Latest news with #UniversityofLethbridge
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Giant Pacific octopus shoots video of itself after claiming camera from B.C. divers
When it comes to cinematography, a giant Pacific octopus that borrowed a camera from two divers earns a solid '10 out of 10.' Underwater videographer John Roney said he and his longtime diving buddy Chris Mullen went out on Aug. 5 to Nanoose Bay on the east side of Vancouver Island, a renowned spot for large octopus. Roney said they came across several, but one 'particularly large' octopus _ as large as three metres wide, arm to arm _ caught their attention. It was resting under a ledge, but immediately showed interest in them after they passed by, he said. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'It sort of approached us directly, hopped, and explored my camera, and then I just let go of my camera and I let it have it for a couple of minutes,' said Roney. The resulting video was a mesmerizing display of the creature's pink underbelly, its sucker-covered arms fanned out like an umbrella over the camera. 'It was carrying the camera around for a little bit, aiming it at a wall and stuff. It was doing some filming on its own,' laughed Roney, 'It was even kind enough to use its suckers to turn it off after (the camera) was running for about three minutes.' Roney, a Vancouver Island-based underwater videographer who has been working as a documentary filmmaker for many years, said the animal's camera work was excellent. 'Ten out of 10 underwater videographer for the octopus,' Roney said 'Honestly, the best footage of inside an octopus' web I've seen an octopus take.' 'Better than me by far,' Mullen quipped. Roney later posted the video online, giving the octopus a credit. The footage has received thousands of likes and comments. After the animal was done with the camera, it jumped onto Mullen with its arms around him and suckers on his mask. Roney said he was able to capture the 'hug.' Rather than being aggressive, the octopus appeared curious, using its suckers to explore its environment, Roney said. 'And so you could see it was holding on to him, but it wasn't grabbing him,' said Roney, 'Chris looked like he was having a good time.' 'It was a very gentle hug,' recalled Mullen about the close encounter, 'This is what I was hoping for, this was what I wanted.' Roney said he has done about 1,500 dives over the years, but has only had two close interactions with an octopus. Giant Pacific octopuses are fascinating, interactive animals, and every single time he encounters one, he can't get enough of them, Roney said. Victoria-born marine biologist Jennifer Mather has watched the video, and said the octopus wasn't deliberately taking a selfie even though its work was beautiful. Mather, an octopus expert with the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, said when an octopus finds something interesting and potentially edible, it will pick it up and put it underneath the arm web, which is exactly what we see in the video. 'And the person who had the camera, of course, got pictures because the camera was still running. But it doesn't have anything to do with the octopus taking selfies. Sorry,' said Mather. Mather said the animals are very smart in other ways, likening their personalities to cats. In most situations, when they see divers who crowd around them, they'll sneak away or hide, but an underwater camera with shiny, fresh lights could be quite interesting to them, making them wonder what they can do with it. 'Because octopuses do play — not social play, but object play,' said Mather. Roney said the community response to the video has been incredible. 'You really see that people are fascinated by these animals because they're so intelligent and they're so curious, and they're also so otherworldly, right. They're so different from anything that you'd see on land,' he said. 'And it makes me happy to see people seeing our local marine life here.'
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Giant Pacific octopus shoots video of itself after claiming camera from B.C. divers
When it comes to cinematography, a giant Pacific octopus that borrowed a camera from two divers earns a solid '10 out of 10.' Underwater videographer John Roney said he and his longtime diving buddy Chris Mullen went out on Aug. 5 to Nanoose Bay on the east side of Vancouver Island, a renowned spot for large octopus. Roney said they came across several, but one 'particularly large' octopus — as large as three metres wide, arm to arm — caught their attention. It was resting under a ledge, but immediately showed interest in them after they passed by, he said. 'It sort of approached us directly, hopped, and explored my camera, and then I just let go of my camera and I let it have it for a couple of minutes,' said Roney. The resulting video was a mesmerizing display of the creature's pink underbelly, its sucker-covered arms fanned out like an umbrella over the camera. 'It was carrying the camera around for a little bit, aiming it at a wall and stuff. It was doing some filming on its own,' laughed Roney, 'It was even kind enough to use its suckers to turn it off after (the camera) was running for about three minutes.' Roney, a Vancouver Island-based underwater videographer who has been working as a documentary filmmaker for many years, said the animal's camera work was excellent. 'Ten out of 10 underwater videographer for the octopus,' Roney said 'Honestly, the best footage of inside an octopus' web I've seen an octopus take.' 'Better than me by far,' Mullen quipped. Roney later posted the video online, giving the octopus a credit. The footage has received thousands of likes and comments. After the animal was done with the camera, it jumped onto Mullen with its arms around him and suckers on his mask. Roney said he was able to capture the 'hug.' Rather than being aggressive, the octopus appeared curious, using its suckers to explore its environment, Roney said. 'And so you could see it was holding on to him, but it wasn't grabbing him,' said Roney, 'Chris looked like he was having a good time.' 