Hunting for food has been the primary source of sustenance for man since the Stone Age; however with farming of animals and easy availability of food, hunting has become a popular recreational activity for people. An extremely popular sport in the Africa’s and America’s, this is also a major source of income for these continents.

1. Tanzania, Africa

Tanzania is a country with beautiful national parks and game reserves. It is also called the African hunter’s paradise and is considered as the ultimate hunting destination. There are numerous game reserves in this land which is abundant with flora and fauna. The Selous Game Reserve is the largest hunting ground in the world dedicated to conduct hunts. The lion, buffalo and exotic species such as Sitatunga, Lesser Kunduk and Gerenuk are the popular animals hunted here. Other parks you must visit for game hunting are the Gombe Stream National Park, Mkomazi Game Reserve for Rhinos, Monduli Mountains, Ugalla. These reserves are not very well-known though offer wide variety of games to hunters.

2. Mozambique, Eastern Africa

Its topography consists of thick forests, swamplands and palm forests. Earlier wildlife was heavily poached thus resulting in dwindling population of animals. However, the initiative of the government in working with locals in promoting sustained hunting has revived Mozambique’s hunting industry. One can claim the Lion, Leopard, Cape Buffalo and Elephant as trophies from their hunting expeditions. Other unusual game trophies such as Kudu, Chobe bushbuck, Nyala, Eland and Crocodile are also hunted in Mozambique.

3. South Africa, Africa

South Africa is the destination to be for hunters seeking ‘luxury and that something extra’ while on a hunt. It is easily accessible from all over the world thus making it a preferred hunting destination. The world-famous Kruger National Park, Pilanesberg Game reserve, Kalahari Gemsbok National Park are some of the parks which offer a multitude of big game hunting. One can hunt game such as Nyala, Suni, White Rhino and Gnu apart form Buffaloes, Elephants, Lions etc.

4. Namibia, Western Africa

Earlier a favorite gaming haunt among Europeans it is also gaining popularity among North American hunters. It offers a diverse selection of hunts such as the Elephant, Lion, Cape Buffalo, Leopard, Rhino and Steenbuck for hunting enthusiasts.

5. Montenegro, Europe

Located in Southeastern Europe this small country has relatively untouched landscapes and beautiful rugged countryside. Hunting in Montenegro is an actively practiced sport as the wildlife thrives in its rich jungles and forests. A wide variety of bird species are available for hunting such as quail, duck, turtle-dove, snipe; while the wild boar, bears, rabbits, chamois and wolves are also allowed to be hunted animal hunters. The Skadarsko Jezero, Mount Durmitor, Bjelopavlicka vally, Crmnica and Ulcinj are popular hunting grounds in Montenegro.

6. Belarus, Eastern Europe

This landlocked country is an ideal hunting destination due its flat landscape and marshy tracts. It also has 11,000 pristine lakes and 40% of its land is covered in forest area thus perfect for hunting and fishing game. Their national animal-the European Bison is an exciting game to hunt. Among other big games, the Elk, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Wild Boar and Wolf which provides exciting challenges to ones hunt.

7. Cambodia, Southeast Asia

After hunting was banned in 1954 in Cambodia the government finally opened doors to hunters in 2009. It is actively working with locals to promote sustainable hunting thus preserving Cambodia’s rich wildlife. For hunters who have money to spend Cambodia offers expeditions into underground jungles where one can hunt from Elephants, reptiles and birds.

8. Canada, North America

Canada offers vast and beautiful landscapes to hunt and fish. The choices available for hunting big game are plentiful. One can head to Ontario for Deer and Waterfowl, Newfoundland for Caribou and Hare. Moose and Grouse are other games popular among hunters. For an extremely challenging and exciting hunt one should go for a fishing expedition to the North i.e. Yukon, upper Quebec to fish for the traditional Seal, Arctic Fox and even the Beluga Whale. A hunting trip in Canada is an experience one will never forget.

9. Argentina, South America

Argentina has one of the most regulated and organized hunting industry in the world. This country is rich in its biodiversity and provides some of the best games for hunting. Due to its close proximity to Antarctica a wide assortment of birds and animals thrive here. Dove and Pigeons are hunted throughout the year while hunters seeking higher challenges can focus on the Blackbuck Antelope, Stags, Pumas and Water Buffalo. This place is a must-visit for any hunting enthusiast.

