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Tag: Animals

  • Ditch the chatbots and take your AI nature apps on a birdwatching hike

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    I didn’t notice the scarlet tanager until the alert appeared on my phone: “Merlin heard a new bird!”

    Despite its brilliant plumage — jet-black wings on a crimson body — the songbird can be a hard one to spot in a forest because it prefers to stay high in the canopy. It sounds a little like a robin to an untrained ear.

    But the free Merlin Bird ID app detected a scarlet tanager was likely nearby by using artificial intelligence to analyze my phone’s live sound recording. I paused my hike, quietly scanned the treetops, saw the bird as it kept singing and clicked a button to add the species to my growing “life list” of bird sightings. Digital confetti dropped on my screen.

    Like a real-world version of Pokémon Go, a gotta-catch-’em-all drive to add to my Merlin list has helped me find a great kiskadee in Mexico and a rusty-cheeked scimitar-babbler in the Himalayas. But sometimes the greatest revelations are close to home, as more AI nature app users are starting to discover.

    “Our stereotypical demographic five years ago would have been retired people and already-avid birders,” said the Merlin app’s manager, Drew Weber, of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Now we’re seeing a lot of 20-and-30-year-olds posting stuff on their TikTok or Instagram.”

    “Am I a bird person now? Am I a bird person now?” exclaims one incredulous TikTok user whose Merlin app detected a tufted titmouse, a cardinal and a Carolina wren within five seconds of her switching on the app.

    Another video shows Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold gushing about the technology.

    “That was a northern mockingbird,” says a smirking Darnold, then 27 and now 28, holding his phone up high while sitting in an outdoor lounge chair.

    The app isn’t always perfect, and mockingbirds — because they mimic other bird sounds — can sometimes confuse the AI. Was that really a great horned owl that flew over your home and hooted while you left the app on record by the window screen? Maybe, maybe not.

    “Low-frequency sounds can be challenging because there’s other low frequencies, like cars driving past, that can trick it,” Weber said.

    Built-in computer vision technology on newer iPhones and Android devices makes it easier to identify plants and other creatures without having to download an app. Simply look at the flower you just photographed and — on iPhones — a leaf icon appears that, when clicked, can suggest the species.

    But their AI accuracy isn’t always the best for more obscure fauna and insects — and they are missing the immersive community and citizen science experience that free apps like Merlin and the image-based iNaturalist offer.

    Every observation submitted to iNaturalist, run by a nonprofit, and Cornell’s Merlin is potentially helping with conservation research as animal extinctions and biodiversity loss accelerate around the world.

    iNaturalist’s executive director, Scott Loarie, sees someone’s urge to identify a backyard plant as just the start of their engagement with the app.

    “Our strategy is really building this community of really passionate, engaged nature stewards who are not only learning and sharing knowledge about nature, but they’re actually huge engines for creating biodiversity data and conservation action,” Loarie said.

    Submit an incorrect ID suggested by iNaturalist’s AI and someone with real expertise will often politely correct you. Once there’s enough consensus, you’ll be notified that your observation has made it to “research grade.”

    On the search for huckleberry, a favorite of jam makers and grizzly bears, I kept iNaturalist handy on an August hike through the Wyoming wilderness.

    And while I had a hard time finding a huckleberry bush, iNaturalist helped me discover other fruits: a type of serviceberry known as the saskatoon; the big-leafed, raspberry-like thimbleberry and the vibrant orange berries of the Greene’s mountain-ash, a type of rowan. After cross-checking many other resources, I tasted all three. The first two were sweet, the last bitter and disgusting.

    “You should never trust any sort of automatic ID or a stranger on the internet for something as important as edible plants,” Loarie said. “So, I definitely don’t want to endorse that. But I’d certainly endorse getting to know plants and animals.”

    iNaturalist’s executive director, Scott Loarie, sees someone’s urge to identify a backyard plant as just the start of their engagement with the app. The nonprofit also owns a sibling app, Seek, that is kid-friendly and less complicated.

    Elsewhere, I’ve found it particularly helpful in identifying things to avoid – poison ivy, poison oak, disease-carrying ticks – and things to destroy, like a nymph of the invasive spotted lanternfly that’s now infesting at least 19 U.S. states.

    ————-

    Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.

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  • The call of a native frog is heard again in Southern California

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    THE SANTA ROSA PLATEAU ECOLOGICAL RESERVE, Calif. — The scientist traipses to a pond wearing rubber boots but he doesn’t enter the water. Instead, Brad Hollingsworth squats next to its swampy edge and retrieves a recording device the size of a deck of cards. He then opens it up and removes a tiny memory card containing 18 hours of sound.

    Back at his office at the San Diego Natural History Museum, the herpetologist — an expert in reptiles and amphibians — uses artificial intelligence to analyze the data on the card. Within three minutes, he knows a host of animals visit the pond — where native red-legged frogs were reintroduced after largely disappearing in Southern California. There were owl hoots, woodpecker pecks, coyote howls and tree frog ribbits. But no croaking from the invasive bullfrog, which has decimated the native red-legged frog population over the past century.

    It was another good day in his efforts to increase the population of the red-legged frog and restore an ecosystem spanning the U.S.-Mexico border. The efforts come as the Trump administration builds more walls along the border, raising concerns about the impact on wildlife.

    At 2 to 5 inches long (5 to 13 centimeters), red-legged frogs are the largest native frogs in the West and once were found in abundance up and down the California coast and into Baja California in Mexico.

    The species is widely believed to be the star of Mark Twain’s 1865 short story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” and their crimson hind legs were eaten during the Gold Rush. But as the red-legged frog declined in numbers, the bullfrog — with its even bigger hind legs — was introduced to menus during California’s booming growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

    The red-legged frog population was decimated by the insatiable appetite of the bullfrogs and the disease the non-native species brought in, but also because it lost much of its habitat to drought and human development in the shape of homes, dams and more.

    Hollingsworth couldn’t estimate the number of red-legged frogs that remain, but said they have disappeared from 95% of their historical range in Southern California.

    Robert Fisher of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative Program searched for the frog for decades across some 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Los Angeles to the border. He found just one in 2001 and none after that.

    Scientists using DNA from red-legged frogs captured in Southern California before their disappearance discovered they were more genetically similar to the population in Mexico than any still in California.

    In 2006, Fisher, Hollingsworth and others visited Baja where they had heard of a small population of red-legged frogs. Anny Peralta, then a student of Hollingsworth at San Diego State University, joined them. They found about 20 frogs, and Peralta was inspired to dedicate her life to their recovery.

    Peralta and her husband established the nonprofit Fauna del Noroeste in Ensenada, Mexico, which aims to promote the proper management of natural resources. In 2018, they started building ponds in Mexico to boost the frog population that would later provide eggs to repopulate the species across the border.

