Water buffalo escapes slaughter, evades police, becomes local celebrity
“Let him be free! He’s cheated death at least twice! He’s earned it!” wrote a business owner in a Facebook group dedicated to PHill’s whereabouts.
By Sydney Page
Hvaldimir, beloved beluga whale and alleged Russian spy, found dead
The beluga whale was found in Norway wearing a St. Petersburg-marked harness, prompting speculation that he was a Russian intelligence asset.
By Leo Sands
Abandoned walrus calf is ‘ginormous puppy,’ getting 24/7 care in Alaska
“It’s overwhelming how cute she is,” said zoological specialist Denise Higginbotham. “She warmed up immediately to anyone who cozied up next to her.”
By Cathy Free
Two elephants at Ohio zoo will welcome calves by the same father
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is thrilled that two baby elephants will arrive in 2025.
By Amber Ferguson
Bat dog has disastrous minor league baseball debut (but is still a good girl)
“We were mortified,” said Andrew Davis, Lucy May’s owner. “It was chaotic. …We were worried we were going to be escorted out of the ballpark that night.”
By Sydney Page
Marmoset monkeys call each other by name, study suggests
Marmoset monkeys use a high-pitched “phee call” to name other monkeys, one of a short list of animals known to deploy names.
By Carolyn Y. Johnson
Namibia to cull elephants, zebras for their meat during major drought
The southern African country plans to distribute the meat of hundreds of animals, including hippos and antelopes, to support relief efforts.
By Victoria Bisset
After dog breeder’s suspicious death, officials search for missing litter
A Colorado sheriff’s office said finding the expensive European Dobermans bred by Paul Peavey could “solve his homicide.”
By Kyle Melnick
‘Worst nightmare’ venomous sea worms washing up on Texas shores, scientists say
Heading to the beach? Pack duct tape and vinegar for the bristle worm that, if touched, makes people feel like they’re on fire.
By Ben Brasch
Dog charms construction worker, is adopted after years of neglect
“Seeing him that day, it was just meant to be,” said Richard Smith, who adopted King after seeing the dog amble by the construction site.
By Cathy Free
Endangered lynx makes its first appearance in Vermont in years
A rare and endangered wild cat, the Canada lynx, was spotted in Vermont for the first time since 2018.
By Amber Ferguson
A same-sex penguin pair captured hearts. After one died, the other sang.
Sphen and Magic raised two chicks at an Australian aquarium, increased awareness about rainbow families and inspired a float at the Sydney Mardi Gras Pride parade.
By Rachel Pannett
A popular nature park was trampled by overuse. Dogs came to the rescue.
“People were loving our urban nature reserve to death,” said Dylan Walker, manager of an English the restoration project that used dogs to seed the ground.
By Cathy Free
Parrot is ‘attention hog’ and smart as human toddler, owners say
Apollo, a Guinness World Record holder, identifies objects, colors and some numbers. He can distinguish among glass, metal and paper.
By Sydney Page
Why do so many pelicans keep dropping dead in California?
A significant die-off of brown pelicans in California has scientists searching for answers.
By Dino Grandoni
Rare ‘doomsday’ oarfish emerges off San Diego coast, exciting scientists
Oarfish live in the deep sea and can grow to more than 30 feet long. The silvery fish are rarely seen by humans, and thought to be a source of sea monster legends.
By Adela Suliman
Inside an arcade’s stuffed-animal claw machine, a real live groundhog
Inside a frozen custard shop’s game area, among the colorful animal plushies, a 12-year-old spotted a juvenile woodchuck in need of rescue.
By Kelsey Baker
Stray dog ‘desperate to catch a ride’ chases pup bus, gets adopted
“He wanted on the bus badly. He was doing everything he could to get on with the other dogs,” said Tyson Cash, who was droving the doggy day-care bus.
By Sydney Page
They put out food for a lost dog for a year. He finally made it home.
“We were not leaving him; there was no way,” Deanna Suggitt said.
By Sydney Page
Your phone’s emoji library is incomplete. Here’s what’s missing.
Many of Earth’s plants, animals and organisms aren’t in your phone’s emoji library. We’ve created 8 emojis to help compensate.
By Hailey Haymond, Dino Grandoni, Kasha Patel and Emily Sabens