Hi everyone, it's time for a new episode of News Bites…

I'm Nancy Sun.

And I'm Hope Ngo.

In today's stories…

A pangolin pops by the store, and the mystery of whale songs.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit…

A bird, a TV show host, and a big election! We'll tell you all about it at the end of the episode.

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穿山甲逛台東超商

Pangolin Strolls through Convenience Store

Guess who stopped by a convenience store on World Pangolin Day?

A real-life pangolin (穿山甲)!

That's right, the pangolin is a mammal (哺乳類動物) that lives in Asia and parts of Africa.

They have large scales (鱗片) on most of their bodies.

It's like armor (盔甲), and helps protect them from predators.

And pangolins are the only mammal that have these scales!

They also have long tongues that help them catch ants and termites (白蟻).

Usually, they live in forests.

But recently, one of these armored animals strolled right into a convenience store!

That night, a worker at the store in Taitung County heard the doors open.

And the worker said "Welcome! 歡迎光臨!"

But no one came through the door.

Then he looked down…

And he saw something small and dark.

It was a pangolin!

The worker was shocked.

He was worried the pangolin could get hurt.

So he quickly called police.

店員仔細一看竟發現剛進門的「客人」竟是保育類穿山甲，趕快打電話請求警察協助。

They put the pangolin safely in a box.

And they took the pangolin to a wild animal hospital.

Vets said the pangolin was healthy and could return to the forest.

This is a good reminder that wild animals are…well, wild.

If you ever see one, don't chase or bother them.

Just keep a safe distance, and they'll probably move away on their own.

動保人員說如果遇上野生動物以不打擾為原則，記得保持安全距離。

Protecting wild animals is a team effort.

We can all do our part to keep these amazing animals safe.

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科學家解開鯨魚歌唱之謎

Whale Song Mystery Solved

Deep beneath the ocean waves…

A symphony unfolds…

But this music doesn't come from instruments made of metal or wood…

This music comes from the throats of giants!

For whales, the ocean is their home…

But it's also their concert hall.

They fill the ocean with their haunting and beautiful songs.

But how do these enormous animals make this amazing music?

Scientists have recently learned the secret behind their underwater melodies.

They looked very closely at baleen whales (鬚鯨).

That includes blue whales, and humpback whales.

These are whales that do not have teeth.

They have plates on their mouth, called "baleen".

They use these plates to catch tiny animals in the ocean.

Baleen whale songs are also amazing.

The blue whale makes the loudest long sounds of any animal.

In fact, their "songs" can be heard hundreds of kilometers away.

But for a long time, we didn't know how baleen whales made these amazing sounds underwater.

Now scientists have learned that baleen whales have a special "voice box".

科學家找到大型鯨魚身上的「語音盒」，這個特殊的結構讓牠們可以在水裡發出奇妙的聲音。

It's big and U-shaped.

And there's a big cushion of fat.

This "voice box" lets the whales "sing" by recycling air.

It also makes sure the whales don't breath in water when they sing.

Scientists say this new discovery is "super-exciting".

But they are also worried.

They know these songs are a "must" for whale survival.

It's the only way baleen whales can find each other to mate (交配) in the ocean.

But the whales often can't hear each other's songs…

Because of the noise made by ships.

Our ocean noise makes it harder for whales to communicate over long distances.

Just imagine trying to tell your friend something…

But everyone around you is shouting!

The scientists hope their findings can help us learn more about whales, and how to protect these endangered giants of the sea.

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So, in today's News Bites…

Recently, a wild pangolin strolled right into a convenience store!

The store worker quickly called police, and the pangolin was taken to an animal hospital.

Vets said the pangolin was healthy and could return to the forest.

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And,

Scientists have now learned that baleen whales have a special "voice box".

This "voice box" lets the whales "sing" underwater.

The scientists hope their findings can help us learn more about whales, and how to protect these endangered giants of the sea.

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趣味小點

Tasty Tidbit

Today's Tasty Tidbit is a real hoot!

You ready?

Why does the flamingo lift up one leg?

Because if it lifted both legs it would fall over!

And now, 8 year-old Andy from Xisong Elementary School in Taipei tells us how a TV show host helped some very special birds.

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If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!

We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!