Strange but true

Exotic trespassers
A recent video shows two visitors, capybaras, calmly wandering into the Legislative Assembly of Mato Grosso in Cuiabá, Brazil, and exploring the reception area while deputies prepared for a vote elsewhere in the building on July 30. The capybaras, the world’s largest rodents, were prevented from going further into the building by security turnstiles. Employees guided the famously sociable animals out of the building, where they were joined by a third capybara. Employees said capybaras are sometimes spotted in the area due to the building’s proximity to the Parque das Águas, which has a native population of the animals. Capybaras have previously been seen bathing in the fountain in front of the building. The visitors caused no injuries or damage to the building.
Throwing away a fortune
A waste collection company in Italy came to the assistance of a Bitonto resident who mistakenly threw away a lottery ticket worth $1.15 million. Toscano, the director of the local waste collection company Sanb, said a resident had bought a MillionDay ticket for the July 31 drawing with their usual set of numbers. On scanning the ticket at a store they received a message that the ticket was “non-payable”, causing them to throw it in the rubbish. Toscano said the person only later discovered that their numbers had come up, and the “non-payable” message referred to the fact that the prize was too large to collect at the store. The player’s family hurriedly returned to the store, only to find the rubbish already collected. The family contacted Sanb, which identified the truck that had collected the store’s waste. Eventually, the truck was emptied and employees finally found the ticket, which was luckily intact inside a bag filled with other discarded tickets.
Over the limit
Belgium is well known for its tradition of fine beer. Perhaps less well known is its wonderful tradition of giving a newly wed couple a surprise gift. A young couple from Zandvoorde recently returned from their honeymoon to find their surprise gift presented something of a puzzle. Their friends had decided to combine the two traditions and had entirely blocked the young couple’s house with beer – 2,000 boxes of beer, to be precise. How on earth could the friends even find so much beer, let alone pay for it? Luckily, one of the friends belongs to a local brewing family. How, though, is the couple to enter their home? Fortunately, the beer is a favourite with the husband, so perhaps he will find a way.
Bons mots
“A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it is better to be thoroughly sure.” – Czech proverb


Scroll to Top