Dawn has broken, and the air is cool and still. It’s at about this time that gibbons usually erupt into song, wa-oo-ing and wa-ing from the highest branches and filling the tree tops with rich melodies. But in this corner of Malaysian forest, bordered by housing and roads, the resident white-handed gibbons are quiet. All […]
Tag: squirrels
Trump rollback of US forest protections could accelerate extinction of 400 endangered species
More than 400 endangered animal and plant species could face accelerated extinction after the Donald Trump administration’s decision to rescind a rule that has protected old-growth forests for more than two decades. According to a new report from the Center for Biological Diversity, the rollback of the Bill Clinton-era “roadless rule” could put 7.4m acres (3m hectares) of endangered-species habitat and nearly […]
It has piercing blue-grey eyes, a 2m wingspan, a spectacular shaggy crest – and is powerful enough to take monkeys in its deadly talons
The Philippine eagle is one of the world’s largest and rarest birds of prey. Found only in the Philippines, this forest raptor has piercing blue-grey eyes, a wingspan that can exceed 2m and a spectacular shaggy crest that lends it a certain star quality. Powerful enough to take monkeys – hence its historic name, the […]
This peculiar rodent is the size of a domestic cat and weirdly covered in bands of deep, rich reds and blues
Squirrels don’t come much bigger than the Malabar giant variety. Weighing four times as much as a grey squirrel and much bigger than the red squirrel, this robust rodent is about the size of a domestic cat. But it’s not the Malabar giant’s size that turns heads and drops jaws, but rather its colour scheme. Meet the rainbow […]
The world’s deadliest rat that’s poisonous enough to kill an elephant, a mouse that hunts venomous scorpions – The 9 weirdest rodents on the planet
Some rodents are enormous – like the cat-sized Indian giant squirrel – while others have impressive adaptations, from star-shaped tentacled noses to webbed feet. One even holds the title for the most mating sessions in the animal kingdom. Whether they fly, swim or even defy ageing itself, these unusual rodents are anything but ordinary. Weirdest rodents […]
Facebook shuts Indonesia groups after Mongabay and Bellingcat report illegal wildlife trade
This story was produced in collaboration with Bellingcat. JAKARTA — A new report by Mongabay and independent journalism organization Bellingcat has uncovered several Facebook groups selling protected species in Indonesia, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. In a Facebook group whose Indonesian name translates to “West Bogor Animal Selling and Trading Forum,” […]
Deadly outbreak carried by invisible killers is wiping out animals in eastern US as crucial meat warning issued
Hundreds of deer have died due to an outbreak of an insidious disease carried by insects so small they’re almost invisible. Wildlife officials throughout the eastern US have revealed that epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is currently spreading, with many people finding dead deer near ponds and streams. EHD is a virus that is often deadly […]
Squirrels are attacking unsuspecting Californians in bloody rampage
At least two people have been sent to the emergency room after a bizarre new trend emerged in California: rampaging squirrels ambushing humans. At least five people have been attacked by aggressive squirrels in San Rafael, a Bay Area community near San Francisco. Isabel Campoy and her niece were among those hurt while walking through […]