Goodable

A “milestone months in the making” was achieved on Tuesday, July 15, at Dallas Zoo when Makutu the chimpanzee went out on habitat alongside his mom JB for the first time.

Dallas Zoo shared this heartwarming footage of Makutu crawling towards JB for some cuddles and quality time together.

The zoo has been regularly updating its followers on the mother-son duo after the pair were separated due to JB’s failure to display the maternal instincts the crew had hoped for.

“Our goal was always to help Makutu grow strong and healthy, and work toward reuniting him with JB and the rest of the chimpanzee troop. And that goal became a reality this morning,” Dallas Zoo wrote to Facebook.

“It’s taken months of careful planning, training, and round-the-clock care from our dedicated zoologists to achieve this. We began reintroducing JB and Makutu behind the scenes last week, and we were encouraged to observe early signs of positive bonding behavior.

“And this morning, JB and Makutu joined the troop out on habitat together for the very first time! JB is still learning and finding her way, but she’s making steady progress, staying close to Makutu as he explores his new world and experiences so many ‘firsts.’”

According to local news reports, Makutu was born at the zoo in January.

A “milestone months in the making” was achieved on Tuesday, July 15, at Dallas Zoo when Makutu the chimpanzee went out on habitat alongside his mom JB for the first time.Dallas Zoo shared this heartwarming footage of Makutu crawling towards JB for some cuddles and quality time together.The zoo has been regularly updating its followers on the mother-son duo after the pair were separated due to JB’s failure to display the maternal instincts the crew had hoped for.“Our goal was always to help Makutu grow strong and healthy, and work toward reuniting him with JB and the rest of the chimpanzee troop. And that goal became a reality this morning,” Dallas Zoo wrote to Facebook.“It’s taken months of careful planning, training, and round-the-clock care from our dedicated zoologists to achieve this. We began reintroducing JB and Makutu behind the scenes last week, and we were encouraged to observe early signs of positive bonding behavior.“And this morning, JB and Makutu joined the troop out on habitat together for the very first time! JB is still learning and finding her way, but she’s making steady progress, staying close to Makutu as he explores his new world and experiences so many ‘firsts.’”According to local news reports, Makutu was born at the zoo in January.

Makutu the Chimpanzee Finally Joins His Mom in Habitat For Cuddles in a Heartwarming Milestone

Science Daily

A sprawling system of ancient river-carved landscapes, hidden for tens of millions of years beneath East Antarctica’s vast ice sheet, has been discovered by scientists—and could offer critical insight into how the continent’s ice might respond to future climate change.

Researchers led by Durham University in the UK identified the preserved flat surfaces by analyzing radar measurements of ice thickness across a 3,500 km stretch of East Antarctica’s coastline, from Princess Elizabeth Land to George V Land. The findings, published in Nature Geoscience, suggest these features were once part of a vast, interconnected landscape shaped by flowing rivers sometime after Antarctica and Australia separated roughly 80 million years ago, and before the continent became locked in ice around 34 million years ago.

“When we were examining the radar images of the sub-ice topography in this region, these remarkably flat surfaces started to pop out almost everywhere we looked,” said Dr Guy Paxman, lead author of the study and a Royal Society University Research Fellow at Durham. “The landscape hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is one of the most mysterious not just on Earth, but on any terrestrial planet in the solar system.”

Today, these surfaces lie buried under the ice, separated by deep troughs that serve as channels for fast-flowing glaciers. The ice directly above the flat surfaces, however, is much more stable and moves more slowly, acting almost like a brake on ice flow.

That’s a potentially important discovery as Antarctica continues to lose ice at increasing rates. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet, though more stable than its western counterpart, contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by 52 meters if it were to melt entirely.

Researchers say these newly identified features could be playing a role in moderating how quickly ice is lost along this portion of the continent. Including them in models could help sharpen predictions of how the ice sheet might behave as the climate warms.

“Information such as the shape and geology of the newly mapped surfaces will help improve our understanding of how ice flows at the edge of East Antarctica,” said Paxman. “This in turn will help make it easier to predict how the East Antarctic Ice Sheet could affect sea levels under different levels of climate warming in the future.”