    But just as they were preparing to relocate the egg masses, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Peralta and the U.S. scientists scrambled to secure permits for the unusual cargo and a pilot to fly the two coolers of eggs closer to the border. The rest of their journey north was by road, after the eggs passed a U.S. border guard inspection.

    Over the past five years, Hollingsworth and his team have searched for sounds to prove their efforts to repopulate ponds in Southern California worked.

    On Jan. 30, he heard the quiet, distinct grunting of the red-legged frog’s breeding call in an audio flagged by AI.

    “It felt like a big burden off my shoulder because we were thinking the project might be failing,” Hollingsworth said. “And then the next couple nights we started hearing more and more and more, and more, and more.”

    Over the next two months, two males were heard belting it out on microphone 11 at one of the ponds. In March, right below the microphone, the first egg masse was found, showing they had not only hatched from the eggs brought from Mexico but had gone on to produce their own eggs in the United States.

    Conservationists are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to monitor animals on the brink of extinction, track the breeding of reintroduced species and collect data on the impact of climate change and other threats.

    Herpetologists are building on the AI-powered tools already used to analyze datasets of bird sounds, hoping that it might help build audio landscapes to identify amphibians and track their behavior and breeding patterns, said Zachary Principe of The Nature Conservancy, which is working with the museum on the red-legged frog project. The tools could also help scientists analyze tens of thousands of audio files collected at universities, museums and other institutions.

    Scientists working to restore the red-legged frog population in Southern California hope to soon be provided with satellite technology that will send audio recordings to their phones in real time, so they can act immediately if any predators — in particular bullfrogs — are detected.

    It could also help track the movement of the frogs, which can be difficult to find in the wild, especially because cold-blooded creatures cannot be detected using thermal imagery.

    The AI analysis of the pond audio has saved time for Hollingsworth and the others, who previously had to painstakingly listen to countless hours of audio files to detect the calls of the red-legged frog — which resembles the sound of a thumb being rubbed on a balloon — over the cacophony of other animals.

    “There’s tree frogs calling, there’s cows mooing, a road nearby with a motorcycle zooming back and forth,” Hollingsworth said of the ponds’ audio landscape. “There’s owls, there’s ducks splashing, just all this noise”

    The red-legged frog is the latest species to see success from binational cooperation along the near-2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) border spanning California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Over the years, Mexican gray wolves have returned to their historic range in the southwestern U.S. and in Mexico, while the California Condor now soars over skies from Baja to Northern California.

    Based off the latest count, scientists estimate more than 100 adult red-legged frogs are in the Southern California ponds, and tadpoles were spotted at a new site.

    The team plans to continue transporting egg masses from Baja, where the population has jumped from 20 to as many as 400 adult frogs, with the hope of building thriving populations on both sides of the border. Already the sites are seeing fewer mosquitos that can carry diseases like dengue and Zika.

    A restoration pond in Baja that Peralta’s organization built recently teemed with froglets, their tiny eyes bobbing on its aquatic fern-covered surface. They could, one day, lay eggs for relocation to the U.S.

    “They don’t know about borders or visas or passports,” Peralta said of the frogs. “This is just their habitat and these populations need to reconnect. I think this shows that we can restore this ecosystem.”

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  • Flamingoes Can Slow Down Aging—But Only If They Embrace This Lifestyle

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    Despite the uniform appearance of pink flamingo flocks, individuals live very different lifestyles. In the Camargue region of France, some stay put for their entire lives while others migrate along the Mediterranean coast. Now, scientists believe these two groups differ in how they age, too.

    New research published Monday, August 25, in the journal PNAS found that migratory flamingoes, who leave the Camargue annually to spend the winter in Italy, Spain, or North Africa, age slower than non-migratory resident flamingoes.

    The findings point to a link between migratory behavior and the rate of aging, adding a new layer of complexity to one of the most central—and perplexing—questions in biology: why do living creatures feature an expiration date? And why do these expiration dates vary so widely among different species? New research adds yet another layer of complexity to these questions.

    “Understanding the causes of changes in the rate of aging is a problem that has obsessed researchers and polymath philosophers since ancient times,” co-author Hugo Cayuela, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, said in a release. “For a long time, we thought that these variations occurred mainly between species. But recently, our perception of the problem has changed,” he added.

    Same species, different lifestyle—and lifespan

    Mounting evidence suggests that individuals within the same species often do not age at the same rate due to genetic, behavioral, or environmental variation, according to Cayuela. Studying these differences can help scientists unlock the secrets of aging. Thanks to their long lifespans and behavioral diversity, the Camargue’s greater flamingoes provide an ideal model for this research.

    Cayuela and his colleagues analyzed more than 40 years of data gathered by the Tour du Valat research institute’s flamingo tagging and tracking program. These data described mortality and reproductive patterns among 1,840 migrating and non-migrating greater flamingos across the Mediterranean basin. Resident individuals exhibited lower mortality rates in early adulthood than migrating individuals, resulting in life expectancies that were 6.7 years longer on average.

    Migratory greater flamingoes, however, exhibited 40% slower aging and reduced mortality later in life than residents. In fact, the findings suggest that aging begins a year and a half earlier in resident greater flamingoes than migrants.

    The researchers also uncovered differences in reproductive patterns between migratory and nonmigratory greater flamingoes. While residents had higher probabilities of breeding than migrants before the onset of aging, they exhibited much steeper declines in breeding with age compared to migrants.

    “While residents can reproduce more often early in life, this comes at a cost: higher mortality and reduced reproductive success later on,” co-author Jocelyn Champagnon, a research scientist at Tour du Valat, told Gizmodo in an email. “Migrants, on the other hand, may trade off some early reproduction for better survival later in life.”

    Behavior shapes biology

    These differences are “probably linked to a compromise between performance when young and health in old age,” co-author Sébastien Roques, a postdoctoral researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research, said in the release. “Residents live intensely at first, but pay for this pace later on. Migrants, on the other hand, seem to age more slowly.”

    Together, these findings suggest that migrating comes with some disadvantages early in life but reduces the rate of aging and reproductive senescence—the age-related decline in an individual’s ability to reproduce—later in life. According to the researchers, this study highlights the critical role that migration plays in shaping survival and reproduction throughout life, underscoring the importance of behavioral decisions in the biology of aging.

    “Our study shows that the shape and pace of aging can be shaped by individual decisions early in life, such as migration or early reproduction,” Champagnon said. Though these results can’t be directly applied to people, she hopes future studies will address questions about how human migrations influence the rate of aging.

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    Ellyn Lapointe

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  • Great white sharks head north, following seals and alarming beachgoers

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    SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Rick Clough spent some four decades fishing for lobsters and sea urchins off the Maine coast before spotting one of the ocean’s most recognized predators — a great white shark.

