A quarter of all bird species in the United States have declined in population since the 1970s, according to the National Audubon Society. In its Watchlist 2000 report, the group cites declines among twice as many bird species as those federally designated as endangered or threatened.
The African bee may be widely known as a "killer," but it's a life-saver for many people in South Africa. The government is touting beekeeping as a way to help poor families earn a living, and there are high hopes for marketing an alcoholic beverage made from honey.
Populations of North Atlantic swordfish began plummeting in the 1960s as the result of overfishing. An international fisheries group responsible for protecting the commercially valuable fish say conservation measures put into place only three years ago have already aided the swordfish's recovery.
San Diego researchers are implanting radio transmitters into rosy boas, red racers, and red diamond rattlesnakes to identify areas they consider prime real estate. Scientists anticipate that using the animals to mark out their own critical habitat could ultimately guide conservation efforts and influence city planning.
In the United States and other countries, populations of barn owls have declined dramatically over recent decades, mainly as a result of shrinking farm land and expansive areas the owls need for foraging. Now, farmers, conservationists, and scientists in many areas are working to reintroduce these "ghost" owls by installing nesting boxes.
Was Dudleytown in northwest Connecticut cursed from the start? Many people believe that's what explains the disproportionate number of horrors that befell residents of the tiny town before it was abandoned a century ago. Today, reports of ghosts and other strange experiences in the area's dark, owl-filled forest draw curiosity-seekers to the legendary site.
Grey-headed flying foxes are moving into the botanic gardens of Sydney and Melbourne in huge numbers. These normally nomadic bats are settling down in the city because of changes to the environment, and so far are resisting attempts to move them on.
A recent deep-sea expedition to the Galápagos Rift focused on giant tubeworms that live amid underwater hydrothermal vents discovered 25 years ago. Biologists are eager to find out how the worms survive the harsh conditions, which may resemble the environment in which life first evolved.
A new report asserts that elephants in European zoos are often in ill health, endure considerable stress, and have a much shorter life than their counterparts in the wild. The report by the UK's Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals calls for wide-ranging changes in the way captive elephants are treated.
Birder Mel White muses on rediscovering a passion nurtured in childhood after he was introduced to birds by his mother in Arkansas. "Birds have enhanced my life in ways that I couldn't have imagined at 20," he writes.
When birder and illustrator David Allen Sibley published a hefty new book two years ago that went well beyond the usual field guide, it was an immediate success. His latest book, a slim paperback titled Sibley's Birding Basics, concentrates on the human side of field identification. Birders at all levels of experience will find nuggets of value in it.
Most of America's dogs are pampered pets, but a small percent work for their biscuits. Among these gainfully employed canines, there's a range of occupations, from seeing-eye and guard dogs to sheep herders and hunting dogs. But artists? This story is part of the Dogs With Jobs series airing on the National Geographic Channel.
Biologists in Peru experienced the highs and lows of wildlife research this summer in the Peruvian Amazon. After three years of unsuccessful attempts to capture a rare short-eared dog in the wild, they finally caught one, fit it with a radio collar, and released it. Two weeks later, the dog was dead, shot by a hunter.
Jennifer Hile, a freelance journalist and documentary-maker, spent two and a half months in Northern Thailand investigating the plight of domestic elephants. During her visit she sent frequent dispatches to National Geographic Today. This one describes her experience with elephant orphans and "Elephant Heaven"—a sanctuary for abused elephants founded by Sangduen "Lek" Chailert. Chailert is a well-known Chiang-Mai based activist who runs Jumbo Express, a program bringing free veterinary care to elephants. Full story and photo gallery:
