Mating Antelope Show Off Knees. Seriously.

$400M, or 380 tons of food, needed in Eastern Africa

(AP) - An estimated 4.5 million Ethiopians are in need of food assistance, says a government official—an increase of 40%. Nearly $400 million is needed to fill the country's food gap, adds Ethiopia's state minister of agriculture, who says Ethiopia needs to distribute 380 metric tons of food. A drought centered in the triangle where Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia meet has sent tens of thousands of people pouring into refugee camps in search of food . The director of the US government aid mission in Ethiopia says US officials are concerned that the severity of the drought is being underestimated. More»

The birds usually mate for life, but not this time

(NEWSER) - A pair of British swans has done the unthinkable for the loyal species, which usually mate for life: It split up. Sarindi and Saruni had been together for two years, but both returned to an English bird sanctuary from their annual Arctic migration with brand new partners. It's only the second time in a 40-year survey of 4,000 pairs that researchers at the center have observed a swan “divorce.” More»

Sometimes giving up sex is the surest way to success

(NEWSER) - A darts superstar (yes, darts) recently claimed a self-imposed sex ban is key to his success—and he’s not the only one who’s willingly cut himself off from the nookie. The Mirror takes a look at 10 other famous sex bans:

• Sylvester Stallone: “There is only so much energy in the body,” said Stallone of the ban during Rocky filming in 2006. “I know some athletes in the film didn’t adhere to the ban, but I did because I knew it was the only way."
• Lenny Kravitz: Last year, he told Maxim he’d been celibate for three years: “It’s just a promise I made until I get married.”

Male crabs rewarded with sex for defending neighbors

(NEWSER) - Selling sex is the key to survival in the seedy world of fiddler crabs, according to Australian researchers. Scientists studying the burrow-dwelling, highly territorial creatures found that male fiddler crabs fought off intruders to protect female neighbors—who lack the male's huge claw—far more often than they would aid male neighbors, and apparently received sex in return. More»

Kenyan duo credited with 135 kills ate just 35 humans

(NEWSER) - The Tsavo lions, reputed to have consumed 135 railroad workers in Africa at the turn of the last century, were not quite as ravenous as legend would have it. The lions—whose stuffed carcasses are enshrined at Chicago ’s Field Museum —actually dispatched a mere 35 souls, new research shows. Scientists analyzed the duo’s bone fragments for evidence of homo sapiens in their diet. “The possible range is between 4 and 72 humans,” one tells the Tribune. “But 35 is most likely.” More»