ANIMALS

Camel on the loose kills two people near Tennessee petting zoo

A camel got loose and killed two people near Shirley Farms in Obion, Tenn., prompting authorities to “put the camel down,” authorities with the Obion County Sheriff’s Office said.

By Lindsey BeverMarch 14, 2022

A viral video of birds falling from the sky sparked countless theories. But there’s a likely answer.

Theories range from the interference of 5G technology to a collision with an invisible spaceship, but experts think the flock was fleeing a predator.

By María Luisa PaúlFebruary 15, 2022

Watch a mischievous parrot steal a GoPro and capture a bird’s-eye view of New Zealand

With the camera still recording, the parrot soars across a tree-covered hillside before landing on a rocky outcrop and pecking at the device.

By Marisa IatiFebruary 4, 2022

National Butterfly Center closes after repeated threats stemming from false sex-trafficking claims

The Texas preserve's indefinite closure comes shortly after the center shut down for three days last weekend, citing “credible threats” from a former state official regarding a nearby border-security rally.

By Marisa IatiFebruary 3, 2022

Wealthy California town says it can’t build mandated affordable housing. The reason: Mountain lions.

Town officials in Woodside, Calif., argued that since mountain lions are a protected species, no split-lot housing could be built in a community that has a median household income of more than $250,000.

By Timothy BellaFebruary 3, 2022

Male penguin pair, New York zoo’s first same-sex foster parents, doing ‘great job’ raising baby chick

The two male foster parents show how “non-traditional families do a wonderful job of child-rearing," said the zoo in Syracuse, N.Y.

By Jennifer HassanJanuary 30, 2022

Crows took over a Silicon Valley city. Officials hope green lasers will get them to leave.

A roost of crows in Sunnyvale, Calif., has grown bothersome over the past six years, and now the city is trying to get rid of them — with lasers.

By Julian MarkJanuary 21, 2022

A family decorated their Christmas tree. Then a venomous snake appeared among the ornaments.

A family in South Africa discovered a boomslang — a very venomous snake — hiding inside their Christmas tree.

By Lindsey BeverDecember 15, 2021

Eight wolves have been poisoned in Oregon, stumping police and renewing calls for more protections

Numerous conservation and animal protection groups are also offering a combined $26,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the poisonings.

By Paulina FiroziDecember 5, 2021

Watch a bear wander into a 7-Eleven and casually trigger the hand sanitizer dispenser

The bear places his paws on what appears to be a freezer, stands on his hind legs and looks around as if waiting to be served.

By Marisa IatiNovember 17, 2021

A zoo’s three ‘beloved’ snow leopards die of covid-19

The big cats were one of the Nebraska zoo’s main attractions, delivering a dose of mountain majesty to the Great Plains for years.

By Reis ThebaultNovember 14, 2021

‘Cheeky’ sea lions are returning to New Zealand’s shores — and locals are learning to share the coast

The sea lions have turned up in unexpected places, including a golf course and a forest.

By Rachel Pannett and Ellen FrancisNovember 13, 2021

Giant ‘murder’ hornets can decimate honeybees. A new study highlights one of their defenses: Screaming.

Giant "murder" hornets can decimate entire beehives, but scientists have discovered another way bees can defend themselves: by screaming.

By Julian MarkNovember 12, 2021

California condors almost went extinct. Now, scientists say, they are capable of reproducing without males.

California condors are the largest flying birds in North America and can soar 15,000 feet in the air. Now, scientists say they've achieved another feat: reproducing without males.

By Julian MarkNovember 5, 2021

The ‘Bird of the Year’ is ... a bat: Winner of New Zealand vote ruffles feathers

Critics say the tiny flying mammal should have been disqualified from an annual competition previously hit by claims of Russian meddling and voter fraud.

By Rachel PannettNovember 1, 2021

Western monarch butterflies have been vanishing. This week, a sanctuary saw thousands return.

Last year marked a historic low for a population of western monarchs that has struggled in recent years, according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

By Paulina FiroziOctober 22, 2021

When a fisherman pulled in his line, he knew he had ‘something weird’: A 40-pound alligator gar

The fisheries team at the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks fisheries hopes DNA samples can help determine how this fish, whose fossil records trace back nearly 100 million years, wound up in the state.

By Paulina FiroziOctober 14, 2021

A ‘McNugget’-size turtle hatchling born with two heads is doing well, but survival is uncertain

The single hatchling with two heads has six legs, separate gastrointestinal tracts and two spines. A CT scan to assess its internal organs may help determine whether it will survive.

By Paulina FiroziOctober 11, 2021

Ndakasi, beloved mountain gorilla whose photobomb led to global fame, dies in caretaker’s arms

Virunga National Park said in a statement that Ndakasi died on Sept. 26 after battling a prolonged illness and “took her final breath in the loving arms of her caretaker and lifelong friend, Andre Bauma.”

By Timothy BellaOctober 7, 2021

Florida man wrangles alligator his ‘own way’ — with a trash bin

Video of the encounter spread so widely, and with such interest, that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told people who are concerned about alligators: “Don’t grab a garbage can.”

By Brittany ShammasSeptember 29, 2021