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Animals

One of the birds is known as A1, or ‘Hlow Hoo-let,’ which means “At last I (or we) fly!”

These California Condors Might Be Tending to the Species’ First Egg in the State’s Northern Region in More Than a Century

Experts haven’t confirmed the existence of an egg, but the nesting birds’ behaviors suggest one was laid in early February

Jaguars in Porto Jofre, Brazil, support a lucrative tourism industry, leading conservationists to argue that the big cats are most valuable when they’re alive.

In the World’s Best Place to See Wild Jaguars, Residents Are Using the Big Cat’s Appeal to Reach Conservation Goals

Brazil’s Pantanal region has the highest jaguar density on Earth, drawing camera-toting visitors to its riverbanks. Despite overtourism concerns, one enclave may offer a model for how to protect the charismatic apex predator

Sue the T. rex is one of the largest and most complete skeletons of the species ever discovered. She's housed at the Field Museum in Chicago and was analyzed in this study along with three other specimens.

Like an ‘Eight-Ton Chicken,’ Tyrannosaurus Rex May Have Run on Its Tiptoes to Catch Speedy Prey

A new study suggests that the giant dinosaurs’ locomotion resembled that of modern-day birds

The annual "catastrophic" molt of the emperor penguin makes the birds especially vulnerable to climate change.

Emperor Penguins’ Annual Molt Might Put Them in Peril. The Sea Ice They Rely on During This Vulnerable Period Is Disappearing

The birds’ already risky molting strategy—in which they shed and regrow all their feathers at once—is becoming even more hazardous due to climate change

New research finds a genetic link between modern Old Irish goats and goats living in Ireland during the Late Bronze Age.

These Majestic Goats Have Been Traipsing Around Ireland for at Least 3,000 Years, Research Suggests

Goat bones dating to between 1100 B.C.E. and 900 B.C.E. were a close genetic match for modern Old Irish goats, a historic breed with declining numbers

Researchers collected chimp urine from leaves and puddles on the forest floor in Uganda.

Wild Chimpanzees Love to Eat Boozy Fruit. Scientists Say the Proof Is in Their Pee

The work further hints that humans may have inherited our penchant for alcohol from our ape ancestors

Female caribou grow antlers, which they shed just a few days before giving birth.

Caribou Are the Only Deer Species in Which Females Grow Antlers. Scientists Just Figured Out Why

New research suggests female reindeer antlers serve as postpartum snacks, with new moms munching on them after giving birth to get a much-needed boost of protein, calcium and phosphorus

Some caterpillars need ants to care for them. 

Needy Caterpillars Vibrate to Complex Rhythms to Communicate With Ants

Researchers have found that some butterfly caterpillars mimic the meticulously timed movements of ants to win their favor and protection

Researchers are collecting observational data to learn more about the outbreak. 

Northern Elephant Seals Test Positive for Deadly, Highly Infectious H5N1 Bird Flu for the First Time

About 30 seals at a California state park have died, and seven of them had the lethal virus. Lab results for the other animals are pending

Tiger Kingdom facilities are popular tourist attractions in Thailand.

Seventy-Two Captive Tigers in Thailand Die From Dangerous Infections, Sparking Concerns Over Animal Welfare

An animal foundation asks why the big cats weren’t vaccinated against a well-known virus

Researchers think some of the footprints were made by barefoot humans roughly 2,000 years ago.

Cool Finds

A Couple Walking Their Dogs Noticed 2,000-Year-Old Footprints on the Beach. They Were Visible for Just Days Before Waves Erased Them Forever

Archaeologists raced to document the semi-fossilized tracks in eastern Scotland. They were likely made by humans, deer and other animals during the late Iron Age

New research suggests horses are singing and whistling at the same time when they whinny.

How Do Horses Whinny? Scientists Say They’ve Figured Out How the Majestic Animals Make This Distinctive Sound

An equine makes the low-pitched part of its whinny by vibrating its vocal cords—similar to how humans speak and sing—and the high-pitched part by whistling

The study focused on Kanzi, a language-trained bonobo who died in March 2025 at the age of 44.

Can Apes Play Pretend? What Scientists Learned From Having Imaginary ‘Tea Parties’ With Kanzi the Bonobo

A new study provides evidence for imagination in a captive-raised, English language-trained animal

Researchers have produced hundreds of Galápagos tortoises genetically related to the extinct Floreana Island subspecies, thanks to a surprising discovery and captive breeding program.

Giant Tortoises Vanished From the Galápagos’ Floreana Island More Than 150 Years Ago. Now, Conservationists Have Brought Them Back

Researchers released captive-bred tortoises carrying the ancestry of the extinct local species

Screenshot from the footage of a sleeper shark seen in Antarctica's waters

See the First Known Footage of an Elusive Southern Sleeper Shark Swimming in Antarctica’s Near-Freezing Waters

It might be the southernmost encounter with a shark ever documented

A reconstruction of Archaeopteryx, including its recently discovered oral papillae, flexible tongue, and bill-tip organ at the end of its beak.  

Scientists Still Have So Much to Learn About Archaeopteryx, the Dinosaur That May Have Flown Like a Bird

A new study suggests features in the prehistoric creature’s mouth helped it eat more efficiently, giving the species the energy needed to go airborne

Spinosaurus mirabilis prowled around what is now Africa some 95 million years ago.

This Massive, Meat-Eating Dinosaur Was a ‘Hell Heron’ That Waded Into Shallow Waters to Nab Slippery Fish

Paleontologists unearthed a new species of Spinosaurus in the Sahara Desert in Niger, a discovery that adds to the debate over whether the prehistoric creatures were fully or semi-aquatic

Japanese chin dogs had some of the highest rates of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome in the study. 

These 12 Popular Dog Breeds Are at Risk of Breathing Problems Related to Their Short Snouts, a New Study Suggests

Past research on brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome—a chronic, hereditary disease associated with flat faces—has focused mainly on just three breeds

Based on Andrewsarchus’ skull size and the skull-to-body-size ratios of other hoofed predators called mesonychids, scientists estimated in 1924 that the beast was more than 12 feet long and about 6 feet tall. Reassessments of Andrewsarchus’ evolutionary tree, however, suggest this estimate is inaccurate.

This Giant Carnivore Ran on Hooves. Scientists Are Investigating Its Massive Skull and Crushing Teeth to Decipher the Beast’s True Nature

For more than a century, paleontologists have been piecing together how the mysterious predator Andrewsarchus is related to other mammals, like the extinct “hell pigs” and “wolves with hooves”

Researchers are developing A.I.-based facial recognition tools to identify individual bears.

How Do Researchers Identify Individual Bears in the Wild? They Could Soon Do It Through A.I. Facial Recognition Technology

Such tools could help scientists track population sizes or recognize aggressive animals that have attacked humans

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