    The approximately 8-foot (2.4-meter) shark, seen off the beach town of Scarborough in July, surprised Clough, but didn’t make him fear the ocean — though he admitted, “I’m not sure I’d want to go urchin diving now.”

    Boaters, beachgoers and fishermen like Clough who spend time in the chilly waters of New England and Atlantic Canada are learning to live with great white sharks, the creatures made famous by the 1975 film “Jaws.” Sightings of the apex predators are up in places like Maine, where they were once very rarely spotted.

    Scientists link the white shark sightings to increased availability of the seals the sharks feast on, and say beachgoers are generally very safe from shark bites. The sharks can grow close to 20 feet (6 meters) long, though most don’t get that big.

    David Lancaster, a commercial clam digger in Scarborough, used a drone to get a look at an approximately 12-foot (3.6-meter) shark near the town’s famed beaches earlier this month. He described the animal as “magnificent” and “really amazing” to see. But he also said the shark’s presence reminded him that swimmers need to look out for the big fish.

    Sightings of great whites off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, have become increasingly frequent in recent years, and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy has documented hundreds of the animals over more than a decade. But new data shows the sharks are heading even farther north into New Hampshire, Maine and beyond, said Greg Skomal, a senior fisheries biologist with the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries and a veteran white shark researcher.

    The number of white sharks detected off Halifax, Nova Scotia, increased about 2.5 times from 2018 to 2022, according to a paper published by Skomal and others in May in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. Even farther north, the number detected in the Cabot Strait that separates Nova Scotia and Newfoundland increased nearly four times over, the paper said.

    Skomal said the average residency in these northern waters has also increased from 48 days to 70 days, suggesting that white sharks appear to be increasingly comfortable farther north.

    A key reason for the shift seems to be the successful conservation of seals off New England and Canada via laws such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which has allowed seals to thrive and provide a food source for the predatory sharks, Skomal said.

    “It could be a function of a growing prey base,” Skomal said. “And that would be seals.”

    Great white sharks also benefit from protections, including a ban on fishing for them in U.S. federal waters that has stood since 1997. They are still considered vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

    In Massachusetts, the marine fisheries department said it strengthened its fishing laws after fishermen in 2024 chose to target white sharks anyway. The state prohibited the use of certain kinds of heavy fishing gear in shoreline areas where white sharks are most commonly found.

    “We believe here in Massachusetts that targeting white sharks from the beach is not a safe practice,” Skomal said. “Not only because it could result in the death of the shark, but because it could be a public safety issue.”

    Despite the size and strength of the sharks, dangerous encounters between white sharks and humans are vanishingly rare. Worldwide, there have been fewer than 60 fatal great white shark bites on humans in recorded history, according to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

    The first recorded fatal shark attack in Maine happened in 2020 when a great white shark killed 63-year-old Julie Dimperio Holowach off Bailey Island.

    “It’s an exceedingly rare event. But we’re providing all of this information to mitigate human behavior and hopefully reduce any negative encounters between humans and sharks,” said Ashleigh Novak, research coordinator with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.

    The growth of social media has made shark sightings go viral in recent summers. A smartphone app called Sharktivity also allows shark spotters to report their sightings.

    Lancaster, a surfer, said living with great whites is just something people in New England are going to have to adjust to.

    “It’s crazy that they are around, as fishermen and surfers, and something we have to accept,” Lancaster said. “It’s in the back of your head, but you have to accept it.”

    ___

    Associated Press photojournalist Robert F. Bukaty contributed to this story in Scarborough, Maine.

    ___

    This story was supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • As bikes and strollers fill Central Park, its managers want to push horse carriages out

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    NEW YORK — For more than 150 years, horse-drawn carriages have been trotting through Manhattan’s Central Park, weathering the arrival of the automobile, years of criticism from animal rights activists and even a mayoral administration that vowed to ban the tourist activity.

    But now the influential nonprofit that manages the 843-acre park — and has previously stayed out of the debate — has now thrown its support behind a proposal to wind down the industry as early as next summer.

    The Central Park Conservancy argued in an Aug. 12 letter to the City Council that horse carriages have an outsized impact on public safety and road infrastructure in the increasingly crowded park.

    “We can’t be just frozen in time,” said Elizabeth Smith, the conservancy’s CEO, in an interview this week. “Horses are too unpredictable and the roadways are too busy with too many different kinds of users now — bikers, runners, pedestrians, strollers.”

    Smith noted other cities have done away with the nostalgic rides, including San Antonio, which passed a five-year phase out of the industry last year. Chicago banned it starting in 2021 and Montreal did the same the year prior.

    The carriage industry argues it’s being unfairly singled out, despite the number of horses in the park barely budging since World War II.

    There are currently 68 licensed carriage owners with a total of about 200 horses and 170 drivers, according to the Transport Workers Union, which represents industry employees.

    Meanwhile, Central Park sees some 40 million visitors annually, many of them increasingly zipping around on rental bikes or hitching a ride on one of the human-powered pedicabs that line the park’s entry points. Cars were banned from the park’s drives in 2018.

    Eliminating carriage horses also goes against famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision for the park, with its hilly paths and undulating roads tailor-made for leisurely carriage rides, argues Christina Hansen, a longtime carriage driver and industry spokesperson.

    “We’re seeing the park the way it was meant to be seen,” she said as she gave a recent tour, which runs about $72 for the first 20 minutes and $29 for each additional 10 minutes.

    Animal rights groups have long complained the horses can get easily spooked on city streets, leading to accidents and injuries. They also claim the horses are overworked and live in inadequate stables and their drivers flaunt city regulations, including leaving behind piles of horse manure. All animals are supposed to be fitted with manure-catching devices.

    “There’s simply no way to operate horse-drawn carriages and have it be safe or humane for the horses,” said Edita Birnkrant, executive director of the animal rights group New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets. “No amount of regulation can change that. Lord knows we have tried.”

    The conservancy’s call came after a carriage horse collapsed and died near its stables earlier this month, with videos and photos of the animal’s body in a city street circulating widely online.

    But the organization, which was formed to revitalize the park in the 1980s, didn’t weigh in on the animal welfare concerns in its letter to the council.

    Smith said the tipping point was two recent incidents of carriage horses running amok: in May, a spooked horse bolted from its handler and ran loose through the park. Days later, two more horses broke free from their drivers and crashed into a fleet of parked pedicabs, breaking a driver’s wrist and causing other injuries.

    City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ office declined to say this week whether the proposed ban would even be heard, let alone put to a vote this session.

    Zachary Nosanchuk, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams, said the Democratic administration will meet with industry representatives and advocates to discuss a “better path forward” on the “sensitive issue,” acknowledging Adams’ predecessor spent eight years unsuccessfully trying to end the industry.

