Australia

During World War II, Australia sent an ornitorrinco to Churchill. Died on the trip and 82 years later we know why

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In 1943, a camouflaged ship departed from Australia to England with an ultrasecreta load to the peculiar: An ornithorrinco called Winston, a diplomatic gift for British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The creature died during the trip and for 82 years a German submarine was blamed. Some researchers They have discovered What really happened. Winston was not loaded by the Germans. Australian students They have resolved the enigma After examining the archives of the naturalist David Fleay, who captured the animal. The boat’s temperature records reveal that Winston died due to thermal stress by crossing Ecuador, not because of enemy attacks. Temperatures exceeded 27 degrees Celsius for a week, well above the survival limit of the species. Why Australia gave an ornitorrinco. In the middle of World War II, Australia felt abandoned by Great Britain while Japan approached the Pacific. Australian Foreign Minister Herbert Evatt knew that Churchill collected exotic animals and thought that an ornitorrinco, a creature that many considered at the time a taxdermic hoax, could tip the balance in favor of Canberra military support requests. The trip that should never have done. Winston was captured near Melbourne and embarked on a specially designed container, with burrows lined with hay, Australian stream water and 50,000 worms for the 45 -day path. David Fleay, the naturalist in charge, opposed from the beginning: no ornitorrinco had ever survived such a long trip and exports of the species were prohibited. The cause of “official” death. When Winston appeared dead in his tank, Churchill wrote to the Australian prime minister expressing his “pain” for loss. To avoid a diplomatic incident, death was hidden for years. When it finally came to light, the version that the Ornitorrinco had died from the stress of the attacks of the German submarines, a story that Fleay himself supported publicly. The clues of the logbook. Harrison Croft, a doctoral student at Monash University, agreed to files in Canberra and London that included interviews with the caretaker of the Ornitorrinco. “They made a kind of autopsy and he was very concrete: there was no explosion, everything was calm on board,” Croft explains. In parallel, an Australian museum team Digitized the collection Fleay staff, where they found the daily temperature record that revealed the real cause of death. Ship’s logbook. Image: Australia Museum Ornitorrincos Based Diplomacy. Australia tried again in 1947, sending three ornithorrincos to the New York Bronx Zoo. Betty died soon after arriving, but Penelope and Cecil managed to arrive healthy and saved to the country, even becoming authentic celebrities and a hook for the press at that time. The media expected them to be reproduced, but after a four -day “romance”, the thing did not go as expected. Image: Australia Museum The way to reproduce from an ornitorrinco is fascinating, since they are monoturem mammals, which means that, despite being mammals, they put eggs. In fact, they are one of the only five species of mammals that do this (the other four belong to species of Equidas). So when they saw that Penelope did not end up reproducing, it became a fun scandal at the time. In 1957 he disappeared mysteriously and Cecil died the next day of “broken heart”, according to the press. Since then, Australia strictly prohibited the export of ornitorrincos. Only two have left the country In 70 years, both to the San Diego Zoo in 2019. Cover image | Yousuf Karsh and Michael Jerrard In Xataka | If Spain believes that velutinas are a problem is because it does not know what the US has found: radioactive wasps

Australia was discovered in 1606 by Dutch. A theory defends that someone advanced a century: the Galicians

