The Dahomey Amazons Women’s Troops. Photo taken in the 1890s Well trained From the 17th century until 1904, the Kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa included a large area, today known as the Republic of Benin. The kingdom had a prosperous economy, a complex tax system, and a powerful military. But most impressive of the pre-colonial strength of Dahomey was the brave female warriors. Known as Mino, or “mothers,” and Ahosi or “king’s wife,” this legion of more than 3,000 female soldiers defended the Kingdom of Dahomey for centuries. One scholar has traced these famous warriors back to the early days of Dahomey. At that time, the king recruited bodyguards from “third-rate” wives, or women he considered too unattractive to have sex with him. These female bodyguards have an advantage over the male soldiers. Since they were married to the king, though mostly in name only, their loyalty was guaranteed. They could patrol the palace grounds at night, when men were forbidden to enter. In the mid-19th century, the Dahomey Amazons made up 40% of the kingdom’s army. Arthur Eardley Wilmot, a British naval officer, visited Dahomey in 1862 and found women outnumbered men in the towns – a phenomenon he attributed to military losses and the consequences of the trade. sell slaves. Divided into several units, each unit has a female commander, wearing a military uniform and carrying a characteristic weapon. Among these, the famous gbeto, made up of female hunters, was the oldest unit of the female army. In the 1850s, a French tourist reported that a group of 20 women armed with curved daggers and tied with antelope horns had attacked a large herd of elephants. Despite being the king’s “pet” army, these female soldiers also had to pass a series of challenging tests, from demonstrating physical strength, to acts of torturing enemies. But the most brutal tests belong to the so-called “insensitivity training”. Most of the recruits had never killed before joining the army, so the king wanted the warriors to execute prisoners to show their bravery. In one test, the women were ordered to throw bound prisoners from a raised platform. In another challenge, the recruits had to use blades to execute prisoners. In 1861, an Italian monk, Francesco Borgero, described an exercise in which thousands of barefoot women climbed thorny acacia trees without flinching. In 1889, Jean Bayol, the officer in charge of the French colony, described the scene he witnessed: “A young woman of the Amazons in training approached a prisoner. She happily stepped forward, raised her sword with both hands three times, then calmly cut off the flesh that was still attached to the prisoner’s head and body. Then she wiped the blood off the weapon and swallowed it.” After passing the tests, the female recruits will enjoy a lavish life in the king’s palace, drinking alcohol and tobacco given by the king. According to one scholar, “when the Amazons came out of the palace, ahead of them was a slave girl carrying a bell that sounded to all men to get out of their way, to take a step back. and look the other way”. Failure to comply will result in the violator being punished with death. Female soldiers practice. Photo taken circa 1890. Fight till the end In late 1978, a Benin historian met an elderly woman in the village of Kinta, named Nawi. She claimed to have fought against the French in 1892. She died in 1979, aged over 100 years. Perhaps this is the last female soldier of the army of Dahomey Amazons. In 1890, during the First Franco-Dahomey War, the French prevailed thanks to more advanced rifles. What makes Dahomey’s female warriors legendary is that they fought, willingly died for the king and country. In the final battles against the superiorly armed French army, about 1,500 women went to battle and only about 50 were fit to carry out the final mission. A French legionnaire named Bern praised them as “warriors who fought with great courage, always ahead of other armies. They are very brave, well trained and very disciplined.” One French marine, Henri Morienval, said, “…they were ready to throw themselves at our bayonets with extraordinary courage.” After Dahomey fell to the French, the female warriors continued to fight. They mingled with the women captured by the French, sneaking out at night to kill French officers. The French were terrified, outlawed the Amazons and banned Dahomey women from serving in the army or carrying weapons. But the Dahomey Amazons haven’t completely disappeared. Most sources suggest that the last female warriors died in the 1940s, but Stanley Alpern, author of Amazons of Black Sparta: The Women Warriors of Dahomey (Dahomey’s Women Warriors) opposes this. He pointed out that, “a woman who fought France as a teenager would not be older than 69 years old in 1943. It is likely that one or more will survive long enough to see their country regain its independence. in 1960”.