    Former Mayor Bill de Blasio, also a Democrat, vowed to shut down the industry “on day one” during his winning 2013 campaign, only to come up against years of council opposition and even the ire of actor Liam Neeson, who remains an outspoken supporter of the carriage industry.

    Carriage horse owners and drivers maintain their horses enjoy a life of relative ease compared to rigorous farm life in Pennsylvania Amish country, where most are purchased.

    Under city regulations, each is inspected by a veterinarian twice a year and the maximum age they can work at is 26.

    They work a maximum of nine hours a day and must stop giving rides if it’s above 89 degrees (32 degrees Celsius) or above 80 F (27 C) with high humidity.

    They also don’t work if the temperature plummets below 19 F (minus 7 C) or if there’s severe weather, and must get at least five weeks vacation a year outside city limits with daily access to pasture.

    “My horses, I give them a nice life,” Onur Altintas, a longtime carriage owner and driver. “In Kentucky, they’re racing the horses. That’s abuse, if you are looking for abuse.”

    On a visit to one of the Manhattan stables this week, ornately decorated carriages were parked on the ground level and horses were housed on the second and third floors in stalls measuring at least 8-by-10 foot (2.4-by-3 meter) and padded down with hay, although there was no outside pasture.

    Lynn Buckalew, a tourist from Utah lined up for a carriage ride earlier this week, said a guided jaunt through the park was high on her to-do list. But she was taken aback when she learned about the complaints of abuse and the Aug. 5 death of a 15-year-old mare from an aortic rupture less than two months into the job.

    “You know that’s sad, if that’s the case. It makes me look at it a little different,” Buckalew said as her husband hopped on the carriage and the driver called her aboard.

    ___

    Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

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  • Hurricane Erin never hit land or caused major damage, but endangered turtle nests weren’t so lucky

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    As Hurricane Erin pelted North Carolina’s barrier islands with strong winds and waves this week, it destroyed many nests of threatened sea turtle, burying the eggs deep in sand or washing them out to sea.

    On Topsail Island more than half the 43 loggerhead turtle nests were lost in the storm, according to Terry Meyer, conservation director for the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.

    “I didn’t anticipate the water table being so high and the eggs being just literally sitting in water when we got to them,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve seen that on such a wide scale.”

    Erin never made landfall and caused no widespread damage to infrastructure despite being twice the size of an average hurricane. But the turtles were not so lucky.

    Loggerheads, which are known for their large head and strong jaw muscles, are threatened in the U.S. due to fishing bycatch, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They are the state’s primary sea turtle and nest every two to three years between May and August, with each nest containing about 100 eggs.

    Meyer said that in the big picture, the devastation of dozens of these nests will not have a significant impact on the species. But for the many volunteers who spend every summer helping to monitor each nest on the 26-mile (42-kilometer) beach, it’s heartbreaking.

    “When you’re digging up a nest that’s got 100 dead, fully developed, ready-to-go hatchlings — I’m old and jaded, but that can be pretty tough to handle,” she said.

    About 33 miles (53 kilometers) to the northeast, the storm likely wiped out eight of the 10 remaining loggerhead turtle nests on Emerald Isle, said Dale Baquer, program coordinator and president of the Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol.

    One survived when the turtles managed to hatch Wednesday night, while another one likely made it safely through the storm because of its higher location on the dunes, according to Baquer. But there is little chance for the others, though it will not be known for sure until about 75 days into the incubation cycle.

    “They really suffered a lot of damage. A lot of high tides and a lot of sitting water. But we’re just going to remain optimistic,” she said.

    Both organizations tried to get ahead of the storm by picking up signs or extra stakes or fencing that could be washed out or cause other problems for the turtles.

    But there is little they can do given North Carolina’s strict laws about keeping the sea turtle hatching process natural.

    Baquer said the only time the group can obtain state permission to help a nest is if it knows it has already hatched or possibly if the tide hits the nest and the eggs are washing out.

    “It’s stressful and of course it’s not something you ever get used to, but I think we all have a science mindset that this is nature and this is what’s going to happen,” she said.

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  • How girl golden retriever puppy stands out among boy litter melts hearts

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    A video showcasing a female puppy standing out among her energetic littermates quickly went viral with 21.9 million views on Instagram.

    Like children, puppies generally display certain characteristics based on their sex. Non-neutered males tend to be more dominant, territorial, playful and active than females, according to Pedigree. While females are easier to housebreak or train, they sometimes can be more demanding of attention.

    And as a breeder based in Arizona, Sheryl Bowden has seen her fair share of dog personalities. She told Newsweek that male puppies usually have a more rambunctious side, while the girls, in her experience, can be stubborn. The “goofy” and silliness of boy pups shone through in her August 7 Instagram video posted to the account @maizey_daze.

    In the clip, four male golden retriever puppies were roughhousing. One tried pulling the pup’s sweatshirt off. Another grabbed a tail with his mouth. The puppy energy was in full swing. However, the only female dog in the litter, Birdie, captured people’s hearts as she wanted nothing to do with the puppy chaos her brothers started.

    Screenshots from an August 7 Instagram video of a dog breeder highlighting the different personalities between female and male puppies.

    @maizey_daze/Instagram

    Bowden panned the camera from the boys playing to Birdie, who stared up with a smile on her face and her paws over the side of the playpen. She was in heaven getting the attention and a moment away from the madhouse of her littermates.

    “Don’t get me wrong, the boys can be wrestling and she will fly out of nowhere and tackle whoever is on top!” Bowden said. “They are so fun to raise and watch their personalities!!”

    Plus, Bowden knows the puppy energy does not last 24/7. She said whenever she holds them, they calm down. The puppies love to be touched and given attention.

    What Do the Comments Say?

    Instagram users flooded the comment section, as they fell in love with the “princess of the pack” who they believe is the secret mastermind behind the puppies.

    “She’s going to lead them all,” one viewer commented, while a second echoed: “She says, ‘I’m gonna be the boss around here.’”

    Others joked that the saying “boys will be boys” rings true even in the puppy world. One comment reads: “So boys are wild in every species.”

    Thinking on the bright side, an Instagram user pointed out: “She got 4 brothers that would protect her at all costs though.”

    Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

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  • Animal shelters at capacity after accepting 1,200 animals in a month

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    METHUEN — A series of large surrenders have left all four MSPCA-Angell shelters, including Nevins Farm, at capacity.

    On Thursday, the nonprofit sounded the alarm on a situation that began with the surrender of 50 cats from a single Norfolk County home in July. The pattern continued into August with more large-scale arrivals, according to a press release from the MSPCA.


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    By Teddy Tauscher | Staff Writer

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  • Snake on a plane delays a flight in Australia

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    MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian domestic flight was delayed for two hours after a stowaway snake was found in the plane’s cargo hold, officials said on Wednesday.