10. Uruguay, South America

Uruguay is not as well-known as its southern neighbor though it offers a variety of birds and animals for game hunting. Hunting for ducks is the most popular game in Uruguay. Other game are pigeons, doves, freshwater fishes are also available.

We dwell on a marvelously assorted globe and share it with an enthralling and incredible assortment of creatures in the wild in an abundance of varied habitats. At top-10-list.org, we are excited about the wildlife and scenery our planet has to provide, and in identifying this, our writers has generated from the archives some of the best wildlife photospheres. There are wide varieties to select from, but those featured herein have been identified for their distinct scenery, the uncommonness of the encounter and the pure sight you are probably to take pleasure in. Listed below are the top ten wildlife photographers of the year.

1. The Snow Leopard – Steven Winter

Taken by Steven Winter in India’s Hemis National Park is the award winning snow leopard. The photograph won the award- Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, an event organized by the Natural History Museum. The photo was taken at night in the freezing cold and the photographer Steven Winter admitted that it was quite challenging taking a photo on those conditions. He later said that prior to his wining he had shot more than 30,000 wildlife photos. The endangered specie finally made it to the top.

2. Man and Whale – Brian Skerry

Number two on the list is man and whale photo taken by Brian Skerry. This spectacular image won the best under water wildlife category in the annual Natural Museum event. The photo was captured off New Zealand’s Auckland Islands. This is the area where pure inhabitants were discovered a decade ago. Getting the perfect shot was not that easy as they had not seen a human and drastic measure had to be taken to lure one for the best shot. The photographer revealed that he had to set up his assistant as bait even though the animal is friendly.

3. Black Colobus Monkey- David Maitland

Not all wildlife stories are good to write home about. Some are desperation to highlight the ever rising conflict between humans and nature. This picture won in the category of One Earth Award that attempts to show the plight of wild animals at the hands of humans desperate to make a dollar. The photo shows a black colobus monkey whose fur is being singed in readiness for an illegal bush-meat sale in Gabon. The fur is singed out so that the creature can be sold naked but whole. Whereas, the image may be disturbing, it tells of a story of wildlife that in a few years will not be in existence.

4. Deadlock- David Maitland

David Maitland the UK- based photographer seems to know how to take award winning photographs. At number seven on the top ten wildlife photographers is this image that was ultimately named deadlock that won the Animal Behavior award in the same event organized by Natural History Museum. The image was taken deep in the night somewhere in the Belizean rain forest. The photographer said that he had to watch from 3.am and could not come to a conclusive conclusion on who won the fight. He had to call it a day due to exhaustion and to date does not know if the frog or the snake won the fight.

5. Cyril Ruoso – Winner Animal Behavior: Mammals Category

This is truly an amazing story of three hunters. At number five is a story of three chimpanzees that are unable to make a decision on how to share a hunt led by the group leader holding the trophy. Captured by Cyril Ruoso in the thick forests in Tanzania Gombe National Park, is the award winning photo in Mammals category. It is rare for chimpanzees to get such a rare catch given that their hunt usually targets smaller monkeys.

6. Stefano Unterthiner – Winner Animal Portrait

At number six is Stefano’s animal portrait of black macaque. Taking the photo was not a walk in the park as Stefano had to follow the group of black crested macaque for a period of six weeks in the same attire. This was meant for the monkeys to recognize him easily and be at ease. It is a spectacular image that will definitely be enjoyed by all.

7. Clash of white-tailed eagles- Antoni Kasprzak

At number seven and winner of animal behavior in the birds category is a fight between two white-tailed eagles on a Polish winter. The fight was about a dead mouse on a rail track. Given the deplorable condition, finding food is quite hard and a fight had to ensue as to who was fit to consume the animal.

The following images were taken by anonymous persons while on the nature trial. It tells a story of calmness wildlife experience in their natural habitats without the interference of man.

8. The hippos o Moremi National Park South Africa

This is a picture that was taken while on a safari in South Africa.

9. A tiger in an Indian National Park

At number nine is the image of a tiger taken in an Indian National Park. The burly animal seems to be in a wander land or perhaps had eaten a hearty meal and was wondering how to get the next.

10. Polar Bears Sunbathing

Last but not least the spectacular image of polar bears sun bathing on ice.

Forests are known worldwide to be an integral part of the environment otherwise the whole world as we know it would be a desert. Conservationists all over the world are pushing governments especially in the third world and developing nations to preserve their forests as they are being destroyed at the expense of industrialization.

