Many rare seahorses return to Dorset coast for the first time since 2008
With humans away, the animals are coming out to play. Whether it be thriving sea turtles in Florida or buzzing wild bees in Albania, there have been many wildlife success stories to come out of the coronavirus lockdowns. Today, we have another one of those stories to share with you. Off the coast Read More...
Rare heath butterfly reintroduced back into the wild after 150 years
Here at the Optimist Daily, we love inspiring conservation stories involving species that return back to the places they once belonged to. Today, we have the heath butterfly as the protagonist of the latest of such comeback stories. The heath butterfly — known as the “Manchester argus” — Read More...
Once hunted into near extinction, wild donkeys return to the Danube Delta
Hundreds of years ago, the kulan, or more commonly known as the wild donkey, were established inhabitants of the Eurasian Steppe, from the Mediterranean to the east of Mongolia. Sadly for the kulan though, two hundred years of hunting and habitat loss has led to a decline of 95 percent of the Read More...
An extremely rare white grizzly bear has been filmed in the Rocky Mountains
Cara Clarkson and her family were driving down a remote highway in Canada’s Rocky Mountains when a figure glimpsed against the dark evergreen forest left them in disbelief. Nuzzling through the snow for food was a white grizzly bear (no it wasn’t a polar bear), which Clarkson managed to capture Read More...
UK wildlife sees wild white stork hatchlings for the first time in centuries
In European folklore, the stork often symbolizes the birth of a new baby, but for centuries the wild white stork in the UK has failed to have babies itself. That is, until now. In what comes as great news for wildlife in the UK, wild white stork chicks have recently hatched in the UK for the Read More...
A rare Pygmy hippo birth has taken place at the San Diego Zoo
Pygmy hippos are an endangered species native to the rivers and streams of West African forests. Less than 2,500 pygmy hippos live in the wild in Africa, but fortunately, a number of zoos around the world are caring for and breeding these curious creatures. Recently, the San Diego Zoo saw its Read More...
Rare blue calamintha bee spotted for first time in four years
Until this past March, the blue Calamintha bee had not been seen for four years and was thought to be extinct. But recently, a researcher with a keen eye spotted the blue bee while installing bee condos in Central Florida's Lake Wales Ridge area. Its sighting is a beacon of hope for Read More...
Brazil is now taking swift action to protect Amazon rainforest from loggers
Brazil is home to the largest swath of the mesmerizing Amazon rainforest, but unfortunately, its government has allowed mass deforestation to occur under its watch. The good news—we say with an air of caution—is that the Brazilian government seems to be finally taking the issue seriously after Read More...
Brown bear spotted in Galicia after 150 year absence
The Montaña ou Morte region of Galicia’s Ourense province is home to wild boar, wolves, and deer, but a brown bear had not been spotted in the region in 150 years. That is, until this week. The Zeitun Films production company was filming in the region and captured the images of the bear, a Read More...
Minnesota scientists are making an experimental forest for a future climate
The landscape of Minnesota is changing as the climate crisis intensifies. Animals and plants that once were only found in the southern part of the state have moved north, suggesting that as the climate changes, Minnesota, by 2100, will start to resemble an environment similar to the one found in Read More...