News & Commentary

When a Wildfire Raged Outside L.A., These Biologists Went on a Rescue Mission—for a Fish

August 31, 2017 Latest NewsCaliforniaJason Bittel

After surviving last summer’s Sand Fire, endangered sticklebacks are getting cozy in their new forest.

It Can’t Be Legal to Drag or Shoot a Shark. Can It?

August 24, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

New research reveals the mistreatment of sharks may be more common than we think, but confusing fishing laws are partly to blame.

When a Rare Jaguar Attack Becomes a Conservation Opportunity

August 11, 2017 DispatchColombia, InternationalJason Bittel

Peaceful coexistence will be the key to a wildlife corridor for jaguars spanning 10 countries across the Americas.

To Save This Tasty Sea Snail, We Must First Figure Out What Turns It On

July 26, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

It’s date night for white abalone! Get out the buckets, microscopes, and hydrogen peroxide.

How Do You Save the Desert Tortoise? Lasers, Robots, and Bureaucracy.

July 19, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

Conserving this ancient and slowly reproducing reptile requires playing the long game.

Oil Spills Are Even Worse for Birds than We Thought

July 7, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

A new study finds that even small smudges of oil can have huge impacts on flight and a bird’s energy budget.

Monitor Lizards Are Caught Up in Bizarre Trafficking Scheme

June 29, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

People shop online for a rare root that’s considered holy. What ships instead will make you cringe.

How Are We Running Out of Room for One of the World’s Tiniest Turtles?

June 22, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

The population and habitat of the bog turtle are shrinking into oblivion.

This Tiny Seabird’s Colossal Migration Is in Danger from All Sides

June 14, 2017 Latest NewsDelawareJason Bittel

Rufa red knots rely on Delaware’s horseshoe crab–covered beaches, but climate change and development threaten both species’ survival.

Can a Chlamydia Vaccine Save Koalas?

June 1, 2017 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

Australia’s resident cuties are falling victim to a gruesome disease—but habitat loss is the real culprit.

Counting Albatrosses from Space

May 25, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

Satellites can help scientists keep track of these endangered birds at the bottom of the world.

Shhh! Baby Whales Are Trying to Whisper Around Here!

May 17, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

Humpback whale calves make soft noises to keep in contact with their mothers, but noise pollution may be drowning out their conversations.

Saving Salamanders Over a Pint

May 4, 2017 DispatchAlabamaJason Bittel

Alabama’s threatened salamanders get a little help from a local brewery.

The Attwater’s Prairie Chicken Dances in the Face of Destruction

April 27, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

It’s breeding time for one of the country’s most endangered birds.

Africa’s Largest Eagle Needs Its Space—and Lots of It

April 21, 2017 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

But good territory is getting harder to find.

What Could Help Save the Endangered Crested Ibis?

April 13, 2017 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

Diversity, diversity, diversity.

Noise Makes Dolphins and Whales Flee—and That Can Take Their Breath Away

April 3, 2017 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

A new study brings us a step closer to understanding why marine mammals beach themselves.

A Hunter Asks, “Why Are Lead Bullets Still a Thing?”

March 30, 2017 PerspectivesUnited StatesJason Bittel

Lead is poison. Why would we want it on our public lands and in our food?

Gabon’s Jungle Was Once a Refuge for Elephants—Now It’s a Killing Field

March 16, 2017 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

If the new estimates are correct, Gabon has lost around 80 percent of its forest elephants in just a decade.

Poachers Hit New Low in Attacking a Rhino Orphanage and a Zoo Near Paris

March 10, 2017 Latest NewsInternationalJason Bittel

Rhino poaching doesn’t happen just in the wilderness now. It happens in the suburbs.