The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is home to many species of rare and endangered wildlife, such as mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas and bonobos. But the country has plans to open more than half its land — including 306 million acres of intact tropical forest and vital gorilla habitat — to oil and […]
Wildlife crime cases can be solved with genetic forensics
Wildlife crime scenes rarely feature fingerprints or cameras. Instead, investigators are turning to bits of tissue, feathers, and soil-stained knives that hide genetic clues linking poachers, poisoned bait, and endangered animals. A study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem detailed a toolkit that pulls those clues together and makes them stick in court. Dr. Gila […]
Fears for South Australia’s annual cuttlefish gathering amid deadly algal bloom
As thousands of giant cuttlefish gather in South Australia’s Spencer Gulf, scientists are investigating emergency actions amid fears the state’s toxic algal bloom could be catastrophic for the globally unique natural phenomenon. The spectacular annual cephalopod meet-up takes place in a kaleidoscope of colour off the coast of Whyalla from late May to August, attracting […]
Dangerous Lines in Sacred Waters: The Cost of Commercial Fishing in a Pacific Marine Sanctuary
Imagine a vast, protected marine sanctuary, which contains extraordinary and unique marine life and globally important bird nesting sites, all amid a remote chain of islands, atolls, reefs, and shoals. From octopods and the world’s largest sponge, to the oldest marine organism—a deep-sea black coral that can live up to 4,500 years—and the biggest colonies […]
Results of the Best Photo of the Month July 2025
We are delighted to announce the results of our latest photo competition. Alan Murphy wins First Prize with his outstanding image ‘Clarke’s Grebes Rushing‘. Steve Wagner wins Second Prize with his inspirational image ‘Three Bears Following the Leader‘. Third Prize goes to Jess Findlay with ‘A Northern Saw-whet Owl Clutching a Partially Consumed Vole‘. Please […]
Rhino poaching – A national shame threatening South Africa’s soul, economy and global standing
Rhino poaching is not just a conservation crisis, it is a national emergency that strikes at the heart of South Africa’s identity, economy, and global reputation. Every rhino slaughtered is not only a brutal reminder of the greed driving illicit wildlife trafficking, but a symbol of how close we are to losing one of the […]
Supersized stick insect discovered in high-altitude trees in Australia
A newly discovered stick insect which weighs slightly less than a golf ball may be the heaviest insect in Australia, scientists say. The 40cm-long new species, named Acrophylla alta, was found in the high altitudes of the Atherton tablelands in north Queensland – and scientists said the habitat could be part of the reason for […]
Mass Die-Off of Western Monarch Butterflies Linked to Pesticides, Study Finds
A new peer-reviewed study has linked pesticides as a likely cause to a mass die-off of Western monarch butterflies that occurred in 2024. In January 2024, researchers found hundreds of dead or dying monarch butterflies near the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary in California, where Western monarch butterflies typically overwinter. As The Guardian reported, researchers found […]