Keyword "NATU" - List of latest news (603 results)

08:41 Global coral bleaching crisis spreads after hottest year, scientists say

More than four-fifths of the world's coral reef areas have been affected by devastating mass bleaching spurred by record-high ocean temperatures, turning many once-colourful reefs a ghostly pale hue, scientific authorities said on Wednesday.

21/04 Indians battle respiratory issues, skin rashes in world's most polluted town

Two-year-old Sumaiya Ansari, a resident of India's Byrnihat town which is ranked the world's most polluted metropolitan area by Swiss Group IQAir, was battling breathing problems for several days before she was hospitalised in March and given oxygen support.

19/04 Brazil's Indigenous leader Raoni says he is against drilling for oil in Amazon region

Brazil should not explore oil reserves in the Amazon region, because of the dangerous impact on local communities, Indigenous leader Raoni Metuktire, of the Kayapo people, told Reuters during the country's largest Indigenous gathering last week.

15/04 Kenyan agents bust plot to smuggle giant ants for sale to foreign insect lovers

Four smugglers caught trying to transport thousands of live ants out of Kenya for sale on exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia will be sentenced for trafficking wildlife in a case being hailed as a milestone by the Kenya Wildlife Service.

15/04 Egypt’s tourism push puts pristine Red Sea beach at risk, say environmentalists

Ras Hankorab Beach, a pristine spot on southern Egypt's Red Sea coast with crystal clear waters and flat white sands, is the jewel of Egypt's Wadi el-Gemal National Park, home to one of the country's last untouched marine ecosystems.

15/04 Europe had most widespread floods for more than a decade in 2024, scientists say

Europe faced its most widespread flooding last year since 2013, with 30% of the continent's river network hit by significant floods, scientists said on Tuesday, as fossil fuel-driven climate change continued to prompt torrential rain and other extreme weather.

11/04 Chile monitors volcanic field after seismic swarm causes 160 quakes in 2 hours

A seismic swarm that caused 160 quakes in two hours at the Laguna del Maule volcanic field in central Chile earlier this week has put authorities and citizens on alert.

11/04 Indigenous groups rally in Brasilia to demand land rights

Thousands of Indigenous people from across Brazil are rallying in the nation's capital this week to demand protection for their land rights, fighting legislation that could make it impossible for some tribes to reclaim territory they were forced to leave.

10/04 Jawbone from Taiwan shows geographic reach of enigmatic archaic humans

Molecular analysis has determined that a jawbone recovered off Taiwan's coast came from a Denisovan, showing that this enigmatic lineage of archaic humans once inhabited a vast expanse in eastern Eurasia in environments ranging from cold and arid to warm and humid.

10/04 What are atmospheric rivers and why do they cause flooding?

Atmospheric rivers are storms akin to rivers in the sky that dump massive amounts of rain and can cause flooding, trigger mudslides and result in loss of life and enormous property damage.

09/04 US company resurrects the extinct dire wolf, or some version of it

The dire wolf was one of the most formidable predators in the Americas during the last Ice Age, possessing a body more stout and a skull more robust than those of modern wolves. The species went extinct along with many others as the Ice Age ended.

06/04 Russian man survives bear attack as sightings near Moscow increase

A brown bear attacked and badly mauled a Russian man in a forest about 125 km (78 miles) from Moscow, local media and residents said, as sightings of bears become more frequent in the region surrounding the capital.

03/04 SpaceX rocket cargo project puts Pacific seabirds in jeopardy

A project proposed by Elon Musk's SpaceX and the U.S. Air Force to test hypersonic rocket cargo deliveries from a remote Pacific atoll could harm the many seabirds that nest at the wildlife refuge, according to biologists and experts who have spent more than a decade working to protect them.

02/04 Isle of Skye footprints give a tranquil snapshot of dinosaur life

It is the site of a dramatic moment in Scottish history. The Isle of Skye's rocky shoreline is where Charles Edward Stuart - known as Bonnie Prince Charlie - arrived by boat disguised as a maid to hide from the English in 1746 after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden.

27/03 Chasing cherry blossoms on an old steam train in Taiwan

Nearly a hundred passengers hopped aboard an old steam train in Taiwan this week, as the annual cherry blossom season entered full swing in the island's scenic mountains.

27/03 South Koreans mourn historic temple burnt by wildfire, race to save others

Charred, black ruins at South Korea's Gounsa temple stood in stark contrast to the kaleidoscope of colours that are a trademark of the country's historic palaces and Buddhist temples.

22/03 Swiss scientists hope to save biggest glacier in the Alps even as ice loss accelerates

The biggest glacier in the Alps could yet be partially saved if global warming is capped below two degrees Celsius, Swiss scientists said on Friday, although significant ice loss is now inevitable.

09/03 Toad patrol in rural England aims to rescue amphibian population

Thousands of toads, frogs and newts inching through the damp undergrowth on their way to breed will arrive safely at their destination thanks to the efforts of dozens of volunteers, whose patrols are helping the local amphibian population thrive.

08/03 Butterfly populations plummet by 22% in US since turn of century

The population of butterflies - the beautiful insects that play a vital role in pollination and the health of ecosystems - has fallen in the United States by more than a fifth this century, according to research spanning hundreds of species from the red admiral butterfly to the American lady to the cabbage white.

06/03 US board reinstates thousands of USDA employees fired by Trump administration

A U.S. board that reviews the firings of federal employees on Wednesday ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to temporarily reinstate thousands of workers who lost their jobs as part of President Donald Trump's layoffs of the federal workforce.

25/01 Fire-ravaged Los Angeles braces for toxic rain runoff

The fires are still not fully contained and have killed 28 people and damaged or destroyed nearly 16,000 structures.

24/01 More than 100 dead dolphins found on Somali coast, cause a mystery

More than 100 dead dolphins have been found on the coast of Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, with officials yet to establish what caused their deaths.

24/01 Coffee and snake - Taipei pet shop aims to break down prejudice against the animal

As the Year of the Snake approaches, a pet store in Taipei is offering adventurous customers an opportunity to enjoy the company of snakes while sipping coffee, hoping to break down some of the prejudice against the animal.

24/01 Thousands flock to see rare, smelly corpse flower bloom in Sydney

A rare plant known as the corpse flower bloomed in Sydney on Friday for the first time in more than a decade, emitting an odour likened to rotting flesh and delighting thousands who queued for a whiff.

23/01 Oil industry unlikely to rush to Alaska despite Trump's call to drill 

U.S. oil and gas companies are unlikely to expand development in Alaska and the Arctic following President Donald Trump's executive order enabling them to do so, company officials and industry representatives told Reuters, noting a future president could easily reverse Trump's move.

23/01 Where did dinosaurs first evolve? Scientists have an answer

Dinosaurs long dominated Earth's land ecosystems with a multitude of forms including plant-eating giants like Argentinosaurus, meat-eating brutes like Tyrannosaurus and weirdos like Therizinosaurus, with its Freddy Krueger-like claws. But the origin of dinosaurs - precisely when and where they first appeared - remains a bit of a puzzle.

23/01 Aerial views show ash and rubble from Los Angeles fire zones

From the air, the once-thriving Los Angeles neighborhoods wiped out by recent wildfires now appear as block after block of grayish-brown ash and rubble. Sunlight reflects off the skeletal remains of homes, restaurants and shops.

22/01 Nepal sharply hikes permit fee for Everest climbers

Nepal will increase the permit fees for climbing Mount Everest by more than 35%, making the world’s tallest peak more expensive for mountaineers for the first time in nearly a decade, officials said on Wednesday.

