wildlife

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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...

Wildlife Officials Can't Figure Out What's Up With 'Unusual' Moose

DEC officials in New York's Adirondacks have shut down popular hiking trail over animal's behavior

(Newser) - Visitors to the Adirondacks are now being urged to avoid one particular hiking path, at least until state authorities can figure out what's going on with one specific moose wandering around the area. Officials from New York state's Department of Environmental Conservation say they've been fielding reports...

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...

Oil Spill in Boston River Soaks Wildlife

Rescuers are treating dozens of affected birds in the Muddy River

(Newser) - Wildlife rescuers were rushing Monday to tend to dozens of geese and ducks that were soaked in oil after an apparent spill in a Boston river. Police and fire departments were dispatched to the Muddy River on the border of Boston and the town of Brookline a little after noon...

YouTuber Graham 'Dingo' Dinkelman Dies From Snake Bite

Conservationist known as 'South Africa's Steve Irwin' died after month in induced coma

(Newser) - A wildlife conservationist and YouTuber known as "South Africa's Steve Irwin" died over the weekend, a month after being bitten by a venomous snake. USA Today reports that Graham "Dingo" Dinkelman, 44, had been in an induced coma in intensive care from anaphylactic shock since he was...

Python Scarfs Down Entire 77-Pound Deer

In the Florida Everglades

(Newser) - Florida researchers tracking snakes in the Everglades were recently treated to quite an "impressive feat": a female Burmese python devouring a 77-pound white-tailed deer, whole. And they've released the footage of when they made their discovery, showing the python's mouth stretched to 93% of its maximum gape,...

This Lake Just Saw Its Worst Botulism Outbreak

More than 94K birds have died at Tule Lake, with outbreak tied to climate change, per officials

(Newser) - California's Tule Lake has seen its fair share of disasters in recent years. In 2020, a botulism outbreak at the national wildlife refuge killed an estimated 60,000 birds. The following year, birds vanished as the lake, which has existed for hundreds of thousands of years, dried up for...

Only 18 Red Wolves Exist in the US Wild. Rescue Efforts Are on

FWS expert says it's 'a serious roller coaster' to save the endangered species from cars, guns

(Newser) - Red wolves used to frolic throughout the eastern United States, their habitats stretching from Pennsylvania to Texas. Now, there are fewer than two dozen left in the wild, settled in a handful of counties in northeastern North Carolina. Experts are trying their best to save the endangered canine from extinction,...

Mom Survives Bear Mauling During Jog, Thanks to Hair Clip

And her German shepherd's barking, which 'saved my life,' says Vanessa Chaput of Yukon encounter

(Newser) - Vanessa Chaput is familiar with the paved trail between her hometown of Haines Junction, in Canada's Yukon territory, and a local campground, and so that's where she chose to take a late-night jog on June 30 with her German shepherd Luna. The sight before her on the trail,...

Banksy Is Going Full-On Animal
Banksy Is Going Full-On Animal
Aug 12, 2024 1:00 PM CDT

Banksy Is Going Full-On Animal

Famed street artist is dotting London with depictions of a rhino, wolf, piranhas, and more

(Newser) - Street artist Banksy on Monday unveiled a new mural of a rhinoceros that looks like it's climbing on top of a car in London—the eighth animal-themed artwork he has posted in the past week in a collection that includes elephants, a goat, a wolf, pelicans, and more. The...

Family Gets Really Creative in Saving Orphaned Baby Bird

Meet Taquito, a Mississippi kite swaddled in warm tortilla until it could be brought to Texas rehab center

(Newser) - A group of Texans enjoying a summer barbecue stumbled upon a surprise guest, and came up with a surprising way to save it. Per a Facebook post , the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center based in Amarillo said it got a call from the Adlong family earlier this month, reporting a...

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