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Stories from Sarah Kuta

Malaysian customs officials seized thousands of pounds of elephant tusks, pangolin scales, rhino horns and other animal parts in July.

Malaysia Authorities Seize Elephant Tusks, Rhino Horns Worth $18 Million

Criminals had hidden the contraband animal parts in a container full of sawn timber

Elephant trunks are strong and precise.

Skin Helps Explain Why Elephant Trunks Are So Handy

Researchers discovered that the skin on the top of the trunk is more pliable and can stretch farther than the bottom

Patients who are struggling with everything from ADHD to eating disorders have turned to art therapy for help.

How Making Art Helps Improve Mental Health

With depression and anxiety on the rise during the pandemic, more professionals may adopt art therapy as a treatment

A scene from "Light and Magic"

This Visual Effects Studio Transformed Movies Forever

A new documentary tells the story of Industrial Light and Magic, the pioneering team that brought films like “Star Wars” and “Jurassic Park” to life

The underground pitchers of Nepenthes pudica

This New Species of Carnivorous Pitcher Plant Traps Its Prey Underground

Researchers discovered the new specimen in the rainforests of Borneo

The new Hong Kong Palace Museum

How the Hong Kong Palace Museum Is Forging Its Own Identity

The new museum overcame a rocky start and a typhoon delay to open to eager crowds on July 3

Scientists asked participants to record their emotions and hunger levels five times a day for three weeks.

Getting ‘Hangry’ Is Real, Science Suggests

A new study explores the link between hunger and anger in the real world—and finds a connection

Models holding hands in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2019

How Fashion Helped Shape Africa’s Cultural Renaissance

A new exhibition at the V&A in London explores historic and contemporary African designers, photographers, models, makeup artists and illustrators

Helicopters fly above the collapsed section of the Marmolada glacier in Italy.

Glacier Collapse Kills Seven Hikers Amid Record Heat in Italy’s Dolomites

Rescuers are still searching for missing people after the deadly avalanche on Marmolada on Sunday

A fresco depicting the abduction of Europa by Zeus, in the form of a bull

See the Hidden, 500-Year-Old Frescoes Discovered at the Prince’s Palace of Monaco

Restoration experts spent years preserving the artworks, which are now on view as the royal residence reopens for the summer

The female python weighed 215 pounds and measured 18 feet long.

Florida Biologists Capture Record-Breaking 215-Pound Python

Invasive Burmese pythons are wreaking havoc on native wildlife and ecosystems in the Everglades

Ralph Samuelson on water skiis

The Man Who Invented Water Skiing

One hundred years ago, Ralph Samuelson successfully skied across the waters of Lake Pepin

Scientists are studying ancient wolves to better understand the domestication of dogs.

Dogs May Have Evolved From Two Different Wolf Populations

A massive new wolf family tree dating back 100,000 years could help researchers understand where dogs were first domesticated

The remains of an ancient tortoise in Pompeii

In Pompeii, Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Pregnant Tortoise

The tortoise was likely looking for a safe place to lay her egg when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E.

The Tower of London with the slogan "End Polio Now" on World Polio Day in October 2021

Poliovirus Found in London Sewage

No cases have been reported and the overall risk to the public is low, but public health officials are urging vaccination

FBI agents loading Basquiat paintings into vehicles at the Orlando Museum of Art

FBI Seizes 25 Basquiat Paintings Off a Florida Museum’s Walls

Federal agents are investigating the origin of the works, which were on display at the Orlando Museum of Art

Fresh copi on ice

Can Rebranding Invasive Carp Make It More Appealing to Eat?

Illinois is giving the problematic fish a new name—copi—in hopes of tempting more diners to chow down

Charlotte Bischoff van Heemskerck sees the portrait for the first time since it was stolen.

Nazi-Looted Painting Returned to 101-Year-Old Dutch Woman

Over 75 years ago, Germans stole ‘Portrait of Steven Wolters’ from Charlotte Bischoff van Heemskerck’s father

A frog-eating bat

Wild Bats Can Recognize a Phone’s Ringtone Four Years Later

The findings could help researchers understand more about the advantages and disadvantages of long-term memory in animals

In June, a World War II barge became visible in the Po River

Drought in Italy Reveals Sunken World War II Barge

The Po, Italy’s largest river, is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years

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