The ancient riverbeds cover about 40% of the ice sheet’s coastal margin along the studied stretch. Remarkably, the surfaces appear to have remained largely intact over the past 30 million years—suggesting that the overlying ice has protected, rather than eroded, these landscapes throughout multiple glacial cycles.

Professor Neil Ross, co-author and Professor of Polar Science at Newcastle University, said the study finally connects decades of fragmented observations into a clearer picture. “We've long been intrigued and puzzled about fragments of evidence for 'flat' landscapes beneath the Antarctic ice sheets,” Ross said. “This study brings the jigsaw pieces of data together, to reveal the big picture: how these ancient surfaces formed, their role in determining the present-day flow of the ice, and their possible influence on how the East Antarctic Ice Sheet will evolve in a warming world.”

The team, which includes scientists from universities across the UK, Germany, and China, now hopes to drill through the ice to extract rock samples from these buried surfaces. Doing so could help determine when they were last exposed to the open air, offering further clues to how stable the region has been through past periods of warming.

Funding for the research came from the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust, the European Research Council, Germany’s AWI INSPIRES III program, and the Natural Science Foundation of China.

The ancient landscape, once etched by rivers and now frozen in time beneath kilometers of ice, may turn out to be a key factor in how Earth’s sea levels change in the centuries ahead.

Hidden Discoveries Beneath Antarctica May Hold Key to Slowing Ice Melt and Rising Seas

An Ohio State Highway Patrol officer is being praised for a roadside rescue with a softer side, gathering up a group of ducklings left orphaned after their mother was struck by a vehicle on Interstate 70.

Lt. Dallas Root of the Dayton Post responded to the scene in Montgomery County, where the mother duck had been hit. Bodycam footage shows him carefully collecting the stranded ducklings from the side of the highway and placing them into a cardboard box.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol shared the video on social media, highlighting Root’s compassion. “With help from Brukner Nature Center, the rescued ducklings are now in safe hands,” the OSHP said in the post.

The ducklings were taken to the Brukner Nature Center, where they will be cared for until they can safely return to the wild.

Thanks to Lt. Root’s quick thinking, what could have been a heartbreaking scene ended with a rescue and a second chance for the ducklings.

<p style="border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">An Ohio State Highway Patrol officer is being praised for a roadside rescue with a softer side—gathering up a group of ducklings left orphaned after their mother was struck by a vehicle on Interstate 70.<p style="border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <p style="border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lt. Dallas Root of the Dayton Post responded to the scene in Montgomery County, where the mother duck had been hit. Bodycam footage shows him carefully collecting the stranded ducklings from the side of the highway and placing them into a cardboard box.<p style="border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <p style="border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Ohio State Highway Patrol shared the video on social media, highlighting Root’s compassion. “With help from Brukner Nature Center, the rescued ducklings are now in safe hands,” the OSHP said in the post.<p style="border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <p style="border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The ducklings were taken to the Brukner Nature Center, where they will be cared for until they can safely return to the wild.<p style="border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <p style="border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thanks to Lt. Root’s quick thinking, what could have been a heartbreaking scene ended with a rescue—and a second chance for the ducklings.

These Orphaned Ducklings Were Just Saved From a Busy Interstate

When NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches in 2027, scientists expect it to catch cosmic fireworks on a scale never seen before. A new study predicts the telescope’s upcoming survey could uncover around 100,000 celestial explosions—including supernovae, feeding black holes, and perhaps even the universe’s first stars detonating into oblivion.

The project, known as the High-Latitude Time-Domain Survey, will scan the same patch of sky every five days for two years, creating a time-lapse of the cosmos that’s expected to be a treasure trove of violent, distant events.

“Whether you want to explore dark energy, dying stars, galactic powerhouses, or probably even entirely new things we've never seen before, this survey will be a gold mine,” said Benjamin Rose, an assistant professor at Baylor University and lead author of the new study published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Among the most valuable finds will be a specific type of stellar explosion: type Ia supernovae. These occur in binary systems when a white dwarf siphons off material from a companion star until it ignites in a massive thermonuclear blast. Because they explode with consistent brightness, they’re used by astronomers to measure cosmic distances and trace the expansion of the universe.

