Animals

Not Everyone, Or Every Dog, Has What It Takes To Pass The Police Academy

5:52am July 05, 2021

Fifty-four dogs, mostly German and Dutch shepherds, we're rejected from the police dog training program in China's Liaoning province for various reasons, including failure to bite on command.

Thousands Of Homing Pigeons Go Missing During British Race

5:52am July 05, 2021

The racing pigeons went missing last month in Cambridgeshire, England, and watchers were stumped. Race officials think they might have been confused by wind or solar activity.

Science

New Study Finds Bull Sharks Form Social Relationships

8:45am July 03, 2021

A new study asserts that bull sharks have relationships, if not friends and enemies. Shark expert Juerg Bunnschweiler explains.

Veterinarian Belinda Burwell began receiving reports of sick songbirds in Virginia last month. This male blue jay was completely blind and was hopping in circles because of dizziness. He had to be euthanized.

A Mystery Illness Is Killing Mid-Atlantic Songbirds

5:20pm July 02, 2021

by Jeff Brady

Wildlife officials are asking people not to feed birds or provide bird baths amid dozens of reports of mysterious songbird deaths.

Missing Dog In Pennsylvania Is Happy To Reunite With His Family

10:22am June 30, 2021

Aisha Nieves was looking to adopt a new dog for her family. While browsing a shelter's website, she realized one dog looked exactly like her former puppy Kovu, who went missing two years earlier.

Queue Listen Now

Correlation, Not Causation: Brood X Cicadas And Regional Bird Deaths

6:07pm June 28, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Brian Evans from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center on the recent deaths of regional birds who ate Brood X cicadas.

Asha de Vos speaking at TED Fellows talks, Session 1, TEDGlobal 2014, South, October 5-10, 2014, Copacabana Palace Hotel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

Asha de Vos: Why Are Whales Essential To The Health Of Our Oceans?

10:03am June 25, 2021

Whales are more than just beautiful creatures—they play a vital role in the ocean's ecosystem. Marine biologist Asha de Vos explains why protecting whales is crucial for protecting the entire sea.

Queue Listen Now

The yellow crazy ant was last spotted by Crazy Ant Strike Teams on the vital seabird nesting grounds in December 2017, but it was too soon to tell if they'd been fully extinguished because their colonies are found underground.

Yellow Crazy Ants, An Enemy To Seabirds, Have Been Wiped Out On A Remote Atoll

5:01am June 25, 2021

by Vanessa Romo

Crazy Ant Strike Teams wiped out the nonnative invasive insect which had been threatening ground-nesting seabirds on the atoll since at least 2010.

A Single Drone Has Harmed A Generation Of Wildlife

5:57am June 22, 2021

Wildlife officials say an illegal drone crashed last month on a protected nesting ground in Southern California. The crash spooked thousands of elegant terns, and they abandoned their nests.

A peafowl screams while standing on a resident's lawn on June 8 in Arcadia, Calif. Peacocks have recently become a nuisance to some residents in the region.

National

Los Angeles County Wants You To Stop Feeding The Feral Peacocks

9:16pm June 21, 2021

by Dalia Faheid

There's been an increase in wild peacocks in Southern California. Many people hate them; many people love them; and many hear their piercing screams.