Rare Critters

World-famous squirrel, Little Thumbelina Girl, recovering from life-saving surgery

May 28, 2022

The rescue squirrel that captured hearts around the world is now back home in New York after life-altering surgery in Florida funded largely with…

“Very flashy” moth not seen in the United States since 1912 was being smuggled into the country: Officials

May 21, 2022

A moth not seen in the United States for more than a century was discovered being smuggled into the country by a passenger arriving…

Family of snoring bears hibernate under California home

May 10, 2022

When it’s time for a long winter’s nap, momma bears know what to do: They find a den. It’s just this mother bear and…

The Mother of all Momma Bears: Grizzly 399 emerges from Wyoming den with four cubs in tow

May 8, 2022

Being a mother is hard. But imagine being a mother to four grizzly bear cubs in the wilds of Wyoming where visitors are watching…

The gene-edited pig heart given to a dying patient was infected with a pig virus

May 5, 2022

Traces of a virus known to infect pigs were found in a 57-year-old Maryland man who survived for two months with a heart transplanted…

Dog breeds generally a poor predictor of individual behavior

May 1, 2022

A community science project called Darwin’s Ark (darwinsark.org) has gathered information from a diverse cohort of pet dogs who were enrolled to explore how…

“Law-abiding bear” looks both ways before using crosswalk in North Carolina

April 27, 2022

It’s not exactly Abbey Road, but it’s bear-y close. Police in North Carolina recently shared an incredible video of a bear crossing a busy…

Abilene Zoo tortoise proves to be “most amazing patient” during CT scan at Texas hospital

April 24, 2022

It’s not everyday emergency room staff in Central Texas are called on to care for a giant tortoise. But that’s exactly what happened recently…

Tall Task: Elephant performs impressive balancing act Basel Zoo

April 19, 2022

Ever play that stick stacking balancing game? The one where you try to place wooden sticks on top of an object — and each…

Birth of rare Sumatran rhino offers “ray of hope” for species

April 12, 2022

An incredibly rare — and incredibly cute — Sumatran rhino has been born at a sanctuary in Indonesia offering good news for a species…