22/01 Carbon markets investor kicks off $1.5 billion Amazon protection plan in Davos

A carbon markets investor backed by Swiss-trading house Mercuria said on Wednesday it had joined with two non-profits to raise an initial $1.5 billion to help protect the Amazon, by working with Brazilian states, farmers and local communities.

21/01 Great white shark's 9-million-year-old ancestor found in Peru

Paleontologists in Peru on Monday unveiled the 9-million-year-old fossil of a relative of the great white shark that once inhabited the waters of the southern Pacific Ocean, where it liked to devour sardines.

17/01 Who's a very good boy? Madrid church douses pets with holy water

Dozens of dogs and cats, a few parrots and a chicken queued up alongside their owners outside a church in Madrid on Friday, waiting their turn to be blessed by a Catholic priest in a popular annual ritual.

17/01 Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga on star-studded list for wildfire relief concerts

Musicians Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Joni Mitchell and Jelly Roll will take the stage with other big names at wildfire relief concerts in Los Angeles this month, organizers said on Thursday.

16/01 Meat was not on the menu for human ancestor Australopithecus

The incorporation of meat into the diet was a milestone for the human evolutionary lineage, a potential catalyst for advances such as increased brain size. But scientists have struggled to determine when meat consumption began and who did it.

16/01 Dozens of judges, court staff lose homes in Los Angeles fires

At least 36 judges and employees in federal and state courts have lost their homes during the massive wildfires that have ravaged parts of Los Angeles and leveled entire neighborhoods, according to court officials.

16/01 Adopted wild boar can stay with her owner, French court rules

A wild boar adopted by a French horse breeder can remain with her owner, a court ruled on Thursday, after threats by authorities to remove and even euthanise her triggered a storm of protest.

16/01 Weather conditions in Los Angeles improve, giving firefighters respite

Wind gusts and dry conditions will linger throughout the day on Thursday in Los Angeles where firefighters hope to gain on their momentum against two major wildfires that have ravaged everything in their path.

15/01 Wind gusts, humidity may test firefighters battling Los Angeles blazes

Milder-than-expected conditions this morning allowed some 8,500 firefighters to hold the line on the Palisades and Eaton fires for the second day running.

14/01 LA fires: Santa Ana hurricane-force winds could intensify wildfires

Los Angeles firefighters braced on Tuesday for a new round of intense winds that could fuel two monstrous wildfires that have already killed at least 24 people, leveled entire neighborhoods and scorched an area the size of Washington, D.C.

14/01 Australian scientists discover bigger species of deadly funnel web spiders

Australian scientists have discovered a bigger, more venomous species of the Sydney funnel-web spider, one of the world's deadliest.

14/01 Malaysia says EU deforestation law presents challenges, opportunities for palm industry  

The European Union's pending anti-deforestation law presents both challenges and opportunities for Malaysia's palm oil industry, Malaysia's deputy commodities minister told an industry conference on Tuesday.

14/01 California Democrats put on the backfoot as wildfires - and criticism - rage

Questions about the state's preparedness rendered party leaders vulnerable to attacks.

13/01 Republicans eye conditions on California wildfire aid after Trump criticism

Top Republicans in the U.S. Congress are considering imposing conditions on disaster aid to Los Angeles communities devastated by wildfires, after President-elect Donald Trump claimed that state and local officials had mishandled the situation.

13/01 Los Angeles on high alert with extreme winds due to return

Dangerously high winds were expected to resume on Monday in Los Angeles, potentially hampering efforts to extinguish two stubborn wildfires that have leveled whole neighborhoods and claimed the lives of at least two dozen people.

13/01 With tacos and toys, Angelenos rally to support neighbors after fires

Yuri Williams donned a red superhero costume and hauled $2,000 worth of toys to a temporary Los Angeles-area donation center on Sunday, hoping to bring cheer to people displaced by this week's devastating wildfires.

12/01 California wildfires devastate Altadena: How one man tried to save his block

Flames were licking his fence, he was choking on smoke, and bullets were whizzing by his leg. Despite it all, Tristin Perez never left his Altadena home during the deadly Eaton fire.

12/01 San Fernando Valley under threat as Los Angeles fire rages on

Aircraft dropped water and fire retardant on steep hills to stem the eastward spread of the Palisades Fire. The LA county supervisor called it "another night of unimaginable terror and heartbreak."

11/01 See Pacific Palisades before and after the devastating Los Angeles fires

Before one of the most destructive fires in California history swept through, the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Los Angeles' west side was filled with expensive homes fronted by green, well-tended landscaping and popular boutiques and cafes.

11/01 Los Angeles wildfires trigger air quality warnings and health concerns

Business was brisk at Teddy's Cocina in Pasadena as wildfire evacuees ate lunch and passersby ducked indoors to escape from the brown, smoky air blanketing the city.

10/01 Stunned and tearful, Angelenos return to find their homes are gone

Survivors of the wildfires that have been sweeping parts of Los Angeles have started to trickle back to their evacuated homes in recent days, hoping against the odds that they were spared the worst of the devastation.

10/01 Wild chimpanzees adapt genetically to different habitats

Wild chimpanzees inhabit various environments in Africa, from dense tropical rainforests to more open woodland and savannah areas. And these close cousins of our species, according to new research, have developed intriguing genetic adaptations tailored to their habitats - including to pathogens like malaria.

10/01 Los Angeles firefighters see progress in containing blazes

But the strong winds that fanned the flames were expected to pick up again today, worsening conditions.

10/01 Wildfire smoke: What are the health risks?

Multiple massive wildfires are raging in Los Angeles, blanketing the surrounding regions under a pungent haze caused by smoke carrying noxious gases and particulate matter that pose serious health risks.

09/01 Hollywood Hills burn as LA engulfed by 'the big one'

Wildfires raged deep into the storied heartland of the American film industry.

09/01 Biden cancels Italy trip due to California wildfires

U.S. President Joe Biden canceled an upcoming trip to Italy due to the wildfires in California, the White House said on Wednesday, adding that he wanted to focus on directing the full federal response to the fires.

09/01 In Los Angeles, water runs short as wildfires burn out of control

Crews battling multiple wildfires that raged across Los Angeles on Wednesday were up against a near-perfect storm: intense wind, low humidity and, most troubling for residents, inadequate supplies of water to contain the blazes.

08/01 'Like a warzone,' Los Angeles wildfire survivors relive night of fear and panic

When gas canisters at his neighbors' homes began exploding under the heat of the flames, Kevin Williams knew it was time to run.

08/01 Tens of thousands flee as wildfires tear through Los Angeles area

More than 30,000 people evacuated their homes as a wildfire tore through a coastal area of Los Angeles in just a few hours, and a second blaze some 30 miles inland was rapidly spreading.

07/01 Los Angeles wildfire prompts evacuations amid extreme winds

A wildfire burned about 200 acres (80 hectares) and threatened homes in an upscale section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, forcing evacuations after officials had already warned of extreme fire danger from dry, powerful winds.

07/01 Biden names two national monuments in California, cementing conservation legacy

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday will create two new national monuments in California, solidifying his legacy as the U.S. leader who has conserved more lands and waters than any of his predecessors.

05/01 Australia's southeast braces for extreme fire danger amid intense heatwave

Australia is in the grips of a high-risk bushfire season, with firefighters last week battling a blaze that ripped through Victoria's Grampians National Park, razing homes and farmland.

