Last month, a newborn giraffe without spots was born. She is the only known reticulated giraffe in the world with a single solid hue, according to Brights Zoo, where the animal was born.  An inquiry from The Today Show seeking confirmation of this claim was not quickly answered by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that focuses on the preservation and care of … Continue reading Spotless Giraffe

Less than five months after the Miami Seaquarium announced plans to release Lolita, the world’s oldest orca, back into her natural ocean surroundings, she passed away in captivity on Friday. Lolita, who is said to have been around 57 years old, started showing “serious signs of discomfort” over the past few days, according to the Seaquarium. The orca passed away on Friday afternoon after receiving … Continue reading Loltia

Cheerleading is defined as a sport, involving the performance of organized cheering, chanting, and dancing in support of a sports team at games. Cheer can be for a school or a team outside of school.  Cheering involves jumping, stunting, tumbling, and performing. Stunning is when a group of usually four people: two bases, a back spot, and a flier, work together to do a stunt. … Continue reading The History Behind Cheerleading

Mental health is defined as “a person’s condition about their psychological well-being.” Mental health disorders include but are not limited to mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, dementia, and autism. Many things cause mental health issues. Mental health disorders and issues can be inherited such as bipolar disorder. But some mental health issues are caused by a combination of environmental, physiological, … Continue reading Mental Health: The Causes and Effects

Australia’s endemic platypus was reintroduced Friday into the country’s oldest national park south of Sydney as part of a landmark conservation project after disappearing from the region more than half a century ago. The platypus is known for its beak, webbed feet, and poisonous spores. It is one of only two egg-laying mammals in the world and spends most of its time in the water … Continue reading Platypus

The Colorado Parks and Conservation Commission unanimously approved the final draft of the agency’s wolf recovery and management plan. This comes after nearly two years of gathering feedback from various stakeholders, including ranchers, scientists, conservationists, wolf experts, and community members.   “The plan developed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife is a significant step toward reintroducing gray wolves to Colorado,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark, CEO of Defenders … Continue reading Gray Wolves

Ya Ya the Giant panda came to the United States (US) 20 years ago as a fluffy gesture of friendly relations between China and the US. But she returned home on Thursday and made headlines for the nationalist frenzy online. The news of her landing in Shanghai has raised concerns about Ya Ya’s care and condition at Tennessee’s Memphis Zoo as well as Yaya’s iconic … Continue reading Ya Ya the Giant Panda

SAN DIEGO – A sea lion by the name of Freeway was unstoppable. He looked at restaurants by the water, zipped down a congested city street, and waddled into a city creek. Finally, scientists at SeaWorld San Diego claimed that a growing illness had caused enough harm that the park decided to put him to sleep in order to save him pain. “It is with … Continue reading Freeway

Lolita the orca will be returned to her “home waters” to live out the remainder of her days, more than 50 years after she was captured in the Pacific Ocean and kept for years at the Miami Seaquarium.  The Miami Seaquarium, the Florida nonprofit organization Friends of Lolita, and Jim Irsay, the philanthropist and owner of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, revealed Lolita’s hopeful outcome at … Continue reading Lolita the Orca

Four otters on the California coast were killed by a rare and extraordinarily potent type of a parasite typically found in cat feces, a discovery that researchers described as unprecedented and potentially harmful to people and other animals on Wednesday.  The rare strain of the parasite, known as Toxoplasma gondii, has never before been found in sea otters or any other aquatic mammal or bird, … Continue reading Otters