Conservation

Polar bears live in rugged, hard-to-reach places in the Arctic.

DNA Pulled From Paw Prints May Help Researchers Study Elusive Polar Bears

As rising temperatures threaten the Arctic mammals, scientists are turning to new, non-invasive methods to study them

A De Winton's golden mole. A member of the species hadn't been definitely seen since 1936.

Scientists Uncover a Golden Mole Species Thought to Be 'Possibly Extinct'

A scent-detecting dog led the team to the discovery in South Africa, and traces of mole DNA helped confirm it

Alice Tate-Harte, a conservator at English Heritage, works on a 17th-century portrait of Diana Cecil.

See a 17th-Century Portrait Restored to Its Original Appearance, Minus Lip Fillers and Other Touch-Ups

Conservators removed cosmetic changes made to a painting of English aristocrat Diana Cecil, likely to match 19th-century beauty standards

Wolverines live in snowy, high-elevation habitats.

Wolverines Receive Federal Protection as a Threatened Species in the Lower 48 States

The carnivorous mammals will increasingly face habitat loss and fragmentation because of climate change, according to scientists

The horned marsupial frog, which carries its eggs in a pouch on its back, lives in the canopy of tropical rainforests.

The Surprise Reappearance of a Rare Frog Has Scientists Leaping to Protect Its Habitat

The marsupial frog, which incubates its young in a pouch on its back, was thought to be extinct in some countries

Green sea turtles are struggling because of climate change, habitat destruction, erosion and other threats.

Metal Pollution May Be Making More Green Sea Turtles Female

In addition to warming temperatures, new research finds contaminants might contribute to the endangered reptiles' skewed sex ratios

The Australasian crested grebe, or pūteketeke, won New Zealand's Bird of the Century contest with 290,000 votes.

Puking Bird Wins New Zealand's Bird of the Century Contest After John Oliver Campaign

The comedian launched an “alarmingly aggressive” global effort on behalf of the pūteketeke to shore up its victory in the annual popularity competition

Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, photographed by a camera trap

Scientists Find 'Lost' Echidna Species for the First Time in 60 Years

An expedition team in Indonesia spotted the elusive, egg-laying mammal, which is named after David Attenborough and had not been documented since 1961

In recent years, the European perch (Perca fluviatilis) population has been steadily declining due to the combined impact of climate change, pollution and overfishing.

Italian Divers Revive Centuries-Old Tradition to Help Save European Perch

Nurseries built from bundles of tree branches may help conserve the freshwater fish in the age of climate change

In the village of Tautira, Tahiti, the community came together to impose their own set of fishing restrictions to ensure the availability of fish into the future.

How an Ancient Practice Aids Marine Conservation

In French Polynesia, the art of rahui puts everyone in charge of protecting the sea

Wildcats appear very similar to domestic cats, but they are slightly larger with longer legs.

Domestic Cats Could Breed Scottish Wildcats Out of Existence

Just a few decades of intermixing affected the DNA of all sampled modern wildcats, researchers say, suggesting the species may be "genomically extinct"

Xiao Qi Ji (pictured) and his parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, are leaving Washington, D.C. on November 8.

The National Zoo's Giant Pandas Bid Washington, D.C. Farewell

The three beloved bears will depart for China later today, traveling in style on a FedEx cargo plane

Detail of the rediscovered "fiend" in Joshua Reynolds' painting The Death of Cardinal Beaufort (1789)

Hidden Demon Revealed in the Shadows of a Joshua Reynolds Painting

Conservators have restored the malignant spirit, which generated controversy among 18th-century audiences

Julie Packard by Hope Gangloff is on view at the National Portrait Gallery in the new show, "Forces of Nature: Voices That Shaped Environmentalism."

Meet the Steely Gaze of Environmentalism

A new show at the National Portrait Gallery focuses on the defenders of Mother Earth over the past 150 years

In 2020, the American Ornithological Society dubbed this bird, formerly named for a Confederate general, the “thick-billed longspur."

Why Dozens of North American Birds Will Soon Get New Names

In a bid to make birding more inclusive, the American Ornithological Society will give new monikers to several species named after people

North Atlantic right whales face threats of entanglement in fishing gear and injuries caused by ships.

North Atlantic Right Whale Numbers May Be Stabilizing at Last

After a decade of decline, the latest population estimate is good news—but conservationists say we "have a long ways to go" to safeguard the marine mammals

With a baby in tow, a gray-headed flying fox uses her large eyes to navigate, rather than relying on echolocation as other bat species do. 

Why Australians Are Growing to Appreciate These Giant, Threatened Bats

Once seen as a menace, the gray-headed flying fox brings new life after recent devastating wildfires

Chinese mitten crabs compete with native species for habitat and food.

These Furry-Clawed Crabs Are Wreaking Havoc in the United Kingdom

Conservation officials have installed the first Chinese mitten crab trap in England, and they are asking the public to report any sightings

Mass Audubon's science coordinator Mark Faherty examines a horseshoe crab in Pleasant Bay, where he has conducted research on them for years.

New Synthetic Horseshoe Crab Blood Could Mean Pharma Won't Bleed the Species Dry

The “living fossils” have been vital for testing intravenous drugs, but a few large pharmaceutical companies are using a lab-made compound instead

California condors are attracted to shiny things and sometimes ingest wrappers, coins and padlock keys.

'Love Locks' at the Grand Canyon Could Be Harming Endangered California Condors

Park service officials urged visitors to stop attaching padlocks to fences and throwing keys into the canyon below, where the birds could eat them

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