Animals

Why Banning Hunting May Be A Better Way To Control The Feral Hog Population

7:04am July 07, 2021

by Seth Bodine

Feral hogs cause millions of dollars in damage each year, and encouraging hunting is one way states try to control them. Some state officials believe banning hunting is the key to controlling them.

For Floki The Cat, There Really Ain't No Mountain High Enough

6:48am July 05, 2021

The New Hampshire feline has been scaling the state's mountains — usually from the safety of her owner's backpack. They set out to climb all 48 of the state's 4,000-foot mountains. Mission complete.

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.

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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.

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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.