31/12 Hawaiian Electric sells 90% interest in American Savings Bank

Hawaiian Electric Industries (HEI) said on Tuesday it had closed the deal to sell a 90.1% stake in its unit American Savings Bank (ASB), helping the company raise funds for the deadly 2023 Maui wildfire settlement.

29/12 Australian authorities assess damage from Grampians bushfire

Authorities in Australia's Victoria state looked on Sunday to contain and assess damage from a large fire that has ripped through The Grampians National Park this week, destroying homes and farmlands.

27/12 Brazil court suspends law cutting tax breaks for firms with deforestation soy commitment

A justice on Brazil's top court on Thursday suspended a law from the country's top soy-producing state that would end tax breaks for firms following an agreement to not purchase soy from deforested areas of the Amazon rainforest.

26/12 Peru declares environmental emergency after oil spill

Peru's government on Thursday declared an environmental emergency in a northern coastal area, where state oil firm Petroperu last weekend spilled a crude oil shipment into surrounding waters of the Pacific Ocean.

24/12 The barnacle, Spaniards' favourite Christmas dish, imperilled by climate change

On the craggy rocks on northwestern Spain's treacherous Costa da Morte (Death Coast), wetsuit-clad fishermen dodge crashing waves as they pick barnacles, a prized Christmas delicacy facing decline due to climate change and other factors.

24/12 Rare tigresses earn social media fame as stars of Thailand zoo

Rare golden tigresses with cream-coloured coats and wide eyes at a zoo in northern Thailand have become internet sensations, after luring massive crowds to shows where they have been trained to perform tricks.

23/12 Young mammoth remains found nearly intact in Siberian permafrost

Researchers in Siberia are conducting tests on a juvenile mammoth whose remarkably well-preserved remains were discovered in thawing permafrost after more than 50,000 years.

22/12 Trump vows to rename Denali as Mount McKinley

The U.S. changed its name to the Athabascan "Denali" in 2015.

20/12 'Amphibious mouse' among 27 new species discovered in Peru's Amazon

An "amphibious mouse" with partially webbed feet that eats aquatic insects was among 27 new species discovered during a 2022 expedition to Peru's Amazon, according to Conservation International.

18/12 Delay to EU deforestation law confirmed after countries approve

European Union countries on Tuesday approved a year's delay to the bloc's anti-deforestation law, confirming the postponement of the world-first green policy, the Council of the EU said in a statement.

18/12 Chile's giant 'living fossil' frog faces threat from climate change and humans

A giant frog species that hopped alongside dinosaurs and is considered a "living fossil" is now losing ground in its native Chile as climate change and human intervention damage its habitat.

16/12 Brazil heron takes flight after plastic cup removed from throat

A heron took flight in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, stretching its wings and soaring over a river after veterinarians saved it from near-certain death by removing a plastic cup attached to its neck and blocking its throat.

13/12 USDA approves funds to fight screwworm, may resume Mexico cattle imports this year

The Biden administration approved a second round of emergency funding to block New World screwworm from entering the U.S. on Friday, a U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary told Reuters, after Washington suspended cattle imports from Mexico over the pest.

12/12 Genomes reveal timing of Homo sapiens interbreeding with Neanderthals

Neanderthals went extinct roughly 39,000 years ago, but in some sense these close cousins of our species are not gone. Their legacy lives on in the genomes of most people on Earth, thanks to interbreeding between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.

11/12 Trying to attract tourists, Venezuela builds infrastructure in fragile ecosystems

A push by Venezuela to attract tourists and boost its flailing economy by building infrastructure including runways and hotels is doing environmental damage to ecologically-delicate areas.

11/12 Monarch butterfly may gain threatened species status in US

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the monarch butterfly as a threatened species on Tuesday, citing a significant decline in the iconic black and orange insects that has pushed them toward extinction.

10/12 California wildfire forces evacuations in Malibu; students shelter in place

A rapidly intensifying wildfire burning just northwest of Los Angeles forced some residents in Malibu to evacuate as it threatened homes, knocked out power and closed roads in the beach community.

10/12 New Zealand plans to ban greyhound racing, citing high injury rates

The New Zealand government on Tuesday proposed to ban greyhound racing from 2026, saying the percentage of dogs injured in races remained significantly high.

06/12 EU, Mercosur set to finalise contentious trade deal

The European Union and South America's Mercosur bloc are expected on Friday to finalise a free trade agreement but it faces a tortuous battle for approval in Europe given firm French opposition.

04/12 Mammoths topped the menu for North American Ice Age people

The first humans who spread across North America during the last Ice Age put mammoths at the top of their menu, according to scientists who secured the first direct evidence of the diet of these ancient people.

04/12 Valencia floods contaminate rich Albufera wetland with detritus and sewage 

One of Europe's most biodiverse coastal wetland reserves has been inundated with tons of plastic waste, wrecked cars and pharmaceutical products by the flash floods that ravaged southeastern Spain last month.

03/12 Biden pushes out over $100 billion in clean energy grants as term winds down

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has awarded over $100 billion in grants created by its signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden senior advisor for international climate policy John Podesta said.

02/12 Exclusive: UN calls for $2.6 trillion investment to reverse land degradation

A large chunk of the around $1 billion a day that is required will need to come from the private sector.

28/11 Fossil footprints in Kenya show two ancient human species coexisted

About 1.5 million years ago, individuals of two different species in the human evolutionary lineage trudged on a muddy lakeshore in northern Kenya, leaving behind intersecting trackways alongside the footprints of antelopes, horses, warthogs, giant storks and other animals.

28/11 Feces and vomit fossils offer evidence explaining dinosaur supremacy

The way the dinosaurs relinquished their long dominance is well known. An asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago, triggering a horrific mass extinction. But the way the dinosaurs - modest creatures initially - came to supremacy is less well understood.

26/11 Rare pudu birth in Argentina sparks conservation hopes for tiny enigmatic deer

A rare pudu fawn was born in a biopark in Argentina earlier this month, giving scientists and conservationists a unique chance to study and collect data on the tiny enigmatic deer.

24/11 Canada apologizes to Inuit communities for mass killing of sled dogs decades ago

The government of Canada on Saturday apologized to the Inuit of northern Quebec for the mass killing of sled dogs in the 1950s and 1960s, which devastated communities by depriving them of the ability to hunt and travel.

22/11 COP29 host urges collaboration as deal negotiations enter final stage

COP29 climate summit host Azerbaijan urged participating countries to bridge their differences and come up with a finance deal, as negotiations at the two-week conference entered their final hours.

21/11 New COP29 proposal shows wide gap persists on climate funding deal

The United Nations climate body published on Thursday fresh options for the COP29 summit's primary goal of agreeing how much money richer countries should provide poorer ones to help them tackle climate change.

21/11 Iceland volcano erupts for the tenth time in three years

Lying dormant for 800 years, the geological systems in the area reactivated in 2021.

18/11 Fossil from Germany unlocks history of ancient flying reptiles

Aloft over the landscape of Bavaria some 147 million years ago was a pterosaur - an ancient flying reptile - with a wing span of about 7 feet (2 meters), a bony crest on front of its snout and a mouthful of sharp teeth, searching for a lizard or another nice morsel to eat.

18/11 Can a COP29 deal clean up scandal-ridden carbon offsets?

A deal at the COP29 climate talks on trading carbon credits could see billions of dollars move into emissions-reduction projects this decade but after a string of scandals, the market will first need to win over wary countries and communities.