'It was a very gentle hug,' recalled Mullen about the close encounter, 'This is what I was hoping for, this was what I wanted.' Roney said he has done about 1,500 dives over the years, but has only had two close interactions with an octopus. Giant Pacific octopuses are fascinating, interactive animals, and every single time he encounters one, he can't get enough of them, Roney said. Victoria-born marine biologist Jennifer Mather has watched the video, and said the octopus wasn't deliberately taking a selfie even though its work was beautiful. Mather, an octopus expert with the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, said when an octopus finds something interesting and potentially edible, it will pick it up and put it underneath the arm web, which is exactly what we see in the video. 'And the person who had the camera, of course, got pictures because the camera was still running. But it doesn't have anything to do with the octopus taking selfies. Sorry,' said Mather. Mather said the animals are very smart in other ways, likening their personalities to cats. In most situations, when they see divers who crowd around them, they'll sneak away or hide, but an underwater camera with shiny, fresh lights could be quite interesting to them, making them wonder what they can do with it. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'Because octopuses do play — not social play, but object play,' said Mather. Roney said the community response to the video has been incredible. 'You really see that people are fascinated by these animals because they're so intelligent and they're so curious, and they're also so otherworldly, right. They're so different from anything that you'd see on land,' he said. 'And it makes me happy to see people seeing our local marine life here.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2025.
The Sun
30-07-2025
- The Sun
Gang of ‘scammer' monkeys caught targeting tourists & making off with up to ten luxury phones a DAY – to trade for food
A GANG of mischievous monkeys has been stealing tourists' phones at a popular cliff-side temple in Bali. The primates are said to be "running a scam" operation at the busy tourist spot. 6 6 6 6 This is because the long-tailed macaques are nicking people's phones and wallets - only to hold them ransom in exchange for food, the Wall Street Journal has reported. Around 600 of these roguish monkeys live at Uluwatu Temple - a Hindu place of worship overlooking the Indian Ocean. But despite their peaceful abode, they are engaged in an "unprecedented economic decision-making processes", according to researchers. A team from the University of Lethbridge looked at reams of footage of the monkeys in action. They macaques steal as many as 10 smartphones every day from tourists - amounting to dozens of valuables each week, according to monkey handler Ketut Ariana. Crucially, they also seem to be able to differentiate between high value items and possessions tourists care less about. This leads them to go after phones and glasses over objects like hats and hair clips. Given the monkey's thefts, the assistance of "pawang" is often needed - monkey handlers who will offer them fruit if they give back the stolen items. London tourist Jonathan Hammé told the Wall Street Journal: "The monkeys have taken over the temple. "They're running a scam." Molly-Mae's 'pretentious' sister Zoe slammed as 'ridiculous' for leaving Bali after 2 days as it 'didn't feel right' Taylor Utley, 36, from Kentucky, told the paper she had her phone swiped by one of the monkeys last year. She had to wait for a monkey handler to offer the primate fruit until it dropped the stolen device. "I was taken aback," she said. "It's like a criminal enterprise of monkeys." Uluwatu Temple has brought in a different feeding schedule for the monkeys in a bid to drive down the thefts. But the Wall Street Journal reports this has not made a difference, according to Ketut Ariana. The monkey handler added that when the temple first opened for visitors, tourists would often feed the macaques themselves. But when the temple stopped letting guests feed them, the monkeys began to steal their belongings. Many locals are said to consider the macaques to be sacred guardians of the temple. The site is believed to date to the 10th or 11th century. 6 6
Fox News
30-07-2025
- Fox News
Monkeys 'running a scam' at sacred temple, frustrated tourists say after phone thefts
Monkeys have been stealing tourists' valuables — including their phones and wallets — in exchange for food rewards at a popular, cliff-side temple in Bali, Indonesia. The mischievous, long-tailed macaques have been stealing visitors' belongings for decades, holding them ransom to trade with humans for food, according to primate researchers, the Wall Street Journal reported. Around 600 monkeys live at Bali's Uluwatu Temple, a Hindu temple that overlooks the Indian Ocean. Many locals consider the primates to be sacred guardians of the spiritual site, which dates back to around the 10th or 11th century, according to the WSJ. Some of the thieving monkeys can even differentiate between objects of high value to humans — like phones and glasses — and items humans do not value as much, such as hair clips and hats, the WSJ reported. The primates have "unprecedented economic decision-making processes," according to a University of Lethbridge team that filmed and analyzed hundreds of hours of footage of the macaques. Many of Uluwatu's theft incidents require the assistance of "pawang," monkey handlers who offer fruits to the animals in exchange for the stolen goods. The monkeys steal dozens of items from tourists each week, including five to 10 smartphones every day, according to the WSJ, citing monkey handler Ketut Ariana. "The monkeys have taken over the temple," Jonathan Hammé, a London tourist whose sunglasses were stolen by a macaque, told the WSJ. "They're running a scam." Taylor Utley, a 36-year-old tourist from Kentucky, said a monkey stole her phone out of her hand while she was visiting Uluwatu Temple last year. To help get it back, a monkey handler had to repeatedly give the primate bags of fruit until it dropped Utley's phone, the WSJ reported. "I was taken aback," Utley said. "It's like a criminal enterprise of monkeys." In an attempt to stop the thefts, Uluwatu Temple has implemented different feeding schedules for the monkeys and has offered them different food. However, it has not helped, according to the WSJ, citing Kadek Ari Astawa, who coordinates the monkey handlers. Atsawa said he heard that when the temple first opened to visitors, tourists would sometimes feed the macaques. But once temple management restricted tourists from feeding them, the primates began stealing their belongings, the WSJ reported. In November, residents in a South Carolina town were advised to close their windows and doors after 43 rhesus macaque monkeys escaped a testing facility.
