A live webcam lets you watch a cheetah mom raise five newborn cubs
A cheetah named Zura gave birth to five cubs on October 5 at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, and a public webcam now streams the den day and night, chirps and purrs included. It's the same feed keepers use to check on the family without disturbing them, which helps the cubs bond with their mother. With only about 7,000 cheetahs left in the wild, every healthy litter counts.
Source: Good News Network →
53 orangutans rescued from Borneo's wildfires, many returned to the wild
As forest and peat fires burn across Borneo, the Indonesian rescue group YIARI has saved 53 critically endangered orangutans since August, including several mothers with infants. Many have been moved to safer protected forests such as Gunung Palung National Park. One young rescue, Irene, arrived thin and stressed after days without food and is now in caring hands.
Source: Good News Network →
Ordinary tape beats sandbags at keeping floodwater out of homes
Tests at the University of Hull's flood resilience lab found that sealing a front door with flexible synthetic rubber tape cut water leakage by 99 percent, and plain duct tape by 97 to 98 percent. Several common tapes outperformed traditional sandbags, which are heavy, pricey to replace, and can get contaminated. It's a cheap, practical tip for the millions of households facing rising flood risk.
Source: Good News Network →
A grumpy laundromat trip led to a conversation that saved a stranger
Years ago in Dover, New Hampshire, David Couture ducked out of a laundromat into the restaurant next door and struck up a chat with a man who was clearly struggling. David encouraged him, reminded him he had a lot to live for, and left his business card. That night the man's wife called to thank him: her husband had been in a very dark place, but came home saying a stranger had made him feel life was worth living.
Source: Good News Network →
A gentle style of door-knocking is helping people actually hear each other
Reasons to be Cheerful follows canvassers who skip the hard sell and instead ask people where they stand, listen, and swap personal stories. In a recorded example, a skeptical voter softened his view on a heated issue within minutes of an honest, open-hearted conversation. It's part of a series on people bridging divides with curiosity instead of conflict.
Source: Reasons to be Cheerful →