Twelve of the world’s 17 most biodiverse nations, home to 70% of the planet’s species, are likely to miss the United Nations’ Oct. 20 deadline to submit plans for reversing biodiversity loss by 2030, a joint analysis by The Guardian and Carbon Brief found. At the U.N.’s 2022 conference on the Convention on Biological Diversity, […]
‘Access to food is not the problem’: new orca study deepens mystery behind endangerment
Last month, the ailing southern resident killer whales of the Pacific gave researchers a rare moment of hope: a new calf was spotted swimming alongside her mother. Until that point, only one calf had appeared this year, only to die a few months later. But by mid-October, this new calf, named L128, also appeared to […]
Wild Caracal Captured in Chicago Suburb
Residents of Hoffman Estates, a suburb northwest of Chicago, were startled by the sight of a wild cat roaming their neighborhood. After being spotted multiple times, local authorities managed to capture the elusive animal on Tuesday. Using a pole with a cord, they were able to lasso the caracal from under a resident’s deck. The […]
Researchers Detect Microplastics in Dolphin Breath
For the first time, researchers have found microplastics in dolphin breath, raising concerns over the amount of microplastics the animals are drawing when they come up for air. The team collected samples of air released by five bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida and six dolphins in Barataria Bay, Louisiana in May and June of […]
Scientists discover new hammerhead shark species — and it’s already at risk
A new-to-science hammerhead species, the shovelhead shark, has been hiding in plain sight for three centuries due to its close resemblance to a long-lost relative, the bonnethead shark. After a decade of research, a breakthrough study published Sept. 24 found that these are two distinct species, challenging the widely accepted 1758 description by biologist Carl […]
Veterinarian’s Home Found Overrun with Over 200 Birds
A veterinarian’s home in Long Island became the site of one of the worst animal hoarding situations ever encountered, with over 200 birds and other creatures found living in squalor. The Nassau County SPCA was alerted to the home in Woodbury after a service worker discovered deceased cats in the yard on Wednesday, prompting officials […]
“It is no exaggeration to say that what happens in the next five years will determine the future of life on Earth,” new WWF report warns
Wildlife in crisis is a wake-up call for humanity. The World Wide Fund for Nature’s biennial Living Planet Report, released today, paints a dire picture of the planet’s health. The latest WWF report, A System in Peril, reveals a shocking 73% decline in monitored wildlife populations between 1970 and 2020. This catastrophic loss over a […]
Sperm Whales Vanish from Gulf of California as Ecosystem Shifts
A new study highlights the concerning departure of sperm whales from Mexico’s Gulf of California, suggesting broader signs of ecosystem instability. The study, published in PeerJ Life and Environment, details how these apex predators have vanished from the region in response to dramatic drops in the jumbo squid population, their primary food source. Sperm whales […]