Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 31
April 22, 2023
April 21, 2023
Ripley’s Round Trip: Bucket List Places To Visit Before They Disappear
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Many of the world’s most iconic sites are slowly disappearing due to a multitude of reasons such as climate change, irresponsible tourism and places that are just sinking right underneath our feet. On today’s episode of Ripley’s Round Trip, we are talking about bucket list places you may want to visit before they disappear… for good.
If you haven’t already, give us a like and subscribe and tell us in the comments which destinations are on your bucket list!
A Sinking FeelingItaly is home to one of the most enchanting cities in the world, famous for its gondola rides, canals and carnival celebrations, this destination has made the lists of many travelers. But you might want to consider a visit sooner rather than later because well… what happens when you build a marble paradise atop a muddy lagoon? We get a sinking feeling, you can figure this one out!
The iconic city of Venice has also been submerging due to rising sea levels and consistent flooding, and it has been a long struggle for Italy to keep this city afloat, so if this dreamy city has been on your Bucket List for some time, you may want to move it to the top before it’s consumed by the sea. Venice, we’re gondola miss you.
Eroding AwayNow, let’s jet over to South America to a 15th-century Inca site perched in the mountains of Peru. You probably know the place I’m talking about. Built in 1450 AD, Machu Picchu is considered to be one of the most important heritage sites in the world, and ranked number 5 on the list of official world wonders.
The “Temple of Condor” in Machu Picchu. Via Shutterstock
Peru hosts a number of adventure travelers each year willing to ascend the treacherous landscapes and high mountain climbs to discover the mysteries of the hidden Incan Empire. However, this ancient citadel wasn’t built for millions of visitors each year and has been crumbling away due to the increased foot traffic, as well as natural erosion and landslides from heavy rainfall. In an effort to ensure its survival, the Peruvian government has instituted a daily cap of visitors as well as a half-day ticketing system that will hopefully help keep this site alive.
How can you help? Don’t forget to stick to the marked trails, this allows for better preservation around the compound and helps to avoid further destruction to the ruins.
Logging Let DownIt’s a short journey from the Andes mountains down to the dense jungles of South America, where our next endangered destination lies.
Spanning nine countries, the Amazon rainforest has tempted explorers and researchers for decades due to the myriad of breathtaking species and tropical wilderness. I myself was so caught up in the intrigue of the Amazon that I decided to catch a plane down to a small corner of Colombia where I could experience a piece of this bucket list place for myself.
After taking a boat up river to a remote village, I noticed an unusually large amount of logs and debris clogging up the Amazon river. I learned that because of a high demand for timber from these areas, legal and illegal logging has been a consistent threat to these lands for years, that combined with flooding, mining, and clearing fires has contributed to these disappearing jungles. You may want to book your Amazon adventure as soon as possible so you won’t miss out on the trip of a lifetime.
A Must-SeaHere’s a place that’s in need of some “coral” support.
Off the coast of Australia lies the world’s largest coral reef. Because of its natural beauty, the Great Barrier Reef has become one of the worlds most sought after tourist destinations. Believe It or Not! The reef comprises nearly 3,000 individual reefs and stretches over thousands of kilometers!
Coral bleaching. Dead and dying coral killed by global warming, climate change. Via Shutterstock.
Unfortunately, the Great Barrier Reef has lost over half of its coral reef since 1995 due to global warming and the effects of warmer seas on the coral such which results in coral bleaching. So get out your snorkel gear soon because It’s worth making this one a high priority before more damage is done by the warming climate.
Well explorers, we hope you take these disappearing destinations into serious consideration as you plan your next trip! And let us know Until next time… happy adventuring!
Source: Ripley’s Round Trip: Bucket List Places To Visit Before They Disappear
Scientists Advance Aviation Research… With Taxidermy Drones?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
A team of scientists in the South West is furthering aviation research by using dead birds in an unusual way—as drones! The birds, which are preserved through taxidermy, are transformed by researchers at the New Mexico Institute of Mining in Technology in Socorro. The aim is to study flight patterns, according to Reuters.
Come Fly With MeThe researchers are using real birds because mechanical ones did not have the same effect, according to project leader and mechanical engineering professor Dr. Mostafa Hassanalian. He explained, “We came up with this idea that we can use … dead birds and make them (into) a drone. Everything is there … we do reverse engineering.”
