wildlife

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Poachers' Poison Slays Rare Elephant

Giant male ate spiked pineapples

(Newser) - A rare Sumatran elephant died after eating pineapples spiked with poison by poachers in northwestern Indonesia, officials report. The giant 30-year-old male, its tusks ripped out for the ivory, was the ninth Sumatran elephant found dead in the region in the last three months. At least seven of them were...

Lobster 'Fiona' Is 1-in 30-Million Phenomenon

Fiona is a 1-in-30-million genetic mutation

(Newser) - The one-in-30-million special at one Boston eatery isn’t on the menu. Caught off the Canadian coast, “Fiona” is believed to be a rare yellow lobster. The spotted 7-year-old (the coloring is actually closer to orange) is fed sushi-quality tuna and will eventually be sent to live at a...

Lovey-Dovey Hummers Faster Than Jet Fighters

Courtship dive involves G-forces that would make stunt pilots swoon

(Newser) - The courtship dive of an American species of hummingbird involves speeds that—relative to its size—outpace even fighter jets at full throttle, the Independent reports. Researchers discovered that the male Anna's hummingbird moves 383 times its body length each second as it swoops, creating G-forces strong enough to make...

One in 3 Airports Hasn't Studied Bird-Strike Risk: FAA

150 haven't taken required steps

(Newser) - A third of US airports haven't completed a mandated study of their bird-strike risk, USA Today reports. "This problem has been ignored and shuffled to the side by the aviation community," said an airport wildlife-control expert. The 150 airports won't be named until the FAA has contacted each...

Fla. Eyes Loosing Bounty Hunters on Pythons

Some 150K snakes living in Everglades

(Newser) - With pythons slithering amok in the Everglades, Florida wildlife managers are toying with the notion of employing bounty hunters to cull the population, the Miami Herald reports. “If we don't get on top of this, they're going to eradicate the indigenous species of the Everglades,” said one. Officials...

After 3 Maulings, Anchorage Mulls Bear Policy

(Newser) - Anchorage has long been a bear-friendly town, but with three uncharacteristic maulings last summer some residents want a more aggressive wildlife management policy this year, the AP reports. The city of 285,000 is also home to more than 300 bears and borders a national park that officials have called...

Scots Move to Save Rare Wildcats

Experts warn that only 400 of the unique predators remain

(Newser) - Scotland has launched a program to save the last of its rare Scottish wildcats, the BBC reports. Experts warn that fewer than 400 of the unique cats—endangered by persecution, habitat loss, and interbreeding with domestic cats—are believed to remain. Officials are seeking to raise awareness, encourage the neutering...

Baby Gorilla Stashed in Smuggler's Bag

Had been inside for 6 hours; 'is responding to treatment'

(Newser) - A live baby gorilla was found at the bottom of a smuggler’s plastic bag in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a 3-month undercover smuggling probe, MSNBC reports. The female eastern lowland gorilla, which has a street value of up to $20,000, had been in the bag for...

Death of Last US Jaguar Sparks Inquiry

Case rife with finger-pointing among Ariz. wildlife officials

(Newser) - Amidst a federal probe, the mysterious death of America’s last known jaguar is turning into a big cat fight, the New York Times reports. Arizona wildlife officials say they mistakenly trapped Macho B in a leg-hold snare and found him to be healthy. But a conservationist working with the...

Wild Chickens Get Cocky in Hawaii

Omnipresent fowl frustrate locals, tourists

(Newser) - Chickens are running amok on the Hawaiian island of Kauai—and they’re not letting locals or tourists forget it. “Those blasted birds won't let me sleep,” one human resident tells the Wall Street Journal. “They make a racket all day and night.” The birds first...

Gorillas: Maybe Not as Gentle as We Thought

Ape vegetarian in the wild, but can turn carnivore in captivity

(Newser) - King Kong aside, gorillas have somehow been able to hold onto their reputations as gentle giants, while myths about the belligerent chimpanzee and the promiscuous bonobo have long since been dispelled. But with new research into ape behavior, the last fable may fall, the Economist reports after primatologists studied apes...

