Month: July 2011

Animals Environment Science

“Extinct” Rainbow Toad Found In Borneo

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A colourful, spindly-legged toad was recently spotted by scientists in Borneo.

The last time anyone had seen it was 1924, when it was reported by European explorers.

The bright green, purple and red toad is known as the Sambas Stream Toad, or the Borneo Rainbow Toad.

Many people had assumed it was extinct.

In July, three of the toads were found on three separate trees in Borneo, Indonesia which is an island off the coast of Southeast Asia. Borneo is the third-largest island in the world.

A professor at the Sarawak Malaysia University led the expedition to look for the toads.

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Science

100-Year-Old Shipwreck Found In Lake Ontario

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In 1906, a ship carrying 480 tons of coal sank in Lake Ontario.
The ship was a schooner, with three huge masts, and it was called Queen of the Lakes.

The ship ran into bad weather near Lake Ontario’s southern shore, and started to leak. It sank quickly.
The six crew members abandoned the ship and rowed safely to shore.

Some people, whose hobby is looking for sunken ships, located the in 2009 using a sonar machine.
The Queen of the Lakes was in water that was too deep for divers to reach her.

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Animals

Toronto Elephants Packing Their Trunks

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Toka, Thika and Iringa are the last three elephants living at the Toronto Zoo. They will soon be moving to a new home, but they don’t know where yet.

They are waiting for the zoo to decide the best place for them.

For many years, the elephants have been one of the most popular attractions at the Toronto Zoo.

However, since 1984 seven elephants have died at the zoo and now the last three are getting old. The zoo has decided to send them somewhere else to live out their remaining years.

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Entertainment

Pirates, Privateers and Freebooters… Arrrr!

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Have you ever wondered what life was like for the pirates who terrorized the high seas from the 17th to 19th centuries?

Pirates, Privateers and Freebooters is an incredible interactive exhibit in Quebec City, Quebec.

It invites you to climb aboard a historically accurate reproduction of a pirate ship (complete with pirates) and experience the life and living conditions of these treasure-seeking scoundrels.

Unlike what Hollywood movies would have you believe, women were not permitted on pirate ships.

Pirates considered them bad luck – along with dice, rabbits and whistling.

But superstition did not stop adventurous females from disguising themselves as men and living the pirate life.

Two of the most successful were Anne Bonney and Mary Read.

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News Science

Judge Looks At New 3-D Images Of Titanic

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Four kilometres below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean lies the most famous shipwreck in the world.

The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage on April 12, 1912, about 650 kilometres off the coast of Newfoundland.

More than 1,500 passengers and crew died after the supposedly “unsinkable” ocean liner hit an iceberg and sank.

In 2010, scientists used sophisticated equipment to take very detailed photographs of the Titanic and the wreck site.

The photos were “stitched together” to provide an incredible visual record of every centimeter of the outside of the ship. Many of the photos will eventually be shown to the public.

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