Dolphins are smart, talented creatures,no doubt about that, but I had no ides painting was one of their skills.

Xiaoqiang, a dolphin from Qingdao, in China’s Shandong Province has learned to paint, under the guidance of his trainer. Looking at his work, I’d say he still has a long way to go before becoming the second Rembrandt, but he’s well on his way. Surprisingly enough, Xiaoqiang is not the world’s first painting mammal, the painting elephants of Thailand and Cholla the painting horse have been doing it for years.

Photos by Xinhua/REUTERS via Xinhua

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Modern pole-dancing may be attractive to look-at, but in terms of difficulty, it’s nothing to the old Indian sport of Mallakhamb.

Mallakhamb originated in Maharastra, India, during the 12th century, as a form of training for wrestlers. The word “Malla” means wrestler, while “khamb” translates as pole. This old art had almost been lost throughout the centuries, but it’s become increasingly popular, in recent years, mainly due to the efforts of coaches like Uday Deshpande.

The sport of Mallkhamb has athletes climb up a wooden pole, 55 cm in diameter,at the base, and 35, at the top, and perform various poses and feats. The pole is most often made of teak, because of its sturdiness, and before exercises begin, it’s rubbed with castor oil, to prevent friction.

Even though Mallakhamb is yet to be recognized as an official sport, in India, it has been embraced by visually-impaired boys. This art is about feeling and understanding the strength and balance of one’s body, and that’s why blind Mallakhamb athletes are just as good as those with perfect eyesight.

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By twisting their bodies into impossible positions, the members of the Pilobolus Dance Theater have recreated 26 letters of the alphabet.

To immortalize their efforts, the Pilobolus recruited photographer John Kane, who used secrets of the trade to make the human letters look amazing. The magic happened in John’s studio, in Connecticut, over a period of four days. According to the six highly trained contortionists that took part in the project, the hardest letters were “C” and “R”. Although they wouldn’t reveal the secret behind how they pulled it off, John and the dancers swear no Photoshop was used. The same thing can’t be said abut the Yoga Dogs calendar.

The human alphabet photos, taken by John Kane, were used in a book aimed at children and adults alike. Called “Pilobolus – The Human Alphabet” this collection of human letters aims to show off the theater’s talent and inspire young dancers.

Photos by JOHN KANE/BARCROFT MEDIA via Daily Mail

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Sujet Salee is a 29-year-old Thai boxer who fought his way to becoming a champion, despite being blind, since birth.

Sujet began his boxing career in October of 2008 and since ten has won 5 fights and drew once. He fights against other boxers, who are blindfolded to even the scales. According to his trainers, Sujet Salee has an edge over his opponents, because of his heightened remaining senses. As soon as he makes contact with his opponent he begins attacking, often knocking him down with an elbow hit.

The blind champion’s father was a Muay Thai fighter, and, in spite of his handicap, Sujet wanted to walk in his footsteps. At first, he admits he didn’t think he could handle it, but after years of training, he has become a season fighter, able to fight anyone in a match of blind Thai boxing.

Cherdchai Sangketkij, owner of the boxing camp where Sujet Salee trains, has been blind for 20 years, and understands Sujet’s desire to succeed. He hopes, one day blind, Thai boxing will become a national sport for the blind, and not be perceived as a violation of the rights of the handicapped.

Photos by REUTERS via Reuters

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Meet Navratan Harsh, a 21-year-old from Bikaner, Rajasthan state, India, with a bizarre passion for animals, especially Geko lizards.

Navrathan has been fascinated by lizards, ever since he was a young boy and one fell in his lap, at school. Ever since then, he has spent most of his days feeding and playing with his scaly friends, and even letting them crawl on his face. Around his village, Navratan Harsh is known as Gecko King and Mowgli, because of his close connection with wildlife.

Unlike other boys his age, who spend most of their time partying and getting drunk, Navratan searches for lizards, plays and trains them, and them lets them go free. He says he feels no pain or fear when lizards bite his face…Creepy stuff!

Photos by CFP via 9xbienhoa

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Cobra Gold is the largest multi-nation military exercise in the world, where soldiers from six nations learn how to deal with critical situations.

