Up to one in six plant species could be wiped out within 75 years, warns a new study. Researchers found that 7% to 16% of global plant species studied are expected to lose more than 90% of their range by 2100 under current climate change projections. The ecological modeling study shows that many plants face … Read more
Fossils usually leave us with bones turned to stone, the hard remains of creatures long gone. But every so often, nature offers something far rarer — a glimpse of soft tissue that survived for millions of years. Researchers examining a 520-million-year-old arthropod larva were stunned to find not just an outline of the creature, but … Read more
A lynx in England could become the first UK zoo-born cat to be successfully released into the wild. The 9-month-old Eurasian lynx, who was born in the Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, has been moved to southwestern Germany’s Black Forest, which is an unusual move for animals born and raised in zoos. However, the request for its … Read more
A bird lover has walked 53 miles dressed in a homemade costume to raise awareness for one of Great Britain’s most iconic and threatened birds. Matt Trevelyan, 46, walked the distance dressed as his favorite bird — the Eurasian Curlew — which is endangered in the United Kingdom. The DIY costume was 3 yards long … Read more
Forget Miami Beach and Mexico — if you want to swim with massive, magnificent, mysterious mobulids (the fish family that includes both manta and devil rays) make for the Maldives. Don’t be frightened by their two horn-shaped fins, or their whip-like tails. Neither of these angelic fish are anything like their deadly cousin, the sting … Read more
Over 400 fur seal pups were found resting in an inlet at the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge off the coast of San Francisco — and the adorable sight was caught on video. “I was amazed to see them all piled in there, getting tossed around like they were in a washing machine,” the refuge’s manager, Gerry … Read more
This popular zoo animal is about to join the endangered species list. Giraffe populations in the wild savannas of Africa have experienced a dramatic decline, and it has become so severe that the U.S. government is now taking action to protect the animals. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced a proposal to add … Read more
The most exciting place to visit in Africa right now is an off-the-beaten-path nation better known for making tragic headlines than attracting tourists: Welcome to a splashy new Sierra Leone. Now, Ebola-free and more than two decades after the end of a devastating civil war, Sweet Salone (the local nickname) is once again ready to … Read more
The dodo wasn’t as daffy a duck as we once thought. Despite their dim reputation, evolutionary biologists have learned that the infamously extinct bird, hunted out of existence by humans in the 1600s, was impressively “exceptionally powerful,” according to new insights published last week in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. “Was the dodo … Read more
DELAWARE SEASHORE STATE PARK, Del. — On a muggy July evening, Delaware state biologist Jason Davis is doing what kids have done for ages: Trying to catch a firefly. It’s nowhere near as easy as the summer evenings of his own childhood, with only a few in this large wetland between a bay and the … Read more
On the third Friday in May — landing on the 17th this year — we celebrate National Endangered Species Day and the importance of protecting threatened wildlife. An endangered species is a plant or animal at serious risk of becoming extinct. Several factors — including human development, climate change, natural disasters, pollution and poor reproduction … Read more
Spain’s Iberian brown bear population, which was once almost extinct, has made such a strong recovery that a ranger patrol was set up to deter them from roaming into small villages in the country’s north. The regional government of Castile and Leon arranged for the patrol, which consists of nine rangers, to guard residents and … Read more
Whale, you’ll never believe what makes certain perfumes and colognes smell so good. A rare, waxy material called ambergris — known as “floating gold,” it’s something of a treasure in the fragrance industry — can elevate the scents and notes of a perfume or cologne. “It’s an extremely valuable substance that’s known for its unique … Read more
There were a lot of animals down under — and we’re not talking about Australia. Thailand authorities were flabbergasted after they busted a tourist attempting to smuggle two otters and a prairie dog through the airport — in his trousers. Video depicting the man’s bold, undie-cover animal trafficking scheme is currently blowing up online. The … Read more
Nearly two dozen endangered species are now classified as extinct by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the latest conservation “wake-up call.” The agency announced that 21 species will be delisted from the Endangered Species Act due to extinction as of Tuesday but will not go into effect until next month. “Federal protection came … Read more
This shark’s sacrifice won’t be in vain. Scientists were flabbergasted after a giant, dead hammerhead shark washed up on an Alabama beach with 40 pups in its stomach. The find was described recently in a Facebook post by City of Orange Beach Coastal Resources, who recovered the fearsome flotsam. According to the post, the incident … Read more
A Chinese pangolin who was born at the Prague Zoo made history as the first of its species to be born in Europe. The critically endangered animal in captivity, which was nicknamed “Little Cone” because it resembles a spruce cone, arrived on Feb. 2. The little one came right before World Pangolin Day, which was … Read more
An Arizona aquarium is celebrating the hatching of three endangered African penguin chicks, saying the tiny additions are genetically valuable as zoos and aquariums around the world work to ensure the species’ survival through breeding programs and conservation efforts. Officials at OdySea Aquarium made the announcement Friday, posting video of the fuzzy birds on social media. They … Read more
It was a case of jaws and order. A Chinese food blogger has been fined nearly $19,000 after filming herself cooking and devouring a great white shark for social media clout. On Saturday, officials in the city Nanchong announced that they’d slapped the exotica-loving epicurean, known as Jin, with a 125,000 yuan ($18,522) fine for … Read more