Beagle Miss P Is Named Westminster Dog Show's Best
The Canadian canine is only the second beagle to win, following her great-uncle Uno in 2008.
Animals
Meet The Dogs Whose Names Are Too Long To Fit In This Headline
The Westminster Kennel Club dog show concludes Tuesday — but it might take you some time longer just to spell the names of the dogs involved. So what's the deal with all the elaborate names?
Why Penguins Can't Taste Fish
Savor fish are a staple for penguins. Researchers say the birds' ability to taste umami disappeared more than 20 million years ago.
Pity For Penguins: They Can't Taste Their Dinner
Savory fish are a staple for penguins, but the poor birds lack the ability to taste the umami flavor of their meals. One hypothesis? The genes at play got frozen out of commission.
Thanks To Technology, Toucan Gets A Second Beak On Life
NPR's Scott Simon takes a moment to note that a toucan in Costa Rica that had part of its beak destroyed is getting a new one made from a 3-D printer.
Outrage Over Government's Animal Experiments Leads To USDA Review
Lawmakers also introduced a bill to strengthen laws protecting farm animals used in research. Both moves come out of a New York Times investigation of animal suffering at a federal research center.
Cockatoo Mimics Marital Spats
A couple in North Carolina recently adopted a bird from a couple who was going through a divorce. Ever since, Peaches the cockatoo has been mimicking the marital spats of her previous owners.
Dog In Croatia Banned From Barking
The temporary ban on barking between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. only applies to a three-year-old mutt named Medo. Neighbors were demanding damages from Medo's owner.
Birders Predict Another Snowy Owl 'Irruption'
In 2014, ornithologists documented record numbers of snowy owls wintering unusually far south. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Talkin' Birds host Ray Brown about this year's numbers.
For Rockfish, A Tale Of Recovery, Hidden On Menus
Once depleted by decades of overfishing, rockfish have rebounded. But it's hard to tell this conservation and fishery management success story if purveyors continue to misidentify the tasty fish.