17/11 Biden visits Amazon rainforest en route to G20 summit

Joe Biden will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Amazon rainforest on Sunday as he flags the dangers of global warming often dismissed by Donald Trump, who enters the White House in January vowing to scrap measures to fight climate change.

17/11 Japan's Mount Fuji eyes China-made tram to transport hikers, source says

Japanese authorities seeking to reduce the carbon footprint and overcrowding at Mount Fuji will propose a trackless, rubber-tyred tram system made by China's CRRC to transport climbers, a person with direct knowledge of the plan said.

15/11 Global carbon offset standard setter okays three deforestation project types

The move aims to restore confidence in the market.

14/11 Russian rescuers return a beached killer whale to sea

Russian rescuers returned a young female killer whale to the Sea of Okhotsk on Thursday after the orca beached in the far east, the emergency situations ministry said.

14/11 Tropical storm Toraji shuts schools, some businesses in Hong Kong

Schools and many businesses shut in Hong Kong on Thursday morning after authorities issued the third highest typhoon warning overnight as tropical storm Toraji skirted about 150 km (93 miles) south of the financial hub.

13/11 New York ivory ban for antiques dealers voided by US appeals court

A federal appeals court on Wednesday declared unconstitutional a New York law that largely banned sales and in-store displays by antiques dealers of ivory and rhinoceros horns in the state.

13/11 'One-of-a-kind' skull fossil from Brazil reveals bird brain evolution

The brains of today's birds facilitate a level of cognitive prowess and behavioral complexity rivaled only by mammals. But how the avian brain evolved over many millions of years from an ancestral dinosaurian form has long puzzled scientists. That has now changed thanks to a spectacular fossil discovery in Brazil.

13/11 Global CO2 emissions to hit record high in 2024, report says

Global carbon dioxide emissions, including those from burning fossil fuels, are set to hit a record high this year, pulling the world further off course from averting more destructive climate extremes, scientists said on Wednesday.

12/11 New Jersey-New York wildfire keeps burning, fed by dry, windy conditions

The Jennings Creek Fire has torched some 5,000 acres of brush and thick woodland near Greenwood Lake and killed a park employee.

12/11 Who are Trump’s cabinet picks so far and who is in the running?

Donald Trump has begun the process of choosing a cabinet and selecting other high-ranking administration officials following his presidential election victory.

11/11 Rain may help New Jersey wildfire battle, gusts threaten to fan California fire

The first measurable rainfall over New Jersey in weeks raised hopes on Monday of snuffing out a rash of wildfires that has plagued the state, while stronger winds brought concern that a California blaze that had already destroyed dozens of structures could start expanding again.

11/11 Locals move to protect Chile's giant desert geoglyphs scarred by off-roaders

Over a thousand years ago, the hundreds of giant geoglyphs carved into the desert in northern Chile were a bustling scene. They marked sources of water in the vast arid landscape and were where locals came together to trade skins, animals and fish.

09/11 Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi erupts again, government to widen restricted zone

The volcano erupted at least three times early on Saturday, spewing an ash column 9 km (5.6 miles) high.

08/11 Biden's Amazon visit comes as US climate policy to shift under Trump

Joe Biden will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Brazilian Amazon when he travels to Manaus later this month, a symbolic trip given the United States is likely to see a dramatic change in climate policy under President-elect Donald Trump.

08/11 Wildfire near Los Angeles rages on after 10,000 evacuate

After forcing thousands of Californians to evacuate and burning more than 100 structures, a stubborn wildfire burning northwest of Los Angeles on Friday challenged firefighting crews working to snuff it out even as fierce winds in the area calmed.

08/11 Indonesian volcano spews ash 10 km high, thousands evacuate

Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted several times on Friday following a big eruption on Sunday night that killed nine people.

07/11 Spain floods: Improvised vet station treats pets sick from tainted mud

Volunteer veterinarians in eastern Spain's flood-hit Paiporta are treating pets that have caught infections from the devastated town's mud-filled streets at an improvised first-aid station with donated medicines and equipment.

07/11 Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest falls to lowest since 2015

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell 30.6% in the 12 months through July compared to the same period a year prior, according to government data released on Wednesday -- the smallest area destroyed in the world's largest rainforest in nine years.

06/11 Trump return will slow, not stop, US clean energy boom

Donald Trump's return to the White House will refocus the nation's energy policy onto maximizing oil and gas production and away from fighting climate change, but the Republican win in Tuesday's presidential elections is unlikely to dramatically slow the U.S. renewable energy boom.

04/11 Public funding for nature conservation stalls at COP16

Wealthy nations appeared to hit a limit with how much they are willing to pay to conserve nature.

02/11 World's largest captive crocodile Cassius dies in Australia

A 5.48 metre (18 ft) Australian crocodile that held the world record as the largest crocodile in captivity has died, a wildlife sanctuary said on Saturday. He was thought to be more than 110 years old.

02/11 Ecuador's Indigenous defenders face growing threats, activists say at UN summit

Indigenous environmental defenders in Ecuador are suffering an increasing number of threats and sometimes deadly attacks amid spiraling violence in the country, activists said during U.N. COP16 nature talks in Colombia this week.

01/11 Washington state vote a harbinger for wider carbon markets

A ballot initiative to ax Washington state's carbon market would, if passed next week, send an ominous signal to other U.S. states and Canadian regions looking to build markets aimed at cutting emissions that scientists blame for climate change.

01/11 Environmentalists sue over US approval of ioneer's Nevada lithium mine

Environmental and Indigenous groups on Thursday filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Interior Department's approval of ioneer's Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine in Nevada, the first domestic source of the battery metal to be permitted by Democratic President Joe Biden's administration.

31/10 Israeli conservationists release endangered hawksbill turtles into the Red Sea

Israeli conservationists released three hawksbill turtles into the Red Sea in an effort to rehabilitate the population of the critically endangered species in the wild, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority said on Thursday.

30/10 Scientists in Argentina unearth oldest tadpole, from dinosaur times

Scientists in Argentina have discovered excellently preserved fossil remains of the oldest-known tadpole, the larval stage of a large frog species that lived alongside dinosaurs about 161 million years ago during the Jurassic Period.

28/10 As UN COP16 nature talks are gridlocked, scientists warn of extinction risks

Countries were at an impasse over how to fund nature conservation and other key decisions as the U.N. COP16 biodiversity summit entered its second week on Monday in the Colombian mountain town of Cali.

27/10 After Colombia's FARC peace agreement, scientists found more new species

For more than five decades as violent conflict raged through Colombia's highlands and rainforests, wildlife thrived.

25/10 Hong Kong's first dinosaur fossils, likely from large dinosaur, go on display

The first dinosaur fossils found in Hong Kong, likely from a large dinosaur, were put on display on Friday after they were found on a small, uninhabited outlying island, providing new evidence for research on palaeoecology in the financial hub.

24/10 Afro-descendants push for official recognition at UN nature talks

Colombia and Brazil are pushing the United Nations COP16 nature summit under way in the city of Cali on Wednesday to officially recognize the contribution of Afro-descendant people in conserving the region's vast biodiversity.

23/10 Giant mural in Sao Paulo uses ash from wildfires to highlight deforestation

Brazilian street artist Mundano's latest work incorporates ash from forest fires and mud from flooding in Brazil to create a giant mural pleading for a stop to deforestation.

23/10 Caiman-eating jaguars survive fires in Brazil's Pantanal wetlands

They call him Bold and he is Brazil's most famous jaguar, seen on social media diving into rivers to capture a caiman and wrestle his prey ashore.

