An animal-obsessed Abu Dhabi school pupil is sharing his expertise with other children in a series of globe-trotting videos.
Mario Azpurua-Montero, 11, produces clips which he releases on his own Instagram page and Youtube channel, covering everything from sharks, to ancient Egypt's mummified animals, and Aldabara tortoises.
In the past two years, he has released 20 videos, 14 of which he filmed on location all over the world accompanying his father, who is an Etihad pilot, on trips abroad.
Children have flocked to his channel in recent months as the pandemic forced schools to bring learning online.
He recently held a series of sessions for hundreds of children in the United States.
And he encouraged kids all over the world to get in touch for help in distance learning with any animal-related questions, writing: "If you are E-Learning or homeschooling like me, you can ask any animal related questions, I am not going anywhere so I will do my best to answer you and learn together, #keepcalm and #staysafe.”
He said he enjoys sharing everything he has learned with other kids.
“I research animals so whenever I go out in the field I can say a bunch of stuff about them,” said the Raha International School pupil.
His favourite trip was to South Africa, where he visited before the outbreak of Covid-19. He is currently working on turning the footage into several videos.
“It was so much fun. There was no glass, no cages. It was just me and nature.
"I saw penguins. I saw baboons. I saw ostriches. I also saw fur seals. I saw cheetahs, elephants and lots more.”
His mother, Nani Montero, 41, from Venezuela, who films his videos for him, said his interest in animals began very early on, before he could even speak.
“We started going to zoos and kids followed him because he would tell them about the animals,” she said.
His obsession only grew in school, where he struggled to concentrate.
“There were many red flags. I took him so many places and everywhere they said no, he’s fine. But still I was a little bit worried, because I could feel he wasn’t socialising as much as I wanted,” she said.
She spent a lot of time worrying about whether he was happy, and would often fight with him as all he wanted to do was sit on his iPad researching animals.
“One day I went to bed and I was super sad, and the next morning I woke up at 4am with an idea and I said, what if I just put these two things together, the iPad and animals and support his strengths instead of fighting about the weaknesses,” she said.
He got to work, and once he had something to show, she got in touch with producers she met when she was working as a broadcast journalist in Venezuela, to ask their opinion and help to polish them up. They continue to produce his videos.
It was a turning point, for all the family.
“It was a huge success, for many reasons. Mario has been happy ever since then.”
Six months ago, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“He said I want to send a message to every kid who feels different. Different is okay. Just follow your passion,” said Ms Montero.
“We were crying.”
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Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
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Results
Stage Two:
1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45
2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates
4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
General Classification:
1. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix 09:03:03
2. Dmitry Strakhov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:04
3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:00:06
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:10
5. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:12
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Brief scores:
Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field
Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55
Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out
Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets
Race card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m
9.25pm: Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
10.35pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm: Shahm, 7.05pm: Well Of Wisdom, 7.40pm: Lucius Tiberius, 8.15pm: Captain Von Trapp, 8.50pm: Secret Advisor, 9.25pm: George Villiers, 10pm: American Graffiti, 10.35pm: On The Warpath
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
