flying into Trees

By
Andy Corbley
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Branson Baker - credit GoFundMe
Branson Baker – credit GoFundMe

Rogers and Hammerstein wrote oh so famously that “at the end of the storm, there’s a golden sky.”

At their home on the range, an Oklahoma couple are beginning to see that golden sky beyond a stormy nightmare that forced their 9-year-old son to try and save their lives after a tornado overtook their car and left them with terrible injuries.

It was back in April when tornadoes were reported to be en route to the home town of Wayne and Lindy Baker, and it was on their evacuation path to a shelter in Dickson, Oklahoma, that disaster struck.

Seeing the tornado a mile or so off, it suddenly changed direction and overtook the Bakers as they drove down the road in their Ford pickup. It sent the truck smashing to the ground before a tree fell atop it, pinning the front seats under its weight.

Inside, Wayne and Lindy suffered broken necks, backs, ribs, and arms, but in the rear seats, 9-year-old Branson was unharmed. He got out of the truck and ran a mile down the road in pitch darkness due to a power outage from the winds until he found a house with people inside who could help.

CBS News got ahold of the story via Wayne’s brother, Johnny, who was on the phone with Wayne at the moment the tornado hit them.

“I heard a ‘ding ding ding’ like hail or rocks hitting the windshield, then a large crash and the phone went dead,” he told the outlet.

Johnny and his partner rushed to the scene, but with so much debris and live power lines down along the roads, it made for slow going. The truck was so mangled by the incident that it wasn’t clear to Johnny if it belonged to Wayne until he heard screaming from inside.

Shortly after, Branson, who had run a ten-minute mile, returned with a neighbor, and together they did what they could to help Wayne and Lindy before 911 arrived to transport the parents to OU Medical Center.

“The last thing Branson told them was, ‘Mom, dad, please don’t die, I will be back,'” Johnny recalled. “…He had to become his parent’s superman… That’s exactly what he said. He said, ‘I have to save my parents.'”

Wayne and Lindy are contractors and the injuries left them unsure as to their future ability to earn a living. A friend of the family set up a GoFundMe to help pay for their medical bills and replace the truck, which as of publishing has raised an inspiring $100,000.

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In May, Branson and Wayne spoke to Good Morning America about their ordeal. The boy admitted he was very scared, and both were clearly still enduring the trauma of the event.

“I couldn’t be more proud to be a father,” Wayne said, conducting the interview in a neck brace. “A son that can accept a challenge in that way shows that he would go above and beyond for anyone.”

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In a July update on the GoFundMe, the organizer revealed that Wayne has made a substantial recovery and was able to return to work, while Lindy has removed her back brace, but requires a second surgery on her right hand.

As parents, we sometimes fear our children will grow up too quickly. Forced into traumatic circumstances, there’s no doubt that Branson has done a lot of growing this year of a kind that Wayne and Lindy can hopefully be proud of.

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School Invests $150,000 to Help Low Income Parents, Buying New Uniforms and Laptops for Every Student

By
Andy Corbley
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Students in Cumberland Community School - credit, Tony Kershaw / SWNS
Students in Cumberland Community School – credit, Tony Kershaw / SWNS

An English school has forked over $150,000 to buy all 270 incoming students a new blazer, tie, and laptop.

Located in one of the poorest parts of London, the aid comes off the back of sustained improvements in grades and higher education attainments at the school, proving that investing in students’ futures pays off.

The headteacher of Cumberland Community School in the London borough of Newham believes the uniforms help children feel “pride” in the institution, while removing fashion-focused distractions.

According to the Children’s Society, English parents spend on average £422, about $575 a year, on school supplies. Cumberland, however, serves one of the lowest income areas of London.

“For many families at our school the cost of uniform and computer equipment is an expense they can’t afford,” said the Headteacher, Ekhlas Rahman, according to Southwest News Service.

“I have had parents in my office telling me they just can’t afford certain items. As a school we felt like we had to act. We don’t want circumstance to be prohibitive to a good education, so we decided to foot the bill for the most expensive items.”

Head Teacher Ekhlas Rahman – credit, Tony Kershaw / SWNS

Under changes to the UK’s Education Act passed last year, schools in England are meant to be helping cut costs for parents. This could be by promoting cheaper second-hand uniform options, by removing unnecessary branded items from their uniform lists, or allowing generic substitutes.

Explaining his decision to stick with the uniforms even though families could rarely afford them, Rahman said “it gives a sense of pride to the school and the students.”

“By wearing the same outfit, students can focus more on their education and less on social pressures related to fashion.”

When he first took over, he reviewed the cost of the uniform and found it prohibitive, so in observance of the changes to the Education Act, Cumberland did away with the requirements on branded items.

