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Jan Tait and the Bear

@jantaitopera.bsky.social

96 followers 350 following 63 posts

Sharing news about bears, butter, and bunions as we fundraise for Jan Tait and the Bear, an animated chamber opera based on a medieval Shetland folktale. More info: https://emilydoolittle.com/jantait

emilydoolittle.com

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Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Nov 19

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHzF...

Hi folks! Please follow and share so we can build the momentum necessary to turn the amazing medieval folktale Jan Tait and the Bear into an animated chamber opera, with music by @emilydooolittle.bsky.social, produced by Greenlight Creative.

JAN TAIT & THE BEAR

YouTube video by Emily Doolittle

www.youtube.com

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Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · 27d

GIANT LIZARD news! www.theguardian.com/environment/...

‘You’re going about your day and suddenly see a little Godzilla’: Bangkok reckons with a giant lizard boom

Viral videos have shifted public opinion about water monitors, long held in contempt in Thai culture, even as rising numbers of the reptiles pose problems for residents

www.theguardian.com

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Sep 11

PRANKSTER SLUG news! www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

Doorbell prankster that tormented residents of German apartments turns out to be a slug

People suspected teenagers playing ding dong ditch and called police, who found animal crawling on the door panel

www.theguardian.com

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Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Aug 25

GANNET and WHALE FABLES!

Emily Doolittle @emilydoolittle.bsky.social · Aug 25

A collaboration between me, @amsouth.bsky.social & Lesley Harrison, performed at @rethinkingfable.bsky.social (www.rethinking-fables.org.uk). Lesley & Alex weave together pieces by me and Alex and a poem by Lesley to create a new fable, "The Gannet and the Whale". www.youtube.com/watch?v=r55d...

The Gannet and the Whale (May 24, 2025, Rethinking Fables)

YouTube video by Kaori Nagai

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Jan Tait and the Bear

Emily Doolittle @emilydoolittle.bsky.social · Aug 25

The Gannet and the Whale (May 24, 2025, Rethinking Fables)

YouTube video by Kaori Nagai

www.youtube.com

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Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Aug 5

FIERY FISH NEWS! www.nytimes.com/2025/08/02/w...

A Fish Falls From the Sky and Sparks a Brush Fire in British Columbia

www.nytimes.com

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Aug 5

BEARS AND HONEY NEWS! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Rogue bears' honey supply replenished by community in Devon

The boss of a wildlife park where two bears escaped and gorged on honey thanks people for donations.

www.bbc.co.uk

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Aug 5

GIANT RAT news! www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

The Yorkshire mega-rat: a 22-inch rodent and the great global rat crisis of 2025

This latest specimen is even bigger than the Dorset mega-rat of 2018 – and just one sign of a problem that keeps growing ...

www.theguardian.com

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Jul 31

GIANT STICK INSECT news! www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Supersized stick insect discovered in high-altitude trees in Australia

The 40cm-long insect, named Acrophylla alta, weighs slightly less than a golf ball and may be the heaviest insect in Australia

www.theguardian.com

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Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Jul 22

LITERARY FOX news! www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...

London library forced to briefly close after fox 'made itself comfortable' inside

Foxes have been known to live everywhere in London from back gardens to the top of the Shard

www.standard.co.uk

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Apr 23

GIANT PREHISTORIC KANGAROO news! www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Giant prehistoric kangaroos preferred to ‘chill at home’ and didn’t like to go out much, scientists say

Fossil teeth show species of protemnodon that roamed Australia between 5m and 40,000 years ago lived and died near Queensland caves

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Jan Tait and the Bear

Dr Karen McAulay @karenmca.bsky.social · Apr 22

I just love people who have wild, zany ideas *and carry them through!*

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Apr 22

GIANT CURLEW COSTUME news! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Man sets off on Nidderdale walk dressed as a curlew

Matt Trevelyan made the Eurasian curlew costume out of polystyrene and bamboo.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Apr 22

GIANT CURLEW COSTUME news! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Man sets off on Nidderdale walk dressed as a curlew

Matt Trevelyan made the Eurasian curlew costume out of polystyrene and bamboo.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Apr 7

BITEY OSTRICH news! metro.co.uk/2025/04/07/b...

Boris Johnson yells 'f***ing hell' after ostrich attacks him on family holiday

The former PM yelped: 'Christ! F***ing hell!'

metro.co.uk

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Mar 12

HAT-STEALING HAWK news! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Flamstead hawk takes 91-year-old's hat twice in a week

A bird that has been terrorising Hertfordshire villagers claims two hats from a 91-year-old's head.

www.bbc.co.uk

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Mar 4

WOOLLY MOUSE news! www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Scientists aiming to bring back woolly mammoth create woolly mice

Genetically modified mice have traits geared towards cold tolerance, in step towards modifying elephants

www.theguardian.com

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Mar 3

MEDIAEVAL RECORDER-PLAYING DRAGON art!

Tamsin Lewis @passamezzo.bsky.social · Mar 3

Today's marginal #musician is a #dragon playing the #recorder.
From Boccaccio's Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes, c1413-1415
Getty Ms. 63 (96.MR.17)
#Boccaccio
#illuminatedmanuscript
#marginaliamonday
#earlymusic
#15thCentury
#dragons
#musicaldragons

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Feb 18

CLEANER FISH news! "they remember their clients, much like a hairdresser"!
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

I’m obsessed with fish that clean other fish: they remember their clients, much like a hairdresser

I’m campaigning for legal protection for cleaner fish, because no one has done a proper assessment of the impact of removing them from Scottish reefs

www.theguardian.com

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Feb 18

MYSTERY SEAL news (the seal is ok): yaledailynews.com/blog/2025/02...

Seal seeks sanctuary in New Haven streets

New Haven Police found a male grey seal in Mill River on Sunday and transported it to the Mystic Aquarium.

yaledailynews.com

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Feb 13

SNAKE news! www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Aesculapian snake: Britain has a new snake species – should it be allowed to stay?

If follows two cases of accidental introductions

www.independent.co.uk

Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Feb 5

ARTISTIC BADGER news! www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Badger admiring art wins wildlife photographer of the year public vote

Ian Wood wins Natural History Museum’s people’s choice award with photo taken in St Leonards-on-Sea

www.theguardian.com

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Jan Tait and the Bear @jantaitopera.bsky.social · Feb 4

MUSICAL ANIMAL news!

Emily Doolittle @emilydoolittle.bsky.social · Feb 4

I'm excited to share our interdisciplinary inquiry into the use of music in animal welfare contexts, "Playing music to animals" co-authored by Pralle Kriengwatana, @amsouth.bsky.social, @ruedinager.bsky.social, Marin Ullrich & me! #zoomusicology #AnimalWelfare authors.elsevier.com/a/1kYdDmjMA3XG

authors.elsevier.com