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Thinking about Australia is thinking about Rare animals with A single objective: kill you. It also implies thinking about the entire country as a British prison. Obviously, it is an exaggeration, but relating Australia with the British is the most normal when it was they who, in 1770 and under the orders of the captain James Cookthey began to colonize the area. But a historian did not believe in official history and developed his own hypothesis: Australia was discovered by the Spaniards. By a Galician ship, specifically, that was brought eucalyptus and left some granaries. 1606, a busy year. The British did not discover Australia, or from afar. The classic Greeks already theorized about something they called “Terra Australis Incognita“Or” unknown land of the south. “They imagined a continent that should be there for the theory of geometric symmetry and even included in European maps without really knowing if there was something there. In 1606, Things changed. The Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon He explored the northern coast of Australia and other explorers from the same country mapped both the north and the west later decades. In 1770, the British Cook arrived at the east coast, explored it and, that same year, he claimed it for the United Kingdom. So He was born The current new South Wales and the English had a new territory to colonize. As? With prisoners that They sent there in 1788. Lost Spaniards. But in 1606 they were not only the Dutch spinning around Australia. Pedro Fernández de Quirós He was a Portuguese explorer in Spain who, in 1605, decided to start from Peru to find that “Incognite Terra Australis.” He reached the current Vanuatu, an island east of Australia, also to the current Tahiti. After weeks, it landed in a larger territory and finally I thought I had given with “Terra Australis.” The christening as “Austrialia of the Holy Spirit” and was so happy. Currently, it’s called Holy Spirit and is part of the Vanuatu archipelago. Quirós and his other ships threw themselves into the sea again, but the ships separated and the captain of one of them, Luis Váez de Torreshe started looking for the main nave. He returned to Holy Spirit, He turned around for the Strait between Australia and New Guinea … and left. The area is named after ‘Strait of Torres‘In his honor and the Australian writer George Colllingridge affirmed that Torres “had discovered Australia without being aware of it.” Robert Langdon. It seems that the Spaniards/Portuguese did not set foot in the continent, but there are those who grabbed a burning nail, defending yes, that the Spaniards had been the first to reach Australia. And if you are thinking that it would be a Spanish historian taking breast, no: it was Robert Langdonan Australian historian who is called the same as the protagonist of ‘The Da Vinci Code‘. Langdon relied on several pillars to develop his theory. The most important was the discovery of guns of Spanish ships discovered in the Atolón de Amanuan atoll of French Polynesia halfway between Australia, New Zealand and South America, in 1929. Langdon defended in his’The lost caravel‘that those cannons were from the San Lesmesa Galician caravel that was shipwrecked in the territory and that pushed its navigators to start exploring the territories of Oceania. They were also reported findings of Spanish armor and helmets in New Zealand that would support this idea, but there are more details that support that idea of ​​the historian. ‘Patakas’ in Australia. A classic construction of Galicia are the Hórreos. It is a peculiar construction to conserve food, such as grain, moving them from soil moisture. They are like high barns that are associated with Galicia, but really in other European countries and even in Japan. This is important because Langdon speculated on the influence of those explorers who departed from Galicia in the architecture and culture of the area. As? With the supposed presence of Galician granaries in the territories of Oceania. The “problem” is that, as there are barns similar to the granaries in other parts of the world, in Polynesia, New Zealand and Australia. They call them ‘Patakas’. Eucalyptus in Galicia. That Galician granario in Oceania would imply the cultural bond between Galicia and Australia, but Langdon also relies on the presence of eucalyptus in Galicia. It is an endemic species of Australia and yes, they took Galicia from the contine In the nineteenth century. In addition, Langdon also used anecdotes to support his belief, such as the presence of indigenous people with light skin and eyes, morphometric aspects in the face that differ from that of the rest of the residents of the Pacific or who knew the metal. The alleged route made by the descendants of the shipwrecked of the San Lesmes No changes in wiki. The arrival of Australian eucalyptus to Galicia is fine Documented And there is no record of transoceanic contacts before the modern era, and that in Australia there are Patakas such as Galicians also implies causality. The result is that there is a lack of evidence that supports Langdon’s theory, and the majority studies carried out by other historians thanks to the period writings show that yes, the Spaniards made several expeditions, but it was Dutch and English who made the greatest advances in the exploration of the continent and its subsequent colonization. Posts to theorize … Now, Langdon was not the only one who threw himself into the pool with alternative theories. Rowan Gavin Paton Menzies He was a British writer and submarine lieutenant who jumped to fame when he affirmed, without providing evidence, that China had arrived in America before Colon. Their Opinions They were embodied in ‘1421: the year in which China discovered the world’. Not happy with it, and also without evidence, he launched the hypothesis that China had arrived 350 years before Cook to Australia and that, in 1434, China sailed to Italy and sowed the spark of the Renaissance. In the … Read more

Australia has executed 750 Koalas with snipers uploaded to helicopters. Even if it seems, it was for its good

