wildlife

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It Doesn't Look Good for North America's Reindeer
It Doesn't Look Good for
North America's Reindeer
NEW STUDY
Aug 17, 2025 1:40 PM CDT

It Doesn't Look Good for North America's Reindeer

Wild caribou in Canada and Alaska could decline up to 80% by 2100 amid warming climate

(Newser) - Reindeer populations across the Arctic are facing a steep decline, with researchers warning that numbers could drop by as much as 80% by the end of this century. The finding, led by scientists from the University of Adelaide and the University of Copenhagen, highlights the North American herds—known...

Florida's Python Hunt Scores a Record Haul

Hunters remove nearly 300 invasive snakes in 10 days

(Newser) - A record haul marked this year's Florida Python Challenge, with nearly 300 Burmese pythons removed from the wild, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials. The 10-day event, which ran from July 11 to 20, saw a significant jump in participation—934 hunters from 30 states...

Colorado's 'Frankenstein Bunnies' Are Nothing to Fear

They're infected with the mostly harmless Shope papillomavirus , which makes them grow 'horns'

(Newser) - A group of rabbits in Colorado with grotesque, hornlike growths may seem straight out of a low-budget horror film, but scientists say there's no reason to be spooked—the furry creatures merely have a relatively common virus. The cottontails recently spotted in Fort Collins are infected with the mostly...

Rabid Fox Bites 2 in Same Morning in North Carolina

Both victims treated after attacks in Aberdeen neighborhood

(Newser) - A fox tested positive for rabies after attacking two people in Aberdeen, North Carolina, in separate incidents just 30 minutes apart, authorities said this week. Both encounters occurred the morning of August 11, with the first bite reported on Midway Road around 8:05am and the second on Sycamore...

'Bear Dogs' Step In as Grizzlies Converge Upon Montana Farms

Livestock guardian breeds help keep bears away from farmyards

(Newser) - Grizzly bears, once nearly wiped out in the lower 48 states, are making a comeback on Montana's plains. And as their numbers rebound, they've developed a taste for the easy pickings found on local farms—grain, apples, chickens, and even calves. This new proximity is unnerving for...

Texas Hunter Killed by His African Prey
Texas Hunter Killed
by His African Prey
in case you missed it
Aug 10, 2025 6:50 AM CDT

Texas Hunter Killed by His African Prey

Asher Watkins was tracking Cape buffalo, one of Africa's most dangerous animals, with guides

(Newser) - A Texas man's hunting trip in South Africa ended in his own death—by a Cape buffalo he was pursuing. Asher Watkins, 52, was killed by the 1.3-ton buffalo in Limpopo province on Sunday during an expedition organized by Coenraad Vermaak Safaris. The safari company said Watkins...

Robot Rabbits Join Florida's Fight Against Invasive Snakes
In Fight Against Pythons,
Florida Stuffs 40 Toy Bunnies
in case you missed it
Aug 9, 2025 1:00 PM CDT

In Fight Against Pythons, Florida Stuffs 40 Toy Bunnies

Robotic rabbits join state's battle against invasive Burmese pythons in the Everglades

(Newser) - Florida's ongoing battle with invasive Burmese pythons has gone high tech, with wildlife teams now deploying robotic rabbits to help find and capture the elusive snakes. The solar-powered, remote-controlled decoys look and smell like marsh rabbits—favored python prey—and even emit heat signatures to lure the snakes...

Wildlife Officials Euthanize 'Unusual' Moose in NY

Popular hiking trail in Adirondacks was shut down over animal's behavior

(Newser) - A sad update to a moose mystery: Officials say a bull moose that had been displaying "unusual behavior" on Goodman Mountain in the Adirondacks, causing the closure of a trail, has been euthanized, the Adirondack Explorer reports. New York state's Department of Environmental Conservation said that a wildlife...

Woman Opens Door to 'a Giant Ball of Viciousness'

Massachusetts resident receives face scratches, then rabies treatment

(Newser) - A Massachusetts woman's late-night encounter with an aggressive assailant left her bloodied—and in need of rabies treatment. Katharine VanBuskirk, 69, says she was attacked by a relentless raccoon outside her Somerville home around 1am Saturday while letting her two dogs into the backyard, per the Boston Globe...

This City Is Battling a Squirrel Scourge

Locals in Minot, ND, have been fighting the rodents for 2 decades, and the humans aren't winning

(Newser) - The Richardson's ground squirrel weighs less than a pound, is about a foot long, and is native to the northern Plains. The little critter also is a ferocious tunneler and is exasperating the folks of Minot, North Dakota, where it's burrowing everywhere from vacant lots to the middle...