    The snake was found on Tuesday as passengers were boarding Virgin Australia Flight VA337 at Melbourne Airport bound for Brisbane, according to snake catcher Mark Pelley.

    The snake turned out to be a harmless 60-centimeter (2-foot) green tree snake. But Pelly said he thought it could be venomous when he approached it in the darkened hold.

    “It wasn’t until after I caught the snake that I realized that it wasn’t venomous. Until that point, it looked very dangerous to me,” Pelley said.

    Most of the world’s most venomous snakes are native to Australia.

    When Pelley entered the cargo hold, the snake was half hidden behind a panel and could have disappeared deeper into the plane.

    Pelley said he told an aircraft engineer and airline staff that they would have to evacuate the aircraft if the snake disappeared inside the plane.

    “I said to them if I don’t get this in one shot, it’s going to sneak through the panels and you’re going to have to evacuate the plane because at that stage I did not know what kind of snake it was,” Pelley said.

    “But thankfully, I got it on the first try and captured it,” Pelley added. “If I didn’t get it that first time, the engineers and I would be pulling apart a (Boeing) 737 looking for a snake still right now.”

    Pelley said he had taken 30 minutes to drive to the airport and was then delayed by security before he could reach the airliner.

    An airline official said the flight was delayed around two hours.

    Because the snake is native to the Brisbane region, Pelley suspects it came aboard inside a passenger’s luggage and escaped during the two-hour flight from Brisbane to Melbourne.

    For quarantine reasons, the snake can’t be returned to the wild.

    The snake, which is a protected species, has been given to a Melbourne veterinarian to find a home with a licensed snake keeper.

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  • Denton Reserve: The Yorkshire Estate’s Land Recovery Project

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    That moment when you’re winding your way up to The Penny Bun inn in the picturesque village of Askwith in Wharfedale, England, car window down, breathing in all the beauty of the wild hedgerows, drystone walls, and patchworks of lush greens, and you are obliged to stop in your tracks for a carefree pheasant out on a very leisurely stroll? It’s a reminder to slow down, to reconnect with nature, the heart of everything at Denton Reserve.

    Set within 2,500 acres of spectacular Yorkshire countryside, this estate has embarked on an ambitious journey to re-imagine, re-wild, and regenerate the land in a bid to tackle the climate crisis, improve biodiversity, and restore balance for generations to come. Rooted in the local, its intent is global. And armed with long-term vision and a profound sense of purpose, the entire Reserve team, supported by members of the neighboring communities, are rolling up their sleeves and pitching in—because the future starts today.

    We visited two of the five main properties on the Denton estate in May: the recently opened Denton Hall, a Grade-1 listed Georgian Manor, and The Penny Bun, a 150-year old inn—both redesigned by architecture practice BOX9. We were greatly impressed by both the scale of the undertaking and the thoughtful attention to detail. (For a tour, read our story over on Remodelista.)

    Here, we take a closer look at the land recovery project, as the Reserve celebrates some exciting milestones, including the creation of a beaver enclosure, the appearance of nightjars, and the promise of honey from black bees…

    Photography by Sean Knott, Lucy Franks and Jake Eastham, courtesy of Denton Reserve.

    Focusing on three key interrelated areas of action—carbon reduction, food production and nature—Denton Reserve has decided to
    Above: Focusing on three key interrelated areas of action—carbon reduction, food production and nature—Denton Reserve has decided to “rethink everything” in order to create a new flagship model for land management and rural hospitality that will benefit both people and the planet.
    By prioritizing nature, adopting soil-friendly farming methods, regenerating its woodlands, moorland, upland pastures, and arable land, and re-inventing agricultural properties, the Reserve aims to restore balance and harmony.
    Above: By prioritizing nature, adopting soil-friendly farming methods, regenerating its woodlands, moorland, upland pastures, and arable land, and re-inventing agricultural properties, the Reserve aims to restore balance and harmony.

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  • New exhibit honors Winter the Dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Doris the Rough-Toothed Dolphin is acclimating to her newish digs at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium—she arrived in June from an aquarium where senior animal care specialist Kelsey Fisher used to work.

    They’re old pals—reunited.

    What You Need To Know

    • New Clearwater Marine Aquarium exhibit “Tales of Winter the Dolphin” looks at Winter the Dolphin’s movie legacy

    • Winter the Dolphin survived the loss of her tail, and inspired two movies and millions of visitors to CMA

    • The exhibit was curated with help of two former CMA interns-turned-staffers

    • Winter’s legacy continues with rescues like Doris the 28-year-old Rough-Toothed Dolphin


    “Oh, it’s amazing. I’ve worked for many, many years to build it,” said Fisher of her relationship to 28-year-old Doris. “It hasn’t been easy at all times. But it’s really rewarding. It’s one of the best parts of the job.”

    She’s memorialized their link by inking the outline of Doris’s tale on the inside of her wrist.

    It’s this kind of love and connection to animals that helped produce their latest exhibit, “Tales of Winter the Dolphin.”

    Winter came to the CMA in 2005.

    She rose to fame as an inspiration after surviving the loss of her tail and was the subject of the 2011 film Dolphin Tale as well as its sequel in 2014.

    Alexis Larson, a film major intern turned full-time CMA staffer, helped curate the exhibit.

    Winter is the reason Larson works at CMA, and wardrobe is her favorite part of the exhibit.

    “So we have multiple costumes from the movies,” she said, pulling out a blouse with a square-cut neck worn by actor Cozi Zuehlsdorff, who played Hazel Haskett.

    Co-curator Haley Cook is also an intern turned staffer—she began her career in 2017.

    She spent four years in the glow of Winter until her untimely death in 2021.

    Cook added in Winter’s favorite enrichment toy—a large-sized rubber ducky—to the exhibition.

    “I think her story is just so magical that it could touch so many people. So I think just I want everyone to remember her legacy,” said Cook.

    All this is here, so the next generation understands just how much they can do – to both protect and care for these creatures.

    It’s a dolphin tale of connection that continues from Winter to Doris and beyond.

    “It’s definitely one of the best parts of the job,” said Fischer, hanging out with Doris. “I think everybody hopes to be able to build one of those extra special relationships starting their career, and I feel very fortunate I have been able to do that.”

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    Virginia Johnson

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  • Citrus County’s ‘Lu the Hippo’ dies at 65

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    Lu the African hippopotamus and longtime resident at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park died on Sunday.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Pasco County takes strides in effort to protect gopher tortoises

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    SPRING HILL, Fla. — Efforts are underway to better protect a species that is listed as ‘threatened’ in the Sunshine State and in Pasco County.

    That species is the gopher tortoise.