The bird drones are undergoing testing in a cage at the university. Currently, the taxidermy bird can only fly for 20 minutes at a time. The team is working on longer flight times and integrating it among living birds.
The purpose is to examine birds’ formation and flight patterns and later apply it to the aviation industry. If the scientists can determine how birds manage their energy, it could help the aviation industry do the same, which could save fuel, Hassanalian noted.
A bird’s coloring is often seen as camouflage and a method of attracting a mate. But New Mexico Tech Ph.D. student Brenden Herkenhoff is working on the correlation between coloration and flight efficiency. The team has conducted experiments and concluded that certain colors can change the flight efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft. “The same is true for birds, we believe,” he said.
Better Luck Nest TimeCoincidentally, the taxidermy drone project is occurring while certain members of Generation Z support a “Birds Aren’t Real” conspiracy theory that purports that birds are in fact drones used by the U.S. government to spy on Americans. According to MSN, the movement, which started in 2019, is actually satire.
Peter McIndoe, who started the conspiracy theory told CBS: “So it’s taking this concept of misinformation and almost building a little safe space to come together within it and laugh at it, rather than be scared by it. And accept the lunacy of it all and be a bird truther for a moment in time when everything’s so crazy.”
While, as far as we know, the federal government is not using bird drones for spying, it does have a history of monitoring U.S. citizens’ telephone records.
Hassanalian told MSN that his team’s research has nothing to do with the conspiracy theory: “I actually did not know about the people of ‘The birds aren’t real.’ I found out about them once my story came out for the first time.”
By Noelle Talmon, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: Scientists Advance Aviation Research… With Taxidermy Drones?
April 20, 2023
The Australian Night Parrot: World’s Most Elusive Bird?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Australia is one of the most remarkable places on Earth. A vast, beautiful land, replete with glorious beaches, a fascinating culture, and some of the most unique animals on the planet. The iconic duck-billed platypus is just the beginning of things: Australia is also home to such marvelous creatures as the laughing kookaburra, the kangaroo, and the koala bear, among so many others.
When it comes to parrots, 56 different species live in Australia. However, there may be 57. The mysterious — and potentially fictional — Australian night parrot is said to live in this wonderful land, though despite several reported sightings and studies, some aren’t sure if it really still exists. Here’s the intriguing story of this enigmatic animal.
The Legend of the Australian Night ParrotAs a general rule, parrots tend to be bright, bold, very noticeable birds. The curious thing about the Australian night parrot in particular is that, as its name implies, it’s elusive. Very elusive.
The species’ story reportedly began in 1845. This was the first year that a sighting of the night parrot was made, and 1912 marked the recording of the supposed last survivor. What happened to the bird in between, and where has it been in more than a century since? Its story is punctuated by questionable sightings, rumors, and scientific scandals!
It seems that the species did not become extinct at the death of the 1912 specimen. These birds, which live close to the ground in Australia’s wild grass, emerge at night and dwell in the Australian outback, seem biologically presupposed to evade detection. Everything about their habitats and behaviours seems to declare that, if they don’t want to be found, it’ll be darn difficult to do so. This has certainly proven to be the case, and that’s the key to the mystique of the species.
The night parrot, known scientifically as Pezoporus occidentalis, was described by John Gould in 1865, in an article in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. Gould wrote of its appearance and biology with the meticulous detail required of such a piece. He noted, among other things, “all the upper surface grass-green, each feather crossed by irregular bands of black and greenish yellow; feathers of the crown and nape with a streak of black down the center; throat and breast yellowish-green, passing into sulphur-yellow on the abdomen.”
New research: Special cranial adaptations may give the critically endangered ground-dwelling Night Parrot the edge it needs to make its way around the Australian outback in the dark — even with limited eyesight and a big “bluffy” head. https://t.co/NUHK8S6yVK pic.twitter.com/NQ1Jzhom2H
— BirdWatchingMagazine (@BirdWatchDaily) March 27, 2023
It’s clear, then, that the parrot, while not as garishly colored as some others, had a distinct identity. It was, according to Gould, very similar to another parrot species (“at a first glance, this bird has the appearance of a Pezoporus formosus”), but other aspects of its biology on closer inspection seemed to leave little room for confusion between the two. It has its similarities with other Australian ground parrot species, but remains a distinct entity. However, it has been seen (verified sightings, that is) so rarely since Gould’s description of it that a chance sighting of the body of one that had been struck by a car was considered a miraculous sight!
