The skull of a Tapanuli orangutan, caked in debris, stares out from a tomb of mud in North Sumatra, killed in catastrophic flooding that swept through Indonesia. The late November floods have been an “extinction-level disturbance” for the world’s rarest great ape, scientists have said, causing catastrophic damage to its habitat and survival prospects. Between […]
Octopuses use their arms to sense and respond to microbiomes on the seafloor
From the beginning of life on Earth, microbes, small but influential single-celled organisms, have shaped the environment that animals must adapt to in order to survive. Distinct microbial populations, known as microbiomes, inhabit nearly every surface on Earth. Now scientists have found that octopuses can detect signals from the microbiomes they encounter, revealing one of […]
VOTE for the Best Photo of the Month February 2026
Welcome to the “Best Photo of the Month” competition showcasing and celebrating the biodiversity of Planet Earth. Voting is easy and lots of fun. By popular request the number of images to be selected has been increased to six. First click an image and the slideshow will start automatically. Select the SIX images you like best […]
Olive Ridley Turtles Are Making A Hopeful Comeback In India
India’s olive ridley turtles are offering a rare moment of good news for the earth as these gentle animals show signs of a real rebound. According to reporting from NPR, years of scattered but heartfelt Conservation work along the country’s coast have helped these vulnerable turtles slowly return after decades of steep decline. Their recovery […]
‘Iconic swamp king’: San Francisco’s beloved albino alligator dies aged 30
Claude, the beloved albino alligator who called the California Academy of Sciences home for the better part of two decades, has died at age 30. The San Francisco museum announced his death on Tuesday and said that the reptile had in recent weeks received treatment for a “suspected infection”. Claude, with his unusual white scales, […]
Falcon numbers halved! Only 31 breeding pairs left in national park amid fears over illegal killings
They may be the fastest creatures on Earth, swooping on prey at speeds of 200mph. But numbers of peregrine falcons in one of Scotland’s national parks have plummeted in the past two decades, according to a worrying report. The first major survey of the species in the Cairngorms National Park has shown the number of […]
Countries back strong new trade limits for sharks and rays at CITES summit
Delegates at a global summit to update international wildlife trade rules have agreed on sweeping new protections for more than 70 shark and ray species. The move marks a significant step toward effectively tightening the legal trade in some of the world’s most threatened marine life. The meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, running through this week, […]
Living Near Humans, Italian Bears Evolved to Be Less Aggressive
Brown bears living near villages in central Italy have evolved to be less aggressive, according to a new study, the latest to show how humans are shaping the evolution of wildlife. Marsican brown bears have been isolated from other European brown bears since the Roman era, cut off by expanding farms and cities. Over centuries […]