There are several benefits that a nation stands to gain by conserving its forest cover. For example, forests are known to stabilize the climate. Unknown to some people is that the forest functions in enriching the soil. This is achieved when the leaves that fall from the tree decay thus providing the much needed nutrients to the soil. Forests also normalize the water rotation through absorption and redeployment of rainwater fairly equally to all living organisms within its reach. This is referred to as the economy of water. Generally, forests function by offering the best habitat for living things to thrive within the land. In addition, forests accommodate a majority of species in the world. It is estimated that roughly 90% of living organisms in the globe reside in forests.

You can experience one of the wealthiest habitats in the globe today by taking a trip to some of the glamorous forests such as the rain forest. There are numerous beautiful rainforests spread across the globe and illustrated herein are some of the most beautiful rainforests in the world.

1. Daintree, Australia:

Daintree is also commonly referred to as the rainforest that encounters the reef. The forest is located somewhere in Northern Queensland and comprises of some of the world’s exceptional species of flora and fauna. Numerous types of butterfly can be found in Daintree. This is in addition to bats, frogs as well as other kinds of reptile species you will hardly see anywhere else. Experts estimate that the forest is approximately 135 million years old. For you to believe the picturesque offered by the Daintree Rainforest, you need to take a trip to Queensland, Australia.

2. Equador’s Cloud Forest:

Equador’s cloud forests offer a magnificent view for anyone that visits it. It basically transports you to a different world. The forest can be seen extending on either side of the Andes. It is well famed for its bio diversity and is mainly made up of birds and other rare species. Complementing the forest is the abundant collection of flowers, orchids and an assortment of birds.

3. The Amazon Rainforest:

The Amazon rainforest has been featured in several different documentaries as well as movies. Amazingly, the Amazon stretches across nine countries. However, a big chunk of the forest lies in Brazil. As the largest rainforest of the world, the Amazon rainforest boasts of one of the wealthiest bio diversity. Various types of animals, birds, plants and fish can be found within the Amazon than any other forest in the world. Spicing the forest is the diverse reptile as well as mammal species.

4. Alaska Rainforest:

The Alaska rainforest boasts of being the biggest temperature forest in the globe. One can choose different locations to visit such as Chilkoot inlet. The vast green forest can be viewed easily from this location in spite of the mountain ranges that surround it. Moreover, a majority of bald eagle can be found in this place.

5. Sapo National Park, Liberia:

If you are planning for a vacation to Africa, then you need to include Sapo National Park in Liberia as one of the places to visit. The forest has been described by many as a virgin rainforest at its peak. However, the harsh temperatures and high humidity makes the forest a little hard to reach compared to other forests in the world. Sapo is a wonderful place to visit as it offers you a magnificent view of the entire rainforest despite the numerous rubber trees that are grown in most rural areas of Liberia.

6. The Mount Kinabalu National Park, Malaysia:

Some of the most uncommon species of animals and plants can be located in Mount Kinabalu rainforest. There are several types of pitcher plants, assortments of orchids and largest flowers. Amazingly, you can see the sky coming into contact with the trees.

7. The Monteverde Forest, Costa Rica:

The Monteverde is also known as a cloud forest. This is because of the mist which then leaves dew on the leaves of the various plants therein. In addition, there are countless species of birds, plants and insects found in the forest. The forest is a habitat to jaguars, snakes and quetzal amongst other animal species.

8. Montecristo Cloud Forest, El Salvador:

The forest includes several types of animal and plant species, for example, orchids, spider monkeys, toucans, ferns and pumas.

9. Sinharaja Forest, Srilanka:

The forest is located conveniently to the South of the Central Mountains. Whereas, the forest attracts a drove of animal and plant lovers, it is polluted with leeches.

10. Emas National Park and Chapada Dos Veadeiros, Brazil:

The forests are known world over for being rich in not only vast green vegetation but also for its diversity in wildlife. It is one of the forests that is well protected given that it is a habitat to numerous species of plants and animals.

From the above list, there is no doubt that for life to exist then forests must be safeguarded. The conflict between man and nature has seen many forests shrink in size which in turn has threatened the lives therein.

If you grew up American, like me, then your typical idea of “Tropical Fruit” was bananas and the occasional kiwi. When I was a kid, Pineapples were something you rarely saw in a grocery store and mangos were something mentioned in movies or songs and I just assumed they didn’t exist for real and I just assumed Sesame Street and Don Ho were lying to me.

