Mercury Psillakis had spotted the shark. Moments before he was fatally attacked by what is believed to have been a 3.5-metre great white last Saturday at Long Reef beach in Sydney, the surfer warned his friends about the animal. “Merc saved his friends in the surf,” his family said in a statement this week. “He […]
Author: Supertrooper
Founder and Executive Editor
This Little Marsupial Was Almost Extinct But Recovered Totally During Australian Mega Drought
For an Australian marsupial facing extinction on a continent-wide scale, the news of an oncoming drought back in 2001 probably felt like the coming of the end times. But in a surprising break from the narrative, the ampurta (Dasycercus hillieri) a rat-sized predatory marsupial that was listed as Endangered in 1999, thrived through the lean […]
Man banned from chasing dolphins on his jet ski
A man has been issued with a police warning after using his jet ski to deliberately disturb a pod of dolphins in Cornwall. The incident, which occurred in St Austell Bay in June, saw the man approach the marine mammals and reportedly encourage others to do the same. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the man, […]
Leopards and wild dogs are thriving in Zambia’s Kafue National Park
Camera-trap images from a section of Kafue National Park in Zambia show conservation efforts are paying off: Populations of leopards, wild dogs and lions are all growing, Mongabay contributor Ryan Truscott reported in July. Truscott interviewed Chisomo M’hango, trainee field ecologist at Musekese Conservation (MC), a nonprofit monitoring wildlife in the Musekese-Lumbeya section of the […]
Over 1,000 Rare Risso’s Dolphins Spotted Off Mexico’s Coast
Wildlife lovers in Mexico were treated to an unforgettable sight when an enormous pod of Risso’s dolphins appeared near Cabo San Lucas. According to Discover Wildlife, more than one thousand of these elusive cetaceans were seen swimming in perfect harmony—an extraordinary event for a species that usually dives deep and stays far from shore. The […]
North Korea’s hidden wildlife trade: new research reveals state involvement
North Korea is notorious for its illicit trade in weapons and narcotics. But a new investigation that I conducted with colleagues in the UK and Norway reveals a new concern: the illegal trade in wildlife, including species supposedly protected by North Korea’s own laws. Based on interviews with North Korean refugees (also referred to as […]
New gecko species findings highlight threats to Cambodia’s limestone hills
Researchers have described three new gecko species in northwestern Cambodia’s limestone hills and are eager to conduct further research, but recent border clashes with Thailand have disrupted their studies. Violent clashes this summer, which killed close to 40 people and displaced nearly 300,000 across the two Southeast Asian nations, cut follow-up field surveys short, researchers […]
India’s Supreme Court Investigates Controversial Mega Zoo
India’s Supreme Court has ordered an inquiry into Vantara, a sprawling private zoo in Gujarat founded by Anant Ambani, son of Asia’s richest man. The 3,000-acre facility claims to be the “world’s biggest wild animal rescue centre,” but critics say it’s less about rescue and more about prestige — with more than 150,000 animals housed […]