    What You Need To Know

    • Staff with Pasco County’s Parks and Recreation department are helping better protect gopher tortoises

    • Jumping Gully Preserve is acting as a sanctuary for the species, with countless tortoises having been transported to its green pastures

    • More than 144 gopher tortoises call the preserve home with staff monitoring and managing the site to ensure the population continues to grow

    • The gopher tortoise is considered a ‘keystone species’- meaning they help provide shelter for countless other animals


    The vast space of Jumping Gully Preserve is acting as a sanctuary for them.

    With an ever-developing county such as Pasco, many gopher tortoises have found a new home in its green environment.

    “We have an estimated 212 burrows out here and we only surveyed about 20% of the property. So there could be, substantially, more,” said Biologist Taylor Hays with Pasco County’s Environmental Lands and Acquisition Management Program.

    Hays stays on top of pinpointing burrows from one side of the preserve to the other.

    “You can see that’s flat on the bottom and rounded on the top,” said Hays, while pointing out a gopher tortoise burrow. “That’s obviously because of the shape of the tortoise.”

    Hays has been studying the tortoises for years, becoming an authorized gopher tortoise agent.

    “We were permitted for 144 tortoises … and the site is actually full now,” Hays said. “We’re not allowed to accept any more … but we monitor and manage to ensure the population continues to grow.”

    The tortoises, as she says, are also helping other species thrive.

    Being a ‘keystone species’ — they help provide shelter for countless other animals.

    “With gopher tortoises, they build these burrows and up to 350 species actually use them,” she said. “With it being a fire dependent habitat, they need somewhere to go, right? In a gopher tortoise burrow, you’re not going to find just a tortoise, but you could find other protected species. Like the gopher frog, the Florida mouse, eastern indigo snake and some fun ones like the rattlesnake, too.”

    Hays hopes to ensure the area’s natural habitants can live long and healthy lives.

    “The ultimate goal is to conserve and preserve these lands and restore them to their natural communities,” she said.

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    Calvin Lewis

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  • Equine therapy center gives veterans a chance to heal

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    PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Grow from your struggles, heal from your pain, and move forward — these are a few of the goals for Warriors at Rest (W.A.R.), an equine therapy center.

    What You Need To Know

    • Warriors at Rest offers equine therapy for veterans and first responders

    • Carla Staats has a master’s in mental health counseling and worked in the industry for 30 years

    • She said this is a good alternative to sitting down and simply talking


    Carla Staats, who designed the W.A.R. program, said the stables combine her two passions: horses and therapy.

    “I just find it so much more rewarding,” she said. “It’s learning and action. It’s putting everything into action versus just sitting in the chair and talking.” 

    Staats has a master’s degree in mental health counseling and has spent 30 years helping all sorts of people, 18 of which have been helping veterans with equine therapy.

    In January 2024, W.A.R. partnered with Freedom Farm Therapy Center, where groups like the Women Veterans League of Tampa Bay can visit and spend time with the horses. 

    Staats said veterans have a lot in common with horses. 

    Both are strong, but also have vulnerabilities. 

    A veteran’s daughter, Staats says being able to help our veterans heal is just a small way she can give back. 

    “When you can’t tell the difference between work and play, and this is like play, it’s the most wonderful, fulfilling thing,” she said. “To be able to offer it to those who have raised their hand to serve our country, it’s an honor.”

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    Matt Lackritz

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  • The Florida Aquarium releases sea turtle found a mile from the Gulf

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    TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — A green sea turtle that was found more than a mile from the ocean last November is making its way home, The Florida Aquarium officials announced Wednesday.

    What You Need To Know

    • Buckley, a green sea turtle that was found more than a mile from the ocean last November, is making its way home, The Florida Aquarium officials announced Wednesday

    • The sea turtle spent three months of rehabilitation at The Florida Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center in Apollo Beach

    • During rehab, Buckley garnered community support

    • Buckley returns to the Gulf with a satellite tag attached to its shell, allowing the community and biologists to track Buckley’s travels and gather conservation data


    After three months of rehabilitation at The Florida Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center in Apollo Beach, team members returned the sea turtle, named Buckley, to the Gulf’s waters.

    “This is why we do what we do — to see a once-struggling sea turtle like Buckley return home, stronger and healthier. It’s heartwarming,” said Ashley Riese, The Florida Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program Director. “Buckley’s recovery is a testament to the incredible collaboration between rescuers, the Aquarium’s animal care team, veterinarians, and our entire community.”

    Watch video of Buckley’s release:


    Buckley’s rescue began when Good Samaritans discovered the turtle in trouble on a dirt road in rural Dixie County in November, a good distance away from the ocean. A call to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Hotline set lifesaving efforts in motion.

    The University of Florida Marine Animal Rescue had initially responded, stabilizing Buckley, before transferring the turtle to The Florida Aquarium for treatment. For the past three months, the aquarium’s staff helped the turtle regain weight, stabilize low blood sugar levels and heal scratches to its bottom shell from navigating rough terrain.

    Buckley, named after the nearby Buck Creek, has garnered community support, especially from local businessman Ed Buckley, a marine conservation advocate who wanted to help after discovering Buckley’s name.

    “When I heard they rescued a turtle with my same name, I knew I had to get involved,” he said. “There’s a strong connection between Buckley and me — maybe it’s the name, maybe it’s kindred spirits — but one thing I do know is that protecting sea turtles is important. Their survival depends on all of us stepping up and hope the community will be compelled to help as well.”

    Ed donated $7,500 to underwrite the turtle’s medical expenses and encouraged others to contribute to support Buckley’s care, which has topped $10,000.

    Buckley embarks on a new journey with a satellite tag attached to its shell. This allows the community and biologists to track Buckley’s travels and gather conservation data.

    Each time Buckley surfaces to breathe, the tag will send a signal to a satellite, enabling real-time tracking of feeding habits, migratory patterns and environmental conditions like water temperatures. This will help scientists at The Florida Aquarium better understand sea turtle behaviors and improve future sea turtle rehabilitation efforts.

     

    View additional photos of Buckley and his release:

     

     

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    DeJanae Phillips, Anna Wronka

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  • Brevard Zoo is 1 of 20 nominated for best in the U.S.

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    MELBOURNE, Fla. — The Brevard Zoo is one of 20 nationally to be nominated for the best in the United States by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice awards.

    This marks the sixth year in a row that the zoo has been nominated, and it placed sixth last year.

    USA Today said a panel of travel experts worked with its 10Best’s editorial team to select the nominees for each category, and the top 10 winners will be determined by popular vote.

    Brevard Zoo’s membership program also has been nominated as one of the 10Best.

    Zoo fans can vote to support its favorite among the nominees every day through March 6. Support can be cast online for Best Zoo and for Best Zoo Membership. Winners in each category will be announced March 19.