Hidden in the dark, the terror of the dark, is a herd of thousands of mice. Wander around the wheat cellar at the Fragar family farm, a seven-hour drive from Sydney. The drought is over, and the Fragar family’s first good harvest in years is being ravaged by rats. But the Fragars weren’t the only victims. Countless farms along Australia’s eastern grain belt are facing a rat epidemic described as the worst in public memory, according to New York Times . Rats in the grain warehouse at the Fragar family farm. Photo: New York Times. The rat epidemic came after years of bountiful crops màng On average, every 10 years, Australia faces a rat epidemic. This year, the rats appeared after a year of favorable rain and wind in 2020. The crops were bountiful, the farmers’ food stores were full, becoming an ideal food source for the rats to multiply. This year’s rat epidemic is also partly caused by the change in people’s farming methods. In the past, farmers used to burn the stubble after each crop, before sowing began. But over the past 15 years, Australian farmers have started sowing seeds directly on the trunks of old food crops, to protect the environment. It was this change that created an additional food supply as well as an ideal nesting place for the rats. Both natural and man-made factors, combined with the rapid reproductive cycle – a single mother can give birth to 6-10 pups in 3 weeks, have caused the rat population to explode into the tens of thousands. million children. Meanwhile, the Australian government has been criticized for its slow response. Recently, after a long period of rat epidemic raging, the New South Wales state government lifted the ban on the use of bromadiolone poison, which is considered a “napal bomb” for rats. Rats on a grain tarpaulin at a farm in Tottenham. Photo: AP. Tottenham is a small town in the midwest region of the state of New South Wales. Residents here said they have never seen a rat epidemic as long as it is now in the past. Winter is now slowly coming to the southern hemisphere, including Australia. Cold weather slows down the growth of mice. Robert Brodin, the owner of a shop in Tottenham, said the number of rats he catches each morning is now 15-20, down by nearly half compared to the previous time. However, Mr. Brodin expressed skepticism about the possibility that the rat epidemic would end just through winter. “They used to say, once they (rats) start eating each other, the rat epidemic will pass. But they have been eating each other since December 2020 and nothing has changed,” Mr. Brodin said. Steve Henry, an expert on rat diseases in Australia, admits it is difficult to predict when the current rat epidemic will pass. Mr. Henry said the rat epidemic can only end when it has peaked. “The epidemic will end when there are too many rats in the ecosystem, all of them interacting with each other, causing the disease to spread quickly. At the same time, the rats run out of food, they will be both sick and hungry, that is when they will attack each other and eat the young,” expert Henry predicted. If the rat population survives the winter in large numbers, the size of the rat population will explode again in the spring, then the situation could be worse. Until the rat epidemic is over, it will continue to be a psychological burden for people living in the areas directly affected. Life turned upside down “I feel like I’m watching the rats gnaw away at the family’s future,” said Kathy Fragar. During the first half of 2021, the rat epidemic has spread across southern Queesland, New South Wales and northern Victoria, the three wealthiest eastern states in Australia. “The rat epidemic is the flip side of a rare lucky year out of the worst drought in a century.” New York Times comment. Not only attacking crops, rats even attack people in the house. They get into the air conditioning system, destroy household appliances, eat poultry. Communication systems in some areas of Australia were disrupted when rats bitten telecommunications cables. Rats biting power lines also short-circuited and set a house on fire in New South Wales. Mr. Terry Klante emptied the rat out of the trap. Photo: New York Times. The rat epidemic makes people do things every day that no one is interested in. At the stores, employees set traps every night, and in the morning drown the rats they catch. In residential areas, “cremation yards” sprang up, where people bring the bodies of rats they find or kill for incineration. Hospitals also struggle with hygiene requirements against the invasion of rats. Jeff Fragar, the family’s ranch owner, said the loss of wheat storage was noticeable due to rat infestation. Mr. Fragar hopes to be able to sell 500 tonnes of the 700 tonnes of wheat already harvested on the farm. Even with such an optimistic figure, the family still lost $30,000. Many farmers find themselves in a situation where their goods are returned because rats are found in their lots. Mr. Fragar said the family’s biggest concern right now is the risk of not being able to continue growing the next crop. The Fragar family farm is in its infancy. The swarm of rats will eat whatever seed man sows in the ground. But if we continue to wait, the ideal time for sowing will pass, the farm is at risk of crop failure, or even no crop to harvest. The NSW Farmers lobby group warned New South Wales could lose billions of dollars as the rat epidemic affects the upcoming wheat, barley and canola crops. “We haven’t been able to plant anything for three years now because of the drought. We’ve only had half a year of good weather, and then the rats have ruined everything. If the weather doesn’t continue to be favorable, I can saying that our luck has run out. The bank will no longer help us,” said Mr. Fragar. Can only wait Jo Randall lives more than 100 kilometers south of the Fragars’ farm. The woman said she cried when she discovered that the rats had entered the house and destroyed the furniture. The Randalls consider themselves lucky because they were able to protect the farm from rats, by actively trapping and burning the farmland. But the Randalls live in an old house, with many cracks, easily infested by rats. Even when it was cold in the morning, Mrs. Randall often had to open the window to release the stench from the rats. A domestic dog chases mice under a grain-covered canvas on the farm of George Greig’s family. Photo: New York Times. In the house, there were traces of rats everywhere. Mrs. Randall’s phone case was crushed at the edge. The sound system of the family is damaged by biting the wire. Rats leave teeth marks on many other household objects. For Mrs. Randall, the ultimate limit was the rats getting into the bed. This finally happened, when the woman found rat droppings on the bed sheet. “Ultimately we have to accept the fact that we’re not going to win this war, we’re not going to get rid of the rats. The best we can do is wait for the rat epidemic to pass,” Ms. Randall said. .

