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Australia

A regent honeyeater at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, which is one of the study sites where the critically endangered birds are being bred

This Critically Endangered Bird’s Song Was About to Disappear. Scientists Saved It by Recruiting Some Wild Vocal Tutors

Wild-born male regent honeyeaters passed their cultural knowledge to young captive-born birds

Between 500 and 1,000 koalas were estimated to live in Victoria, Australia, in the 1920s.

These Koalas Bounced Back From the Brink of Local Extinction Extremely Fast. Surprisingly, So Did Their Genetic Resilience

Conservationists saved the fuzzy creatures in Victoria, Australia. Now, the animals are showing remarkable signs of genetic recovery

The pygmy long-fingered possum uses its specialized ears and long digits to hunt for grubs in rotting wood.

Scientists Thought These Marsupials Went Extinct 6,000 Years Ago. They Just Found the Animals Alive

The pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider are rare examples of “Lazarus species”

An ancient Egyptian collar was among the artifacts stolen from the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology.

Police Recover Ancient Egyptian Artifacts the Day After a Heist at a Museum in Australia

The looted items included a 2,600-year-old wooden cat figurine, a 3,300-year-old necklace and a mummy mask

Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish have threatened the Great Barrier Reef since the 1960s.

These Hungry Starfish Are Spiraling Out of Control in Australia. Now Scientists Say They Have a New Plan to Fight Back

Synthetic pheromones may be a promising tool in attracting and culling troublesome crown-of-thorns starfish, which rapidly eat large amounts of coral on the Great Barrier Reef

An illustration of Procoptodon goliah, a giant kangaroo that weighed up to about 550 pounds and went extinct around 40,000 years ago

Giant Kangaroos That Lived During the Ice Age May Have Hopped—Despite Weighing Up to 550 Pounds

The extinct animals may have bounced from scary situations, such as coming face to face with hungry predators

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is finally set to open in L.A.’s Exposition Park on September 22.

These Are the Top Ten Most Anticipated Museums Opening Around the World in 2026

New institutions dedicated to digital art, exploration, hip-hop, conservation and more are expected to welcome visitors this year

The trove included 60 complete tulas.

New Research

Archaeologists Unearth Cache of Aboriginal Stone Tools Buried in Australia 170 Years Ago

Known as “tulas,” the 60 artifacts are only the second discovery of this size to be found in Australia. Researchers think they may have been created for trade

A new study hints that Australia's first people arrived via a major northern route and a smaller southern route. 

Modern Humans Reached Australia Around 60,000 Years Ago via Two Routes, Genetic Analysis Suggests

The study bolsters one hypothesis of when people arrived at the landmass that became Australia and other islands, and presents some of the earliest evidence of seafaring

A group of 374 bagpipers performed in Melbourne's Federation Square.

Hundreds of Australian Bagpipers Attempt to Set World Record While Playing AC/DC

The performance of “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ’n’ Roll)” took place a few days before the band played its first show in Australia in a decade

Modern-day crocodiles like this one arrived in Australia about 3.8 million years ago. But a distant branch of them that lived there tens of millions of years ago included some members that dropped from trees onto prey. 

Paleontologists Unearthed Australia’s Oldest Known Crocodile Eggshells. The Reptiles’ Relatives May Have Hunted From the Trees

The eggshells belonged to an extinct group of crocs, some members of which were “drop crocs” that plunged onto prey

Remoras hitch a ride on a humpback whale.

Watch Suckerfish Hitch a Wild Ride on Humpback Whales in Rare Video Footage

Suckerfish—also known as remoras—are harmless, but the whales didn’t seem to be fans of their hitchhiking

Scientists have identified a new species of non-biting midge—a type of small fly—from 151-million-year-old specimens discovered by an amateur fossil hunter.

This Amateur Fossil Hunter Discovered a 151-Million-Year-Old Insect—and It’s a New Species

Retired teacher Robert Beattie, now 82, has been digging up remnants of the past ever since he was a child

The specimen was discovered in Western Australia. 

This Newly Discovered ‘Lucifer’ Bee From Australia Was Named After Its Devil-Like Horns

Researchers hope the discovery shines a light on bee conservation Down Under

Debra Brown found the bottle on Wharton Beach near her home in Esperance, Western Australia.

Cool Finds

109-Year-Old Messages in a Bottle Written by Soldiers Heading to Fight in World War I Discovered on Australian Beach

The two letters survived the past century inside a Schweppes-brand bottle, which Debra Brown found on Wharton Beach in early October

The mysterious object found in Western Australia may be part of a Chinese rocket, experts suggest.

Cool Finds

Miners Discovered a Mysterious Smoking Object in Western Australia. Experts Think It’s Likely Unexpected Space Debris

Some theorize that it’s a piece of a rocket—and part of a growing pile of orbiting space junk

Researchers studied rainforests in northeastern Australia. These wet rainforests are very dense, and their canopies help cool down their ecosystems and store large amounts of carbon.

Australian Rainforests Become the First to Emit More Carbon Than They Absorb

A new analysis finds tropical forests in Australia are not taking in enough carbon dioxide to keep up with the emissions from their decaying trunks, holding possible implications for global ecosystems

A superb fairy-wren calls to a Horsfield's bronze-cuckoo. Brood parasites like cuckoos lay eggs in other birds' nests and leave them behind for the host birds to raise.

Birds Make an Alarm Call That Spans Species and Continents—and May Offer Insight Into the Evolution of Human Language

More than 20 species make a nearly identical noise to warn nearby birds of brood parasites, a behavior that bridges the “sharp division between animal communication systems and human language”

This event marks the first time the leopard shark (Stegostoma tigrinum) has been documented mating in the wild.

Rare Trio of Leopard Sharks Spotted Mating in the Wild for the First Time, and a Snorkeling Scientist Captured a Video

Conservationists say the unexpected observation could inform efforts to protect or reintroduce leopard sharks, an endangered species

The vaccine can be administered to koalas in a single dose.

A New Vaccine Could Help Save Australia’s Beloved Koalas From Chlamydia, and It Just Got Approved

The disease causes blindness, infertility, severe urinary tract infections and death in the iconic, furry marsupials, which are also threatened by habitat loss

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