The Earth Will Feast on Dead Cicadas

Much like an unexpected free dinner will distract you from the leftovers sitting in your fridge, this summer’s cicada emergence will turn predators away from their usual prey. During the 2021 Brood X emergence, Zoe Getman-Pickering, a scientist in Lill’s research group, found that as birds swooped in on cicadas, caterpillar populations exploded. Spared from … Read more

Canine parvovirus kills more than 10 dogs as it sweeps through Latrobe Valley, Victoria and experts say it could spread

A deadly canine virus is sweeping through Victoria’s Gippsland, and has killed dozens of pet dogs in just weeks. Canine parvovirus (PVC) is a problem globally, but the recent flare up in Latrobe Valley has prompted urgent calls to pet owners in the eastern state, as experts fear the painful disease could continue to spread. … Read more

Dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas test positive for bird flu

Milk from dairy cows in Texas and Kansas has tested positive for bird flu, U.S. officials said Monday. Officials with the Texas Animal Health Commission confirmed the flu virus is the Type A H5N1 strain, known for decades to cause outbreaks in birds and to occasionally infect people. The virus is affecting older dairy cows … Read more

Sydneysider’s deadly find near popular swimming spot

A woman has captured the terrifying moment a huge bull shark swam past her private jetty in Sydney’s south. Brooke Van Ryan videoed the incredible moment when the huge predator cruised just metres from her and neighbouring moorings near the popular Gymea Bay baths on Sunday. “The bull shark was just casually lurking around our … Read more

Australian Defence Force seeks deal after work safety charge for crocodile attack in far north Queensland

The Australian Defence Force will seek an out-of-court resolution after two soldiers were attacked by a 2.5-metre saltwater crocodile in far north Queensland. Commonwealth prosecutors charged the Department of Defence in August 2023 with breaching work health and safety laws after the men were mauled almost three years ago. Both soldiers suffered significant injuries including … Read more

Man killed, another injured in mountain lion attack in Northern California, US

A mountain lion attack left one person dead and another injured in a remote area of Northern California on Saturday, officials said. The 18-year-old and 21-year-old brothers were antler shed hunting in Georgetown, California, when the mountain lion attacked the pair, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. The younger brother called 911 to … Read more

The US Is About to Drown in a Sea of Kittens

Scientists, conservationists, and cat advocates all agree that unchecked outdoor cat populations are a problem, but they remain deeply divided on solutions. While some conservationists propose the targeted killing of cats, known as culling, cat populations have been observed to bounce back quickly, and a single female cat and her offspring can produce at least … Read more

Citizen Zoo Is Rewilding the UK, One Grasshopper at a Time

The large marsh grasshopper was once ever-present across Eastern England’s wetlands. But after decades of habitat destruction, these handsome insects are now fragmented and locally extinct, holding out in the wettest fens, valleys, and peat bogs of the New Forest and Dorset. Now, London-based Citizen Zoo is trying to bring them back—and it’s planning to … Read more

A Pill That Kills Ticks Is a Promising New Weapon Against Lyme Disease

If you have a dog or cat, chances are you’ve given your pet a flavored chewable tablet for tick prevention at some point. What if you could take a similar pill to protect yourself from getting Lyme disease? Tarsus Pharmaceuticals is developing such a pill for humans—minus the tasty flavoring—that could provide protection against the … Read more