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The Age
18 hours ago
- General
- The Age
Winston the platypus was shipped to England. Has his mystery death at sea been solved?
First, Winston's backstory. In 1943, the UK's wartime prime minister, Winston Churchill, asked Australia for a platypus to add to his menagerie of exotic pets. He was advised by his closest friend, wartime minister for information Brendan Bracken, that the Australian government had suspended its 'much-cherished law about preventing platypus[es] from leaving the country'. With a platypus set to arrive, Bracken urged Churchill to send his cat Nelson into exile. 'That pussy could (and probably would) slaughter the platypus in a few fell minutes,' Bracken wrote. And so it was that in the midst of WWII on October 2, 1943, a young and healthy platypus, named Winston for his future owner, set sail in a custom-built platypussary for England. Ewan Cowan, Holly Butler, Angela Liang and Zaki reveal that Winston's death was kept secret during the war, and document the fate of other platypuses sent abroad by sea. As part of a cross-disciplinary course, a dozen students worked for 12 weeks at the Australian Museum with its head of archives, Dr Vanessa Finney, to digitise and explore a newly acquired collection, a bequest from the naturalist, zoo owner and educator David Fleay (1907-1993). It included the ship's logbook and glass lantern slides made by Fleay, a fanatical photographer. Finney said Fleay had been a serious scientist and showman with an eye for a great story. 'Behind that was a serious intent to promote and protect Australian wildlife,' she said. Fleay had caught six puggles and chose Winston for his namesake. The young platypus was a 'little beauty' and possessed 'all the attributes of self-possession and good condition so essential to the trials ahead'. Working with Finney, the students discovered who and what was really to blame for Winston's death at sea on November 4, 1943. The students of history and philosophy of science reviewed the logbook kept by a midshipman entrusted with caring for Winston at sea. He recorded the temperature of the air, food and water several times a day, what he was fed and his condition. Sometimes Winston was fed egg custard to supplement worms and grubs. On Sunday, October 3, the log reports the animal was in good condition and eating all its food. But two days short of reaching his destination, as the students report, 'Disaster Struck'. On Saturday, November 4, the midshipman notes, 'Platypus found dead in water'. Writing to Australian prime minister John Curtin, Churchill said he 'was grieved to tell you that the platypus you kindly sent me has died. The loss is a great disappointment to me.' He wrote that the Royal College of Surgeons was anxious to have Winston's remains stuffed because another platypus had been lost in the Blitz. In correspondence between Australia and the UK, there was speculation that a depth charge by a German submarine could have killed Winston. 'With such a timid animal that only a little noise would be harmful, especially if his vitality had lowered by lessened food intake,' an official wrote. Loading By analysing the temperatures in the logbook, the students concluded that Winston was probably killed by heat stress, and exacerbated by a reduction in his food and the reverberations from an explosion. Butler said platypuses eat a lot for their size. Winston's rations had been reduced from about 700 worms a day to 600 a day because the crew feared the 50,000 worms wouldn't last the trip otherwise. Zaki said research on transporting platypuses said they shouldn't be exposed to constant temperatures above 27 degrees, yet for the week when they were crossing the equator, Winston was kept in conditions where the air and water were much higher. Platypuses mostly live in environments where the temperature is 20 degrees and below. Above 25 degrees, they can't regulate their body temperature. Above 34 degrees can be fatal for the species. 'These temperatures don't seem extreme for us humans. They're very high for platypuses,' says their report. In their online series, the students tell the full story of the story of platypus diplomacy. Cowan said platypuses were seen as very exotic from the early days of colonial settlement. 'They were considered paradoxical. Because they have a bill of a duck, they look like an otter and had a tail like a beaver.' And they lay eggs. Liang said they were so strange that scientists assumed the first specimens (taxidermied) sent overseas in the late 1790s were a hoax. 'Like a stitched-up artefact,' she said. Finney said the platypuses caused a sensation wherever they were sent. The courtship of Penelope and Cecil, the 'only two duck-billed platypuses' alive in the United States, was reported like a Mills & Boon romance by newspapers from 1947 to 1957. Loading The Herald's correspondent Ross Campbell covered their New York debut. It was attended by the Australian ambassador and a gang of media, including 20 press photographers, journalists and TV crews. At one stage, it was reported that Penelope was faking a pregnancy to get more food. The students report that Fleay said Penelope was 'shamefully maligned' – rather, she was 'always an ordinary, straightforward lady platypus'. Penelope escaped from the Bronx Zoo in 1957. The New York Times reported that far from being lovesick, Penelope was sick of Cecil.
