In an extraordinary example of resilience, Namibia’s desert lions—once thought to be confined to the arid interior—are now roaming the Atlantic coastline, evolving into the world’s only known maritime lions. According to BBC Future, these rare big cats have adapted to extreme conditions by changing their diet and habitat, swapping traditional prey like oryx and […]
Feds investigating after 50 birds are run over in Florida – and only one survived: ‘Disturbing and deliberate act’
Officials in Florida are investigating an incident involving a driver who allegedly plowed into a group of nearly 50 birds, leaving only one alive. The Wild Florida Rescue was alerted to the situation in Cape Canaveral on Friday and dispatched a volunteer to assist at the scene, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Workers were met […]
Baby numbats spotted at two wildlife sanctuaries in hopeful sign for one of Australia’s rarest marsupials
Baby numbats have been spotted at two wildlife sanctuaries in south-western New South Wales, sparking hope for one of Australia’s rarest marsupials. Video captured by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) shows some of the juveniles exploring outside their den at Mallee Cliffs national park. Five numbat joeys, including quadruplet siblings, were seen at Mallee Cliffs […]
Well-Exercised Mice Passed Natural Fitness to Their Male Offspring, But Not Through DNA
What if there were a way that didn’t involve CRISPR to give your offspring a natural talent for athletics? Well that’s totally possible as it turns out, because scientists just demonstrated it in mice, and it didn’t even involve so-called “good genes”. It involved a modern and exciting field of genetic biology called epigenetics: a […]
Free Willy: When Hollywood’s most famous orca was rescued from captivity he vanished into the ocean – But what happened next?
Keiko lived two lives: one on the silver screen and one off it. Both alerted the world to animal-welfare issues a dolphinaria, but it is not clear which of his two lives was the more incredible. Rewind to 1979, when a two-year-old orca was captured off Iceland and ended up in a dolphinarium in Mexico […]
Crows Never Forget the Faces They Don’t Like, Study Shows
A person who angers a crow might be remembered for years. These intelligent black birds can spot a face once, recall it perfectly, and even warn others about it. They do not forgive easily, and they do not forget. Scientists have long known that corvids — the family that includes crows, ravens, and magpies — […]
Baby giant tortoises thrive in Seychelles after first successful artificial incubation
The slow-motion pitter-patter of tiny giant tortoise feet has been worryingly rare in recent years, but that looks set to change thanks to the first successful hatching of the species with artificial incubation. One week after the intervention, the 13 babies are building up their strength on a diet of banana slices and leafy greens […]
Republicans try to weaken 50-year-old law protecting whales, seals and polar bears
BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine (AP) — Republican lawmakers are targeting one of the U.S.’s longest standing pieces of environmental legislation, credited with helping save rare whales from extinction. Conservative leaders feel they now have the political will to remove key pieces of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, enacted in 1972 to protect whales, seals, polar bears […]