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Tag: Animals

  • In coastal Ghana, female oyster farmers try to save an old practice threatened by climate change

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    TSOKOMEY, Ghana — Beatrice Nutekpor weaves through the mangroves in Tsokomey community, just outside of Ghana’s capital of Accra, every day to harvest oysters for sale. It’s a family tradition she’s been doing since she was 15. Now 45, she is struggling to sustain the practice and pass it to her daughter.

    In Ghana’s coastal mangroves, oyster farming has been a key source of livelihood dominated for ages by women. Hundreds of women were trained in eco-friendly farming methods for oysters, including mangrove planting and preservation, and selective oyster harvesting, to lessen the impact of climate change.

    Mangroves, trees or shrubs that grow along coastlines serve a critical multifunctional purpose in the aquatic ecosystem, ranging from being a home to fish to providing a buffer for coastal erosion from rising sea levels, and protection to land during storms and cyclones.

    However, training by the Development Action Association nonprofit has ended after it lost its U.S. aid as a result of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to cut foreign aid contracts. It left the women to try what they can to keep their generational practice and sustain their families as Ghana emerges from its worst economic crisis in a decades.

    Their efforts to protect the mangroves from encroachment and preserve them for a longer period of up to six months are gradually paying off. “The oysters have started attaching themselves to the mangroves we have planted,” Nutekpor says.

    Oyster farming involves breeding oysters in a controlled aquatic environment for commercial purposes.

    Much like the rest of coastal West African nations, Ghana has lost a significant portion of its mangroves to climate change and development. There is no available data on recent depletion, but over 80% of the original mangroves have been lost since the last century.

    Mangroves are also increasingly threatened by climate change as global temperatures and sea levels rise.

    A single basin of oysters sells for roughly 47 Ghanaian cedis ($4), and Nutekpor sells just enough to feed her family and put her daughters through school.

    As mangroves are depleted by people in search of firewood, development has crept into the coastal areas and authorities release water from overflowing dams, endangering the forests. Nutekpor’s worst nightmare is already manifesting: This year saw less oysters compared to last year, according to Lydia Sasu, the executive director of the Development Action Association.

    For farmers like Nutekpor, the loss of mangroves means risking drowning by free diving 30 feet (9 meters) or deeper for hours, in search of oysters that migrate to deeper water in the absence of mangrove roots.

    “When you have a situation where the water body, which is already dynamic, becomes more dynamic than before, the oysters cannot grow,” said Francis Nunoo, a professor of fisheries science at the University of Ghana.

    Although replanting the mangroves have paid off for the women, it is a back-breaking job that keeps them in the harsh sun for hours.

    For the sake of family, it is worth it, they say.

    “We keep doing it for the sake of our children and generations to come,” said Bernice Bebli, 39, another oyster farmer. “The water is our livelihood.”

    In a group called the Densu Oyster Pickers Association, they have set out guidelines, including punitive measures for those who cut the mangroves outside of the allowed timeline.

    According to Bebli, first-time offenders will lose their oysters, while repeated offenders are reported to the police.

    “The reliance of the coastal people on these ecosystems is heavy. … The rate of destruction is always higher than the rate of repopulation, so we are going to lose some species and we are going to lose some lives,” said Nunoo.

    For Nutekpor, keeping her family’s heritage is key.

    “Just as my mother taught me this business, I also want to teach my daughter so she can teach her child. Then oyster farming will remain our family business,” Nutekpor said.

    ——

    Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria.

    ——

    For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

    The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • What to know about Fat Bear Week, and the brawny bruins ready to battle for the title

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    ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The brawny bruins on the Alaska Peninsula are ready to brawl it out to see which will win this year’s fattest bear title in the wildly popular annual online voting contest known as Fat Bear Week.

    The main event featuring adult bears starts next week, but first up Thursday is what the National Park Service calls a “chubby cubby appetizer.” Fat Bear Jr. voters can cast ballots through Friday for their favorite adolescent ursine, with the winner advancing to the big show.

    The contest, which began in 2014, is meant to showcase the resiliency of the brown bears, which pack on the pounds each fall to survive the harsh winter by gorging on salmon at Brooks River in remote Katmai National Park and Preserve. People can watch the bears on livestream cameras.

