Right now, my terrace house sits directly under a flight path, belonging not to planes but to skeins and skeins of honking Canada geese. As reliable as the first misty mornings and the slow shedding of the trees, I hear that familiar harsh call as the geese pass overhead. My view of the V shapes […]
Author: Supertrooper
Founder and Executive Editor
It looks like a spider and moves like a spider, but this is no spider – it’s an evolutionary nightmare. Watch the deadly killer in action
In the mountains of Iran, a flycatcher scans the area for something to eat – and spots a spider in a crevice. But unfortunately for the bird, it isn’t actually a spider: it’s something far more dangerous (and venomous). This bizarre attack is actually an evolutionary adaptation of the spider-tailed horned viper (which we named […]
West Africa’s leopards now officially endangered after 50% population crash
There are only about 350 mature leopards left in West Africa, according to the latest regional assessment by the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority. Leopards (Panthera pardus) in West Africa are thought to be genetically isolated from those in Central Africa, with little or no interbreeding between populations. They’re found in 11 countries: Benin, […]
Orange-bellied parrots have swelled back from imminent extinction – but now they face a new threat
One of Australia’s most critically endangered bird species has started arriving at Melaleuca, in Tasmania’s south-western world heritage area. By late this week, six orange-bellied parrots had turned up at the remote outpost to breed, having made the weeks-long flight from the mainland, across Bass Strait and down the state’s wild west coast. Relatively little […]
The bird that eats itself to survive: During its epic migration it consumes its internal organs – including its kidneys – which then regenerate
It takes guts to migrate long distances – literally, if you’re a bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica baueri. This crow-sized shorebird burns not just flab, but even some innards to fuel its marathon migrations. Each autumn, the godwit flies from its breeding grounds in Alaska and Siberia to Australia or New Zealand to spend the winter. […]
Locally Extinct for a Century, Bay Scallops Thriving Again on Virginia Shore of Chesapeake Bay
Bay scallops are making an incredible resurgence in coastal bays along Virginia’s Eastern Shore, according to a new survey. The exponential population growth is the result of decades of dedicated seagrass restoration efforts that allowed scientists to reintroduce the species to its former home. Locally extinct since the 1930s due to habitat loss, bay scallops […]
Petition: Stop California From Killing Hope the Mamma Bear
Officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) are planning to euthanize a mamma bear in the South Lake Tahoe area simply because she grew too used to being around the humans who had invaded her home habitat. As a result of becoming “habituated” – which is humans’ fault! – CDFW determined she […]
Thirty belugas in Canada face being euthanised. Can they be saved?
For decades, Marineland was a destination for Canadian children and their parents who wanted an up-close look at ocean-life near Niagara Falls. But behind the aquatic-themed roller coasters and dolphin performances was a dark history of documented mistreatment of animals and lingering financial problems. Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services has conducted multiple investigations over the past […]