Populations of the black-footed cat, a little-known feline in Southern Africa, have been declining for the last half a million years and exhibit very high degrees of inbreeding. This could increase their risk of a disease called amyloidosis, according to a new genetic study. “Frequently genomic studies focus on large charismatic cats so that small […]
Remains of beloved Grizzly No 399 killed by car returned to Wyoming park
The remains of a beloved grizzly bear who died last month after being hit by a car in Wyoming have been returned to Grand Teton national park. In a statement released on Friday, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it returned the ashes of Grizzly No 399, a 28-year-old female grizzly bear, to […]
Endangered Cloned Ferret Gives Birth to Healthy Kits
A significant advancement in wildlife Conservation has been achieved with the birth of two healthy kits from Antonia, a cloned black-footed ferret. Antonia’s existence traces back to Willa, a genetically diverse ferret whose genetic material has been preserved since 1988 at the San Diego Zoo’s Frozen Zoo. Cloning Willa’s cells has offered hope for increasing […]
Population crash means African penguins are now critically endangered
Africa’s only resident penguin species is now officially critically endangered, according to a recent assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Over the past century, the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) has suffered precipitous declines in its population. In the mid-1950s, there were an estimated 141,000 breeding pairs of African penguins, or 282,000 […]
Giant spiders that can grow to size of human hand thriving in the UK
Thousands of giant spiders that can grow to the size of a human hand are thriving in the UK, thanks to a successful breeding programme from Chester zoo. The fen raft spider is a harmless arachnid that plays a vital role in aquatic ecosystems, but 15 years ago was on the brink of extinction because […]
Czechian Zoo Condemns Slovakia’s Bear Hunting Rules
The Tábor Zoo in Czechia is raising alarms over Slovakia‘s controversial decision to ease restrictions on the controlled shooting of bears. The zoo has filed a formal complaint with the European Commission, arguing that Slovakia’s actions violate laws meant to protect endangered species. Evžen Korec, director of Tábor Zoo, expressed his outrage in a statement […]
Animals consume alcohol more often than previously known: Study
What’s new: Humans know a thing or two about drinking alcohol, but accounts of animals turning to booze have often been discounted as accidental, unnatural or rare. Researchers now argue in a new study that animals drinking alcohol, or more specifically ethanol, might be more commonplace in the natural world than previously thought. “We’re moving […]
Mayhem at New York airport after raccoon falls through ceiling: ‘The most LaGuardia thing’
Passengers awaiting an early morning flight at New York‘s LaGuardia airport were surprised by the sudden arrival of an unexpected extra flyer: a raccoon who fell through a terminal ceiling and proceeded to cause mayhem at a departure gate. Video of the animal’s abrupt appearance at a Spirit Airlines gate inside the airport’s Marine air […]