Tag: wildlife
Shell Shocking Breakup After 115 Years Together
After a century of marital bliss, the world’s longest romance appears to be over. Bibi and Poldi—a pair of Galapagos giant tortoises—are no longer on speaking terms after a century together. Keepers at the Reptile Zoo in Klagenfurt, Austria, say the pair fell out after a fight in which Bibi took a chunk out of Poldi’s shell. Now, whenever they […]
Read moreWarming dulls US rats’ taste for toxins
Herbivores such as desert woodrats are being forced to change eating habits as rising temperatures are making their usual diet of toxic plants unpalatable. LONDON, January, 2016 – The desert woodrat of the US west doesn’t care for its meals to be served hot. That is because, as the temperatures go up, it tends to lose much appetite for its […]
Read moreHow elephants defy getting cancer
As the world’s largest land mammals, elephants should suffer one of the highest cancer rates—they simply have far more cells that could potentially mutate and become malignant. But new research reveals that elephants rarely get cancer—and the reason why may help in the search for human treatments. Only about 4.8 percent of elephants die from cancer, compared with up to […]
Read moreClimate risk to inflexible penguins’ chicks
Crested and rockhopper penguins are threatened by climate change – but this time the penguins could be at risk because they cannot change their own ways. Evolution has left them with a rigid parenting strategy, probably well adapted for climate conditions so far. But as temperatures rise, conditions change and food supplies become precarious, the inflexible roles of male and female […]
Read moreWild elephant rampage in Indian village caught on video
A wild elephant went on a rampage in a village in India’s eastern West Bengal state on Wednesday, damaging around 100 structures, villagers said. Video taken in the village of Ektiasal showed the beast wandering around and knocking over flimsy huts. The elephant strayed into the village early in the morning and woke up villagers with its roaring. “The elephant […]
Read moreElephant Poaching – Slaughtered For Their Tusks
Elephant Poaching – Slaughtered For Their Tusks Warning: This article contains graphic images of elephants being slaughtered. Gaborone, Botswana States where the illegal ivory trade operates agreed to tougher measures to try to stop the slaughter of African elephants for their tusks. The African Elephant Summit in Botswana brought together negotiators from elephant habitat countries Gabon, Kenya, Niger, and Zambia; […]
Read moreIsraeli woman turns home into bat shelter
On a tour of Noura Lifschitz’s home in Tel Aviv, you’ll find some unexpected guests hanging out. Lifschitz opened her home to some 70 injured fruit bats and created a shelter where she and volunteers help nurse them back to health and release them back into the wild. Source: Reuters
Read more‘Suicidal deer’ sign making Illinois drivers take notice
They’ve left no notes behind. And it’s fairly certain they’re not doing it for the insurance money. But “suicidal deer” are apparently such a big problem in Paxton, Ill. that its county is installing signs to warn drivers. Calling the deer “suicidal,” of course, may be something of a misnomer. More likely, they just don’t know to be cautious around […]
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