Making a rootstock nursery: Choose sandy soil, favorable irrigation. Plow and smooth the land. Clear weeds, combine into beds 1m wide, 20cm high, furrows 25-30cm wide. Seeds are obtained from local varieties of mangoes, preferably with the seeds. Remove the outer bark and peel off the seed coat. Sow each seed in turn on the bed surface 2-3cm apart, then dredge the soil in the trench to cover the seeds, about 3cm thick. Finally, make the canopy of the canopy to cover the sun and rain for each nursery bed and water it regularly to keep it moist. About 20-30 days later, depending on the weather, the seeds germinate and remove the plastic net covering the bed. When the tree is about 20cm tall, the buds on the top turn green, proceed to the throne immediately (uproot each plant and plant it in the potting medium). Mango is a multi-embryonic tree, 1 seed is sown for 3-5 seedlings. So it is necessary to take the throne in order, old, hard, strong trees take the throne first, young, weak and soft trees take the throne later. Note: As soon as the tree’s buds have just turned green (old locs), don’t let the tree grow a second time to take the throne. Pull the plant onto the pot gently, avoiding breaking the roots. Peeled seeds can be purchased from specialized mango seed establishments in the South, to sow seeds for the rapid multiplication of large numbers of seedlings. Newly born mango orchard. Photo: H. Tien. Electing a rootstock tree: Choose a 12 x 14 black poly bag with a drainage hole at the bottom. The potting medium consists of small soil, mixed with micro-organic fertilizer, quantitative, 1m3 of soil + 120-150kg of microbial organic fertilizer. Close the growing medium 2cm from the mouth of the pot, gently pluck each rootstock planted in the middle of the pot, then cover the pot with soil to cover the roots, then arrange each pot next to each other on a high, drained bed. Fertilize, water to keep moisture and prevent pests for the nursery, until the tree is about 1m tall, then proceed to transplant. Mango seed garden and vegetative sowing beds for grafting. Photo: H.Tien. Choose a hybrid: Depending on market demand or seed production contract with partners, to conduct grafting from Australian, Thai, 4-season or Yen Chau mango varieties, etc. The mother plant is free from pests and diseases, with good fruit and good quality. And only use grafted eyes on branches that grow across the canopy downwards, do not take branches, branches, and branches that grow loosely to water the canopy. Seedlings are collected, need to be cut into segments/sections with 3-4 leaf nodes/sleeping eyes. And also take only the branches of the same color as the cake. Do not take branches that are too old. It is best to take the old bud, after grafting, the seed will sprout quickly. Note: After the cuttings are cut, they need to be tied into bundles, with the roots and tops in the same direction, then wrapped in a damp cotton cloth, stored in a cool place, to gradually graft in 1-2 days. Mango trees after grafting. Photo: H.Tien. Joint technique: It is best to apply the technique of grafting branches. The season to conduct, should start from February-March or July-November of the lunar calendar. 25-30 days before transplanting, it is necessary to increase fertilizing for healthy, resinous and well-functioning rootstocks, increasing the compatibility between the grafted eyes and the rootstock. How to combine: On the rootstock, cut off the top to the point where the stem has a cake color (about 40cm long), but need to leave some leaves for photosynthesis. After using a specialized knife to cut the bevel from the root up, open a grafted mouth with a length of 2.5-3.0cm, a wide cutting angle of 25-30 degrees. On the base of the seedling, also cut open a similar graft, but in the opposite direction and the angle of the cut is 65-60 degrees wide. Apply the grafts of the grafted branch and the rootstock to each other, both stretch and combine the twisted nylon strip like a rope and wrap 5-6 times tightly around the graft, finally flatten the grafted nylon strip. , cover the entire stem and graft, so that rain and air do not penetrate inside. After transplanting about 20-30 days depending on the season, the seed eyes will sprout. Care of seedlings after grafting: About 2 months after grafting, the sprouts are 15-25 long, the buds have turned green, can be released from the garden. During this time, it is necessary to water enough moisture, fertilize NPK balance, thoroughly remove the wild sprouts that grow outside the graft. Timely monitoring and control of some pests and diseases such as anthracnose, leaf spot, mango planthopper.

