LAGRANGE — Drivers on the Taconic State Parkway were slowed last weekend by an unusual winged pedestrian. On Sept. 14, a state Department of Transportation highway maintenance crew was removing brush from the side of the Parkway in the town of LaGrange when they noticed southbound traffic slowing down and backing up. The culprit was […]
‘Butterfly emergency’ declared as UK summer count hits record low
A national “butterfly emergency” has been declared by Butterfly Conservation after the lowest Big Butterfly Count since records began. An average of just seven butterflies per 15-minute count were recorded by participants in this summer’s butterfly count, the lowest in the survey’s 14-year history. It was the worst year on record for once-ubiquitous species, including […]
Bear’s Hilarious Attempt at Using a Hammock Goes Viral
A video capturing a bear’s amusing struggle to climb onto a hammock in Vail, Colorado, has entertained viewers across the internet. The clip, shared on TikTok by Courtney Vucekovich (@courtneyvucekovich), showcases the bear’s comical efforts to get comfortable, only to end in frustration as it continuously fails to balance itself on the swinging fabric. The […]
Discover the world’s oldest wild bird — still going strong in its 70s
The oldest wild bird in the world is widely thought to be the rather remarkable Laysan albatross known as Wisdom, who lives on the Midway Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Initially ringed by biologist Chandler Robbins in 1956 when she arrived on the island to breed, she is estimated to be an amazing 73 […]
Fishing in a fog: Ship noise hampers orcas’ hunting success
Underwater noise from ships is making it tough for killer whales, or orcas, to find and catch their favorite fish, a recent study has found. Orcas (Orcinus orca) rely heavily on sound to hunt. They emit ultrasonic echolocation clicks that bounce off objects. By listening for the echoes of these clicks, the orcas can identify […]
Marmosets Can Call Each Other Names!
Recent research has unveiled a fascinating aspect of marmoset behavior: these small primates appear to use specific vocalizations to address each other, similar to how humans use names. This discovery could shed light on the evolution of language. In a study published in Science, researchers observed that marmosets use distinctive calls known as “phee-calls” to […]
Poached condor defied death elsewhere, only to be shot and killed on Colorado visit
Condor #1061 had already beaten the stiff odds. Long one of the world’s most endangered species, there are fewer than 400 California condors in the wild of North America. And when avian flu hit the U.S. in 2023, only about 116 of the giant vultures were alive in their southwestern release territory. Avian flu killed […]
We know how many okapi live in zoos. In the wild? It’s complicated
Revered by the Indigenous Mbuti and Efe tribes as a spiritual symbol and uplifted by the Democratic Republic of Congo as a national one, the okapi is deserving of a nickname as mystical as “forest unicorn.” The dark-colored ungulates are docile, elusive, and characterized by the zebra-like stripes on their legs and rump, though they’re […]