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The Koalas are one of the most recognizable (and probably beloved) symbols in Australia and in part of their territory, such as New South Wales, Queensland or the Territory of the Australian capital They are considered in danger of extinction. Neither one nor the other has prevented a group of snipers being killing hundreds and hundreds of these marsupials in the BUDJ BIM National Parka wide nature reserve located to the south of the country. They do it from helicopters, with the support of the government and supposedly for “Humanitarian reasons”. The big question is … why? Snipers, helicopters and koalas. A priori are three concepts without too much relationship with each other, but those are the protagonists of the controversy that has shaken in recent days the Victoria statesouth of Australia, where the Budj Bim National Park is located. Local press days ago He started informing that hundreds and hundreds of koalas were sacrificing there. If the news was not surprising (and sad) already won even more impact When it transcended How the killing is carried out: animals are dejected From helicopters with the aid of snipers. All this of course with the PLACET of the Department of Energy, Environment Climate (DEECA), The conservation authority, as confirmed recently The ABC chain. Click on the image to go to Tweet. How many koalas have they dejected? The exact encrypts can dance based on the source that is consulted, but they all agree on something: the campaign is ending hundreds and hundreds of koalas in the region, more than half a thousand. In the middle of the month, as the news progresses, Yahoo News assured that had sacrificed between 600 and 700 marsupials. There are activists who raise However, the total balance of the measure above the 700 copies And in the last hours Europa Press (AP) rounded the figure talking about “Up to 750 koalas”. And what is the reason? Humanitarian reasonsaccording to The authorities allege of Victoria. The sacrifices are part of a precipitated euthanasia campaign in turn, the government insists, for The forest fire that devastated in March around 2,200 hectares of the Budj Bim National Park. The flames would have affected part of the fauna (including the koalas) and also devastated 20% of the Natural Reserve. The result: injured animals, abandoned and have seen how much of the eucalyptus they need to feed. No other options? Although the use of helicopters and snipers can be striking (and unorthodox), the Victoria government assures that the decision was adopted after “exhaustive evaluations” and that the koalas that are being down are “severely affected” by the forest fire. Moreover, Deseca claims that he has not found other alternatives to face the problem beyond hiring professional shooters and uploading them to helicopters. “All other methods considered are not adequate given the impossibility of safely accessing large areas of the affected landscape due to the remote location of the animals, which are often found at the top of the treetops, the extremely rugged land and the safety risks that lead to work in an area affected by fire and with damaged trees,” James Todd explainshead of Deca, to Vox Magazine. Do you all think the same? No. and good proof is that the news about the campaign has unleashed an intense controversy in the state of Victoria, the Australian team and beyond even the country. The reason: the scope of the measure. The Animal Justice Party He has denounced that local authorities “are not making any effort” to verify whether females dejected from the air have, for example, young. AND Alliance for the Koalas It even goes further and denounces that technicians have no way to check from the heights if the specimens they deduct are really in “bad conditions.” “It seems very indiscriminate,” Rolf Schlagloth agreesresearcher at the CQUNIVERSITY Australia specialized in Koalas. “The rescue should always be the first option if possible.” Beyond shots and helicopters. Among the activists and experts, not only has the selective koala slaughter bothered. Throughout the last days, voices have also been raised that they see in what happened in Budj Bim An example More than “the poor management of the species and its habitat” and warn of the effect of eucalyptus felling or the threat of global warming and fires. “We cannot eliminate forest fires completely, but more healthy forests and with greater continuity they can help reduce the risk and severity of the fires. The Koalas habitat must be extensive and be connected, and the management of the blue eucalyptus plantations must take into account the koalas,” SCHLAGLOTH ZANJA In a recent interview with Vox Magazine. Taller slopes. That last nuance is important. In Another article Posted in The conversation By Liz Hicks and Ashleight Best, two law experts at the University of Melbourne, remember that Budj Bim National Park is surrounded by commercial eucalyptus plantations, hectares full of foliage that end up receiving koalas in search of food. The problem is that this availability of the sheet leads to the populations of the marsupial to increase. And once the plantations are talked, those same animals return to the protected park. The result: greater pressure in the area and greater vulnerability to fires such as March. “Animals point out that logging is one of the reasons why Budj Bim had so many koalas,” They add. Images | ART WARRIOR (Flickr) and NGHIA NGYEN (UNSPLASH) In Xataka | The US wants more reindeers to be in Alaska and has an idea to achieve it: to reduce wolves and bears from helicopters

There are 90 dolphins stranded on a remote beach in Australia with a marked end. Wednesday will be sacrificed to shooting

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In recent years we have seen a lot of stories with dragged sea creatures by the sea until incompatible zones or habitatsoften because of the effects of temperatures changes in the oceans. However, few, or possibly none, such as the story that is taking place in a remote area of ​​Australia. Even there came more than a hundred dolphins, and most are still alive, but their end seems marked. Euthanasia. On a remote beach of the Australian island of Tasmania, 157 dolphins were stranded last week. However, environmental authorities have made the difficult decision of Start Euthanasia by shooting at 90 copies on Wednesday They still survived. The cause? Apparently, The impossibility of successfully returning them to the sea. The main reason for this decision is based on the fact that animals are increasingly stressed, severely affected by extreme environmental conditions, such as constant exposure to the sun and strong winds. Shelley Graham, in charge of managing the incident, has confirmed that, after exhaustive veterinary evaluations, Euthanasia is the only viable alternative to relieve the suffering of animals. A very difficult rescue. Experts have that the location in which the dolphins were trapped is particularly complicated for rescue work. Kris Carlyon, Marino Biologist, assured the media that it was one of the most complex sites with which it had been found In his 16 years working in Tasmania. The remote beach, located near the mouth of the Arthur River on the west coast of Tasmania, does not have easy access, which greatly complicates rescue efforts. Last week he tried repeatedly to refloat surviving animals, but without success. The physical characteristics of these dolphinsthat can weigh more than a ton and measure up to six meters in length, make it difficult to return them to the water, since it implies significant risks for both animals and rescuers. False calderones dolphins. The stranded dolphins have been identified as members of a little studied species popularly known as “false orcas” or “false calderones”named for the shape of their skulls that resemble those of the royal orcs. They are highly social marine mammals, accustomed to forming large groups that often exceed 50 copies. Not just that. This strong social bond implies that, when a single individual in the group is disoriented or trapped on the coast, it is capable of drag the rest of the group towards the same destination, causing massive variations Like the current one. These events are not unusual in Australia, but it is the first time in 50 years that such a significant one occurs in this specific area of ​​Tasmania. The science behind these cases. Although these incidents are relatively frequent in the region, scientists still do not know the exact causes that lead these creatures to vary in mass. According to the scientist Marina Vanessa Pirotta, from the moment a cetacean is caught on the beach, A critical countdown to its survival begins. Tasmania in particular is known as an area especially prone to variations, which could be due to its specific geographical location, complex for the natural navigation of these species. However, the ultimate cause of these incidents remains a mystery. Experts like Carlyon recognize that on many occasions The exact reason is never established whereby these animals reach the beach, and the explanation is usually reduced to collective behavior and group orientation. Ecological Impact. It is the last of the legs to be treated, the lack of deep knowledge about these dolphins makes the situation even more dramatic. According to information from the Australian government, There are no reliable estimates about the total number of specimens of this species in the wild. The species is classified in Australia as “almost threatened”, which underlines the ecological importance of this incident and the severity of losing so many specimens simultaneously. Plus: the death of large groups in incidents such as this has the potential of negatively impact the global population of the speciesespecially considering your relative shortage and the few data available on your state of conservation. Euthanasia in cetaceans. Finally, the euthanasia process in large specimens like these dolphins is not easy. In this regard, Kris Carlyon clarified that Mass euthanasias of large cetaceans are extremely complicated operationspractices that require precise and personal methods highly trained to minimize animal suffering. In fact, the choice of euthanasia through shots responds to a technical evaluation that considers the speed, effectiveness and lower stress in the execution. A procedure that in most cases It is usually a last resortapplied when there is no other reasonable alternative to save the life of animals. That said, the incident emphasizes the vulnerability of some marine species in the face of little understood natural and anthropogenic phenomena. Image | Handout/Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania In Xataka | The Burning Man rains made something amazing emerge: the “dinosaur gamba” and other strange animals In Xataka | Not only were the greatest animals that ever walked on earth. They repeated the play many times

Australia has to decide whether it approves a larger renewable power plant than El Salvador

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Yesterday The public consultation deadline ended For the environmental approval of Western Green Energy Hub, a project that aspires to become The world’s largest renewable energy center. Projected on an area of ​​22,700 square kilometers on the southern coast of Western Australia, would occupy more surface than whole countries, such as Slovenia or El Salvador. The megaproject. A renewable energy hybrid center with a monstrous wind and solar capacity: up to 60 million photovoltaic panels distributed in 35 different parks and 3,000 marine and land wind turbines from 7 to 20 MW. With an investment of 100,000 million Australian dollars (60,000 million US dollars) and a combined 70 GW power, the center would not only generate clean electricity, but would take advantage of it to feed a series of electrolyzers capable of converting desalinized seawater into 3.5 million tons of hydrogen Green a year, which would be exported to other countries in the form of ammonia. More electricity than whole countries. Western Green Energy Hub would not only generate more than 200 teravatios-hora of clean energy per year, a figure that exceeds the annual electrical production of most countries, but would leave at the height of a toy the largest renewable energy projects of The news, like Karapinar in Türkiye (with an area of ​​20 km²), Urumqi in China (with 133 km²) or Khavda in India (with 600 km²). Australia, which has an annual consumption of 273 twh, does not need so much energy, hence the need to produce green hydrogen to store it ammoniawhich has multiple uses in industry and agriculture. The concerns. Although Australia is one of the countries that has been betting on renewable energy and green hydrogen, the environmental protection authority mentions A fan of possible impacts in marine and coastal habitats. Winding can reduce the quality of marine fauna, specifically benthic communities, and affect coastal processes. Also for the dredging and movements of the ships in charge of installing them. On the other hand, dehydration prior to the construction of a desalination plant and the felling of 27,188 hectares of vegetation could reduce terrestrial fauna. Built in aboriginal lands. If approved, the project will go to history not only for its size, but as one of the first in which A consortium of energy companies Led by Intercontinental Energy and CWP Global, it is associated with owners of aboriginal land, represented by Traditional Mirning Lands Aboriginal Corporation. The center would be built in seven phases over 30 years, with the aim of installing 35 nodes between 2 and 3 GW from here to 2050. The chosen place is the mirning lands in the great Australian bay, among the towns of EUCLA and KALGOORLIE-BOULDER, to take advantage of the immense potential of wind and solar energy in the area, with an estimated use factor of 70%. Image | WGEH In Xataka | The largest fiasco of solar energy is in the Nevada desert: it does not work and its promoter blames a Spanish company

