Latest news with #Airedale
Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- General
- Irish Examiner
Richard Collins: Capybara are in the 'rodents we love' category
Capybaras are becoming the Houdinis of the zoo world. They staged a series of daring jail-breaks recently. Resembling overweight Airedale dogs with barrel-shaped heads and back legs longer than front ones, these cartoon-like rodents might seem to be unlikely escapees. On April 3 last, Bazong ('Big Shot' in Chinese) made a hole in a fence at Yangzhou Zoo and, with two companions, escaped into the wild. According to press reports, one of the renegades was found relaxing in a lake. Another was trapped in a rubbish bin. However, the third fugitive, a female named Doubait, couldn't be found. It took two months to track and lure her into a humane trap. Doubao's keepers had thought that, as a South American rodent accustomed to being pampered and fed in captivity, she wouldn't survive for long in the alien Chinese environment. To everyone's surprise, however, she hadn't lost weight while on the run on — the contrary, she was heavier than she had been prior to her flight, and her coat had remained healthy. Another great escape took place last September, this time closer to home. Cinnamon, a female at Hoo Zoo in Telford, hid in long grass near the gate of her enclosure. "She seemed to know what we were going to do," a keeper told the BBC. When the gate was opened to allow mowing equipment to enter, she slipped around the side of the tractor and escaped into woodland. Despite extensive searching, zoo staff couldn't find her. They called in a pilot who used a drone-mounted heat-sensing device to locate her. In 2016, two capybaras escaped from Toronto's High Park Zoo and went on the run, Bonnie and Clyde style. One eluded capture for 19 days. Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil, South America Nor is such behaviour new among capybaras... escapees have been living wild in Florida marshlands where their ancestors once roamed. Rodents are either loved or hated, there is no middle ground where they are concerned. Rats inspire loathing everywhere, apart from at the Karni Mata Temple in Rajastan, where they may join you for lunch, eating off your plate. Mice are unwelcome house guests; people have an irrational fear of them. Squirrels, however, are loved. Their bushy tails, endearing ways and the widespread, but false, belief that they spend the winter in cosy Christmassy hibernation, tugs at the heart-strings. Guinea pigs and gerbils make lovable pets. Capybaras, the world's largest rodents, are also on the side of the angels. They have become popular zoo dwellers. Visitors to Fota Wildlife Park will know them. They can be kept as pets, although meeting the needs of these semi-aquatic creatures is challenging. Unable to synthesise Vitamin C they, like the mariners of old they are prone gum disease and scurvy. According to the linguists, 'capybara' means 'the one who eats slender leaves' in the Tupi language of Brazil. Like beavers, these river-dwellers are herbivores. They will eat their own droppings to supplement their gut bacteria. Encountering them in the Amazon rain-forest many years ago, they seemed inquisitive, popping their heads up to observe us as we passed slowly by in a canoe. Such trusting behaviour seemed odd because capybaras were hunted as bush-meat by the local tribes-people. I could have eaten capybara meat in the remote jungle village where I lodged. Read More 41640919[#embed4]
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
80-strong offering at Airedale Angus annual on-farm production sale
THE eighth annual production sale of 80 head of pedigree Aberdeen-Angus cattle on behalf of the award-winning Airedale herd run by David and Judith Isherwood, and son Josh, takes place on Saturday, June 7. It is again being conducted by CCM Auctions in conjunction with the Aberdeen-Angus Society and for the second year running will be staged at the family's Airedale House Farm, Kildwick. It was a new format that worked particularly well last year, giving potential purchasers an opportunity to view the ring-fenced environment where the cattle have been raised on 117 acres of rich meadow and pasture land alongside the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. Multiple four-figure selling prices were successfully recorded. First registered in 2012/13, the Hi Health status Airedale herd – the 2024/2025 North West of England Angus Breeders Club champion herd – now comprises 184 head. Going under the hammer is a wide-ranging selection, including young bulls, maiden heifers, Autumn-calving cows and a notably strong entry of cows with calves at