22/10 Leaders urge world to pay up to save nature as COP16 talks open

Two years earlier, countries adopted the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreement with a list of 23 goals. COP16 is tasked with figuring out how to implement that agreement.

22/10 Ancient meteorite was 'giant fertilizer bomb' for life on Earth

The space rock that slammed into Earth 66 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous Period caused a global calamity that doomed the dinosaurs and many other life forms. But that was far from the largest meteorite to strike our planet.

21/10 Hong Kong authorities say soil infection killed monkeys, as 11th dies

Melioidosis, a bacterial infection, was responsible for killing at least nine monkeys at a Hong Kong zoo, authorities said, as a further two died over the weekend, taking the total to 11 in the past week.

21/10 Explainer: What's on the agenda at the COP16 nature summit in Colombia?

Countries will be debating how they can save nature from the current rapid rate of destruction.

21/10 World lags on 2030 nature goals headed into UN COP16 talks

Nearly 200 nations meet for the two-week U.N. biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia.

11/09 California wildfires torch mountain homes, ski resort

Southern California wildfires have burned mountain homes, torn through a ski resort and prompted the evacuation of thousands from their homes in suburbs east of Los Angeles.

11/09 Brazil's Lula backs highway through Amazon that could drive deforestation

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, after months of hedging on the issue, has committed his government to finishing a road through a pristine part of the Amazon rainforest, a move scientists say will bring disastrous deforestation.

11/09 Nearly 40% of Amazon rainforest most vital to climate left unprotected, data show

Scientists agree that preserving the Amazon rainforest is vital to combating global warming, but new data on Wednesday indicate huge swathes of the jungle that are most vital to the world's climate remain unprotected.

09/09 Death of 'Russian spy' whale Hvaldimir not caused by humans, say Norway police

A beluga whale discovered with a harness strapped around its neck in Norwegian waters five years ago - and found dead on Aug. 31 - had a stick stuck in its mouth and its death was not related to human activity, police said on Monday.

05/09 Wildfire destroys 20% of Brasilia forest, arson suspected

Firefighters succeeded on Wednesday in reducing the extent of a massive wildfire that blazed for two days and destroyed 20% of a forest in the Brazilian capital, cloaking the city in clouds of gray-white smoke, according to officials, who suspect that it may have been started by arsonists.

04/09 Western US braces for extreme heat; Phoenix passes 100 days over 100 degrees

The West Coast of the United States is bracing for extreme heat with temperatures in desert towns expected to soar as high as 120 Fahrenheit (49 Celsius) and Phoenix likely to extend its streak of 100 days over 100 degrees, forecasters said on Tuesday.

01/09 Australian volunteers fight deadly disease threatening wombats

Mange is caused by parasitic mites and is a major cause of wombat mortality.

29/08 Dead fish blanket Greek tourist port after flooding

Greek authorities have started collecting hundreds of thousands of dead fish that poured into a tourist port in the central city of Volos this week after being displaced from their usual freshwater habitats during flooding last year.

27/08 'Nature is punishing us': Drought imperils farmers and bees in Mexico's north

In the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, residents and farmers have anxiously watched and waited for clouds to bring rain to refill dried-out dams, water wells and lagoons. They've waited so far in vain.

27/08 Namibia to cull 83 elephants and distribute meat to people affected by drought

Namibia plans to cull 723 wild animals, including 83 elephants, and to distribute the meat to people struggling to feed themselves because of a severe drought across southern Africa, the environment ministry said.

24/08 Paws to the rescue: trained dogs help save lives at Spanish beach

A team of trained dogs has been lending their towing strength, swimming endurance and current-detection ability to rescue people from drowning at a popular beach in southern Spain.

23/08 Iceland volcano erupts, spewing lava fountains

A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted on Thursday, the meteorological office said, spraying red-hot lava and smoke in its sixth outbreak since December.

22/08 Rare Amazon river dolphins studied for climate change impact

A team of biologists, vets and fishermen captured rare freshwater dolphins this week on a lake in the Amazon to study their health in the hopes of avoiding hundreds of deaths of the mammals due to a severe drought last year.

20/08 US must do more to protect species from Gulf of Mexico drilling: judge

A U.S. judge at the urging of environmental groups has thrown out an assessment by a federal agency governing how endangered and threatened marine species should be protected from oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

20/08 Argentina judge halts deforestation of Chaco forest in rare move

An Argentine federal judge on Monday ordered a three-month suspension of deforestation in northern Chaco province, a rare step to protect one of the world's woodland ecosystems that is most rapidly being destroyed to make way for farmland.

17/08 Firefighters battle to contain five wildfires across Turkey, minister says

Firefighters were battling to contain wildfires in five Turkish provinces on Saturday, the Forestry Minister said, though a blaze in the western Izmir region that broke out on Thursday had eased somewhat and residential areas were no longer at risk.

17/08 South American lungfish has largest genome of any animal

The South American lungfish is an extraordinary creature - in some sense, a living fossil. Inhabiting slow-moving and stagnant waters in Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana and Paraguay, it is the nearest living relative to the first land vertebrates and closely resembles its primordial ancestors dating back more than 400 million years.

13/08 Wildfire evacuees to return to Canadian tourist town of Jasper on Friday

Residents forced to evacuate the wildfire-hit western Canadian tourist town of Jasper three weeks ago will be allowed to return home on Friday, local officials said on Monday.

12/08 Conservationists ask Tanzania to ban sport hunting of elephants

Conservationists petitioned Tanzania on Monday to end elephant trophy hunting in a vast wildlife reserve area that spans its common border with Kenya.

10/08 Brazil fire brigades fight Amazon blazes off to torrid start in 2024

Fires ringing Apui and other towns across the Amazon often start on cattle ranches where locals are converting the jungle into pasture.

09/08 Giant panda habitat opens at California zoo to much fanfare

Two Chinese giant pandas are now California residents as their enclosure at the San Diego Zoo opened to the public on Thursday in an international ceremony.

09/08 Banksy unleashes animals on London, but what do they mean?

A goat, two elephants, three monkeys and one wolf.

08/08 Climate change fueled record early fires in Brazil's wetlands, study says

Climate change intensified by 40% the weather feeding devastating wildfires that have likely killed millions of animals this year in Brazil's Pantanal, the world's largest wetlands, scientists said in a study published on Thursday.

07/08 Exclusive: US EPA says it is auditing biofuel producers' used cooking oil supply

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched investigations into the supply chains of at least two renewable fuel producers amid industry concerns that some may be using fraudulent feedstocks for biodiesel to secure lucrative government subsidies.

06/08 Wildfire torches hillside homes in southern California

A wind-driven wildfire on a hillside above the southern California city of San Bernardino burned several homes and forced evacuations before it was brought under control on Tuesday, firefighters reported.

04/08 California wildfire now fourth largest in state history, hot weather offers no relief

More than 6,000 firefighters in California's Central Valley continued to battle the largest blaze in the U.S. on Saturday, which burned its way into the history books as the state's fourth largest conflagration on record.

11/07 Tokyo residents seek to block building of massive data centre

A group of residents in Tokyo said on Wednesday they were aiming to block construction of a massive logistics and data centre planned by Singaporean developer GLP, in a worrying sign for businesses looking to Japan to meet growing demand.

08/07 Chile desert surprises with rare winter bloom

The sand dunes of Chile's Atacama desert, the driest on the planet, have been blanketed by white and purple blooms in recent days after early rains caused flowers to spring up in the dead of the Southern Hemisphere winter.

