These towns are the bee’s knees

Have you ever heard about Cat Island?

Traveling to foreign cities and towns is a great way to interact with different people and their cultures, but have you ever thought about visiting an animal town? Scattered around the world, some of these places are the result of natural reserves set up to protect endangered species, while others are simply a product of life’s circumstances. Let’s take a look at 10 "animal towns" around the world!

Also known as Neko no Shima, or Cat Island, this Japanese town has become a popular tourist destination for cat lovers worldwide. A former fishing town, cats were introduced to Aoshima as a means of controlling rodents, but they quickly outnumbered the human population. It is estimated that there are around 36 cats for every human on Aoshima.

Every winter, this town in the Canadian province of Manitoba receives an influx of furry visitors when hundreds of polar bears make their way to Hudson Bay to hunt for seals. Residents do their best to avoid them, but a few curious bears still go snooping around, and some even end up in "polar bear jail" before being released back into the wild.

Assateague is a barrier island located along the Maryland-Virginia border on the Atlantic coast. It is famous for its population of feral horses, most likely descendants of formerly domesticated animals. Maryland and Virginia residents disagree on whether the animals should be called horses or ponies, a discussion that has not been settled because the animals have horse-like characteristics but pony-size stature, most likely due to environmental conditions.

Each November, this Australian island near the coast of Indonesia becomes the setting for a natural wonder, the annual red crab migration. The island’s red crab population—estimated at around 100 million crabs—travels to the sea to lay their eggs. To allow the horde of crustaceans to safely reach the shore, authorities close off roads around the island.

This beach on the inhabited island of Big Major Cay is not only a tropical paradise but also home to an unexpected animal community. No one knows exactly where the pigs came from, but the swimming pigs have become a popular tourist attraction, and they are often fed by the visitors of neighboring islands.

This one is not really a town, but it is home to a colony of friendly sea lions. Located at a shopping and entertainment complex on a San Francisco pier, the animals began moving in during the 1980s from a more distant colony. After an earthquake in 1989 caused residents to remove their boats while the pier was being refurbished, the sea lions made their home there and have shared the space with humans ever since.

Located in Japan’s Inland Sea, Okunoshima is home to a huge population of free-roaming rabbits. These animals are descendants of domestic rabbits, so they are quite tame and will often approach humans. In order to protect the rabbits, animals like cats and dogs are banned from the island.

A protected reserve since the 1970s, this South American peninsula is home to the largest colony of Magellanic penguins in the world. Despite threats such as oil spills affecting the animals, the population numbers have steadily risen in the past several decades, and nowadays it’s estimated that the colony houses nearly a million birds.

Off the coast of Norway, this island has a small human population—just a little more than 100 people—but they are greatly outnumbered by seabirds, which number between about 500,000 and 700,000. The island is considered a protected reserve and hosts many bird species, the most notable being the Atlantic puffin.

Once a royal city, Polonnaruwa is now an archaeological site near a modern town of the same name. The ruins have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but they also have an additional tourist attraction: a colony of toque macaques, residents of the ruins for centuries.

The truth about your brain

You won’t believe what happens in your brain while you sleep

Image: Milad Fakurian

Your brain is one of the most powerful and mysterious organs in your body. It controls everything from your thoughts to your emotions and even processes information at lightning speed. But how much do you really know about it? Some long-believed myths about the brain have been debunked, while other surprising facts reveal just how incredible this organ truly is. Get ready to be amazed by these fascinating brain facts!

Image: Natasha Connell

You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s completely false! While it’s true that not all parts of the brain fire at the same time, imaging studies show that most regions are active throughout the day, even when we sleep.

Your brain is constantly working, controlling bodily functions and emotions, and processing information. So next time someone says you’re only using 10% of your brain, you can confidently tell them that’s just a myth!

Image: Aarón Blanco Tejedor

Here’s a weird fact: While your brain processes pain signals from the rest of your body, it has no pain receptors of its own. This is why surgeons can perform brain surgery on conscious patients without causing them pain.

