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.

The challenge begins with the basic question of what constitutes normal health and behavior for dire wolves. While extensive research exists on gray wolves, dire wolves possess unique genetic modifications that could affect their physiology, growth patterns, and medical needs. The veterinary team must establish baseline health parameters for animals that have no modern precedent.

“The dire wolf pups set the record for number of precise genetic edits in any living species,” Colossal noted. “The company performed a record 20 precise edits to the genome, all modifications derived from analysis of the dire wolf genome with 15 of those edits being the exact extinct variants.” This level of genetic modification requires careful monitoring to understand how the changes affect the animals’ health and development.

The pups already display distinctive dire wolf characteristics at young ages. Romulus and Remus, now about six months old, weigh approximately 80 pounds—significantly larger than typical wolf pups their age. Their thick white fur, broad heads, and hefty builds reflect their genetic heritage, but these traits also require specialized care protocols.

Dr. Matt James, Colossal’s Chief Animal Officer, brings crucial expertise to this challenge. With over 13 years of experience managing exotic animals at major zoos, including oversight of 7,000 animals across 500+ species, he understands the complexities of caring for unique animals. His background maintaining AZA accreditation standards ensures that the dire wolves receive care that meets the highest professional standards.

The facility includes a dedicated on-site veterinary clinic equipped specifically for large canid care. This immediate access to veterinary services allows for prompt response to any health concerns while minimizing stress on the animals. The clinic’s location within the preserve means that the wolves don’t need to be transported for routine care, reducing disruption to their daily routines.

Continuous health monitoring represents a crucial component of the care protocol. The veterinary team tracks physiological markers, growth patterns, and behavioral indicators to establish what constitutes normal development for dire wolves. This data not only ensures proper care but also provides valuable information for future de-extinction efforts.

The genetic modifications present both challenges and opportunities for veterinary care. While the 20 genetic edits were carefully selected to avoid known health problems, the team must monitor for unexpected interactions between modified genes and the broader wolf genome. This requires sophisticated genetic monitoring alongside traditional veterinary assessments.

Behavioral observations play an equally important role in health assessment. The dire wolf pups display markedly different behavior from domestic dogs or even typical wolf pups. They maintain distance from humans, flinching or retreating even from familiar caretakers, demonstrating true wild lupine instincts that may affect their response to veterinary procedures.

“Unlike domestic puppies, Romulus and Remus keep their distance from humans, flinching or retreating even from familiar caretakers, demonstrating true wild lupine instincts,” observers noted. This natural wariness requires veterinary protocols that minimize stress while ensuring thorough health assessments.

The care team has developed specialized protocols for routine procedures like vaccinations, health checks, and dental care. These protocols account for the wolves’ larger size, unique behavioral patterns, and the need to minimize human contact while ensuring comprehensive veterinary care.

Nutritional management presents another unique challenge. While dire wolves were hyper-carnivores in the wild, their precise dietary needs in captivity must be carefully balanced to support healthy growth without encouraging excessive size that could stress their skeletal and cardiovascular systems. The team has developed specialized feeding protocols based on wolf nutrition research but adapted for the dire wolves’ unique characteristics.

The veterinary team also collaborates with wildlife disease experts to ensure the dire wolves remain healthy while contributing to conservation science. Regular health screenings help identify any issues early while building a database of normal parameters for future reference.

Emergency care protocols have been established to address potential health crises. The on-site clinic is equipped with advanced diagnostic equipment and surgical capabilities, while relationships with specialized veterinary hospitals provide backup support for complex procedures if needed.

Perhaps most importantly, the veterinary team maintains detailed medical records that will inform future de-extinction efforts. Every health parameter, growth measurement, and behavioral observation contributes to a growing database of information about caring for genetically modified large carnivores.

The success of the dire wolf health management program has already informed care protocols for the red wolves born through the same technology platform. This knowledge transfer demonstrates how veterinary innovations developed for de-extinct species can benefit conservation efforts for living endangered species.

As the dire wolves continue to mature, they will undoubtedly present new veterinary challenges and opportunities. Their care represents a collaborative effort between veterinary medicine, conservation science, and genetic engineering—a model for addressing the complex health needs of animals created through emerging biotechnologies.

The veterinary team’s work with the dire wolves is writing the first chapters of a new field: medical care for de-extinct species. Their protocols, observations, and innovations will guide future efforts to bring back other extinct animals while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare and scientific integrity.

The post Colossal’s Veterinary Breakthrough: Pioneering Medical Care for De-Extinct Species appeared first on Green Prophet.

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.

Raines was best known for building Save A Fox, a Minnesota-based sanctuary that became a viral beacon for animal lovers, educating millions through social media about the plight of domestic foxes bred in captivity for the fur industry. With her gentle demeanor, deep knowledge of animal behavior, and charismatic interactions with rescued foxes like Dixie, Finnegan, and Vixie, Mikayla had a gift for storytelling that brought attention to one of the fur industry’s darkest corners.

In 2023, Raines was given an extraordinary opportunity: to shut down a fur farm and rehome 500 foxes. The farmer agreed to give her the animals for free if she purchased the cages, allowing him to offload his investment. For Mikayla, whose life mission was to dismantle the fur trade one fox at a time, this was a chance to deliver a knockout blow.

