Gray whales are experiencing a potentially catastrophic population decline, a sharp reversal from what had been considered a conservation success. As of July 6, 2026, there were 145 gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) stranding deaths in the Pacific, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data. The environmental non-profit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) estimates that for […]
It’s one of the world’s most intelligent birds – whose curiosity – & taste for meat – led the New Zealand government to encourage their mass killing
As some of the world’s most intelligent birds, kea are extremely inquisitive, appear to enjoy problem-solving and engage in playful activities, seemingly for fun – qualities that endear them to us yet bring them into conflict. Endemic to New Zealand’s South Island, kea have evolved over millennia to survive harsh alpine conditions. They became omnivores, […]
New colobus monkey, ‘Likweli’, confirmed in DRC
In 2008, wildlife researchers surveying a massive, underexplored forested region in the Democratic Republic of Congo photographed a black monkey. That region eventually became Lomami National Park. And now, nearly 20 years later, the team has confirmed in a study that the black primate is a new-to-science species of colobus monkey. The monkey isn’t well known by local […]
“It’s the size of a house cat, with all the charisma of rusty-red teddy bear…”
These tree-dwelling cuties are the original panda, having been described by scientists nearly 50 years before their black and white namesakes. They’re not actually even close relatives of the giant panda, belonging to their own unique family (Ailuridae) and sharing traits withracoons, weasels and skunks. How big are red pandas? Brilliantly adapted against the cold and for life in the […]
South Africa’s free-roaming cheetahs in steep decline, first national census finds
South Africa’s free-roaming cheetah population is much smaller than previously thought, according to the first coordinated national census of the species living outside protected areas. Over three and a half years, between 2022 and 2026, researchers from Ashia Cheetah Conservation, the Cheetah Outreach Trust (COT) and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands surveyed almost 100,000 square […]
Japan officials hunt bear that raided couple’s fridge amid string of break-ins
Authorities are searching for a bear that sneaked into the home of an elderly couple and raided their fridge amid concerns it may be behind 14 break-ins across a Japanese town in the past fortnight. On Monday evening, Mitsuo Matsubara, 87, was confronted by a large Asiatic black bear when he went to investigate a […]
“This 5kg bandit-masked carnivore is North America’s most numerous mammal and often regarded as the ultimate urban pest”
The common raccoon is North America’s most numerous mammal and is famed as a nuisance! It belongs to the Procyonidae family and its nearest relatives includes the coati. Before the urbanisation of North America, raccoons scampered mainly through deciduous woodland. With much of their former habitat gone, these excellent climbers began denning in attics instead, even […]
The US government says habitat destruction no longer counts as ‘harm’ to endangered species
The U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration recently finalized a rule that narrows what qualifies as “harm” under the Endangered Species Act. Under the new definition of harm, only actions that directly harm or kill endangered species will be prohibited. Until recently, the definition of harm also included damaging the habitat endangered wildlife depend on for […]