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Conservation

The Galveston pack carries red wolf DNA previously thought to be lost forever

Pack of Wild Dogs in Texas Carry DNA of Nearly Extinct Red Wolf

Red wolves were declared extinct in the wild in 1980, but a new study suggests the species’ DNA lives on in a pack of Texan canines

The predator and her prey

Very Naughty Kitty Slashed 17th-Century Portrait

Apparently Padme is not a fan of Baroque artist John Michael Wright

An Iguana Species Last Documented by Charles Darwin Has Been Reintroduced to a Galápagos Island

The Galápagos land iguana on Santiago Island was decimated by invasive animals like cats, dogs and pigs

A newly collared mule deer is released onto its winter range.

New Tracking Technology Reveals Hidden Animal Migration Routes

Using improved GPS collars, scientists are mapping more herd migration routes than ever before, a key to conservation efforts in the western United States

When TrailGuard spots unknown persons or vehicles entering a nature reserve, it immediately alerts nearby rangers

New AI Camera Helps Conservationists Spot Elephant Poachers

TrailGuard AI uses machine learning to sort through images in real-time and identify relevant threats

Cool Finds

Basquiat Painting Has Hidden Black-Light Images

An art conservator found the arrows on an untitled 1981 work and believes there may be more “secret” imagery hidden away on other works

Ducklings that hatched in October were reared in lakeside pens, then transferred to the floating aviaries in early December.

One of the World’s Rarest Birds Has Been Reintroduced to the Wild in Madagascar

The 21 Madagascar pochards seem to be faring well in their new home

Sunset near Turtle Rock, Joshua Tree National Park.

Using the Sounds of Nature to Monitor Environmental Change

From wind speed to temperature to atmospheric density, the sounds of the wilderness can help ecologists learn a lot about our planet

Harpoon aboard a Japanese whaling ship

Japan to Launch Commercial Whaling Operations This Summer

The country has announced that it is leaving the International Whaling Commission

By regrowing trees from stumps, farms can produce sustainable, pesticide-free pine trees.

Stump-Grown Christmas Trees Are the Gift That Keeps on Giving

Using the sustainable and ancient method of coppicing, evergreen Christmas trees can be regrown indefinitely

From left, small and large carpenter bees (Ceratina and Xylocopa, respectively, visit a wild rose in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Shrinking of Utah National Monument May Threaten Bee Biodiversity

The Grand Staircase-Escalante is home to 660 bee species, 84 of which will live outside of protected land under changes

The reticulated siren.

Cool Finds

Biologists Describe Legendary, Two-Foot-Long Salamander for the First Time

The reticulated siren was known locally as a ‘leopard eel’ until two researchers tracked it down and revealed its true identity

Southern resident killer whales

Washington Governor Proposes Dramatic Plan to Save Dying Orca Population

The plan will require $1.1 billion and involve a number of controversial measures

Cool Finds

Adelie Penguins Poop So Much, Their Feces Can Be Seen From Space

Satellite images of the Adelie penguin’s pink guano shows how their colony size and diet have changed over the last 4 decades

New Research

Arctic Ice Is Retreating and Reindeer Are Going With It

Herds in Canada, the U.S. and Russia have dropped by over half in 20 years—and some may not recover

Wisdom and her egg on Midway Atoll in 2018.

This 68-Year-Old Bird Has Laid Yet Another Egg

Wisdom the Laysan albatross is believed to be around 68 years old, and she has raised as many as 35 chicks

The Ten Best Science Books of 2018

These titles explore the wide-ranging implications of new discoveries and experiments, while grounding them in historical context

The Georgia aster is one of many threatened plant species

Thousands of Little-Known Plant Species Are at Risk of Extinction

When researchers used machine learning to evaluate 150,000 plant species, they found that 10 percent were likely to qualify for the IUCN Red List

A new exhibition featuring rare books from the Smithsonian Libraries examines the complex history and evolution of big game hunting.

The Complicated History of the Human and Elephant Relationship

With the new exhibition, “Game Change,” Smithsonian Libraries delves into 150 years of hunting and conservation

Up to 145 whales were discovered on the shores of Stewart Island last Saturday evening.

200 Whales Have Died in Three Mass Strandings on New Zealand’s Shores

Experts do not fully understand why whales beach themselves, but the recent incidents do not appear to be linked

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