Sydney Morning Herald
18 hours ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Winston the platypus was shipped to England. Has his mystery death at sea been solved?
First, Winston's backstory. In 1943, the UK's wartime prime minister, Winston Churchill, asked Australia for a platypus to add to his menagerie of exotic pets. He was advised by his closest friend, wartime minister for information Brendan Bracken, that the Australian government had suspended its 'much-cherished law about preventing platypus[es] from leaving the country'. With a platypus set to arrive, Bracken urged Churchill to send his cat Nelson into exile. 'That pussy could (and probably would) slaughter the platypus in a few fell minutes,' Bracken wrote. And so it was that in the midst of WWII on October 2, 1943, a young and healthy platypus, named Winston for his future owner, set sail in a custom-built platypussary for England. Ewan Cowan, Holly Butler, Angela Liang and Zaki reveal that Winston's death was kept secret during the war, and document the fate of other platypuses sent abroad by sea. As part of a cross-disciplinary course, a dozen students worked for 12 weeks at the Australian Museum with its head of archives, Dr Vanessa Finney, to digitise and explore a newly acquired collection, a bequest from the naturalist, zoo owner and educator David Fleay (1907-1993). It included the ship's logbook and glass lantern slides made by Fleay, a fanatical photographer. Finney said Fleay had been a serious scientist and showman with an eye for a great story. 'Behind that was a serious intent to promote and protect Australian wildlife,' she said. Fleay had caught six puggles and chose Winston for his namesake. The young platypus was a 'little beauty' and possessed 'all the attributes of self-possession and good condition so essential to the trials ahead'. Working with Finney, the students discovered who and what was really to blame for Winston's death at sea on November 4, 1943. The students of history and philosophy of science reviewed the logbook kept by a midshipman entrusted with caring for Winston at sea. He recorded the temperature of the air, food and water several times a day, what he was fed and his condition. Sometimes Winston was fed egg custard to supplement worms and grubs. On Sunday, October 3, the log reports the animal was in good condition and eating all its food. But two days short of reaching his destination, as the students report, 'Disaster Struck'. On Saturday, November 4, the midshipman notes, 'Platypus found dead in water'. Writing to Australian prime minister John Curtin, Churchill said he 'was grieved to tell you that the platypus you kindly sent me has died. The loss is a great disappointment to me.' He wrote that the Royal College of Surgeons was anxious to have Winston's remains stuffed because another platypus had been lost in the Blitz. In correspondence between Australia and the UK, there was speculation that a depth charge by a German submarine could have killed Winston. 'With such a timid animal that only a little noise would be harmful, especially if his vitality had lowered by lessened food intake,' an official wrote. Loading By analysing the temperatures in the logbook, the students concluded that Winston was probably killed by heat stress, and exacerbated by a reduction in his food and the reverberations from an explosion. Butler said platypuses eat a lot for their size. Winston's rations had been reduced from about 700 worms a day to 600 a day because the crew feared the 50,000 worms wouldn't last the trip otherwise. Zaki said research on transporting platypuses said they shouldn't be exposed to constant temperatures above 27 degrees, yet for the week when they were crossing the equator, Winston was kept in conditions where the air and water were much higher. Platypuses mostly live in environments where the temperature is 20 degrees and below. Above 25 degrees, they can't regulate their body temperature. Above 34 degrees can be fatal for the species. 'These temperatures don't seem extreme for us humans. They're very high for platypuses,' says their report. In their online series, the students tell the full story of the story of platypus diplomacy. Cowan said platypuses were seen as very exotic from the early days of colonial settlement. 'They were considered paradoxical. Because they have a bill of a duck, they look like an otter and had a tail like a beaver.' And they lay eggs. Liang said they were so strange that scientists assumed the first specimens (taxidermied) sent overseas in the late 1790s were a hoax. 'Like a stitched-up artefact,' she said. Finney said the platypuses caused a sensation wherever they were sent. The courtship of Penelope and Cecil, the 'only two duck-billed platypuses' alive in the United States, was reported like a Mills & Boon romance by newspapers from 1947 to 1957. Loading The Herald's correspondent Ross Campbell covered their New York debut. It was attended by the Australian ambassador and a gang of media, including 20 press photographers, journalists and TV crews. At one stage, it was reported that Penelope was faking a pregnancy to get more food. The students report that Fleay said Penelope was 'shamefully maligned' – rather, she was 'always an ordinary, straightforward lady platypus'. Penelope escaped from the Bronx Zoo in 1957. The New York Times reported that far from being lovesick, Penelope was sick of Cecil.
