Wildlife

The Miami Herald reports: As a tropical system continues to march toward Florida, with a high chance of becoming a depression or something stronger in the coming days, a state of emergency was declared Saturday for most counties on the Gulf Coast. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order that declared the state of emergency for 33 counties, including Manatee, …

CBS News reports: Wild monkeys spotted in parts of Florida have prompted authorities to issue warnings about the primates, urging people to not feed or attempt to capture the animals. One photo, shared by the Orange City Police Department on Wednesday, shows a monkey sitting on a green chainlink fence. The monkey was identified as a wild Rhesus Macaques monkey, …

The Associated Press reports: Some Florida Keys coral reefs are losing their color weeks earlier than normal this summer because of record-high water temperatures, meaning they are under stress and their health is potentially endangered, federal scientists said. The corals should be vibrant and colorful this time of year, but are swiftly going white, said Katey Lesneski, research and monitoring …

Deutsche Welle reports: A “loose, dangerous animal,” suspected to be an escaped big cat, was reportedly sighted in a Potsdam region on the fringes of the German capital on Thursday, police said. Authorities are using helicopters to track what they believe is a female lion and have called on residents to stay indoors, the RBB public broadcaster reported. Residents have …

The Associated Press reports: When Alicia Griggs steps outside her suburban Fort Lauderdale home, Florida’s latest invasive species comes a-hoppin’ down the street: lionhead rabbits. The bunnies, which sport an impressive flowing mane around their heads, want the food Griggs carries. But she also represents their best chance of survival and moving where this domesticated breed belongs: inside homes, away …

Via press release from the National Park Service: A 47-year-old female from Phoenix, Arizona, was gored by a bison near the Lake Lodge Cabins on the north shore of Lake Yellowstone the morning of July 17. The female was walking with another individual in a field in front of the Lake Lodge when they saw two bison. Upon seeing them, …

ABC News reports: A cruise line has apologized to over 1,000 of its passengers after one of its ships arrived at port in the middle of a whale hunt where dozens of the marine mammals were being slaughtered. Ambassador Cruise Lines confirmed on Thursday that the arrival of their ship Ambition in Torshavn in the Faroe Islands — located between …

From the Florida Department of Agriculture: Today, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and its Division of Plant Industry announced that a quarantine and treatment area has been established in specific areas of Broward County in response to previously detected giant African land snails. Under the quarantine, it is unlawful to move a giant African land snail or …

Reuters reports: Killer whales severely damaged a sailing boat off the coast of southern Spain, the local maritime rescue service said on Thursday, adding to dozens of orca attacks on vessels recorded so far this year on Spanish and Portuguese coasts. In the early hours of Thursday, a group of orcas broke the rudder and pierced the hull after ramming …

First, a reminder from last month: South Dakota’s Republican governor told an audience that her 2-year-old granddaughter “already” had several guns. Speaking at a National Rifle Association (NRA) event in Indiana on Friday, Kristi Noem spoke about her grandchildren, Addie and Branch. She said that the nearly 2-year-old Addie had a shotgun and a rifle. “Now Addie, who you know, …

The Guardian reports: For decades, wild pigs have been antagonizing flora and fauna in the US: gobbling up crops, spreading disease and even killing deer and elk. Now, as fears over the potential of the pig impact in the US grow, North America is also facing a new swine-related threat, as a Canadian “super pig”, a giant, “incredibly intelligent, highly …

NY1 reports: A four-foot-long alligator was rescued from Prospect Park Lake Sunday, the city’s parks department said. No one was injured by the gator, and it was taken first to an animal care center before ultimately being transported to the Bronx Zoo to be evaluated and treated, parks officials said. The alligator has been nicknamed Godzilla, the New York City …

Reuters reports: Avian flu has reached new corners of the globe and become endemic for the first time in some wild birds that transmit the virus to poultry, according to veterinarians and disease experts, who warn it is now a year-round problem. Reuters spoke to more than 20 experts and farmers on four continents who said the prevalence of the …

The Anchorage Daily News reports: A polar bear killed a woman and boy Tuesday afternoon in the Northwest Alaska community of Wales, according to Alaska State Troopers. Troopers received a report of a polar bear attack around 2:30 p.m. According to initial accounts, a polar bear came to the village and chased several residents. The two people who were killed …

NBC News reports: A search is underway for a clouded leopard that escaped from its habitat at the Dallas Zoo Friday morning, officials said. The incident, described as “a serious situation,” prompted the zoo to shut down for the rest of the day. The leopard, named Nova, likely escaped through a tear in the mesh enclosure the feline shares with …

Agence France-Presse reports: Polar bears are disappearing fast from the Western part of Hudson Bay, on the southern tip of the Canadian Arctic, according to a new government survey. The number of female bears and cubs in particular has seen a dramatic decline. Researchers have flown over the region — which includes the town of Churchill, a tourist destination touted …

Congress Minutes reports: A bill severely restricting private pet ownership of big cats like tigers and lions passed the Senate by unanimous consent, sending the measure to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature. Certain institutions, such as wildlife sanctuaries, universities and certified zoos, would still be allowed to keep the animals. The bill would also stop members of the …

NPR reports: Go into almost any park and there’s often reminders to refrain from going near, petting or feeding wildlife. Not licking strange animals was simply a given — until now. The National Park Service has added tongue-contact with the Sonoran desert toad among its various warnings for park visitors. “As we say with most things you come across in …

The Insider reports: A flurry of fake votes threatened to throw the balance of the annual Fat Bear Week competition at the Katmai National Park in Alaska, a tournament where online users get to vote for their favorite beefed-up brown bears as they fatten themselves to survive the harsh winter ahead. Organizers said  that as the competition neared voting for …

Click Orlando reports: A woman sailing on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that set sail from Port Canaveral was killed Tuesday in a shark attack while on an excursion in the Bahamas, according to a cruise line spokesperson. The woman, a guest on Harmony of the Seas, was attacked while on an independent shore excursion in Nassau, the cruise line …