In the waters off Robberg, South Africa, Cape fur seals benefit from powerful ocean currents that bring in plentiful amounts of fish. The Robberg Peninsula is home to thousands of this seal species, which is endemic to South Africa, who don’t need to swim out too far for a meal. However, the huge shoals of fish also […]
Tag: predators
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 […]
California wildlife officials quietly shift on killing a high-profile predator
In a move that reverses nearly a decade of practice, California wildlife officials have quietly begun to allow killing mountain lions in order to protect another iconic native — bighorn sheep. Though limited to the Eastern Sierra — the steep, rugged home of a rare type of the wild sheep — it marks a sea […]
Crocodile attacks lion cub on Zambian river. Here’s how its pride reacts…
Lions are one of the most powerful apex predators on Earth, able to take down animals far larger than themselves. That doesn’t mean they’re invincible, however. In footage captured for BBC’s Kingdom, a pride of lions and their cubs are forced to leave their nursery ground after wildfires rip through the grassland. On their way […]
Social Media Could Boost Wildlife Conservation Efforts for Small Mammal Species, Experts Say
Photos of wildlife on social media have the power to boost conservation by depicting predators not only as beautiful, but as similar to domestic pets. A new study has found that, through their millions of followers, Instagram and Facebook can steer public engagement and awareness toward support for predators like wildcats, who are sometimes shot […]
Nature’s weirdest defenders: From blood-shooting lizards to slime-spewing fish, 10 creatures that fight back dirty if attacked
Nature isn’t just red in tooth and claw – sometimes it’s downright bizarre. Across the animal kingdom, evolution has equipped creatures with an astonishing armoury of unconventional, often outrageous defence strategies. Some wrap themselves in mucus sleeping bags, others weaponise their own skeletons or bodily fluids – and a few simply out-slime anything that dares […]
Watch dramatic BBC footage shows desperate, ravenous leopard mother risking death for her cubs, high in the treetops
In Botswana’s wild Okavango Delta, leopards love to feast on large ungulates, such as antelope and zebra. The Delta is usually home to a rich array of flora and fauna, attracting huge populations of elephants, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, buffalo and antelope from across the region. The abundance of prey makes it a prime location for Africa’s […]
Giant Bats Eat Birds Mid-Air, and the Process Is Pretty Gruesome
Biologists knew that some bats ate birds because they found feathers and bones in bat poop. But no one had actually seen how bats did it. They just assumed that it would’ve been a sight to behold since you’d be watching bats take down bigger, faster, meaner prey. Ars Technica reports that Elena Tena, a […]