Pygmy hippo Moo Deng, the internet’s favourite meatball, may soon get her own patent

Pygmy hippo Moo Deng, the internet’s favourite meatball, may soon get her own patent

Only a month after Thailand’s adorable baby hippo Moo Deng was unveiled on Facebook, her fame became unstoppable both domestically and internationally.  Zookeeper Atthapon Nundee has been posting cute moments of the animals in his care for about five years. He never imagined Khao Kheow Open Zoo’s newborn pygmy hippo would become an internet megastar … Read more

Invasive zombie plant takes hold in St. John River

Invasive zombie plant takes hold in St. John River

When aquatic botanist Meghann Bruce found an invasive species nicknamed zombie plant in the St. John River in 2015, she only found it in one spot.  She actually stumbled upon Eurasian watermilfoil while doing a botanical survey of the river for another project.  As part of that study, she explored 171 sites between the Mactaquac Dam … Read more

Denver could target dozens of homes in Weir Gulch waterway project

Denver could target dozens of homes in Weir Gulch waterway project

A federally backed project that aims to restore wildlife habitat and reduce flood risks along the South Platte River and two tributaries could displace dozens of residents in some of the west Denver neighborhoods most prone to flooding. Draft plans for Weir Gulch — which envision the acquisition of up to 70 residential properties — … Read more

Endangered butternut trees thriving in western Quebec forest, group says

Endangered butternut trees thriving in western Quebec forest, group says

Disease-resistant seedlings of an endangered tree species are doing well during their first season in a western Quebec forest, according to the conservation group that planted them. Butternut trees are native to Canada and can be found in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. But over the last 30 or so years, canker disease has wiped out … Read more

Chilcotin landslide presents new barriers for struggling salmon

Chilcotin landslide presents new barriers for struggling salmon

An expert on British Columbia’s salmon populations says the massive landslide that blocked off part of Canada’s largest sockeye salmon run has created an unprecedented situation, potentially putting the already struggling fish at even more risk. Scott Hinch, associate dean at the University of British Columbia’s Pacific Salmon Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, said the debris piled 30 metres high and 600 … Read more

N.S. sanctuary could be a new home for whales in captivity. But some aren’t convinced

N.S. sanctuary could be a new home for whales in captivity. But some aren’t convinced

The Current19:01Could Nova Scotia host a retirement home for whales? A proposed whale sanctuary in Port Hilford, N.S., hopes to offer a safe haven for whales coming out of captivity. And two orcas from a marine park in France could be its first residents.  “We owe it to them. We owe them something back because … Read more

How a 378-day Mars simulation changed this Canadian scientist’s outlook on life

How a 378-day Mars simulation changed this Canadian scientist’s outlook on life

When Kelly Haston emerged from NASA’s yearlong Mars simulation project, she was met with flashing cameras, beaming colleagues and rigorous applause. It was a stark change from the previous 378 days, during which she saw nobody but her three crew members, all sharing a quiet, 157-square-metre habitat at the Johnson Space Center in Houston meant to simulate an eventual … Read more

Underwater gardeners work to restore B.C.’s crucial kelp forests

Underwater gardeners work to restore B.C.’s crucial kelp forests

In the chilly waters of Vancouver Island’s Barkley Sound, gardeners are at work on the sea floor. They are scientists from the University of Victoria (UVic) who are trying to regrow kelp forests, a crucial part of the marine habitat, amid threats from heat waves, climate change and voracious sea urchins. Julia Baum, a UVic … Read more

Check out the elephants at risk of extinction, and the wild cats that are bouncing back

Check out the elephants at risk of extinction, and the wild cats that are bouncing back

Over 45,000 species are now threatened with extinction — 1,000 more than last year — according to an international conservation organization that blames pressures from climate change, invasive species and human activity such as illicit trade and infrastructural expansion. The International Union for Conservation of Nature released its latest Red List of Threatened Species on … Read more