Author Archives: ursusrising

Reintroduction of wolves (Canis lupus) is a hot button issue throughout the United States and much of the world. Oregon may be the state with the least tolerance as killers have slaughtered wolves twice in recent years. This time dead Oregon wolves are prompting not only a search for the killers but a$50,000 reward. WolvesContinue reading “Dead Oregon Wolves Prompt Hunt For The Killers And A $50,000 Reward Offer”

Greenland sharks are large cold-water predators that can live hundreds of years. One century old specimen recently washed up on a beach. The dead Greenland shark is now providing scientists with information about the not-well-known species. A Greenland shark autopsy showed the cause of death. According to LiveScience the shark died of a brain disease,Continue reading “Greenland Shark Autopsy Shows Meningitis Killed 100-Year-Old That Washed Up On Beach”

Italy has been in the news and in our posts for a number of wildlife issues. International attention came to the peninsula due to feral pigs. The pigs have come into Rome and other cities and continue to wreak havoc. Government policies have permitted the return of wolves to parts of the nation. But theContinue reading “Urban Italian Wolves Threatening Fragile Truce Between People And Predator”

Evolution is usually considered a slow process taking hundreds if not thousands of years. But Siberian horse evolution may be on a fast track due to the extreme conditions of the frigid region. According to research discussed in Popular Mechanics small and hardy Yakut horses may have evolved quite quickly because of the region andContinue reading “Siberian Horse Evolution May Be On Fast-Track, New Research Suggests”

It is hardly a cuddly infant. The five-foot long pure white California shark is already a fierce predator. According to experts are inclined to believe it is an infant great white shark (Carcaradon carcharias.) Great whites reproduction is interesting. The sharks are ovovivaparous. That means they carry the litter (2 to 17 pups) internally. TheyContinue reading “White California Shark May Be First Baby Great White Ever Caught On Film”

Wolves remain a hot button conservation issue as their populations expand in some parts of the United States. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Canis lupus will not receive continued special federal protection. But the National Wildlife Service will develop a national management plan for Rocky Mountain wolves and the rest of the wolves inContinue reading “Rocky Mountain Wolves Will Not Receive Continued Federal Protection; National Wildlife Service Feels They Are Not Facing Extinction”

When Russia invaded Ukraine we reported on a number of deadly impacts on animals. The destruction of habitat, sanctuaries, zoos and individual animals caused an international reaction to the disaster. Three Ukrainian lions are the latest to find sanctuary in another country. The situation is not over. The latest news is about three lions whoContinue reading “Three Ukrainian Lions Brought To Safety In France As War Continues To Hurt Animals All Over The Country”

The worldwide cheetah population is threatened. There are about 7,000 of the fleet cats in the wild but they face threats as diverse as other felines and human kidnapping of cubs for the pet trade. According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund the number of cats has dropped 50 percent over the last few decades. ThatContinue reading “Cheetah Population Is Threatened Despite Efforts To Save The Fleet Cat, But Rescue Efforts Continue”

We have talked a lot about invasive species here. Many of the impacts are obvious. Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) have drastically altered Florida’s ecosystem. They have killed up to 90 percent of some species of mammals in the Everglades. Big headed ants haven’t killed a single lion (Panthera leo) but they are changing the AfricanContinue reading “Big Headed Ants Force Change In Diet Of African Lions, Latest Example Of The Impact Of Invasive Species”

Those goldfish swimming around in your tank can get very big under the right circumstances and encounters with giant goldfish are becoming more common every day. The Great Lakes of the United States appear to host millions of the small carp. Goldfish (family cyprinidae) are one of the most common fish kept as pets inContinue reading “Giant Goldfish Abound In American Great lakes, Angler In France Lands 67-Pounder”