Dolphins evolved from a terrestrial animal Dolphins evolved from a terrestrial animal Dolphins are mammals, closely related to whales, often living in the shallow seas of the continental shelf. Dolphins have the ability to understand simple human behavioral language. With their inherent magical ability, dolphins can understand and organize common objects into groups together. They understand both sounds and images, and even respond to images just like humans. Explaining this, scientists have confirmed that dolphins are the most intelligent animals in the world (while humans are only third in intelligence). Millions of years ago, the ancestor of the dolphin did not swim in the water as we know it today, but was a carnivore that lived entirely on land. However, about 50 million years ago, a mysterious event happened that forced them to adapt to the underwater environment, and gradually evolved into a mammal like today. Although they are considered extremely friendly animals, dolphins also have creepy habits, typically juggling their young out of the sea. This sounds like a very funny joke, but in reality, it is one of the ways adult males are killing their young so their mothers can return to mating. Dolphins can’t sleep for weeks at a time A recently published study has revealed the surprising ability of dolphins: They can stay awake for days or weeks at a time without sleep. So how can they survive without sleep? Dolphins possess a very special sleep mechanism, they can let half of their brain rest at a certain time while the other half is still awake – a process called “Unihemispheric sleep”. This special sleeping mechanism not only keeps dolphins from drowning, but also allows them to stay alert to any danger and even encourages brain development. Most dolphins don’t chew their food Dolphins do not chew food, or rather they cannot chew. Dolphin’s teeth are developed for the purpose of gripping prey. Sometimes they will shake or rub the food on the ocean floor to tear it into smaller pieces that are easier to swallow. One theory is that dolphins’ prey are mainly small fish, and they need to quickly grab the prey in their mouth before their meal can swim away. Skip the chewing process to make sure the prey can’t escape. Dolphins call each other by their own names, forming friendships through shared interests Researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Zurich and Western Australia have found that dolphins living in the Shark Bay area form friendships based on shared interests – in this case, the habit of using foam. sea ​​to hunt. This tool-using trait is found mainly in female dolphins, but by studying the behavior of a few expressed male dolphins, researchers have found a new discovery: The relationship of dolphins is formed through general tooling techniques. Dolphins have their own names and they will respond when called. Dolphins in each population possess their own “characteristic whistle”, just like a name, and other dolphins can use that distinctive whistle to get the attention of their mates. In fact, dolphins are also an extremely social species. The discovery opens up entirely new questions about how dolphins communicate and their “vocabulary,” and may reveal clues about the evolution of our own language skills. Dolphins use prey’s toxins as ‘addicts’ We know that puffer fish have strong toxins. Apparently dolphins know this too, but they use it for ‘high’ purposes. Usually, the puffer fish toxin is deadly. However, in small doses, it can act as a narcotic. The BBC once filmed a video in which dolphins gently play with a puffer fish for 20 to 30 minutes, then hang around and behave “weird”. Dolphins possess great “teamwork” ability A team of researchers from the University of Bristol recently discovered that male dolphins can work and work together as a team – an attribute previously thought to be unique to humans. Observing the behavior of male dolphins as they coordinated courtship with female pigs, the researchers saw cooperation rather than competitive behavior, which is particularly unusual in mate-finding in the animal kingdom.

