Animals

How Did The Chicken Safely Cross The Road?

6:27am August 22, 2017

The answer: high-visibility vest. A bed and breakfast owner in Scotland fitted some of her hens with bright pink vests. When they wander off her property, there's a better chance they'll be seen.

Queue Listen Now

Not Yet This Swan's Swan Song

5:10am August 18, 2017

A black swan in Germany lost her partner last year, and Bavarian officials posted an ad looking for a mate. A nearby breeder saw it and offered up a companion.

During the day on Aug. 21, large swaths of farmland will be plunged into darkness, and temperatures will drop about 10 degrees. Scientists are waiting to see how crops and animals react.

Will The Eclipse Make Crops And Animals Flip Out? Scientists Ask (Really)

6:01pm August 17, 2017

by Kristofor Husted

During the day on Aug. 21, large swaths of farmland will be plunged into darkness, and temperatures will drop about 10 degrees. And scientists are waiting to see what happens on the ground.

Bears in roadside zoos can suffer in the summer if they don't have the proper conditions, says Barbara J. King.

Bears Can Face Summer Challenges In Roadside Zoos

12:10pm August 17, 2017

by Barbara J. King

Even when the Animal Welfare Act is followed, bears may not live in conditions that many would find reasonable for such large, intelligent animals to flourish, says anthropologist Barbara J. King.

Last year, China banned the sale of commercial elephant ivory to stop poaching. That's when interest in ancient, buried woolly mammoth tusks boomed.

Woolly Mammoths Are Long Gone, But The Hunt For Their Ivory Tusks Lives On

7:18am August 16, 2017

by Daniella Cheslow

Last year China banned the sale of commercial elephant ivory. But that's led to another illicit trade — in woolly mammoth tusks — that is having a severe impact on Siberia's permafrost.

Grizzly bear cubs follow their mother in British Columbia, Canada, in 2014. The province has banned trophy hunting of grizzlies beginning at the end of November.

World News

British Columbia Will Ban Grizzly Bear Trophy Hunting

6:17pm August 15, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

The policy still allows people to hunt the bears for food but blocks all hunting of grizzlies in the Great Bear Rainforest. Environmental groups are celebrating but concerned about possible loopholes.

A new study is adding to evidence that a popular class of pesticides can harm wild bees, like bumblebees.

Popular Pesticides Keep Bumblebees From Laying Eggs

3:59pm August 14, 2017

by Dan Charles

A new study is adding to evidence that a popular class of pesticides can harm wild bees, like bumblebees.

A Himalayan griffon vulture perches in the mountains. Nepal is home to nine species of vulture, four of which are critically endangered.

People In Nepal Used To Think Vultures Were Bad Luck. Not Anymore

3:38pm August 13, 2017

by Danielle Preiss

The number of vultures in South Asia has plummeted. But "restaurants" to feed rescued chicks and wild vultures are good for the birds — and for the local economy.

It takes more than temperament tests to ensure safe dog adoptions, says Alva Noë.

Success In Placing Shelter Dogs Takes More Than Temperament Tests

1:21pm August 11, 2017

by Alva Noë

Blogger Alva Noë talks with a dog trainer who says the need to give shelters, handlers and adopters the resources required to keep dogs and people supported and safe is critical in the process.

A paleoartistic interpretation of Lemmysuchus.

Music & Culture

Motorhead's Lemmy Gets A Giant Prehistoric Crocodile As A Namesake

11:09am August 11, 2017

by Andrew Flanagan

The scientist involved in the name has an appropriately macabre favorite song from the group.