    Among the reasons that Brevard Zoo was nominated are its more than 800 animals and adventurous experiences like a walk through the canopy above South American jungle habitats, a kayak ride through an Africa-like savanna or a restored Florida wetland.

    Brevard Zoo’s competitors for Best Zoo, listed alphabetically, are:

    • Audubon Zoo in New Orleans
    • Cape May County Park & Zoo in Cape May Court House, N.J.
    • Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colo.
    • Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Ohio
    • Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio
    • Honolulu Zoo in Hawaii
    • Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in Jacksonville, Fla.
    • Louisville Zoo in Kentucky
    • North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, N.C.
    • Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Neb.
    • Philadelphia Zoo in Pennsylvania
    • Riverbanks Zoo & Garden in Columbia, S.C.
    • Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, R.I.
    • Saint Louis Zoo in St. Louis, Mo.
    • San Antonio Zoo in Texas
    • San Diego Zoo in California
    • Santa Barbara Zoo in California
    • Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
    • ZooMontana in Billings

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • ZooTampa celebrates its first animal birth of the year

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    TAMPA, Fla. — ZooTampa at Lowry Park welcomed a new addition this year — a critically endangered Eastern bongo calf.

    What You Need To Know

    • ZooTampa at Lowry Park welcomed a critically endangered Eastern bongo calf this year

    • The calf, named Millie, was born on Jan. 24 and weighed over 22 pounds

    • Five Eastern bongos currently reside at ZooTampa


    The calf, named Millie, was born on Jan. 24 to nine-year-old mother Blitzen, and weighed over 22 pounds, according to officials with the zoo.

    ZooTampa said that Millie received a neonatal exam from the zoo’s animal health team and was found to be healthy and thriving.

    ZooTampa at Lowry Park welcomed a critically endangered Eastern bongo calf, Millie, on Jan. 24., 2025. (Courtesy: ZooTampa)

    Five Eastern bongos currently reside at ZooTampa: male Marvin; females Blitzen, Lottie, Binti, and now Millie, zoo officials said.

    “Bongos are critically endangered, so every birth is incredibly special,” said Tiffany Burns, Senior Director of Animal Programs at ZooTampa. “This birth represents an important step in our ongoing efforts to help ensure the survival of this beautiful species.”

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    Anna Wronka

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  • USF women’s basketball showing some serious puppy love

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Every dog has its day.

    That’s why the USF Bulls are dedicating a game day to the dogs.

    What You Need To Know

    •  The USF women’s basketball team is hosting Temple on Saturday at 7 p.m. for their annual Dog Adoption Game

    •  There will be several local pet rescue and shelter organizations on hand with information about adoption

    •  Fans are also encouraged to bring pet food and supplies to be donated to the various shelters


    The women’s basketball team was treated to some special guests at a recent practice — the Bulls opened up their practice court to pair of puppies.

    At Saturday’s game against Temple, they’re opening up the Yuengling Center to the dogs, to shine a spotlight on several Tampa Bay pet rescue and animal shelters, a cause near and dear to USF head coach Jose Fernandez.

    “I think there’s an incredible need, not only in the Tampa Bay community, but all over the United States to get these guys a nice home,” Fernandez said.

    Coach Fernandez and his wife, Tonya, have opened their home to rescue dogs. They currently have eight dogs.

    Eight dogs that were unwanted and abandoned, until the Fernandez’s opened up their home and their hearts.

    “It’s unconditional love. You can have whatever day that you have, whether it’s good or bad, and when you come home, the excitement,” he said.

    That’s what the Bulls are hoping their annual Dog Adoption Awareness Game on Saturday will showcase — the importance of adopting, not shopping.

    With so many available dogs in shelters all over the Bay Area, especially after back-to-back hurricanes wreaked havoc and landed many more animals in the shelters, the need for forever homes is paramount.

    “Anything we can do to help these guys find a home, these little guys and gals find a home,” Tonya Fernandez said. “There’s just so many. There’s so many dogs out there who need homes.”

    There will be several local shelter and rescues organizations at the game, including:

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    Katherine Smith

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  • The man who took in orphaned Peanut the squirrel says it’s ‘surreal’ officials euthanized his pet

    The man who took in orphaned Peanut the squirrel says it’s ‘surreal’ officials euthanized his pet

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    NEW YORK — A man who took in an orphaned squirrel and made it a social media star vowed Saturday that New York state’s decision to seize and euthanize the animal “won’t go unheard.”

    “We will make a stance on how this government and New York state utilizes their resources,” Mark Longo said in a phone interview.

    He declined to specify his possible next steps but said officials would hear from him soon about what happened to Peanut the squirrel and Fred, a rescued raccoon that was also confiscated and put down.

    The state Department of Environmental Conservation took the animals Wednesday from Longo’s home and animal sanctuary in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border. The agency said it had gotten complaints that wildlife was being kept illegally and potentially unsafely.

    State law requires people to get a license if they wish to own a wild animal. Longo has said he was working to get Peanut — also known as P’Nut or PNUT — certified as an educational animal.

    The DEC and the Chemung County Health Department said Friday that the squirrel and raccoon were euthanized so they could be tested for rabies after Peanut bit someone involved in the investigation.

    Longo said Saturday that he didn’t see Peanut bite anyone during what he described as an hourslong, heavy-handed search. The authorities haven’t spoken with him since they left the property, he said.

    “Honestly, this still kind of feels surreal, that the state that I live in actually targeted me and took two of the most beloved animals on this planet away, didn’t even quarantine them. They took them from my house and just killed them,” he said.

    A request for comment was sent to the DEC on Saturday.

    Longo said he started caring for Peanut after the animal’s mother was hit by a car in New York City seven years ago. Tens of thousands of users of Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms glimpsed the animal sporting tiny hats, doing tricks and nibbling on waffles clutched in his little paws.

    Longo said Fred the raccoon was dropped off on his doorstep a few months ago. After helping the animal recover from injuries, Longo said, he and his wife were planning to release the creature into the woods.

    ___

    Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed. Follow Julie Walker on X @jwalkreporter.

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  • At 50, Hello Kitty is as ‘kawaii’ and lucrative as ever

    At 50, Hello Kitty is as ‘kawaii’ and lucrative as ever

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    TOKYO (AP) — Hello Kitty turns 50 on Friday. Befitting a pop icon at midlife, the bubble-headed, bow-wearing character’s fictional birthday has brought museum exhibits, a theme park spectacle and a national tour. And that’s just in Japan, her literal birthplace but not the one listed in her official biography.

    Confused? Welcome to the party. If there’s one thing about Hello Kitty, it’s that she’s proven adaptable and as much a study in contrasts during her long career. She — and Kitty is a she, according to the company that owns her — may have been conceived as a vessel for the feelings of others, but some women see an empowering symbol in her mouthless face.

