In Taiwan, a local population of wild pangolins—one of the world’s most endangered animals—is recovering a little too well. In most places in Southeast Asia, pangolin numbers are critically low after decades of hunting and poaching. (Prized for their unique scaly skin, the anteater-like creatures are the most-trafficked mammal on earth.) But near the Taipei [...]

Think getting your pet to the vet is a pain? Now imagine if Fido had four-inch claws and weighed as much as a horse. That’s the situation Canada’s Quebec Aquarium staff found themselves in when they had to take their polar bear to the vet this past December. The bear, a four-year-old named Kinuk, had [...]

Hiking with your headphones on is all fine and good, but new research suggests that blocking out the birdsong might be doing your health a disservice. According to a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, birding — not just walking or hiking — might be the secret to reducing stress, alleviating depression and [...]

Over the past few years, millions of people have either moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, or visited to hike and ride the region’s world-class trails. But now the Great Salt Lake is drying up, releasing chemicals so toxic that it may soon be unsafe to hike or bike at all.  The Great Salt Lake [...]

Each year, more than a million annual visitors come to the Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, Canada, to trace figure-eights and pirouettes on the rink’s glassy, 4.8-mile surface. But this year, temperatures may be too warm to open the rink at all.  The Rideau Canal Skateway, which is a section of canal that connects Ottawa [...]

How long does a hedgehog live? Until very recently, not even the world’s top experts were totally sure.   Even Sophie Lund Rasmussen, a Danish scientist sometimes known by her YouTube handle “Dr. Hedgehog,” thought they could only live to be 9 years old in the wild. Then she found Thorvald.  Thorvald is the name of [...]

If you’ve been backcountry skiing, you may have seen dogs bounding after their owners on the slopes. Maybe you’ve even seen ski patrol dogs at work at the resort. But a cat? Carving turns?  These days, more people are bringing their cats with them on outdoor adventures, said Canadian skier and cat dad James Eastham [...]

Many outdoor adventurers are reluctant birders. Climbing mountains, busting out miles and clocking vertical gain can all feel very glamorous. In contrast, squinting through a pair of binoculars can feel decidedly less so. That’s how we felt, too—until we heard about Cornell University’s massive global birding event.  The Great Backyard Bird Count may have a [...]

As rescue efforts grow more desperate in the wake of the Turkey-Syria earthquake, specially trained search-and-rescue dogs from across the U.S. are being shipped out to help.   The earthquake, which struck regions of Turkey and Syria on February 6, destroyed hundreds of buildings and left tens of thousands dead. The international response has been massive, [...]

While California skiers are rejoicing over the state’s record-breaking snowfall this year, many wildland firefighters are starting to get nervous. Winter precipitation means spring plant growth—and to a wildfire, plants are nothing more than fuel.  Of course, California’s record-breaking precipitation does have some benefits. It’s helped alleviate the state’s longstanding drought. Plentiful rainfall also encourages [...]