LouLou, an elephant at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, was one of five that the Nonhuman Rights Project claimed in a lawsuit should be able to live in a sanctuary.

Elephants Aren’t People and Can’t Sue to Leave a Zoo, Colorado’s Top Court Rules

The court rejected a case to send five African elephants to a sanctuary, saying they have no legal right to demand release under habeas corpus

When a Japanese aquarium closed for a six-month renovation project, a sunfish named Mambo stopped eating and began rubbing up against the side of its tank. Aquarists wondered if the creature was lonely. (Mambo is not pictured.)

A Sunfish Got ‘Lonely’ When Its Aquarium Closed for Renovations. Then, Staff Found a Creative Way to Cheer It Up

The solitary fish named Mambo stopped eating and seemed to be missing its human visitors—so aquarists attached photos of human faces and uniforms to the side of its enclosure

The endangered Woodville Karst cave crayfish (Procambarus orcinus)

Freshwater Animals Are More Fragile Than Thought, With Nearly a Quarter Threatened With Extinction, Study Finds

Species in Lake Victoria, Lake Titicaca, Sri Lanka’s Wet Zone and the Western Ghats of India are particularly vulnerable to the effects of agriculture, human infrastructure and climate change, per the paper

A baby pygmy hippo was born at Virginia's Metro Richmond Zoo in December in another viral birth for the endangered species.

A Virginia Zoo Now Has Its Own Moo Deng—See the ‘Adorable’ Baby Pygmy Hippo Born in December

The young female made her public debut this week, and the Metro Richmond Zoo is asking fans to vote on her name—a choice between Poppy and Hammie Mae

More than 1,300 tiny snails were released into the wild after a captive breeding effort. One baby snail is shown here on a British five pence coin.

Once Feared Extinct, 1,329 Pea-Sized Snails Have Been Released on an Atlantic Island After Captive Breeding Effort

Goats, rodents and habitat loss threatened the snails on Deserta Grande Island, so the mollusks were reintroduced on a neighboring island that’s free of invasive species

Australian Reptile Park spider expert Rob Porter milks a male Sydney funnel-web spider to create antivenom in 2001.

Australian Zoo Asks Residents to Capture the World’s Most Venomous Spider: the Deadly Sydney Funnel-Web

The Australian Reptile Park’s annual callout is crucial to creating life-saving antivenom

Mary, the 54-year-old Asian elephant at the Berlin Zoo, loves using a hose to rinse off.

These Elephants Can Use Hoses to Shower—and Even ‘Sabotage’ Each Other, Study Suggests

Mary, a 54-year-old Asian elephant at the Berlin Zoo, is the “queen of showering,” but her companion Anchali seems to have figured out how to exploit that habit to play pranks

The beloved baby penguin Pesto is in his "awkward" phase, molting his downy feathers in favor of adult plumage.

See New Images of Pesto, Australia’s Enormous Baby Penguin, in His ‘Awkward Phase,’ Molting His Downy Feathers

The viral king penguin chick at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is beginning to lose his youthful down, a process that will give him his distinctive and waterproof adult plumage

Cassius held the title of the largest crocodile in captivity for much of his life. His age? That's harder to know.

After the Death of Cassius, the World’s Largest Captive Crocodile, Scientists Are Trying to Solve the Mystery of His Age

The beloved reptile in Australia died last weekend and was thought to be up to 120 years old, though that age is only an estimate. Research on his bones might reveal a more exact number

Haggis joins Moo Deng as a popular ambassador for the pygmy hippopotamus species, which is endangered.

Trending Today

Meet Haggis, the Latest Baby Pygmy Hippo to Win Over the Internet

Born October 30 to parents Gloria and Otto at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, the hippo is already gaining popularity, following in the footsteps of viral sensation Moo Deng

The researchers studied the dusky lory (pictured) and the rosy-faced lovebird.

A Simple Chemical Shift Explains Why Parrots Are So Colorful, Study Suggests

Unlike other birds, which get pigments from their diets, parrots produce their own—but scientists never fully understood the underlying mechanisms, until now

Polar bears are spending more time on land as sea ice shrinks.

Polar Bears Are Exposed to More Parasites, Viruses and Bacteria as the Arctic Heats Up

Pathogens are more common in polar bears living in the Chukchi Sea now than they were three decades ago, a new study suggests—but it’s not yet clear what that means for the mammals’ health

Cats are known for their ability to squeeze into tight spaces.

Cats May Be Aware of Their Body Size, Suggests Study of Their Famously ‘Liquid’ Behavior

A scientist used at-home experiments to test whether cats hesitated when moving through increasingly shorter or narrower openings

Qing Bao, a 3-year-old female, is one of two giant pandas making the long journey from China to Washington, D.C. 

Pandamonium

The Smithsonian National Zoo’s New Giant Pandas Will Make Their Public Debut on January 24

A pair of 3-year-old giant pandas—a male named Bao Li and a female called Qing Bao—have officially arrived at the Zoo, where they will first acclimate to their new home

Dolphins living in captivity often make an open-mouth facial expression while playing with each other.

Bottlenose Dolphins ‘Smile’ at Each Other During Playtime, Study Finds

Researchers still don’t know what the open-mouth facial expression means or whether it’s akin to smiling in humans—but several animals make a similar face during play

A new study suggests that coyotes, like the ones seen here, have the same face muscle as dogs that's used to make pleading "puppy eyes."

Coyotes Might Make ‘Puppy Eyes,’ Suggesting the Facial Expression Evolved for More Than Just Cuteness

The wild canines have the same muscles used by domestic dogs to create the wide-eyed, pleading look that captures humans’ hearts

Some species of sea robins, such as Prionotus carolinus, use their leg-like appendages to dig out and taste prey beneath the sand. 

These Fish Have Legs—and They Can Use Them to Taste Prey

Sea robins have “the body of a fish, the wings of a bird and multiple legs like a crab”

Moo Deng, born this summer, with her mother Jona at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand.

Trending Today

‘Adorable’ Baby Hippo Moo Deng Is More Than a Viral Sensation. She Offers a Rare Glimpse of an Endangered Species

The baby pygmy hippopotamus in a Thailand zoo has taken the internet by storm, and keepers hope she will help gain momentum for conservation efforts

Cinnamon, the escaped capybara, was born at Hoo Zoo, along with her twin brother, Churro. They live there with their parents, Chimu and Chincha.

A Runaway Capybara Is Evading Capture and ‘Living Her Best Life’ in England

The “beloved” rodent named Cinnamon was spotted this week with help from drones. She has been wandering and eating grass after escaping her zoo enclosure last Friday

The blind side of a Remo flounder's head as it was being dissected

These Fish Transformed Their Dorsal Fins Into Taste Buds

From tasting to hunting to hitching a ride, some fins have evolved for a variety of uses beyond swimming

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