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San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcomes 3 bat-eared fox kits

Three bat-eared fox kits were introduced this week at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)

San Diego

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced this week the birth of three bat-eared fox kits.

The animal care team at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park said the young foxes have already begun to adventure out of their den and explore their habitat.

“The kits are spending more time outside of the den with their mother, Winter — a first-time mom,” zoo officials shared.

According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance team, the trio enjoys wrestling with one another, playing with mom and catching crickets.

Officials said the foxes are in good health and have recently started to eat solid food.

Guests can view Winter and her kits in the Safari Park’s Nairobi Village area.

Southwest Airlines is celebrating its 52nd birthday with Wanna Get Away Day and a variety of deals this week. (Stephen Keller | Southwest Airlines)

Dallas

Southwest Airlines is celebrating its birthday by offering flyers daily specials this week.

The carrier said it is celebrating 50-plus years of flying by offering special sales and flight options from June 12-18.

“In true Southwest style, we’re celebrating with heart all week long with one of the largest sales of the year,” said Jonathan Clarkson, vice president of marketing at Southwest Airlines.

One of the daily specials this week is 40% off base fares. The airline said customers can purchase a new Southwest flight from Tuesday to Thursday on select flights and receive the discount by using promo code 40OFF.

Some of the fine print says that travel must be between Aug. 15 and Dec. 14, and the deal is blacked out Nov. 16-27 with other restrictions.

Southwest also announced customers can earn Rapid Rewards bonus points during the week and have the option to enter a Wanna Get Away Day Sweepstakes.

“Wanna Get Away Day [June 18] is an annual celebration that allows Southwest to bring together its customers and employees to commemorate our rich history and iconic Wanna Get Away campaign,” Clarkson said.

According to the company, the specials will be unveiled daily until the end of the promotional week.

Cat breaks 3 legs, survives 11-story fall off deck, owner says

A Seattle woman says her cat, Mr. Banks, somehow survived an 11-story fall from her deck. (GoFundMe)

Seattle

A cat owner in Seattle says one of her felines survived a scary fall from a building earlier this week.

Jessica Tonani said that her cat named Mr. Banks fell 11 stories off her deck on Wednesday. He suffered three broken legs but somehow survived the fall.

“Miracles happen. Mr. Banks is a fighter,” she said.

According to Tonani, the 11-month-old cat must have fallen after 9 a.m. She had just finished a conference call that morning and was about to leave the house but couldn’t locate him.

About 30 minutes later, Tonani said she went outside to look for him and when she called him, she could hear him crying.

She ended up spotting him on an awning above the entrance of the building.

The building manager got a ladder and helped Tonani retrieve Mr. Banks.

The injured cat was then put inside a carrier and taken to a nearby veterinary clinic.

Tonani shared that the vet initially told her that Mr. Banks would have to lose one of his legs because of the severity of the injury.

But on Thursday the Seattle cat owner said it appears he could keep all of his legs.

“I just got a call from the vet, and it was great news. Banks has three broken legs, two in the front and one in the back,” she shared. “The back one was shattered. We had thought it would need to be amputated but it appears that it may not need to be.”

Tonani said her little guy does require surgery and has started a GoFundMe to help with the expenses. She said Mr. Banks’ medical care is estimated to cost at least $20,000.

“I’ve cried for the last few hours about it. I can’t afford the vet bill. So, I am going public,” she said.

Currently, her fundraising efforts have helped raise nearly $25,000.

Tonani thanked everyone for their support already and said whatever extra money that is left over will go to the Seattle Humane Society.

She said Mr. Banks is receiving medical care and so far, he is “doing well.”

Angler hooks ‘monster’ 9-foot-long catfish

Alessandro Biancardi, an angler from Italy, recently caught a massive 9-foot-long catfish. (Alessandro Biancardi | MADCAT)

An angler in Italy says he has set a world record after recently catching a massive catfish.

Alessandro Biancardi, part of the MADCAT ITALY team, shared his story of the catch that the rest of the team is calling “unbelievable.”

Biancardi said he came across the gigantic fish while out on a solo trip in the Po River. He attempted a few casts before he said he felt a powerful bite.

“I calmly managed to fight what I felt to be a prehistoric fish,” Biancardi said. “I followed it for 40 endless minutes. When it surfaced for the first time, I really realized that I hooked a monster.”

The Italian angler said he almost lost the massive fish but managed to land it after going into shallow waters near the shore.

“I was sure that the fish I caught was special, but I never imagined what would happen next,” he said.

According to Biancardi, the fish ended up measuring 285 centimeters, or 9.3 feet, setting a new world record.

He called the catfish the biggest one he had seen in his 23 years of fishing.

Biancardi said he ended up releasing the gigantic fish back into the water to give another angler the joy of catching it.

According to its website, MADCAT is a company dedicated to recording impressive catfish catches around Europe while selling specialist equipment to help anglers reel in large fish.

Rollerblader dies after crash with semi, leaves behind 5 children, family says

Family members say Joshua Womack, a father of five, has died after he was struck by a semi-truck while rollerblading (GiveSendGo)

A Michigan man has died after he was involved in a crash with a semi-truck while rollerblading.

Family members shared online that Joshua Womack was sent to the hospital in critical condition after a semi struck him while he was out rollerblading on May 27.

“We ask for prayers and support during this challenging time,” the family wrote.

Sadly, the family shared an update this week that Womack did not make it.

“This has been the hardest thing we have ever experienced,” the family wrote in the update.

The man’s family and friends set up a fundraising campaign to help with expenses as they said he was self-employed and didn’t have medical insurance.

“He has two young children out of state to support, and his current wife is trying to support their three children (ages 3 months old to 3 years old) and desperately needs help in this scary time,” the fundraising campaign stated.

The family said Womack’s death was sudden and has been jarring, but he was able to provide four organs to people in need.

Madison Reeves, the man’s wife, said at least the tragedy “has prevented others from going through the same.”

The family has also thanked everyone who has already reached out in support.