    “It really is an opportunity for people to think about how bears survive, what they need to do to survive, what the ecosystem provides them and look at their individual success stories, as well,” said explore.org naturalist Mike Fitz, who started the contest when he was a ranger at Katmai.

    This year’s sockeye run has been abundant, so voters can expect some especially corpulent contestants.

    Here’s a closer look at the popular online event:

    The 12 bears — which will be announced Monday — will be featured in the single-elimination, bracket-style tournament. All voting is done online at www.fatbearweek.org, with the winner declared Sept. 30.

    The first round features eight bears squaring off in four separate contests to advance to the second round. Four bears receive first-round byes.

    There are about 2,200 brown bears within Katmai, a 6,562-square-mile (16,997-square-kilometer) park on the Alaska Peninsula, which extends from the state’s southwest corner toward the Aleutian Islands. To be featured in the contest, the bears must frequent the area of the main Brooks Camp.

    Actually weighing the bears would be a dangerous and monumental task, so it’s up to voters to judge size by looks alone. Male brown bears at Katmai weigh about 700 to 900 pounds (318 kg to 408 kg) mid-summer and can bloat to over a 1,000 pounds (454 kg) by September or October, thanks to successful foraging.

    A 1,200-pound (544 kg) male bear isn’t unusual at Katmai. Others have been estimated to be about 1,400 pounds (635 kg). Females are about half to two-thirds the size of adult males.

    There are factors other than girth to consider, Fitz said.

    Voters could consider the challenges some contestants have had to overcome, such as the multitasking females who protect their young and produce milk for the cubs while also fattening up for winter themselves.

    There’s precedent for a mama bear to take the prize. Grazer, the two-time defending Fat Bear Week champion, beat one of the biggest bears in the Brooks River, Chunk, in last year’s final.

    Even though the contest is virtual, the two bears did actually fight it out in the park months earlier. Chunk attacked one of Grazer’s cubs after it fell over a waterfall, an attack that was broadcast live. Grazer fought off Chunk, but the cub later died.

    Chunk is back at the park this year but returned to Brooks River in June with a broken jaw, Fitz said. The right side of his jaw is hanging loose and will never heal properly.

    It probably happened in a fight with another bear. When they attack each other, they target the head and neck, and sometimes they lock jaws. The torque can snap a brown bear’s mandible.

    The good news for Chunk is that he’s already adapted to his new disability and it doesn’t seem to have affected his appetite. He remains one of the largest bears on the river.

    Brooks Falls is famous for brown bears snagging salmon out of the air as the fish try to jump upstream to get to their spawning ground.

    That didn’t happen much this year, as an exceptional salmon run reduced the need for bears to compete for fishing spots at the falls.

    “We are kind of expecting really to have some of the fattest bears we’ve ever seen in the event,” Fitz said.

    Fat Bear Jr. is going to have a familial feel to it this year.

    In one semifinal Thursday, cub 128 Junior will face off against a pair of cubs competing together.

    Cub 128 Junior is the offspring of two-time champ Grazer and sibling of the bear killed by Chunk last year.

    She will face the 803s, cubs from bear 803. They are known for being mischievous, trying to get into vehicles and boats, and playing with one of the livestream cameras.

    The other semifinal pits siblings from the same spring litter of bear 26. 26 Female is smaller and lighter in color than her brother, 26 Male, and a little more subdued. The male is bolder than his sister, which might give him an edge if food is limited.

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  • NYC mayor throws support behind bill to ban Central Park horse carriages

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    NEW YORK — New York City’s mayor threw his support Wednesday behind a proposal to end the horse-drawn carriages that have been fixtures in Central Park for more than 150 years as he ordered police to more stringently enforce laws already on the books to rein in the industry.

    Mayor Eric Adams, in joining supporters of a ban, cited safety concerns in the increasingly crowded green space, including incidents in recent years of horses collapsing and dying on the job or breaking free from their drivers and running loose in the park.

    “While horse-drawn carriages have long been an iconic fixture of Central Park, they are increasingly incompatible with the conditions of a modern, heavily-used urban green space,” he said in a statement. “It has become abundantly clear that these horse-drawn carriages no longer work for our city.”

