Animals

November 24, 2024

New Study Reveals Dolphins ‘Smile’ to Signal Playfulness

Have you ever seen a photo of a dolphin grinning, almost posing for the camera? It turns out that ‘cheesy' expression isn't a coincidence. A recent study published in iScience found that bottlenose dolphins often exhibit open-mouth expressions during playful exchanges. When one dolphin observes another making this “smile,” it often mimics it—a behavior known as rapid facial mimicry.

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November 19, 2024

Birders Shatter World Record by Documenting Over 7,800 Species of Birds Within a Single Day

Within the birding community, the “big year” challenge serves as an informal goal to encounter as many species of birds as possible within a calendar year and specific geographic area. This past October, however, the yearly challenge was compressed into a single day. Birdwatchers from more than 200 countries joined the October Big Day 2024 challenge, shattering world records by documenting over 7,800 species within just one day.

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November 12, 2024

College Football Analyst Kirk Herbstreit Gets Choked up While Honoring Late Service Dog Ben on Live TV

Embed from Getty Images In 2023, an adorable sight appeared on ESPN's college football broadcasts—a cheerful golden retriever named Ben. As analyst Kirk Herbstreit‘s emotional service animal, the pair traveled the country together, melting the hearts of those at the games and those following from home. Sadly, Ben recently passed away due to cancer complications.

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November 3, 2024

Indian Rhino Population in Assam Flourishes As Poaching Drops 86%

The rhinoceros might be the closest thing we've got to unicorns on Earth, and they capture our interest almost as much as their fictional cousins. There are five rhino species, varying from the almost-extinct white rhino to the smiley, critically endangered Javan rhinoceros. Rhinos are frequently the focus of intense conservation efforts, with experts desperate to preserve populations.

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