Oldest captive rhino celebrates birthday
Henry, a 4,600-pound Indian rhinoceros, celebrated his 40th birthday this past week. The elderly rhino received a watermelon cake, which is his favorite food, fresh lettuce and a cold water hose as a gift for making it to the milestone. Henry is the oldest rhino in the U.S. and one of the few to reach 40 years old. He lives on a 264-acre conservation in Florida where he relaxes in retirement.
Before moving to the conservation Henry was a breeder with an impressive scorecard; he has produced 25 children and over 30 grandchildren. But on his birthday, Henry got to relax in the sun. “History was made today,” Barry Janks, the co-founder of Carson Springs and Henry’s closest human friend told the Associated Press. “This morning I told him, ‘happy birthday,’ and he kind of looked up at me from sleeping.”
Woman gets lost lottery ticket back
A woman who threw away her million dollar lottery ticket got it back thanks to the store owners. Lea Rose Fiega was in a rush during lunch when she bought her $30 lottery ticket. After scratching the ticket she threw it away thinking she lost. But when the store owner’s son saw it 10 days later he realized the ticket wasn’t scratched completely. He scratched the last number and discovered someone won one million dollars.
When he told his parents about the ticket they recognized that it was Fiega’s, who is a regular at their store. They were able to return it to her and she won her million dollar lottery. The store where she bought the ticket also got $10,000 and Fiega gave them an additional award. “I mean, who does that? They’re great people. I am beyond blessed,” Fiega told the Associated Press.
Bicyclist expands book and food donations
One year ago Bonifaz Díaz began a books-for-food barter program to help malnourished kids in Guatemala. He bikes upwards of 80 miles a day to trade donated books needed by teachers and students for a cheap, nutritious cereal called Incaparina. That food goes to families in need across Quetzaltenango. Now his program has expanded and two other cyclists have joined him to help deliver food and donate books.
Díaz feared that as the pandemic became less pressing people would donate less. But the opposite was true, more people participated. Díaz plans to continue the program even after the pandemic. “I feel that there’s reason for it to exist even without the pandemic,” Díaz told the Associated Press. “The problem of child malnutrition is always latent.”
