A man in China is trying to break the record for the world’s most expensive tea – by making it out of panda poo.

College lecture An Yanshi has collected five tons of panda excrement to create a new type of tea.

He believes the rich fertiliser will give rise to a unique aroma that will make his brew a connoisseurs’ favourite, which he will be able to sell for up to £50,000 per kilo.

‘Pandas have a very poor digestive system and only absorb about 30 per cent of everything they eat. That means their excrement is rich in fibres and nutrients,’ Yanshi explained.

‘It has a mature, nutty taste and a very distinctive aroma while it’s brewing.’

Yanshi, who collects the poo by the lorryload from the Giant Panda breeding centre in Chengdu, Sichuan province, southern China, aims to secure the Guinness World Record once his first batch of the expensive blend is ready for sale.

The world’s most expensive coffee is made from beans eaten, partly digested, then expelled by the Indonesian civet cat.

Kopi luwak, or Civet coffee, sells for up to £100 per pound. (Metro)

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If there was an award for the world’s most patient man, he would definitely win it.

Instead, Tai Star has settled for the record holder of the most coins stacked on a single dime.

Star, from Tucson, Arizona, spent seven hours building a tower of 3,118 coins on a dime.

The impressive structure consisted of 600 quarters, 501 dimes, 313 nickels, 1699 pennies and five foreign coins.

He starts with the single dime and places it near the edge of a table.

Star explained: ‘It is on the very corner for a few reasons: to make it easy to see that it is on one dime and I think the structure of the table is most sturdy there – plus I just like precarious balance.’

Then, over the course of seven hours, he begins stacking coins on the dime in a circular shape.

On website RecordSetting.com, where he uploaded a video of the feat, he explained he used ‘three dimes on a quarter for four layers, then a bigger coin for four layers, then a ring of dime for at least four layers, and next size coins, pennies nickels quarters. Then more dimes, and so on…’

At one point, the coins fall before he patiently gets to work replacing them.

When the vase-shape structure is complete, he drops in a handful of coins, including a British five pence and a Spanish peso.

With the achievement, the meticulous stacker broke other records on the site – all previously set by him. His first was 469, followed by 1,700.

Star holds 11 other records on the website.

He has set the record for the Longest Time To Balance A Drumstick On Finger While Balancing On An Exercise Ball with 28.83 seconds, and the Tallest Coin Tower using 117 quarters. (Daily Mail)

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• Animals involved include mares, cows, pigs and chickens
• Study finds that men who have sex with animals are twice as likely to develop cancer of the penis

A new study has found that 35 per cent of men from rural Brazil have had sex with an animal.

A total of 492 men took part in the study ranging in age from 18 to 80 years old.

A team of urologists from centres around Brazil were involved in the research project, which looked at risk factors for penile cancer in men.

And it found that men who had sex with animals during their lifetimes were twice as likely to develop cancer of the penis as others.

Those who had engaged in bestiality also reported a higher incidence of sexually transmitted diseases.

Of the 492 men who took part in the study, 118 were penile cancer patients.

A total of 45 per cent of those suffering from cancer told how they had had sex with an animal.

This was compared to 32 per cent of healthy men.

A total of 59 per cent of men who had sex with animals did so for one to five years, while 21 per cent continued the behaviour, also known as zoophilia, for more than five years.

The subjects reported a variety of frequencies for their sex acts, ranging from monthly to daily.

The researchers found no association between penile cancer and the number of animals the men used over time.

The species included mares, cows, pigs and chickens, among other animals.

Lead author was Stjnio de Cassio Zequi, a urologist in Sao Paulo, and he said his study is the first to link the practice to male genital cancers.

He told LiveScience that if a man has sex with an animal it could produce micro-traumas in the human penile tissue.

‘The genital mucus membranes of animals could have different characteristics from human genitalia, and the animals’ secretions are probably different from human fluids.

‘Perhaps animal tissues are less soft than ours, and non-human secretions would be toxic for us.’ (Mail Online)

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A sperm-shaped bike is being used to transport samples to fertility clinics in the US city of Seattle.

The custom-designed two-wheeler, which is almost ten feet in length, can hold up to 30 samples, which are stored in a special vacuum container cooled with liquid nitrogen.

The motorised bike, which features an oversized model of a sperm cell, has been developed to quickly and efficiently move donated sperm, and is being used by the Seattle Sperm Lab to service nearby reproductive centres and fertility clinics.

‘It’s getting a lot of looks. People are stopping. They don’t quite understand what’s going on,’ said Gary Olsem of Seattle Sperm Bank.

