The world is becoming less colourful. For butterflies, bold and bright wings once meant survival, helping them attract mates and hide from prey. But a new research project suggests that as humans replace rich tropical forests with monochrome, the colour of other creatures is leaching away. “The colours on a butterfly’s wings are not trivial […]
Petition: Bring Back the Buffalo and Restore America’s Lost Giants
Tens of millions of bison once roamed North America, shaping landscapes and nourishing ecosystems from the Great Plains to the Atlantic. Today, they’re nearly gone – with only small, isolated herds surviving. A new study from Yellowstone National Park proves what Indigenous peoples have always known: when bison are allowed to migrate and graze freely, […]
Utah hunters convicted after illegally killing bear during deer hunt
UTAH — In the fall of 2024, officers received a report of a bear killed illegally during the general muzzleloader deer hunt. Officers investigated and discovered the bear had been shot three times by a muzzleloader, but there were no initial suspects, according to the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Officers used hunt lists and […]
‘From reef to retail’: experts warn global marine aquarium fish trade relies heavily on wild populations
The global trade in marine aquarium fish relies heavily on fish sourced directly from wild populations, with many consumers unaware of the practice due to murky supply chains. New research has revealed the scale of the issue, finding most marine aquarium fish sold online in the US were wild-caught, mainly from the western Pacific and […]
African penguin faces extinction despite new protections
The African Penguin, once numbering in the millions, has now dwindled to fewer than 9,900 breeding pairs, raising fears it could vanish within a decade. Conservationists warn that overfishing of sardines and anchovies, combined with habitat loss and predators, is driving the species toward extinction. At Stony Point colony near Cape Town, researchers are working […]
Saltwater crocodile found with mouth zip-tied shut in Adelaide River, sparking calls for stronger penalties
Alexander “Wookie” Williams is a tour guide at one of the Top End’s most iconic waterways, showcasing both the region’s natural environment and the creatures that call it home. But on a recent tour, Wookie spotted something unusual on the Adelaide River, near Darwin — a 2-metre juvenile saltwater crocodile, dubbed Jiminy by guides, with […]
Australia to create a national park for 12,000 koalas
Few animals tug at Australian hearts like the koala. Yet the marsupial, once common along the eastern seaboard, was declared endangered in New South Wales (NSW) in 2022. Habitat loss, climate stress, and disease have driven populations down so far that a parliamentary inquiry warned they could vanish from the state before 2050. The proposed […]
Twelve whales have been tangled in shark nets off Queensland’s coast so far this year. Here’s why
Scientists say a flourishing whale population that is swimming closer to shore and into the path of shark nets is contributing to the 50% increase in entanglements off Queensland’s coast this year. Nine entanglements involving 12 whales have already occurred this year, compared with six on average, many off the Sunshine Coast. Eight whales were […]