What Happened to the Bird?According to the Australian Museum, the late 19th century was a peak time for sightings of the night parrot, with the two decades up to 1890 seeing twenty more specimens of the curious bird being discovered and studied. Just a decade or so later the bird seemed to all but vanish. This ties in with the earlier claim that the last surviving specimen was documented in 1912. Since then, attempts to prove its continued existence have been frequent, but largely inconclusive.
Shy as it may be, as low-key as its behaviors and as easily missed as its habits might make it, it would still be expected to be encountered by professional scientific surveys. How has that gone for science? According to scientist Peter R.J. Leeton, it wasn’t since 1912 that the night parrot had last been “reliably documented.” Until the 1990s, it seemed, the enigmatic bird had been “represented in museum collections by only 22 skins (excluding the 1990 specimen) and some bones.”
The 1990 specimen was only found by tragic chance, just another remarkable chapter in the story of this most unusual bird. So elusive had the bird proven that Dick Smith, aviator and businessman, reportedly offered a bounty of 50,000 Australian dollars to anybody who could prove that it wasn’t just a myth!
Smith surely hoped that, if proof was found, it would be a live specimen, but that sadly wasn’t the case. Researchers of the Australian Museum ventured into distant reaches of Queensland in 1990. Despite the experts’ efforts, living night parrots were nowhere to be found. What they did find was an unfortunate decapitated night parrot, which had been killed on a road in the region. It wasn’t the first unfortunate headless parrot found, either!
Is It Still Out There?Scientist Andrew McDougall’s article, “Another piece in an Australian ornithological puzzle — a second night parrot is found dead in Queensland” stated, “The specimen confirms a breeding event by night parrots in the region less than two years before its discovery in September 2006.” McDougall’s study concluded that Diamantina National Park could be key to the night parrot population.
Further muddying the waters of the night parrot mystery, Bush Heritage oversaw the purchase of an area of land where scientist John Young sighted a specimen in 2013. His later discoveries were called into question, however, and some findings were retracted by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. A committee looking into his findings concluded that the night parrot eggs he had presented (among other artifacts) appeared to be false.
INCREDIBLE: An Indigenous ranger in Western Australia has had a rare encounter with a night parrot.
Endemic to Australia, the nocturnal bird is one of the most elusive in the world and was once thought to be extinct for over a century.#9News pic.twitter.com/uEKkQ8PXPV
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) August 27, 2021
This neatly summarizes the night parrot’s story. Sightings have been confirmed and verified, and the bird definitely is out there in the far reaches of Australia. Just how the species is truly faring, however, remains a mystery, and that’s what’s so intriguing about it.
By Chris Littlechild, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: The Australian Night Parrot: World’s Most Elusive Bird?
April 19, 2023
Around The World In 80 Days: 21st Century Reboots
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Since its publication in 1873, Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days has inspired countless knock-off journeys. Phileas Fogg’s original trip covered 40,675 miles and was inspired by a £20,000 bet. A lot has changed since Verne published his work, especially when it comes to transportation technology. Clearly, Verne could not foresee how inventions like the automobile and the airplane would transform how we journey the globe.
Of course, this begs the question. How has technology changed our ability to complete such a trip today? Estimates vary, but a traveler could tackle an around-the-world trip in about 80 hours by plane. (Assuming no flight delays, massive layovers, or dealings with commercial airlines.)
What are some other ways people have chosen to traverse the globe in recent years? Keep reading to learn more about some of the most extensive travels in recent years.
Ben Page’s Spontaneous Global TravelsBen Page didn’t put a lot of travel planning into his around-the-world experience, which began in December 2014. Instead, the 22-year-old cyclist launched his globetrotting adventure with no planned route and little in the way of luggage. Packing $13,000, he spent three years voyaging across five continents.
The man who cycled across the frozen Arctic: In 2014, 22-year-old Ben Page set off to cycle the world. Fifteen months and 10,000 miles later, he was in the Arctic, filming an award-winning documentary. https://t.co/kLeFRIgOK8 pic.twitter.com/iXk0uFyCx0
— Maryland Recruiter (@Maryland_IT) May 28, 2018
But he never gave up, returning home in September 2017. Along the way, he lived on little more than $5 per day, bicycling every mile. He later reflected, “I realized that if you can cycle across a country, you can cycle across a continent. And if you can cycle across a continent, you can cycle across the world.” Clearly, Page not only talked the talk but walked the walk.