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Additionally, for the 270 new students entering the 7th grade this scholastic year, their families were provided with a voucher for £400 ($460) for the purpose of buying uniforms and equipment.

“These are small things, but they do add up,” Rahman said. “We know families are struggling now and we want to do everything we can to help out. We are a school committed to investing in our students, so their ambitions and dreams can become a reality.”

MORE EDUCATION STORIES: Record Test Scores Buoy School Where Failing Students Put Phones Away

Cumberland Community School has been ranked as the most improved in the country over  a five-year period.

Grades are up for 70% of all students, and many of the 15 and 16-year-olds were also awarded scholarships facilitated through the school’s Prestigious Colleges Program.

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Teen Rescues Baby Beaver from River Rapids: ‘Such a Canadiana Experience’

By
Andy Corbley
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Connor with the baby beaver - credit, family photo
Connor with the baby beaver – credit, family photo

From British Columbia comes the story of a teeny critter and a kind teen sharing a “Canadiana” experience.

Connor Belanger and his mother Liz were enjoying a summer tubing trip on a fast-flowing river when the pair heard a high-pitched squeaking sound. Liz was a few yards ahead, so Connor lowered his hands into the river.

Clawing its way up into his palm was a baby beaver, then just a week old they would later learn.

“It felt awesome,” Connor said with a smile. “And I felt super protective of it immediately.”

Obviously exhausted, the animal was breathing heavily, but eventually curled up inside Connor’s hands and went to sleep against the teen’s chest.

When the two returned to shore they marked where they’d been on a GPS and called around looking for someone who knew what to do whilst the baby remained ensconced in Connor arms.

CANADIAN NEWS:

The family drove an hour and a half out of their way to the North Island Animal Rescue Association, which told CTV News that without the Belangers’ help there’s no chance the animal would have survived as it was only a week old and had likely been swept out of her den before mama beaver could retrieve her.

After a few weeks, “Little Timbre” is thriving, and currently practicing beaver skills on her way to a reintroduction into the same spot in the river where she was found 18 months from now.

“It’s such a ‘Canadiana’ experience!” Liz said. “If anyone is going to have this experience, it’s going to be Connor. He just has so much empathy for animals.”

Connor wasn’t the first young person to rescue a baby animal on a paddling trip down a Canadian river. Out in Alberta in July, two women were canoeing down the Kananaskis River, and encountered a mama horse whose baby was stuck in the water. The mare bolted, leaving the two women to rescue the foal, and carry it some hours down the river.

You can read more here. 

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Aboriginal Elders Lead Prescribed Burn–and Rare Orchids Appear by Thousands

By
Andy Corbley
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- supplied by Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
– supplied by Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Recapturing ancestral responsibility and restoring endangered orchids are the themes coming out of Australia’s scorched grasslands.

Burned by the cataclysmic bushfires of 2019, a national park called the Barrington Tops exploded in rare veined doubletail orchids, and now the traditional owners of the lands perform prescribed burns to aid these flowers in flourishing under duress from invasive species.

“During the… wildfires, fire jumped up here on the plateau,” Luke Foster, from the country’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), told ABC News AU. “And in the burn footprint the following season, we had 4,000 [orchids] pop up right where the fire went through.”

Prior to 2023, it had been more than 50 years since the plain experienced a cultural burning, when slower, cooler fires are allowed to spread across the landscape according to elders’ deep knowledge of the terrain.

Birrbay, Warrimay, Wanarruwa, Gaewegal, and Guringay peoples all consider the Barrington Tops, called the Biyan Biyan Plain in their language, to be their traditional lands, and elders of these groups speak of a time when it was used as a place for gathering.

Warrimay elder Michelle Perry has been collaborating at the request of the DCCEEW to help lead the burning in aid of the veined doubletail orchid. According to Perry, Aboriginal groups have been conducting these burnings for millennia to prevent larger, more destructive wildfires from breaking out.

“There was a sense that they [our ancestors] were giving approval… it was just a sense of, ‘Yeah, they’re caring, watching.’ It has been one of the best things that’s happened for me and my family,” she told ABC.

AUSTRALIAN FIRST NATIONS: 

So far the collaboration between the DCCEEW and some 150 different traditional owners has lit controlled fire to the Barrington Tops three times, and research is ongoing to study its effects on the orchids.

Ms. Perry relishes each chance to forge a greater connection to the land, and focuses on sharing and instilling that sense of connection into the younger generations of Warrimay and others.

SHARE This Story Of Resilience In Flowers And Humans From Australia’s Tablelands… 

“The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand and touch another person.” – Virginia Satir

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Good News Network
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Credit: Curated Lifestyle for Unsplash+

Quote of the Day: “The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand and touch another person.” – Virginia Satir

Photo by: Bobby Stevenson

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quote of the Day page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

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