Animals

Octopus falls for the rubber arm trick – time to take them off the menu?

From a sustainability standpoint, this study feeds into a growing conversation around how we value marine life and intelligence in environmental policy. If octopuses exhibit this level of sentient processing, how should that affect the way we fish, farm, or conserve them?

Optimists wear the same rose-colored glasses

The findings open new avenues for exploring how shared perception and outlook may influence mental resilience—and offer insights into the neural underpinnings of emotional health.

Thirst pics of jaguars caught on camera

Camera traps have captured thirsty jaguars, pumas, snakes, and rare margays stopping in for a drink. Scientists say this glimpse into animal behavior under heat stress is invaluable.

UNESCO confirms danger to Madagascar’s forests is fading, cementing environmental commitment of President Andry Rajoelina’s government

While international support from partners such as UNESCO and the World Bank was important, the core driver of Madagascar’s recovery effort was national resolve. The Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), Madagascar National Parks, and local authorities introduced stronger frameworks to control forest exploitation.

Want to speak “dolphin”?

While Is Anyone Listening? may not satisfy those looking for hard statistics, it’s a compelling read for anyone interested in the intersection of science, philosophy, and animal behavior. Herzing’s voice—at once personal, precise, and probing—asks us not just to decode dolphin sounds but to consider our role as co-inhabitants of a shared, noisy planet.

How Termites and Ants Built the Tropics’ Best Soil

This is like discovering that the pyramids weren’t built by natural erosion, but by ancient engineers

You Won’t Believe Which Country Is Fueling Shark Product Trade in the Pacific

The shark products, often carried in personal luggage or by post, were likely intended for personal consumption, resale, or as trophies. While most fin products seized in Australia originated from Asia, preserved shark specimens were more commonly linked to the United States. In Aotearoa/New Zealand, however, Australia was the most common source of both passenger and mail seizures — an unexpected finding given that seizures in Australia had declined over time, while New Zealand’s numbers rose.

Colossal’s Veterinary Breakthrough: Pioneering Medical Care for De-Extinct Species

When the world's first de-extinct animals were born, they presented veterinary professionals with an unprecedented challenge: how do you provide medical care for species that haven't existed for over 12,000 years? The dire wolf pups at Colossal Biosciences represent not just a scientific breakthrough, but a new frontier in veterinary medicine and animal husbandry.

A Fox Rescuer’s Final Battle: Remembering Mikayla Raines of Save A Fox

The animal rescue world is mourning the tragic loss of Mikayla Raines, founder and executive director of Save A Fox Rescue, who died recently after what her friends and colleagues described as a lifelong struggle with mental illness. She committed suicide after experiencing online harassment. Her passing has left a powerful legacy—and painful questions—rippling through the fox rescue and wildlife rehabilitation communities.

Costa Rica in Central America has blood on its wires

In Costa Rica, a country globally celebrated for its lush biodiversity and eco-tourism, a darker reality lurks in the canopy: the quiet, gruesome deaths of thousands of wild animals by electrocution. Sloths, howler monkeys, anteaters—icons of the rainforest and the tourism industry alike—are being burned alive on uninsulated power lines.

Whale watching tours find whales talking to people with strange bubble rings

A new study suggests that humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) might be trying to communicate with humans –- or aliens? –– through a behavior that’s both beautiful and baffling: perfectly circular bubble rings, deliberately blown near boats and swimmers. The finding comes from researchers at WhaleSETI, a project inspired by the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), only this time, the "aliens" are right here in our oceans.

How mice hear with their whiskers and what this means for robotics

I met this usual scientist from Russia who was sure that people can hear with their skin. Maybe he wasn't so nuts after all? Scientists have no found a mechanism that help mice hear, and it's in their whiskers. This might explain how blind voles can get around. And it may have applications in robotics. 

They Call Her Madam Torti. She Might Be the Only One Who Can Save Seychelles Turtles

Sea turtle expert Dr. Jeanne Mortimer warns that unchecked development on Assomption Island threatens Seychelles' most critical nesting beach. With over four decades of research, Mortimer advocates for science-based, turtle-friendly development to protect endangered species. Her quiet, persistent work underscores the urgent need for conservation-led planning in fragile island ecosystems.