Cision Canada
a day ago
- Science
- Cision Canada
Save the date! International Monarch Monitoring Blitz: 25 July
MONTRÉAL, July 14, 2025 /CNW/ - Espace pour la vie invites you to participate in the 9th edition of the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz, which runs from 25 July to 3 August 2025. This is a unique opportunity for people and organizations in Canada, the United States and Mexico to come together beyond international boundaries to protect this emblematic North American species. For ten days, the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz invites the North American population to locate milkweed plants and look for eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises and butterflies in order to help estimate the size of the monarch's summer population. To take part, you need only transmit your monarch and milkweed plant observations via the Insectarium's Mission Monarch program. Crucial data for monarch protection The monarch's population has declined by 90% over the last 25 years, with the population size recorded in Mexico's wintering grounds last winter being the second lowest on record. Several factors are contributing to this sharp decline across the monarch's breeding and migratory range: loss of breeding habitat, pesticides and climate change. Since monarch and milkweed populations cover a great deal of North America, the participation of the population is essential for deepening our knowledge of these two intimately connected species. These observations help identify priority areas for monarch conservation and guide concrete actions on the ground. All data collected during the Blitz will be made available through the Trinational Monarch Knowledge Network, hosted on GBIF, where it will support large-scale analyses by scientists, researchers and conservation practitioners. With monarch conservation gaining momentum across North America, there has never been a better time for communities to get involved. Step outside, connect with nature, and be part of the movement to protect the monarch butterfly! Quotes Maxim Larrivée, Director, Insectarium "The Monarch Blitz is an example where community science – thanks to coordinated local action – can have a true continent-wide impact on the preservation of biodiversity. That collaboration, which brings together Canada, Mexico and the United States Mexico, embodies a real solution for implementing protective measures aimed at conserving the monarch butterfly." Wendy Caldwell, Executive Director, Monarch Joint Venture "The Monarch Joint Venture is proud to support the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz, a powerful example of international collaboration to better understand and protect one of North America's most iconic migratory species. Community science plays a vital role in tracking monarch populations and informing conservation action across borders—and every observation counts." Jerónimo Chávez, Project Manager, Correo Real Program, Profauna A.C. "An increase in the area occupied by the monarch butterfly on its wintering grounds in Mexico during the 2024–2025 season gave us great joy this year; it provided impetus to step up our commitment to conserve this incredible migratory phenomenon. An important part of the conservation of this species is compiling information all along its migratory journey throughout the year. We are therefore inviting everyone in North America with an interest in the monarch butterfly to join the Monarch Blitz in 2025. In Mexico, the Blitz enables us to map out the local (non-migratory) monarch butterfly populations and to continue promoting their conservation." Your Time to Shine! To take part in the Monarch Blitz, please share your observations through one of the participating community science programs below. Naturalista ( Correo Real Program ( United States: Journey North ( Monarch Larva Monitoring Project ( Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper ( iNaturalist ( Follow the Monarch Blitz and share your participation in this international conservation effort on social media by using the hashtag #MonarchBlitz! Organizations United for Monarch Conservation The Blitz is organized by a collaboration of organizations from across North America, including the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), the Insectarium | Montréal Espace pour la vie, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF), the Monarch Joint Venture, Journey North, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Profauna A.C. and Mexico's National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp). About Espace pour la vie Protecting biodiversity and the environment is at the heart of the mission of Espace pour la vie, which is made up of the Biodôme, Biosphère, Insectarium, Jardin botanique and Planétarium. Together, these museums located in Montréal form Canada's largest natural science museum complex, welcoming over 2.4 million visitors each year. In view of the challenges our planet is facing, Espace pour la vie is working to increase its impact by fostering dialogue with communities and taking actions aimed at mobilizing the public behind the socio-ecological transition. SOURCE Espace pour la vie Montreal
