A walk in the woods– but watch out for the jaguars!
DURING the Anniversary Games, Mo Farah said he was going for something that had “never been done before” by winning Olympic golds in the 5000 and 10,000 metres at consecutive games. But I’m sure this has been achieved previously? – D.
Mo may be the best longdistance runner ever to have represented this country, but when it comes to track and field trivia you have the beating of him.
The “Flying Finn” Lasse Viren achieved the prestigious “double double” by the winning the 5000 and 10,000m at the Munich Games in 1972 (pictured, in blue vest) and then again at Montreal four years later.
Unbelievably, 18 hours after winning his fourth Olympic title on the track, Lasse entered the marathon event, finishing fifth.
OUT walking with my faithful pooch in Montreathmont Forest the other day, my thoughts turned to bigger things.
Much bigger, in fact. You see, Tyson (that’s my fourlegged friend!) and I would like to know where the world’s largest forest might be. – J.
Montreathmont, just a few miles south of Brechin in Angus, is a small area of mostly coniferous forest.
Its network of tracks is popular with walkers, mountain bikers and, in winter, husky racers.
Capercaillie can be heard, but rarely seen. Owls, buzzards and deer might also be visible.
The largest forest in the world is the Amazon jungle, and it is so big that it dwarfs all of the other rain forests in the world taken together.
It is spread over eight countries – Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia, French Guyana, Surinam, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela – covering about 5,500,000sq km.
It is home to a hugely diverse range of animals, such as jaguars, tapirs and howler monkeys.
About 20% of the Earth’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon jungle, and one fifth of all the fresh water in liquid form on the planet is held in the Amazon River Basin.
Most of the Amazonian lowlands are permanently flooded and the major forest realm is formed by the highlands, so it wouldn’t really be a not pleasant place for a stroll with your dog.