    “Shrewd” is how Mika Nishimura, a design professor at Tokyo’s Meisei University, describes the way Hello Kitty conquered the worlds of commerce, fashion and entertainment. As a tabula rasa open to interpretation, the non-threatening creation was the perfect vehicle for making money, she said.

    “American feminists have said she doesn’t say anything and acquiesces to everyone. But in Japan, we also see how she may appear happy if you’re happy, and sad if you’re feeling sad,” Nishimura told The Associated Press. “It’s a product strategy that’s sheer genius. By being so adaptable, Kitty gets all those collaborative deals.”

    A visitor looks at giant Hello Kitty display at the exhibition “As I change, so does she,” marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

    The character’s semicentennial is evidence of that. Sanrio, the Japanese entertainment company that holds the rights to Hello Kitty’s name and image, kicked off the festivities a year ago with an animation account on TikTok, Roblox games and an avatar for the social networking app Zepeto.

    There have been anniversary editions of merchandise ranging from pet collars, cosmetics and McDonald’s Happy Meals to Crocs and a Baccarat crystal figurine. A gold coin pendant with the image of Hello Kitty holding the number 50 is selling for about 120,000 yen ($800), while a Casio watch costs 18,700 yen ($120).

    But first, more on the origin story.

    Unlike Mickey Mouse and Snoopy, Hello Kitty didn’t start as a cartoon. A young Sanrio illustrator named Yuko Shimizu drew her in 1974 as a decoration for stationery, tote bags, cups and other small accessories. The design made its debut on a coin purse the next year and became an instant hit in Japan.

    Image

    A visitor looks at Hello Kitty display at the exhibition “As I change, so does she,” marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

    As Hello Kitty’s commercial success expanded beyond Asia, so did her personal profile. By the late 1970s, Sanrio revealed the character’s name as Kitty White, her height as five apples tall and her birthplace as suburban London, where the company said she lived with her parents and twin sister Mimmy.

    “The main theme of Hello Kitty is friendship. When I first created it, I made a family of which Kitty was a part. But then Hello Kitty started to appear in other settings as the character grew,” Shimizu told the BBC in June. “Sanrio put a lot of effort into building the brand into what it is today.”

    At some point, Sanrio designated Kitty’s birthday as Nov. 1, the same as Shimizu’s. Her background was embellished with hobbies that included playing piano, reading and baking. Her TV appearances required co-stars, including a pet cat named Charmmy Kitty that made its debut 20 years ago.

    But Hello Kitty’s 40th birthday brought an update that astonished fans. Sanrio clarified to a Los Angeles museum curator that Kitty, despite her feline features, was a little girl. A company spokesperson repeated the distinction this year, renewing debate online about the requirements for being considered human.

    “She is supposed to be Kitty White and English. But this is part of the enigma: Who is Hello Kitty? We can’t figure it out. We don’t even know if she is a cat,” art historian Joyce S. Cheng, a University of Oregon associate professor, said. “There is an unresolved indeterminacy about her that is so amazing.”

    Image

    Tourists from Britain pose with Hello Kitty decoration at the Tokyo National Museum where the exhibition “As I change, so does she” is held, marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

    Part of the confusion stems from a misunderstanding of “kawaii,” which is Japanese for “cute” but also connotes a lovable or adorable essence. Sanrio recruited Shimizu and other illustrators to create “kawaii” characters at a time when cute, girlish styles were popular in Japan. But the word is used often in Japanese society, and not only to describe babies and puppies.

    An elderly man, something as innocuous as an umbrella, a subcompact car or a kitchen utensil, or even a horror movie monster can get labeled “kawaii.” By Western standards, the idea may seem embarrassingly frivolous. But it’s taken seriously in Japan, where the concept is linked with the most honorable instincts.

    The complexity of “kawaii” may help explain Hello Kitty’s enduring appeal across generations and cultures, why Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne released a song titled “Hello Kitty” a decade ago, and why Britain’s King Charles wished Hello Kitty a happy 50th birthday when he hosted Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at Buckingham Palace in June.

    Although Hello Kitty may seem to embody the self-sacrificing woman stereotype, it’s revealing that three women have served as the character’s chief designers at Sanrio. Yuko Yamaguchi, who has held the role since 1980, is credited with keeping the character both modern and timeless, giving Kitty black outfits or false eyelashes as trends dictated but never removing the bow from her left ear.

    Image

    Hello Kitty waves as she appears to attend the opening ceremony of the exhibition “As I change, so does she,” marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

    “Hello Kitty, this cultural object, has something to tell us about the history of women in East Asia, and how East Asian women modernized themselves and became professional citizens in a modern society,” the University of Oregon’s Cheng said.

    Sanrio has come up with hundreds of creatures, all adorable and cuddly, but none with the lasting power of Hello Kitty. Forget the understated wabi-sabi aesthetic historically associated with Japan. A chameleon-like cat-girl who reflects unabashed kitsch is the cultural ambassador of a consumer-crazed, happy-go-lucky nation.

    “It’s the anti-wabi sabi, wanting to be as flashy and as bling-bling as possible, like Lady Gaga. In your face, but that’s actually part of the genius, too. It’s powerful,” Cheng said.

    Leslie Bow, a professor of English and Asian American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that while many Asian and Asian American women see Hello Kitty as a symbol of defiance, the protective, caretaking instinct aroused by “kawaii” isn’t without power.

    “We take care of our siblings, our babies, our pets, because we are in control. We control their actions. And so that is also the dark side of cute,” Bow said.

    Sanrio has taken advantage of the character’s adaptability by allowing relatively unrestricted use of her image in return for a licensing fee.

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    A food vendor’s van is decorated with Hello Kitty images outside the National Museum during the exhibition “As I change, so does she,” marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the National Museum in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

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    A visitor wears boots featuring Hello Kitty at the National Museum during the exhibition “As I change, so does she,” marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

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    Visitors react to gigantic Hello Kitty slippers at the exhibition “As I change, so does she,” marking the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty at the Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

    Just about anything goes for the wee whiskered one, from a growing global empire of Sanrio-sanctioned Hello Kitty cafes to an “augmented reality” cellphone app that shows Kitty dancing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, London’s Big Ben and other tourist landmarks.

    On the unsanctioned side, Hello Kitty even has shown up on guns and vibrators.

    During a presentation earlier this year in Seoul, Hello Kitty designer Yamaguchi said one of her unfulfilled goals was finding a way “to develop a Hello Kitty for men to fall in love with as well.” But she’s still working on it.

    “I am certain the day will come when men are no longer embarrassed to carry around Hello Kitty,” entertainment news site Content Asia quoted Yamaguchi as saying.

    ___

    Leff reported from London. Berenice Bautista in Mexico City contributed reporting.

    Yuri Kageyama is on X: https://x.co/yurikageyama

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