STV News
2 days ago
- STV News
Visit to Scotland ‘means the world' to 100-year-old veterans, says charity
A charity preparing to bring three Second World War veterans to Scotland said it 'means the world' to them to be revisiting sites linked with their wartime service. Donald Turrell, 100; Dorothea Barron, 100; and Eugeniusz Niedzielski, 101, are set to travel to Scotland in August in a trip organised by the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans (TCMV). As well as visiting a number of sites linked with their service, the 'remarkable' trio will attend the Edinburgh Tattoo on August 12. Colin Mills, chairman of TCMV, said: 'We are incredibly proud to be taking three remarkable WW2 veterans to Scotland this August, and we are so grateful to everyone whose generous donations have made this trip possible. 'Don Turrell, Dorothea Barron, and Eugeniusz Niedzielski, each with extraordinary stories of service and resilience, will be visiting places that hold deep personal significance. 'Trips like this are only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters, and it means the world to these veterans to be honoured in this way.' London-born Don Turrell enlisted in the army when he was just 17, having lied about his age, and joined the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). He intends to visit Dunfermline, where his mother was born, and also to return to Fort William in the Highlands where he spent time training before being sent to France in the weeks following D-Day. PA Media Donald Turrell spent time training in the Highlands before heading to France ahead of D-Day 'It was hard, very hard,' the 100-year-old recalled of his time training in Scotland. 'It made me fit. There are some photographs floating about with me with all my muscles showing,' he said with a chuckle. He added: 'We used to hang over cliffs on ropes. Just tapped in a six-inch nail on the ground, rope round it, down the side a cliff and swing about, (and) climb up. 'I enjoyed every minute of it.' Other destinations include a visit to the Low Parks Museum in Hamilton, which houses the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) collection. The visit is set to take place on August 8, when a parade with the standard will be held. Dorothea Barron enlisted in the Wrens when she was 18, having been a schoolgirl in London during the Blitz. Working as a visual signaller, she spent much of her time at naval sites in Scotland, initially at Port Edgar on the Firth of Forth and then Rosyth in Fife, Aberdeen, and Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula. The 100-year-old said she was especially looking forward to revisiting her old posting at Port Edgar. 'They're going back to Hopetoun, which was the rallying point for all the naval people,' she said. 'And from there we were sent off to various parts of Scotland. So, I'd love to see if my little tin hut of a signal station has survived the Scottish weather. 'I doubt it very much, but it's going to be such fun looking for it.' During her visit to Port Edgar on August 7, she will perform the sod-cutting ceremony at the old Port Edgar Barracks, which is set to be converted into a new housing scheme. Born in what was then Poland, Eugeniusz Niedzielski was deported to Soviet work camps during the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Released when Stalin joined the Allies in 1942, Mr Niedzielski joined the new Polish army, which was placed under British command, and took part in the Allied offensive in 1944 – including taking part in the liberation of the Dutch city of Breda. PA Media Dorothea Barron said going on trips organised by the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans had given her a 'second lifetime' (Robin Savage/PA) He served in the Polish 1st Armoured Division, which was formed in Duns, in the Scottish Borders, by General Stanislaw Maczek in 1942, and intends to visit the town as part of the trip. The 101-year-old will also visit the Polish consulate in Edinburgh on August 10, as well as travelling to Alnwick in Northumberland, Kelso and Faslane. Mr Turrell and Ms Barron both expressed their gratitude to the TCMV for arranging trips for veterans like themselves. 'This is what keeps me alive,' Mr Turrell said. 'Now I know I'm going on another (trip), I'll got to keep myself going. 'Otherwise, I just sit in a chair, fall asleep, wake up, look at a telly, fall asleep again.' Ms Barron said: 'The lovely London taxi drivers charity were the ones who found me out and gave me all these wonderful opportunities to meet other people who'd been in the war. 'Because, once my husband died and our local doctor died, nobody else, I think locally, had been in the war. 'So it was lovely. It was intriguing, and it's giving me a second lifetime.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Rhyl Journal
