Animals

Health & Safety

Vets Are Facing Burnout Amid Pandemic Pet Adoption Boom

7:59am May 15, 2021

The pandemic spike in pet adoption has lead to a boom in vet visits. NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Hunter Finn, a veterinarian in Arlington, Texas, about the strain on exhausted vets.

Canadian Police Find Culprits Who Stole Wooden Posts

5:51am May 13, 2021

At first police were stumped, but they found the culprits down by the water. A bunch of beavers were to blame. Local news called the event the ultimate Canadian heist.

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Clifford and his owner, Amanda Rong, are frequent "patrons" of StarPups Cafe in Toronto.

National

A Dog Café Has Created Connections And Community During The Pandemic

4:01pm May 12, 2021

by Ziad Buchh

From dog biscuits to beef liver bites, StarPups Café in Toronto has more offerings than you can shake a stick at — and it also has those. There's a "stick library" with sticks of all sizes.

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Alligator In Florida Forces Abrupt End To Fishing Trip

6:20am May 12, 2021

For Tommy Lee, 22, a fishing trip in the Everglades almost ended tragically. While reeling in his line, a huge alligator emerged from the water. After a standoff, the gator returned to the water.

Chicago Once Again Tops List Of Rattiest Cities In America

5:58am May 12, 2021

How to get rid of the rodents? Why cats of course. The Tree House Humane Society in Chicago is taking feral cats that can't thrive in a home or shelter, and setting them up in rat infested areas.

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Researchers Say Md. Man's Cicada Work Was Ignored Because He Was Black

6:47am May 11, 2021

Maryland intellectual and free Black man Benjamin Banneker was one of the first to document cicadas' 17-year life cycle in the late 1700s. His work was rarely credited.

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Ash the cat selects the Kanizsa square stimulus — in other words, the illusion of a square — in a new study in which pet owners provided the data.

Science

Cats Take 'If I Fits I Sits' Seriously, Even If The Space Is Just An Illusion

4:58pm May 10, 2021

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

If you've spent any time around cats, you've seen them curl up in cozy spaces. A new study on feline cognition shows that they also like to sit in snug squares created by a kind of optical illusion.

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A Lobster Made It Out Of A Seafood Restaurant Alive

6:56am May 10, 2021

When a Virginia Red Lobster received its delivery, staff noticed an orange and black spotted lobster. The calico critter turned out to be an extraordinarily rare find. A one in 30 million chance.

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Kentucky Derby Winner, Medina Spirit, Fails Drug Test

6:34am May 10, 2021

If the horse fails a second post-race drug test, it would be qualified from the derby. Trainer Bob Baffert, who had horses fail five tests in just over a year, was suspended. He denies wrongdoing.

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Science

Uncovering The Neuston, A Mysterious Living Island Of Sea Creatures

8:48am May 09, 2021

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with a researcher at the University of North Carolina Asheville, Rebecca Helm, about mysterious islands made of sea creatures floating on the ocean's surface.