Quick Takes: Master of illusions

The countries were fake. The embassy was fake. The diplomatic trappings were fake. But the charges against Harsh Vardhan Jain are very real. Police in Ghaziabad, India—a suburb of New Delhi—arrested Jain July 22 after alleging the 48-year-old was running a fake embassy from a rented home and duping unsuspecting job seekers into paying for job placement services in made-up countries. In the raid, police seized four cars with forged diplomatic license plates, multiple rubber stamps containing counterfeit national seals, fake press passes, and a quantity of foreign currency. Jain was also in possession of a dozen bogus diplomatic passports from purported micronations such as Lodonia, Poulvia, Saborga, and West Arctica. In reality, Westarctica is a non­governmental organization registered in California; Lodonia may be referencing the disputed micronation inside Sweden; and Saborga may reference a city in Italy with a self-styled princess. In a statement, police officials said they had discovered a connection between Jain and the late Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and suggested that Jain’s embassy scheme might involve more than just duping job seekers.

Fish fry firestorm

British Columbia investigators puzzling over the remnants of a 1-acre fire July 30 found only one good clue at the center of the small conflagration. Local firefighters said they discovered a charred fish in the middle of the blaze, but the site was nowhere near any lakes or rivers. After further investigation, authorities said they believe an ambitious osprey must have inadvertently dropped its large catch onto power lines below. Once in contact with the electrical wires, the fish ignited and then sparked a fire on the ground. That, or the bird was “tired of raw fish and wanted to give cooked a try,” firefighters joked on social media.

A shade too dark

In the future, the Chattanooga Public Works Department won’t be planting trees under bridges. In an Aug. 1 social media statement, an official with the department acknowledged that planting trees under the Highway 27 underpass—a place where trees don’t get adequate sunlight—had been a mistake and blamed the error on an oversight during the planning phase. After residents complained about the freshly planted trees, city contractors moved quickly to pull the plants from the ground and relocate them to a more appropriate setting.

Cats: the cinematic experience

In early August, cat lovers across the country closed Facebook and got their funny feline fix in theaters instead. Now reportedly in its eighth year, CatVideoFest is a fundraiser for feline charities that features a big-screen compilation of cat videos. The videos are curated by Will Braden, a self-proclaimed professional cat video watcher. Though Braden wanted viewers to have a good laugh, he insisted the videos were serious entertainment and included music videos and mini documentaries. “It isn’t all just, what I call, ‘America’s Funniest Home Cat Videos,’” Braden told the Associated Press. “It’s not all cats falling into a bathtub. That would get exhausting.” This year’s 73-minute compilation was scheduled to play in more than 500 theaters throughout the United States and Canada. —Bekah McCallum

Wailing in the woods

Hikers traversing the British Columbia wilderness placed an emergency call July 31 to report hearing faint screams in the distance. While the hikers couldn’t be sure, they told emergency officials they thought they were hearing cries for help. The call set in motion a search crew including members of the Central Okanagan Search and Rescue as well as Royal Canadian Mounted Police. After hearing plaintive wails, emergency crews were able to locate the man. Rather than finding him in a state of distress, officials say the solo hiker had just been singing at the top of his lungs a litany of songs from Canadian rock group Nickelback. “He wasn’t in trouble,” search manager Duane Tresnich told the Vancouver Sun. “Unless you count his singing.”

Rhinos go nuclear

African academics have a clever new way to curb rhinoceros poaching—make the animals’ horns radioactive. Officials with the University of the Witwatersrand, as well as conservationists and government officials in South Africa, launched July 31 what they are calling the Rhisotope Project. Officials have already injected five rhinos with radioactive isotopes that, while not harmful to the animals, would easily show up on a scan. Project officials say the goal is to make it more difficult for poachers to move rhino horns, used in traditional Eastern medicine, across borders or through airports. Project leaders hope to begin mass injections on the estimated 27,000 remaining rhinos.

Cougar kung fu

When squaring off against a cougar or mountain lion, stick to the jab. That’s what one Canadian man did on July 26. According to wildlife conservation officers, the British Columbia man was working near Lake Kathlyn in the interior of the province when a cougar approached him and took a swipe. Rather than panic, the unidentified man threw a punch that landed squarely on the big cat’s maw. The man told the Conservation Officer Service that the cat ran away after being punched. Officials with the service said the man, who escaped the fracas with only minor injuries, did the right thing throwing a punch. “Always fight back and never play dead,” officials said in a statement.