Any way you slice it, pets are part of the family — as such, most owners are willing to do whatever it takes to keep them healthy. But with this level of care comes a certain measure of worry, especially when dealing with even the smallest of pet ailments: My dog just threw up. My cat won’t stop scratching. What do I do? It’s easy to turn to a vet whenever these worries pop into our…
Humans communicate (with varying degrees of effectiveness) to connect with their fellow man and, even more fundamentally, to survive. Animals aren’t so different — they have their own ways to chit chat. However, unless you’re Dr. Dolittle, you might have a hard time breaking through the animal kingdom’s language barrier. In fact, a lot of species’ behaviors continue to mystify researchers and scientists, despite years of study. While there’s likely a good explanation for these…
Big cities already have a lot on their plates. From overcrowding to funding issues, the metropolises of the world don’t always make it easy to live there. And just when a city thinks the issues are solved, another danger always proves to be lurking nearby. Recently, some New Yorkers were focused on one nasty problem that seemed impossible to solve. Evidence has brought more credence to a longstanding rumor about “giant monsters” running around in…
Botswana is landscaped with vast grasslands and dry deserts. The land is harsh and unforgiving, even for its native animal residents, like lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and large elephants. Life is a constant battle, and only the fittest will survive… So researchers were absolutely shocked and confused when a paralyzed puppy dragged herself into their remote camp one day. The little dog, Poppy, was gravely injured and her fate was up in the air until an unlikely…
During a sweltering New York City summer, the bees turned red. Little by little, each member of the hive glowed a suspicious crimson, which quickly turned the honey into an unrecognizable bloody syrup. Frankly, it freaked people out. They needed to know the potential environmental ramifications. So insect experts in Brooklyn set out to find answers. It took beekeepers, small business owners, and the police several years to get to the bottom of why the…
Helping a lost dog find her way back home can be as simple as reading her tags. Then, of course, it’s just a matter of earning the dog’s trust and coaxing her into your car! Sadly, not all lost animals can be returned so smoothly. When a Kentucky woman saw a dog in a bad spot, she and her family did what they’d done so many times with stray animals before: offered help. But what…
Mountain goats are fascinating animals. They may look silly with their long faces and sometimes out-of-control horns, but don’t let their funny traits fool you. These amazing survivors can climb the steepest slopes and live off practically nothing. When one particular group of mountain goats ended up somewhere they didn’t belong, the environment and its inhabitants suffered. Desperate for their next fix, these goats became addicted to something very strange and potentially dangerous… In September…
Some things just don’t go together: orange juice and toothpaste, a fork and a power outlet, a full glass of red wine and a pristine white couch. It’s just the way of life. And this is no different in the animal kingdom. You don’t often see rival species hanging out together over a cup of coffee. Which is why experts at India’s Gir National Park were concerned when they saw a fierce lioness approaching a…
When humankind faces a dire situation, we usually turn to our brightest minds for help. Engineers fabricate incredible technologies to save lives in natural disasters, scientists carry out brilliant studies to develop life-saving medicines, and politicians offer guidance. To solve humanity’s greatest problem, though, we might soon be turning to a fish. Because if we play our cards right, one little alien-faced creature called the monkeyface prickleback may one day save the human race —…
There’s something inherently compelling about secret societies. Are the Illuminati really out there? What goes on at Yale’s Skull and Bones meetings? Is the New World Order truly pulling all our strings? It’s both exciting and scary to imagine there’s something more lurking beneath the everyday trappings of the world. And yet, answers about the true historical influence of some secret societies might be right in front of those touring one ancient castle in Portugal.…