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Scientists are concerned 'Finding Dory' will put blue tangs in danger.

Disney may have just released its latest animated movie, "Finding Dory," but what scientists are really trying to do is save Dory.

Conservationists are concerned  the movie's popularity may lead to an increase in demand for blue tangs (the type of fish Dory is). There's a number of reasons that's just not good for the fish.

Blue tangs do not breed in captivity, and the increase in demand would require they be taken from their natural habitat. The species' potential popularity could result in a decrease in population if and when these fish start being harvested in large amounts.


Image by Toru Yamanaka/Getty Images.

The concern isn't just scientists being paranoid. This has happened before.

Image by Stephen Chernin/Getty Images.

After "Finding Nemo" premiered, the demand for clownfish (the kind of fish Nemo is) surged by 40%.

People fell in love with the titular character and wanted to get a Nemo of their own as a pet.  

The demand for clownfish was so high that it led to massive harvesting in the Philippines and Indonesia. The orange and white striped fish everyone was falling in love with on the big screen was being plucked from its natural habitat to become a domestic pet.

Unfortunately, movies have proven time and time again to be incredibly influential when it comes to pet trends. 

After the premiere of each Harry Potter film, there was an increased demand for pet owls.

Many "Potterheads" ran out and got themselves a pet owl — because Harry Potter. The problem was that people didn't realize owls don't smell so nice, they tend to have sharp claws, and they pack quite a bite. The North Wales Owl Sanctuary says about 90% of the owls were captive-bred, meaning they were taken from their parents as eggs.

Image by Samuel Kubani/Getty Images.

After "101 Dalmatians" hit theaters in 1996, the demand for the adorably unique black and white spotted breed skyrocketed.

Former Dalmatian owners say the breed is not particularly kid-friendly. They are high-energy and requite a lot of exercise. Animal shelters around the U.S. saw a significant increase in unwanted Dalmatians that had been given to kids for Christmas the year Disney released the remake.

Image by Oli Scarff/Getty Images.

Due to the popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, there was also an increase in demand for pet turtles.

When parents obliged their kids' pleas for a pet turtle, they didn't realize they often carry salmonella. The CDC reports hundreds of people (most of them kids) got sick. 

Turtles don't smell so nice, either. After the first TMNT film's release in 1990, the American Tortoise Rescue estimates that thousands of pet turtles died, either abandoned, flushed down the toilet, or deliberately killed in other ways. 

Image by Sam Panthaky/Getty Images.

It's one thing to admire your favorite character on screen, but kids — and parents — should know that not every animal makes a good pet.

If kids want to take Dory or Nemo home with them after seeing "Finding Dory" or "Finding Nemo," it's important for them to know that they could be hurting the animal rather than saving it.

The Saving Nemo Foundation was established to educate people about "ornamental" marine species. It also breeds clownfish safely in captivity to try to lessen the demand for mass harvesting. 

And conservationists are working to repopulate areas where clownfish are now extinct. 

The best way to show your appreciation for Nemo is to think of him as a friendly reminder that fish like him want and need to be in their homes, swimming free in the ocean.

Just like Nemo does in the movie.

Check out this video from National Geographic about the Dory fish:

@penslucero/TikTok

Pency Lucero taking in the Northern Lights

Seeing the northern lights is a common bucket list adventure for many people. After all, it ticks a lot of boxes—being a dazzling light show, rich historical experience and scientific phenomenon all rolled into one. Plus there’s the uncertainty of it all, never quite knowing if you’ll witness a vivid streak of otherworldly colors dance across the sky…or simply see an oddly colored cloud. It’s nature’s slot machine, if you will.

Traveler and content creator Pency Lucero was willing to take that gamble. After thorough research, she stumbled upon an Airbnb in Rörbäck, Sweden with an actual picture of the northern lights shining above the cabin in the listing. With that kind of photo evidence, she felt good about her odds.

