Last week, an owl named Flaco made a daring escape from his cage at New York’s Central Park Zoo when it was broken. This set off a bird-hunt led by local police and park rangers. The zoo officials were concerned about Flaco’s ability to survive in the wild, as he had been living in the cage for 13 years. They attempted to lure (引诱) him back with his favorite treats.

However, Flaco proved to be too clever to be caught so easily. He was spotted soaring above 5th Avenue and the skating rink in Central Park. His escape attracted the attention of many city dwellers and many New Yorkers flocked to the park to catch a glimpse of Flaco, taking photos with excitement.

But this week, zoo officials announced they accepted that Flaco remained in Central Park because they observed him bringing up bones and fur from the park’s community of rats. “He has been very successful at hunting and consuming lots of rats in the park.” zoo officials told the New York Post. “It’s truly remarkable. He’s hunting independently and his flying has improved. It appears that Flaco is quite content with his new life and enjoys his freedom outdoors.”

This incident serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by wildlife in urban environments. Owls, being nocturnal creatures, are active searching for food at night and rest during the day. Yet some residents who are unaware of proper bird-watching behavior reportedly see Flaco sleep in a tree during the day, and begin to make loud noise and shout at him. It interrupts his daytime naps. Flaco can’t try to say “shh, shh” with the traditional New York reply. After all, a bird can’t give someone the bird.

Well, let’s continue from where we stopped last time. I’m sure you’re well aware of the dangers lurking (潜伏) on the World Wide Web. And whether it’s for schoolwork, entertainment, or just socializing with friends. the Internet will surely be a major part of your child’s life. So, it’s important to secure their online stays.

It’s not an easy task, but maintaining open communication is key. Let them know they can share their online activities with you. Discuss what interests them online and learn about popular websites and apps from them. This will help you understand and identify potential risks.

Next, monitor without spying. Most kids learn to understand boundaries, like respecting others’ personal space, or not opening the cookie jar without asking. Internet use is no different. It’s helpful to set clear rules for them. like which websites they can visit, which apps they can use, and what they can share online. Remind them that if they feel uneasy with anything that occurs online, they need to alert (使警觉) an adult immediately.

How you handle your kids’ internet usage will depend in large part on their age. There are websites and browsing tools designed for younger children, such as YouTube Kids, which aims to provide a safe online experience for children. Older kids may be allowed more freedom since they want to socialize and need to use the internet for information-gathering. But you can set boundaries that feel right for you. Just limit their access appropriately.

Allowing your children to make good decisions online teaches them responsibility, shows that you trust them. and reminds them that rules may be tightened if they disobey them. Stay tuned.

In Shark Bay, Australia, unrelated bottlenose dolphins have exhibited a remarkable behavior— they have been observed teaching each other a novel way to use a tool. This is a behavior that, until recently, scientists had only witnessed in humans and other great apes. Furthermore, this marks the first known instance of dolphins passing down such knowledge within the same generation, rather than across generations.

The dolphins engage in a practice known as shelling. They chase fish into abandoned giant snail shells lying on the seabed. After that, they bring these shells to the surface and shake them with their noses, removing the water and capturing the fish that escape.

“The fact that shelling is socially transmitted among dolphin peers rather than between mother and child sets an important milestone,” senior study author Michael Krutzen said.

In 2007, Krutzen launched a study of Shark Bay’s dolphins, identifying more than a thousand individual dolphins over 11 years. During this time, scientists observed shelling 42 times among 19 dolphins. Half of these events occurred after a marine heatwave in 2011, which may have caused a die-off among giant sea snails, leading to more shells on the seafloor.

Because of the length of their study, scientists had very detailed knowledge of the individual dolphins’ family histories, ages, sexes and behavior, making it easier for them to study the 19 dolphins that practiced shelling. For instance, they observed that the dolphins that practised shelling hung out with other shellers, so it’s likely that they copied from those they spent time with, says study lead author Sonja Wild.

The team knew that environmental factors- specifically, whether shelling dolphins did so simply because they lived in a shell-rich area-could explain this peer-to-peer transmission. A genetic characteristic among a family group was another possible reason.

So the researchers combined their data on the dolphin sightings, as well as genetic and environmental data, into a computer model that proposed various ways shelling could be transmitted between dolphins. The model that supported horizontal (横向的) transmission was the strongest outcome, according to the study.