Image: FB/WolfWatchUK Meet Madadh, the oldest known wolf to have ever been recorded. While the average wolf in the wild lives to only 8 and those in captivity rarely make it to 14, this female overcame the odds and thrived into her 19th year. Madadh, also known as “Maddie,” was a captive and well-socialized Canadian […] More
Archerfish attack prey in quite an unusual way — by spitting at it. They’ve got great aim, too. Adults almost always hit their target on the very first shot, dislodging and bringing down insects and small animals above water up to 10 feet away. These aptly-named fish hover underwater waiting for prey to come into […] More
Army ants are known for their colossal foraging groups, which can exceed 15 million individuals. These insanely productive ants are constantly on the move in search of prey, covering wide swaths of ground, with an entire colony capable of carrying and consuming thousands of prey items in a single day. But from time to time, […] More
We’ve all heard of a cat stuck in a tree … but how about a bobcat on top of a cactus? Nature photographer Curt Fonger captured the above photo of one of North America’s most elusive predators in an unusually precarious position, perched atop a saguaro cactus. The image, taken in Gold Canyon, Arizona, show […] More
Thanks to Charles Darwin, the Galapagos Islands are famous for their isolation, their diversity of life, and their role in supporting the theory of evolution. On these islands, you will find giant tortoises, penguins, fifteen species of finches, and even marine iguanas. Yet, none of these animals are dangerous, apex predators. That distinction belongs to […] More
Scientists have gained new insight into the evolutionary development of brain and nervous system tissue, after examining fossilized brain tissue from a Cambrian sea creature that lived in modern-day Greenland half a billion years ago. The extinct species, Kerygmachela kierkegaardi, was a predator with a long, spiny tail and front appendages used to grab prey. At […] More
Researchers in Myanmar have discovered specimens of Chimerarachne yingi, an ancient arachnid and cousin of the modern spider, perfectly preserved in amber. The little critters look a lot like spiders we’re familiar with today, with one big difference. The Chimerarachne yingi has a long tail, like an early version of the tail on modern scorpions. According to the research […] More
Paper money does exist on Makira, a small island in the eastern Solomon Islands. But the people there don’t always count their fortunes in bills and change; on Makira, bat teeth are more valuable than money, and people hunt the creatures – mostly for food, but often, for their teeth. There are two species of […] More
An African Bush Camp guide and his guests witnessed quite a spectacular event on a game drive in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe: a wild dog playing dead to escape the jaws of a lioness. A pack of wild dogs were relaxing after a recent kudu feast when they were spotted by a hungry lioness, recalled […] More
Talk about a bizarre finding: Genetics have confirmed that an animal killed by a Greenland hunter in the 1980’s was a narwhal-beluga whale hybrid, and they’ve dubbed it a “narluga.” The animal’s skull had been sitting in a museum collection at the Natural History Museum of Denmark for nearly 3 decades before a DNA analysis […] More
If you’ve watched enough wildlife encounters, you probably know that, despite their reputation in popular culture, hippos are NOT gentle giants. When bothered, these massive creatures are extremely aggressive and highly dangerous. But apparently, they can be deadly even when they’re not angry. In fact, any animal who inadvertently enters their territory risks not making […] More
One of the most breathtaking and incredible migrations on the planet is made by a creature you might not expect: the monarch butterfly. It is a sight to behold. Unable to survive the cold winters of North America, millions of these incredible butterflies travel 50-100 miles a day to reach the forests of central Mexico at […] More
