Animals

New Yorkers are noticing something odd: Squirrels are laid out on all fours

6:59am August 12, 2022

People across the city noticed the squirrels flat on their stomachs — all four legs splayed out. The city's parks department said it's normal for four-legged critters to cool down by flattening out.

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The wild ponies roam on South Ocean Beach at Assateague Island.

Science

A fossilized tooth may help solve the mystery of the Chincoteague ponies

5:01am August 11, 2022

After taking a second look at what was thought to be a cow tooth, one scientist has found evidence to help solve the mysterious origin story for these wild ponies.

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This Hudson Valley photographer takes mesmerizing pictures of fireflies every summer

8:16pm August 10, 2022

by Lara Pellegrinelli

In the summer, from dusk until the moon rises, Mauney finds his photos' subjects along quiet stretches of farmstand highway, in abandoned fields, hidden pockets of woods and under power lines.

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The Beluga whale swims in the lock of Notre Dame de la Garenne in Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne, west of Paris, France, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. During Wednesday's rescue operation, the dangerously thin animal began to have breathing difficulties, and experts dec

Stranded whale dies after a rescue operation to remove it from a French river

6:30am August 10, 2022

by The Associated Press

A veterinarian said that during the rescue operation, the dangerously thin white mammal began to have breathing difficulties, and so experts decided to humanely euthanize the creature.

A fossilized tooth may determine the origin of the Chincoteague ponies

4:21pm August 09, 2022

A fossilized horse tooth could finally provide an answer to the mystery of how the wild Chincoteague ponies ended up on Maryland and Virginia's Assateague Island.

The baby calf and mother Bibi are healthy, and the zoo says they are "inseparable."

National

Fiona the Hippo gets a little brother

5:27pm August 08, 2022

by Shauneen Miranda

Fiona the Hippo got a baby brother last week. Her 23-year-old mom gave birth to a healthy calf, who has not been named yet.

The Galápagos land iguana is making a comeback on Santiago Island. Conservationists say the species is showing signs of being successfully reintroduced.

An island in the Galápagos reintroduced iguanas after nearly 200 years of extinction

5:00am August 08, 2022

by Dustin Jones

The Galápagos land iguana is back on Santiago Island. That's thanks to some help from a team of conservationists.

The tiger count in Nepal has tripled in recent years

9:00am August 07, 2022

by Danielle Preiss

Nepal has announced the results of the latest national survey, and it's good news: 355 tigers now roam the Himalayan nation — nearly triple the number in recent years.

A screenshot of a map showing case counts of COVID-19 reported in different animal species, part of an interactive COVID data tracking dashboard rendered by Complexity Science Hub Vienna. The drawings represent the type of animal, including both domestic

Health & Safety

How many animal species have caught COVID? First global tracker has (partial) answers

10:45am August 05, 2022

by Max Barnhart

Just as human counts are incomplete, so are animal counts. But the first worldwide compilation of animal cases is a start at understanding the extent of human-to-animal transmission, scientists say.

The video game sensation 'Stray' is helping real stray cats

6:06am August 05, 2022

Players wander through a cyberpunk city as a virtual orange tabby walks on keyboards or takes a spill off a rusted pipe. They can livestream their game to raise money for a pet shelter.

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