Animals

The Endangered Species Act is failing to protect a bumble bee, environmentalists say

4:26pm April 26, 2022

by Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco

The rusty patched bumble bee is endangered and losing some of its last habitat, an Illinois prairie. A multi-million dollar airport expansion is stalled because of a last-minutes sighting of the bees.

Cary Elwes, shown here in 2019, says he is recovering from a snake bite.

A rattlesnake bit Cary Elwes. Here's what to do if it happens to you

9:36am April 26, 2022

by Joe Hernandez

Don't apply a tourniquet or try to suck out the poison. Instead, call 911 and do your best to stay calm.

'Throughline': How rats became one of Earth's most successful mammalian colonizers

5:08am April 26, 2022

by Lawrence Wu

Love 'em or hate 'em, rats are part of our world. NPR's history podcast Throughline dove into the history of rats and found a story that spans thousands of years and touches nearly every continent.

Apply now to work at the British base in Port Lockroy, Antarctica, and young Gentoo penguins like this one could be your Goudier Island neighbors.

World News

Antarctica's 'Penguin Post Office' is hiring

4:48pm April 24, 2022

by Rina Torchinsky

If you can sort mail, sell postage stamps and count penguins, this could be the job for you.

Red wolves have been on the brink of extinction since the 1970s. The new six-pup litter gives conservationists a sense of hope for the future of the species.

Environment

For the first time in 4 years, a litter of red wolf pups was born in the wild

6:39pm April 23, 2022

by Dustin Jones

The red wolf is one of the most endangered animals on the planet. That's why environmentalists were ecstatic to find the first litter born in the wild in four years — six pups.

Calif. homeowner heard odd noises over the winter but didn't investigate

5:55am April 22, 2022

Once spring arrived, it was discovered a mama bear had moved into a crawl space for hibernating. Bear League animal rescuers were called, and they found four more bears.

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A Ukrainian pyrotechnic squad works alongside Patron, a bomb-sniffing dog.

World News

Meet Patron, a bomb-sniffing Jack Russell terrier who has become a Ukrainian hero

11:41am April 20, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

Two-year-old Patron works with rescuers in the northern city of Chernihiv, where he sniffs out Russian bombs (in addition to warming laps, nipping sleeves and generally being a good boy).

Taylor Swift, pictured in 2021, is the inspiration for the name of the newly described Twisted-Claw Millipede, Nannaria swiftae.

Taylor Swift was the inspiration for the name of a new millipede species

8:54am April 20, 2022

by Rina Torchinsky

The Swift Twisted-Claw Millipede, or Nannaria swiftae, was among several new species found in Tennessee.

Health & Safety

Encore: A new bird flu is spreading in American birds and it may be here to stay

8:24am April 20, 2022

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Millions of chickens and turkeys have been killed to control an avian flu outbreak, but the virus is also infecting wild birds. (Story first aired on Weekend Saturday on April 9, 2022.)

A Jack Russell terrier in Ukraine makes a heroic name for himself

6:14am April 20, 2022

Patron, the mascot of the State Emergency Service is saving lives by sniffing out undetonated landmines and bombs in Chernihiv. So far, he's rooted out more than 90 explosive devices.

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