Animals

Elwood, World's Ugliest Dog, Dies

8:56am December 03, 2013

Six years ago, Elwood shot to fame when he was named the world's ugliest dog. He died on Thanksgiving Day but is immortalized in a children's book written by owner Karen Quigley. Everyone Loves Elwood is about how it's OK to be different.

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Metro Meteor, a retired racehorse, stands with owners Ron and Wendy Krajewski and one of his paintings at Motters Station Stables in Rocky Ridge, Md., earlier this year.

The Horse Who Picked Up A Paintbrush

10:55am November 27, 2013

by Frank Deford

After his career at the racetrack ended, Metro Meteor was adopted by an artist in Pennsylvania, who discovered the horse's gift. Now, his paintings raise money to treat his knee problems and to help other retired thoroughbreds find new homes.

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Beef cattle stand in a barn on the Larson Farms feedlot in Maple Park, Ill.

Inside The Beef Industry's Battle Over Growth-Promotion Drugs

4:39pm November 21, 2013

by Dan Charles

Beta agonists, a class of drugs widely fed to cattle and hogs to make them put on weight faster, are coming under increasing scrutiny. Reports suggest animals fed these drugs can seem reluctant to move — lethargic, unable to walk properly — and may die more often, too.

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Piglets in a pen on a hog farm in Frankenstein, Mo.

Science
Arts

Antibiotic Use On The Farm: Are We Flying Blind?

5:26pm November 18, 2013

by Dan Charles

No one knows exactly how farmers use antibiotics. Many public health experts say the government should collect and publish detailed information because antibiotic-resistant bacteria are an increasingly urgent problem. But many farm groups are opposed.

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These pigs, newly weaned from their mothers, are at their most vulnerable stage of life. They're getting antibiotics in their water to ward off bacterial infection.

Are Antibiotics On The Farm Risky Business?

5:25pm November 18, 2013

by Dan Charles

Farmers give antibiotics routinely to pigs, beef cattle and poultry. They say the drugs help keep animals healthy and get them to market faster. Others say this practice practically guarantees that bacteria will develop resistance to these antibiotics more quickly, endangering human lives and the long-term viability of the drugs.

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Researchers Figure Out Found Clam Was 507 Years Old

10:49am November 15, 2013

A mollusk named Ming was that old when it was dredged up in the ocean off Iceland several years ago. It was named Ming in honor of the Chinese dynasty it was born into.

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A dog burial in Greene County, Ill. This fossil dates back to about 8,500 years ago.

Science

Old Dogs, New Data: Canines May Have Been Domesticated In Europe

8:34pm November 14, 2013

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A study of DNA extracted from wolf and dog fossils suggests that ancient wolf populations in Europe are the direct ancestors of most modern-day domestic dogs. The study suggests wolves became dogs between 18,800 and 32,100 years ago, before the start of agriculture.

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Native Westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout swim in the cool waters of the Flathead River near Glacier National Park, Montana.

As Climate Warms American West, Iconic Trout In Jeopardy

6:53am November 14, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

In the northern Rockies of Montana, wildlife is a part of daily conversation. Fishing alone generates $250 million a year, and the pursuit of trout brings in most of that money. But record droughts and declining snowpack mean streams are becoming less habitable for this revered fish.

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What's In A (Panda Cub's) Name?

6:21pm November 06, 2013

The Smithsonian's National Zoo has put forward five names for the new panda cub. The zoo is asking the public to vote on the names, which are: Bao Bao, Ling Hua, Long Yun, Mulan, and Zhen Bao.

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Craig Rowles raises pigs near Carroll, Iowa. The piglets will enter and leave this room as a group.

Why Are Pig Farmers Still Using Growth-Promoting Drugs?

7:42pm November 04, 2013

by Dan Charles

There's a curious twist in the contentious debate over feeding antibiotics to animals in order to make them grow faster. Evidence suggests using antibiotics for growth promotion, at least among pigs, doesn't even make economic sense. But some pork producers don't believe it.

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