Founder of Lululemon drops $3.2 million to protect Canadian islands
Chip Wilson, founder and former CEO of the popular athletic apparel brand Lululemon, just spent $3.2 million to purchase Saturnina, a small Canadian island, and to help preserve two other islands in the Salish Sea to protect them from becoming real estate property for private homes. The three Read More...
These little piggies are going all the way home… to the wild
Twelve pygmy hogs (Porcu salvania), the smallest species of pig, were released into the wild in northeast India last week as a part of the Pygmy Hog Conservation Program that aims to save these rare pigs from near extinction. When they reach adulthood, these tiny pigs stand at ten inches tall Read More...
WomBot is helping scientists explore wombat burrows in Australia
Wombat burrows in Australia can be 10 to 100 feet long and 11.5 feet deep. This makes it quite challenging for scientists to gain a full understanding of how a deadly disease affecting wombats spreads through these complex tunnels. To overcome this hurdle, robotics researchers at La Trobe Read More...
Scientists discover two cat-size squirrel species living in the Himalayas
Researchers from Australia have discovered two new species of the woolly flying squirrel, one of the world’s rarest mammals, in the Himalayan mountains. Scientists have known about the woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus) for a long time, which, at five pounds and three feet long, is one Read More...
Colorado confirms first litter of gray wolf pups in 80 years
We recently shared a story about the exciting birth of 12 critically endangered red wolf pups at the North Carolina Zoo. Now, we’re happy to bring you more good news regarding wolf conservation in the US — Colorado has just recorded the birth of the first litter of gray wolf pups in more than Read More...
First Tasmanian devils born in mainland Australia in 3,000 years
Last year, we shared a story about the exciting return of the Tasmanian devil to mainland Australia after an absence of more than 3,000 years. Now, we’re happy to announce that the first new baby devils have been born in the refuge, bringing new hope about the fate of this endangered species. In Read More...
New species discovery: Meet New Guinea’s “chocolate frog”
Here at The Optimist Daily, we are always happy to come across news of new species discoveries, especially those that bring to light the fascinating beauty of Mother Nature. With that said, today, we’d like to introduce to you a recently discovered animal that’s both cute and has an oddly Read More...
Monarch conservation coalition launches huge milkweed planting initiative
Although monarch butterfly populations showed signs of recovery in recent years, these orange beauties are still highly threatened. The species’ numbers have fallen 99 percent since the 1980s, but a new collaboration between conservation groups, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Read More...
Golden eagles hatch chicks in Orkney after almost 40 years
The golden eagle was once a common occurrence in the skies above the Orkney Islands in Scotland. By 1848, however, only a single pair remained in the area. The country had to wait until 1966 to see the return of the first pair of breeding golden eagles, one of which died in 1982. Now, Read More...
Not so fast: Scientists find Galápagos tortoise previously thought extinct
Good news from the Galápagos Islands! Conservationists have confirmed that a giant tortoise found on the archipelago belongs to a species scientists thought went extinct more than 100 years ago. The female tortoise was discovered during a 2019 expedition to Fernandina Island. To prove the link, Read More...