Roman is expected to detect around 27,000 type Ia supernovae, roughly 10 times the total discovered to date.

Even more significantly, Roman will see them farther back in time than ever before—potentially spotting dozens of blasts that occurred 11.5 billion years ago. That would set a new record and provide critical data on how dark energy, the mysterious force driving cosmic acceleration, may have changed over time.

“Filling these data gaps could also fill in gaps in our understanding of dark energy,” Rose said. “Evidence is mounting that dark energy has changed over time, and Roman will help us understand that change by exploring cosmic history in ways other telescopes can't.”

But these distance-measuring supernovae are just one piece of the puzzle. Roman’s wide field of view and deep sensitivity will also sweep up an enormous range of other cosmic blasts, including:

- 60,000 core-collapse supernovae, which occur when massive stars exhaust their fuel and implode.

- 90 superluminous supernovae, rare explosions up to 100 times brighter than normal supernovae.

- 40 tidal disruption events, where a star is torn apart by a black hole’s gravity.

- 5 kilonovae, ultra-rare bursts from colliding neutron stars. Only one has ever been definitively observed.

And perhaps most tantalizingly, Roman could provide the first confirmed sighting of a pair-instability supernova—the theorized explosion of a first-generation star. These stars were enormous, hundreds of times the mass of the Sun, and likely destroyed themselves in total annihilation, leaving no remnant behind.

“I think Roman will make the first confirmed detection of a pair-instability supernova,” Rose said. His team’s simulation suggests the telescope could find more than 10 such events. “They're incredibly far away and very rare, so you need a telescope that can survey a lot of the sky at a deep exposure level in near-infrared light, and that's Roman.”

Distinguishing between all these cosmic signals is no small task. Many explosions, especially from across the universe, can appear similar at first glance. Roman’s team plans to use machine-learning tools trained on their simulation data to classify the telescope’s massive data haul.

“By seeing the way an object's light changes over time and splitting it into spectra—individual colors with patterns that reveal information about the object that emitted the light—we can distinguish between all the different types of flashes Roman will see,” said Rebekah Hounsell, an assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and co-author of the study.

While some scientists will focus squarely on type Ia supernovae and dark energy, others are eager for the so-called “bycatch”—all the strange, rare, or unexpected flashes that show up along the way.

“Roman's going to find a whole bunch of weird and wonderful things out in space, including some we haven't even thought of yet,” Hounsell said. “We're definitely expecting the unexpected.”

As the telescope’s launch date approaches, astronomers are preparing for a data flood unlike anything before. The Roman Space Telescope won’t just expand the known universe—it may rewrite parts of it.

How Nasa's New Telescope Will Transform Our Understanding of Cosmic Explosions

BBC News

Lewis Aylmer from England has turned what was once a source of ridicule into an international accolade. The 33-year-old took first place in the Under 15cm Full Beard with Styled Moustache category at the World Beard and Moustache Championships held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Aylmer began growing facial hair early, by age 12, and sported an impressive goatee by 17. However, his facial hair made him a target for bullies during school. "When I was in school, I used to get called all sorts of names," he recalled. "It got bad with the bullying, we'd get into fights."

After stints in the army reserves where shaving was mandatory, sometimes twice daily, Aylmer embraced his beard and moustache once more. His passion for competitive bearding took off three years later after learning about contests focused solely on facial hair. He placed third at the 2016 British Beard and Moustache Championships and went on to win national titles in both 2018 and 2024.

The recent World Championships saw over 400 competitors vying for top honors between July 3 and July 5. Judges evaluated participants based on specific criteria like a handlebar-style moustache with prominent curls and perfect symmetry. Aylmer detailed how he maintained his award-winning look: "I used three different waxes to keep my moustache in place for an entire day, along with oils to maintain the health of my beard."

People often approach Aylmer for photos thanks to his standout facial hair—a reality he's grown accustomed to over the past decade. Winning these competitions has also boosted his self-confidence and helped him manage anxiety issues. "I feel like it's actually helped me get a bit more confidence in myself," he said. Engaging with others, both on stage and off, has been therapeutic for him.

The camaraderie among competitors is another highlight for Aylmer; he describes them as "always so friendly and welcoming." For him, events feel like reunions with long-lost friends.

