'Beaverland' author deep dives into how beavers shaped America
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with environmental journalist Leila Philip about her new book, Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America.
Animals
First orca whale to be stranded in southeast U.S. in decades showed signs of illness
A killer whale more than 20 feet long died after beaching itself in Palm Coast, Fla. This is the third known orca to be stranded in the southeastern U.S. and the first since 1956, an official says.
The FDA no longer requires all drugs to be tested on animals before human trials
In a victory for animal rights advocates, drugmakers can take their products to human clinical trials using alternative testing methods that don't involve animals.
The Army Corps of Engineers has a new way to sell calendars: cats
The corps' 2023 calendar features giant cats superimposed onto some of their most impressive civil works programs The felines are pictured using cranes and turning famous landmarks into chew toys.
A Connecticut family discovers a large black bear is living under their deck
Marty the Bear became a viral sensation after the homeowners posted a video on TikTok. They say living with their sleepy housemate is "bearable." They'll let Marty hibernate peacefully till spring.
Forest lizards have genetically morphed to survive life in the city, researchers say
The Puerto Rican crested anole has sprouted special scales to better cling to smooth surfaces like walls and windows and grown larger limbs to sprint across open areas, scientists say.
Migrating bird, a bar-tailed godwit, flies from Alaska to Australia without stopping
The bird, tracked by a satellite tag, broke a record when it flew the 8,4000 miles from Alaska to the Australian state of Tasmania. The bird flew for 11 days without stopping for food or rest.
A wandering cow in Australia is keeping firefighters busy
The cow first appeared walking through a New South Wales mall. The fire service moved the cow to a university campus, but then it got stuck in mud. Again the fire department was called.
Maine lobster industry wins reprieve but environmentalists say whales will die
The $1.7 trillion spending bill just signed into law contains a 6-year delay on new federal fishing regulations that would have kept lobster fishermen off the water in some areas for months at a time.
Birdwatchers flock to a house in Southern California to see a rare bird of prey
Chris Spurgeon, of the Pasadena Audubon Society, drove to Orange County to see the wild snowy owl. It's a mystery how the arctic bird ended up thousands of miles away from its natural habitat.