And other stories from the stranger side of life
A “big cat” expert has said there are more than 600 of the beasts roaming the British countryside, and there may be “mutant mogs” prowling around. Rick Minter believes there are 300 black leopards and 300 mountain lions along with a smaller number of lynx, the Daily Star reported. He added that there could also be examples of “some kind of mutant cat” because “some kind of exotic cat has interbred with a feral cat”, and “it’s had this mutation and it’s now big enough to kill a deer”. He added that these animals are “totally stealthy and live in the shadows away from us like they do in their native countries”.
‘Scent of the afterlife’ discovered
Researchers have discovered the “scent of the afterlife” after an aroma from almost 3,500 years was revived. The boffins, who have recreated a balm used to mummify an Egyptian noblewoman who died in 1450 BC, and whose tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1900, said the aroma is a “sensory bridge to the ancient past”. It contains “notes of beeswax, plant oils, animal fats” and “resins from coniferous trees” as well as a “vanilla-like smell that may have come from cinnamon or pea plants”, said The Times.
US woman sets record for world’s longest mullet
A Tennessee woman who hasn’t cut the hair on the back of her head since 1990 has won the Guinness World Record for the longest competitive mullet, UPI reported. Tami Manis landed the gong when the “party in the back” part of her hair was measured at 5ft 8in long. “The weirdest thing I find is that people remember me from years ago,” she said. “I’ve had people recognise me from 20 years ago because I’ve kept the same hairstyle.”
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