The gold medal for deep diving goes to a bull southern elephant seal, recorded at an incredible 2,388m, says Ellen Husain. While this is extreme, the species frequently dives to depths of 400–800m, staying under for 20–30 minutes. Motivated by food, elephant seals plumb the depths for squid and rays, often at nutrient-rich boundary zones […]
Trade in marine fish for aquariums includes threatened species, lacks oversight: Study
The United States is the main market for “ornamental” marine fish, those that end up as pets in aquariums. Now, a new study of U.S.-based online retailers has found that nearly 90% of traded species are sourced exclusively from the wild, including a number of threatened species, and that the trade is poorly tracked. The […]
What’s at risk for Arctic wildlife as Trump expands oil drilling access in the fragile National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska
The largest tract of public land in the United States is a wild expanse of tundra and wetlands stretching across nearly 23 million acres of northern Alaska. It’s called the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, but despite its industrial-sounding name, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, or NPR-A, is much more than a fuel depot. Tens of […]
‘They’re a lot like us’: saving the tiny punk monkeys facing extinction
Luis Enrique Centena spent decades silencing the forest. Now, he listens. Making a whistle, the former logger points up to a flash of white and reddish fur in the canopy. Inquisitive eyes peer back – a cotton-top tamarin, one of the world’s rarest primates. “I used to cut trees and never took the titís into […]
It Looks Like Even Your Car Isn’t Safe From Bears – ‘Bear Ripped Off All My Door Handles’
Growing up on the shores of Lake Superior and spending much of my life in the woods, I’ve had countless run-ins with black bears — but one Reddit post made me double-take at a bear’s full-blown car demolition. I’ve heard bears rummage through packs, scale trees, and swim through roaring rapids to get to food, […]
Watch dramatic BBC footage shows desperate, ravenous leopard mother risking death for her cubs, high in the treetops
In Botswana’s wild Okavango Delta, leopards love to feast on large ungulates, such as antelope and zebra. The Delta is usually home to a rich array of flora and fauna, attracting huge populations of elephants, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, buffalo and antelope from across the region. The abundance of prey makes it a prime location for Africa’s […]
World’s oldest known pygmy hippo turns 52: ‘Anyone who meets her falls in love’
The San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center is feeling festive, and it has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but instead a birthday celebration for a hippo that turns 52. Hannah Shirley, the world’s oldest known living pygmy hippopotamus, turned 52 years old on Thursday, and celebrated with a Hungry Hungry Hippos–themed party. Hannah was […]
Singapore intercepts record stash of SA rhino horns hidden in ‘furniture fittings’
The stash of illicit rhino horns, together with an assortment of other animal parts, was destined for the south-east Asian country of Laos. The National Parks Board of Singapore confirmed this week that 35.7kg of rhinoceros horns, valued at roughly S$1.13 million (just under R15 million), were discovered earlier this month during routine cargo checks. […]