Jul 04 2026
Born at the San Francisco Zoo on July 4, 1971, Koko became one of the most famous gorillas in the world. Her full name, Hanabi-ko, means “fireworks child” in Japanese, a reference to her Independence Day birthday. Over the next forty-six years, she would become known for her extraordinary relationship with psychologist Francine “Penny” Patterson, …
Jul 03 2026
Happy World Meerkat Day! Few animals are as instantly recognizable as the meerkat. With bright eyes, pointed faces, sandy coats, and an amusing habit of standing upright to survey their surroundings, these small African mammals have become favorites at zoos and wildlife parks around the world. That famous meerkat lookout pose is only one part …
Apr 03 2026
Born on April 3, 1934, Jane Goodall entered the forests of what is now Tanzania at twenty-six years old with no undergraduate degree, no conventional scientific career behind her, and an extraordinary willingness to sit quietly and watch. What followed transformed the study of animal behavior. Her observations of wild chimpanzees making and using tools, …
Dec 20 2025
There is something unmistakable about the winter solstice. Even before we look at a calendar, the season announces itself through long shadows, early sunsets, cold evenings, and mornings that seem reluctant to brighten. Then, near the end of December in the Northern Hemisphere, the shortening days finally reach their limit. The winter solstice has arrived. …
Oct 24 2025
When most of us picture dolphins, we imagine sleek animals racing through ocean waves. Yet some of the world’s most extraordinary cetaceans live far from the sea, navigating the muddy channels, flooded forests, tributaries, and enormous river systems of South America and Asia. Freshwater dolphins are wonderfully adapted to environments that can be difficult to …
Sep 17 2025
A manta ray moving through the ocean can look almost as though it is flying. Its enormous pectoral fins rise and fall like wings while its broad body glides seemingly effortlessly through the water. There is no frantic movement and no obvious rush. Even a manta several yards across can seem strangely weightless. That graceful …
Aug 12 2025
Few animals have the presence of an elephant. An adult African savanna elephant can tower over a person, reshape vegetation simply by feeding, carry enormous tusks, communicate with companions across long distances, and travel through landscapes using routes that may have been followed by generations of elephants before it. Yet some of the most remarkable …
Aug 10 2025
A lion’s roar rolling across an African grassland is one of the most recognizable sounds in the natural world. Lions have occupied human imaginations for thousands of years. They appear in ancient art, royal symbols, mythology, flags, literature, and popular culture. Their reputation for strength is so powerful that we still call them “kings of …
Aug 04 2025
Few birds seem as mysterious as owls. With their enormous forward-facing eyes, almost silent flight, haunting calls, and habit of appearing when much of the world is asleep, owls have inspired legends and superstitions for thousands of years. Behind that mysterious image, however, is an extraordinary group of birds with some remarkable adaptations for seeing, …
Jul 25 2025
When darkness settles over the garden and butterflies disappear for the evening, another group of winged insects is only beginning its shift. Moths emerge from leaves, tree trunks, grasses, sheds, and other daytime hiding places to search for flowers, mates, and suitable places to lay their eggs. Some hover over blossoms like tiny hummingbirds. Others …
