Animals

Mental illness can be isolating, making the companionship of pets even more precious.

Pets Help People Manage The Pain Of Serious Mental Illness

1:55pm December 09, 2016

by Erin Ross

People living with schizophrenia or other serious mental illnesses say a pet can be not just a comforting companion but a reason to stay engaged with other people — and with life.

National

Wyoming Anglers To Hold Raffle On Ugly Fish

6:14pm December 08, 2016

Anglers in Wyoming are keeping their eyes out for burbot, an unattractive fish that impacts other sport fish populations because it could help them win $1,000. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the group Trout Unlimited have teamed up to tag 25 of the fish. When caught, anglers can enter those tags into a lucrative raffle.

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Giraffe Now Listed As 'Vulnerable' To Extinction As Population Plummets

11:50am December 08, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature says the giraffe population has declined by as much as 40 percent in the past 30 years and could face extinction if the trend is not reversed.

Economy

Vegetarians Object To Traces Of Beef Tallow In U.K. Currency

5:05pm December 03, 2016

British vegetarians, vegans and religious objectors are expressing outrage this week after the Bank of England revealed that its new 5 pound note contains trace amounts of beef tallow.

A new species of ground beetle found in Antarctica (left) is named Antarctotrechus balli. The three other beetles are close modern relatives of the ancient species. The line drawings show similarities between the beetles.

Antarctic Beetle Species Discovery Doubles As Birthday Gift To Scientists' Mentor

6:04pm November 30, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

Ball's Antarctic Tundra Beetle was small and brown, and it has been extinct for millions of years. The scientists who discovered it named it in honor of another beetle scientist's 90th birthday.

Trail cameras in Gardner, Kan., captured wild scenes from a local park — just not the type of scenes police were expecting to see.

National

'Wildlife,' Indeed: Police Chuckle As Costumed Pranksters Preen For Park Camera

4:35pm November 30, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Trail cameras were set up to catch sight of a mountain lion; they turned up another variety of wild activity.

Science

Encore: Scientists Discover Centuries-Long Lifespan Of Greenland Shark

4:24pm November 28, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The longest-living vertebrate known to science is a shark that can live centuries. This story originally aired on Aug. 11, 2016 on All Things Considered.

A caretaker examines a bear to be sure it is fully sedated before being moved from a center near Amman, Jordan, to the al-Ma'wa wildlife reserve in northern Jordan on Oct. 2. The bear was among 25 animals released into the reserve run by the Princess Ali

World News

Abused Animals Find Refuge In A New Sanctuary In Jordan

5:10pm November 27, 2016

by Jane Arraf

A new wild animal preserve in Jordan has opened its doors to rescued wildlife in one of the Middle East's biggest animal trafficking routes. Here's a look at that sanctuary.

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National

Bei Bei OK! National Zoo's Panda Cub Recovering After Bowel Surgery

5:01pm November 25, 2016

by Laura Wagner

A team of veterinarians performed emergency surgery to remove a dense, lemon-sized mass of bamboo. His prognosis is "very good."

In New Jersey, Kids Help Dig For Fossils In An Unlikely Place

4:32pm November 25, 2016

by Elana Gordon

Each week, hundreds of kids gather behind an unassuming shopping center in New Jersey. They're digging for fossils with a real paleontologist.