Unbe-leaf-able! Student sets tree hugging record

Abubakar Tahiru wants to inspire young people to care about nature and the environment

A forestry student has set a new world record for the most trees hugged in one hour.

Abubakar Tahiru, from Ghana, hugged a total of 1,123 trees - that's almost 19 trees every minute.

His record attempt took place at Tuskegee National Forest, in the US state of Alabama.

Tahiru said he hoped his achievement would inspire young people in Ghana, where he grew up, to care about nature and the environment.

Tahiru grew up in a farming community in Ghana, where he developed a keen interest in nature and its conservation and is why he decided to specialise in forestry.

In order to successfully set the tree hugging Guinness World record, Tahiru needed to follow some strict rules.

He couldn't hug the same tree more than once and he also had to make sure that no damage would be caused to any tree - or else the attempt would have been disqualified.

In the end, Tahiru hugged a total of 1,123 trees in an hour, averaging one hug every three seconds.

What makes his achievement even more impressive is the fact that he was fasting for Ramadan and therefore couldn't drink or eat during his record attempt.

The 29-year-old said that the hardest part of the record was having to move quickly between trees while making sure that he followed all the rules.

Tahiru said: "Achieving this world record feels incredibly rewarding. It's a meaningful gesture to highlight the crucial role of trees in our ecosystem and the urgency of environmental conservation."