Global News
30-07-2025
- Health
- Global News
Southern Alberta Medical Program at U of L now accepting applications from future doctors
It's been talked about for quite some time, but the first tangible evidence of the Southern Alberta Medical Program has arrived. It's a collaboration between the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine and the University of Lethbridge, and now, prospective students can begin applying to join the first class of future doctors. 'It feels like a huge milestone, a huge step ahead and we're thrilled that it's coming to fruition,' said Richard Buck, associate dean of the Southern Alberta Medical Program. The University of Lethbridge is one of two Rural Medical Education Program Training Centres in Alberta. The other is a University of Alberta partnership with Northwestern Polytechnic in Grande Prairie. The three-year doctor of medicine (MD) program will launch with a class of about 20 undergrad students in July of 2026, allowing the future physicians to earn a University of Calgary medical degree while completing their training in southern Alberta. Story continues below advertisement The program says it will enrol learners who are identified as being likely to practice in rural areas upon graduation. 'I think it's really good for us in Lethbridge,' said Matthew Ridding, a resident who says he spent years trying to find a family physician. 'It was just kind of bouncing around from clinic to clinic doing just walk-ins and it's just not as good, especially trying to get prescriptions and things like that.' Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Unfortunately, some people are still waiting for a doctor. 'We tried for months. We left our information (at a local pharmacy) where we've come for years and they put us on a list, but no luck,' said Mel Vienneau. He says he did have a family physician until recently when his doctor moved away. 'It's really a shame that we don't have family doctors (in Lethbridge).' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's really a shame that we don't have family doctors (in Lethbridge)." Now, he and his wife are seeing a nurse practitioner instead, which he says has been an admirable replacement. 'She has been excellent, we're very happy with her. She's very intelligent, very efficient. She's very capable. So, we don't have a family doctor, but we do have the next best thing.' Story continues below advertisement However, he's hopeful the new program at the university will ensure more doctors in the community. This, according to Buck, is a real possibility. 'By taking folks that have community roots in the place where they're training and then training them here, there's a better chance that they'll stick around and set up practice,' said Buck. This plan, Vienneau expects, should mostly work. 'It's a great city to live in, but young people like to move around, too, so we'll get some of them certainly. We'll keep some of them here,' he said. Lethbridge's mayor, Blaine Hyggen, says the city is committed to bringing more doctors to the city. 'We've been pretty happy with those that we've been able to recruit, both from family physicians to specialists within Lethbridge. So, we'll keep doing our advocacy work as much as we can to make sure that those doctors are within our community.' For Vienneau, this is where the recruitment efforts are really shining. 'Lethbridge does a good job with tourism and general promotion of the city. I think the mayor and the city council, I'm happy with them.' Hyggen, meanwhile, says he's glad to celebrate the small victories, as those will eventually lead to bigger changes. Story continues below advertisement 'Anything that we can do to better our community step-by-step and be in that right trajectory of becoming a safer community, a community that is welcoming to all, a community that has physicians, it's important.' Furthermore, he says it's great to see residents sharing this view. 'Having somebody comment on the importance of this and being thankful to council and the work that they've done in it is quite heartwarming,' said Hyggen. Anyone interested in applying to the Southern Alberta Medical Program are encouraged to visit the University of Calgary's admissions portal. The program says students from all disciplines are welcome to apply.
