Among the more unusual stories featured in the news was that of an animal lover from Gloucestershire successfully hatching an emu egg after a late-night shopping spree.
Rhi Evans, from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, has no memory of buying the egg, which was priced at £37, but woke one morning in 2022 to an email confirmation from eBay telling her it was on its way.
Unable to secure a refund, Ms Evans decided to “wing it” and try and hatch it on her three-acre farm, despite warnings the birds were “not pets for a casual keeper”.
Three years later, the six-foot bird, which she named Jonathan before discovering it was female, lives with her at home.
While Jonathan is an integral part of her life, Ms Evans said rearing an emu was not a decision to be taken lightly.
“They require a huge amount of commitment, their life span is 35-40 years so you’ve got to be in it for the long haul,” she told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.