When you hear birds chirping in the springtime, it’s safe to say that they’re calling out to potential mates. Because it’s such an ordinary sound, it probably doesn’t occur to you that it could be the last time that bird’s call is ever heard. While it’s a far-fetched idea, that was the thought going through the heads of researchers in 1987 as they recorded the last male Kauai ‘O’o bird singing on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi. The small bird had been pushed to extinction by the introduction of non-native species. By 1987, there was only one left — a single male. In the video below, you can hear the last mating song of the Kauai ‘O’o bird as he calls out to a mate that would never answer. (source: Robert Davis ) Honestly, listening to that bird’s song and writing this moved me to tears. How many more species have to slip away before humanity gets its act together? Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/last-mating-song/
Anyone who’s graduated from an American high school has probably had the pleasure of dissecting an animal in biology class. Usually frogs are in the syllabus, but sometimes, the animal of choice is a cat. Typically, these dissections are treated as solemn and respectful affairs. Other times, though, they can go off the rails. That’s what I’d like to think is happening in the video below, which shows a biology class at Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas, using the intestines of a cat to play jump rope. Allegedly, the teacher claimed it was to test tensile strength, but I think there are better ways to do that than by hosting a morbid game of jump rope. What’s even crazier is that this isn’t the first time this has happened! As you might imagine, PETA is not happy about what’s going on in this video. They’ve allegedly petitioned the school district to take action against the teacher. So far, as of this writing, district officials are defending the teacher and students. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/biology-class/
