We asked a genetics expert whether woolly mammoths could be brought back from the dead
The idea of bringing an extinct creature back from the dead is a seemingly ludicrous one. After all, if there are no creatures of a particular species left to reproduce, how can humans possibly expect to play God and resurrect them? For generations this has been an idea reserved for sci-fi literature and CGI-laden blockbusters. … Continued
Against all odds: The incredible story of the Amur tiger
‘Saving the tiger is a test; if we pass, we get to keep the planet.’ Those were the wise words of American writer and environmentalist Marjorie Stoneman Douglas (1890-1998) who truly understood the significance of conserving this most beautiful and powerful of species, the tiger (Panthera tigris). There is only one species of tiger but … Continued
The last unicorn
The skull of a mighty unicorn has just been discovered in Kazakhstan, which has forced scientists to rethink longheld theories about the survival of an extraordinary species, to look again at where it walked the Earth, and reassess how long it could have survived in some regions of the globe. The mythical sounding beast in … Continued
This British explorer shares his experiences alone inside the world's largest forest (and no, it's not the Amazon)
As anyone who’s ever lost a game of Risk will know, Asia’s a big place, and there’s no bigger geographical region on the continent than Siberia. Covering more than five million square miles, this vast expanse of land first claimed by the Russian Tsars around the 17th century is also home to the world’s largest … Continued
Brave goat and compassionate tiger form remarkable bond
A Siberian tiger in a Russian animal park has taken on a new and rather unusual friend—one initially meant to be his dinner. Visitors to the Far Eastern Safari Park in Russia’s maritime Primorsky region have been witness to quite a spectacular, albeit odd, performance in the last few weeks. Twice each week the Park’s … Continued
Perfectly preserved: 10,000-year-old lion cubs discovered in the Siberian permafrost
Siberia’s permafrost throws up all sorts of oddities from time to time, from wooly mammoth carcasses, to the remains of ancient equine species. But in an extraordinary turn of events, Russian palaeontologists have just discovered what it is being called ‘the most perfectly preserved remains of cave lions ever unearthed.’ The two long-dead cubs, thoughts to … Continued
Giant virus found frozen in the Siberian permafrost
Climate change and human development may awake prehistoric viruses of a whole new breed, complexity and size. When one decides to trek into the Arctic circle, there are plenty of hazards to consider. Polar bears, freezing temperatures, and hardcore snowstorms are all normal worries to consider, but the human thirst for natural resources, coupled with a … Continued