In the middle of the Australian outback’s arid deserts, many of the country’s distinctive small marsupials – the bilbies, bandicoots and quolls – have been missing for a century or more, wiped out by land clearing and the hunting prowess of feral cats. Felis catus – introduced by European invaders and settlers – was too […]
VOTE for the Best Photo of the Month January 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 […]
Why don’t birds have weapons, like many other animals? Apart from lethal beaks and claws that is…
Birds lack arms in more ways than one. Avian equivalents of antlers, horns, tusks and canine teeth are few and far between. Only about two per cent of our feathered friends possess specialised weapons in the form of spurs on their legs and wings. If push comes to shove, claws and beaks are capable of […]
A Quest for the Elusive and the Common: Birding in Wild Florida
Birding is indeed a fascinating endeavor. One can simply observe birds in their backyard… or they can search to the ends of the Earth. Birders can range from almost deity-like in their ability, omnipotent observers of sights and sounds most of us would miss, and at the other end of the spectrum, they can be…me. […]
Crocodile snatches wild dog from riverbank in Zambia. Then its pack turns up to try and save it
In the heart of Zambia, in an area of South Luangwa National Park known as Nsefu, top predators clash over territory – with its last remaining watering holes attracting all kinds of animals. And in footage captured for BBC’s Kingdom, an African wild dog family show just how far they’ll go to protect their own. […]
Traditional Chinese Medicine Drives Poaching of Pangolins, Records Show
The use of pangolin parts in traditional Chinese medicine is driving poaching of the small, scaly mammals, according to an analysis of legal records. The Environmental Investigation Agency, a watchdog group, looked at 169 Chinese court judgments involving pangolins, which together documented the illegal trade of 5,465 pangolins and nearly 43 tons of pangolin scales […]
“Not expected at all”: dolphin researchers just made a surprising discovery in the Mediterranean Sea
A new study challenges a long-held theory about bottlenose dolphins in the Mediterranean, revealing that they are divided by offshore and coastal ecotypes rather than being split into east and west populations. “We thought that there was a general east-west split in their populations based on quite old genetic techniques that wouldn’t be used nowadays,” […]
Cuddling capybaras and ogling otters: the problem with animal cafes in Asia
The second floor of an unassuming office building in central Bangkok is a strange place to encounter the world’s largest rodent. Yet here, inside a small enclosure with a shallow pool, three capybaras are at the disposal of dozens of paying customers – all clamouring for a selfie. As people eagerly thrust leafy snacks toward […]