Looking ahead, Aylmer is set to defend his British title next year while preparing for future contests such as the 2027 World Beard and Moustache Championships scheduled to occur in Blackpool.

"Going up on stage, talking to people and meeting new people—they've helped me... which has been a fantastic thing," said Aylmer.

Meet The Man With The World's Most Magnificent Beard

A team of British cavers has uncovered one of the largest cave systems discovered in the UK in the past ten years—an underground network stretching nearly 10 km beneath the Forest of Dean.

The system, near English Bicknor in Gloucestershire, was revealed thanks to a mix of persistence, curiosity, and a chilly underground draft.

The initial entrance, known as Redhouse Lane Swallet, was first found in the 1990s by Paul Taylor, a lifelong caver from Gloucester. After two years of digging, he uncovered a mile-long cave. But it turns out that was just the beginning.

More than two decades later, a new generation of explorers pushed beyond the known limits. In August last year, spurred on by cold air flowing through a boulder-filled passage, they began digging—and struck something much larger.

Dr Tim Nichols, a conservation officer and retired physicist, was among the team that cracked open the wider network.

"The first time when we stepped into the new passage, when there was just two of us, all of our dreams had come true," Nichols told the BBC. "That exploratory urge to go and find where no person has ever been before is really special."

The cavers have since mapped out about 10 km (6 miles) of passages, tunnels, and caverns, making it one of the largest cave discoveries in Britain since 2010, when cavers linked three previously separate systems into what’s now known as The Three Counties system, the UK’s longest at 87 km.

"You have to pinch yourself, it is a once-in-a-lifetime [find]," Nichols said. “Every trip's just been like another birthday present.”

For Paul Taylor, now 71, the breakthrough marks a deeply personal milestone. “I started caving when I was just 13 years old,” he said. “To be the very first person to shine your light down that passage and put your footprints down—it's an amazing experience.”

He described feeling “extremely honoured and proud” to have laid the groundwork for what’s now a major discovery.

Caves, Nichols said, remain one of the few truly unexplored frontiers left on Earth. “True genuine exploration—that's what's exciting about it,” he said.

With many of the UK’s most significant cave systems discovered decades ago, the scale of this find—hidden beneath a well-known landscape—has left seasoned cavers astonished. For them, it’s not just about the size of the network, but the feeling of stepping into darkness where no one has ever stood.

The Largest UK Cave Discovery in a Decade was Just Unearthed by Explorers

Science Alert

Recent research suggests that communication between the gut and brain is sophisticated enough to be considered a new sense. This newfound "neurobiotic sense" could influence both appetite and mood, adding another layer to our understanding of how these two organs interact.

A team from Duke University in the U.S. has made strides in identifying the physical processes responsible for this connection. Neuroscientist Diego Bohórquez and his colleagues sought to determine if the body can sense microbial patterns and respond not just with immune or inflammatory reactions but also through neural responses that guide real-time behavior.

The researchers focused on flagellin, a protein found in gut bacteria already known to trigger immune responses. They investigated whether flagellin could also serve as a direct messenger to the brain. By administering small doses of flagellin to fasting mice, they tracked biochemical actions linking gut bacteria to the brain via colon cells called neuropods and the vagus nerve.

Remarkably, these mice consumed less food than usual, suggesting that flagellin acted as a signal affecting their appetite. Additional experiments supported this finding; when researchers turned off receptors sensitive to flagellin, mice continued eating normally, reinforcing the role of this signaling pathway.

While it's established that gut cues can regulate appetite via brain response, this study argues that gut bacteria triggering complex real-time communication qualifies as a distinct sense. "This sense enables the host to adjust its behaviour in response to a molecular pattern from its resident microorganisms," the researchers noted in their published paper.

Although further studies are necessary to confirm similar processes in humans, there is optimism given similarities between human and rodent digestive systems. The research team plans to examine other types of bacteria-driven communication between the gut and brain and track how these signals evolve over time.

Understanding this neurobiotic sense might eventually aid efforts in treating eating disorders and obesity by potentially controlling it for beneficial outcomes. Bohórquez believes this work will help explain how microbes influence behavior across various scientific fields. "One clear next step is to investigate how specific diets change the microbial landscape in the gut," he says, highlighting its potential impact on conditions like obesity or psychiatric disorders.

