Freshwater Fish Collapsing

The rate at which fish are going extinct in North American rivers and lakes is rising dangerously and may soon double again, according to a study…

Bees on a Plane

Perhaps they considered themselves frequent flyers. At Pittsburgh International Airport, a swarm of honeybees settled on the engine of a Delta commuter plane. Because of the…

A Toast to Wasps and Hornets

If you enjoy fine wine and tasty beer, give a nod to wasps – it wouldn’t be possible without them. Long before humankind learned how to…

Are Cats Wiping Out Birds?

It’s been something of a feud between cat people and bird people: the question of how much damage our cats are doing to the bird population.…

Baby Bears Climb Ladder Out of a Dumpster

Shirley and Tom Schenk heard bears crying throughout the night near their home in Ruidoso, N.M. When they went out to see what was going on,…

100-Meter Record Shattered

At the Olympics this weekend, everyone will be watching to see if the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt of Jamaica, can beat his own record: 100…

Judge Rules For Elephants Against L.A. Zoo

“All is not well at the Elephants of Asia exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo,” wrote Judge John L. Segal in his judgment against the Los…

Young Gorillas Dismantle a Trap

For the first time, gorillas have been seen freeing each other from traps set by hunters. People from the Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda watched as…

Elephants: ‘California, Here We Come!’

They’ve been cleared for take-off. Barring last-minute holdups (and the Toronto Zoo says there may be some), Toka, Thika and Iringa, the three African elephants at…

Nature Bites Back

The crew of Star Trek used to regularly find themselves admiring the beauty of whatever planet they’d just landed on – only to get sprayed by…

The Perfect Cat – on Nat Geo Wild

“The Unlikely Leopard” premieres on Sunday July 15th on Nat Geo WILD You don’t realize until the very end of this gorgeous TV movie that filmmakers…

Zoos Trying to Play Noah

With a bit of divine intervention, taking a few animals into Noah’s Ark might have worked to repopulate wildlife a few thousand years ago. But it certainly wouldn’t today. Captive breeding isn’t about conservation of species; it’s about conservation of zoos. And the primary work of zoos is to entertain (not educate) the public. That’s why millions of dollars are being spent on these breeding programs, rather than on protecting wildlife.

Shark Fin Soup Out at Official Dinners in China

The Chinese government says shark fin soup will be phased out at state banquets. They say this will take three years to implement. By that time,…

Could Lonesome George Come Back?

Lonesome George, the centenarian Galapagos Island turtle was found dead one morning last weekend in his corral. He was the last of his kind. George was…

Out of Africa

“The elephant helped us walk out of Africa perhaps 60,000 years ago. We learned from tribal elders in east Africa that elephants, because they knew where…

20,000 Species at ‘High Risk’

Part of a larger graphic by the New York Times and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Nearly 20,000 species of animals and plants around…

L.A. to Ban Using Bullhooks on Elephants?

The circus is coming to town. In a few weeks, Ringling Brothers will be arriving in Los Angeles with all its elephants and other caged animals.…

Shanthi and the Harmonica

Many people have been enchanted by this video of Shanthi, a 36-year-old elephant at the National Zoo, playing the harmonica. "Fantastic" and "Awesome" are some of…

Cole Circus Pays to Settle Abuse Lawsuit

Cole Brothers Circus has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Agriculture $15,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging abuse of the animals. Allegations against the circus included that elephant handlers has repeatedly struck an elephant with an ankus — a hook or goad used in elephant training — during performances, according to a USDA report.