THE “Black Death” buffalo that gored a big game hunter to death has been shot dead. Millionaire ranch trader Asher Watkins, 52, was on Safari in Limpopo, South Africa last Sunday stalking the 3,000lb bull when he was fatally charged at. Without warning, the buffalo – considered Africa’s most dangerous animal – burst from cover […]
Species thought extinct for thousands of years ‘rediscovered’ thanks to Indigenous knowledge
On a remote peninsula in Indonesian Papua, a species long thought extinct by scientists has been confirmed to survive. The evidence did not come from a formal survey. It began with conversations with Tambrauw elders, who described a forest glider they had known for generations. Their accounts, combined with earlier photographs, led researchers to verify […]
“They can deliver an agonising bite and its venom attacks the nervous system, causing severe pain and a drop in blood pressure…”
Named after the Arizona Gila River basin, where they were first discovered, Gila (pronounced hee-lah) monsters are one of only a small number of venomous reptiles and the largest lizards in the USA. The largest lizard in the world is the komodo dragon Gila monsters have a frightening reputation, says Jo Price, especially in local folklore, […]
Once Extinct in the Wild, Bandicoot Marsupial to be Released Across Australia After Being Bred For Survival (LOOK)
In Australia, the eastern barred bandicoot was declared extinct in the wild in 1991, after the population dwindled to just 60 living at a landfill site in Victoria. But now, the marsupial has been “bred for survival” and will be released into a half dozen reintroduction sites across the country after previous attempts to reintroduce […]
Snow shoes, ‘anti-freeze’ blood and group hugs: How 10 snow animals outsmart winter
During the winter, as the cold nights draw in, many people like to curl up by the fire with a soft blanket and a hot drink to warm their cockles. But wild animals don’t have the luxury of warm houses and thermal clothing to protect them when the thermostat plummets. So, how do the animals […]
Bald Ibis ‘the Herald of Spring’ Saved from Extinction in Turkey Thanks to Semi-Wild Breeding
Towering above the crystal clear waters of the Euphrates River, sandstone cliffs have for thousands of years played host to the bald ibis, returning from Ethiopia during the spring migration. But when modern dangers upset this delicate age-old balance, a coalition of local wildlife enthusiasts and international conservation efforts rescued this majestic bird from the […]
“Each seal is swimming for its life.” These seals must cross shark-infested waters to find a meal. Will they make it?
The BBC’s Planet Earth series has captured plenty of unprecedented animal behaviour, from a deep-sea vampire squid glowing in the dark to a hungry polar bear risking the tusks of a walrus to secure a meal. And the original 2006 series captured an incredible first-of-its-kind, slow-motion sequence of great white sharks hunting fur seals off Cape Town. Each dawn, […]