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Canadian Government Endorses Plan to Move Whales from Shuttered Park to US, Spain

FILE - Beluga whales swim in a tank at Marineland amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, June 9, 2023. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
FILE - Beluga whales swim in a tank at Marineland amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, June 9, 2023. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
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Canadian Government Endorses Plan to Move Whales from Shuttered Park to US, Spain

FILE - Beluga whales swim in a tank at Marineland amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, June 9, 2023. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
FILE - Beluga whales swim in a tank at Marineland amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, June 9, 2023. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Canada's government endorsed a plan Wednesday to move the last remaining captive whales from a shuttered theme park in Ontario to aquariums in the United States and Spain — a plan that could save them from mass euthanasia if the deal goes through.

There are 30 belugas and four dolphins left in the Marineland park and zoo in Niagara Falls, Ontario, which announced in early 2023 that it was for sale and closed to the public in late summer 2024. No sale has yet been announced, The Associated Press reported.

The former tourist attraction has since worked to move the park’s remaining animals and sell the sprawling property near Horseshoe Falls.

In 2024, Marineland was found guilty under Ontario’s animal cruelty laws in a case related to its care of three black bears.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has issued the first batch of permits to move the whales and is set to issue different permits closer to the move, expected to take place in the next few months. It recently issued permits for the whales and dolphins under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, otherwise known as CITES permits.

“I think this is a positive step forward,” Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson said. “There’s still more work to be done, but it’s a step forward.”

Twenty whales — 19 belugas and one killer whale — have died at Marineland since 2019, according to provincial government data obtained through freedom-of-information laws and official statements.

Thompson's office said the ministry is coordinating with the Canada Border Services Agency, Health Canada and other ministries to “ensure all requirements are met for a safe and timely transfer.”

Marineland said it is “fully committed to the safe and timely relocation of our beluga whales, and we want to be clear: this is our top priority.”

“Relocating these animals is an extraordinarily complex undertaking,” the park said in a statement.

The Canadian government has not decided whether it will provide taxpayer dollars to help move the whales.

The belugas and dolphins are set to head to five marine parks: Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, SeaWorld locations in San Antonio and San Diego, and Oceanografic Valencia.

Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, where Marineland sent five belugas to in 2021, will also help with the move, the American consortium said.

Marineland's founder, John Holer, died in 2018. His wife, Marie Holer, took over operations of the park and put it up for sale in 2023, before she died in 2024.

The estate has been working since to dismantle the park, which features roller-coasters and other rides.

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Too Much of a Good Scent? Hanoi Curbs Iconic Trees

Hoa sua, or "milk flower" trees, as Hanoi considers relocating some trees after residents complain their fragrance is too strong, in Hanoi, Vietnam, October 17, 2026. REUTERS/Thinh Nguyen
Hoa sua, or "milk flower" trees, as Hanoi considers relocating some trees after residents complain their fragrance is too strong, in Hanoi, Vietnam, October 17, 2026. REUTERS/Thinh Nguyen
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Too Much of a Good Scent? Hanoi Curbs Iconic Trees

Hoa sua, or "milk flower" trees, as Hanoi considers relocating some trees after residents complain their fragrance is too strong, in Hanoi, Vietnam, October 17, 2026. REUTERS/Thinh Nguyen
Hoa sua, or "milk flower" trees, as Hanoi considers relocating some trees after residents complain their fragrance is too strong, in Hanoi, Vietnam, October 17, 2026. REUTERS/Thinh Nguyen

Vietnam's capital Hanoi has launched a large-scale program to prune hundreds of its iconic blackboard trees and is considering relocating some after their distinctive fragrance proved too much for some residents.

Known in Vietnamese as hoa sua, meaning "milk flower", and also known as pulai and devil's tree elsewhere in Asia, blackboard trees can grow as tall as 60 meters (197 feet). The name reflects the traditional use of its wood for school items, as does its scientific name, Alstonia scholaris.

Blackboard trees have lined Hanoi's boulevards since they were introduced during French colonial rule in the late ⁠19th century. They were ⁠later planted across the capital, and Hanoi now has about 14,400 of the trees, according to the city government.

At dusk, the trees release a pungent, sweet scent from their greenish-white flowers, peaking in September and October. Long associated with the arrival of autumn in Hanoi, they have inspired hit songs and poetry for decades.

But many of the city's nearly 9 million residents say the fragrance is overpowering.

"I simply cannot stand the smell," said ⁠Hanoi resident Nguyen Ha Long, 43, who said he stopped his evening runs because the scent gave him migraines.

After years of complaints and smaller interventions, local authorities have launched their largest pruning campaign yet, stripping the flowers from about 7% of Hanoi's blackboard trees during a five-day blitz ending on Tuesday.

Officials also plan to relocate trees from streets where they are most heavily concentrated, adding to the impact of major public works projects underway in Hanoi that are rapidly reshaping the city's landscape as the ruling Communist Party chases ultra-fast economic growth.

Not everybody backs the move.

"I absolutely love the scent of blackboard trees. The stronger the fragrance, the more I love it," ⁠said Nguyen Thu Trang, ⁠37, who lives on central Nguyen Du, a street lined with blackboard trees and which was also the setting of the best-selling novel "The Sorrow of War".

"My family has lived here for over 30 years, and we all love the scent. I feel deeply saddened seeing the city prune them," she added, according to Reuters.

"The smell is not toxic," said Tran Cong Khanh, head of Vietnam's ethnomedicine research center, echoing views expressed by three other Vietnamese scientists interviewed by Reuters, who however recommend limiting concentrations in densely populated areas because the pollen, like that of other plants, can trigger allergic reactions.

The debate has been widely reported by local newspapers, despite public health rarely ranking among Vietnamese residents' top concerns.