Experiencing 3 production crops from the 2019 – 2020 winter-spring crop up to now, it shows that the synchronous application of scientific and technological measures and mechanization in peanut production in Tinh Tho commune has contributed to improve peanut yield, bring higher economic efficiency compared to rice and cash crops in the locality. New peanut varieties combined with intensive farming for high yield in Tinh Tho commune (Son Tinh, Quang Ngai). Photo: Thu Phuong. Tinh Tho commune is located in the northwest of Son Tinh district, the soil quality in the commune is relatively good, very suitable for the production of crops such as rice, corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, legumes of all kinds. In which, peanut is a crop that occupies a fairly large area with about 136 hectares, but the yield is still not commensurate with the potential. With the support of the provincial Department of Science and Technology, for the past 2 years, Tinh Tho commune has implemented an inefficient model of peanut cultivation on rice and cropland with an area of ​​80 hectares. In which, in the winter-spring crop 2020-2021, the commune planted 40 hectares, with 339 households in Tho Trung, Tho Nam and Tho Tay villages participating. The objective of the project is to apply synchronously scientific-technological measures and mechanization in peanut production to grow groundnuts on rice land and inefficient crops. The peanut varieties included in the demonstration included LDH.01, LDH.09 and L14. These are peanut varieties selected by the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology of the South Central Coast, belonging to the good variety, creating a premise for high yield. Peanut varieties have wide adaptability, high yield in ecological regions, large fruit, shallow waist and veins, high seed rate. The variety is tolerant to drought conditions. During the production process, farmers were trained and guided in technical processes of peanut intensive cultivation on rice and inefficient crops such as preparing peanut varieties, handling seeds before sowing, selecting groundnut planting techniques, soil preparation, fertilization techniques, care when sowing and pest control. Accordingly, after the variety is selected, farmers dry the seeds to ensure that the water content in the seeds is less than 8%, classify large and small seeds to plant each bed separately for even plants. People make the soil according to the right techniques such as the soil is airy, porous, moist enough, weed free, the bed surface is flattened. Peanuts are planted in rows 25 cm apart, trees 10 cm apart, 1 seed/hole, density 40 plants/m2. Fertilizers to be applied include organic fertilizers, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and powdered lime. The 4-step application process includes priming, the first application after sowing 10-15 days, the second application after sowing 25-30 days, the third application, when the flower ends. In the process of development, the appearance of pests and diseases is also timely prevented. Groundnut is a very suitable crop for arid sandy soils, difficult to irrigate in Quang Ngai. Photo: Thu Phuong. In the bamboo field, Tinh Tho commune (Son Tinh district), Mr. Nguyen Tam, a farmer participating in the model said that in this crop, he planted 3 peanuts of L14 variety. Thanks to the guidance and methodical application of science and technology, the L14 peanut variety is highly resistant to disease, yielding about 3 quintals / sao (higher than the previous peanut variety, only about 2.6 quintals / sao). And Mr. Nguyen Xuan Son in the same commune also happily said that this crop he was supported to plant 2 sao L14 peanuts, this variety has wide adaptability, large fruit, high seed rate. Thanks to the correct application of the technical process, with 2 peanuts of L14 after harvesting, he is expected to press 75 liters of oil, 12 liters more than 2 sao of peanuts. Currently, 40 ha of peanuts in the winter-spring crop 2020-2021 in Tinh Tho commune participating in the intensive farming model have been synthesized with an average expected yield of 36.1 to 38.7 quintals/ha. In which, LDH.01 variety reached 36.1 quintals/ha; LDH.09 variety reached 38.7 quintals/ha; L14 variety reached 36.6 quintals/ha. Meanwhile, traditional peanut varieties only reach 26.3 quintals/ha. Accordingly, the revenue of peanut variety LDH.01 is over 90 million VND/ha, selling price is 25,000 VND/kg, minus expenses, profit is over 47.4 million VND/ha, more than 28.5 million VND higher than peanut variety. /ha. Sales of peanut variety LDH.09 profit reached over 53.9 million VND/ha, 35 million VND/ha higher than peanut variety; sales of peanut variety L14, profit reached over 48.6 million VND/ha, higher than peanut variety over 29.8 million VND/ha.

