Researchers in Canada studying interventions to stem decline of mountain caribou have found wolf culls most effective Canada’s imperilled mountain caribou are staging an unlikely comeback, reversing years of decline that pushed populations to the brink. But researchers warn that any sustained recovery comes with a catch: in order to save these ungulates, thousands of wolves will need to be killed in the coming years, highlighting the unenviable task wildlife managers have attempting to manage complex ecosystems. For decades, mountain caribou – an ecotype of woodland caribou that once ranged fr ..read more

The biggest cities in the US are mourning animals who fostered a rare sense of connection. Art is preserving their legacies Working near Central Park, one New Yorker regularly witnessed one of its most beloved residents: Flaco the owl, who became a celebrity after escaping the nearby zoo. The woman took the bird’s message to heart, re-evaluated her life and decided to quit her job. Now, she’s one of dozens with a Flaco tattoo. “They’ll be walking around the rest of their lives, that name and owl on their arm,” says Duke Riley, an environmental artist who spearheaded a special sale at his tatto ..read more

As diplomats search for a way to curb the world’s growing problem of plastic, bottles, buoys, nets and packaging are piling up on what should be one of the most pristine environments As our small fishing boat slows to a halt in a shallow bay south-east of Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, in the Galápagos Islands, a green turtle surfaces next to us, followed by a second, then a third a few metres away. A spotted eagle ray glides underneath the vessel. The skipper, Don Nelson, steps on to the black volcanic reef, slippery with algae. We follow, past exposed mangrove roots and up on to higher ground. Pe ..read more

Labradors are known for being greedy dogs, and now scientists have come up with a theory about the genetic factors that might be behind their behaviour. Science correspondent and labrador owner Nicola Davis visits Cambridge University to meet Dr Eleanor Raffan and Prof Giles Yeo to find out how understanding this pathway could help us treat the obesity crisis in humans ..read more

Celebrity fashion designer, who recruited couriers to transport bags from her native Colombia to US on commercial flights, receives 18-month sentence A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the Sex and the City TV series has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia. Nancy Gonzalez was arrested in 2022 in Cali, Colombia, and later extradited to the US for running a sprawling multiyear conspiracy that involved recruiting co ..read more

I wasn’t a dog person until he came along, attached to a new boyfriend. But by the time the relationship ended, I couldn’t bear to be parted from this tornado of black fur When I first met Brutus, I wanted nothing to do with him. He clambered into my car in a tornado of black fur, pointy ears and scraggly beard, then looked up at me with saucer eyes, threatening to unleash drool all over my passenger seat. All I could think was: “This is going to be annoying ..read more

Gathering antlers has been a favorite pastime in the state, but the high dollars they fetch is now putting animals’ lives at risk On a spring day in April last year, wildlife law enforcement officers in Wyoming made an alarming discovery. While patrolling national forest land in the state’s north-west, they came across an overflowing stack of 40 antlers piled among the trees and concealed with branches. The antlers, they realised, were part of an illegal poaching cache. Collecting antlers has long been a favorite pastime in Wyoming, where the state’s bull elk spend most of the summer growing m ..read more

Boyton and Hollesley Marshes, Suffolk: Today these wide open skies give us so much – not least a spoonbill – but there are also great rewards closer to ground As we climb the river wall, our steps laboured by the steep bank, the harsh wind suddenly hits us so fast it takes our breath away. The Butley river, with its saltmarsh and mud banks, sweeps ahead on my left. To my right, Boyton Marshes stretches into a bright white horizon. These are the famous Suffolk skies: wide and open. Continuing on the Suffolk coast path, curlew, Cetti’s warblers and skylark ..read more

Birdwatching may have started out as a hobby, but active volunteers are helping bridge data gaps of threatened species and reaping real world outcomes as they go Change by Degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprint Got a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.com Sean Dooley first started birdwatching as a 10-year-old with a notebook in hand at a place then known as the “Seaford swamp”, a freshwater wetland beside his primary school in Melbourne’s south-east. “I was ju ..read more

Experts celebrate discovery of secretive and endangered Australasian bittern in recently restored wetlands Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast The “bunyip bird” – named after a mythological river-lurking, human-eating monster – is as elusive as its namesake. Also known as the Australasian bittern, it is heard more often than it is seen. It means that when bittern expert Geoff Shannon discovered the bird at Tasmania’s recently restored Lagoon of Islands – the first time it had been seen there in 40 years – it was a “very special moment ..read more