However, the membranes and tissues surrounding the brain do have pain receptors, which is why headaches and brain injuries can be so excruciating.

Image: Usman Yousaf

How come we have headaches if the brain has no pain receptors? Well, that’s because headaches are triggered by chemical activity in the brain, changes in nerves and blood vessels, and even fluctuating serotonin levels.

In some cases, hormones like estrogen can also play a role, which explains why migraines are more common in women.

Image: Go to Johannes Plenio's profile Johannes Plenio

Dreams are proof that your brain never rests! (Warning: this fact can make you feel exhausted.) While you sleep, your limbic system, that is, the part of the brain that deals with emotions, becomes especially active, which is why dreams often feel so intense.

On average, humans experience four to seven dreams per night, even if we don’t always remember them. And what about that scary nightmare about falling? Well, you can thank your amygdala, the brain’s fear center, for that one.

Image: Brett Jordan

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly forgotten what you were after? That’s because short-term memory only lasts about 20-30 seconds! That’s not enough!

Your brain holds a limited amount of information in its active state before deciding whether to store it or discard it. Ironically, we can’t really choose what makes the cut, but we do hope these facts stay with you!

Image: BUDDHI Kumar SHRESTHA

That sharp, icy pain when you eat something too cold? It’s your brain’s way of telling you to slow down! Officially called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, a brain freeze happens when cold food or drinks rapidly chill the blood vessels in your throat, causing them to constrict and then rapidly expand. This sends pain signals to your brain, warning you of the sudden temperature shift. It’s annoying, but it’s actually your body trying to protect itself!

Image: Josh Riemer

You didn’t need us to tell you, but let’s look at the details: The average person has between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day. What’s even more interesting? 95% of those thoughts are the same ones you had yesterday. Is that not surprising enough? Hear this out: 80% of them tend to be negative. That’s because our brains are wired for survival, constantly analyzing risks and potential dangers.

Image: Terry Vlisidis

Even though it only makes up about 2% of your body weight, your brain employs a major quantity of energy! It consumes 20% of your oxygen and blood supply, making it one of the most demanding organs in your body.

If your brain goes without oxygen for just five minutes, brain cells start dying, leading to irreversible damage. This is why deep breathing and cardiovascular exercise are great for brain health!

Image: Alexander Andrews

Do you know that feeling when you hit the back of your head and see stars? That’s because your occipital lobe, which controls vision, is located at the back of your brain. If you get hit there, your brain momentarily misfires, causing flashes of light.

Interestingly, your brain processes vision on the opposite side; while your right brain controls your left eye, your left brain controls your right eye. It’s one of the many ways the brain operates in a complex way.

Image: Rodion Kutsaiev

Believe it or not, your brain generates between 12 and 25 watts of electricity when you’re awake. If you can’t really grasp how powerful that is, check this out: It’s enough to power a small light bulb! Your brain’s electrical activity is what allows neurons to send signals at speeds of up to 260 miles per hour.

Image: Robina Weermeijer

Your brain may be the fattiest organ in your body, consisting of at least 60% fat! This is why consuming healthy fats, like omega-3s and omega-6s present in fish, for example, is essential for brain health.

Healthy fats stabilize brain cell walls, reduce inflammation, and support cognitive function. So go ahead and enjoy that avocado toast, it’s food for your brain!

Image: Robina Weermeijer

It’s not just your memory that fades over time; the brain itself physically shrinks as one gets older. It continues developing until your late 40s, but after that, it slowly decreases in size.

Now, size doesn’t equal intelligence, so a smaller brain doesn’t necessarily mean a less capable one. Staying mentally active, exercising, and eating brain-boosting foods can help keep it in top shape!

Image: Lisa Yount

We often think of cholesterol as bad, but your brain actually depends on it! In fact, 25% of your body’s cholesterol is stored in your brain, where it helps with learning and memory. However, unlike other organs, the brain can’t absorb cholesterol from the blood, it has to produce its own. So, while too much cholesterol in the body can be harmful, the right amount is vital for brain function. At least you can use that as an excuse to get that burger!