Odd News Roundup: Romantic encounters between Cuban zoo animals surge during quarantine quiet; Baths, garlands for man's best friend at Nepal's canine festival

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.

Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.

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

Hindus across Nepal honoured 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.

(With inputs from agencies.)