But even the most passionate rescuer cannot conjure up resources overnight. Despite successfully rehoming hundreds of foxes—many to zoos and licensed sanctuaries—Mikayla was left with dozens more in her care, without the funds or space to properly house them all.

The backlash was swift. Critics questioned the ethics of “buying” foxes from fur farms. Some accused her of hoarding. Rumors and harassment followed her online and, tragically, offline too. Yet those close to her insist her intentions were never in doubt.

“There isn’t a rescuer on this planet who has never made an impulsive decision in a desperate attempt to save lives,” wrote Juniper Russo, Executive Director, For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue.

Russo wrote. “But I failed Mikayla in my own way… I thought that the criticism and harassment she faced were rolling off her back.”

Like the stresses in veterinary medicine, mental illness, especially in the animal rescue community, remains a quiet epidemic. Emotional burnout, financial stress, and constant exposure to animal suffering are compounded by public scrutiny and, increasingly, online abuse.

“Mikayla passed away in the manner that so many rescuers do,” Russo wrote, “losing a lifelong battle with mental illness.”

One of the people who harassed Mikayla online was a known convicted animal abuser, Russo claims. “When documented animal abusers become your enemy, it’s a sign you’re doing things right,” she wrote, urging the public to verify claims before piling onto people who are already operating on the edge.

Mikayla’s husband Ethan, who worked closely with her at Save A Fox, released a moving video tribute (shared in the comments of Save A Fox’s official page). In it, he celebrates her strength, compassion, and tireless work for the animals she loved. He now faces the challenge of continuing her legacy.

To those who only knew Mikayla through her videos—cuddling a fox, dancing in the snow, bottle-feeding kits—her loss feels deeply personal. Her videos weren’t just adorable distractions: they were calls to conscience.

Donations to Save A Fox can still be made at www.saveafox.org, where Ethan and the team continue to care for the animals Mikayla left behind. And for those in the rescue community or anyone silently struggling with their mental health, Russo offers this reminder:

“Suicidal ideation is a medical symptom and a medical emergency. I am not at all ashamed to say that I have had to be hospitalized for my depression… It saved my life and it can save yours too. Please call 988 or 911 if you are in danger.”

Mikayla Raines dreamed of a world without fur farms and fought every day to get us closer to it. She didn’t just rescue foxes. She taught the world to see them—and maybe, to see each other—with more compassion.

Her legacy will not be defined by her last day, but by the thousands of lives she touched, tails she saved, and hearts she helped awaken. May we honor her by continuing the work, speaking up for the voiceless, and being gentler with the living.

The post A Fox Rescuer’s Final Battle: Remembering Mikayla Raines of Save A Fox appeared first on Green Prophet.

While the resurrection of the dire wolf has captured global headlines, an equally significant achievement has been unfolding alongside it: the birth of four healthy red wolf pups named Hope, Blaze, Cinder, and Ash. Using the same groundbreaking technologies developed for de-extinction, Colossal Biosciences has potentially altered the fate of North America’s most endangered canid, demonstrating how ancient DNA science can directly benefit species still clinging to existence.

The Red Wolf Crisis

The red wolf (Canis rufus) faces a dire situation that makes the term “endangered” seem almost inadequate. Once roaming throughout much of eastern North America in the thousands, today fewer than 20 remain in the wild, making them the most endangered wolves on the planet.

By 1960, red wolves were nearly extinct. The Endangered Species Act and a captive breeding program helped secure their reintroduction into eastern North Carolina through the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program. This effort successfully grew the wild population to more than 120 wolves—a conservation success story in the making.

However, when the program was halted in 2015, the population crashed to as few as seven wolves. Though the program resumed in 2021, the species has struggled to regain its numbers, hampered by a critical challenge: dangerously low genetic diversity. All existing red wolves descend from just 12 founder individuals, creating a genetic bottleneck that threatens their long-term viability.

Four New Genetic Lifelines

Into this precarious situation, Colossal has introduced four potential saviors: Hope, a female red wolf pup, and three males named Blaze, Cinder, and Ash. These wolves were born through the same innovative cloning approach developed for the dire wolf project, but with a crucial difference—they represent genetic lineages that could significantly expand the species’ genetic diversity.

As Colossal announced alongside the dire wolf news: “The three litters of Colossal’s dire wolves include two adolescent males (Romulus and Remus) and one female puppy (Khaleesi). Colossal also birthed two litters of red wolves from three different genetic founder lines. These litters include one adolescent female red wolf (Hope) and three male red wolf puppies (Blaze, Cinder, and Ash).”

The significance of these new wolves extends beyond their individual lives. The pups come from cell lines collected from the southwest Louisiana population—a region critical for red wolf conservation. Adding these new lineages to the captive breeding population would increase the number of founding lineages by a remarkable 25%, potentially addressing one of the most critical threats to red wolf recovery.

Non-Invasive Blood Cloning Technique

The technical innovation that made these births possible is Colossal’s novel method of “non-invasive blood cloning.” Rather than requiring invasive tissue sampling, scientists established viable cell lines from red wolves using a simple blood draw—a routine procedure already performed during veterinary checkups of sedated wolves.