The internet has effectively erased the borders when it comes to things like a country’s native foods, and the global distribution of goods has brought the weird to our neighborhood food dispensaries.  Here are 10 bizarre fruits that people actually eat, that we otherwise never would have heard of.

10. Kiwano

Kiwanos are a strange melon/cucumber relative originally from New Zealand. The outside looks more like something from an 80s side-scroller than a fruit, and the inside is even more bizarre. Usually when something is that green, it is oozing out of a dead alien, and to be honest, isn’t real. But they are. When I was a kid, the commissary (the grocery store if you grew up on a military base) had them once and I talked my mother into buying one. I then spent 2 weeks staring at it, wondering if it was going to scream at me and club me to death if I tried to cut it (it didn’t).

I eventually sliced it open, and as is the case with most tropical fruit, I decided I preferred apples. They are apparently pretty popular, though and work okay in fruit salads.

9. Dragon Fruit

Also known as Pitaya, the dragon fruit lives up to its name in appearance. From the outside, it looks like a decorative modern art flame, and on the inside, well, that is what I figured a dragon must look like on the inside. They originally come from Mexico and New Mexico, but are pretty popular in the eastern world now and grown heavily in the islands of Indonesia, up across South East Asia, in Australia and even as far as Israel.

It is the fruit of a cactus, and is described as having a very watermelon like taste, despite looking like vanilla ice cream studded with dead fruit flies.

 8. Durian

Ahh, durian. Alternately known as “The King of Fruit” and “The fruit that smells like rotting garbage and onions.” My favorite description is from Richard Sterling and quoted on Wikipedia as this:

“Its odor is best described as pig-sh*t, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away.”

The same page also mentions that they have also been described as smelling like civet, sewage, stale vomit, skunk spray and used surgical swabs. Yum.  Some people are absolutely in love with it, and apparently a variety of animals including tigers can’t get enough of stale vomit encased in a fruity hedgehog, but the people in Singapore seem to have the right idea; the fruit is banned from all public transportation.

7. Buddha’s Hand

Buddha’s hand is a citrus fruit with little real “fruit” to it, being mostly citron scented rind, in the form of awful looking yellow fingers. It is easily the most horrible looking thing bearing the name “Buddha” unless some sick bastard named a rotting carcass after Siddhartha.

People don’t generally eat them, because of the lack of actual fruit in it, but they use them to perfume rooms because they put out a pretty powerful citrusy fragrance, however since their pith (the bitter white part of the citrus peel) is actually not bitter, the “fingers” are sometimes cut off and used in fish dishes or salads.

6. Passion Fruit

While passion fruits aren’t exactly rare these days, they still kind of freak me out, and they are odd looking. They are originally South American and the skins have been shown to contain trace amounts of cyanogenic glycosides, which is to say microscopic amounts of really nasty poison, but then again so do apple seeds, so don’t sweat it.

People are almost as psycho about passion fruit as they are durian, although not smelling like a corpse suggests that they may be on to something. Here’s a fun bit of trivia: Guess how the Passion Fruit got its name? Well, before the fruit was named, the flower was called the “Passion Flower”. Do the flower and fruit inspire lust? Do they keep couples together through tough times? Or rather, did the flowers remind the first Europeans to discover them think of Jesus being tortured (the Passion)and named them after that? Hint, it had nothing to do with love.

5. Screw Pine

I love anything where the name could get a kid in trouble for saying it in school, which includes the word “screw” and anything that sounds like “ass.” Screw pines also go by the more boring name of Pandanus… okay, so “Panda anus” is a winner too. The fruit is used for everything from dyes to food. Not the most exciting thing on the list, but it certainly has the most fun name.

4. Rambutan

I’ll be honest with you; rambutan reminds me of a vegetarian testicle. Sorry for that, but I aim for honesty in my writing and it looks like some weird critter from Australia carries them around to make babies and possibly drink from. It hails from Southeast Asia and is popular for jams and jellies, and the mildly poisonous seeds are sometimes roasted and eaten (roasting them apparently makes them safe).

3. Akebia Quinata

These fruit look like they are just as likely to eat you as you are it. The sausage shaped pods are filled with edible goo that looks like it should be bursting with flies, but they come from chocolate scented flowers, which means they may not be half bad. The stem of the plant is used as a diuretic because it contains 30% potassium salts, and New Zealand has banned the sale of the plant because it is apparently a virulent pest that likes to squeeze out competing flora.

