1869 7 F/5

Missing Mary Road

pride rock

December 12th, 2006 by abbas

A group of lions were marooned in a small island fifteen years ago when the course of the river changed. Instead of perishing, they’ve learned to swim and became strong (as well as large and smart) enough to hunt the only prey available: the giant buffalo.

Thus, the island has become a unique, ecological experiment. In order to exist without the customary spectrum of weaker African prey like zebra, giraffe and impala, the Duba lions have had to develop distinct strategies in order to trap the single available food source.

They have adapted to this challenge by hunting during the day under the baking African sun, swimming through deep rivers in the hunt for buffalo. This water-based training programme combined with a diet of protein-rich buffalo meat has led to the development of huge muscles, and these super-cats now dwarf other lions.

The island lions also use highly advanced psychology in their quest for food, predicting the course of the buffaloes’ daily trek by anticipating their need for water — then lying in wait at the precise spot along the river where the herd will eventually stop for refreshment.

In turn, the buffalo have responded to the threat by merging into a vast mega-herd of 1,200 beasts — five times the size of a normal group. They have also, at times, turned on the lions, killing isolated cubs.

Posted in News, Science | 6 Comments »

lost and found

December 12th, 2006 by abbas

parody of lost.

Posted in TV/Movies | No Comments »

geocaching

December 12th, 2006 by abbas

k5 gets into the nitty and gritty of what geocaching is all about. i’ve been meaning to looking into buying a personal gps. maybe i’ll start geocaching soon. seems like a lot of fun.

Posted in Culture, Technology | No Comments »

yo vanilla

December 12th, 2006 by abbas

Japanese researchers have succeeded in making the sweet smell of vanilla come out of the last thing people could imagine — cow dung. In a world-first recycling project, a one-hour heating and pressuring process allows cow feces to produce vanillin, the main component of the vanilla-bean extract, according to researcher Mayu Yamamoto.

Compared with usual vanilla, “this component is exactly the same but it would be difficult for people to accept it in food, given the recent rules of disclosing the origins of ingredients,” she said.

Posted in News, Science | 1 Comment »

wii wiilii wiinkii

December 12th, 2006 by abbas

why you shouldn’t buy a wii. i am planning on buying one in january. should be fun.

Posted in Technology | 1 Comment »