Iida Turpeinen is the author of Beasts of the Sea, a Finnish novel tracing the fate of a now-extinct species: the sea cow. Similar to dugongs and manatees, the sea cow was only discovered in 1741 by the shipwrecked German-born naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller but by 1768 it had already become the first marine species […]
The recovery of the eastern Australian humpback whale population has been described as nothing short of a “miracle,” such that the majestic beasts number more now than they did before commercial whaling. When homeowners today along the coasts of Australia file noise complaints, it’s likely to be from motor boats or late-night parties, but there […]
At nearly 3.5-metres tall and weighing as much as a bus, you could be forgiven for assuming that Goshi – one of an estimated 30 “super-tusker” elephants left in Africa – would be easy to find. The radio tracker picking up his signal beeps encouragingly, indicating the giant bull is within 200 metres. But the […]
When we bought twenty acres five years ago, we imagined living peacefully alongside wildlife while running a small homestead with horses. We quickly learned that responsible land stewardship requires active management; not just passive appreciation. For many people, experiences like these are also what inspire them to buy hunting land and create a property that balances recreation, […]
Right now, my terrace house sits directly under a flight path, belonging not to planes but to skeins and skeins of honking Canada geese. As reliable as the first misty mornings and the slow shedding of the trees, I hear that familiar harsh call as the geese pass overhead. My view of the V shapes […]
One of Australia’s most critically endangered bird species has started arriving at Melaleuca, in Tasmania’s south-western world heritage area. By late this week, six orange-bellied parrots had turned up at the remote outpost to breed, having made the weeks-long flight from the mainland, across Bass Strait and down the state’s wild west coast. Relatively little […]
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. […]
Since attention is often focused on the largest, fastest, and strongest members of the animal kingdom, it’s time to correct this injustice. So, now let’s talk about the slowest animals in the world. Arizona poisonous lizard This poisonous lizard moves at a speed of only 2.4 km/h. It feeds only 10 times a year. This […]