The World’s ‘Most Trafficked Mammal’ Might Soon Be Protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act
The Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing seven species of pangolin, often poached for their scales and meat, as endangered
Stolen Paintings Linked to Retired Couple Who Supposedly Moonlighted as Art Thieves Returned to New Mexico Museum After 40 Years
Victor Higgins’ “Aspens” and Joseph Henry Sharp’s “Oklahoma Cheyenne” had been missing since March 1985, when they were snatched in broad daylight
Sea Horse Smuggling Is a Big Problem, Despite Global Efforts to Protect These Beloved Aquatic Creatures
Between 2010 and 2021, authorities seized around five million individual sea horses worth more than $21 million
This 300-Pound Bust Was Stolen From Jim Morrison’s Grave in 1988. French Police Just Recovered It
Created for the tenth anniversary of the Doors frontman’s death in 1971, the bust stood on his grave in the famous Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris for only seven years
The Smithsonian Transfers Rare 2,300-Year-Old Silk Manuscripts to China
The Zidanku Silk Manuscripts were smuggled into the United States in the 1940s. Scholars say they provide remarkable insights into ancient Chinese philosophy and religion
Photographer Who Scales Buildings to Get the Perfect Shot Arrested at Opening Night of His First Solo Exhibition
Isaac Wright was detained for climbing the Empire State Building’s spire in 2024. The photo he took during the climb was on display at the show in New York City
Two Men Convicted of Chopping Down England’s Beloved Sycamore Gap Tree in an Act of ‘Mindless Thuggery’
After five hours of deliberation, jurors found Adam Carruthers and Daniel Graham guilty of criminal damage for felling the iconic tree that stood near Hadrian’s Wall
Recently Rediscovered Book Bound in Human Skin Goes on Display in England
Curators think the volume’s corners and spine are bound in the skin of William Corder, an infamous criminal who was convicted of murder in the late 1820s
Hundreds of Looted Ancient Artifacts Confiscated From the Black Market Are Now on Display in Naples
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples is showcasing 600 recovered objects, which date to between the Archaic period and the Middle Ages
Judge Reprimands Thieves in Bear Statue Heist: ‘Your Actions Were the Antithesis of Everything Paddington Stands For’
Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, a pair of 22-year-old members of the British Royal Air Force, apologized for stealing a statue of the beloved bear from a park bench
Newly Discovered Letters Illuminate the Life of a Female Printer Who Published Revolutionary Texts and Pushed the Colonies Toward Independence
As Virginia’s first female newspaper publisher, Clementina Rind emphasized women’s viewpoints and collaborated with prominent politicians like Thomas Jefferson
Eagle-Eyed Experts Say They’ve Solved the Mystery of a Missing Masterpiece—Half a Century After It Was Stolen
Brueghel’s famous 17th-century painting “Woman Carrying the Embers” vanished from a Polish museum in 1974. Fifty years later, it’s been rediscovered at a museum in the Netherlands
The Met Returns Stolen Seventh-Century B.C.E. Bronze Griffin Head to Greece
At a ceremony this week, Greece’s culture minister officially accepted the artifact, which was likely stolen from a museum in Olympia in the 1930s
A Looted Bronze Statue That May Depict Marcus Aurelius Is Returning to Turkey
The repatriation comes after years of legal disputes over the true identity and provenance of the 6-foot-4 artwork, which has been housed at the Cleveland Museum of Art
Will the Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry End the Pangolin?
The creature is being trafficked across Africa and Asia to fuel a steady demand for their scales, an ingredient in unproven remedies
The Enduring Mystery of the Somerton Man, One of Australia’s Most Puzzling Cold Cases
The discovery of a body on Somerton Beach in 1948 sparked theories that the dead man, now believed to be Carl Webb, was a Soviet spy, a ballet dancer or a jilted lover
Couples Exchange Bacteria During Intercourse, Known as the ‘Sexome.’ It Might Help Track Down Sexual Assault Perpetrators
In a study of 12 heterosexual couples, researchers noted the presence of a partner’s genital bacteria after sex, even when the pair used a condom
When Al Capone’s Henchmen Marked Valentine’s Day With a Bloody Massacre
The infamous mob assassination, which took place on this day in 1929, resulted in the deaths of seven men linked to gangster George “Bugs” Moran
Driver Vandalizes Threatened Plants in Death Valley National Park
National Park Service officials haven’t identified the person or people who illegally drove more than two miles across Eureka Dunes, home to the federally protected Eureka dunegrass
This 120-Year-Old Police Docket Documented Crimes Like Reckless Horse Riding
Discovered in a thrift store, the historic docket lists incidents that occurred in the town of Casper, Wyoming, in 1904—including “reckless riding [of a horse]” and “keeping a house of prostitution”
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