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The San Francisco Zoo will receive a pair of pandas from China

San Francisco Mayor London Breed (left) and Wu Minglu, secretary general of the China Wildlife Conservation Association, hold up an agreement to lease giant pandas for the San Francisco Zoological Society and Gardens during a signing ceremony in Beijing on Friday. Liu Zheng/AP hide caption

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Liu Zheng/AP

The San Francisco Zoo will receive a pair of pandas from China

San Francisco is the latest U.S. city preparing to receive a pair of pandas from China, in a continuation of Beijing's famed "panda diplomacy."

An 11-year-old unearthed fossils of the largest known marine reptile

An artistic rendering of a washed-up Ichthyotitan severnensis carcass on the beach. Sergey Krasovskiy hide caption

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Sergey Krasovskiy

Short Wave

An 11-year-old unearthed fossils of the largest known marine reptile

When the dinosaurs walked the Earth, massive marine reptiles swam. Among them, a species of Ichthyosaur that measured over 80 feet long. Today, we look into how a chance discovery by a father-daughter duo of fossil hunters furthered paleontologist's understanding of the "giant fish lizard of the Severn." Currently, it is the largest marine reptile known to scientists.

An 11-year-old unearthed fossils of the largest known marine reptile

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Watch: A circus elephant runs loose in a Montana town before being recaptured

A screenshot of a video from the website Storyful shows an elephant walking through Butte, Mont., after escaping from a nearby circus on Tuesday. Storyful/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Storyful/Screenshot by NPR

Watch: A circus elephant runs loose in a Montana town before being recaptured

The animal was having a routine bath when she was startled by a truck backfiring and ran away before being recaptured by handlers. Videos of the unexpected sight were shared widely on social media.

After catch and release, here's how to make sure reef fish survive

University of Miami Marine Sciences student Lauren Hayes with her catch, a 7 or 8 pound mutton snapper, which was released and returned to its reef habitat more than 100 feet below the surface. Greg Allen/NPR hide caption

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Greg Allen/NPR

National

After catch and release, here's how to make sure reef fish survive

People who fish in Florida and in federal waters are required to have special gear on board to help ensure groupers, snappers and other reef fish survive when they're returned to the water.

After catch and release, here's how to make sure reef fish survive

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Ancient predatory worms have scientists rethinking the history of life on Earth

Selkirkia tsering fossil found in a collection from the Fezouata Formation in Morocco. Javier Ortega Hernández/Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology hide caption

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Javier Ortega Hernández/Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology

Short Wave

Ancient predatory worms have scientists rethinking the history of life on Earth

500 million years ago, the world was a very different place. During this period of time, known as the Cambrian period, basically all life was in the water. The ocean was brimming with animals that looked pretty different from the ones we recognize today — including a group of predatory worms with a throat covered in teeth and spines.

Ancient predatory worms have scientists rethinking the history of life on Earth

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Terrance the octopus came to live with a family. Then she laid dozens of eggs

A two-spot octopus, like the type an Oklahoma family brought home as a pet. Angelina Komatovich hide caption

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Angelina Komatovich

Terrance the octopus came to live with a family. Then she laid dozens of eggs

The Clifford family was as prepared as possible to welcome Terrance the octopus. But there was one thing they missed: she was pregnant. And then she laid a whole lot of eggs.

Terrance the octopus came to live with a family. Then she laid dozens of eggs

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In the womb, a brother's hormones can shape a sister's future
Lily Padula for NPR

Shots - Health News

In the womb, a brother's hormones can shape a sister's future

When siblings share a womb, sex hormones from a male fetus can cause lasting changes in a female littermate. This effect exists for all kinds of mammals — perhaps humans too.

In the womb, a brother's hormones can shape a sister's future

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How to keep pets safe during the solar eclipse, whether at home or on the road

A dog tries on eclipse sunglasses in London in 2015. Experts say pets don't need eclipse sunglasses — in fact, quite the opposite. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP hide caption

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Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Solar eclipse 2024: Follow the path of totality

How to keep pets safe during the solar eclipse, whether at home or on the road

Experts say pets are unlikely to be impacted by the eclipse itself — but there are steps their humans should take to help them deal with the crowds, traffic and stress.

The "barcodes" powering these tiny songbirds' memories may also help human memory

The black-capped chickadee, seen here, is well known for its strong episodic memory. Dmitriy Aronov hide caption

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Dmitriy Aronov

Short Wave

The "barcodes" powering these tiny songbirds' memories may also help human memory

Tiny, black-capped chickadees have big memories. They stash food in hundreds to thousands of locations in the wild – and then come back to these stashes when other food sources are low. Now, researchers at Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute think neural activity that works like a barcode may be to thank for this impressive feat — and that it might be a clue for how memories work across species.

