#wildlife

#wildlife

North Dakota isn't exactly at the top of most people's 'must-visit' list. However, Theodore Roosevelt National Park completely flipped my narrative on North Dakota with its incredible wildlife and dramatic views.

All animals have circadian rhythms, but only humans have DST. We flip time forwards and backwards, often with little idea of how that can affect other species.

"They didn't even try to fly away. They just feebly made noise," a woman told the Santa Barbara Independent on Saturday after spotting over two dozen dead or dying cormorants near Goleta Beach. "A few were on their stomachs, wings spread [and] gasping for breath.... Heartbreaking."

In 2019, scientists found that balloons eaten by seabirds are more likely to kill them than other kinds of plastic yet they do not seem to have been earmarked in the same way as, for example, plastic straws.

Samba and Tango were brought to Marwell zoo, but Samba escaped through a hole in their enclosure, prompting a search that has gained national attention.

Penny Thomson's creations, known as Magical Moving Miniatures, are intricate, handmade kinetic sculptures that spring to life with the turn of a small crank handle.

Loni in Uttar Pradesh was the world's most polluted city in 2025, while New Delhi was reported as the most polluted capital city globally, according to IQAir.

Just 10 miles south of Yellowstone, this incredible national park is home to beautiful sights, breathtaking nature, and some great hotels and vacation rentals to boot. As a local, I've visited Grand Teton National Park countless times, and I've spent just as many nights camping in a tent in the park as I have in one of the wonderful accommodations nearby.

The easiest way to get there is by flying on a less than 15-minute flight from St. Maarten, or a ferry that can take up to two hours. Saba is a hidden gem that has managed to steer away from tourism. There's less than 150 hotel rooms on the island, there aren't any cruise stops, and some days, depending on the sporadic weather, your flight could be cancelled with little to no notice.

Caltrans announced it's shortening its carpool hours along Highway 101 in Marin and Sonoma counties after months of complaints from frustrated commuters. The hours will now be from 6 to 9 am and 3 to 6:30 pm Monday through Friday, but commuters don't think the change is significant enough to reduce traffic congestion. [Press Democrat] A fight broke out after a basketball game between Piedmont and San Leandro high schools Friday night after two students bumped into each other.

The 2026 Penda Travel Photography Competition has announced its winners, showcasing images that immerse viewers in powerful stories from around the world. Photographers from across continents submitted emotionally rich and visually intentional work, making the judges' task of choosing meaningful images especially challenging. The final collection highlights humanity, wildlife, and landscapes in a way that captures the quiet magic of global exploration.

A 38-year-old man, Evan Perez Villanueva, has been arrested in connection with the fatal January 15th shooting at 16th and San Bruno, in San Francisco's Potrero Hill neighborhood. Villanueva was found on the 200 block of San Bruno Avenue, and a search of his car turned up a shotgun, the SFPD says. [KRON4] A large home went up in flames around 5 am this morning in Angwin, in Napa County, and appears to have burned to the ground. The fire was initially reported as a debris fire, before becoming a structure fire. [Chronicle]

One of the aspects that most fascinated me was realizing how nature already provides ready and extremely evocative forms. A branch, a trunk, or a tangle of shrubs can spontaneously suggest figures, presences, animals, or movements.

A mountain lion was caught on video near San Francisco's Lafayette Park in the Pac Heights neighborhood Sunday night. Experts believe it is young, at about a year old, and got a bit lost. Mountain lions disperse around this age, seeking a habitat far away from their birth place. In this case, experts say the mountain lion will likely find its way south and out of San Francisco soon.

I was five years old when I had my first encounter with a black bear. In the spring of 1990, my father, a wildlife biologist, brought home an orphaned three-month-old cub in a cardboard box. The cub's mother, having burrowed beneath the roots of an old tree, had been killed in the den by a logging excavator, but the cub, weighing barely more than a bag of apples, survived. Forestry workers caught the young bear and dropped it off at the Fish and Wildlife office in Peace River, Alberta, where my dad worked, and he called my mom with the news.

