An eye-opening examination of those who survive 'off-grid'
Going off grid is a concept that means vastly different things to different people. For Charles Foster—Oxford don, barrister and author—it involved shunning work suits and spending extended periods of time living like various English animals, sleeping in bushes and holes in the ground, and feasting on live earthworms and raw plants. Despite his high-flying … Continued
Elephants are ditching their tusks in an evolutionary twist
Darwin’s theory of evolution based on natural selection is proving true once again, except this time it seems like humans are to blame for the quiet genetic evolution taking place. Researchers in Africa have discovered a tuskless trend growing in female elephants, one they’re beginning to directly correlate to heavily poached areas. According to a … Continued
Citizens are taking climate change into their own hands with a global movement
If you’re concerned about climate change, global warming, greenhouse gas emissions, and all of the other things happening to our planet these days, it can be frustrating to see report after report come out from credible, scientific sources calling for change… only to witness governments fail to really pay attention. You’re not alone in your … Continued
Social media is bad news for the ethical treatment of animals
If you cooked a delicious meal, perfected a pretty hairstyle, or travelled to an exotic place but then forgot to post about it on social media, did it ever really happen at all? On one hand Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter can be great communication tools. But there’s also a darker side to these … Continued
What’s happening in the oceans is so sad that even the whales have stopped singing
The destructive path humans are forging on ocean life continues. While most of us are aware of the detrimental effects plastic, pollution, and carbon emissions have on the ocean and its wildlife, it seems like another unexpected source is causing strife with swimmers these days too: noise pollution. One whale of a study In a … Continued
China just dealt a devastating blow to rhinos and tigers
It’s a low day for animal conservationists (not to mention animal lovers in general) now that China has reversed a 25-year ban on the use of endangered tiger and rhino parts for “medical” purposes, the effects of which will very well be felt worldwide. Earlier this week China’s State Council released a statement announcing that … Continued
Canada is one step closer to banning whale and dolphin captivity
These days, no responsible tourist can enter a marine park or aquarium without facing the ethical question of whether they should be forking over their hard-earned money to support such establishments. Look no further than the Vancouver Aquarium or Niagara Fall’s Marineland, where activists regularly congregate to protest the captivity and breeding of cetaceans, for … Continued
Man skinny dips in shark tank at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
This guy has brought a whole new meaning to the term “swim with the fishies,” and everybody is talking about it. Thirty-seven-year-old David Weaver had quite the weekend in Toronto recently. According to authorities, the Nelson, B.C. native started his night out at Medieval Times, where he assaulted a 34-year-old man and smashed in two … Continued
Doggie detectives: How canines are becoming the new conservation superstars
Some of those irksome traits you tell your pooch off for—like sniffing out table scraps for a late night snack—are actually the basis of amazing conservation projects all over the world. Over the last few decades researchers have been trying to come up with less invasive sampling techniques, but it’s no easy feat to … Continued
For some reason this guy thought it was a good idea to ride a crocodile
We’ve heard of some really random animal attacks. And we’ve also heard of some completely dumb instances where people were lethally attacked by animals in situations that totally could have been avoided. Still, it just seems like some folk never learn. How else would you describe 22-year-old Danish man Niels Jensen, a guy who was filmed … Continued
A “miracle tiger” has been released back into the wild
We’re constantly hearing awful stories involving poachers or animals being put on the endangered list, so when we get a win it’s kind of nice to celebrate, isn’t it? Well celebrating is certainly what a group of rescuers should be doing now that a “miracle tiger” has been released back into the wild, nearly two … Continued
A tree kangaroo just hopped back into existence after 90 years
Usually we hear stories about animals going extinct or being put on endangered lists thanks to habitat loss, hunting, poaching, and global warming. So it’s especially nice when the opposite is true and an animal actually comes back from the brink. That’s the feel-good tale of the rare Wondiwoi tree kangaroo, which has hopped back … Continued
Scientists got octopuses high with some pretty amazing results
The brain is an amazing thing, especially when you stop to think about how it dictates our social behaviours. Neurologists are proving that once again with one of the most random, potentially controversial studies we’ve heard of in a while—one in which they gave octopuses ecstasy to see how it affects their behaviour towards one … Continued
