› added 5 years ago

52

TIL that while the Bald Eagle is widely known as a national symbol of the United States, the American Bison is the national mammal. The population of American Bison, once 60+ million, dropped to <600 by 1889, but due to conservation efforts is now 500k and growing.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

LQOYZ TIL NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar agreed to appear in the movie "Airplane!" on the condition he be paid $35,000..the exact price of a rug he wanted to purchase.
WkjGX TIL that when a horse becomes pregnant with twins, the standard practice is to abort one by a vet crushing the embryo.
pY5Lp TIL that a 2024, 50-year study shows that ski helmets can protect against typical concussions from falling on the snow surface, but not atypical high-speed collisions against trees on blue runs which remain statistically fatal.
e0p5b TIL that in 1964 paintings by a chimpanzee were displayed in a Swedish art gallery pseudonym "Pierre Brasau", supposedly an unknown french artist. The paintings were praised by critics, one of which went as far as to say "Pierre is an artist who performs with the delicacy of a ballet dancer."
QJQVa TIL That Giant Tarantulas will keep frogs as pets, keeping them safe from potential predators. In return these frogs will eat tiny insects that could otherwise harm Tarantula eggs before they hatch.