2. Atemoya

Atemoya are a hybrid made from Sugar Apples and Cherimoya. Much like the durian, they look like you could shove it onto the end of a stick and smite foes with them, but they are actually smooth and soft like the sherimoya. They are described as tasting like a pina colada with vanilla, which actually sounds quite delightful. Oh, and because nothing tropical seems to be without a horrific dark side, the seeds are inedible and poisonous. Also, the flowers have a weird behavior; from 2 to 4 PM, they are female, and on alternating days, from 3 to 5 they are male. This fruit is a lot like Cillian Murphy in Peacock.

1. Snakeskin Fruit

Some fruit names are deceptive; Breadfruit tastes nothing like bread, and road apples couldn’t look less like a road if they tried. (They taste awful, too.) This one pretty much hits the nail on the head. I will take my vegetable matter without disturbing scales, thank you very much. Pinching the end of the fruit causes the skin to slough off, and the pieces of fruit resemble garlic. The flavor is described as sweet and acidic, that is if you can get past the fact that it looks like garlic from the plant the lizard people in V came from.

List by: David Dietle

This strange and rare phenomenon is caused when salt water reacts with decaying organic materials and is whipped up into a frothy foam by waves and currents.  This Cappuccino Coast was photographed in Cape Town, South Africa.

Kingdom Animalia is always full of surprises. No matter where you look, you can see creatures with the most astounding natural or learned mechanisms. From the biggest to the smallest organism, there are many things about animals that can truly make our jaws drop. The ones listed here have the eye-popping abilities to mimic the fauna around them. They copy leaves, flowers, and even algae. Without a doubt, these are the most impressive when it comes to mimicking plants.

1. Ghost Mantis

Is that a leaf or a mantis? Many people would certainly say leaf, even if they see these moving. The sole member of the genus Phyllocrania, these small species of mantis can be found across Africa. They are very small and can grow only up to 2 inches long. They comes in various colors: several shades of brown and greenish gray. They look like dead leaves. In fact, most parts of their body look like leaves that have dried up. They live for up to two years.

2. Green Plant-Hopper

Also called the torpedo bug, this insect’s scientific name is Siphanta acuta. This beautiful insect feeds on plants and looks like a leaf. When they are at rest, their green wings cover their bodies much like a sloping roof. They are small, with an average length of 15 mm or half an inch. Their name Torpedo Bug is due to the fact that their nymphs can leap to about two feet. They are native to Australia but they can now be found in Hawaii and New Zealand as well. One can find them in California, too.

3. Stick Insect

As the name suggests, this is an insect that looks a lot like a stick. They actually look more like a eucalyptus twig.  Incidentally, their main source of food is the eucalyptus tree. They have long and slender bodies but they can also fly. They can grow for up to 18 centimeters long. These insects are natives of the southern part of Australia. They have made the woodlands of New South Wales and Victoria home but most of them can be found in places that are nearer to the waters.

4. Leafy Sea Dragon

What a beautiful seeweed! Upon closer inspection, though, you will realize that this is a fish that belongs to the same family as seahorses. Under the water, they look like floating seaweed. They have body parts that look  a lot like leaves. These leaf-like body parts of not used for moving under the water. They are simply used for blending in to their environment. What they use to move are fins that are transparent. These fins are difficult to see, making the leafy sea dragon look less like an animal and more like the plant it mimics.

5.  Devil’s Flower Mantis

Another mantis that can mimic plants like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Well, in their world, it IS the most natural thing. The Devil’s Flower Mantis is colorful and actually quite beautiful. It will not be called King of all Mantids for nothing. With its lovely wing and body colors, it is easy to mistake this mantis as a flower or even a leaf. There are many mantids that mimic flowers but this particular species is quite adept at it, largely due to its beautiful appearance.

6. Weedy Seadragon

This is another relative of the seahorse and the Leafy Sea Dragon mentioned above. Although not quite as strange-looking as the Leafy Sea Dragon, the Phyllopteryx taeniolatus can easily hide in seaweed beds because of their leaf-like body projections. They are native to the southern coast of Australia and can be found mainly in waters between 3 to 50 meters deep. When they are moving over shallow waters, it is easy to mistake them as floating weed. They feed on small crustraceans and zooplankton.

7. Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko

These geckos can be found mainly in Madagascar and has a couple of other interesting names. One can also call it the eyelash leaf tailed gecko or the fantastic leaf tailed gecko. The latter is an obvious praise to its ability to mimic plants. What’s interesting about this gecko is its flat tail. Resembling a leaf, the tail makes it easy for the gecko to blend in to its surroundings. Due to this trait, they can hunt for food and hide when they need to.

8. Frogfish

One of the sea animals known for its aggressive mimicry, there are many things with which the frogfish can turn themselves into in order to find food or hide from predators. Some frogfish look like stones or corals while  there are others that can copy sea squirts or even sponges. Some can mimic other marine life, such as sea urchins. Of course, since they have been included in this list, it is essential to point out that there are some frogfish that look like they are covered in algae. Without these natural mechanisms, the frogfish is actually quite helpless against other sea animals.

9. Leaf Scorpionfish

This is another sea animal that mimics a dead leaf. They do this to catch their prey by surprise. Aside from looking like a leaf, they actually act like the plant that they mimic as well. What they do is hide under corals or float above the sea floor like a dead leaf. They move like they are being rocked by the currents. Their prey, assuming that the Leaf Scorponfish is just harmless plant life, move closer, unaware that they are moving closer to their doom.

10. Eastern Long-Necked Turtle

These are turtles with necks that they can bend their head sideways into their shells. They are native to Australia and can mostly be found in freshwater swamps, dams, and lakes. Their plant mimicry comes in the form of algae growing on their shells. When they are not moving, they look a lot like rocks, thereby escaping predators or even humans with evil intentions.

Photo Credits:

Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5, Photo 6,  Photo 7, Photo 8, Photo 9, Photo 10

Ro Koster and Ad Kil Architects built this almost invisible bridge for crossing the defensive fortress in Halsteren, the Netherlands. The amazing sunken bridge sits within the water and slope surrounding the 17th Century Dutch fort and gives visitors a unique opportunity to walk trough parted waters like Moses.

The bridge was made from Accsys Technologies’ Accoya wood sheet pilling on either side with a hardwood deck and stairs in between. Accoya wood was chosen for its durability, stability and sustainable benefits and is constructed using a tongue and groove method.

Visit the 8 unique but unusual walls around the world. Every wall has their story behind and it might be a historical wall for the country. So the some of the wall had become a tourism place. Let’s take a look.

1 ) Chewing Gum Wall, Seattle, US

Not all walls are controversial and divisive. Seattle’s gum wall is the place for any unwanted chewing gum, a tradition which was started by people queuing for the theater. Currently the gum on the wall stretches to several inches thick and is a slightly alternative location for wedding photographs.

2 ) Storm King Wall, NY, US

Andy Goldsworthy (British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist) created the Storm King Wall in Mountainville, New York in 1997.  At 2,278 feet (694m) long, the site-specific sculpture is made from stones gathered around the Storm King Art Center’s property.

3 ) Security Wall, West Bank, Israel

This wall is the most controversial in the world. It is being constructed by the Israeli government to separate the Israeli and Palestinian people of the West Bank. Currently standing at 8m (26ft) high, this wall remains a source of hostility and resentment between the two peoples.

4 ) Vietnam War Memorial Wall, Washington D.C., US

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national war memorial in Washington, D.C. It is often described as the most moving memorial in the city, the Vietnam Memorial stands as tribute to those who died or went missing, intended to transcend political controversy in remembrance of the soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Its centerpiece, the Memorial Wall designed by Maya Lin, is made up of two black granite walls engraved with the 58,256 names of the soldiers.

5 ) Belfast Peace Line, Belfast, Northern Ireland

The Peace Line stands over 20ft (6m) high and was constructed to separate Catholic and Protestant communities in Belfast thereby ‘keeping the peace’. What was meant as a temporary measure became more permanent as the barriers became longer and wider. The recent suggestion that they should be destroyed was met with anger from local residents and so its deconstruction remains a debated topic.

6 ) Green Line “Walls”, Cyprus

In downtown Nicosia, the Green Line is made mostly of big, colored oil barrels; as you walk along, these yield to bulldozered bunkers with thick green overgrowth. The term Green Line refers to the cease fire line that de facto divides the island nation of Cyprus into two, cutting through the capital of Nicosia. It was first established in 1964.

7 ) “Eco Barriers” Wall In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Beginning in March 2009, a concrete wall surrounds the Dona Marta favela, which sprawls over the Corcovado hills above Rio de Janeiro and housed approximately 7,000 residents in 2006 in more than 1,000 dwellings. Officials insist the wall exists to protect the remaining native forest as serves as an ecobarrier. Critics see the wall as a symbol of Brazil’s vast division between the rich and poor.