Sixth Sense: How Gut Bacteria May Be Shaping Your Mood and Appetite

A bobcat named Blob has found his “forever home” after being rescued from one of the UK’s most notorious exotic animal facilities.

Blob was facing the possibility of euthanasia if a permanent home was not found, after he was rescued from the Cat Survival Trust, a facility shut down earlier this year when its owner was convicted of animal welfare offences. The facility’s owner, Terrence Moore, has been dubbed the UK’s “Tiger King”, a reference to American animal park owner Joe Exotic.

Blob was one of 23 exotic cats rescued from the Cat Survival Trust, and was the final cat to find a permanent home.

The Big Cat Sanctuary in Ashford was at capacity after taking three other big cats, but enlisted the help of Wildside Exotic Rescue to give Blob a temporary residence.

“It was the final day, and Blob’s life literally hung in the balance,” Cam Whitnall, managing director of the Big Cat Sanctuary, said. “That day, I made a promise: I’d find Blob a permanent home in the UK.”

Seven months later, Blob was moved to the Big Cat Sanctuary for good, joining the ranks of fellow rescued cats from the Cat Survival Trust, including Frank, the UK’s only Asian golden cat, Boson, a fishing cat, and Rhys, a Eurasian lynx.

A bobcat named Blob has found his “forever home” after being rescued from one of the UK’s most notorious exotic animal facilities. Blob was facing the possibility of euthanasia if a permanent home was not found, after he was rescued from the Cat Survival Trust, a facility shut down earlier this year when its owner was convicted of animal welfare offences. The facility’s owner, Terrence Moore, has been dubbed the UK’s “Tiger King”, a reference to American animal park owner Joe Exotic. Blob was one of 23 exotic cats rescued from the Cat Survival Trust, and was the final cat to find a permanent home. The Big Cat Sanctuary in Ashford was at capacity after taking three other big cats, but enlisted the help of Wildside Exotic Rescue to give Blob a temporary residence. “It was the final day, and Blob’s life literally hung in the balance,” Cam Whitnall, managing director of the Big Cat Sanctuary, said. “That day, I made a promise: I’d find Blob a permanent home in the UK.” Seven months later, Blob was moved to the Big Cat Sanctuary for good, joining the ranks of fellow rescued cats from the Cat Survival Trust, including Frank, the UK’s only Asian golden cat, Boson, a fishing cat, and Rhys, a Eurasian lynx.

Meet Blob: The Bobcat Who Defied Odds to Find His Forever Home in the UK

Talker News

A newborn alpaca is capturing hearts at Hillview Animal Park in West Fife, Scotland, after photos showed her exploring the outdoors for the first time.

The young cria, born on the morning of July 20 to mom Melody, was already on her feet within 30 minutes of birth. The white female is the third alpaca born at the park this year—and all have been girls.

“We knew the mom was due because she looked very pregnant,” said Craig Holmes, 37, owner of the park. “Because they are quite slim animals you can see when they are quite heavily pregnant.”

The new arrival is already being doted on by the herd, alongside a two-week-old cria born earlier this month. The park now has six adult alpacas and three babies.

Holmes said the baby’s name will be chosen with help from the public. “The name for the newborn alpaca will be selected by our Facebook followers after we pick our favorite suggestions starting with the letter ‘D’,” he explained.

Mating season at the park involves a quirky method known as the “spit off” test. A female alpaca that is pregnant will spit at the male rather than lie down again to mate. Holmes noted this method is often more reliable than scanning.

In addition to alpacas, Hillview Animal Park is home to goats, sheep, deer, donkeys, and chickens. But for now, it’s the tiniest alpaca on the farm who’s stealing the spotlight.

Meet The Adorable Newborn Alpaca Winning Hearts In Scotland

In a small corner of Rayleigh, England, Nathan Garnett's garden is drawing attention with an unlikely superstar—a towering artichoke plant named Audrey. Reaching an impressive height of 3.22 meters (10.5 feet), this green giant now stretches up to Garnett's bedroom window.

