Good news stories from the past seven days
A cat that alerts its deaf owner to phone calls and visitors has been shortlisted for a national award. Zebby, an untrained two-year-old from Derbyshire, also taps Genevieve Moss on the face to encourage her to put on her hearing aid, fetches her slippers when he notices they’re not on her feet, and brings her the morning post. He will compete against two other cats in the “Family Fur-ever” category at the National Cat Awards in July. “In the night, if there’s an unusual noise, he will bat me on my head to wake me up and let me know,” Moss said. “Zebby is very special.”
Coral reef discovered in the Galápagos
Scientists have discovered a pristine coral reef in a previously unexplored part of the Galápagos Marine Reserve. The reef, which is about 1.2 miles long and lies 600 metres beneath the surface, was found by marine biologists using a submersible craft. They described it as “teeming” with life, including pink octopuses, crabs, sharks and rays. The discovery has raised hopes that some reefs will be able to withstand the impact of warmer and more acidic seas.
Musicologist finds 90 lost songs by Donizetti
A British musicologist has found up to 90 lost songs by the 19th century Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Roger Parker, a professor at King’s College London, had spent two years scouring archives and collections around the world in search of the songs, which will be recorded and performed this autumn, by the London-based Opera Rara. “Often, Donizetti would write a song in an evening and give it to a friend as a present, so they got dispersed all over the place,” he said. “I’m sure there are all sorts of other ones out there.”
