Page 8 - IAV Digital Magazine #622

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Tourists Flock To See Bright Green Pigeon In England
Japanese Racehorse Famous For Losing Gains New Fans From Mobile Game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_KooiMPjmQ
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/M6KyTQUzWsA
By Ben Hooper
July 10 (UPI) -- A retired Japanese racehorse famous for never winning a race is experiencing a new surge of popularity thanks to a popular mobile game.
Haru Urara, a 29-year-old mare who retired from rac- ing in 2004, served as the inspiration for a character of the same name in the mobile game Uma Musume Pretty Derby, which launched globally June 26.
The real-life Haru Urara, famous for wearing a Hello Kitty mask and losing every one of her 113 races, became a national icon dur- ing her ill-fated career, with fans considering her to be an inspirational figure who never gives up.
The mobile game features anime-style, human-like characters with horse ears and tails engaging in track races.
The fictional Haru Urara character's bio states: "She's always smiling, no matter how many times she loses. She always tries her best and looks on the brighter side of things."
A member of the official Haru Urara fan club who uses the handle @animal_love_kaz on
X posted a photo of the real horse celebrating her birth- day in February while wear- ing a tiara.
The photo went suddenly viral earlier this month, which the user attributed to the game's popularity.
The user, who frequently visits Haru Urara at Martha Farm, updated her bio to say: "I don't play Uma Musume."
New fans seeking to meet the real Haru Urara can schedule visits on the farm's website.
By Ben Hooper
July 14 (UPI) -- Residents of Northampton, England, have captured video of an unusual new neighbor causing a stir in the area: a bright green pigeon.
The pigeon's unusual hue, first noticed in June, has led to numerous videos of the bird going viral on TikTok.
Locals said people have been flocking to the area to catch a glimpse of the pigeon.
"One guy said he'd come up from London and I've heard many travel long dis- tances to see it, which is a bit bonkers, as Northampton isn't really known for loads of tourists. So to have a pigeon as a tourist attraction is quite
funny really," resident Alex Zambon told the Northampton Chronicle & Echo.
Mike Alibone, optics editor for Birdwatch Magazine, said the pigeon's color is unlikely to have any natural causes.
"There is no wild pigeon in the world that looks like this," he told the BBC. "It certainly looks as if it has been dyed and the green coloring is too artificial."
Alibone said he also believes it to be unlikely that the bird's diet had any factor in the coloration.
The RSPCA previously warned against the trend of dying pigeons blue and pink for gender reveal par- ties.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine