Animals news

• Alligator kills woman in Florida after tipping over her canoe

  07-05-2025 20:53 via theguardian.com
  
  Cynthia Diekema and husband were paddling in mouth of river when startled animal thrashed and capsized canoeAn alligator killed a Florida woman after tipping over a canoe she and her husband were paddling, in what investigators say appeared to be an accidental encounter.The attack happened on Tuesday afternoon near the mouth of Tiger Creek into Lake Kissimmee, south of Orlando, the Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) said. It is near the location of a March alligator attack i
  
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• Elk could return to UK after 3,000 years in rewilding project

  07-05-2025 18:51 via theguardian.com
  
  First stage of initiative will introduce ‘keystone’ species to beaver enclosures in Derbyshire and NottinghamshireElk could return to the UK after 3,000 years under plans by the Wildlife Trusts to reintroduce the “keystone” species into Britain’s landscapes.The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust wants to introduce elk into two existing beaver enclosures in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, with the hope of demonstrating that the large semiaquatic deer should be released to roa
  
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• Ohio police find pet raccoon in car driver’s seat with meth pipe in its mouth

  07-05-2025 17:36 via theguardian.com
  Chewy’s owner was detained and a bulk amount of methamphetamine was discovered in vehicle, officials sayPolice in Ohio were surprised to discover a pet raccoon called Chewy with a meth pipe in its mouth during a traffic stop in the town of Springfield.In a statement, Springfield Township police department said that one of its officers, Austin Branham, made the stop after spotting a vehicle whose owner had an active warrant and a suspended driver’s license. Continue reading...
  
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• Starlings form ‘friendships’ to help each other with breeding, study finds

  07-05-2025 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Superb starlings seen to build reciprocal relations in which they return favours when a ‘helper’ has offspring of its ownBirds of a feather flock together, so the saying goes. But scientists studying the behaviour of starlings have found their ability to give and take makes their relationships closer to human friendships than previously thought.About 10% of bird species and 5% of mammal species breed “cooperatively”, meaning some individuals refrain from breeding to help
  
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• Ocean with David Attenborough review – a passionate case against the ruination of the seas

  07-05-2025 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Released on his 99th birthday and presented in the context of his remarkable career, Sir David’s authority is matched only by nature’s grandeur in this visually stunning filmA visual marvel like all his work, governed by his own matchless authority and striking a steady tonal balance between warning and hope, David Attenborough’s new film about the oceans is absorbing and compelling. He makes a passionate case against the ruin caused by industrial overfishing and the sinister m
  
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• Specieswatch: new honeybee species in the UK a rare gain in a changing climate

  07-05-2025 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Osmia cornuta is a solitary bee spreading rapidly in the south of England, which was once too cold for itThere are few gains from the climate crisis, but a new bee species colonising UK shores is one of them. The European orchard bee, Osmia cornuta, which has established itself in southern England, is an important pollinator because it is among the first to begin foraging in the spring. On the continent, colonies are encouraged to live in cherry and apple orchards since they are said to be bette
  
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• Specieswatch: new bee species in the UK a rare gain in a changing climate

  07-05-2025 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Osmia cornuta is a solitary bee spreading rapidly in the south of England, which was once too cold for itThere are few gains from the climate crisis, but a new bee species colonising UK shores is one of them. The European orchard bee, Osmia cornuta, which has established itself in southern England, is an important pollinator because it is among the first to begin foraging in the spring. On the continent, colonies are encouraged to live in cherry and apple orchards since they are said to be bette
  
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• Country diary: I can hear the badgers, I can smell the badgers – but where are they? |

  07-05-2025 06:31 via theguardian.com
  
  Inkpen, Berkshire: Settled against one my favourite oaks, the birdsong falls away and the subterranean bumps and noises beginI’ve been waiting for a good time to go badger watching at an old, old sett I’ve known for 20 years. I’m hoping for a first sight of this year’s cubs, which begin to emerge around now. An evening after rain is best, before the nettles get too high. In damp ground, the worms might be up and badgers love to forage those, but we haven’t had signi
  
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• Valerie the dachshund is reunited with her owners after 529 days in the wilderness – video

  07-05-2025 04:37 via theguardian.com
  
  After 529 days on the run, Australia’s favourite fugitive has been reunited with her owners. People have been trying to find Valerie since she went missing in November 2023, when her owners, New South Wales couple Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock, were holidaying at Stokes Bay on Kangaroo Island in South AustraliaAfter braving the wilderness for 500 days, Valerie is heavier than ever. Has someone been feeding the mini dachshund?Valerie the dachshund is found safe and well after 529 days o
  
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• After braving the wilderness for 500 days, Valerie is heavier than ever. Has someone been feeding the mini dachshund?

  07-05-2025 04:12 via theguardian.com
  
  Kangaroo Island mayor also notes a silky coat on the dog, while Kangala Wildlife Rescue says ‘possums or cats out there were grooming her’Australia news live: latest politics and federal election updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAs Valerie is reunited with her owners, mystery remains over how the miniature dachshund braved more than 500 days in Kangaroo Island’s rugged wilderness only to emerge healthy, happy – and larger than before.Valer
  
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