The bird that eats itself to survive: During its epic migration it consumes its internal organs – including its kidneys – which then regenerate

The bird that eats itself to survive: During its epic migration it consumes its internal organs – including its kidneys – which then regenerate

It takes guts to migrate long distances – literally, if you’re a bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica baueri. This crow-sized shorebird burns not just flab, but even some innards to fuel its marathon migrations. Each autumn, the godwit flies from its breeding grounds in Alaska and Siberia to Australia or New Zealand to spend the winter. […]

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Locally Extinct for a Century, Bay Scallops Thriving Again on Virginia Shore of Chesapeake Bay

Locally Extinct for a Century, Bay Scallops Thriving Again on Virginia Shore of Chesapeake Bay

Bay scallops are making an incredible resurgence in coastal bays along Virginia’s Eastern Shore, according to a new survey. The exponential population growth is the result of decades of dedicated seagrass restoration efforts that allowed scientists to reintroduce the species to its former home. Locally extinct since the 1930s due to habitat loss, bay scallops […]

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Thirty belugas in Canada face being euthanised. Can they be saved?

Thirty belugas in Canada face being euthanised. Can they be saved?

For decades, Marineland was a destination for Canadian children and their parents who wanted an up-close look at ocean-life near Niagara Falls. But behind the aquatic-themed roller coasters and dolphin performances was a dark history of documented mistreatment of animals and lingering financial problems. Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services has conducted multiple investigations over the past […]

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It took just 60 years for the red fox, one of Australia’s most devastating predators, to colonise the continent

It took just 60 years for the red fox, one of Australia’s most devastating predators, to colonise the continent

To a newly arrived red fox, the abundant rolling grasslands and swamps of Wadawurrung Country, around what is now called Port Phillip Bay in Victoria, must have seemed like a predator’s paradise. This landscape was filled with small native marsupials and birds, and free of European wolves or bears that usually kept fox numbers in […]

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Nail-biting footage from a hiker captures his close encounter with a powerful grizzly mama bear as it stalks him to protect her cubs

Nail-biting footage from a hiker captures his close encounter with a powerful grizzly mama bear as it stalks him to protect her cubs

Grizzly bears are among the most dangerous animals in North America, thanks to their immense size, strength, speed, and bone-crushing bite. Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) are a North American subspecies of the brown bear (Ursus arctos), distinguished by their muscular build, concave facial profile and long claws adapted for digging. Despite their sheer size […]

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Florida wildlife officials discover second case of ‘zombie deer disease’ in state

Florida wildlife officials discover second case of ‘zombie deer disease’ in state

Wildlife officials in Florida have discovered only the second case in the state of a deadly infection known colloquially as “zombie deer disease”, and are enforcing emergency measures to try to prevent a spread. The highly contagious chronic wasting disease (CWD) was found during routine screening in the carcass of a young white-tailed doe that […]

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