The orphaned grizzly bear cubs were bulked up with a generous diet of roadkill, watermelon, dog food and snacks donated by the public. Their contact with carers was limited to two people. Then, after up to a year in rehabilitation, they returned home to the wilds of British Columbia. “It’s a feelgood thing – people […]
Spectacular whale ‘feeding frenzies’ are suddenly being seen along the coast of East Greenland – and scientists know why
In a new study of large whales in East Greenland, researchers have documented a dramatic biodiversity shift: minke whales, fin whales and humpback whales, once rarely seen in these waters, have now become abundant. The research, conducted by Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and colleagues in Greenland, Denmark and Iceland, presents a striking example of […]
Criminal probe clears Sloth World of criminal neglect in deaths of 57 animals
Authorities in the U.S. state of Florida have cleared a controversial startup of criminal neglect after dozens of wild-caught sloths that it imported from South America for tourism purposes died. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) opened an investigation following the closure of the Sloth World facility in April this year. On Aug. 19, it […]
“It is highly territorial and if one of their 192 tentacles come into contact with neighbouring individuals they become extremely hostile…”
Clinging tightly to rocky shores and hidden within shallow tidal pools, beadlet anemones are among the most intriguing — and often overlooked — creatures of the coastline. Where do beadlet anemones live? This beautiful creature is a common sight in rockpools all around the UK, and are one of the few anemones which can live on the […]
Bird flu has devastated wildlife around the world. What Australian birds are most at risk?
The deadly H5 bird flu that has devastated wildlife populations globally since 2021 is spreading across Australia. The federal government announced the first vaccination plans for captive native bird species last week and the Victorian government has moved to vaccinate wild little penguins after the first detections in terns on Phillip Island. On Saturday, the […]
Experts looked inside Cape Town’s largest predator. What they found has them worried
Most of Cape Town’s caracals have rat poison in their bodies. The discovery, reported in Environmental Pollution, raises concerns about the hidden effects of rodent control on wildlife, and calls for tighter regulation of these chemicals. Caracals are wild cats native to Africa and parts of the Middle East and Asia, instantly recognisable by their long, tufted ears. The […]
Only a few hundred Timor green pigeons may remain. There is still time to save them
On April 20, on the south coast of Timor-Leste, Jafet Potenzo Lopes saw three green pigeons. He had not seen the species for years. The birds were Timor green pigeons, and the site, in Manatuto municipality, had no previous record of them. With the species nearing extinction, finding three birds in a new place was […]
“In the blink of an eye, 6 of them hurtled towards me. Out of nowhere 1 landed on a branch just 5m away. I tried to back away, but I was easy prey…”
Twenty metres up, the canopy looks like a highway. Different shades of green, yellow and grey leaves fuse, creating the illusion of an endless rainforest. I spent most of 2013 in the canopy of a cloudforest in Colombia, collecting insects and arachnids from inside bromeliads and mosses. I was studying how their availability influences the […]