In 2010 the Cobra Gold military exercises are being held in Thailand, and this was apparently a chance for US soldiers to get acquainted with Thai delicacies. During a survival exercise at an army camp in Chon Buri Province, soldiers had to eat cooked scorpions and lizards, as well as drink that legendary wonder cure, cobra blood.

In some Asian cultures, snake blood is believed to enhance male potency and can be found in panacea stores. Now, why would Thai masters want to feed cobra blood to soldiers? After all, that’s not the gun they should be using, if you know what I mean…

Photos by REUTERS via Daylife

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I don’t know how they do it, but Thai trainers get elephants to do the most amazing things. After the amazing elephant painters, from the National Elephant Institute, it’s time for the extraordinary basketball-playing elepahnts.

Malie and Toktak are the stars of the Island Safari Center, on Koh Samui Island. After undergoing months of rigorous training, the two pachyderms have mastered the sport of basketball. I know what you’re thinking, Shaquille O’neal finally found someone his own size to play with.

The elephant trainers start by teaching them the basics of basketball control, before they get to the carrying of the ball in their trunk and shooting it to the basket. It takes a few months before they get the basics of the sport, but they’re improving every day. it won’t be long until NBA drafters start checking these two out, mark my words.

Photos by Bronek Kaminiski/BARCROFT INDIA

via Telegraph.co.uk

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That’s right, at Ansan military camp for children it doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl, they’ll make a manly man out of you.

Located about 25 miles from the capital of Seoul, the Ansan military camp gives civilians the chance to strengthen their minds and bodies, by training in extreme conditions. The camp is ran by retired Korean marines who don’t care if you’re in primary school or in college, they’ll have you carrying logs and exercising half naked in the snow.

You can choose to withstand the torture training at Ansan camp for periods ranging between three and fourteen days, depending on how tough you think you are. Check out some more photos of children training at Ansan, we posted a while back.

Photos by REUTERS via Telegraph.co.uk

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A group of 12 overgrown pink snails have taken over Plazza Scala, in Italy’s fashion capital, Milan.

These unusual plastic models were created by the Italian Cracking Art group and are on a mission to change people’s lifestyle. In a world where everything is happening so fast, the pink snails are here to let you know “speed isn’t always a virtue” and slowing down to enjoy the beauty of the city can be quite refreshing.

“We need to play with the city to break with our obvious daily routine and rediscover the experience of moving about the city” said Finazzer Flory, Milan’s culture counselor. He added that the giant pink snails are shaped to resemble an ear to also make people listen to what’s going on around them

The slimy giants will be moved periodically towards the Palazzo Reale and, in January, they’ll make an appearance at the central train station. They’ll then go on a series of international visits to Amman, Tel Aviv and Chicago. They’ll return to Milan in 2015, as part of a 120-snail army. That sounds kind of scary…

via UPI

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Adrian Reeman, a former Merchant Navy chef from Southampton, has spent the last 23 years of his life transforming his small apartment into a miniature Palace of Versailles.

His painstaking work began in 1986, when he moved in with his wife Annette, in the ninth floor flat of a tower bloc in Southampton. He hated the copper pebble dash wallpaper he found there and decided something had to be done. At first he just started panelling the walls, without having a clue of what it was going to turn into.

Although he has no training in constructions or design, and he has never once visited the real Versailles, Adrian Reeman managed to create an honorable small-scale replica of the popular French palace. He now sees no reason to visit the real thing, since he’s living in it himself, just on a slightly smaller scale.

Reeman says he’s not 100% happy with how the Versailles apartment came out, but he’s getting a little too old to keep working on it. He figures he’ll live in the unique flat for the rest of his life, since law states tenants have to deliver the apartments in the same state they received them. The Reemans couldn’t possibly restore their mini Versailles to its original condition.

I wonder if Adrian knows Tony Alleyne, owner of the Star Trek Apartment? I’m sure these two talented Brits would hit it off.

via Daily Mail

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22-year-old Matthias Schlitte began practicing arm-wrestling when he was just 16 years old and since then has been training only his right arm muscles.

