Top Viral News this week - From Harry Potter's Professor Snape to 'Real Life Rapunzel'

In the past week, a lot of news has gone viral on social media. From a 104-year-old woman who defeated COVID-19 twice, to the hilarious rescue of a bird that won't leave the head of its saviour, several videos and pictures are trending online this week. Here's a list of the top 10 viral news instances making rounds on social media which the internet just can't get enough of.

Viral News this week (April 10 - April 16) 

104-year-old woman beats COVID-19 twice

A 104-year-old Colombian woman, Carmen Hernandez, received a standing ovation from the hospital staff after recovering from COVID-19 for the second time. Carmen was first diagnosed with COVID-19 in June 2020 and was treated in her San Jose nursing home. The second time, she reportedly spent at least 21 days in San Rafael de Tunja University Hospital’s intensive care and was finally discharged this week. While experts have declared that elderly people are more vulnerable to viral disease, Carmen's determination was appreciated by several netizens for tackling the disease not once, but twice.

Baby Elephant rescue video

An elephant calf, who accidentally fell in 15 feet deep well, was rescued using heavy machinery in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha on Saturday, April 10. A video of the whole rescue operation was shared online and showed the young one coming out of the well amidst cheers from the crowd. Amidst all this, the video progressed to finally show the baby animal getting out of the well. The video has gone viral on social media, with netizens expressing satisfaction and happiness at the news. 

Woman rescues bird and now it won't leave her head

Bird enthusiast Manish Hariprasad recently took to his Twitter handle to share images of a Goan woman who comes from a fishing village and is known for protecting birds. The images which have been uploaded show a Myna sitting on her head and have gone viral on social media. The heartwarming images have touched the hearts of netizens who have been constantly sharing the images all across the country. 

World's biggest rabbit Darius stolen from his UK home

The Guinness World record-holding world’s longest rabbit, Darius, has been stolen from his home in Worcestershire. A reward of £1,000 is being offered by his owner Annette Edwards to the person who manages to bring the rabbit back. Taking to her official Twitter handle, Edwards said that it had been a very sad day for them and offered a reward. 

Iceland Volcano Eruption Reminds Netizens Of 'Game Of Thrones'

The rare volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland has become a tourist hot spot for the weekend hikers as thousands occasionally gather admiring the hot red glowing lava that streams into a river. However, the recent pictures of the visitors from the scene have sparked many jokes across the social media as netizens compared the "breathtaking" volcanic spurts and lava with a scene from the HBO drama, Game of Thrones' theme song. As the photos of the eruption, captured by an aerial videographer, Brian Emfinger, appeared online, many compared its visual appeal with George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire adapted series Game of Thrones' symbology. 

Dog Helps Owner In Medical Emergency By Alerting Neighbour

Kansas City Police Department took to its official Facebook handle to share a "feel good story" with netizens. In an incident, a pup helped in saving the life of a man and was later rewarded with lots of praise, pats and dog treats. The police department also shared an image of the pupper along with the officer. The story of the dog has now gone viral with netizens all across social media praising the pup. The dog, who was walking with his owner, realised his owner was having a medical emergency and alerted the neighbours, who then called 911. Thanks to the boy, the man received prompt medical attention. 

'Real Life Rapunzel' From Gujarat Gets Haircut After 12 Years And 3 World Records

Nilanshi Patel, an 18-year-old from Gujarat who has held the record for the longest hair on a teenager, has now decided to cut off her locks. In July 2020, before she turned 18, Nilanshi’s hair reached an incredible 200cm (6ft 6.7inches) and helped her secure the iconic title for the ‘longest hair ever on a teenager’. However, twelve years and three Guinness World Records later, Nilanshi has finally decided to get rid of her locks. Nilashi's hair will reportedly be displayed in a museum. 

'Professor Snape' Is Leading Oxford's COVID-19 Vaccine Study

A recently published research into coronavirus vaccines has started making rounds of the internet. The reason being the author’s name: Professor Snape. The name, almost immediately, reminded nearly every one of Harry Potter's Professor Snape, however, it is also the name of the research's lead author. Dr Matthew Snape is an associate professor of paediatrics and vaccinology at the University of Oxford. The discovery has now prompted hundreds of thousands of fans into drawing connections, resulting in a number of jokes and gifs. The University of Oxford acknowledged and shared a hilarious tweet. 

'Mysterious headless animal' causing a scare in Poland turns out to be a Croissant

The "mysterious headless animal” that was wedged between tree branches, scaring the residents in Poland who refused to open their windows or stepping out of the house, has been found to be a French pastry - ‘Croissant’. An animal welfare organization, The Krakow Animal Welfare Society, on Thursday took to its official Facebook handle confirming the reports. It narrated how the sighting had caused mass hysteria in the neighbourhood about an unidentified creature stranded on a tree for days, whom the local inhabitants suspected to be an unknown animal or an 'Iguana'. 

Elderly couple reunites after months amid COVID-19

A recently posted video of an elderly couple reuniting after eight months of separation has gone viral. The 31-second video was shared on Twitter by former basketball player Rex Chapman and features Gordon and Mary at Baily House Care Home, UK. The clip commences by showing Mary being reduced to tears after seeing her husband following months of staying apart. One particular moment from the clip, which struck people’s heart features both of them saying ‘I love you' as soon as they see each other. The basketball player's profile on Twitter is unavailable at the moment, but the Baily House Care Home in the UK has shared a photo of the couple. 

Image sources - Still from 'Cutting the world's longest hair' video, Mugglenet Instagram