The "barcodes" powering these tiny songbirds' memories may also help human memory

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Indigenous leaders want to protect whales by granting them legal personhood

A mother humpback whale and calf are seen on the coast of Vitoria, Espirito Santo state, Brazil on August 22, 2023. Carl de Souza/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Carl de Souza/AFP via Getty Images

Indigenous leaders want to protect whales by granting them legal personhood

Indigenous leaders across the Pacific have signed a treaty granting whales legal personhood. What protections will the designation offer the large mammals?

Indigenous leaders want to protect whales by granting them legal personhood

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A government proposal to kill a half-million owls sparks controversy

This combination of 2003 and 2006 photos shows a northern spotted owl, left, in the Deschutes National Forest near Camp Sherman, Ore., and a barred owl in East Burke, Vt. Don Ryan Steve Legge/AP hide caption

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Don Ryan Steve Legge/AP

A government proposal to kill a half-million owls sparks controversy

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to kill some 470,000 owls over 30 years to protect other owl species has prompted conservationists and animal welfare advocates to weigh the consequences.

A person in Texas caught bird flu after exposure to cows that were thought to be ill

Dairy cattle feed at a farm on March 31, 2017, near Vado, N.M. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says cows in multiple states have tested positive for bird flu. Rodrigo Abd/AP hide caption

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Rodrigo Abd/AP

Science

A person in Texas caught bird flu after exposure to cows that were thought to be ill

Livestock in Texas, Kansas and Michigan are confirmed to have the virus, and herds in New Mexico and Idaho have also tested positive. Officials confirmed that one person in Texas also had bird flu.

A person in Texas caught bird flu after exposure to cows that were thought to be ill

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You can ding-dong-ditch to save these fish

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Mark van Heukelum, the scientist who invented the "fish doorbell," which allows livestream viewers to help fish get through a lock in a canal in the Netherlands.

You can ding-dong-ditch to save these fish

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Once lost to science, these "uncharismatic" animals are having their moment

A researcher holds up a sandy De Winton's golden mole. Nicky Souness/Endangered Wildlife Trust hide caption

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Nicky Souness/Endangered Wildlife Trust

Short Wave

Once lost to science, these "uncharismatic" animals are having their moment

Historic numbers of animals across the globe have become endangered or pushed to extinction. But some of these species sit in limbo — not definitively extinct yet missing from the scientific record. Rediscovering a "lost" species is not easy. It can require trips to remote areas and canvassing a large area in search of only a handful of animals. But new technology and stronger partnerships with local communities have helped these hidden, "uncharismatic" creatures come to light.

Once lost to science, these "uncharismatic" animals are having their moment

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Biden administration restores threatened species protections dropped by Trump

This February 2021 photo released by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife shows a protected gray wolf near Yosemite, Calif. California Department of Fish and Wildlife via AP hide caption

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California Department of Fish and Wildlife via AP

Environment

Biden administration restores threatened species protections dropped by Trump

Among the changes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates blanket protections for species newly classified as threatened.

Bulldogs are prone to health problems. New Hampshire could limit their breeding

French bulldogs have skyrocketed in popularity. Legislation being considered in New Hampshire could put rules on breeding ones with chronic breathing problems. Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club hide caption

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Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club

Bulldogs are prone to health problems. New Hampshire could limit their breeding

French bulldogs have soared in popularity, but they and other short-nosed dogs often have serious health problems. New Hampshire could be the first state to put health restrictions on breeders.

Bulldogs are prone to health problems. New Hampshire could limit their breeding

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Most animals don't go through menopause. So why do these whales?

A post-reproductive toothed whale mother and her son. David Ellifrit/Center for Whale Research hide caption

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David Ellifrit/Center for Whale Research

Short Wave

Most animals don't go through menopause. So why do these whales?

Across the animal kingdom, menopause is something of an evolutionary blip. We humans are one of the few animals to experience it. But Sam Ellis, a researcher in animal behavior, argues that this isn't so surprising. "The best way to propagate your genes is to get as many offspring as possible into the next generation," says Ellis. "The best way to do that is almost always to reproduce your whole life."

Most animals don't go through menopause. So why do these whales?

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The French bulldog sits, stays at the top of U.S. dog owners' hearts

The French bulldog is America's most popular breed, according to the American Kennel Club. This one, Manny The Frenchie, attended Time Inc.'s 2017 PetHero Pet Party to benefit animals impacted by hurricanes. Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for PetHero hide caption

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Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for PetHero

National

The French bulldog sits, stays at the top of U.S. dog owners' hearts

The dog popularly known as the Frenchie has held its crown as America's most popular dog breed for the second year in a row, according to the American Kennel Club.

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