08/07 Colombia deforestation fell to 23-year low in 2023

Deforestation in Colombia fell 36% to a 23-year low in 2023, driven by declining environmental destruction in the Amazon region, the environment ministry said on Monday.

05/07 Italy's Etna and Stromboli volcanoes erupt, Catania Airport closed

Eruptions at Italy's Mount Etna and the smaller Stromboli volcano spewed hot ash and lava, raising alert levels on the Mediterranean island of Sicily and forcing a temporary shutdown of Catania Airport on Friday.

30/06 Greek firefighters tame wildfire on island of Serifos

Greek firefighters managed to contain on Sunday a wildfire that had raged uncontrolled overnight on the Aegean island of Serifos, damaging houses and prompting the evacuation of several hamlets.

30/06 Wildfire fanned by strong winds rages uncontrolled on Greece's Serifos island

A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds raged uncontrolled on the Greek island of Serifos on Sunday, prompting authorities to order several hamlets to evacuate.

29/06 Giant animal puppets launch 20,000-km trip to raise climate awareness

Life-sized lion and antelope puppets took their first steps at the London launch of a new public art project that will see them embarking on a 20,000-kilometre (12,400 miles) trek from central Africa to northern Europe, symbolically fleeing from the effects of climate change.

29/06 Genome study deepens mystery of what doomed Earth's last mammoths

What doomed this last mammoth population on Wrangel Island? A new genomic analysis deepens the mystery.

28/06 US Supreme Court curbs federal agency powers, overturning 1984 precedent

The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a major blow to federal regulatory power on Friday by overturning a 1984 precedent that had given deference to government agencies in interpreting laws they administer, handing a defeat to President Joe Biden's administration.

27/06 EU lawmakers divided over calls to delay deforestation law

European Union lawmakers are split over whether to delay the bloc's upcoming ban on imports of goods linked to deforestation, adding pressure on Ursula von der Leyen as she seeks their backing for a second term as the European Commission's president.

27/06 Bornean elephants endangered due to human activity, wildlife experts say

Agriculture, mining, logging and other human activities on Borneo have caused elephants living on the South Asian island to become endangered, an assessment by wildlife experts published on Thursday found.

27/06 Fossil of child with Down syndrome hints at Neanderthal compassion

Living among a small band of Neanderthals in what is now eastern Spain was a child, perhaps 6 years old, with Down syndrome, as shown in a remarkable fossil preserving traits in the inner ear anatomy indicative of this serious genetic condition.

25/06 Activists say Bosnian dam threatens river life and rafters

Environmental activist Lejla Kusturica stood on the banks of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Neretva river, wondering if it was the last time she would get to watch teams of raft racers battling through the rapids on its emerald-green waters.

25/06 Protecting 1.2% of Earth would prevent most extinctions, study says

Setting aside an additional 1.2% of the world's land as nature preserves would prevent the majority of predicted plant and animal extinctions and cost about $263 billion, according to a study published on Tuesday.

25/06 Over 200 howler monkeys in Mexico perish in heatwave, says NGO

At least 234 threatened howler monkeys have died in tropical forests in the south-eastern Mexican state of Tabasco, wildlife non-profit Cobius said on Monday, a figure nearly triple that of a month ago which it attributed to a nationwide heatwave.

25/06 Bird flu spreads to tenth Australian poultry farm

A highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza has spread to an eighth poultry farm near Melbourne, the government of Australia's Victoria state said on Tuesday, taking the total number of infected facilities in the country to 10.

21/06 One dead in Greek wildfires fanned by gale-force winds

A man died on Friday as several forest fires fanned by gale-force winds battered Greece's southern tip and forced evacuations, the fire brigade said.

20/06 Two dead in New Mexico wildfires, 500 homes destroyed

Two people have died in wildfires in southern New Mexico that have burned around 500 homes and triggered the evacuation of about 8,000 residents from the mountain resort community of Ruidoso.

19/06 In Chile, coastal construction on sand dunes raises alarm as sinkholes multiply

Residents of the gleaming apartment buildings built atop sand dunes that dot Chile's Pacific coast are expressing mounting concerns for their safety after a series of sinkholes.

18/06 World falling behind on environment, health and hunger goals, UN report says

The world is way off track on most of the sustainable development targets agreed in 2015, such as tackling poverty and hunger, says a United Nations report which cites funding shortfalls, geopolitical tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic.

18/06 Explainer: What is China's panda diplomacy and how does it work?

During a visit to Australia this week, Chinese Premier Li Qiang made a classic goodwill gesture that boded well for relations between the two countries: he offered to send pandas.

18/06 Brazil's Lula demands faster action against organized crime in the Amazon

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday urged his government to speed up actions in the Amazon to combat organized crime that has contributed to destruction of the world's largest tropical rainforest.

16/06 Singapore intensifies oil spill clean up after it spreads along coast

An oil spill off southern Singapore has spread to other areas of the island's coast and is threatening a marine reserve, government agencies said, adding that authorities were intensifying efforts to mop up the fuel.

14/06 Brazil's Pantanal wetlands face worst fires

Fatima Brandao goes looking for her chickens in the backyard amidst a veil of smoke from the spreading fires that are engulfing the world's largest tropical wetland faster than ever before.

11/06 Swiss farmers use drones to find sheltering fawns, to save them from equipment harm

In the lush fields of the Swiss town of Forel, volunteers use drones before dawn to find fawns, or young deer, nestled beneath tall grasses, preventing farmers from inadvertently harming them with heavy agricultural machinery.

11/06 Study shows elephants might call each other by name

Over the years, researchers who study elephants have noticed an intriguing phenomenon. Sometimes when an elephant makes a vocalization to a group of other elephants, all of them respond. But sometimes when that same elephant makes a similar call to the group, only a single individual responds.

08/06 Mass fish death in Mexico's Chihuahua State blamed on severe drought

Thousands of dead fish have blanketed the surface of a lagoon in Mexico's northern state of Chihuahua, and local officials are blaming an intense drought.

08/06 Texas bird flu strain kills ferrets used to mimic disease in humans, US CDC says

The bird flu virus strain that infected a Texas dairy farm worker in March was lethal to ferrets in experiments designed to mimic the disease in humans, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Friday.

08/06 Fires in Brazilian wetlands surge 980%, extreme drought expected

Fires in Brazil's Pantanal wetlands have surged nearly tenfold so far this year to the highest levels since 2020, when the biome suffered its worst blazes on record.

07/06 H7 bird flu hits another Australian poultry farm in quarantine zone

A fifth poultry farm near Melbourne has been infected with a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza, the government of Australia's Victoria state said on Friday.

05/06 Highly pathogenic H7 bird flu found on fourth poultry farm in Australia

A highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza has been found on a fourth poultry farm near Melbourne near two other properties where the virus had already been detected, the government of Australia's Victoria state said on Wednesday.

03/06 Israel aims to boost Red Sea oil deliveries despite environmental risks

Israel plans to allow more oil tankers to dock at a Red Sea port in Eilat despite environmental risks, as it strives to maintain energy security amid conflict on multiple fronts, according to Israeli officials and government documents.

01/06 Southern African countries plan to expand special tourist visa

Five Southern African countries on Friday committed to expanding the use of a special common visa to allow easier movement of tourists as the region seeks to boost arrivals.