2 days ago
- Rhyl Journal
Visit to Scotland ‘means the world' to 100-year-old veterans, says charity
Donald Turrell, 100; Dorothea Barron, 100; and Eugeniusz Niedzielski, 101, are set to travel to Scotland in August in a trip organised by the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans (TCMV). As well as visiting a number of sites linked with their service, the 'remarkable' trio will attend the Edinburgh Tattoo on August 12. Colin Mills, chairman of TCMV, said: 'We are incredibly proud to be taking three remarkable WW2 veterans to Scotland this August, and we are so grateful to everyone whose generous donations have made this trip possible. 'Don Turrell, Dorothea Barron, and Eugeniusz Niedzielski, each with extraordinary stories of service and resilience, will be visiting places that hold deep personal significance. 'Trips like this are only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters, and it means the world to these veterans to be honoured in this way.' London-born Don Turrell enlisted in the army when he was just 17, having lied about his age, and joined the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). He intends to visit Dunfermline, where his mother was born, and also to return to Fort William in the Highlands where he spent time training before being sent to France in the weeks following D-Day. 'It was hard, very hard,' the 100-year-old recalled of his time training in Scotland. 'It made me fit. There are some photographs floating about with me with all my muscles showing,' he said with a chuckle. He added: 'We used to hang over cliffs on ropes. Just tapped in a six-inch nail on the ground, rope round it, down the side a cliff and swing about, (and) climb up. 'I enjoyed every minute of it.' Other destinations include a visit to the Low Parks Museum in Hamilton, which houses the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) collection. The visit is set to take place on August 8, when a parade with the standard will be held. Dorothea Barron enlisted in the Wrens when she was 18, having been a schoolgirl in London during the Blitz. Working as a visual signaller, she spent much of her time at naval sites in Scotland, initially at Port Edgar on the Firth of Forth and then Rosyth in Fife, Aberdeen, and Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula. The 100-year-old said she was especially looking forward to revisiting her old posting at Port Edgar. 'They're going back to Hopetoun, which was the rallying point for all the naval people,' she said. 'And from there we were sent off to various parts of Scotland. So, I'd love to see if my little tin hut of a signal station has survived the Scottish weather. 'I doubt it very much, but it's going to be such fun looking for it.' During her visit to Port Edgar on August 7, she will perform the sod-cutting ceremony at the old Port Edgar Barracks, which is set to be converted into a new housing scheme. Born in what was then Poland, Eugeniusz Niedzielski was deported to Soviet work camps during the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Released when Stalin joined the Allies in 1942, Mr Niedzielski joined the new Polish army, which was placed under British command, and took part in the Allied offensive in 1944 – including taking part in the liberation of the Dutch city of Breda. He served in the Polish 1st Armoured Division, which was formed in Duns, in the Scottish Borders, by General Stanislaw Maczek in 1942, and intends to visit the town as part of the trip. The 101-year-old will also visit the Polish consulate in Edinburgh on August 10, as well as travelling to Alnwick in Northumberland, Kelso and Faslane. Mr Turrell and Ms Barron both expressed their gratitude to the TCMV for arranging trips for veterans like themselves. 'This is what keeps me alive,' Mr Turrell said. 'Now I know I'm going on another (trip), I'll got to keep myself going. 'Otherwise, I just sit in a chair, fall asleep, wake up, look at a telly, fall asleep again.' Ms Barron said: 'The lovely London taxi drivers charity were the ones who found me out and gave me all these wonderful opportunities to meet other people who'd been in the war. 'Because, once my husband died and our local doctor died, nobody else, I think locally, had been in the war. 'So it was lovely. It was intriguing, and it's giving me a second lifetime.'
