Monthly Archives: April 2023

A rare Persian leopard has been caught on camera in a protected region of Iran according to the Islamic Republic News Agency. The IRNA said the leopard was spotted in southwest Iran in the Sabzkouh Protected Area. It is the first confirmed leopard to live there. There have been reports before and a camera trapContinue reading “Rare Persian Leopard is “Caught” On Camera Trap In Iranian Protected Area. Iranian News Agency Says”

Project Tiger, India’s concerted effort to save the Bengal tiger from extinction, has been a success. The 50-year-old project has led to a near doubling of tiger numbers in India and success in other tiger habitat countries too. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the landmark success. As we have noted, the world’s tiger populationContinue reading “Indian Prime Minister Celebrates Project Tiger Success; Census Puts Tiger Population Over 3,000 For First Time In Many Years”

Nutria sounds pretty good. Could it be a healthy protein drink? No, Nutria (Myocastor coypus) are large spiny rats native to South America. Nutria rats are problems in much of the United States. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) the rodents, which reach up to 20 pounds, may have arrived in the UnitedContinue reading “Invasive Species Alert: Nutria Rats Eliminated From Maryland; Can Other States Do The Same?”

Here at Wild Animal News our stories often are about the battle against extinction. Many, however, turn out to be about wild animals reclaiming ancient homeland, with and often without human help. Such as Anthony the wild Welsh beaver. Today we are talking about beavers in the United Kingdom. The Daily Mail reports that someContinue reading “Wild Welsh Beaver “Vandalizes” Property – “Anthony” May Be First Wild Beaver In Wales in 400 years”

Here at Wild Animal News we have been talking often about feral hogs and the damage they cause. What I didn’t realize is exactly how big they can get: The answer is titanic tuskers (Sus scrofa) can reach the size of a grizzly bear (Ursos arctos horribilis). An average pig weighs around 250 pounds, aContinue reading “Texans Tackle Titanic Tuskers; Feral Pigs Reach The Size Of Grizzly Bears”

Researchers in Japan have found three new species of bristle worms. They are calling them “Demon Fire” worms because the researchers believe they resemble demons from Japanese folklore. They also are luminescent which adds to their supernatural appearance. The new worms are part of a large family called Polychaetes. In general the worms are scavengersContinue reading ““Demon Fire “Worms Discovered Off Japan; So Named Because Of Their Shape And “Spooky” Glow”

I was unaware until recently of poisonous birds. In fact, their existence is still little known to much of the public. A dozen or so exist around the world and two more have recently been discovered in Papua, New Guinea. That giant island is home to many of the known poisonous bird species. The birdsContinue reading “Nature’s “Arms Race”: Scientists Discover Two New Species Of Poisonous Birds In Papua, New Guinea”

Mistaken introduction of non-native species is causing incredible damage all over the world. We recently profiled Canadian “Super Pigs,” and reported on Texas and its struggles with fire ants and feral hogs. Colombia is wrestling with introduced hippos. Much has been written about Burmese pythons in Florida. Today the problem is Asian swamp eels. NowContinue reading “Invasive Species Alert: Asian Swamp Eels In Florida May Rival Burmese Pythons In Sheer Destuctive Power”

It has always been assumed that wolves are the ancestors of domestic dogs. But now it seems that extinct Japanese wolves might have been the closest of all the 23 or so subspecies of Canis lupus to our house pets. There is disagreement about the exact number of wolf subspecies. As we have noted withContinue reading “Extinct Japanese Wolves May Be Closest Ancestor To Domestic Dogs”

Sand cats (felis margarita) are extraordinary They are one of the smallest cats, under 8 pounds, the only cat living exclusively in desert and one of the least studied (partly because of where they live.) Now tiny Moroccan sand cats have been the subject of a recent study. The results have wide implications. The studyContinue reading “Extensive Study Of Tiny Moroccan Sand Cats Reveals New Behaviors And May Sound Conservation Alarm”