From these blood samples, Colossal isolated expandable endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which are cells involved in vascular repair and neovascularization. These cells were then used for successful cloning through somatic cell nuclear transfer, resulting in healthy red wolf pups.

This technique represents a significant advance for endangered species conservation, as it allows genetic material to be collected with minimal impact on wild animals. “The collection of whole blood is a rapid and noninvasive procedure that is routinely carried out on sedated wolves for veterinary monitoring purposes,” Colossal notes, making the approach highly practical for field conservation.

From Dire Wolves to Conservation Solutions

The connection between the dire wolf project and red wolf conservation is direct and explicit. As Colossal stated, “The technology developed within the Colossal de-extinction pipeline has immediate applications for conservation efforts globally. The research undertaken to birth the dire wolf has been successfully paralleled to the birth of two litters of the red wolf.”

Dr. Christopher Mason, a scientific advisor to Colossal, emphasized this relationship: “The same technologies that created the dire wolf can directly help save a variety of other endangered animals as well. This is an extraordinary technological leap for both science and for conservation.”

This demonstrates how de-extinction science, often portrayed as distinct from or even competing with traditional conservation, can directly support efforts to save extant species. The red wolf pups represent not just a theoretical application but a tangible conservation outcome from technologies initially developed for a de-extinction moonshot.

The ‘Ghost Wolf’ Connection

Beyond the cloned pups themselves, Colossal’s red wolf work connects to another fascinating project: the study of “ghost wolves”—unique canids found only on the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana that carry lost genetic diversity from red wolves.

The company notes that “the research program for the dire wolf has also helped efforts to develop technologies for the red ‘ghost’ wolf.” Working with researchers Dr. Bridgett vonHoldt of Princeton University and Dr. Kristin Brzesk of Michigan Technological University, who lead the Gulf Coast Canid Project, Colossal has accelerated understanding of these animals’ genetic ancestry.

This connection to ghost wolves is particularly important because these animals may harbor genetic diversity lost from the official red wolf population during its decline. “The technology and understanding developed through Colossal’s red ‘ghost’ wolf project has now unlocked additional genetic diversity and red wolf ancestry that can be a resource to create a genetic rescue program for the red wolf population,” the company explains.

The Path to Rewilding

The long-term vision for these red wolf pups extends beyond captivity. Colossal has stated that its “long term goal is for their red wolves to be re-wilded through current US conservation efforts in collaboration with the US government.” This would integrate the cloned wolves into existing recovery programs, potentially helping to rebuild the wild population.

Matt James, Colossal’s Chief Animal Officer and Colossal Foundation Executive Director, emphasized this conservation mission: “Colossal’s successful de-extinction of the dire wolf represents a massive coup for conservation. The technologies developed on the path to the dire wolf are already opening up new opportunities to rescue critically endangered canids.”

For now, Hope, Blaze, Cinder, and Ash reside alongside their dire wolf counterparts at Colossal’s 2,000+ acre protected reserve, receiving round-the-clock care and monitoring. The facility, certified by the American Humane Society and registered with the USDA, provides the specialized care these genetically valuable wolves require.

Expert Support for the Approach

Conservation experts have responded enthusiastically to Colossal’s red wolf achievements. Aurelia Skipwith, J.D., former Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, noted: “The company’s work to combat extinction of the red wolf creates hope for so many other critically endangered species fighting for survival.”

Similarly, Mike Phillips, Director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund and project lead for rewilding gray wolves in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, praised the technological approach: “By collaborating with Dr. vonHoldt on red wolf recovery, Colossal creates potential to increase the genetic diversity of this species which exists only because of a captive population founded by a paltry 14 individuals.”

Dr. Bridgett vonHoldt herself highlighted the broader significance: “I am beyond thrilled that such technologies are also being leveraged to support programs of preventing extinction in endangered species like the red wolf.”

Hope for the Future

The names given to these red wolf pups—Hope, Blaze, Cinder, and Ash—seem particularly apt for their role in red wolf conservation. Hope, the female pup, embodies the promise these animals represent for their species’ future. The male names—Blaze, Cinder, and Ash—evoke both wildfire imagery (appropriate for predators once nearly lost) and the phoenix-like renewal these wolves may bring to their kind.

As these pups grow and potentially integrate into breeding programs, they represent a new chapter in red wolf conservation—one where cutting-edge genetic technologies complement traditional conservation approaches. The same scientific breakthroughs that brought back dire wolves after 12,000 years may help ensure that red wolves don’t disappear in our lifetime.

In this way, Hope, Blaze, Cinder, and Ash stand as living proof that the technology of resurrection can become the technology of prevention—turning the science of de-extinction into a powerful new tool for conservation.

The post How Dire Wolf Technology is Saving the Rarest Wolves on Earth appeared first on Green Prophet.

A Fine Line in Paradise: Bird expert Adrian Skerrett on Cautious Development in the Seychelles

Off the powder-soft sands and turquoise waters of the Seychelles, a quiet storm is brewing—one that involves royalty, rats, and the last truly wild places left on Earth.

