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Remains of a long-necked dinosaur have been discovered at a fossil site 85 miles east of Madrid, in the central city of Cuenca. The new species (Qunkasaura pintiquiniestra) is described in Communications Biology.
Hvaldimir, the friendly beluga whale outfitted with a mysterious Russian harness was found dead this week in the harbor of Stavanger, a city in southwestern Norway. Advocacy groups OneWhale and NOAH believe the beloved whale was shot dead, and the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries says it will conduct an autopsy.
The northern bald ibis had been extinct in Central Europe for four centuries, but a dedicated conservation and research group has reintroduced a small population into the wild. The only problem: the birds have no clue how or where to migrate when seasons change, so the humans are teaching them.
Sphen the gentoo penguin has died in Australia, aged 11. He is mourned by his partner, Magic, along with much of the rest of the world, which had celebrated the unusual union since 2018, when the pair met and fell in love at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium.
The last elephant in South Africa’s national zoo – a 42-year-old named Charley – has been released in the wild after spending 40 years of his life in captivity.
Spider-gazing researchers in China say that the orb-weaving spider (Araneus ventricosus) entices male fireflies into its web, then it gets freaky. Somehow the spider manipulates its prey into mimicking a female firefly’s flashing light, which lures more amorous males into the deathtrap.
French cinema icon Alain Delon died last week at 88, and he almost brought his beloved dog, Loubo, with him. Delon had wanted the 10-year-old Belgian malinois to be euthanized and buried with him, but fortunately Delon’s surviving family kiboshed the idea.
On the day before her 19th birthday, Ying Ying the panda delivered two cubs, making her the oldest giant panda ever to give birth for the first time. The new arrivals, tiny and pink and as yet unnamed, are also the first pandas born in Hong Kong.
When should we announce the birth of a kangaroo? Technically a baby roo – the Matschie's tree kangaroo – was born in the Bronx Zoo last December, but it would be inaccurate to say the joey had “entered the world,” since she would spend the following several months tucked safely inside mama’s pouch.
Marine scientists in Australia have deployed eight sea lions to film the seafloor and map the remote, aquatic ecosystems around Kangaroo and Olive Islands. The deep diving animals captured a lot of cool footage while the scientists published their work in Frontiers in Marine Science.
The Paignton Zoo in Devon has announced the births of a number of Chilean flamingo chicks, including one tended to by two dads, Curtis and Arthur. The zoo doesn’t know exactly how this happened.
At the end of July, a 19-year-old orangutan named Mujur gave birth to a healthy baby boy in the Dublin Zoo. Since then – and for months preceding the birth – the zoo has been trying to teach Mujur how to be a mother.
Dolce & Gabbana has just rolled out a new product called Fefé, a perfume for dogs. According to their website, Fefé is “an olfactory masterpiece featuring the cocooning and warm notes of Ylang, the clean and enveloping touch of Musk, and the woody creamy undertones of Sandalwood.”
The US women’s gymnastics team completed a strong Olympics this week, capturing 10 medals in Paris. The thrill of victory and its agonizing opposite can be stressful in the extreme, but the team has had a comforting presence on their side: a four-year-old golden retriever named Beacon.
At the end of July, a fire broke out outside Littleton, Colorado spreading to hundreds of acres and forcing the evacuation of dozens of homes. Among the survivors is a cat that had the good fortune of having been doused with flame retardant.
The Cheshire zoo has announced the birth of an onager, or Asiatic wild ass, the world’s rarest equid. The foal, a male named Jasper, was born to Azita following a year-long pregnancy. Mother and son are healthy and thriving.
A team of scientists led by Mary Hagedorn, a research scientist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, have proposed an extreme idea to save endangered species: by storing them frozen on the moon. The proposal appears in the journal BioScience.
The smell of human stress affects dogs’ emotions – and their decision-making – according to a study conducted by the University of Bristol, Cardiff University, and the British charity Medical Detection Dogs. Their research appears in Scientific Reports.
Birders and other wildlife enthusiasts on Eastern Long Island have been treated to a special sight : a lone American flamingo relaxing in the Hamptons. The gorgeous bird was seen wading, floating, and flying over East Hampton’s Georgica Pond.
A Great Dane named Kevin, the record holder as tallest living dog, died less than two weeks after earning the title. Guinness World Records said Kevin, following an unexpected surgery, had “tragically died just days after his record-breaking achievement was announced to the world.”