With Ranger Numbers Down, Squirrels Take Over Yosemite
With Ranger Numbers Down,
Squirrels Take Over Yosemite
in case you missed it
Jul 13, 2025 7:20 AM CDT

With Ranger Numbers Down, Squirrels Take Over Yosemite

Rodents are becoming a lot more aggressive with fewer staff to discourage feeding

(Newser) - As ranger numbers dwindle in Yosemite National Park, squirrels are boldly taking over picnic spots and hiking trails—leaving visitors fending off persistent rodents and raising new concerns for both wildlife and human health. The park has seen an uptick in aggressive squirrel behavior, particularly in popular tourist spots...

Zimbabwe Approves Killing, Eating More Elephants

Plan targets overpopulation at private game reserve

(Newser) - Dozens of elephants in Zimbabwe are set to be killed in a controversial effort to control soaring population numbers, with the meat to be distributed to local communities. The move comes as officials warn that elephant numbers in the Save Valley Conservancy, a major private game reserve in the...

In California Town, the Birds Are 'Exploding'

Authorities suspect foul play may be involved in avian deaths in Richmond

(Newser) - There's a mystery in a Northern California town involving dozens of birds dropping from the sky, and signs point to a nefarious cause. Residents of Richmond say they've even seen some feathered friends "exploding," with security footage showing one bird plummeting to its death off a...

Teens Found With 5K Ants in Test Tubes Are Sentenced

Belgium's Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijck can choose between a fine and prison

(Newser) - Two Belgian teenagers found with 5,000 ants in Kenya were on Wednesday given a choice of paying a fine of $7,700 or serving 12 months in prison—the minimum penalty for the offense—for violating wildlife conservation laws. Magistrate Njeri Thuku said in her ruling that despite the...

Biggest Bridge of Its Kind Hits Milestone in California

First soil is laid on Annenberg crossing, which will be used by wildlife to get across the 101

(Newser) - Crews in California are building what will be the biggest bridge of its kind upon completion, and they reached a critical milestone this week: Workers laid the first soil on the structure—which is designed for wildlife, not humans. As the Los Angeles Times explains, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing...

Amid Slew of Bear Attacks, Slovakia Gets Out Its Guns

The nation will cull 350 brown bears from its ranks, though conservationists are pushing back

(Newser) - There are about 1,300 brown bears living in Slovakia, but it's not a peaceful coexistence with the people who also live there: The AP reports that last year alone, there were 1,900 bear attacks against humans, according to Environment Minister Tomas Taraba. Now, after a recent attack...

Kansas Man Is on a Mission to Legalize Pet Raccoons

Stephen Kaspar says 'It's like any other exotic breed,' but critics of the bill fear rabies

(Newser) - About 20 states allow for the keeping of raccoons as pets, and if Stephen Kaspar is successful in his latest mission, Kansas will be next. The Lenexa resident is behind a push to pass a bill that would legalize raccoon ownership, with "clear evidence that proper regulation can ensure...

Only 20 Red Wolves Exist in Wild. A New Plan May Help

Wildlife crossing to be built in North Carolina refuge

(Newser) - Hunters were once the greatest human threat to the country's only unique wolf species. Today, it's motorists. That fact was brought home last June, when red wolf breeding male No. 2444 was struck and killed on US 64 near Manns Harbor, North Carolina. His death likely meant five...

Trump Jr. in Trouble Over Italian Duck Hunt

Italian lawmaker says president's son killed a rare bird and violated law

(Newser) - Donald Trump Jr.'s love of hunting is well documented, including by the president's son himself—and that habit has gotten him into some hot water in Italy over the demise of a rare duck. As AFP reports, Trump Jr. posted video to his Field Ethos side hustle...

When One Chimpanzee Pees, Another Might Follow
Researchers Spent 600 Hours
Watching Chimpanzees Pee
new study
Jan 22, 2025 12:50 PM CST

Researchers Spent 600 Hours Watching Chimpanzees Pee

Study finds urination is a slightly contagious behavior

(Newser) - Watch someone yawn and there's a chance you'll yawn, too. Watch someone pee and ... well, if you're a chimpanzee, there's a chance you'll end up urinating as well. So finds a new paper published Monday in Current Biology that NPR reports spun out of a...

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