Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.

Baths, garlands for man’s best friend at Nepal’s canine festival

Hindus across Nepal honored their dogs with baths, garlands, and special treats on Wednesday, the second day of the five-day Tihar festival, during which even crows and cows get respect. Devout Hindus consider the dog to be the messenger of Yamaraj, the god of death, and believe that worshipping the animal makes him happy.

Romantic encounters between Cuban zoo animals surge during quarantine quiet

Zookeepers at Cuba’s National Zoo say several species of exotic and endangered animals took advantage of the peace and quiet brought on by the coronavirus pandemic for romantic encounters that resulted in a bumper crop of baby animals. The newborns include leopards, bengal tigers, zebras, giraffes, antelopes and oxen, a rarity officials attribute to the many months the zoo was closed during the pandemic, said zoo veterinarian Rachel Ortiz.

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