foot, Three solid sires figure prominently in the breeding. As last year, one is the herd's main and highly regarded stock bull, Shadwell Rock 'N' Roll X245, though this is his last crop, another Airedale Everest Y815. Both are well-bred sons of Shadwell Evolution T003, National Champion 2019, whose own dam was also a National Champion. The third bull, Airedale Mr Essen Y781, also has a strong pedigree and forms part of the production sale, as do a number of straws from Rock 'N' Roll. David explained: 'Airedale cattle are full of leading genetics, offering breeders the opportunity to obtain quality cattle to start a new or introduce into an existing herd. We believe they will go on to do well for their new owners.' The sale is scheduled to start at 1pm, with a catalogue posted online at Meat from the Airedale herd also remains in ready demand at the family-run Isherwoods Butchers in Kirkgate, Silsden
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Airedale by Modine™ Cooling AI™ Control System Brings Unprecedented Efficiency Gains to High-Density Data Centers
AI-enhanced Cooling System Optimizer™ reduces energy consumption by up to 40% RACINE, Wis., April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Airedale by Modine™, the critical cooling specialists, is now offering an AI-enhanced version of its Cooling System Optimizer™, marking a tangible advancement in cooling and efficiency for high-density data centers. Cooling AI™ delivers real-time adaptability, predictive intelligence and significant energy savings in response to global data center industry demand for high-performance, high-efficiency controls systems. The patent-pending AI technology utilizes a hybrid deep learning model, leveraging machine learning, neural networks and digital twins to maximize efficiency and reduce energy consumption, and enhance operational stability for hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise data centers. The Cooling AI system continuously analyzes cooling demands, optimizes system operations and anticipates future conditions. It works as a supervisory layer to the Optimizer, allowing the building management system (BMS) to handle baseline monitoring functions, with its predictive AI model making proactive adjustments. This ensures the entire system learns from historical data and adheres to the physical laws governing HVAC behavior. Cooling AI can reduce energy consumption by up to 40%, improving power usage effectiveness (PUE) and driving sustainability gains. Chiller and fan performance is synchronized within the AI-driven data center cooling control system, improving cooling efficiency and reducing energy use. Furthermore, the reduction in mechanical stress as a result of reduced compressor cycling can extend the equipment life cycle, as well as lower maintenance costs. "As AI-driven computing accelerates, the demand for smarter, scalable and highly efficient cooling infrastructure has never been higher, and it isn't set to stop any time soon," said Reece Thomas, Controls General Manager at Airedale by Modine. "Power densities rise and sustainability expectations will continue to increase, and data centers need cooling solutions that can evolve with them. By embedding AI directly into the control architecture, we are delivering more than just efficiency gains. We are enabling a future where cooling adapts in real time, anticipates challenges before they arise, and continuously improves over time. This is the next frontier in sustainable, high-performance data center cooling." The new system joins Airedale by Modine's broader suite of innovative cooling technologies designed to meet the needs of the modern data center. From high-efficiency chillers, precision cooling units and modular fan walls to intelligent controls and airflow management systems, Airedale's solutions are designed to optimize efficiency, reduce energy consumption and enable scalable cooling across the entire data center ecosystem. Cooling AI is available as a new system or retrofitted to an existing Airedale by Modine Cooling System Optimizer. For more information, visit About ModineFor more than 100 years, Modine has solved the toughest thermal management challenges for mission-critical applications. Our purpose of Engineering a Cleaner, Healthier World™ means we are always evolving our portfolio of technologies to provide the latest heating, cooling, and ventilation solutions. Through the hard work of more than 11,000 employees worldwide, our Climate Solutions and Performance Technologies segments advance our purpose with systems that improve air quality, reduce energy and water consumption, lower harmful emissions, enable cleaner running vehicles, and use environmentally friendly refrigerants. Modine is a global company headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin (U.S.), with operations in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. For more information about Modine, visit Media Contacts:UK: Nicola Ware | E: | Tel: +44 113 2391000US: pr@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Modine Sign in to access your portfolio
Washington Post
13-04-2025
- Washington Post
Must love dogs: An American trades pet-sitting for places to stay in Europe
When the pandemic shuttered the world, photographer Leslie Ryann McKellar found herself caught in an unexpected scene that she never would have framed: grieving the loss of her beloved Labrador retriever mix Dignan while battling a baffling illness — later revealed to be the work of toxic mold in her South Carolina apartment. Forced to flee her fungus-infested home, McKellar faced a choice: Settle down again in the Lowcountry where she'd lived for 20 years or reframe her story entirely. 'I just wanted a reset button,' she says. So she hit it — hard. After off-loading her belongings and taking a year to save every penny, the freelance photographer set off for Florence in January 2022, ready to indulge her lifelong wanderlust with a year of European travel. But one year turned into three, and 18 countries (and, thankfully, a myriad number of mold-free accommodations) later, her adventure continues. The secret to sustaining it? A dog. Or, well, dogs. 'I think I've looked after about 30 dogs now,' McKellar, 48, tells me via Zoom from Greece. McKellar watches dogs in exchange for a place to stay, a gig she coordinates through Trusted Housesitters, a United Kingdom-based pet-care network that pairs devoted animal lovers like McKellar with pet parents across the globe. (And I do mean pet parents — McKellar's seen requests for sitters for cats, bunnies, horses, even an alpaca.) Aside from an annual membership fee to the company, no money changes hands. But dog-sitting wasn't initially how she planned to subsidize her time abroad. McKellar stumbled upon Trusted Housesitters by chance. Early in her travels, while wandering through Inverness, Scotland, she struck up a conversation with someone walking an especially adorable pup. When she told them that she was traveling around Europe for a year, they asked her whether she'd considered using the service. 'I think the first words out of my mouth were, 'That site was made for me!'' she says. Enter Winston, an Airedale terrier in Beaconsfield, England, who became McKellar's first official sit in July 2022. A fluff ball on four legs, Winston was McKellar's initiation into the pup au pair life, which came with its own hazing. One memorable evening, during a routine walk, Winston gobbled up what appeared to be a cigarette butt. The ordeal left McKellar shaken. 'I was on the phone with his pet parents and the emergency vet at 9 p.m. on a Saturday,' she recalls. Fortunately, Winston emerged unscathed, ready for his next adventure. McKellar recovered, too, and started compiling a growing list of lessons a seasoned traveling dog-sitter would understand. Rule No. 1: Never leave the house without a key. Not even for a quick dash to the trash bin. McKellar learned the hard way in Guildford, England, when an auto-locking door clicked shut behind her, trapping her outside and leaving Rosie — the cautious Romanian rescue she was watching for the week — stuck inside for a few moments before McKellar found the spare key. A subtler, equally critical lesson is to always have a backup plan. Before a sit in Switzerland, McKellar was thrown into logistical chaos when a labor strike brought the French rail system to a halt. Every train was canceled, forcing her to improvise her journey from Avignon on the fly. 'I took a very cramped, very smelly, very long eight-hour bus ride,' she says. She made it on time. Then there's canine culture shock. Just as customs vary from country to country, so do local attitudes toward dogs. For an upcoming sit, an Australian expat living in Switzerland gave McKellar a heads-up about Peanut, the host's exuberant labradoodle. 'She said the Swiss prefer dogs to be seen and not heard,' McKellar explains. Peanut's playful energy, it turns out, often earns him more side-eyes than smiles. Back in the U.K., dogs are treated as full-fledged family members, granted the freedom and affection that comes with such a status. 'That shows up in how Brits tend to bring their dogs everywhere, like shops and pubs,' McKellar says. Case in point: Lenny, a West London goldendoodle and proud regular at the Dodo Micropub, who kindly introduced McKellar to his neighborhood's craft beer scene. How dogs operate abroad can also differ. 