8 ) Lennon Wall in Prague, Czech Republic

The John Lennon Wall, began as hippie graffiti in the 80′s, was whitewashed by the secret police. The painting returned and when the wall was given back to the Knights of Malta in 1989 as part of a huge restitution deal. The Knights wanted to paint over it too, but the Ambassador from the French Embassy across the street pleaded its case. The wall had to be re-plastered in 1998, but an artist was hired to re-do Lennon’s portrait and small graffiti is tolerated today.

Ocean Foam Out of Control

It was as if someone had poured tons of coffee and milk into the ocean, then switched on a giant blender. Suddenly the shoreline north of Sydney were transformed into the Cappuccino Coast. Foam swallowed an entire beach and half the nearby buildings, including the local lifeguards centre, in a freak display of nature at Yamba in New South Wales. One minute a group of teenage surfers were waiting to catch a wave, the next they were swallowed up in a giant bubble bath. The foam was so light that they could puff it out of their hands and watch it float away.

It stretched for 30 miles out into the Pacific in a phenomenon not seen at the beach for more than three decades.

Scientists explain that the foam is created by impurities in the ocean, such as salts, chemicals, dead plants, decomposed fish and excretions from seaweed. All are churned up together by powerful currents which cause the water to form bubbles. These bubbles stick to each other as they are carried below the surface by the current towards the shore. As a wave starts to form on the surface, the motion of the water causes the bubbles to swirl upwards and, massed together, they become foam. The foam “surfs” towards shore until the wave “crashes”, tossing the foam into the air.

“It’s the same effect you get when you whip up a milk shake in a blender,” explains a marine expert.

“The more powerful the swirl, the more foam you create on the surface and the lighter it becomes.”

In this case, storms off the New South Wales Coast and further north off Queensland had created a huge disturbance in the ocean, hitting a stretch of water where there was a particularly high amount of the substances which form into bubbles.

As for 12-year-old beachgoer Tom Woods, who has been surfing since he was two, riding a wave was out of the question. “Me and my mates just spent the afternoon leaping about in that stuff,” he said. “It was quite cool to touch and it was really weird. It was like clouds of air – you could hardly feel it.”

Source: Daily Mail

These are some of the species found in the world’s last scientifically unexplored regions.

Gumprecht’s Green Pit Viper

Snakefish

Giant Isopod

Aye-aye

Star-nosed Mole

Frilled Lizard

Giant leaf-tailed Gecko

Kerivoula Kachinensis

Desert Mole Rat

Rails, crumpled as a result of displacement of the earth’s crust, have been photographed in Christchurch, New Zealand, the day after the earthquake a magnitude of 6.3 points, 23 February 2011

The forest was destroyed by fire around the water tower in Bastrop, Texas. The fire destroyed over 600 houses and about 45 square kilometers of forests. September 7, 2011

Freddy Nock Swiss balancing on a rope cable car, which is the highest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze (2962 m), near the resort “in Garmisch-Partenkirchen” in southern Bavaria, August 20, 2011. Nock passed by 995-foot rope to break the world record previously set by him.

A man from the tribe of cattle-breeding cow urine washes Mundari in the village near Terekeka, Central Equatoria, Sudan, January 19, 2011. During the January referendum, the people of Southern Sudan voted for independence from the North.

Once cured, the oak has been photographed in the light of the full moon on the southern tip of Lake Salton Sea near Nilenda, California, January 20, 2011.

Metal has fused during a forest fire near the destroyed house in the Gaines Bend near Strona, Texas, April 26, 2011. A forest fire has destroyed an area more than 167 homes.

Icebergs, covered with the ashes of the volcano Grimsvotn, in the lagoon at the base of the glacier icebergs Vatnayekyudl, Iceland.

Imprint in the form of an owl in the window at home, July 12, 2011. The home team came back from vacation and saw the imprint on the window of his home in Kendal in the north-west of England.

Corey Mcintosh takes away cornfield of his uncle in the lower reaches of the Missouri River west of Loveland, Iowa, October 25, 2011.

September 10, 2011. The aircraft flies through the “Tribute in Lights” symbolizes the WTC in lower Manhattan in New York. New York celebrated the 10th anniversary of the 9 / 11 attacks on the World Trade Center this year.