31/05 Humble fern from New Caledonia boasts world's largest genome

You thought the living organism with ;/"he largest genome might be the blue whale, an African elephant or perhaps a giant redwood tree? Not even close. A human being? Wrong again. That honor instead goes to a little fern that grows in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

31/05 Heat, hurricanes and blackouts: Cubans brace for long summer after scorching May

Last summer was the hottest on record and this one is on track for similarly sweltering temperatures.

31/05 Blinken says Washington approved use of US weapons by Ukraine inside Russia

U.S. President Joe Biden approved Ukraine using U.S. weapons to strike targets inside Russia that were attacking the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, after Kyiv sought authorization from Washington in recent weeks, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Friday.

30/05 Bird flu infects third US dairy worker; Michigan set to expand testing

A third U.S. dairy worker tested positive for bird flu after exposure to infected cows, and was the first to suffer respiratory problems, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

30/05 Iceland volcano spews lava and smoke for a second day

A volcano in Iceland spewed smoke and lava for a second day on Thursday but winds were expected to carry poisonous gas pollution away from the capital Reykjavik, authorities said.

24/05 Mexico's 'heat dome' has already killed dozens of people as hotter days loom

The extreme heat smothering much of Mexico has killed dozens of people across multiple states over recent weeks, the country's health ministry said in a report published on Thursday, with hotter temperatures forecast for coming days.

21/05 Climate change: small island states hail ocean court victory

A global maritime court found on Tuesday that greenhouse gases constitute marine pollution, a major breakthrough for small island states threatened by the rise in sea levels caused by global warming.

21/05 Dogs shred waves in northern Spain surfing contest

Dozens of furry surfers and their human companions hit the beach in northern Spain over the weekend for the annual European dog surfing championship.

21/05 Mexico's howler monkeys dropping dead as heat toll mounts

Threatened howler monkeys have been dropping dead from trees in Mexico's southeastern tropical forests in recent weeks amid a nationwide drought and heat waves that have sent temperatures soaring across much of the country.

18/05 A fox on stilts? Argentine long-legged maned wolf returned to the wild

Argentine conservationists have returned a rare and unusual-looking animal, a maned wolf, to the wild around Buenos Aires, with its long black legs and red-fur making the creature look like a fox on stilts or perhaps wearing knee-high boots.

16/05 Sea otters get more prey and reduce tooth damage using tools

Humans are not alone in the use of tools. Chimpanzees, for instance, crack nuts with stones and use sticks to get at tasty termites. Dolphins are known to employ sponges to protect their beaks while foraging. And a Galapagos Islands finch uses cactus spines to dig grubs out of holes.

16/05 Properly cooked hamburgers pose no bird flu risk, US study finds

No bird flu virus was found after cooking ground beef to medium to well done, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a briefing on Thursday after conducting a study as it addresses concerns over an outbreak of the disease in dairy cattle.

16/05 Study reveals history and oceanic voyages of remarkable baobab tree

The baobab tree is a distinctive sight on the landscape. When its contorted branches are leafless during the dry season, they resemble jumbled roots emanating from a thick trunk, making it appear as if someone had yanked the tree from the ground, flipped it on its head and jammed it back into the earth.

14/05 For elephants, like people, greetings are a complicated affair

People greet each other in a variety of ways. They might say "hello," "guten tag," "hola," "konnichiwa" or "g'day." They might shake hands, bump fists, make a fist-and-palm gesture or press their hands together with a gentle head bow. They might kiss on the cheek or hand. And they might give a nice big hug.

14/05 Orcas sink sailing yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain's maritime rescue service said on Monday, a new attack in what has become a trend in the past four years.

13/05 Canadian crews battle wildfire threatening remote western town

Firefighters on Monday battled a large wildfire heading towards a remote western Canadian town as winds and tinder dry conditions threatened to spread the flames further, a provincial minister said.

11/05 Auroras dazzle in Latin America as solar storm causes rare displays

The biggest geomagnetic storm in two decades, sparked by solar flares, caused dazzling lights displays in parts of Latin America overnight on Friday, including a rare appearance in Mexico.

11/05 Wildfire evacuation notice issued for oil sands rich Alberta town

An evacuation alert has been issued for Fort McMurray, Alberta, as an out-of-control fire rages southwest of the major Canadian oil town, making it among the first actions ahead of the wildfire season.

10/05 US to provide nearly $200 million to contain bird flu spread on dairy farms

The Biden administration said on Friday it will provide nearly $200 million to fight the spread of avian flu among dairy cows, in the government's latest bid to contain outbreaks that have fueled concerns about human infections with the H5N1 virus.

10/05 A whale makes a comeback off Argentina's coast 100 years after vanishing

Giant blue-grey sei whales that vanished from Argentina's Patagonian coast a century ago due to hunting are starting to flourish once again, demonstrating how species can recover when measures to protect them are put in place.

04/05 Orangutan's use of medicinal plant to treat wound intrigues scientists

In June 2022, a male Sumatran orangutan named Rakus sustained a facial wound below the right eye, apparently during a fight with another male orangutan at the Suaq Balimbing research site, a protected rainforest area in Indonesia. What Rakus did three days later really caught the attention of scientists.

03/05 Dairy worker bird flu case shows need for protective gear, US CDC study shows

The Texas dairy farm worker infected with H5N1 bird flu was not wearing respiratory or eye protection and had been exposed to cattle that appeared to have the same symptoms as those in a nearby farm with a confirmed outbreak of the virus, according to new details on the case released on Friday.

01/05 NotTurtle: NotCo releases AI-designed 'turtle' soup

It tastes like sought-after turtle soup but there is no trace of shelled critters in the bowl: Chilean plant-based food firm NotCo recreated this famous dish using artificial intelligence and in doing so hopes to help raise awareness about the endangered reptile.

01/05 UK's Sycamore Gap tree mystery: Two men charged with criminal damage

Police have charged two men with criminal damage after one of Britain's most photographed trees was cut down in the night last September - an act of vandalism that prompted a outpouring of national sadness.

30/04 Forest fires raze parts of India amid heat, dry weather

Frequent fires are razing forests in India's Uttarakhand state in the north and Odisha in the east amid high temperatures and long dry spells, and the blazes have been worsened by people burning the forest to collect a flower used to brew alcohol.

30/04 Risk of bird flu spreading to cows outside US, says WHO

A World Health Organization official said on Tuesday there was a risk of H5N1 bird flu virus spreading to cows in other countries beyond the United States through migratory birds.

30/04 Plastic talks end without agreement on curbing production

Negotiations on a future global treaty to tackle soaring plastic pollution wrapped up early on Tuesday without agreement on a proposal to consider sustainable plastic production limits.

29/04 What did people eat before agriculture? New study offers insight

The advent of agriculture roughly 11,500 years ago in the Middle East was a milestone for humankind - a revolution in diet and lifestyle that moved beyond the way hunter-gatherers had existed since Homo sapiens arose more than 300,000 years ago in Africa.

26/04 Indigenous people protest Brazil not protecting ancestral lands

Several thousand Indigenous demonstrators marched chanting to drum beats on Thursday to the seat of power in Brazil's capital to protest against the government's failure to protect their ancestral lands.

25/04 Argentine scientists find speedy 90-million-year-old herbivore dinosaur

Paleontologists from Argentina announced the discovery of a new medium-sized herbivorous dinosaur, which was a fast runner and lived about 90 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period in present day Patagonia.

25/04 More than 100 pilot whales stranded in Western Australia, experts say

Marine wildlife experts were frantically trying to rescue some 140 pilot whales stranded on Thursday in the shallow waters of an estuary in the southwest of the state of Western Australia.

