Among New Guinea’s rainforest inhabitants is a group of birds called pitohuis, chatty songbirds that stand out for their loud, attractive songs. But there’s more to these birds than their songs: their poison. Pitohuis are among the few poisonous birds on the planet. Their skin and feathers contain potent neurotoxins, which help them fight off […]
Wildlife groups urge UK government to ban lead ammunition
Wildlife charities have called on the government to ban the sale and use of lead in ammunition used for outdoor shooting. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), RSPB, Wildlife and Countryside Link, Chem Trust and Wild Justice have sent an open letter to the environment secretary, Steve Reed, asking for a 18-month transition period for […]
Avian flu suspected in death of 200 snow geese in Pa.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission says it suspects avian influenza is to blame for the death of 200 snow geese in the state. The agency said the geese were found Monday in the Allentown area and recovered from two sites — one in Lower Nazareth Township in Northampton County and another in Upper Macungie Township in […]
Coyote nearly drags 5-year-old into forest until mom steps in, Washington officials say
A 5-year-old boy was nearly dragged into woods by a coyote until his mom stepped in, Washington officials said. The incident happened at about 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, in the Maplewood Heights neighborhood in Renton, the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife said in a news release. A coyote bit the boy “in the […]
‘They’re stuck’: Cape Cod seeing more whale, turtle and dolphin strandings
While Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is known as a popular vacation destination in the north-east US, it has built a reputation for an entirely different reason this year: animal strandings. Dolphins, whales, seals and turtles are turning up in large numbers on the beaches of the famous peninsula in a phenomenon that has experts scrambling to […]
Canadians Delighted by Visit from Giant Sea Eagle from the Other Side of the World
Even in the frigid winter temperatures, a national park in Newfoundland was buzzing with visitors who flocked for a chance to see an extremely rare visitor. Steller’s sea eagle is one of the largest birds of prey on Earth, but is native to Japan, Korea, and Russia. It must have flown thousands of miles to […]
A deadly parasite turns jaguar conservation into a human health priority
In Brazil‘s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, Paul Raad crouched in the undergrowth, scanning the ground for signs of jaguar activity. He wasn’t looking for the big cats themselves; instead, the veterinarian from São Paulo State University (UNESP) was searching for fresh jaguar feces. Spotting a recent sample, Raad carefully collected it, stored it […]
Consciously uncoupling: what drives rates of animal divorce?
In 2011 a shock celebrity break-up garnered headlines around the world – not the separation of Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, nor Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, but the sudden, inexplicable rupture between Bibi and Poldi, two 115-year-old Galápagos tortoises at Happ reptile zoo in Austria. After nearly a century as a couple, the female, […]