Animals
Yellowstone Grizzly Bears Are Back on the Protected Species List
The restoration is a victory for many conservationists and environmentalists, although not everyone sees it that way.
What Happens When an Animal Is Declared 'Functionally Extinct'?
Koalas were recently given the distinction in Australia as their numbers have dropped to around 80,000. What's the future hold for these small herbivores?
Should You Let Your Cat Go Outside?
Putting your cat out into nature may do significant damage to the local ecosystem.
Why Puma Population Control Is Not Necessarily a Win for Hunters
New research suggests that recent moves to increase the numbers of sought-after trophy species might be ill-advised and counterproductive.
The Mysterious Salamanders Fighting Extinction Under Central Texas
Researchers warn that all of the underground salamanders living in an aquifer system near Austin could disappear in the next century.
Viewfinder: Elephants Race in Vietnam
Mahouts ride their elephants in a river swimming race during the Buon Don elephant festival in Vietnam's Central Highlands in the Dak Lak province on March 12th, 2019.
In India, New Tactics Are Being Implemented to Prevent Human-Elephant Clashes
These conflicts are particularly apparent in the Hassan district of Karnataka, the state housing India's largest population of Asian elephants.
What Happened to the Serengeti's Wild Dogs?
A new study definitively disproves a decades-old theory that human "handling" of the animals caused their rapid disappearance from Serengeti National Park in 1991.
Viewfinder: Elephants Arrive in Sri Lanka's Capital for an Annual Festival
Commuters interact with an elephant as he rests on a public road ahead of the annual Navam Maha Perahera festival of the historic Buddhist Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 18th, 2019.
Viewfinder: Installing a Fence to Keep Wild Boar Out of Denmark
A worker installs a portion of a fence along the Danish border with Germany that is meant to stop wild boar from entering Denmark, on January 31st, 2019, near Tonder, Denmark.
The Ethical Debate Around Innovation in Animal Tracking
As researchers tag an increasing number of species, a debate has arisen over the consequences for animal welfare, conservation, and technology.
Ranchers Seek to Protect Their Herds as the Wolves Move in
As wolves arrive in California for the first time since the 1920s, ranchers are turning to non-lethal methods to deter the gray wolves, once seen as livestock-killing vermin.
Should Animals Win Acting Oscars? A Pacific Standard Investigation.
It's a question of whether animals featured in movies are acting in the first place.
Is Gender Unique to Humans?
Evidence from our closest evolutionary relatives suggests that we might not be the only animals with a sense of gender identity.
Citizen Ape: The Fight for Personhood for Our Closest Relatives
The great ape personhood movement aims to extend legal personhood to apes, a distinction that recognizes these non-human animals as beings with the capacity to hold both rights and duties.
Midnight in the Garden of the Goatherd
At Cedar Lake East Beach, just outside downtown Minneapolis, Jesse Dale and his team of goats are at the forefront of a new land-management movement.
California's Proposition 12 Could Be the Latest Measure to Restrict Factory Farming
While legislation that restricts agriculture can be a tough sell, appeals to animals' poor living conditions have had success with voters.
Using Porpoise Vocalizations to Test the Effectiveness of Acoustic Monitors
It will help scientists more accurately measure the presence of vocal species like bats, birds, bees, and tigers.
Why the FDA's Plan to Regulate Gene Editing in Animals Has Some Scientists Worried
The agency's new plan retains several key limitations on animal biotechnology, despite language promoting innovation.
Fat Bear Week Is Over, but the Glory of America's Fattest Bears Lives on
The competition, which ended Tuesday, provided flashes of joy during this tumultuous news cycle.
Finding a Wildlife Refuge in the Heart of New York City
A look at the animals that live among us—known as synanthropes—that are often cast aside as pests.
North Carolina's Hog Waste Problem Has a Long History. Why Wasn't It Solved in Time for Hurricane Florence?
The hog industry is changing, but, as Hurricane Florence hits, history may be doomed to repeat itself.
Uncovering the Ancient Roots of Domesticated Dogs
A new study lends insight into how domestication of our four-legged companions was steered by interactions with humans and their cultural practices.
Conservationists Are Creating Safer Animal Crossings
To help animals navigate our fast-paced highway systems nature conservationists have started building infrastructure designed specifically for critters.