Endangered Animals

July 6, 2024

Wild Bornean Clouded Leopard Family Caught on Film for the First Time

Few creatures are as adorable in the wild as the big cats or, in this case, the medium-sized cats. Agile nocturnal predators, the Bornean clouded leopard makes up for its smaller stature with its exceptionally long canines and long, spotted tails. Known scientifically as Neofelis diardi borneensis, the adorable cats are incredibly elusive; they are rarely seen in person or even captured by cameras on their native island of Indonensian Borneo.

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June 2, 2024

Sperm Whales Vocalize a Phoenetic Alphabet Hauntingly Like Humans

Sperm whales are fascinating creatures. Endangered and still recovering from being hunted by whalers in the 19th century, sperm whales were long targets for their spermaceti, which, according to NOAA, is “an oil sac that helps the whales focus sound.” While this oil was a commercial product to humans, to the whales, it assists communication among pods of whales that live in different regions.

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April 22, 2024

Arctic Researchers Get Surprised by Polar Bear Visitors While Making Breakfast

Many unique creatures call the Arctic home, but few humans have the luxury of ever getting face-to-face with these animals. In late March, meteorologist Katarzyna Kudłacz was making breakfast at her research station on the tiny island of Spitsbergen, when she realized that she had a small group of visitors watching her from outside the window. When she turned to look at them, she realized that her nosy visitors were polar bears.

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March 19, 2024

Whale Thought To Have Gone Extinct Nearly 200 Years Ago Spotted off Coast of Massachusetts

On March 1, a whale was spotted swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Spotting whales around this time of year isn't unusual for New England Aquarium scientists, but something about this creature gave them pause. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that they were looking at a gray whale, which is a species thought to have been extinct in the Atlantic for nearly 200 years.

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