25/04 Understanding of Earth's flowering plants blossoms in genome study

Flowering plants - from corn, wheat, rice and potatoes to maple, oak, apple and cherry trees as well as roses, tulips, daisies and dandelions and even the corpse flower and voodoo lily - are cornerstones of Earth's ecosystems and essential for humankind.

24/04 Wildfire razes pinelands near top Cuba tourist town of Viñales

A wildfire blazed early on Wednesday outside the picturesque western Cuba valley town of Vinales, state-run media said, threatening a region considered to be among the island's most important tourist destinations.

22/04 Dutch zoo creates coral 'Noah's Ark' to preserve endangered reefs

Divers at a Netherlands zoo on Monday began work to create a "Noah's Ark" of coral as part of a global effort to preserve coral reefs by building reserve populations in aquaria.

20/04 Thai divers seek to take on 'ghost gear' threatening marine life

Beneath the surface of the turquoise waters off a beach on Thailand's holiday island of Phuket, divers laboriously collect abandoned fishing gear, much of it made from plastic, that is tangled on coral and trapping sea life.

19/04 US restricts drilling and mining in Alaska wilderness, angering state leaders

The Biden administration took steps on Friday to limit both oil and gas drilling and mining in Alaska, angering state officials who said the restrictions will cost jobs and make the U.S. reliant on foreign resources, but pleasing environmentalists.

18/04 Fossils of colossal snake Vasuki unearthed in India mine

Fossil vertebrae unearthed in a lignite mine are the remains of one of the largest snakes that ever lived, a monster estimated at up to 49 feet (15 meters) in length - longer than a T. rex - that prowled the swamps of India around 47 million years ago.

18/04 Exclusive: JDE Peet's sees coffee industry struggling to meet EU deforestation law

JDE Peet's , one of the world's largest coffee companies, said the global coffee industry is finding the timing very tight to comply with a new EU law banning the import of commodities and related goods linked to deforestation anywhere in the world.

18/04 'Amazonia' bonds in 2024 seen a tough sell for some

A political push to raise the first-ever "Amazonia Bond" has ramped up during talks to agree a "roadmap", yet the chance of a deal this year faces technical hurdles and scepticism among some of those tasked with managing the debt, sources told Reuters.

17/04 Brazil braces for worst coral bleaching ever

Brazil is bracing for what may be its worst-ever coral bleaching event as extremely warm waters damage reefs in the country's largest marine reserve – threatening the region's tourism and fishing revenues.

17/04 Coral bleaching afflicts most of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, report shows

Some three-quarters of Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef is suffering from coral bleaching, authorities said in a report on Wednesday, days after climate scientists warned the condition was blighting such reefs worldwide.

17/04 Genome study reveals prehistoric Ethiopian origins of coffee

You might call it a cup of Joe, java, mud, brew, mocha, or your morning jolt. Coffee undoubtedly is a big part of global culture, and the kind made from the Arabica bean is the most appreciated by coffee drinkers.

16/04 World leaders call on nations to swiftly ratify U.N. ocean treaty

The European Union and the governments of 13 countries urged nations on Tuesday to prioritise the ratification of a U.N. treaty to protect the world's oceans from overfishing and other human activities.

16/04 Explainer: The world's coral reefs are bleaching. What does that mean?

Huge stretches of coral reef around the world are turning a ghostly white this year amid record warm ocean temperatures.

15/04 France plans subsidies for tree felling to help exterminate bark beetle

France's agriculture ministry plans to subsidise tree felling and ease regulations on biomass burning as part of a push to stop the spread of bark beetle, a voracious pest decimating French forests whose spread has been boosted by global warming.

15/04 Dinosaurs displayed a fast growth rate from the very beginning

One of the traits that helped make the dinosaurs such an evolutionary success story - thriving for 165 million years - was their fast growth rate, from massive meat-eaters like Tyrannosaurus to immense plant-eaters like Argentinosaurus.

15/04 FBI opens criminal probe into Maryland bridge collapse, Washington Post says

The FBI has opened a federal criminal probe into the March 26 bridge collapse in Maryland, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

15/04 High risk of animal-to-human diseases developing in some China fur farms, animal protection group says

An investigation of five fur farms in China housing foxes, raccoon dogs and mink found a high risk of diseases developing that could jump from animals to humans, said animal protection group Humane Society International who conducted the study at the end of 2023.

13/04 Stranded sea otter pups paired with surrogate moms at California aquarium

Every year, around 10 to 15 sea otter pups are found stranded off the California coast, often due to storms that separate mother and offspring.

10/04 Elephant deaths trigger Kenyan call for Tanzania to curb hunts

In the rolling grasslands of the Amboseli wildlife park, conservationists fret about an emerging threat to Kenyan elephants that are crucial to its tourism business: licensed hunters across the border in Tanzania.

09/04 US CDC says bird flu risk low, but asks states to be ready with rapid testing

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday bird flu risk to the public remains low even as it asked the state public health officials to be prepared to respond.

09/04 Colombia Amazon deforestation forecast down 25% to 35% last year, ministry says

Deforestation in Colombia's Amazon region is forecast to have declined by 25% to 35% in 2023, Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said on Monday, while warning that evidence shows that destruction has increased so far in 2024.

05/04 Bird flu dairy cow outbreak widens in Ohio, Kansas, New Mexico

Bird flu has infected a dairy herd in Ohio for the first time and was detected in additional herds in Kansas and New Mexico, according to the U.S. government, expanding an outbreak in cows that has raised concerns about possible risks to humans.

04/04 Scientists investigate thousands of dead Antarctic penguins for bird flu

Has bird flu already killed hundreds, if not thousands of penguins in Antarctica?

04/04 Tropical forest loss eased in 2023 but threats remain, analysis shows

Tropical forest loss declined last year, but other indicators show that the world's woodlands remain under tremendous pressure, according to an analysis released on Thursday by the Global Forest Watch monitoring project.

03/04 Polar bear Laerke gets her annual physical

Lying on her back, enormous paws in the air, Laerke the polar bear is being given her annual medical exam. It involves much the same as tests given to humans - blood, urine, heart. The difference? It takes a good half-dozen veterinary staff to turn her over.

03/04 Wide swath of US will get buggy as two cicada broods intrude

Cicadas, the noisy but rather tame insects that spend most of their lives underground, are poised to put on quite a show starting this month in a wide swath of the United States.

03/04 South Koreans bid tearful farewell to beloved panda Fu Bao

South Koreans bid farewell on Wednesday to Fu Bao, the first giant panda born in the country, as she left the zoo where she was born in 2020 to be flown to China in a tearful send-off by a large crowd of fans braving steady rain.

02/04 Record wildfires hit Venezuela during climate-driven Amazon drought

Venezuela is battling a record number of wildfires, according to data released on Monday, as a climate change-driven drought plagues the Amazon rainforest region.

31/03 Biden restores endangered species protections rolled back by Trump

The Biden administration on Thursday restored some protections under the Endangered Species Act rolled back under former President Donald Trump, giving the federal government more leeway to designate plants or animals as threatened or endangered.

29/03 'Adopt a penguin egg' Easter campaign helps endangered African birds

Bored of buying eggs made of chocolate and wrapped in foil with predictable bunny motifs? This Easter in South Africa you could instead spend your cash an egg that will hatch a live penguin.

29/03 Secret planting operation boosts critically endangered Welsh shrub

At a secret location in the Welsh countryside, naturalists have planted 30 young specimens of a once-common plant that has been collected - and nibbled - almost to extinction.