'Especially outside of London, a lot of people walk their dogs off-lead — or off-leash, as we'd say,' McKellar explains. Adjusting to this level of pooch independence takes time, especially when a dog is accustomed to such liberty. Obi, a black Labrador McKellar watched in St. Albans, England, is a prime example. 'I could take him off the lead, and he would immediately run off in search of a stick. As soon as he found the perfect stick — I'm still not sure what his exact criteria were — he would step in line behind me and follow close behind me for the rest of the walk,' McKellar says. That same self-assured spirit reappeared during a sit in Brighton, where Lolly, a confident and leashed Westie, strolled straight to a bus stop and sat, waiting patiently — like she did it every day. 'So we boarded the next bus that came by,' McKellar says. 'I'm glad she knew where she was going, because I sure didn't! We ended up at the seaside.' Gone are the days when McKellar mapped out her itinerary. Now, she often lets the dogs lead the way, an approach that almost always results in unexpected excursions and photos that turn out far better than she could have planned. Such was the case with Dearg (Gaelic for 'red'), a clever cockapoo who stole McKellar's heart during a month-long stay in the market town of Richmond, nestled in the Yorkshire Dales. It was Dearg who introduced her to Easby Abbey, the haunting ruins of a 12th-century monastery. Back home, Dearg proved just as impressive. 'All I had to say was, 'Dearg, will you fetch my slippers?' and he'd trot off, find them and bring them to me,' McKellar recalls. 'Of course, he expected a treat for that. Well deserved, I say!' But dog-sits come with a lot of responsibility, so McKellar likes to build in breaks between assignments, making the most of her time and the money she saves. With the house-sitting platform's accommodations cutting an estimated 40 percent of her travel budget, she's turned pet-sitting into a passport to the world. As I wrap up our Zoom conversation, I wonder whether McKellar's dog-sitting travels will be a phase, a fling no longer necessary after fleeing that fungus back home. 'How long do you think you'll keep it up?' I ask. 'I get to travel and hang out with dogs?' she says. 'I'll do this as long as I can.'
BBC News
18-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Ilkley singing group improves breathing and lowers stress
A singing group is helping people with respiratory conditions improve their For Lung Health supports patients who live with chronic conditions such as emphysema, long Covid and chronic obstructive pulmonary the sessions, at St John's Church in Ben Rhydding, Ilkley, respiratory nurse Sophie Wallace teaches deep-breathing techniques and muscle control, as well as offering clinical Eastham, who has COPD and emphysema, said: "I struggle to breathe, but I have found this course absolutely amazing." Ms Wallace said the six-week programme aimed to help people strengthen their muscles and manage their breathlessness."A key element is enabling people to relax through breathing exercises and guided meditation, whilst singing and having fun," she Winter, who has COPD and who suffered a heart attack last year, is among those who attends the sessions."I live to breathe again, so I'm celebrating life," the 83-year-old said."The proper breathing techniques have helped me so much. "The information on how to breathe the correct way and how to use the whole area of my lungs was very informative. "My health has improved, and I love the singing!" Mrs Eastham said she had seen her oxygen levels improve every time she attends the group."You just don't realise that you're not breathing properly until it hits you and it's too late."[But] there is help out there for people like me, so I hope other people out there can use these groups."Ms Wallace said the group also provided moral support for its members, highlighting how shortness of breath can be extremely frightening, and how singing together can help rebuild confidence."Deep-belly breathing, extending the outbreath - and being able to apply these techniques at home when we're short of breath, these things are weaved into the singing, the music and words we use at the sessions," she said."But people also make friends and help each other. "We've not only seen a massive improvement in breathing scores, but a similar reduction in anxiety scores too."The programme is supported by Wharfedale, Airedale and Craven Alliance - with sessions running in October and January, when people are at their most vulnerable from respiratory to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