Na Phac Church Stepping out of the car, appearing in front of us was the “rising” church in the middle of the mountains, built according to the spacious, clean and beautiful Western architecture. Sharing with Tien Phong, Father Joseph Nguyen Van Tinh, curator of Na Phac Cathedral said, in 1979, the border war event occurred. When the war broke out, people went to Na Phap to avoid bullets and bombs. After the war ended, some people returned to Cao Bang, leaving 25 families and took the name of the land of Na Phac (meaning pumpkin field – because there are many pumpkins) to name their teachers. Most of the lay people are Mong and Dao, so the Mass is celebrated in two languages: Kinh and Mong. According to Father Joseph, the whole Bac Kan province now has more than 1,200 parishioners, mainly ethnic minorities, the largest being Mong. Someone is 180 km from the church. That is why on Sunday, this priest has to travel 170km to celebrate Mass. The missionary prospects here are enormous, added Father Joseph. There are about 300 families still wanting to join the religion. Meals of parents and students staying at Na Phac church. Photo: NT In addition to missionary purposes, we join hands with society to bring the children to school. “At first, we traveled a hundred kilometers, we had to leave every household to mobilize parents to send their children to school. However, due to many families facing difficult circumstances, the distance from the school is nearly 100km, all dirt roads and hilly roads, so few children participate. Having mobilized the children, we have to ask for vegetables, rice, food … to feed them, ”said Father Joseph. Father Joseph shared that in the past, this land had only a makeshift house made of laminated wooden slats, covered with palm leaves. Although it is a temporary house, it has 2 functions, both a place for parishioners to pray and a place for children to stay in study. After a period of time, our work has been effective, many helping organizations have so far built a spacious and beautiful cathedral to celebrate Mass and also a “dormitory” for the children. the student. Currently, Na Phac Church has hundreds of pupils living there.

Dolphins evolved from a species of terrestrial animal Dolphins evolved from a species of terrestrial animal Dolphins are mammals, closely related to whales, often living in shallow seas on the continental shelf. Dolphins have the ability to understand simple human behavioral language. With their inherent magical abilities, dolphins can understand and organize common objects into a group together. They understand both sounds and images, and even reflect images that are no different from people. Explaining this, scientists have confirmed that dolphins are the most intelligent animals in the world (while humans are only third in intelligence). Millions of years ago, the ancestors of dolphins did not swim underwater as we know them today, but were a predator that lived entirely on land. However, about 50 million years ago, a mysterious event happened that forced them to adapt to the aquatic environment, and gradually evolved into a species of mammal today. Although considered an extremely friendly animal, dolphins also have creepy behaviors, typically juggling young animals out of the sea. It sounds like a very interesting joke, but in fact, it is one of the ways the adult male is killing the young so that their mother can return to mating. Dolphins may not sleep for many weeks A recently published study has shown a surprising ability of dolphins: Can stay awake for days or weeks continuously without sleep. So how can they survive without sleep? Dolphins have a very special sleep mechanism, they can give half of their brain a rest at a certain time when the other half is awake – a process called “Unihemispheric sleep”. This special sleep mechanism not only prevents dolphins from drowning, but also allows them to stay alert to any danger and even encourage brain development. Most dolphins do not chew their food Dolphins do not chew food, or rather they cannot. A dolphin’s teeth are developed for the purpose of gripping prey. Sometimes they will shake or rub food on the ocean floor to tear them into small pieces to make them easier to swallow. One theory is that dolphins’ prey is mainly small fish, and they need to quickly grab prey in their mouth before their meal can swim away. Skip the chewing process to make sure the prey doesn’t escape. Dolphins call each other by their own names, forming friendships through common interests Researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Zurich and Western Australia have found that dolphins living in the Shark Bay area form friendships based on shared interest – in this case, a habit of using foam. sea ​​for prey. This tool-use trait is found mainly in female dolphins, but by studying the behavior of a few male dolphins that exhibit expression, the researchers have found a new discovery: Dolphin’s are formed through general tooling techniques. Dolphins have a given name and they will respond when called. Dolphins in each population possess their own “signature whistling”, as a name and other dolphins can use that particular whistle to get their partner’s attention. In fact, dolphins are also an extremely social species. This finding opens up entirely new questions about dolphins’ communication levels and “vocabulary”, and may reveal clues about our own evolution of language skills. Dolphins use their prey toxins as “addictive substances”. We know that puffer fish are highly toxic. Obviously dolphins know this too, but they use it for “high”. Usually, the puffer fish toxin is lethal. However, in small doses, it can act as an addictive substance. The BBC has recorded a video in which dolphins gently play with a puffer fish for 20 to 30 minutes, then hang around without leaving and behave “strange”. Dolphins possess great “teamwork” ability A team of researchers from the University of Bristol recently discovered that male dolphins can work and work together as a team – an attribute previously thought to be unique to humans. Observing the behavior of male dolphins when they were coordinating flirting with female pigs, the researchers found cooperation rather than competitive behavior, which is especially unusual in finding a mate in the animal kingdom.