Animals

In this photo, taken Saturday and released by the Center for Whale Research, an orca known as J-35, foreground, swims with podmates near Friday Harbor, Alaska.

Science

After 17 Days And 1,000 Miles, A Mother Orca's 'Tour Of Grief' Is Over

9:51pm August 12, 2018

by Jenny Gathright

After carrying her calf's corpse for an unusually long time, a "remarkably frisky" Tahlequah, or J-35, as the orca's known, was seen Saturday chasing a school of salmon with fellow members of her pod.

Collections manager René Corado examines an egg, from a newly donated collection of 1,200 specimens, for a tiny notation made by the collector that can help Corado reconstruct when and where the egg was collected. "It's just like detective work and I'm s

From A Million Eggs, Putting Together Clues About Science's Past And Future

10:27am August 10, 2018

by Samir S. Patel

Egg collecting was once a popular pastime. Now, the pristine specimens in one collection are a key resource for research on a range of topics, from the climate change to changes in bird populations.

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Heat Wave In U.K. Reminds Andean Flamingos Of Their Natural Habitat

9:38am August 10, 2018

The birds laid eggs for the first time in 15 years. The eggs weren't fertilized, so they didn't hatch, but officials replaced those eggs with viable ones from Chilean flamingos to raise as their own.

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A screenshot from the DC Eagle Cam shows Victory and Valor perched in the tree where they were born on July 23, three days before Valor fell from a branch.

Science

Beloved Baby Eaglet In D.C. Euthanized After Suffering West Nile Disease

7:26pm August 08, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

Valor was one of two young eaglets in a nest at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. The tree is monitored 24/7 by a popular webcam. He fell from the nest late last month, and died on Tuesday.

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo says a heavy hail storm damaged its infrastructure and killed two animals on Monday.

National

Hail Storm Kills Two Zoo Birds

5:21pm August 07, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

Much of the damage from this storm occurred in the parking lot. According to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, nearly 400 cars there were "severely damaged."

Disclaimer: These are not the goats that went on the lam in Boise. But they sure look just as sassy.

National

Kids These Days: Unruly Goats Graze Hell Across Suburban Boise

5:25pm August 03, 2018

More than 100 professional ungulates overran an Idaho neighborhood Friday, briefly tasting freedom — and a whole lot of manicured lawns while they were at it.

National

Some Fire Evacuees Refused To Be Separated From Their Pets

9:20am August 02, 2018

by April Ehrlich

People escaping the Carr fire in northern California didn't want to part with their pets. So a separate shelter opened up for people and their pets.

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Humpback whales feed at the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary near Provincetown, Mass., in July 2014.

Scientists Are 'Spying On Whales' To Learn How They Eat, Talk And ... Walked?

6:05pm August 01, 2018

by Dave Davies

Paleobiologist Nick Pyenson is dedicated to uncovering the "hidden lives" of whales. He says that 40 million to 50 million years ago, they had four legs and lived at least part of their lives on land.

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High-speed tracking dogs have been a game-changer in the fight against rhino poaching in South Africa. Their success depends on their ability to work as a team, which means they sleep and eat in the pack-sized enclosures shown above.

To Combat Rhino Poaching, Dogs Are Giving South African Park Rangers A Crucial Assist

10:59am August 01, 2018

by David Fuchs

Anti-poaching rangers have sophisticated resources at their command. But one of the most effective is strikingly low-tech. "Since we use dogs, the guys can't hide from us anymore," says a trainer.

The mother orca, known as J-35, pushes her dead calf to the surface last week off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The infant orca died shortly after its birth, but its mother has been observed carrying it with her in the days afterward.

After Calf's Death, Orca Mother Carries It For Days In 'Tragic Tour Of Grief'

6:13pm July 31, 2018

by Colin Dwyer

What began as a moment of joy ended in tragedy when the infant died last week. Since then its mother has refused to let go, holding her child tightly in what experts call a moving expression of grief.