Animals

Environment

Fish And Wildlife Service May Appeal Judge's Ruling On Cormorants

2:59pm June 06, 2016

by Peter Payette

A federal judge says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service overstepped its bounds when it allowed some migratory birds to be killed in large numbers across the eastern United States.

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The mother of a 3-year-old boy was not negligent when he fell into part of the Cincinnati Zoo's Gorilla World exhibit, officials say. Here, a boy touches a bronze statue at the zoo that became something of a memorial in the days after the gorilla was shot

National

No Charges Against Family In Gorilla Incident At Cincinnati Zoo

1:31pm June 06, 2016

by Bill Chappell

The boy's mother "did not act in any way where she presented this child to some harm," the county prosecutor says of the May 28 incident.

Between January and March, beekeepers send millions of hives to California to pollinate almond trees. A sign in this almond orchard warns it is patrolled — a measure to combat rising beehive thefts.

National

Beekeepers Feel The Sting Of Stolen Hives

9:55am June 06, 2016

by Jodi Helmer

Beekeepers make money renting out hives to pollinate crops. But in California, thefts are on the rise. That's led to a hive shortage that is driving up demand, costs — and more thefts.

Appraisers Fred Oster, left, and David Bonsey, review a 1920 French violin at an Antiques Roadshow event in Los Angeles in 2005. Many stringed instruments throughout history have been made using small amounts of ivory.

New U.S. Ban On Ivory Sales To Protect Elephants

7:26pm June 02, 2016

by Chris Arnold

New regulation will ban almost all sales of African elephant ivory in the U.S. The changes will allow sale and transport of musical instruments, guns and other items made with small amounts of ivory.

Science

Study Finds Dogs Were Domesticated Twice In Different Parts Of The World

4:29pm June 02, 2016

A new study says dogs were domesticated in not one, but two places. NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with one of the study's authors, Greger Larson, an archaeology professor at Oxford University.

When you've got it, flaunt it: Beards can occur in various chicken breeds. The birds in the middle have them; the ones on the far left and right don't.

Science

Solved: The Mystery Of The Bearded Chickens

3:49pm June 02, 2016

by Madeline K. Sofia

Hip humans aren't the only ones growing outrageous facial hair. Some chickens do, too. And now, geneticists in China have discovered the cause.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, shown wearing one of her trademark collars in 2010, now has an insect named in her honor.

Science

Insect Named For Ruth Bader Ginsburg Is Step Toward Equality Of The 6-Legged Sexes

3:36pm June 02, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

A newly identified praying mantis species, Ilomantis ginsburgae, is named for the Supreme Court justice. The species is also — unusually — identified by traits specific to the female, not the male.

Environment

North Carolina Zoo Reviews Policies After Gorilla Is Killed In Cincinnati

2:37pm June 02, 2016

by Eddie Garcia

The news of a gorilla killed at a Cincinnati zoo has captured the attention of the nation.

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A silver-haired bat, the type that transmitted rabies to a woman in Wyoming after apparently biting her while she slept.

Bats In The Bedroom Can Spread Rabies Without An Obvious Bite

2:37pm June 02, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

When a Wyoming woman fell ill, no one suspected that she could have rabies from a bat in her bedroom. Health officials say sleeping in a room with a bat is a rabies risk because bites are hard to see.

Dogs look out from a cage at a market on June 20, 2014 in Yulin, China. Festival goers celebrate the summer solstice by consuming dog meat, lychees and alcohol to ensure good health.

Health & Safety

China's Dog Meat Festival Will Go On Despite Growing Protests

12:44pm June 02, 2016

by Stuart Leavenworth

Thousands of dogs are slaughtered and served. It's unclear where they come from. Pressure is mounting, from abroad and from within China, to stop the event.