In 2025, the One Exposure Awards shifted to pure black‑and‑white, creating a nature photography showcase that feels strikingly different. The absence of color amplifies every shadow, texture, and emotional beat in each winning image. Across categories ranging from wildlife to fine‑art experimentation, the contest highlighted nature in its most elemental form. Lidija Novković earned 1st Place with "Začudno," a low‑angle giraffe portrait that transforms the familiar into something mythic.

On a midsummer trip to Ireland, I saw dolphins in the Irish Sea, sunset by the Liffey, and misty views of the Galtee Mountains. The half-hour train journey to Cobh (cove), through Cork's island-studded harbour, was especially lovely. As the railway crossed Lough Mahon, home to thousands of seabirds, there was water on both sides of the train. I watched oystercatchers, egrets, godwits and common terns, which nest on floating pontoons.

I'm waiting to turn down the road toward my hotel. The cars in front of me have slowed nearly to a standstill, but not for the standard traffic jam: a group of elk is grazing in the grassy patch at the street corner. People idle by, rolling down their windows to take pictures, making sure to give these unofficial locals a wide berth. In the background, the snow-capped Rocky Mountains rise dramatically behind the town.

Hillcrest Park opens at dawn and closes at 10 p.m., but for me, it has never been just a set of hours on a sign. I have walked this park in every light and season. Morning walks before the neighborhood stirs. Afternoon strolls when working from home. Evening circuits after dinner on weekdays. Weekend doubles, morning and evening both. And those in-between moments when restlessness or boredom sends me out the door once more. I know this place intimately.

A stag that has been on the loose in a residential area of Ennis, Co Clare has raised concerns among locals after he evaded a series of capture attempts from gardaí and local wildlife services. The stag is believed to have originally lived in the Lee's Road area of Ennis. However, he has now moved closer towards the town centre and poses a risk to motorists, local dog warden Frankie Coote has said.

Wildlife photography already carries immense power, but in monochrome it transforms into something raw and dramatic. The 2024 Monochrome Photography Awards showcased 37 breathtaking wildlife shots, proving black-and-white can rival or even surpass color. From roaring lions to towering elephants, sharp-winged birds, and tiny creatures full of attitude, each image tells a vivid story through light and shadow. Stripped of color, every texture and detail stands out with striking clarity, deepening the mood and amplifying the drama.

I'm glad we're starting to look at historical figures through the lens of neurodivergence (Documentary explores whether JMW Turner may have been neurodivergent, 10 November). But why give JMW Turner the benefit of 21st-century advances in neuroscience and not afford the same courtesy to his mother, Mary, who was believed to have had a psychiatric disorder and would fly into a dangerous temper? This language could have come straight from the admission papers that got her committed to a mental asylum. Jill Metcalfe Bottens, Switzerland

In words immortalised by noughties pop icon Natasha Beddingfield, "I want to run with the wild horses." Of course, in the song, the horses act as a metaphor for unbridled freedom and joy, and, in any case, where would we find a harras of horses just meandering the open plains in the UK? If this were a film, we would cut to a wide shot of a car driving the undulating roads of the New Forest, miles of woodland stretching out

We love London. That won't come as a surprise - Time Out has been chronicling the best of the city for decades - but even we can admit that sometimes you need some time away. Life in London is nonstop, so every so often it's essential to escape into nature, and the city parks just won't do it. We recently published a list of the very best walking routes which are within daytripping distance of the capital,

The Nikon 2025 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have unveiled their finalists, and the results are hilariously delightful. With 40 uproarious images, 3 curated portfolios, and 10 laugh-out-loud videos, this year's entries showcase nature's unexpected comedic flair. From expressive lions to penguins mid-blunder, the contest celebrates the quirky charm of animals while highlighting the skill and timing of wildlife photographers. Beyond the laughs, the awards carry a meaningful message about conservation and the importance of protecting these fascinating creatures.

"It was surreal," Raifman recalled to SFGATE. "It's something I've certainly never seen. And I mean, most people will never see it. We all collectively did a double take."

Three days into my walk along the Rhins of Galloway coast path and I was on love-hate terms with this new long-distance trail. Unruly and at times cruel, it forced me to hurdle fences, wade through bracken up to my midriff and teased me with disappearing paths and wayward waymarks. But then, after I'd yelled profanities into the wind (there were no other hikers around to hear me), this raffishly handsome route would come over all sweetness and light.