It may be March, but we’re not done with exciting environmental milestones from 2025. Coinciding with World Wildlife Day today, the global conservation org Shoal revealed that scientists named 309 freshwater fish species last year, the most recorded in a year since 2017 — and the new identifications may help protect their populations from dwindling. […]
A sweet scene is currently taking place in the Arctic. Polar bear moms are cuddled up in dens with their newborn cubs, preparing to venture out onto the ice and get the serious child-rearing started. But the vulnerable youngsters — fewer than half of which may reach adulthood — need more than just their mothers’ protection.
The humpback calf featured in the 2026 World Nature Photography Awards’ grand prize-winning photo is a rare sight: Only 1 in 40,000 humpbacks are born with its all-white coloring, caused by a lack of pigmentation. Australian photographer Jono Allen captured the calf as she glided through the sea with her mother off the coast of
You’re looking at the world’s rarest primate: the Hainan gibbon. Back in 2003, there were just 13 of these tree-dwelling apes living on the island of Hainan in the South China Sea due to deforestation and hunting. (For context, roughly 2,000 roamed the island in the 1950s.) But against the odds, the species has more
The World’s Rarest Primate Is Making a Comeback … Again Continue Reading »
As temperatures plunged throughout the U.S. during Storm Fern last month, one family found the silver — or, should we say, rainbow — lining. When heavy snow fell across Pennsylvania, Ashley Barron decided to embrace the freeze by creating a multicolored igloo with her family out of 342 blocks of ice.
Polar bears play a uniquely crucial role in the Arctic ecosystem — and thankfully, one population in particular may be in better physical health than 25 years ago. A new study suggests that despite sea ice losses caused by climate change around the Norwegian island of Svalbard, the mammals’ fat reserves have increased.
Svalbard Polar Bears Are Healthier Now Than 25 Years Ago, Scientists Say Continue Reading »
A rare drawing of a lioness by 17th-century Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn is headed to the auction block, with a profound mission behind its sale. All proceeds — an estimated $20 million — will benefit global wild cat conservation group Panthera.
According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2nd, there will be six more weeks of winter; if not, an early spring is predicted. Of course groundhogs — also known as woodchucks — don’t emerge at this time just to be furry weather predictors. So what’s the real reason? Research into groundhog biology shows they have other priorities in early February than mingling with the people of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
Why Do Groundhogs Emerge on Feb. 2 If It’s Not to Predict the Weather? Continue Reading »
Many of us consider the snowmen we build in the park to be works of art (and they absolutely are), but the talented contestants in the International Snow Sculpture Championships take icy creations to another level — literally. Following 94 hours of nonstop carving at the Riverwalk Center Plaza in Breckenridge, Colorado, the 2026 winners
If you were a gerbil or a small bird in the deserts of southern Africa, you’d likely spend your nocturnal hours fearing the African black-footed cat — or the Felis nigripes, if we’re being technical — a vicious killer with night vision and incredible hearing abilities, capable of targeting its prey with exceptional accuracy. But
The World’s Deadliest Wild Cat Is the Size of a Kitten and Equally Adorable Continue Reading »