Jim Kitchen’s Excellent AdventureJim Kitchen may not have relied on a bike and a shoestring budget to get around the planet, but he’s one of the most well-traveled people EVER. The 57-year-old entrepreneur has journeyed to 193 countries, logging between seven million and ten million miles.
Three million have come from American Airlines, although his favorite airline carrier remains Emirates. (Apparently, he’s a fan of the wood paneling, giant video screens, and luxurious beds included in the business class suite.) Kitchen has even traveled to space as a Blue Origin rocket civilian crew member. Move over, Jules Verne!
Jessica Nabongo Has Visited Every Country WorldwideOn October 6, 2019, Jessica Nabongo completed her one-of-a-kind ambition of visiting every nation. All told, she’s set foot in 195 destinations, including all 193 UN-recognized countries as well as the Holy See and Palestinian territories, two non-member states. These journeys proved transformational, sparking multiple new passions: photography, writing, advocacy, and ethical tourism.
In her book The Catch Me If You Can, she showcases 100 of her favorite countries and shares her experiences extensively on Instagram and her blog. What has she learned through her varied adventures? She observes, “What I’ve learned throughout my travels is that most people are good, and because of that, there’s no reason to have an innate fear of a stranger … A lot of the time, people are just really happy that you’re in their country.”
Lexie Alford Becomes the Youngest Woman to Visit Every NationOn May 31, 2019, Lexie Alford officially became the youngest woman to visit every nation in the world. That’s when the 21-year-old crossed the border into North Korea, breaking the record previously held by James Asquith, 24, and visiting 196 nations and territories.
At just 21-years-old, Lexie Alford is the youngest person to visit all 195 sovereign countries in the world! She holds not one, but two @GWR! pic.twitter.com/nObyT61JaH
— 3rd Hour of TODAY (@3rdHourTODAY) November 20, 2019
The process proved highly natural for Alford, who grew up in a family with a travel business. She explains, “Travel has been a part of my life since before I can remember.” She got a taste for wanderlust at an early age because her parents regularly took her out of school, providing her with the head start to become a record breaker.
Anderson Dias Is the World’s Fastest TravelerThere’s a big difference between circumnavigating the globe by railway and steamer and stopping in every country in the world. The fastest traveler to ever do the latter is Anderson Dias. He completed the task in 543 days, beating the previous record holder, Taylor Demonbreu, by 11 days.
Interestingly, Dias shared something in common with cyclist Ben Page, departing on his itinerary without any particular plans. Describing his excursion, he explains, “I would buy flights on the spot, arrive in one country, spend some time there, then buy a ticket to the next country.” Despite lacking upfront planning, Dias achieved a feat reserved for only the bravest and most nomadic of souls. No trains or steamers needed!
By Engrid Barnett, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!
April 18, 2023
The Most Unbelievable Robberies Of 2023 (So Far!)
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Some of the weirdest robberies and thefts in recent memory will blow your mind. Sure, they don’t boast big players like George Clooney or Brad Pitt, but that doesn’t make them any less insane. From the case of a dime stash worth hundreds of thousands to a lightbulb thief, 2023 has seen some doozies. Heck, even a 15-foot-long Dairy Queen spoon went missing this year, and we’re little more than four months into the mayhem.
Keep reading as we explore some of this year’s most mad-capped thefts (so far), and the colorful characters caught red-handed.
The Dime Heist Worth Hundreds of ThousandsAlmost a decade ago, The Street conducted a fascinating survey of 3,500 American drivers. They wanted to find out how much the average individual keeps in spare change rolling around their car. While personal numbers came in at a mere $22 of pennies, nickels, and dimes, the grand total for all US residents tallied up to a whopping $2.4 billion!
2M dimes worth $200K stolen from truck parked at Philadelphia Walmart https://t.co/6HJFGICaTw pic.twitter.com/3cQX7pQnIO
— New York Post (@nypost) April 14, 2023
Of course, some people bat well above average, as is the case with one truck driver in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Instead of having a mere $20 or so in change, the tractor-trailer carried $750,000 in dimes! (Yes, you read that right.) Not surprisingly, burglars couldn’t resist the temptation. A group broke into the truck around 6 am, absconding with at least $100,000 in heaps of dimes.
Law enforcement officers for the “City of Brotherly Love” don’t know how many robbers participated in the heist, let alone how they transported so much metal at once. But they did find a trail of dimes scattered throughout the parking lot. Apparently, they’re still tallying coins to calculate precisely how much of the shiny stuff disappeared without a trace.