The first time I’ve seen photos of Matthias, I thought he had some sort of weird medical condition, but it turns out not only is the guy perfectly healthy, he’s also a young body-building champion. Sure’ he’s not the first one and I bet he won’t be the last, but what makes him stand up in a crowd is his incredibly large right arm.

Matthias’ right forearm measures almost 18 inches in circumference, while his left one is all skinny, just like the rest of the bodybuilder. That’s actually one of his hidden weapons, opponents see his slim figure and underestimate him. But when his Popeye arm does its thing, they look at him with a lot more respect.

via Daily Mail

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The Buffalo Fighting Festival is held annually, on the northern coast of Vietnam and draws huge crowds, eager to see a display of violence.

Buffalo owners train the peaceful creatures and even pray on the night before the festival, to ensure their beast is victorious. To the crowd’s disappointment the animals often do nothing more than look at each other and go about their business. On rare  occasions they cros their scythe like horns and push each other like sumo wrestlers.

The victorious buffalo is cheered by thousands of people, while its owner displays it for all to see and collects a prize of 40 million dong. But the winner has little time to enjoy his success, as both buffalos are sacrificed and their meat offered to the spectators. The owners are allowed to take a keepsake, like the animal’s head. Read More »

Anyone would be more then satisfied to be the proud holder of just one Guinness Record. But not Ashrita Furman, `the man who holds more Guinness World Records than anyone else on the planet.

54-year-old Ashrita Furman has spent the last 30 years trying (and succeeding) to break records. At the peak of his record-breaking career, Furman has held 100 records simultaneously and he’s not doing very bad right now, with 98 records under his belt. He has held 236 world records throughout his career and the closest anyone ever came to surpassing him was holding 20 records.

It all started when he was a little boy, reading the Guinness Book of Records and dreaming that one day he will break one himself. He accomplished his dream in 1979, when he set the world record with 27,000 star jumps, in New York City. And from there on, he never stopped.

Some of his record-breaking stunts involved pushing a car for 17 miles in 24 hours, translating and reciting a poem i 111 languages in 24 hours as well as:

walking 80.95 miles with a milk bottle on his head

chopping 27 apples in mid-air with a samurai sword within sixty seconds

deep Knee Bends on a Balance Board

racing against a yak, in a sac,  in Mongolia

Most Grapes Caught in Mouth in One Minute (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Longest Time Balancing on Swiss Ball (Stonehenge)

Skipping on a Pogo Stick (Cambodia)

Fastest Mile Balancing a Pool Cue (Egypt)

Fastest Hula Hoop Mile (Uluru, Australia)

Balancing Tallest Pole (Aspendos, Turkey)

Fastest Mile on a Space Hopper (Great Wall of China)

Now Ashrita Furman is training to break the record for the fastest mile with flippers on his feet.

Photos by Barcroft Media

via Telegraph.co.uk

Of course, when I say modern transportation, I don’t really mean modern…

Say what you will about Philippino entrepreneurs, but one thing is for sure, they are quite original. In order to make a living in The Philippines’ capital city of Manila, some rather resourceful characters built what look to be trolleys and use them to get commuters around the city.

These improvised trolleys are made of bamboo, so they can easily be removed off the track if a train approaches. Commuters pay between 6-10 pesos ($0.16-$0.21) for one trip and they get to enjoy the…not-so-fresh air of Manila.

You have to wonder how those people manage to push a full trolley across the city.

Photos by Reuters

via Drugoi

Rats have been called many things, but… talented? That doesn’t happen very often, but these two rats aren’t ordinary either. Just like the surfing rats, they do cool tricks.

Trained by Dutch photographer Ellen van Deelen to hold different musical instruments and pose for the camera, the Roosendaal Rats are considered very talented by their owner. She confesses rats weren’t exactly her favorite creatures, but, after buying these two, she realized they are highly intelligent creatures.

They simply grab the instruments, hold them in a professional manner and aren’t camera shy at all. On the contrary, they listen to their trainer’s commands to the letter, during photo-shoots.

Now, Ellen aims even higher and wants to teach her furry pets to play the instruments  and wants to turn the duo into a larger band.

via Ellen van Deelen

via Telegraph.co.uk