Animals

National

After Hurricane Florence, Animal Shelters Are Inundated With Lost Pets

7:53am September 23, 2018

by Brian Mann

As the Florence recovery effort continues, volunteers from across the South are helping care for the dogs and cats separated from their owners. The goal: reunite as many pets and people as possible.

Eric, an endangered eastern black rhinoceros, was born and bred at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. He was recently transported to a wild animal reserve in Tanzania where he will be eventually released.

San Diego Rhino Finds A New Home In Tanzania

7:54am September 22, 2018

by Erik Anderson

An 8-year-old eastern black rhino bull, born and raised in San Diego, recently made a 68-hour journey to Tanzania where he will eventually be released into the wild.

Shelter Volunteer Takes Cat Naps; Cat Takes A Bite Out Of Crime

9:19am September 21, 2018

The man at a Wisconsin animal shelter takes naps every day on a couch amid the cats. People at the shelter love it. In England, a man's cat went outside and came back with a bag full of drugs.

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Scotland Yard wrapped up a near three-year-long investigation into cats mutilation in the U.K., saying wildlife was the likely culprit.

World News

London Police Outfoxed, Abandon 3-Year Search For Serial Cat Killer

7:02pm September 20, 2018

by Amy Held

Scotland Yard is hoping to put fears of a serial cat killer to rest. Authorities now say that scavenging animals, not sadistic humans, are responsible for hundreds of reported cat mutilations.

The fix was in for this rhesus macaque drinking juice on the Ganges River in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India. No gambling was required to get the reward.

In Lab Turned Casino, Gambling Monkeys Help Scientists Find Risk-Taking Brain Area

6:10pm September 20, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have identified a brain region in monkeys that influences their desire to take big risks. When this area is inactivated, the monkeys tend to hedge their bets.

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Friend or foe? A California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides) gives observers the eye at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass.

Octopuses Get Strangely Cuddly On The Mood Drug Ecstasy

1:08pm September 20, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The drug makes the usually antisocial creatures much more interested in friendly contact with other octopuses. It's one more sign that the chemistry of social behavior has deep evolutionary roots.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers display ivory seized from poachers around the country. KWS has played a critical role in carrying out operations against poachers.

DNA Test Helps Conservationists Track Down Ivory Smugglers

4:57pm September 19, 2018

by Christopher Joyce

The cartels that run the ivory trade try to cover their tracks — among other things, they smuggle tusks from the same elephant separately. But DNA testing can help find patterns.

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Whales And Navy Sonar

7:19am September 19, 2018

by Steve Walsh

The Navy is rolling out its latest plan to manage wildlife in training waters. After years of legal battles, some environmentalists worry the Navy is backsliding in its latest plan.

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A raccoon sitting on the stump of a tree in the Beaches in Toronto. The Toronto Star's Amy Dempsey thinks there's a particularly smart one in her neighborhood.

Science
Arts

There's No Stopping Toronto's 'Uber-Raccoon'

10:56am September 16, 2018

by James Doubek

Toronto is known for its raccoons' aggressive ability to get into garbage cans. The city spent millions trying to fight the gray menace — with mixed results.

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Science

BirdCast: Predicting Bird Migrations

8:21am September 16, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Scientists have developed a forecast model for predicting mass bird migrations, based in part on weather patterns.