Endangered Species | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/endangered-species/RSS feed for Endangered SpeciesenFri, 26 Jun 2026 18:00:00 +0000Speed Limits for Ships Protect Endangered Right Whales From Vessel Strikes. Could the Animals Survive Without Them?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/speed-limits-for-ships-protect-endangered-right-whales-from-vessel-strikes-could-the-animals-survive-without-them-180989013/Since 2008, rules requiring ships to slow down to avoid collisions with North Atlantic right whales have reduced fatalities of the critically endangered animals. Now, NOAA is calling the regulations into question, raising concerns for the mammals’ futureFri, 26 Jun 2026 18:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/speed-limits-for-ships-protect-endangered-right-whales-from-vessel-strikes-could-the-animals-survive-without-them-180989013/How One German Button Maker Searched the Rivers of the American Midwest for the Shells That Could Make Him a Fortunehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-one-german-button-maker-searched-the-rivers-of-the-american-midwest-for-the-shells-that-could-make-him-a-fortune-180989012/John Boepple settled in Muscatine, Iowa, where he produced pearl buttons made from freshwater mussel shells. His innovations brought economic prosperity to the town—and disaster to the local mussel populationsThu, 25 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-one-german-button-maker-searched-the-rivers-of-the-american-midwest-for-the-shells-that-could-make-him-a-fortune-180989012/Scientists Discover a New Species of 'Walking' Shark in Papua New Guinea. They Suspect It's at Risk of Going Extincthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-a-new-species-of-walking-shark-in-papua-new-guinea-they-suspect-its-at-risk-of-going-extinct-180988977/The creature belongs to a unique group of sharks whose members can use their strong pectoral fins like legs to get aroundWed, 17 Jun 2026 20:41:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-a-new-species-of-walking-shark-in-papua-new-guinea-they-suspect-its-at-risk-of-going-extinct-180988977/Trail Camera Photos Capture Rare Antelopes in a Kenya Forest Where Conservationists Once Feared They Had Vanishedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/trail-camera-photos-capture-rare-antelopes-in-a-kenya-forest-where-conservationists-once-feared-they-had-vanished-180988904/Fewer than 100 mountain bongos are thought to live in the wild, and the new discovery reveals a crucial habitat for the critically endangered creaturesMon, 08 Jun 2026 20:38:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/trail-camera-photos-capture-rare-antelopes-in-a-kenya-forest-where-conservationists-once-feared-they-had-vanished-180988904/'Playful Youngster': See the Rare, Endangered Przewalski's Horse Born at the Bronx Zoohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/playful-youngster-see-the-rare-endangered-przewalskis-horse-born-at-the-bronx-zoo-180988873/The foal was born on April 21 and is now romping around with the rest of the herd in the zoo's seasonal Wild Asia Monorail exhibit. It belongs to a species whose members are often considered the last truly wild horsesMon, 01 Jun 2026 21:32:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/playful-youngster-see-the-rare-endangered-przewalskis-horse-born-at-the-bronx-zoo-180988873/Four Rare Guam Kingfisher Chicks Hatch at Virginia Facility, Making an 'Incredibly Valuable' Addition to the Small Population of Extinct-in-the-Wild Birdshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/four-rare-guam-kingfisher-chicks-hatch-at-virginia-facility-making-an-incredibly-valuable-addition-to-the-small-population-of-extinct-in-the-wild-birds-180988863/The species, also known as the sihek, was wiped out from its native Guam and kept alive in captivity. Conservationists released some birds on Palmyra Atoll in 2024, and they have been thriving so farFri, 29 May 2026 21:00:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/four-rare-guam-kingfisher-chicks-hatch-at-virginia-facility-making-an-incredibly-valuable-addition-to-the-small-population-of-extinct-in-the-wild-birds-180988863/You’re Guaranteed to Spot at Least One Gorgeous Giraffe in Each of These 15 Stunning and Awe-Inspiring Imageshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/youre-guaranteed-to-spot-at-least-one-gorgeous-giraffe-in-each-of-these-15-stunningly-awe-inspiring-images-180988838/With their singular coats, naturally craning collars and elegant gait, these skyscraping mammals can’t help but attract sightseers to their neck of the woodsFri, 29 May 2026 11:59:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/youre-guaranteed-to-spot-at-least-one-gorgeous-giraffe-in-each-of-these-15-stunningly-awe-inspiring-images-180988838/Mediterranean Monk Seals Hide in Underwater 'Bubble Caves' to Avoid Tourists During the Busy Summer Season, a Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mediterranean-monk-seals-hide-in-underwater-bubble-caves-to-avoid-tourists-during-the-busy-summer-season-a-study-suggests-180988775/Researchers caught the rare pinnipeds resting and sleeping in a secluded chamber on the Greek islet of Formicula. The findings suggest that these small caves should be included in efforts to protect the animals' habitatThu, 21 May 2026 14:40:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mediterranean-monk-seals-hide-in-underwater-bubble-caves-to-avoid-tourists-during-the-busy-summer-season-a-study-suggests-180988775/