Many animals rely on their potent natural odour for defense, marking territory, to attract a mate, or communication. From the smell of rotten eggs to a stench that can be smelled a mile away and a reptile bird that chews on decaying bacteria – if that isn’t enough to make your eyes water, here are […]
Tag: predators
The value of South Africa’s wildlife shouldn’t be in the hands of wealthy foreign hunters (commentary)
South Africa’s conservation debate is too often anchored within the blunt slogan, “If it pays, it stays.” At face value, this appears pragmatic, even responsible. But there’s a troubling premise underneath it: the survival of South Africa’s wildlife depends on its ability to generate an enormous income for a select group of wealthy farmers and […]
Love Island: Rare berry bonanza spurs Kākāpō baby boom
The biggest berry bloom in New Zealand‘s forests in decades has set off a mating frenzy among the critically endangered Kākāpō, the world’s beefiest parrots. With the face of a Muppet and the physique of a Furby, the Kākāpō is an all-around preposterous creature. It’s nocturnal and lime green, and, as science-fiction writer Douglas Adams wrote, […]
The Myth of Scientific Wildlife Management: How Predators Are Mismanaged to Death
The way wolves are being managed in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho isn’t just controversial — it’s a case study in how politics can overwhelm science when it’s inconvenient. Grizzly bears are next. What’s happening to these animals is often framed as “management,” but that word loses its meaning when the underlying decisions are driven less […]
Researchers find ‘remarkable’ hot-pink insect in Panama rainforest
In March 2025, biologist Benito Wainwright and his colleagues were searching for katydids — leaf-mimicking insects related to crickets and grasshoppers — in the rainforest of Barro Colorado Island in Panama, when they came across an unexpected sight: a hot-pink katydid individual of the species Arota festae. The researchers captured the katydid and raised her in […]
“Its iridescent green head and wings, spiky crest, blood-red breast, and flamboyant twin tail plumes, is like a carnival dancer.” In the forests of Guatemala lives an elusive creature few will ever see
The sneeze began as a tickle in my right nostril. It was almost imperceptible, like a mosquito landing lightly on my arm, ready to strike. Or a lone butterfly flapping its wings, producing a breeze that would unfurl into a tornado; a tidal wave of latent energy that demanded to be unleashed. Some people can […]
“They can stand up to 9 feet tall and weigh over a whopping 24 stone.” 11 bonkers, rule-breaking birds that can’t fly
Wings do not guarantee flight. You may think that the ability to fly might be one of the most envied and useful aspects of being a bird. However, there are numerous bird species which, through evolution, have lost their ability to fly over time. This has happened in different bird groups independently, meaning that flightlessness is a good […]
“Effects range from internal bleeding to manipulating behaviour or liquifying a host.” These are the deadliest weapons in the animal kingdom
When a peacock mantis shrimp strikes, it generates the heat of a star. The crustacean retracts a spring-loaded mouthpart known as a dactyl club and puts it on a latch, like a cowboy cocking the hammer of a gun. After pulling the trigger to release the stored elastic potential energy, the club moves like a […]