A Galapagos tortoise named Mommy, who has lived at the Philadelphia Zoo since 1932 and is estimated to be nearly 100 years old, became the oldest known first-time mother of her species in 2025 — and her story is circulating online again this fall. Mommy and her mate, Abrazzo, who is also estimated to be close to a century old, produced 16 hatchlings across two clutches, … [Read more...] about A Nearly 100-Year-Old Tortoise Became A First-Time Mom To 16 Hatchlings — And Four Were Named After The Golden Girls
Wildlife & Nature
Greenland Offered $45 a Heart to Kill 1,000 Sharks That Can Live 400 Years — Then Dropped the Plan, but Not the Debate
The Greenland shark is the slowest shark in the sea, and perhaps the longest-lived vertebrate on Earth. A municipality on Greenland's west coast recently approved a bounty to kill 1,000 of them, setting fishers who say the animals are wrecking their livelihoods against scientists who warn the plan could backfire. A Bounty on a Centuries-Old Shark In February, the … [Read more...] about Greenland Offered $45 a Heart to Kill 1,000 Sharks That Can Live 400 Years — Then Dropped the Plan, but Not the Debate
Jonathan the Tortoise Is 194 and Still Thriving — and His DNA Shows Almost No Wear and Tear
He was hatched around 1832, before Queen Victoria took the throne and decades before Thomas Edison patented the lightbulb. Jonathan, an Aldabra giant tortoise, is the world's oldest known land animal. Scientists have now read his genes to find out how he made it so far. Meet Jonathan Jonathan has spent most of his life on St. Helena, a British island in the South … [Read more...] about Jonathan the Tortoise Is 194 and Still Thriving — and His DNA Shows Almost No Wear and Tear
This Puppy Was Found Hairless And Starving On The Streets Of Thailand — A Year Later, 25 Million People Watched His Transformation
In January 2023, a severely underweight puppy with almost no fur was found on the streets of Thailand by Happy Doggo, a street dog rescue charity founded by Niall Harbison in 2021. The puppy, later named Rodney, was struggling with a severe skin condition that had left much of his body bare and was dangerously thin from starvation. A Difficult Start Rodney's skin … [Read more...] about This Puppy Was Found Hairless And Starving On The Streets Of Thailand — A Year Later, 25 Million People Watched His Transformation
Covered in Tumors and Close to Giving Up, a Stray Dog Named Boby Beat Cancer in Two Months — and Found a Family
Boby looked like a dog with no future. His body was covered in tumors, many of them open and infected, and he was badly malnourished. In early 2015, a Mexican animal protector decided to give him a chance anyway, and his recovery became one of the most shared rescue stories of the year. Abandoned and Covered in Tumors Boby was found in January 2015 in Hermosillo, in … [Read more...] about Covered in Tumors and Close to Giving Up, a Stray Dog Named Boby Beat Cancer in Two Months — and Found a Family