Animals

Quality of Life

Trio of juvenile great white sharks spotted off Black's Beach

City News Service

Lifeguards patrolling in a boat about 100 yards from shore shortly after noon spotted the sharks feeding on the carcass of a sea lion, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
International

78 pilot whales were slaughtered near a cruise ship carrying marine conservationists

Emily Olson

Passengers of the Ambassador Cruise Line had just arrived in the Faroe Islands when a group of small boats drove the whales to shallow water for killing, part of a long-standing local tradition.
A record-breaking Burmese python — as long as a giraffe is tall — caught in Florida

Dustin Jones

The snake, stretching 19 feet, was caught in the Big Cypress National Preserve. The invasive species runs rampant through southern Florida, wreaking havoc on the state's native animal populations.
An otter in Santa Cruz is hassling surfers — and stealing their boards

Dustin Jones

The 5-year-old female southern sea otter was first seen hijacking surfboards in Santa Cruz last September. Officials successfully drove the otter away from the area, but she has since returned.
International

For the first time in decades, Angolan giraffes now populate a park in Angola

Megan Lim

After a logistically complicated journey of over 36 hours, 14 juvenile giraffes have made it to their subspecies' native homeland in Iona National Park.
Health

Honeybee deaths rose last year. Here's why farmers would go bust without bees

Allison Aubrey

Beekeepers lost nearly half of their honeybee colonies last year. Without bees, farmers can't grow the fruits and plants that feed us. So farmers are working harder to get their crops pollinated.
Science & Technology

Researchers found a rare octopus nursery off the coast of Costa Rica

Joe Hernandez

It's only the world's third known octopus nursery. The research team may have also discovered a new species of Muusoctopus, a genus of small to medium sized octopus that lacks an ink sack.
Environment

Building California: How will the infrastructure deal affect development, wildlife?

Rachel Becker

Environmentalists and project proponents agree: Infrastructure bills crafted by legislators and Newsom are a good compromise. The package aims to speed up lawsuits for solar farms, reservoirs and other infrastructure, and relax protection of some species.
Living

Puppy rescued from between rocks and hard place in Valley Center needs new home

City News Service

No one knows how the pup — nicknamed "Snack" — managed to get himself wedged between the boulders at a Valley Center construction site, but rescuers worked for over an hour to free him from the tight crevice.
Science & Technology

Monarch butterflies' white spots may help them fly farther, scientists say

Nell Greenfieldboyce

Monarch butterflies with more white spots on their mostly orange-and-black wings are more successful at long-distance migration. Some scientists think the spots may affect airflow around their wings.