Conservation

The Canary Islands are a hotspot for critically endangered angelsharks (Squatina squatina), perhaps lured by the artificial beaches that provide safe havens for juveniles.

This Engineered Beach Is Good for Endangered Sharks and Tourists

In the Canary Islands, angel sharks and humans are attracted to the same habitat which, for once, isn’t bad for the wildlife

The new baby western lowland gorilla, which was born on May 27.

See the Endangered Gorilla Born at the National Zoo

The baby western lowland gorilla is the zoo's first since 2018

The three-foot-long fiberglass mermaid sold for $300 at auction.

Who Wants to Buy the Creepy Dolls and Bowling Balls That Wash Up on Texas Beaches?

Hundreds of eclectic items were auctioned off to help fund the rehabilitation of sea turtles and birds

Researchers Jessica Farrell and Sean Goggin collect water samples at Moultrie Creek in St. Augustine, Florida.

Scientists Can Now Pull Human DNA From Air and Water, Raising Privacy Questions

Environmental DNA helps monitor elusive and endangered animals, but it could be an ethical minefield when used with humans, new study shows

With wingspans of up to nine feet, California condors are the largest birds in North America.

Bird Flu Vaccine Approved in Emergency Effort to Save California Condors

The virus has set back the endangered birds' recovery, but a newly hatched chick is flu-free and being raised by veterinarians

Platypuses are egg-laying mammals with webbed feet and duck-like bills.

Platypuses Return to Australia's Oldest National Park

The egg-laying mammals haven't been seen at the site since the 1970s, but scientists hope the newly released creatures can re-establish a population

This ailing oak tree, seen being trimmed in winter 2023, was removed from Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo due to safety concerns.

Chicago Cuts Down Oak Tree Older Than the City Itself

At an estimated 250-300 years old, the ailing tree needed to be removed for safety reasons

Before they made their big flight to the South Pacific, the snails were adorned with dots of red, UV-reflective paint to help conservationists find them in the dark.

Scientists Reintroduce 5,000 Snails to French Polynesian Islands

The project's organizers say it's the largest-ever release of creatures that are extinct in the wild

The lioness, photographed by a trail camera in February, is likely around five years old.

First Lion Spotted in Chad National Park in 20 Years Is 'Beautiful' and 'Healthy'

A trail camera snapped a photograph of the lounging big cat, giving wildlife officials renewed hope about the species' recovery in West and Central Africa

A Togo slippery frog rests in grass.

It Takes a Village to Save a Frog

A community in Ghana rallies to help the Togo slippery frog, an effort that benefits their own people and other endangered wildlife

After Yellowstone National Park faced an unusually harsh winter, a large number of its nearly 6,000 bison migrated to find food and more temperate climates.

Controversial Yellowstone Hunt Kills More Than 1,100 Bison

The hunt is an effort to control the animal's population and protect cattle outside the park

A Colorado checkered whiptail

These Lizards Stress-Eat When Loud Military Aircraft Fly Overhead

Colorado checkered whiptails on a U.S. Army base show increased stress levels and altered behavior after noisy jets and helicopters pass by, a study finds

"AquaReinas," or costumed mermaid messengers with the Mermaid Society of Texas, participate in the 2022 Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest parade in San Marcos, Texas.

The Texas City Where Mermaids Inspire River Conservation

“Aquamaids” were once the stars at an amusement park in San Marcos. Now, they are making a comeback to help the environment

Using satellite-based datasets from 2003 to 2017, a new study identified significant decreases in average rainfall in Southeast Asia, as well as the Amazon and the Congo.

Deforestation Is Linked to Lower Rainfall, Study Says

The Amazon rainforest and other tropical regions face drying climates due to loss of trees

Marion Island is home to a quarter of all wandering albatrosses in the world.

The Ambitious Plan to Stop Mice From Eating Seabirds

Conservationists want to clear Marion Island of the pests, which are wreaking havoc on albatross and other nesting species

Snow petrels were among the seabird species that did not reproduce in Antarctica's Dronning Maud Land region in 2021-22.

Strong Snowstorms Prevented Tens of Thousands of Antarctic Seabirds From Breeding

With their nesting sites buried under a blanket of snow, some petrels and skuas made no attempts at reproducing in December 2021 and January 2022

An aerial view of the Vjosa River near the city of Permet taken on March 14, 2023.

One of Europe's Last Free-Flowing Rivers Declared a National Park

Albania will protect more than 31,000 acres of land, including the undammed Vjosa River

The National Audubon Society was founded in 1905 and named after naturalist John James Audubon, who died in 1851.

National Audubon Society Votes to Keep the Name of an Enslaver

The move has been criticized by some local chapters that have severed ties with naturalist and slaveholder John James Audubon

The sun sets over the Susquehanna River in northern Pennsylvania.

America's Waterways: The Past, Present and Future

In a series of articles, <em>Smithsonian</em> magazine highlights all that draws our eyes to our nation's fresh and coastal waters

In a new study, 300 volunteers collected data on almost 700 European hedgehogs&nbsp;across Denmark for research on their lifespan and inbreeding.

World's Oldest European Hedgehog Found by Citizen Scientists

The species faces several threats, but the 16-year-old mammal is “really good news for conservation”

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