Peruvian surfer Domingo Pianezzi has spent a decade training dogs to ride the nose of his board when he catches waves, and now he is the first to do so with an alpaca.
Mr Pianezzi, 44, has slowly introduced his alpaca Pisco, a domesticated Andean highland animal that resembles a small llama, to the waters of the Pacific Ocean over the past several months. The duo caught three waves on a yellow three-metre longboard on Tuesday south of Lima, Peru's capital. Pisco, wearing a flotation vest, crouched on the board while taking off on each wave and cruised for a few seconds before bailing into the water with a bit of a fright.
Mr Pianezzi came up with the idea of hitting the waves with an alpaca while visiting Australia.
He said, "I've surfed with a dog, a parrot, a hamster and a cat, but when I was at a competition in Australia I saw people surfing with kangaroos and koalas. So I thought that, as a Peruvian, it would be interesting to surf with a unique animal that represents Peru." (Reuters)
Retail job cuts
Another 700 jobs are set to be axed at embattled retail chain Ethel Austin and Au Naturale as administrators confirmed further store closures.
MCR, the administrators of value clothing chain Ethel Austin and its sister company Au Naturale, said they will shut 81 stores in the next three to four weeks, following the closure of 124 stores last month.
This will see 696 retail positions likely to be made redundant, while MCR added it had made more job losses at Ethel Austin's head office in Knowsley, Merseyside, after shedding 56 staff. (PA)
Techno addicts
Children who are hooked on computer games, the internet or their mobile phone can now seek help from what is thought to be the first dedicated technology addiction service for young people in Britain.
Capio Nightingale Hospital, in central London, launched the service following calls from parents concerned about their children's behaviour.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Richard Graham said parents told him their children flew "into a rage" when they were told to turn off their computer and police had even been called to sort out the rows. (PA)
'Happier' NHS
NHS staff are more satisfied with working conditions than a year ago although many still do not have time to do their jobs properly, a survey found.
More staff received appraisals, said the NHS was a good place to work and wanted to stay in their jobs in 2009 than 2008, the poll of almost 160,000 workers revealed.
There was a drop in the numbers feeling pressured at work, being forced to work extra hours, or suffering bullying or harassment in the workplace. (PA)
Gadget king
Common household devices are becoming redundant as consumers rely on increasingly advanced mobile phones, a poll suggests.
The mobile phone is slowly replacing digital cameras, alarm clocks, calendars and calculators, according to the survey for comparison website rightmobile phone .co.uk.
It found 54 per cent of MP3 owners were more likely to use their phone for personal audio and 92 per cent of those with a landline used their mobile more for calls. Of all the respondents, 21 per cent said they only had a landline because it came with their entertainment bundle. (PA)
Taxi parts move
Production of the body panels and chassis for the iconic London cab will be shifted to China in a move costing 60 jobs.
Manganese Bronze said the parts for its TX4 vehicles will be made in Shanghai after a key UK supplier's decision to cease production of a specialist painting process later this year.
Manganese's Coventry-based London Taxis International arm has manufactured the cabs since 1948, but it will now move to an assembly role. (PA)
Drink-drive survey
More than 70 per cent of motorists would support a lowering of the legal drink-drive limit, according to a survey.
And 92 per cent would like to see a new anti-drug drive law introduced, the poll by road safety charity Brake and insurance company Direct Line found.
As many as 71 per cent of the 800 drivers polled agreed the current drink-drive limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood should be cut. (PA)