Animals

A feral cat hides in a wooded area near a beach parking lot at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh, N.Y. The American Bird Conservancy sued the state parks department in 2016 to have the cats removed because they were a threat to the endangered piping plover and the cat colony was relocated to cat sanctuaries.

Australia weighs cat curfews and neutering requirements to rein in feral felines

5:00am September 12, 2023

by Joe Hernandez

Tanya Plibersek, Australia's Minister for the Environment and Water, declared "war" on feral cats officials say harm other species and carry disease. Critics say the feline threat is overblown.

Paula Rodriguez and her dog, Maia, were separated while on their way from the Dominican Republic to San Francisco on Aug. 18. Rodriguez was turned away by border agents and forced to catch a flight home without Maia, who was lost by Delta Air Lines staff.

National

Owner reunited with her dog that roamed the Atlanta airport for 3 weeks

8:18pm September 11, 2023

by Dustin Jones

Maia the dog escaped from her carrier last month while being loaded onto a plane at the busiest airport in the world. An online community banded together to reunite her with her owner.

Endangered species and climate change

5:02pm September 09, 2023

by Nathan Rott

The Endangered Species Act has helped save hundreds of species from extinction. But climate change presents a new threat to endangered species and wildlife officials working to protect them.

A baby giraffe was born with no spots and that's what inspired the calf's name

7:04am September 08, 2023

The zoo in Tennessee asked fans to pick their favorite name from four options. Forty thousand people from around the world voted, and the zoo went with Kipekee — the Swahili word for unique.

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Is your dog a super good boy or girl? Here's the scientifically best way to tell them

5:53pm September 07, 2023

Researchers in Hungary have looked at whether the high pitched babble people use with their dogs scientifically resonates with pets.

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Airborne antibiotic resistance, farms supporting biodiversity and how black holes eat

5:53pm September 07, 2023

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Short Wave hosts Regina Barber and Aaron Scott about antibiotic resistance spreading through air, how farms can support biodiversity, and the eating habits of black holes.

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Sneaky snacker in Australia munches nearly $4,000 worth of seedlings in a nursery

7:09am September 07, 2023

Owner Humphrey Herington told the BBC he'd been mystified until he caught the critter red handed. The culprit was a koala bear — the nursery grows eucalyptus plants to shore-up koala habitat.

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National

Pets are being sent to shelters because of natural disasters, housing shortages

6:40am September 07, 2023

by Grace Benninghoff

A national housing shortage is impacting some families in unexpected ways. This year animal shelters have seen more people surrendering their pets due to housing instability.

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Music & Culture

More than 150,000 fans — and at least 1 dog — turn out to see Metallica

7:17am September 06, 2023

When Metallica's tour stopped in Los Angeles, a German Shepherd named Storm left her nearby home, snuck into the stadium, and took a seat. Her owners had no idea until they saw pictures online.

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Hurricane Idalia seems to have blown some migrating birds a little off course

6:56am September 06, 2023

Flamingos normally seen around the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean have been spotted farther afield — the Carolinas, Texas and even Ohio. If you see a pink bird standing on one leg, it's not a mirage.

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