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Pet the baby!
(files.catbox.moe)
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Scary red pandas
(lemmy.world)
Red pandas, native to the Eastern Himalayas, have developed several fascinating defense mechanisms to protect themselves from natural predators like snow leopards and martens.
These small, tree-dwelling mammals are primarily arboreal, which means they spend most of their time in trees, which provides them with a natural escape route from harmful incidents.
They use their strong, sharp claws and flexible ankles to climb swiftly and skillfully, allowing them to disappear into the treetops when threatened.
However, when caught on the ground with no escape, red pandas display a unique and bold behavior that is they rise up on their hind legs to appear larger and more intimidating.
This stance, combined with their extended claws and aggressive vocalizations like huffs and quacking sounds, is often enough to scare off smaller predators.
These defense tactics, though not powerful in a physical fight, serve to confuse or startle predators long enough for the red panda to retreat to safety.
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Hopefully that title wasn't too clickbait, here is the article and details.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-africa-bird-island-eastern-cape-helicopter-crash-penguin/
Tldr:
South Africa helicopter crash blamed on penguin in cardboard box that hit pilot's controls
Everyone was ok:
The aircraft sustained substantial damage but the pilot and passengers were uninjured, according to the incident report. The penguin was also unharmed, the report noted.
How it happened:
The pilot and passengers were conducting an aerial survey flight of an island off South Africa's Eastern Cape on January 19, 2025. The helicopter safely landed on Bird Island. Before departing, one of the passengers, who the incident report referred to as a "specialist," asked that they transport one of the penguins on the island back with them. The pilot agreed, and the penguin was placed in a cardboard box.
When the helicopter was at an altitude of around 50 feet, the cardboard box slid off the passenger's lap -- onto the pilot's cyclic pitch control lever, the incident report said. The helicopter rolled to the right. The pilot could not recover, the incident report said. As the aircraft descended, the main rotor blades of the helicopter struck the ground, and the helicopter landed on its side, about 60 feet from where it had taken off.
A more casual article:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/helicopter-crash-blamed-on-unsecured-penguin-in-a-box/
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Found only in the rocky slopes of China's Tianshan Mountains, this shy creature is barely ever seen.
Interesting Fact: There are fewer than 1,000 left in the wild, making it even rarer than pandas!
Photo by Li Weidong
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aww
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