Chonkers the sea lion draws crowds to San Francisco's Pier 39
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A massive sea lion nicknamed Chonkers is charming tourists and locals at San Francisco's Pier 39. On Thursday morning, visitors snapped photos of the Steller sea lion as he flopped on the pier among much smaller California sea lions. Chonkers is estimated to weigh between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds. He likely came from waters off Washington or Oregon. Laura Gill from The Marine Mammal Center says the pier offers protection from predators and plenty of food. Sea lions have gathered at the pier since after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, becoming a tourist attraction.
Nipper, stay! The future of a beloved dog statue on a New York warehouse is up in the air
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Albany residents love Nipper, a giant dog statue perched atop a warehouse for nearly seven decades. This 28-foot statue depicting the famous RCA dog listening to a phonograph has become a local icon. Parents point it out to kids, and Nipper merchandise is popular. However, that pride is now tempered with concern for Nipper’s future. After years of litigation, the unused four-story warehouse on which Nipper sits was recently marked by a red placard with white slash — a warning to firefighters and other first responders to use caution when entering.
Mexico City is sinking so quickly, it can be seen from space
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico City is sinking nearly 10 inches every year, making it one of the world’s fastest-sinking metropolitan areas. That's according to newly released satellite imagery from NASA. The sprawling megalopolis with a population of some 22 million was built upon an ancient lake bed. Over the decades groundwater pumping and urban development have dramatically shrunk the aquifer. So Mexico City has been sinking for over a century, leaving many monuments and older buildings visibly tilted to the side. In some parts the drop is coming at an average rate of 0.78 inches a month.
Wreckage of a US Coast Guard ship lost during WWI has been found off the coast of England
MIAMI (AP) — The wreckage of a U.S. Coast Guard ship lost in a deadly attack more than a century ago, during World War I, was been discovered off the coast of England. The Coast Guard announced Wednesday that the USCGC Tampa was found about 50 miles off Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom, at a depth exceeding 300 feet deep in the Atlantic Ocean. The cutter’s wreckage was located and confirmed by the British technical-diving team Gasperados. The Tampa was lost after being torpedoed by a German submarine in the Bristol Channel. The vessel sank in less than three minutes, resulting in the death of all 131 people aboard. It was largest single American naval combat loss of life in World War I.
Mexican man pleads guilty to impersonating Border Patrol agent to 'disrupt deportation missions'
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A Mexican man in the United States has pleaded guilty to impersonating a Border Patrol agent and following federal immigration officers to divert them while they were out on immigration enforcement missions in Southern California. Jamie Ernesto Alvarez-Gonzalez admitted Tuesday to following a Border Patrol agent on Jan. 8 while he was driving in a neighborhood in San Diego, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. He drove a black Ford F-150 truck, a model also used by undercover federal officers. The agent aborted his mission when he saw Alvarez-Gonzalez following him, falsely believing other agents were responding.
French teen charged in Singapore over a vending machine straw-licking video
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A French teen faces charges in Singapore after posting a video of himself licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and putting it back. Singapore media reported that Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 18, was charged April 24 for committing mischief and being a public nuisance. He hasn't entered a plea. The incident allegedly occurred March 12 at a shopping mall, the Straits Times said. He obtained a court approval Wednesday to travel to Manila for a school trip and will be back in court May 29. He could face up to two years in prison if convicted on both charges. The vending machine company has lodged a police report and plans upgrades to its machines. Singapore strictly regulates public behavior and cleanliness.
Farmers in Vermont expected a sheep to have twins. She ended up having rare sextuplets
UNDERHILL, Vt. (AP) — A sheep at Clover & Bee Farm in Underhill, Vermont, gave birth to a rare batch of six lambs earlier this month. The sextuplets and their mother are all doing well, making the lamb windfall even more remarkable. The mother previously had quadruplets, and while a recent checkup indicated she would have two lambs this time, the farm's owners suspected more. When the big day came, the baby lambs seemed to keep coming and coming. Agricultural websites say the sextuplets are very rare.
Rare two-colored lobster caught by fishermen off Cape Cod donated to aquarium
A Cape Cod seafood company has donated a rare two-colored lobster to a science center, sparing the critter from the kettle because of its remarkable coloration. The lobster is the typical brown color on one side and bright orange on the other. The two-toned pattern goes all the way from its head to its tail. Representatives for Wellfleet Shellfish Company in Eastham, Massachusetts, said Monday they have been fielding inquiries about the crustacean for days. The company gifted the lobster to Woods Hole Science Aquarium in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
He laughed so hard at Koo's botched NFL kick that he had a seizure. It may have saved his life
When New York Giants kicker Younghoe Koo botched a field goal attempt during a Monday night game this past season, Mark Toothaker laughed so hard he had a seizure and tests revealed he had a benign tumor in his head. It was surgically removed and he was home from the hospital that week with no lasting permanent damage. The stallion season manager at Spendthrift Farm believes it happening at home instead of when he was traveling saved his life. He will be at the Kentucky Derby this week with Further Ado, thankful for what he considers a miracle.
Meet the baby koala hiding in its mom’s pouch at a Florida zoo’s new Outback habitat
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Palm Beach Zoo in Florida has two reasons to celebrate. They have welcomed their first koala birth and are opening a newly renovated habitat for the cuddly creatures on Saturday. Amarylis Celestina, who oversees the koalas, says the birth is crucial for genetic diversity in the U.S. The joey, born last fall, is just starting to emerge from its mother's pouch. Meanwhile, the koalas enjoy a revamped habitat with more greenery and natural light. The changes aim to mimic the Australian outback and support the koalas' natural behaviors. Koalas in the U.S. are on loan from Australia for conservation.
