Animals

A promotional thumbnail for the Skunk Bear video "Lonesome George (A Musical Eulogy)."

A Musical Memorial For The Face Of Extinction

12:05pm January 13, 2015

by Adam Cole

Lonesome George was the last of his subspecies of giant tortoise from the Galapagos. For decades scientists tried to find him a mate, but he died alone. NPR's Adam Cole offers this elegiac tribute.

The first case of white-nose syndrome was found in Schoharie, N.Y. This map shows the cases detected since then. To enlarge, click here.

Good News For Bats! Things Are Looking Up For Stemming Disease Spread

8:01am January 13, 2015

by Brian Mann

The disease known as white-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats, but scientists are seeing hopeful signs that some bat colonies are recovering.

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Prosthetic Eye Helps Keep 1-Eyed Fish From Being Bullied

8:01am January 13, 2015

Ever since losing an eye, other fish at the Vancouver Aquarium bullied a half-blind rockfish. The prosthetic eye, however, is helping, according to reports.

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Mittens Help Koalas Recover From Scorched Paws

7:45am January 12, 2015

Brush fires in Australia have been raging across land where many koalas live. The International Fund for Animal Welfare says the marsupial mittens are used to seal in medication while they heal.

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'Blood Of The Tiger': Shedding Light On China's Farmed-Tiger Trade

6:47pm January 10, 2015

by NPR Staff

The endangered animals are bred for luxury items, like tiger bone wine and tigerskin rugs. By raising the demand for these goods, the farms pose a threat to wild tigers, says author J.A. Mills.

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Sister Elizabeth feeds Yoda, a water buffalo calf at the ranch. The nuns bought the buffalo to make mozzarella.

Nuns On The Ranch Give A Heavenly Twist To Beef

3:17pm January 08, 2015

by Luke Runyon

At a Colorado ranch run by Benedictine nuns, prayer and farming go hand in hand. "We have kind of a corner on the market" for grass-fed beef, says one sister. "People just kind of believe in it."

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Barotrauma can cause a fish's eyes to pop out of its head and its stomach to be pushed out of its mouth, according to Chris Lowe, a marine scientist at California State, Long Beach.

How Anglers Are Learning To Save Fish That Get 'The Bends'

11:35am January 06, 2015

by Jon Hamilton

Millions of deep-water fish die every year because of barotrauma, a condition divers know as "the bends." But scientists say descending devices can help fish survive a trip to the surface.

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Science

Researchers Enlist Internet Users To Help Monitor Penguins

1:15am January 05, 2015

Penguin Watch lets people around the world further science by looking at images of the adorable birds in the wild. Researcher Caitlin Black tells NPR's Rachel Martin how you can help from your chair.

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Miami-Dade County's animal shelter takes in more than 28,000 dogs and cats each year. In 2012, the county adopted a resolution that the shelter would become a no-kill facility. But even no-kill shelters can euthanize up to 10 percent of their animals.

National

No-Kill Shelters Save Millions Of Unwanted Pets — But Not All Of Them

11:22pm January 04, 2015

by Greg Allen

In the 20 years since San Francisco's SPCA guaranteed adoption for healthy dogs, shelters and rescue groups have embraced the no-kill approach. But the term means different things to different people.

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A Drug Might Heal Spinal Injuries By Sparking Nerve Growth

2:56pm January 04, 2015

by Jon Hamilton

A neurologist's unorthodox thinking led to an experimental drug that allows trapped nerve fibers to grow again. And that growth helps amplify signals that restored movement in laboratory rats.

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