Endangered Species

A camera trap image of a Cross River gorilla with multiple babies, taken in the Mbe mountain region of Nigeria on June 22, 2020

Images Offer a Rare Glimpse of Cross River Gorillas With Their Babies

The photos show a group of the animals, which were once presumed extinct, with infants of varying ages—a promising sign for the subspecies

An elephant in the southeast Okavango Delta, Botswana in 2019

Experts Aren’t Sure Why Botswana's Elephants Are Dying by the Hundreds

After being slowed by the global pandemic, tests are now underway

The endangered smoky mouse was feared to be extinct after the 2019-2020 fire season in Australia. But researchers have spotted survivors in seven locations, offering hope for the species' persistence.

Australian Mouse Feared Extinct After Fires Found Alive

Camera traps spotted the endangered smoky mouse in seven different locations

There are only around 80 Sumatran rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) left on Earth. In their native northern Sumatra, Indonesia, they are being pushed towards extinction by habitat loss and poaching.

Already Unprecedented Rate of Wildlife Extinctions Is Accelerating

New research suggests roughly 500 species are likely to go extinct in the next two decades

An adult male Hippocampus nalu will grow to a maximum of just 2 centimeters long.

Newly Discovered Pygmy Seahorse Species Is the Size of a Fingernail

This tiny creature is the first of its kind discovered near the continent of Africa

A young koala recovers at the wildlife park hospital.

The Great Koala Rescue Operation

Raging bushfires. Devastated wildlife. And the compassionate souls who went to the rescue

A California biologist watches an old male desert tortoise from a distance following the construction of a solar farm in 2011.

Solar Energy Project in Nevada Will Be Biggest in United States

The Department of the Interior approved the $1 billion project on Monday despite concerns for threatened wildlife

Silver Y Moth (Autographa gamma), feeding on fuchsia flowers at night in a garden.

Moths Work the Pollination Night Shift, Visiting Some Flowers Bees Skip

A new study highlights the importance of moths as nocturnal pollinators in the English countryside

Honduran scarlet macaws.

How the Stunning Scarlet Macaw Came Back From the Brink

The bird, decimated by poachers and smugglers, is making a big comeback in the Central American rainforest

Stream live or watch repeated broadcast overnight.

LIVE NOW: Watch the Smithsonian's Earth Optimism Digital Summit

The two-day virtual event will bring scientists and many other experts to highlight success stories in conservation

Bald Eagles Found Nesting in Arizona Saguaro Cactus for First Time in Decades

The prickly perch is an exciting sign of success for the birds, which came off the endangered species list in 2007

Western monarch butterflies spend winter gathered in California's coastal groves.

Your Butterfly Photos Could Help Monarch Conservation

As monarchs leave their winter hideaways, conservationists are seeking assistance in studying their migration routes

In Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park, a 14-month-old male named Imbanzabigwi is poised to transition from mother’s milk to foraging.

How Africa's Mountain Gorillas Staged a Comeback

Long victimized by poaching and deforestation, the primate species is in the midst of a surprising rebound that is sparking new hopes of recovery

A gyotaku fish print

Traditional Japanese Fish Art Could Be a Boon for Conservation

"Gyotaku," or the art of pressing ink-dipped fish onto paper, represents a wealth of scientifically accurate data on Japan's marine life

The common merganser appears to have the ring from a plastic bottle stuck around its mouth and neck.

Duck Ensnared in Plastic Sparks Rescue Mission in Central Park

Rangers and bird enthusiasts are searching for a common merganser that appears to be unable to eat due to plastic debris that has become stuck in its bill

Olms, also called "baby dragons" and "human fish," are blind, foot-long salamanders native to European caves.

A Cave-Dwelling Salamander Didn't Move for Seven Years

The blind, eel-like amphibians called olms live deep in European caves and can go years without food

A cat-eyed snake eats a toad in Panama. Many snakes depend on amphibians and their eggs for nutrition.

Tropical Snakes Suffer as a Fungus Kills the Frogs They Prey On

Surveys of reptiles in central Panama show the ripple effects of an ecological crisis

Numbers of these charismatic, blubbery birds have decreased by about half across Antarctica's northwest.

Preliminary Census Documents Antarctica’s Chinstrap Penguins in Sharp Decline

Climate change is the likeliest culprit, researchers say

Fuzzy and fast flying, bumblebees tend to run warm, and are best adapted to cooler climes.

Climate Change Has Driven Serious Declines in World’s Bumblebees

The number of habitats in North America that bumblebees occupy has fallen by almost 50 percent

"Tardigrades are definitely not the almost indestructible organism,” says Ricardo Neves.

High Temperatures Might Be Water Bears’ Achilles Heel

Tardigrades are known for their resilience, but a new study shows they can’t bear hours in the heat

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