This photograph of an enraged bear entering a tent is incredible, but unfortunately there's a sad and tragic tale behind it. The picture was taken in 1996 by the Japanese photographer Michio Hoshino, who was a master of his craft and had won many awards for his skill at his chosen profession. His specialist subject was Russian and Alaskan wildlife, and he'd gone on a trip to Russia to take a fresh portfolio.
This was the last picture Hoshino would ever take. The bear charged into the tent and mauled him to death. Before it did, he was able to point his camera at it. The camera survived the attack, and the film was developed some time later, revealing that Hoshino had been able to capture the image of his killer in his final moments. Brown bears in particular rarely attack humans, and the belief is that this was a mother, acting out of protection towards its children.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.