Nathan Garnett, 49, an events organizer, has seen his seven-year-old plant transform unexpectedly. Originally brought from Billericay when he moved five years ago, the artichoke remained unremarkable until last year. "It didn't do much until last year," Nathan explained. "Then it suddenly went crazy. I have no idea why."

The current Guinness World Record for the tallest artichoke stands at 2.5 meters, prompting Nathan to submit Audrey for consideration as the new record holder. Despite being told that it might take three months for Guinness inspectors to verify the claim, Nathan remains patient about the recognition process.

"I could pay £600 to have someone come and check it urgently," he said, "but a record's not that important to me, honestly." Instead of rushing verification, Nathan has documented Audrey's size with videos and photos as evidence for later inspection.

Interestingly enough, Nathan admits he doesn't water Audrey regularly and only added manure 18 months ago. This laissez-faire approach hasn't stopped the plant from flourishing beyond expectations. "It's definitely taken on a life of its own," he noted.

The massive plant has become somewhat of a local celebrity. While it's blocked some light from entering his home—something not unwelcome during hot days—it hasn't gone unnoticed by neighbors or passersby. "The postman knocked on the door laughing," Nathan shared, "saying it's the most amazing thing he's ever seen on his round."

Not everyone shares this enthusiasm; one councillor reportedly called it a "monstrosity" during a campaign visit last year. Despite mixed reactions, no formal complaints have surfaced.

Encouraged by friends to make something positive out of his unusual gardening success, Nathan recently launched a JustGiving page to sell seeds from Audrey in support of a local hospice.

This 10.5ft Artichoke Named Audrey is Breaking Records and Winning Hearts

Upworthy

Beau didn’t describe Gill as a close friend, mentor, or even a family figure. He was simply the man who owned the building where she worked.

But over time, something changed.

In a now-viral Instagram post, Beau shared that she had gradually opened up to Gill about her family. “Over the years, I’ve opened up to him about my father never being present and my mother no longer being here,” she wrote.

So when she got engaged, Gill made a quiet, powerful gesture.

“Gill sat me down and gently asked my Husband and I if he could have the honor of walking me down the aisle,” Beau continued. “In that moment, I felt something I’ve never felt before in a fatherly way—a man truly stepping up for me in the most honorable way. I am forever grateful. The bar is set, and my heart is full.”

For many people online, that simple offer struck a nerve.

The photos show a proud, elderly man standing tall beside a beaming bride. But the response has gone far beyond sentimentality. It’s opened a floodgate of personal stories—of fatherlessness, of kindness, of what it means to be seen.

One commenter wrote, “Sometimes the gestures that cost nothing are the most priceless of all. That is one beautiful man.”

Another added, “You saying he 'gently asked' speaks so much to the quality man he is.”

Even those with no connection to Beau or Gill felt something personal. One commenter reflected: “I'm not quite as old as Gill yet, but I'm closer than I'd like to be. Most of my youth is behind me. The young men who live their lives on the internet and take these toxic influencers as adoptive fathers need to understand that the only men in life who achieve immortality are men like this. Celebrities and 'influencers' may have their time in the spotlight, but it's fickle and fleeting, while men like Gill live forever.”

The story also sparked others to share their own “Gill” figures—surrogate parents who stepped in not out of duty, but choice.

One woman wrote, “I have a boss like Gill and he's amazing. I am a white woman and he's an older Black man. He has told me several times now that I am the daughter he's never had. I call him my surrogate father. We are in an industry where both of us are minorities in our field. It’s helped bring us together knowing that we have each other's backs. I absolutely love that man. If I were to get remarried, he would be the person I would choose to walk me down the aisle.”

Another wrote simply, “I’ve never met my father and was abused by my step-father, and this made me ugly cry. You don’t see a lot of people willing to step up in that way, and this would mean so much to me as well. Gill is a great example to men everywhere.”

It’s easy to think that life’s big gestures require money or planning. Gill’s story is a reminder that what matters most is often presence, not presents.

Sometimes family is chosen. And in this case, Gill chose to show up, quietly, respectfully and meaningfully, on one of the most important days of someone else’s life.

“I am forever grateful,” Beau said. And judging by the comments, she’s not the only one.

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