All posts tagged: feet

Why So Many City Pigeons Have Mutilated Feet

Why So Many City Pigeons Have Mutilated Feet

Published by Sam Flores

Pigeons are a common sight in almost every metropolis. But a closer look reveals a sad detail in many birds: injured, mutilated, or even missing toes. This is often not a coincidence but a problem caused by humans. PETBOOK spoke with the Taubenhaus Südkreuz e.V. to explain why so many city pigeons suffer from foot issues. Why So Many City Pigeons Have Mutilated Feet In the city, if you look closely, you’ll often see them: pigeons limping, missing toes, or barely able to walk. Mutilated feet are a common issue for many city pigeons. However, the cause usually lies not with the birds themselves but in their environment. The most common cause of these injuries is surprisingly mundane. “The entanglements come from threads from jackets, long hair, threads from packaging—anything thread-like,” explains Lara-Salina Küchler from Taubenhaus Südkreuz e.V. The volunteers at the Berlin association deal with such cases daily and witness the animals’ suffering up close. What initially seems harmless quickly becomes a dangerous trap for the birds. With each step, the threads cut deeper …

The Unspoken Airplane Rules That Cause The Most Arguments At 35,000 Feet

The Unspoken Airplane Rules That Cause The Most Arguments At 35,000 Feet

Published by Sam Flores

You don’t want the be the passenger annoying everyone else. From thinking about whether you’re allowed to travel with a power bank to catching yourself wondering why planes have ashtrays when you can’t smoke, jetting off abroad takes some serious brainpower. However, the one thing we can never prepare for? Poorly behaved passengers – something (or someone!) that can ruin your trip before it’s even begun. I’ve been on so many trips where I can’t sleep or get comfortable because people are reclining in front of me – and don’t get me started on people unnecessarily blocking the aisles.  If you want to avoid becoming that person, you’re in luck. In a HuffPost UK exclusive, etiquette expert Grant Harrold spoke to SMC Coach Hire about the biggest mid-air mistakes travellers make on planes – and his golden rules for surviving the skies with your dignity intact. Everything you shouldn’t do on a plane 1. Using the seat recliner  “If you’re on a normal day flight, you don’t need to sleep on the plane, therefore you do not need to recline …

Pub-goer ‘fatally punched pensioner who helped him to his feet’

Pub-goer ‘fatally punched pensioner who helped him to his feet’

Published by Sam Flores

A 66-year-old man was killed with one punch after helping his assailant to his feet, a court heard. David Darke was fatally knocked to the ground by Nathan Gothard, 37, near the Crown Inn in Appleby Magna, Leicestershire, last December. Leicester Crown Court was told Mr Gothard, who denies murder and an alternative count of manslaughter, was furious after he lost a fight. On Tuesday, he sat in the dock wearing black glasses and periodically shaking his head while the prosecution opened its case against him. Peter Joyce KC told the court Mr Gothard had created a “menacing, threatening, argumentative and disputing” atmosphere in the Crown Inn on Dec 21. The defendant was said to have been in the pub since before 4pm. A group of people later arrived at the Crown Inn after their staff Christmas party, which had been held at the Best Western Hotel in the same village. Mr Joyce said: “During the course of the evening, Nathan Gothard began to behave inappropriately, making unwelcome advances and remarks to female members of …

The Best Fisherman Sandals of 2026 Are the Polite Way to Show Feet

The Best Fisherman Sandals of 2026 Are the Polite Way to Show Feet

Published by Jenni Sidey

A few years ago, hunting down the best fisherman sandals money could buy felt like a tough, thankless task. The strappy leather silhouette, which originated on the Mediterranean coast, couldn’t compete with the chokehold of clogs, Birkenstock sandals, or slip-on loafers. But then, all of that changed. Fisherman sandals—defined by their closed-toe design and cage-like strap, originally built to drain sea water drain from those fishermen’s feet fast—started showing up in a litany of unexpected places: on runways, in lookbooks, on guys in big shirts loitering outside small bars. The fisherman sandal had officially crossed the rubicon into fashion territory, buoyed (sorry) by fresh riffs from old-school cobblers and upstart brands alike. Whether or not you care about capital-F fashion, this development remains great news! Because fisherman sandals aren’t just cool—they truly keep you cool, while sparing everyone around you from seeing your not-quite-summer-ready toes toes. Nowadays, sourcing the best of the style requires casting a wide net (sorry, again), so I did the hard work for you. Below, 13 pairs to keep your feet …

Longest snake ever measured is over 23.5 feet long

Longest snake ever measured is over 23.5 feet long

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. A snake in southwest Indonesia has shattered the Guinness World Record for the longest serpent ever spotted in the wild. Nicknamed “Ibu Baron” (the Baroness), the giant female reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) discovered in late 2025 measures 23-feet-and-8-inches from head to tail—about the same length as a regulation soccer goal. That’s 10 inches longer than the previous record from another female reticulated python from Borneo measured in 1999. That said, onsite herpetologists suspected her length may technically be even longer. The official world record confirmation took place earlier this year in Maros, an area in the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. A team of experts including local conservationist Budi Purwanto, snake handler Diaz Nugraha, and photographer Radu Frentiu took the lead on measuring and documenting the reptile. They knew time was of the essence after initially hearing of the reptile’s existence from a mutual acquaintance. Reticulated pythons much shorter than the Baroness are often killed by local residents whenever …