Biologists have discovered a White Shark Café
Bleary-eyed humans flock to Starbucks and Tim Hortons when they need that next “hit” to keep them going; great white sharks dive to the remote Pacific. At least that’s what scientists are theorizing as the reason why so many sharks are frequenting a secret layer of the ocean now dubbed the White Shark Café: they … Continued
Scientists discover world’s first omnivorous shark
Shark Week, Shark diving, Jaws, Baby Shark… our insatiable fascination for the coolest fish around knows no bounds. So it’s slightly surprising that we’re still discovering things about the various shark species out there, especially when it comes to their notorious diets. We’ve long known sharks to be carnivores, although some types have more blood-thirsty reputations … Continued
There’s a scientific reason why dogs are so friendly
They say dogs are a man’s best friend, and if you’re a dog person then that’s a statement you can probably get behind. How else do you describe a faithful animal that’s always happy to see you, follows you around with doggy kisses, and at the end of the day just wants to be loved? … Continued
Turns out the laziest animals may inherit the Earth after all
Need another excuse to put off those chores and deadlines and snuggle in for a nap and some Netflix instead? Science may have your back. While we’ve always subscribed to Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest, it seems like survival of the laziest… or sluggish, may be more likely—at least when it comes to … Continued
French beach closes thanks to a horny, pent-up dolphin
You and me baby ain’t nothin’ but mammals… Let’s just file this one under headlines that sound fake but are actually true, shall we? Apparently even dolphins need to get their jollies. That fact became a little too evident recently when a beloved creature at a popular tourist beach in northwest France grew too horny for … Continued
Feral cats are accidentally killing off one of Earth’s rarest seals
Let’s file this one under “here’s another reason to spay or neuter your cats.” As pregnant women everywhere know, “kitty litter parasite” (a.k.a. Toxoplasma gondii), is a very real thing. The toxoplasmosis-causing parasite has long been the reason expecting mothers aren’t supposed to scoop the family cat’s litter box, but now it seems like “toxo” … Continued
Fingerprints could actually save the world’s most endangered species
File this one under simple ideas that are so genius, it’s a wonder we didn’t start using them sooner. We’ve been solving crimes with fingerprinting techniques since the 1980s, so it was really only a matter of time before someone thought of applying the science to the world of wildlife crime, too. Especially when it … Continued
Poachers could soon face the death penalty in Kenya
It’s no secret the illegal pet trade and poaching is a huge problem in Asia and Africa, but perhaps some countries are a little more serious about solving the issue than others. Or at least that’s one takeaway from the news that Kenya is hoping to soon implement the death penalty for those who poach … Continued
Cannibis is killing off one of California’s cutest critters
As more and more people light up under revamped marijuana laws, not everyone is getting their chill on. Specifically, it seems like the cannabis industry’s sudden growth is once again burning wildlife. The state of California is concerned about the status of the Humbolt marten, a creature sometimes described as the west coast’s version of … Continued
Rivers are now so polluted with drugs that even wildlife is getting high
You are what you eat. Or in this case, perhaps it’s more accurate to say you are what you swim in. We’ve heard of everything from contraceptives to antidepressants affecting aquatic ecosystems and the creatures that rely on them, but now a new study is pointing to the dangers of illicit drugs—namely cocaine—being dumped into … Continued
An “activist” orangutan fights off bulldozer to save home
When animals attack, it’s usually for a pretty good reason. Often it’s because they’re trying to protect their young, or sometimes their food. And then there are the animals who attack for sheer survival, after a human hand has given them no other choice. Enter one “activist” orangutan in Indonesia, who finally had enough and … Continued
Biologists found 17 pounds of plastic lodged in a dead whale
The mounting problem of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans may not have been a concern for all of the world leaders during the recent G7 summit, but it continues to affect marine life in a pretty big way. Case in point? The story of a pilot whale that was discovered in Thailand’s Na Thap … Continued
Conservationists are now taking some pretty drastic measures to save rhinos
Rhinos are beautiful and majestic creatures, creatures that could cease to exist if we don’t soon find a solution to the worldwide poaching problem. Their plight comes with a sense of irony, really. For millions of years rhinos have relied on their large horns to save and protect them from a variety of situations and … Continued