The Case of the Vanishing LightbulbsWhen Evan Souders of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, first reported lightbulbs from his porch missing, it left many people scratching their heads. After all, the fragile glass objects aren’t especially valuable. But over time, their theft adds up, as Souder can attest. Initially assuming the event to be isolated, Souder replaced the bulbs on his porch only to have them taken again. And again. And again.
Finally, in desperation, he decided to install a security camera to get a better idea of what was going on. Within a few days of the camera’s installation, Souder caught the bulb thief on film. Footage shows a male perp who looks inside the home before grabbing one light fixture. A car is also visible in the driveway during the incident.
So, what’s the deal when it comes to the disappearing illumination? Officials still don’t know. But some people on the Next Door app have speculated it has something to do with drug use. What do local police have to say about the bizarre incidents? Dillon Quirk of the Oklahoma City Police Department explains, “This could be considered a police matter as it is larceny … As far as intentions, I could not speculate.” Hopefully, the OKC Police Department will shed more light on the subject soon.
Ocean’s Eleven Style Heist Takes a Bite Out of AppleSeattle Coffee Gear recently became the epicenter of a bizarre and intricate heist to rob a neighboring Apple store blind. After gaining after-hours access to the café, thieves cut a 24-by-18-inch hole into the shared wall between the coffee shop and the hi-tech store, making off with more than 436 iPhones. All told, the ambitious endeavor resulted in a loss of roughly $500,000 in merchandise.
How did the thieves do it without getting caught? The crime occurred on April 2nd at 7 pm, outside of regular operating hours. Eric Marks, regional manager of Seattle Coffee Gear, explains, “I’m surprised we were the conduit for them to get to the Apple store. I had no clue we were so close or adjacent to them.”
Since the bizarre incident, Apple Store staff has moved quickly to secure their location by changing locks and assessing damages. So far, damages sit at $1,800. They may have trouble collecting the cash, however. As it turns out, the burglars excelled at their jobs, leaving behind no traces. Not even a stray fingerprint. Sure, these robbers never made it to “Sin City.” But we’re guessing Danny Ocean and Jimmy Foster would still give them props for ingenuity and execution.
The Thief With the Heart of GoldWhen it comes to the case of Bonnie Gooch, a familiar saying comes to mind. A leopard never changes its spots. But that doesn’t mean said leopard has to lack empathy. You see, Gooch has a history of robbing banks. The 78-year-old has two past convictions. In 1977, she stole from a bank in California. And in 2020, she held up a bank in the Kansas City suburb of Lee’s Summit.
So, after her parole for the second robbery ended in November 2021, it’s no surprise she reverted to her old, thieving ways. This time, she went after a financial institution in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. While getting older hasn’t necessarily made Gooch wiser, that doesn’t mean she wants to ruffle any feathers.
Demanding 13,000 small bills via a robbery note, Gooch included the caveat, “Thank you, sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.” Despite her worries about upsetting the teller, the would-be bank robber was in no mood to wait. Surveillance footage shows her banging on the counter and ordering the teller to speed up. Although she managed a speedy getaway, the wannabe Bonnie (sans Clyde) met justice two miles from the scene when police apprehended her.
A 15-Foot Spoon Points to a Mammoth CrimeIf Paul Bunyan lived today, we’d have to blame him for this last crime. It all started when Phoenix residents noticed the 15-foot-long red spoon garnishing their local Dairy Queen missing. A frantic search provided few clues. More than a week passed without a sign of the massive scarlet Blizzard-devouring implement.
Nevertheless, residents weren’t about to give up on the beloved object worth approximately $7,000. Enter Michael Foster, 52, an inveterate Pokémon Go player. During one of his virtual scavenger hunts at a grassy school playground, Foster came across the colossal spoon. In shock, he texted a picture to his wife, explaining, “It’s the spoon.” In response, Foster’s wife prompted him to call the police.
After police arrived, Foster and a school maintenance worker managed to schlepp the big eating utensil over the fence. Next, officers strapped it to the hood of their vehicle, channeling an Aunt Edna National Lampoon vibe. What else do local officers know about the case? They have surveillance video of two men and one woman making off with the big red spoon before loading it onto a large flatbed towed by a pickup. The suspects remain at large.
By Engrid Barnett, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!
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