Julia Rescues a Bee
Julia rescued Lemon, a carpenter bee, five years ago, when she was eight years old. Lemon couldn’t fly, but, as Julia writes: He lived for 3…
Top Predator in Action
SeaWorld likes to talk of them as being part of “our family” – as though the top predator of the ocean can somehow be adopted and…
When It’s a Crime to Expose a Crime
“It has nothing to do with animals,” said Utah state senator David Hinkins. The cattle-ranching, race-horse breeding legislator was defending Utah’s “ag-gag” law, which makes it…
The Dolphin Who Escaped
She spent the first 10 years of her life in the ocean off the coast of South Korea with her family. Then, captured accidentally in a…
Raven Asks for Help with Quills
A young raven lands on a fence in Nova Scotia, and keeps squawking for over an hour. A girl, Collen Cleary, goes over to the fence…
‘Hey you, Double-Squeak Clickety-Click!’
A new study explores how dolphins use their individual signature whistles (equivalent to their “names”) to stay in touch with each other. Not only do they…
Global Warming As Sung by a Violin
A climate change “violin sonata” Last week, I posted the video of Daniel Crawford’s “cello sonata” on climate change – one note per year from 1880…
The Earth from Saturn
A distant view of Earth from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft , which has been exploring the Saturn system since June, 2004. You can barely see a very…
What to Call the Royal Baby: Canute?
If you’re betting on the name of the baby boy just born to royals William and Kate, probably best go with James or George, the top favorites.
But I’d vote for another name: Canute. The famous Danish king ruled England from 1016 to 1035, and is best known for his legendary encounter with the ocean, where he commanded the waves to stop advancing.
The purpose of the operation was to point out the folly of human arrogance – and we could use a little of that wisdom right now. So giving the newborn the name Canute would be a novel way of turning public attention to what his future – and ours – has in store.
Why More Animal Experiments Last Year
The vivisection industry – the experimenters, the animal breeders, the equipment makers, the funding agencies, etc. – has its spin doctors out this week. That’s because…
Dog to the Rescue!
As more and more of Europe was awash in floods last month, it could be difficult to get around. Especially if you were in a wheelchair.…
Time to Put an End to the Calgary Stampede
Last Wednesday at the Calgary Stampede, steer wrestler Zane Hankel wrestled a steer to the ground in 4.4 seconds. The animal never rose to his feet…
Farewell to Tea Party Chimpanzee
As a youngster, he drank tea on TV and dressed up as James Bond. When he grew up, he spent the rest of his life at a…
Global Warming As Sung by a Cello
The notion is simple: one note per year from 1880 to 2012 – the coldest year set to the lowest note (open C) on the cello;…
SeaWorld Hits Back at Movie ‘Blackfish’
SeaWorld is clearly worried about the movie Blackfish, which opens in New York and Los Angeles this weekend, and across the country over the next month.…
Foxes on a Trampoline
Good first effort, guys. But if you come back for more, try getting a bit more bounce next time.
The Best Singing Cockatiel Ever?
She’s got it all: Hits all the notes right on, perfect timing, all the cadences – and notice how she rounds out the end of the…
Chimpanzee Decisions a ‘Very, Very Important Milestone’
The decision by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to phase out medical research on chimpanzees and to send all but 50 of the 360 who…
James Gandolfini’s Last Supper: Foie Gras
James Gandolfini’s family quoted his autopsy as saying that the 51-year-old actor had “died of a heart attack, of natural causes.”
But there’s nothing “natural” about dying of a heart attack when you’re 51 years old. Especially when you read what Gandolfini had for dinner the night he died.
More Dolphins Go Tail Walking
Call it a fad or a fashion, the latest craze, a new wrinkle, or just what the kids are doing these days. In the world of…