The jaguarundi is one of the strangest-looking cats in the Americas. Long-bodied, short-legged and sleek, it has more than a hint of otter or weasel about it, which explains why it is sometimes called the otter cat. Yet this elusive hunter is very much a felid, and a close relative of the puma. Found from […]
One of the four species highlighted in David Attenborough’s Dynasties II series, female spotted hyenas are one of nature’s most interesting matriarchal societies. Back in 2018, scientists from Michigan State University studied a group in the Masai Mara, Kenya and found that spotted hyenas practise a group dynamic that’s as complicated as many primate species. The sex and rank of […]
Each year in May, World Migratory Bird Day draws attention to the billions of birds that migrate long distances with the changing of the seasons, a living braid of ecosystems separated by thousands — even tens of thousands — of kilometers. According to Kariuki Ndang’ang’a, BirdLife International Africa’s regional director, about 2 billion birds fly […]
It’s now May and it is too, too quiet without the daily calls of the Whooping Cranes. Lamar resident and property owner John Sullivan says that it is just too quiet without them visiting his yard – a daily ritual he has grown to cherish since purchasing the property years ago. He reported the […]
Named after the Arizona Gila River basin, where they were first discovered, Gila (pronounced hee-lah) monsters are one of only a small number of venomous reptiles and the largest lizards in the USA. The largest lizard in the world is the komodo dragon Gila monsters have a frightening reputation, says Jo Price, especially in local folklore, […]
Towering above the crystal clear waters of the Euphrates River, sandstone cliffs have for thousands of years played host to the bald ibis, returning from Ethiopia during the spring migration. But when modern dangers upset this delicate age-old balance, a coalition of local wildlife enthusiasts and international conservation efforts rescued this majestic bird from the […]
When it comes to survival in the animal kingdom, size isn’t always the determining factor. Some creatures possess such incredible strength, cunning or venom that they can take down prey twice their size. Here are 10 formidable animals that can overcome much larger adversaries, from the majestic tiger and remarkable Komodo dragon, to the bat-hunting giant centipede and even a beetle larva that […]
A startup known as “Sloth World” brought some 69 sloths to Orlando, Florida, with plans to charge $49 to let visitors see them up close. However, 52 sloths are believed to have died in conditions a former employee described to Mongabay as “heartbreaking,” ultimately forcing Sloth World to shut down, with plans to file for bankruptcy. Described as a slotharium, […]