At the heart of it all is Assomption Island, what could be a jewel of an island in the remote Aldabra Group in the Outer Seychelles islands. While its neighboring atoll, Aldabra, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to rare flightless birds and thousands of nesting turtles, Assomption is scarred from a history of guano mining, a failed Indian army expansion plan, and is now the center of a controversial luxury development funded by Qatari investors –– linked to terror funding.

Adrian Skerrett, a long-time Seychelles resident on Mahé and a leading authority on its birdlife, has been watching over these islands for decades. He’s not against development but is for balance. As Chairman of the Island Conservation Society and editor of a number of definitive field guides on the region’s birds, he knows the tightrope between development and destruction better than anyone.

I know that if I am going to get any reliable information about the Seychelles, birders are the best choice. They are usually modest elders with experience, meticulous in documentation and they have a keen sense for the beautiful and fragile balance of life on earth. As a bonus, Skerrett is an accountant.

“We’re not against development,” he tells Green Prophet. “There are positives to come out of it. Some of our most successful conservation efforts are supported by tourism—eradication of rats, monitoring of turtles, even full-time conservation staff on islands like Alphonse.”

But Assomption is different, he says. And its development has roused a handful of international conservation organizations who believe that the development of Assomption will lead to a catastrophic downfall of nature. A lesson like that was learned in Thailand after The Beach movie turned Maya Beach into an over-touristed spot that devastated the nature around it. Thailand was able to roll back development, but will the Seychelles?

A Royal Playground Disguised as a Hotel?

Seychelles decided it wanted to develop and put out a tender which Qatar answered. It was the only group to answer. The proposed resort is being developed on Assomption Island by the Qatari Assets Development Company, part of the Assets Group, whose leadership—Moutaz and Ramez Al-Khayyat—are currently embroiled in UK lawsuits over alleged links to terrorist financing.

The development, Skerrett says, is “seemingly for private use, for members of the royal family.”

The concern? “There is no way this is a commercially viable hotel. The original plans were horrendous including jetties, construction and lighting right on top of the beach and development on the dunes creating nightmare risks of disturbance to nesting turtles and damage to fragile ecosystems. There was an apparent lack of concern for planning procedures.”

Despite early enthusiasm from the developers, Skerrett and his team were hired to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment—and what they found was alarming. (You can find the report here)

“We used our scientists and hired a number of other experts under the umbrella of ICS. I am Chairman, but the authors had a free reign to write what they saw without me,” he says.

“They wanted to build directly on the beach, on top of dune ecosystems. Some damage had already begun before we arrived.

“To be fair, following discussions, the developers made amendments to their original plans and agreed to a minimum 40-metre setback from the high-water mark while the proposed two jetties would be reduced to one, involving the rebuilding of the historical jetty to its former size and adding a floating pontoon to the end. The dune system had already been damaged prior to arrival of the ICS team and we are very concerned there will be further damage. We are also deeply concerned that the EIA beach set back will not be respected.

“Unfortunately we now have no access to Assomption to monitor the situation.”

In documentation and videos that Green Prophet found online through a hired “explorer” and which is being used to advertise the developer’s plans, we see photographers going on missions and walking around nesting sites on the islands while baby turtles are trying to make their way to the sea.

Who is overseeing the private explorations and fact-finding missions?

Assomption once boasted one of the most significant nesting beaches for endangered green turtles. Exploitation in the early 20^th century saw thousands taken. Every year thousands would be culled, until they crashed and disappeared. “Turtles take 30 to 40 years to mature. It was only much later that we started to see the impact of what happened decades ago,” says Skerrett.

He recalls a previous proposal to hand Assomption over to the Indian government for use as a military base—an idea that was met with strong public and environmental resistance. “It would have been an absolute disaster,” he says. “A deep-water port, heavy infrastructure—it was horrific.”

That plan was eventually scrapped due to public outcry, but now the concern is that tourism may be used as a political mask. “There is no way this is a commercially viable hotel.

“If the EIA is not respected, it will be an absolute disaster for the turtles.”

The development threatens a resurgence of turtles. Plans show construction stretching across the island’s best beaches, about a 3-mile stretch where turtles nest. Worse still, there’s currently no conservation presence.

“The Qataris want development along the entire stretch of beach,” says Skerrett.

“What we’re fighting for now is a model like Alphonse—where the investor pays a conservation levy, enabling year-round conservation presence, biodiversity monitoring and rehabilitation projects. Without it, this becomes a private playground with no accountability.”

Conservation Requires Teeth—and Cash

Skerrett and his colleagues have already created a foundation for Assomption, which has been merged with other existing foundations to create the Aldabra Group Foundation. Trustees would include government representatives, NGOs, and even Qatari stakeholders will be invited onto the board. The goal: fund full-time staff, implement rehabilitation programs, and, critically, eradicate invasive rats.

“If you’ve ever been to a rat-free island,” he says, “you feel the difference in the whole biodiversity. Lizards, birds—rats devastate everything.”

The rats on the outer islands, he adds with a dry laugh are “Arabic rats,” while those closer to Mahé are “French.”

The distinction is genetic—but poetic, given the geopolitical stakes.

Aldabra: What Could Go Wrong?

The ripple effects don’t stop at Assomption. Conservationists worry the project will increase traffic to Aldabra, potentially compromising biosecurity and fragile ecosystems.

“Motorised sports of any kind are strictly prohibited in the  Aldabra group for a reason,” says Skerrett. “But we have been advised that the promoters propose a comprehensive marine recreation facility on Assomption involving over two dozen boats and motorised water sports, as well as a marine workshop and repair facilities and additional accommodation, none of it envisaged under the initial masterplans which were subject to the EIA.

“We’re concerned this could bring pressure—more frequent helicopter visits, uncontrolled access, seeds on shoes, invasive species.”

The Seychelles Islands Foundation has promised oversight for biosecurity, but with no current supervision on Assomption and reports of construction crews already active, Skerrett is deeply uneasy.

“They initially wanted 1,500 workers. That’s insane. We said 500 max, but who knows what’s actually happening there right now.”

How You Can Help

The Island Conservation Society has established a UK-registered charity to support conservation in the Seychelles. Donations are tax-deductible, and funds go toward island-specific endowments—building a financial buffer for the future of biodiversity in the region.

For conservationists and ecotourists alike, Skerrett’s vision is clear:

“Tourism has brought us wealth, stability. You don’t see begging or homelessness here like in the West. But if we let private development run rampant, the cost will be our wildest places—and the creatures that call them home.”

Prior to the project, Assomption Island was not permanently inhabited by a civilian population. The only people who resided on the island were a small number of personnel from the Islands Development Company (IDC) who maintain the airstrip and oversee basic infrastructure.

The Islands Development Company (IDC) of Seychelles is a parastatal organization owned by the government, tasked with overseeing the sustainable development of the nation’s outer islands. The company plays a vital role in managing islands such as Alphonse, Assomption, and Farquhar, focusing on eco-tourism, conservation, and agricultural development.

The IDC is run by a board of directors: Cyril Bonnelame, who was appointed CEO in January 2025, leads the operational direction of the company, bringing over 25 years of experience in various sectors. The board, including directors such as Naadir Hassan (Chairperson) and Astride Tamatave (Vice-Chairperson), ensures strategic decision-making and policy implementation to align with national and environmental objectives.

IDC and ICS have signed an agreement, recognizing ICS as conservation advisors on all IDC islands.

The company plays a vital role in managing islands such as Alphonse, Assomption, and Farquhar, focusing on eco-tourism, conservation, and agricultural development.

There is no established community, and no public facilities like schools, hospitals, or stores on Assomption Island.

With limited oversight and major concerns voiced by local conservationists like Skerrett, this island will quietly become a playground for the ultra-rich without public scrutiny or ecological safeguards.

Green Prophet uncovered footage from Swedish photographer Jesper Anhede—hired by Qatari developers and now based in Qatar according to his LinkedIn profile —freely roaming turtle nesting sites on the islands during peak turtle season. He is also reaching out to his network on Instagram looking for developers who can help the Qatari investors build glamping sites for Qatari royalty.

This raises serious questions: who authorized these excursions? Who is regulating the access?

Green Prophet reached out to Anhede about environmental oversight when he is at the Seychelles and he quickly deleted his Instagram profile shortly thereafter and stopped replying to our messages.

If you believe in the power of transparency and storytelling to protect fragile ecosystems, reach out to the The Island Conservation Society. Let’s help them find the right allies —journalists, scientists, conservationists, and funders. Assomption may not have a population, but its silence doesn’t mean it has no voice.

It’s time we amplify it.

Send tips to seychelles@greenprophet.com

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If you’ve ever found your roof littered with stray bits of chicken bones, discarded tuna cans, and wrappers from snacks, you’ve probably encountered the handiwork of crows. These feathered scavengers aren’t just opportunistic when it comes to their food – they’re also highly skilled at solving complex problems. They are also highly skilled at evening scores if they have a vendetta against you or your dog.

But recent research has revealed that their intelligence doesn’t stop at finding food scraps and chasing dogs they don’t like; crows are proving to be mathematical savants with an impressive talent for spotting shapes. The research is reported in Science.

“Claiming that it is specific to us humans, that only humans can detect geometric regularity, is now falsified,” said Andreas Nieder, the study’s lead researcher. “Because we have at least the crow.”

Related: Birds in Iran migrate from polluted cities to less-polluted ones

Researchers have been studying carrion crows (Corvus corone), who have already demonstrated their remarkable problem-solving abilities.

In a new study, the crows were presented with sets of six shapes and tasked with identifying the odd one out. The challenge? The odd shape was sometimes just slightly different from the others – a distorted quadrilateral among otherwise perfectly regular shapes, or a crescent moon in a group of stars. And the crows? They aced it, detecting the odd shape with ease, even when it was rotated or scaled.

What makes this discovery even more fascinating is the fact that the crows didn’t just rely on simple visual cues; they were able to apply geometric reasoning. They could perceive subtle differences in shape, a skill that mirrors the kind of pattern recognition seen in humans. This advanced form of visual cognition is something that few animals, aside from humans and a few primates, can claim to possess.

But the mathematical prowess of crows doesn’t end there. Their intelligence extends into other areas as well. Crows are known to recognize faces, use tools, and even hold grudges. In fact, crows are notorious for carrying vendettas against humans or other animals they feel have wronged them. If you’ve ever witnessed a crow’s behavior shift dramatically after a negative encounter, you’ll know just how seriously they take these “feuds.” Their ability to remember and react to these past interactions suggests a deep level of cognitive processing, not unlike the complex emotions and social dynamics seen in humans.

“I hope that my colleagues are looking into other species,” said Nieder. “I’m pretty sure they may find that other intelligent animals can also do this.”

And then there’s the scavenging behavior. Crows seem to have a particular fondness for “treasure” in the form of human leftovers. On my roof, I often find signs of their recent visits – remnants of snacks they’ve swiped from construction sites or leftovers they’ve found in trash bins. From the naked bones of chickens to the crinkled bags of chips, crows are keen opportunists, making use of whatever they can find. But they don’t just forage blindly. Research suggests that they can plan their meals, choose the best times to scavenge, and even store food for later, anticipating when resources might be scarce.

As these intelligent birds continue to surprise us with their cognitive abilities, we may need to rethink how we view them and every animal on this planet.

Far from being mere scavengers, crows are complex problem-solvers, capable of advanced mathematical reasoning, emotional depth, and even strategic planning. So next time you find a crow’s “gift” on your roof, remember that it’s not just a bird with a good eye for food – it’s a true mastermind of shape detection and cognitive complexity.

The post Crows are nature’s mathematical geniuses and sneaky scavengers appeared first on Green Prophet.

New research published in Scientific Reports, describes a first-of-its-kind method of accurately detecting different pregnancy stages in killer whales using drone images. Understanding the reproductive success of whales is an important way of monitoring how vulnerable different populations are to threats such as vessel disturbance and food scarcity.

Prior to the introduction of this new method researchers have not been able to reliably detect early-stage pregnancy (before 11 months in a typical 17-month pregnancy for killer whales) without fecal-based hormonal analysis. This new approach promises to enable researchers to identify whale pregnancy earlier and at a significantly reduced labour cost.

In the northeast Pacific, three populations of killer whales – Bigg’s (or Transients), Southern Residents, and Northern Residents – have vastly different reproductive success rates. The Southern Residents are yet again experiencing the loss of another newborn calf, a total of three calves have perished within weeks of birth since December 2023, whereas the new Bigg’s and Northern Resident calves are thriving. Assessing how well calves are doing is only part of the picture – researchers also need a way of knowing how many pregnancies result in miscarriage.

The most exciting finding of the study is the ability to reliably distinguish non-pregnant whales from those in the early stages of pregnancy.

“Historically, when a late-stage pregnant whale is observed in poor condition is it often too late to take action that will improve the outcome for the calf,” said Dr. Chloe Robinson, study author and Director of the Whales Initiative at Ocean Wise. “With this new method we are able to detect early-stage pregnancy, allowing us to provide the mother with the best chance of carrying that pregnancy to full-term and producing a viable calf.”

The conservation application of this approach is that it allows researchers to understand historic miscarriage rates and inform near real-time management measures in response to detecting pregnant whales. Early-stage miscarriages currently go undetected, meaning government agencies are unaware of the true extent of reproductive failures.

Lack of access to food is one factor that significantly contributes to low reproductive success, and making the connection between a female whale’s nutritional condition and history of miscarriages informs what protections need to be enacted to prevent future miscarriages. This is especially useful for at-risk species experiencing reproductive failures and prey shortages, such as Resident killer whales in the northeast Pacific.

“Our main goal was to create a reliable method to better identify miscarriages in Resident killer whales. We hoped that in the process we would be able to detect pregnancy sooner but were awestruck by the ability to distinguish between non-pregnant and early pregnant individuals. These early detections mean that we will be able to detect miscarriages throughout the entire reproductive cycle as well as recognize vulnerable whales sooner,” said Brittany Visona-Kelly, study author and Senior Manager of the Ocean Wise Whale Health and Monitoring Program.

While the study focused on the Northern Resident killer whale population, a major benefit of the shape-based approach is that it can be applied to other drone image datasets for other killer whale populations. Because the method compares shapes rather than conventional measurements, drone images collected from individual whales can be analyzed so long as the whale is flat underneath the surface and all species-specific identifiers (six for killer whales) are visible.

“We used a shape-based approach as we wanted to create a highly adaptable method for pregnancy detection of free-swimming whales. The method can be applied to other killer whale populations and even other species globally if aerial images and demographic data are available,” said Visona-Kelly.

Building on this study, Ocean Wise hopes to enhance this approach by using artificial intelligence algorithms to reduce the time taken from image collection to pregnancy detection. Ultimately, this approach can be added to the arsenal of other near real-time conservation actions, including Ocean Wise’s Whale Report Alert System (WRAS), to increase protection measures for whales when they need it most.

Fast Facts about killer whales

• There are an estimated 50,000 killer whales in the world’s ocean with approximately 2,500 living in the eastern North Pacific Ocean.
• Southern Resident killer whales, who make their home in the eastern Northern Pacific waters, are estimated to have had a historical population of 140 whales. Today the endangered population is just 72 whales.
• Killer whales do not have specific breeding seasons, typically gestate for 15-18 months and have 2-6 years gaps between young.
• Female killer whales typically go through menopause in their twilight years (i.e., 50+ years of age)

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The Walmart Foundation has provided the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) a four-year grant that will significantly boost its work in Indonesia. The grant will support a landscape initiative in southern Aceh Province: a key region for forests and biodiversity and for smallholder farming communities.

Aceh is home to the highly biodiverse Leuser Ecosystem, frequently referred to as the “Last Place on Earth.” It is indeed the last place on Earth where orangutans, tigers, elephants, and rhinoceros are found to coexist.

The grant will enable WCS to support the Government of Indonesia in protecting and restoring this valuable forest and peatland landscape and improving the livelihoods of rural communities living at the forest edge.

Aceh Province has 3.5 million hectares of forest, which play a key role for biodiversity and in mitigating climate change but are threatened by the expansion of agricultural and industrial activities. Meanwhile, communities bordering important forest areas often experience poverty and have limited options for sustainable livelihoods.

These challenges play out in southern Aceh where the province’s last remaining intact peatland ecosystem—Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve—meets Gunung Leuser National Park, which makes up part of Southeast Asia’s largest intact rainforest. This area is also the only place where Sumatran elephant, orangutan, tiger, and rhino co-exist in the wild.

“Specifically, the grant will enable WCS to strengthen support for the government and a multi-stakeholder collaboration to translate national and provincial plans and conservation targets to the local level, supporting livelihoods and ecosystem integrity at scale,” said Joe Walston, Executive Vice President for WCS Global. “We are grateful for the Walmart Foundation’s commitment to help advance an inclusive multi-stakeholder platform for the landscape, ensuring the most vulnerable are part of developing sound management plans for the region.”

Field-based ‘SMART’ patrols and conservation area management plans will enhance the protection of key areas, including the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and other management units that serve as crucial habitat and wildlife corridors for endangered species.

Capacity building with 500 smallholder oil palm farmers will improve on-farm productivity and, along with broader community engagement and support for Forest Farmer Groups, will help to foster improved and more sustainable livelihoods, and reduce encroachment pressures facing the forest.

Related: how palm oil is destroying rainforests 

Said Julie Gehrki, VP and Chief Operating Officer, Walmart Foundation: “The rainforests and peatland ecosystems of southern Aceh are critically important for wildlife, people, and palm oil production. These are critical contributors to our global ecosystem and supply chain and we look forward to seeing how this work helps advance a more sustainable and inclusive landscape approach in the region.

“We’ve made a commitment to help protect, restore, or more sustainable manage at least 50 million acres of land by 2030—and the conservation efforts catalyzed by this work can act as an important contributor.”

::Walmart Foundation

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In a landmark collaboration, Colossal Biosciences and Re:wild have joined forces to tackle the global extinction crisis head-on. The partnership was unveiled during a recent virtual discussion moderated by Lindsay Nikole, a zoologist and science communicator on Colossal’s Youth Advisory Board. The conversation, which featured Matt James, chief animal officer at Colossal Biosciences, and Barney Long, senior director of conservation strategies at Re:wild, shed light on how the two organizations seek to revolutionize species conservation by merging cutting-edge de-extinction technology with proven conservation strategies.

Colossal Biosciences, a biotechnology powerhouse based in Dallas, is at the vanguard of applying advanced genetic technologies to conservation. With a team stacked with Ph.D. researchers specializing in genetics, genomics, and cell biology, Colossal is pioneering innovative tools to resurrect extinct species and fortify the populations of those teetering on the brink of extinction.

During the discussion, James declared, “Our mission is to make extinction a relic of the past. By harnessing the power of cutting-edge science, we are developing solutions that can have a profound, tangible impact on species conservation. This partnership with Re:wild allows us to channel our expertise and resources into projects that can make the greatest difference.”

Re:wild, a globally respected conservation organization, brings decades of experience protecting and restoring the planet’s most vulnerable species and ecosystems. Long emphasized the urgency of the partnership in addressing the mounting challenges facing biodiversity.

“When we started talking to Colossal, the idea of using new technologies, bringing in new tools into our toolbox to help these species, looking at those conservation breeding programs and how we can speed them up through some of these technologies or restore lost genes into populations to kind of walk back inbreeding, et cetera, just opens up a huge amount of really exciting possibilities and new tools in our toolkit for saving and recovering endangered species,” said Long.

Colossal Biosciences and Re:wild’s 10-Year Plan

The partnership’s ambitious 10-year plan, as discussed by James and Long, aims to prioritize projects that can deliver the most immediate and profound impact on species conservation. However, the success of these initiatives hinges not only on scientific breakthroughs, but also on the engagement and support of local communities.

“It really starts with the local stakeholders,” said James. “They must be on board, not just on board, but a part of the solution and they must benefit from the solution. So that’s really where projects like that advisory committee are coming in. It’s becoming a model for the way that we’re going to move forward with almost every program that we have.”

The alliance between Colossal Biosciences and Re:wild comes at a critical juncture in the global fight against biodiversity loss. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, over 44,000 species are currently threatened with extinction, representing 28% of all assessed species. This staggering figure underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to stem the tide of species loss.

As the partnership takes shape, the conservation community is watching with keen interest. The prospect of reviving extinct species and bolstering the populations of those on the precipice of disappearance has ignited the imagination of conservationists worldwide.

The partnership’s impact is set to extend far beyond the confines of individual species. By pioneering new technologies and methodologies, Colossal Biosciences and Re:wild are laying the groundwork for a new era of conservation — one that is proactive, adaptive, and deeply rooted in the power of collaboration.

“One of the things that we’re really troubled with, which is a great problem to have, is that we have so many different potential projects that we could focus on so many ways that we could apply our technologies in a meaningful way to species in need,” said James. “But that becomes a prioritization challenge. And Re:wild is one of the leading organizations in the world when it comes to conservation planning and implementation.

“And so early on we identified Re:wild as someone that we should be aligned with, somebody that we could work closely with in order to provide guidance for how we can leverage technologies in the most meaningful way for nature. And so my first few conversations with Barney were really exciting. It’s sort of kid in the candy store stuff when we start talking about where could we go with these things, what are the dreams we both have for species?”

As the world grapples with the accelerating loss of biodiversity, the alliance between Colossal Biosciences and Re:wild offers hope. Their bold vision and unwavering commitment to species conservation serve as a clarion call for all those who refuse to accept extinction as an inevitability.

As the partnership embarks on its groundbreaking journey, the eyes of the world are upon them. With their combined expertise, passion, and determination, Colossal Biosciences and Re:wild are poised to reshape the landscape of conservation and offer a lifeline to countless species that were once thought lost forever. The future of biodiversity hangs in the balance, and this remarkable collaboration, as illuminated by the recent discussion moderated by Lindsay Nikole, may just be the key to tipping the scales in favor of life.

Said James, “Barney and I sat down with our teams and in really an amazingly short period of time, we’re able to hammer out a 10-year conservation plan for how we think Colossal and Re:wild should be behaving in the conservation space and what species we could impact. And so I think that was really a testament for what a strong partnership we have and how much alignment there is between our two organizations.”

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We know from watching the movie Fly Away Home with Anna Paquin that Canadian geese bred in captivity identify and imprint on the first mother they see. We also learn that Canadian geese can learn to fly with airplanes, and then evetually rewild. True story. Does the Fly Away Home theory really work for all birds?

Bird biologists from Israel say there are two types of experiences affect the behavioral skills of animals: the animal’s environment during its early development but also its acquired experience. The researchers wanted to understand how migration is impacted when captive birds are released and how fast vultures they studied could acquire experience.

The biologists attached two groups of vultures with trackers –– one group was born in the wild, a second group was born in captivity. Could captive birds catch up with their wild counter-parts? The researchers find out the answer is yes, but it takes time.

This news will certain be useful for falconers in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where falconry is more than a sport. It’s a way of life. The Saudi prince takes his falcons on their own plane.

The researchers, led by Ron Efrat from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, followed Egyptian vultures during migration, a critical and challenging period for them, and investigated how their flying skills developed by examining their performance using high resolution tracking. Egypt borders Israel in the southern tip.

“We were able to generate data on the vultures’ migration and flying skills. The data made it possible to learn about the value of early experience and acquired experience and their impact on the ability of birds to cope with challenging periods such as migration,” explained Efrat, one of the lead investigators. “It seems that birds, like humans, are also affected by their life experience,” he said.falcon

The flight skills of two groups of birds of the species Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), a long-distance soaring raptor, were assessed using GPS transmitters for autumn migrations of 65 individuals.

The two groups were quite different in terms of their early life experiences: one group was raised in captivity and the other in the wild. The birds in both groups improved their flight and migration performance as they gained experience. However, the improvements observed were most evident for vultures raised in captivity.

During their first migration, the captive-bred birds were less efficient but were able to catch up with the migration performance of those raised in the wild as early as the second migration. Thus, the experience gained helped offset the shortcomings of their early life experience at an early stage.

Just as it is harder for humans to learn a language in old age, the vultures that hatched in captivity and were set free at a later age found it difficult to learn the necessary flying and roaming skills, but eventually caught up with those that learned earlier.

Vultures are being bred in Israel part of a new $7 million USD program to help their population. The plan includes breeding programs, safe nesting zones, feeding stations and the removal of poisoned animal carcasses from their habitats. Bedouin communities in the Negev and Arab farmers in the Wadi Ara area, Galilee have been laying out poison traps to target wolves, jackals and foxes that attack livestock. But the poison bait is inadvertently killing vultures. 

The research group in the latest vulture release research includes Prof. Nir Sapir from the University of Haifa, Prof. Thomas Mueller from Frankfurt University, and the Senckenberg Research Center in Germany, and Ohad Hatzofe, Bird Ecologist of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

Their findings were published in the journal Current Biology last month.

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