the inspiring rebirth of Paula Badosa with Sabalenka as the next milestone in Australia

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The Spanish Paula Badosa He is on the verge of the most important moment of his career. This Thursday, in prime time and against the number one in the world and current champion, Aryna Sabalenkathe Catalan tennis player will look for a place in the final of the Australian Openin what promises to be an epic duel. At 27 years old, Badosa, born in New York but raised in Spain, has proven to have the talent and determination to compete at the highest level. His career, marked by moments of glory and personal challengeshas led her to play her first semifinal in a Grand Slam tournament. “I have never hidden, but My dream has always been to win a Grand Slam“, he stated with determination after his victory in the quarterfinals against one of the favorites in this edition Coco Gauff. Paula Badosa, at the Australian Open 2025 EFE The rebirth of Badosa Paula Badosa’s career has not been easy. In 2023, a serious back injury suffered during the Rome tournament forced her to stay away from the courts for six months. That period was full of uncertainty and thoughts about possible retirement. However, the Spanish tennis player found her turning point at that moment. Changes to your equipmenta innovative treatment for your ailment and a renewed focus on your mental health They marked the beginning of his resurgence. The title won in Indian Wells WTA 1000 in 2021 It was the first great milestone of his career, to which three other circuit trophies were added. More recently, Badosa was crowned in Washingtonconsolidating his return to the elite of world tennis. His performance in Australian Open It has been impeccable. He has defeated high-caliber rivals like the American Coco Gauffworld number three, in the quarterfinals, ending his opponent’s twelve-match winning streak. This achievement has not only guaranteed her a place among the top ten in the ranking, but also places her as one of the main contenders for the title. High voltage duel The semi-final against Aryna Sabalenka It promises to be a clash of titans. The Belarusian, current tournament champion and world number one, arrives at the match in her best moment. Sabalenka has shown impressive consistency and aggressiveness, as Badosa highlighted when talking about her next opponent: “Aryna is showing why she is number one, she is very consistent, aggressive and very intense“. The history between both players favors Sabalenka, who has won five of the previous seven meetings. The most recent was at Roland Garros, where the Belarusian won with authority. However, Paula Badosa has proven to be in her best physical and mental shape, and is determined to take advantage of this opportunity to make a statement. He mental work has been a fundamental pillar in the resurgence of the tennis player. After a tough defeat at the US Open in September 2024, the Spaniard decided to rethink her approach and work intensely on her psychological strength. “I think almost all of us learn the hard way.. I took a very big hit at the US Open, but that made me sit down and say: I want to be there again,” he explained. With the help of his psychologist, Badosa has incorporated techniques like visualization and meditation to your daily routinewhich has allowed him to remain calm and focused at crucial moments. This effort has clearly borne fruit in his performance in Melbourne, where he has demonstrated remarkable maturity and resilience. Paula Badosa poses with Washington’s title. EFE. Date with history The duel between Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka will open the women’s semifinal day of the Australian Open this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. local time in Melbourne (9:30 a.m. Spanish peninsular time). The match will be followed by the confrontation between the Polish Iga Swiatek and the American Madison Keyscompleting a decisive day in the first Grand Slam of the year. Regardless of the result, Badosa has already managed to establish herself as one of the best tennis players on the circuit. His rise in the ranking and his performance in the tournament are a testament to his talent and effort. However, the Spanish is not satisfied with what has been achieved. His goal is clear: lift the Australian Open trophy and leave his mark on the history of tennis. “In the final rounds my level rises, I want to be one hundred percent“, he stated with conviction. This Thursday, Badosa will have the opportunity to show that she is ready to fulfill her dream and establish herself as one of the greats of the sport. The expectation is maximum. The showdown between Badosa and Sabalenka will not only decide who advances to the final, but it will also be a spectacle that no one will want to miss. History is at stake, and Paula Badosa is prepared to write it.

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