Olsem says the bike is not only green-friendly, but also helps to raise awareness about the need for sperm donation.

‘It is not only cutting CO2, but I think it’s really getting the word out about the need for sperm donors,’ he said.

‘At first, people are shocked and surprised, but then they tell us what a great idea it is.’

The first Sperm Bike was used by Seattle Sperm Bank’s sibling company, the European Sperm Bank, in Copenhagen. (wrapup)

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Students at this school in China have a harder time than most skipping class.

Pupils in Pili – in the rugged northern Xinjiang Uygur region – have to cross a pass 1,500ft above a sheer drop down a precipice to get to their lessons.

Guided by parents and staff, the youngsters scramble over the sloping rock face finding foot and handholds that would make even a goat think twice.

One teacher joked: "It’s very steep but we’re mountain people here and used to walking like this. We haven’t lost one yet – there are severe penalties for truancy." (The Sun)

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This squirrel is working flat out to win cutest critter of the year — by trying out planking.

The little fella looks like a pro as he apes the online craze for balancing in funny places.

Lying flat on his front, the animal was caught relaxing on top of a fence in a US park.

Photographer Mike Grinshspoon was on hand to capture the moment. (The Sun)

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As pets go you won’t find one much bigger than Jim Sautner’s buffalo Bailey Junior who receives five-star treatment at their Canadian home.

Standing at just under 6ft and stretching 8ft long, Bailey Junior is a local celebrity around Spruce Grove town in Alberta, Canada. Weighing in at 1,820 pounds this buffalo is also potentially the largest house pet in the world.

Jim and Linda Sautner looked after Bailey when he was an orphaned calf, bottle-feeding him and keeping him safe both outdoors and indoors. Now the three-year-old beast trails around the town meeting locals and reportedly going into bars with Jim to drink beer.

To really get a sense of how much Jim Sautner, dubbed the ‘buffalo whisperer’, cares for Bailey check out our picture of his modified Sedan convertible with the giant buffalo in the back.

Sautner made changes to his convertible ride to allow enough space for the car to accommodate Bailey and take his weight.

Another unusually tame beast, crocodile Pocho passed away recently leaving his trainer Gilberto Shedden and the Costa Rican town of Siquirres in mourning.

Pocho often performed tricks for tourists and locals. (Metro)

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This plucky toddler got a surprise when he puckered up against the glass of an enclosure — and got a big kiss back from an orangutan.

The clever mammal stunned crowds when he leaned in close and mimicked the child’s pose, creating a picture perfect moment at Moscow Zoo.

Let’s just hope the animal’s partner didn’t mind her monkeying around with another man. (The Sun)

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An anorexic mum has told how she proudly wears clothes belonging to her daughter aged seven.

Frail Rebecca Jones, 26, tips the scales at just 5st — that’s 9lbs less than schoolgirl Maisy.

And, despite nearly dying as a result of her eating disorder nine months ago, she insists her tiny dress size makes her proud.

Medical secretary Rebecca often buys two outfits in the same size when out shopping — one for little Maisy and another for herself.

She said: "Wearing the same clothes as Maisy gives me a sense of pride. It’s wrong, but it makes me feel good. I don’t think I’m thin, I always see myself as bigger."

Desperate Rebecca is now on an NHS waiting list to see a psychologist. She said: "I’m terrified I won’t see Maisy grow up.

"I’d love to eat. I can think of nothing nicer than going out for lunch with Maisy — but I can’t."

Yet Rebecca is determined to ensure her daughter does not follow in her footsteps. She said: "If she wants chocolate, I say yes — I don’t want to deny her food."

Sun doctor Dr Carol Cooper said: "Eating disorders often run in families. I’d be pretty worried about Maisy.

"Her mum seems to attach a lot of importance to weight." (wrapup)

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Single Aimee Robinson auctioned the chance to escort her to her brother’s wedding — and got 18 bids on eBay.

The winner has stumped up £535 to join her at the reception next month.

Now Aimee, 25, is getting her mum to check out her date beforehand.

She said: "We have no pictures and very little information, so the end result could be interesting.

"But if someone’s brave enough — and I’m brave enough to put myself out there — then maybe we’ve something in common."

PR consultant Aimee, of Greenwich, South East London, advertised for a man aged 24-45 with his "own hair and teeth".

The money will go to charity Diabetes UK.

She said: "There’s pressure to bring someone. I’d like to avoid sad stares." (The Sun)

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