However, as soon as she landed, snow began falling so hard that the entire sky was “barely visible,” she told Upworthy. Martin, the Airbnb host, was nonetheless determined to do everything he could to ensure his guests got to see the spectacle, even offering to wake Lucero up in the middle of the night if he saw anything.

Then one night, the knock came.

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Pets

Ricky the kitten spent 2 weeks at Gramma and Grampa's and the photobook is everything

Gramma's adorably over-the-top book documenting Ricky's visit has people clamoring for more.

Ricky had many exciting adventures at Gramma and Grampa's house.

There are kitten lovers…and then there are Ricky's grandparents.

When Izzie Grass left her kitten, Ricky, with her parents for two weeks, she had no idea what was in store for her after she got him back. Not only had RIcky been well taken care of, but his adventures with his human grandparents were fully documented in a photobook created by Grass' mother, which she titled "Ricky Goes to Gramma's and Grampa's."

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Pop Culture

Guy shares the reason viral gym videos need to end, and it's so spot on

"If you can’t respect other people in a shared space, you don’t belong filming at all.”

“This sense of entitlement has gotten out of hand."

Gyms are communal spaces where people can come to improve their health, fitness and/or overall well-being.

However, it’s no secret that many gyms have also become a production studio of sorts where influencers can set up a tripod to demonstrate the most cutting-edge squatting technique or where the average Joe can take that obligatory gym selfie to prove that the workout did, in fact, happen.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with either of these activities. However, they have sparked a new kind of behavior in gymgoers where they feign extreme frustration if folks walk from one machine to the next or grab a piece of equipment and, heaven forbid, enter the frame.

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Joy

A group of vacationing young friends expose their buddy's secret: He's an 'airport dad'

Every friend group has at least one friend that winds up parenting the group.

A group of vacationing friends show an "airport dad" in action.

If you've ever traveled or gone out to a party or bar with a group of friends, then you've probably experienced the phenomenon of the "friend-parent." Now, this is a term I totally just made up, but I bet you recognize it. The friend-parent is the one that takes on the responsibility of corralling any stragglers, tossing out drinks that have been left unattended and generally making sure everyone stays safe.

A friend-parent was recently caught on video being an "airport dad" to his group of friends. Usually, you hear about women looking out for other women in a mother-hen sort of way, but this guy group just proved the friend-parent knows no gender. In a TikTok video from Johannes2o that currently has over 8.4 million views, a small group of guys are standing near each other with "POV: our friend is an airport dad" in text on the screen.

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Delivering packages AND safety.

Amazon delivery drivers don’t have the easiest job in the world. Sitting through traffic, working in extreme temperatures, hauling boxes … not exactly a fun time. So when a driver goes out of their way to be extra considerate—people notice.

One delivery driver has gone viral for the way she delivered a little bit of safety education, along with some lighthearted advice. The TikTok video of the encounter, which now has more than 4 million views, was shared by Jessica Huseman, who had only recently moved into her new house.

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Joy

A major UCLA study says that at least 65 species of animals laugh

If you've never seen a fox giggle, you're in for a treat.

Foxes giggle like children on helium.

Laughter is one of the most natural impulses in humans. Most babies start to laugh out loud at around 3 to 4 months, far earlier than they are able to speak or walk. Expressing enjoyment or delight comes naturally to us, but we're not the only creatures who communicate with giggles.

Researchers at UCLA have identified 65 species of animals who make "play vocalizations," or what we would consider laughter. Some of those vocalizations were already well documented—we've known for a while that apes and rats laugh—but others may come as a surprise. Along with a long list of primate species, domestic cows and dogs, foxes, seals, mongooses and three bird species are prone to laughter as well. (Many bird species can mimic human laughter, but that's not the same as making their own play vocalizations.)

Primatologist and UCLA anthropology graduate student Sasha Winkler and UCLA professor of communication Greg Bryant shared their findings in an article in the journal Bioacoustics.

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