Could lynx, the elusive wild cat driven to extinction in Britain more than 1,000 years ago, become the new Loch Ness monster? “Whether Nessie’s there or not, she draws tourists,” said Margaret Luckwell, a resident of Moray, Scotland. “It would be the same with lynx. I’d love to see a lynx in the wild.” Luckwell’s view […]
Tag: polar bears
Living Near Humans, Italian Bears Evolved to Be Less Aggressive
Brown bears living near villages in central Italy have evolved to be less aggressive, according to a new study, the latest to show how humans are shaping the evolution of wildlife. Marsican brown bears have been isolated from other European brown bears since the Roman era, cut off by expanding farms and cities. Over centuries […]
Scientists confirm rare instance of polar bear mother adopting a cub – video
Only 13 examples of polar bear adoptions have been recorded among Canada’s western Hudson Bay population since studies began more than 45 years ago. The mother, known as bear X33991, was spotted with two cubs in November near Bird Cove. In the Churchill wildlife management area she had only one in the spring. Alysa McCall, […]
Predators in peril: Protected areas cover just a fraction of global carnivore ranges
Slinking beneath the greenery of the Amazon is a cat whose territory far exceeds its stature. Despite weighing less than the average housecat, scientists say the northern tiger cat (Leopardus tigrinus) stalks a territory of up to 50 square kilometers (around 20 square miles). And this small, spotted feline is not alone — carnivores around […]
Changes to polar bear DNA could help them adapt to global heating, study finds
Changes in polar bear DNA that could help the animals adapt to warmer climates have been detected by researchers, in a study thought to be the first time a statistically significant link has been found between rising temperatures and changing DNA in a wild mammal species. Climate breakdown is threatening the survival of polar bears. […]
Hybrid ‘Grolar Bears’ Reveal a Changing Climate for Arctic Wildlife
According to New Scientist, the strange family story of grolar bears offers a window into a rapidly changing world. A lone polar bear pushed south by disappearing sea ice found herself in grizzly territory and produced several hybrid cubs. Their tangled lineage surprised biologists because cross species offspring are often infertile, yet these cubs were […]
“At 4am in the morning, the captain came to my door.” What happened next blew this wildlife photographer away
Ocean and wildlife photographer Greg Lecoeur relives his unbelievable encounter in Svalbard with both polar bears and belugas. A wildlife photographer proved that patience is a virtue when waiting for bad weather to pass resulted in an incredible encounter with a pair of polar bears and a pod of beluga whales. Ocean photographer Greg Lecoeur […]
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 […]