This is incredible.

Source YouTube: National Geographics 

Okay, today’s random fact isn’t just cute… it might actually make your heart melt.

There’s a baby monkey in Japan named Punch, and he’s become famous all over the world - not for doing tricks, but because he carries around a stuffed toy everywhere he goes.

Punch is a young Japanese macaque - sometimes called a snow monkey - who was sadly rejected by his mum shortly after he was born at a zoo near Tokyo. Keepers had to hand-raise him, and because he felt anxious and alone when he joined the other monkeys, they gave him a soft toy orangutan for comfort.

And here’s the amazing part... he treats it like a security blanket, hugging it, carrying it, and even running back to it when he gets scared.

Scientists say primates (including monkeys and humans) use comfort objects in really similar ways when they need emotional support.

Videos of little Punch cuddling his toy went viral online, with millions of people cheering him on, with hundreds  flocking to Japan's Ichikawa City Zoo to see the adorable little monkey. 

Source: Instagram: ish_animal_hu | Picture: hikaru33017

Giraffes have the exact same number of neck bones as humans!

Yep… just seven. The same as you and me.

The difference? Each of a giraffe’s neck bones can be more than 25 centimetres long, while ours are only a few centimetres each. So instead of having more bones, giraffes just have super-stretched versions - like nature hit the zoom button on their necks.

Nature's own little bricklayer.

Source: YouTube: 

Before he became the legendary frontman of AC/DC, Bon Scott was actually… a drummer.

Yep -  the raspy-voiced rock icon started out behind the kit in a band called The Spektors back in the ’60s.

And rock’n’roll rebellion? That wasn’t just an act. As a teenager he described himself as “socially maladjusted” and even spent time in a detention centre - later inspiring AC/DC’s hit Jailbreak.

He also played in the Fremantle Pipe Band, meaning the man behind Highway to Hell once marched around WA with bagpipes.

Bon was famous for performing barefoot, shirtless, and full of wild energy - surviving a near-fatal motorcycle crash just before joining AC/DC.

Sadly, his life was cut short at just 33 on this day in 1980, but his attitude, voice and swagger helped turn AC/DC into one of the biggest rock bands in history... proving sometimes the loudest legends come from the most unexpected beginnings.

Vale, Bon Scott!!

Source: YouTube: EntertainmentMusicVideo

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

So the buzz is that 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse and apparently this zodiac combo only trots around once every 60 years.

In Chinese astrology, every year gets an animal and an element, and when you put the speedy, freedom-loving Horse together with the Fire element… well, astrologers say things can get a little spicy. Think big energy, bold decisions, sudden changes, and people feeling extra brave - or slightly chaotic, depending on how your year’s going.

The last Fire Horse year was 1966, which, fun fact, was packed with massive cultural shifts around the world - so believers say this year could bring that same “buckle up, things are moving fast” energy.

The Horse itself symbolises adventure, independence and charging ahead, while Fire adds passion and drama... basically the zodiac version of someone saying, “Let’s do it!” before fully thinking it through.

So whether you believe in astrology or not, the vibe for 2026 is clear: expect momentum, big moves, and maybe a few plot twists along the way.

Could you imagine a ring of fire in the sky? That’s what today’s solar eclipse is called... but here in Western Australia, we won’t actually see it!

The first solar eclipse of 2026 happens globally on February 17, but the Moon’s shadow falls far south over Antarctica. So while the rest of the world gets a dramatic “ring of fire” around the Sun, here in WA the sky just looks normal.

Astronomically, a “ring of fire” happens during an annular eclipse, when the Moon is slightly too small to fully cover the Sun, leaving a bright, fiery ring shining around it. Astrologically, this eclipse occurs during a New Moon in Aquarius, a sign linked to fresh ideas, innovation, and looking at the bigger picture.

Astrologers say it’s a powerful reset moment... perfect for breaking old habits, starting new projects, or rethinking friendships and goals.

So while we can’t see the fiery ring from WA, it’s a cosmic reminder that change, fresh starts, and new ideas are happening all around the world... and in the sky above us! 

Source: Instagram; Secrets of the universe

I could NOT imagine having to sleep standing up!!

Well... that's confronting. 

Go the Dockers!  

The AFL is coming to Mandurah! Come and watch Fremantle Dockers v Melbourne Demons at Rushton Park in Mandurah next Sunday during the AAMI Community Series!

General Admission tickets are selling fast – get tickets now HERE

OR join us at one of our two pre-game functions and enjoy match day entry along with reserved grandstand seating for the game. Contact the club at [email protected] for more function information.

Source: Facebook: Mayor Amber Kearns /AFL/ Peel Thunder