Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides For 80 Years

[ashling]

http://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2012/02/24/147367644/six-legged-giant-finds-secret-hideaway-hides-for-80-years?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160117

They call it "Ball's Pyramid." It's what's left of an old volcano that emerged from the sea about 7 million years ago. A British naval officer named Ball was the first European to see it in 1788. It sits off Australia, in the South Pacific. It is extremely narrow, 1,844 feet high, and it sits alone.

What's more, for years this place had a secret. At 225 feet above sea level, hanging on the rock surface, there is a small, spindly little bush, and under that bush, a few years ago, two climbers, working in the dark, found something totally improbable hiding in the soil below. How it got there, we still don't know.

[Kaleva]

1. What an awesome story! Thanks for posting it.

[krispos42]

2. Back from the brink of extinction

Cool story. Now they just need a home...

[sharp_stick]

3. Great story

Thanks a lot for sharing it.

[DFW]

4. Amazing story!!

Thanks for that!

[surrealAmerican]

5. great story

It is, however, very difficult to completely eliminate rats. Has this ever been accomplished on an island this size?

[LiberalElite]

6. Heh. "six legged giant" i thought what could that be???

then when I saw the photo I yelled OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TexasBushwhacker]

11. I got a little shudder n/t

[Fla Dem]

7. Wow, back from extinction. Great story! nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. Fascinating.........marvelous story. n/t

[NV Whino]

9. Wow! Nice story.

[PufPuf23]

10. Thank you Awesome!! Hope reintroduction in wild works. nt