A Third of America's Bird Species in Trouble

Development sending large numbers of native species into decline

(Newser) - Almost a third of America's bird species are in peril from habitat destruction and other threats, according to a federal report released yesterday. The study, which may spur the Obama administration to increase regulation in some areas to protect the animals, found that  67 of America's over 800 bird species...

Rare Cheetah Spotted in Sahara
 Rare Cheetah Spotted in Sahara 

Feb 26, 2009 3:36 AM CST

Rare Cheetah Spotted in Sahara

Camera-trap snaps 'incredibly elusive' subspecies

(Newser) - An incredibly rare and elusive Saharan cheetah has been caught on camera in the Algerian desert, reports the Daily Telegraph. Fewer than 250 of the animals are believed to exist. Zoological Society of London researchers obtained the camera-trap photos as part of a project to systematically survey life in the...

Healing Koalas Steal Hearts
 Healing Koalas Steal Hearts 
Feb 11, 2009 5:25 PM CST

Healing Koalas Steal Hearts

She holds hands with her rescuer in moving video

(Newser) - The survival of two burned koalas is giving Aussies a lift amid the catastrophic wildfires that have killed 180 people and possibly millions of animals, MSNBC reports. The more famous of the two is Sam, who became a YouTube sensation when she took water and offered a singed paw to...

America's Greenest Ski Resorts
 America's Greenest Ski Resorts 
Feb 8, 2009 8:07 AM CST

America's Greenest Ski Resorts

(Newser) - Despite their reputation for being unfriendly to the environment, several ski resorts have become more sustainable, says Treehugger, which lists seven of the nation’s greenest mountain getaways.
  1. The Aspen Skiing Company, Colorado: This four-mountain resort said to be at the center of the green movement began eco-friendly initiatives in
...

Ashley Judd Ad Mauls Palin Over Wolf-Killing

Conservationist campaign slams Palin's support of 'senseless savagery'

(Newser) - Actress Ashley Judd is spearheading a Defenders of Wildlife ad campaign blasting Sarah Palin for her support of the aerial killing of wolves and bears in Alaska, reports the Huffington Post. Judd slams Palin's "anti-conservation agenda" in the film, which shows wolves shot from the air writhing in the...

Calif. Pelicans Hit by Mystery Illness

Experts puzzled as dying birds turn up miles from coastal home

(Newser) - A mystery disease causing disoriented pelicans to crash to earth in unusual locations near the California coast has wildlife experts stumped, reports the Los Angeles Times. Bruised and fatigued birds are being found on highways and in backyards far from their usual seaside haunts. Some appear to be dying, but...

Asian Appetites Threaten Florida Turtles

Conservations warn that state's turtles are being eaten out of existence

(Newser) - Asia's insatiable appetite for turtles could be driving some US species to the brink of extinction, the Los Angeles Times reports. The region's newly affluent consumers are happy to shell out top dollar for the delicacy and with most native species already eaten, Florida's turtle exports are booming. Conservationists warn...

Sea Lion Found at Oakland Airport
Sea Lion Found
at Oakland
Airport
Dec 24, 2008 5:24 AM CST

Sea Lion Found at Oakland Airport

He 'looked confused,' says manager

(Newser) - A sea lion found wandering near a runway at Oakland International airport was taken yesterday to a nearby wildlife rehabilitation center, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. The six-foot male, nicknamed "Saps" by wildlike workers, didn't appear to be sick or injured. "He seemed kind of lost and it...

They Used to Laugh and Call Her Names

Rudolph and Santa's other sleigh-pullers may be ladies

(Newser) - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer very likely is a girl, or so say wildlife experts who’ve turned their attention to Santa’s lead sleigh-puller. Male reindeer typically shed their horns before Christmas, so popular images of Rudolph’s team with big, branched antlers would mean they might actually be female,...

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