Animals

An island fox, trapped by a Nature Conservancy biologist, undergoes a quick check-up before being released.

VIDEO: To Save A Fox, Scientists Took To Land, Air And Sea

3:19pm December 04, 2018

When the population of Channel Islands foxes started to vanish in the '90s, no one knew why. Bringing them back from near-extinction has meant unraveling a mystery that started with World War II.

Holstein Friesian are a breed of dairy cattle and this week, one of those cattle made big news for its size. Not pictured here.

Environment

Opinion: Knickers, The Giant Steer That Stole The Internet

10:50am December 01, 2018

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the giant steer that became an Internet sensation and why more people should consider eating less meat.

Scientists are concerned the seismic activity could harm animals such as humpback whales.

Trump Administration Says Companies Can 'Incidentally Harass' Marine Mammals

5:08pm November 30, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

It's a decision opposed by environmental groups, who say the blasts could harm marine animals, and some coastal communities, who fear it could be a precursor to offshore drilling.

The beached pilot whales lie in clusters, dead on the shore of Hanson Bay in the Chatham Islands. Workers with New Zealand's Department of Conservation sought to prepare the 51 bodies for burial Friday.

World News

Dozens Of Pilot Whales Die In New Zealand's 3rd Mass Stranding In A Week

3:43pm November 30, 2018

by Colin Dwyer

Answers remain elusive for the country's Department of Conservation, which believes these incidents are not related. In the latest one, more than 50 pilot whales died in the remote Chatham Islands.

A pair of California sea lions nuzzles on a dock in San Francisco. Between 1998 and 2017, nearly 700 California sea lions were found with gunshot and stab wounds in California, Oregon and Washington.

Dead Sea Lions With Gunshot Wounds Wash Up On Washington State Shores

3:10pm November 30, 2018

by Samantha Raphelson

At least eight dead sea lions with bullet holes have been found since September. It's illegal to shoot marine mammals, but that hasn't stopped some fishermen from going after them.

Rhino horns are prized in Asian countries and can garner tens of thousands of dollars per pound. Wildlife conservationists argue that the appetite for the endangered species' appendage in legal and illegal markets has decimated the population across Afric

World News

Sotheby's and Bonhams Bow To Pressure, Ban The Sale of Rhino Horn Artifacts

6:42pm November 26, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

Both companies announced they are canceling separate auctions featuring antique carvings made of the endangered species' horns. The sales would have taken place in Hong Kong this week.

As many as 145 pilot whales lie beached Sunday at Mason Bay, on Stewart Island, New Zealand. A hiker reported the mass stranding on Saturday.

World News

As Many As 145 Pilot Whales Die Stranded On Remote New Zealand Island

1:13pm November 26, 2018

by Colin Dwyer

A hiker reported the mass stranding Saturday. By the time officials could reach the marine mammals, half were dead — and the rest were in such dire condition, they had to be euthanized.

Olive, a pet pigeon now famous for wearing a bedazzled vest, was reunited with her family in Phoenix, Ariz., on Tuesday, after nearly two weeks.

National

Rhinestone Vest-Wearing Pigeon Reunited With Family

11:17pm November 21, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

Thanks internet! A well dressed, bedazzled pet pigeon who appears to have gone on the bird equivalent of a rumspringa, is back home after nearly two weeks.

A cat's tongue is covered in hundreds of tiny, backward-facing spines called papillae that help to keep the animal clean. Researchers have discovered that papillae are scoop-shaped and hollow, which allows the spines to store and hold saliva.

Freaked Out By Your Cat's Scratchy Tongue? Don't Be! It's Keeping Them Cleaner.

2:57pm November 21, 2018

by Ashley Westerman

A new study published by researchers at Georgia Tech reveals that the tiny spines that cover a cat's tongue play a bigger role in feline grooming than previously thought.

Researchers collect samples from the carcass of a dead whale at Wakatobi National Park in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Science

Researchers Find 115 Plastic Cups In Dead Whale's Stomach

6:47pm November 20, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

The following items were among those found in the animal's stomach: 19 pieces of hard plastic, two sandals, four plastic bottles, 25 plastic bags, and about seven pounds of rope.