By contrast, air pollution, which often makes Hanoi one of the world's most polluted cities during winter, has generally attracted less public attention.

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Man who Snatched a Flamingo from US Hotel Exhibit Found Guilty of Animal Cruelty

Mitchell Fairbarn breaks down while testifying during his trial at the Regional Justice Center Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)
Mitchell Fairbarn breaks down while testifying during his trial at the Regional Justice Center Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)
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Man who Snatched a Flamingo from US Hotel Exhibit Found Guilty of Animal Cruelty

Mitchell Fairbarn breaks down while testifying during his trial at the Regional Justice Center Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)
Mitchell Fairbarn breaks down while testifying during his trial at the Regional Justice Center Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

A Canadian man was convicted of animal cruelty charges Monday for snatching a flamingo named Peachy from its enclosure at an iconic Las Vegas hotel. Prosecutors said it was a malicious prank while a lawyer for the tourist insisted it was drunken foolishness not meant to harm the bird.

Prosecutors said tourist Mitchell Fairbarn hurt and frightened the 27-year-old Chilean flamingo when he took it from its habitat at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino and carried the squawking bird to his room March 3.

According to The Associated Press, Defense attorney Josh Tomsheck told jurors at trial in a Nevada court that the man deeply regretted the “bad decisions" he made while intoxicated.
After about five hours of deliberations, jurors returned convictions on felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty counts against the Ontario, Canada, man.

Fairbarn remains under house arrest pending a sentencing hearing set for Dec. 1. He faces up to four years in prison for the felony and possibly six more months for the misdemeanor conviction. Following the verdict, he declined to comment as he left the courtroom with his wife. He showed no visible emotion.

His lawyer also had no comment.

Since the incident, the flamingo has been doing all right physically but is more anxious and nervous when being evaluated, said Peachy’s veterinarian, Tiffany Moore, medical director of Lone Mountain Animal Hospital.

Prosecutors told jurors earlier that Fairbarn willfully caused the bird physical pain, noting feathers were found on the hotel floor. Video showed the bird squawking while Fairbarn handled it and prosecutors said Peachy felt pain when it was pulled by its feet.

Video played at the trial showed Fairbarn holding the flamingo in an elevator and carrying it down a hotel hallway at the famous hotel. The Flamingo is one of the oldest hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, and its well-known flamingo habitat also features hummingbirds, turtles, koi and other species.

Las Vegas police responded to the scene after security staff reported someone had taken the flamingo. When Peachy was located, it was missing seven to eight feathers, had blood on its feathers and injuries to its wings, authorities said.

Taking the bird was “dumb” and “fueled by drunkenness,” the defense attorney Tomsheck said. But he added that his client never intended any harm to the bird, a key element in the felony charge.

“He should not have done that, should not have gone into the habitat, shouldn’t have touched a bird, shouldn’t have taken Peachy inside,” Tomsheck said. “The truth is, Mitch was drunk. Mitch was stupid. He made bad decisions."

Fairbarn could be seen in court at one point with head lowered, hands covering his eyes.

The man had received death threats after taking the flamingo, and he was unable to leave the US when his father died while Fairbarn was awaiting trial, said Clark County prosecutor Haley Willming. While those events were unfortunate, the prosecutor said, “none of that would have happened had he not done what he did, had he not made the choices he made."

Jurors began deliberating shortly before midday after closing arguments Monday morning.

Animal rights advocate says justice was delivered Nevada animal rights advocate John Waudby, who recently helped strengthen the state’s animal cruelty laws, said he believes justice was delivered on Peachy's behalf.

“I hope this sends a message to anybody else that wants to mess with our animals, that you’re not going to do it in Nevada,” he said outside the courtroom after Monday's verdict.

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Anonymous Donation of Banknotes at Charity Shop Sold for Nearly $114,000

Rare banknotes donated to a British Heart Foundation. (Noonans)
Rare banknotes donated to a British Heart Foundation. (Noonans)
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Anonymous Donation of Banknotes at Charity Shop Sold for Nearly $114,000

Rare banknotes donated to a British Heart Foundation. (Noonans)
Rare banknotes donated to a British Heart Foundation. (Noonans)

A mysterious donation to a charity shop in Scotland turned out to be worth a small fortune — and the employees who worked there couldn’t believe their luck.

Staff at a British Heart Foundation store in Edinburgh were stunned to learn that a collection of rare banknotes anonymosly donated to the shop was worth more than $100,000, per a press release from Noonans, a British auction house based in London that specializes in rare collectibles, published on Thursday, Oct. 15.

The valuable notes arrived at the charity’s store tucked inside a series of albums, with employees initially unaware of their potential significance.

“When the donation came into the shop, we all looked through the folders but didn’t know much about the banknotes, so we sent them to our eBay team in Leeds to investigate,” shop manager David McCormack said, according to PEOPLE magazine.

The collection, which included nearly 160 lots of rare banknotes from countries around the world, ultimately sold for $114,434 at auction on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Among the donated items was an uncirculated banknote featuring a portrait of a young Queen Elizabeth, issued by the Board of Commissioners of Currency Malaya and British Borneo.

Other notable pieces included an extremely rare 1947 Iraqi 10-dinar color trial and a specimen 100-riyal note from Saudi Arabia dating back to 1961.

The notes ultimately attracted interest from collectors around the world, with many selling for higher prices than expected, according to Andrew Pattison, head of the banknotes department at Noonans, per a release.

Pattison said that material of this quality is extremely rare and that collectors responded extremely well, with many notes selling for a little more than normal because of charitable nature of the sale.

Also, Noonans said it waived its seller's commission, which allowed more of the proceeds to go toward the British Heart Foundation's efforts to fund research into heart and circulatory diseases.

The sale showed how charities and specialists can work together, transforming a mystery donation into meaningful support.