Ask anyone who's stood near a binturong enclosure what they noticed first, and the answer is rarely "the animal." It's the smell — and it is, unmistakably, buttered popcorn. A Bear? A Cat? Neither The binturong (Arctictis binturong) goes by the nickname "bearcat," which turns out to be wrong on both counts. It isn't a bear or a cat — it's a member of the civet family, … [Read more...] about Why didn’t anyone tell me there’s an animal that smells exactly like hot, buttered popcorn?
Wildlife & Nature
I Never Liked the Caribbean—But This Island With Waterfalls, Hot Springs, and Rainforests Won Me Over
Dominica doesn't have the postcard beaches that define most of the Caribbean's tourism marketing, and that's largely the point. What it has instead — waterfalls, volcanic hot springs, rainforest rivers, and a coastline of black and white sand — has made it a magnet for a different kind of traveler: the kind who'd rather hike to a hot spring than lie on a lounge chair. Not to … [Read more...] about I Never Liked the Caribbean—But This Island With Waterfalls, Hot Springs, and Rainforests Won Me Over
He Was a Magnificent 17-Point Buck — Now His Life Is Over
Jordan Taylor has hunted the same 100-acre lease in Northeast Florida with his stepfather for four years, and he knows better than to rush it. On the morning of September 20, that patience paid off with one of the biggest bucks anyone on the property has seen. A Careful Approach Taylor, a 35-year-old electrician from Jacksonville, avoids using a flashlight when he slips … [Read more...] about He Was a Magnificent 17-Point Buck — Now His Life Is Over
Man Rescues Lone Wolf Caught In A Trap — And What He Did Next Left The Internet In Awe
Trapping is a routine part of wildlife management in many parts of the United States, especially when it comes to coyotes. But every so often, a trap set for one animal ends up catching another — and one such case, caught on camera in Wisconsin, turned into an unexpectedly heartwarming rescue. A Trap Meant For A Coyote, A Wolf Instead Coyote trapping is common across much … [Read more...] about Man Rescues Lone Wolf Caught In A Trap — And What He Did Next Left The Internet In Awe
Why Lotus Seed Pods End Up Looking Like They’re Pulling Faces
Empty a lotus seed pod of its seeds and, more often than seems reasonable, what's left behind looks like it's mid-scream — two wide "eyes," a gaping "mouth," and an expression that ranges from shocked to mournful depending on the angle. What's Actually in the Picture The pods come from the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), an aquatic plant whose flower gives way to a flat, … [Read more...] about Why Lotus Seed Pods End Up Looking Like They’re Pulling Faces