Yaniv Levy’s Lifelong Quest to Protect Sea Turtles in a Time of War and Greed

This is the story of Dr. Yaniv Levy, founder of Israel’s Sea Turtle Rescue Center—the world’s only government-supported turtle hospital and breeding center unlike any in the world. But to understand why his work matters, you have to go back nearly 30 years, to another coastline altogether: Aldabra Atoll, part of the Seychelles, one of the last untouched Edens left on Earth.

Monkey kidnapping? Capuchins Are Abducting Baby Howler Monkeys—and It’s Spreading Like a Fad

Young male capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus imitator) have been observed ‘kidnapping’ infant howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata coibensis) in Panama. Behavioral ecologist and co-author Zoë Goldsborough said it was “shocking” to discover scenes of capuchins carrying baby howlers in footage captured on camera traps.

Hot this week

AIR ONE electric flying car is getting closer to your garage

Israeli eVTOL startup AIR has moved beyond prototypes, with a new Florida production facility, eight aircraft in production and about $50 million raised. How close is AIR ONE to your garage?

Stardust’s solar geoengineered $10 billion plan to blot out the sun

Israeli-American startup Stardust Solutions has raised $75 million to develop technology that could cool the Earth by reflecting sunlight. Is solar geoengineering becoming a real industry? Or could it be a new threat?

Mantle8 takes its natural hydrogen hunt from the Pyrenees to Dubai

Mantle8 is taking its hunt for naturally occurring hydrogen from beneath the Pyrenees to the Middle East, opening a Dubai hub after raising €31 million. But finding hydrogen underground is one thing; proving it can be produced cheaply and at scale is another.

Does Starbucks use lab-grown milk? Here’s what we found

Does Starbucks use lab-grown milk? Starbucks tested precision-fermented milk from Perfect Day in 2021, but is it hiding in your latte today?

Alien chemistry crashed through a roof in New Jersey

meteorite crashed through a New Jersey roof carrying ancient salts, organic compounds and amino acids. After a few too many visits to Ontario’s Crystal Cave — and my own mysterious fireball in the forest — I have questions about the alien chemistry falling around us.

Topics

AIR ONE electric flying car is getting closer to your garage

Israeli eVTOL startup AIR has moved beyond prototypes, with a new Florida production facility, eight aircraft in production and about $50 million raised. How close is AIR ONE to your garage?

Stardust’s solar geoengineered $10 billion plan to blot out the sun

Israeli-American startup Stardust Solutions has raised $75 million to develop technology that could cool the Earth by reflecting sunlight. Is solar geoengineering becoming a real industry? Or could it be a new threat?

Mantle8 takes its natural hydrogen hunt from the Pyrenees to Dubai

Mantle8 is taking its hunt for naturally occurring hydrogen from beneath the Pyrenees to the Middle East, opening a Dubai hub after raising €31 million. But finding hydrogen underground is one thing; proving it can be produced cheaply and at scale is another.

Does Starbucks use lab-grown milk? Here’s what we found

Does Starbucks use lab-grown milk? Starbucks tested precision-fermented milk from Perfect Day in 2021, but is it hiding in your latte today?

Alien chemistry crashed through a roof in New Jersey

meteorite crashed through a New Jersey roof carrying ancient salts, organic compounds and amino acids. After a few too many visits to Ontario’s Crystal Cave — and my own mysterious fireball in the forest — I have questions about the alien chemistry falling around us.

Adidas wanted to sell one shoe. Then it stepped into a global culture war

Adidas Israel featured amputee runner Shalev Biton in its Single Shoe campaign, designed to let people who need only one shoe buy one instead of a pair. The local campaign has since sparked international boycott calls and an apology from Adidas.

Scientists make lead-free perovskite solar cells that can weather the elements

Scientists have developed a “raincoat” for lead-free tin perovskite solar cells, helping them withstand air, moisture and heat while maintaining high efficiency.

Europe’s mountain plants are paying off an extinction debt

Europe’s mountaintops may look richer in plant life, but rising species numbers are masking the disappearance of alpine specialists as temperatures climb.
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