    The Democrat, who faces a steep climb in his bid for reelection as an independent, said he sent the City Council a “letter of necessity” giving lawmakers the authority to expedite passage of a bill phasing out horse-drawn carriages.

    Adams also issued an executive order that, among other things, orders police to “prioritize enforcement” against horse-drawn carriages operating outside their legally designated areas to illegally solicit fares or impede traffic.

    In addition, the mayor’s order directs city agencies to identify new employment opportunities for industry workers and to create a process for the voluntary return of carriage licenses.

    “This is not about eliminating this tradition — it’s about honoring our traditions in a way that aligns with who we are today,” Adams said. “New Yorkers care deeply about animals, about fairness, and about doing what’s right.”

    John Samuelsen, president of the Transport Workers Union of America, which represents horse carriage workers, dismissed the announcement as a “desperation act” by a mayor badly lagging his campaign rivals, including Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

    “He’s betrayed the blue collar New Yorkers who were relying on him to stand up for their jobs against the real estate developers who want to kill the industry solely to develop those stables into skyscrapers,” Samuelsen said. “He should be ashamed of himself.”

    Animal rights groups, which have long called for ending the industry over concerns about the health and welfare of the horses, applauded the announcement.

    “This is a life-saving step for both people and horses, and it makes clear what we and so many New Yorkers have long said: horse-drawn carriages have no place in our city any longer,” said Edita Birnkrant, executive director of New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets, or NYCLASS.

    The mayor is the latest notable voice to weigh in on the long-running debate, but he certainly isn’t the first mayor to call for an end to the carriage industry.

    Adams’ predecessor, former Mayor Bill de Blasio, vowed to shut down the industry “on day one,” only to come up against years of council opposition and even the ire of actor Liam Neeson, who remains an outspoken supporter of the industry.

    “It really is time to get this done,” the onetime Democratic presidential hopeful remarked in a post on X that included Adams’ announcement.

    The influential Central Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that manages the park, meanwhile, announced in August that it also was backing calls for a ban, citing safety concerns.

    Council Speaker Adrienne Adams hasn’t said whether the proposed ban would be heard, let alone put to a vote this session. Spokespersons for the Democrat, who is not related to the mayor, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

    ___

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

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  • Endangered pink river dolphins face a rising mercury threat in the Amazon

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    PUERTO NARINO, Colombia — A flash of pink breaks the muddy surface of the Amazon River as scientists and veterinarians, waist-deep in the warm current, patiently work a mesh net around a pod of river dolphins. They draw it tighter with each pass, and a spray of silver fish glistens under the harsh sun as they leap to escape the net.

    When the team hauls a dolphin into a boat, it thrashes as water streams from its pink-speckled sides and the crew quickly ferries it to the sandy riverbank where adrenaline-charged researchers lift it onto a mat. They have 15 minutes — the limit for how long a dolphin can safely be out of the water — to complete their work.

    Fernando Trujillo, a marine biologist leading the effort, kneels beside the animal’s head, shielding its eye with a small cloth so it can’t see what’s happening. He rests his hand gently on the animal and speaks in low tones.

    “They’ve never felt the palm of a hand. We try to calm them,” said Trujillo, sporting a pink dolphin bandana. “Taking a dolphin out of the water, it’s a kind of abduction.”

    One person counts the dolphin’s breaths. Another wets its skin with a sponge while the others conduct multiple medical tests that will help show how much mercury is coursing through the Amazon’s most graceful predators.

    Trujillo directs the Omacha Foundation, a conservation group focused on aquatic wildlife and river ecosystems, and leads health evaluations of river dolphins. It’s a painstaking operation involving experienced fishermen, veterinarians and locals that takes months of planning and happens a couple of times a year.

    “We take blood and tissue samples to assess mercury,¨ Trujillo told The Associated Press from the Colombian riverside town of Puerto Narino. “Basically, we’re using dolphins as sentinels for the river’s health.”

    Mercury contamination comes mainly from illegal gold mining — a growing industry across the Amazon Basin — and forest clearing that washes mercury that naturally occurs in soil into waterways.

    The miners use mercury to separate gold from sediment, then dump the sludge back into rivers, where it enters fish eaten by people and dolphins. Rising global gold prices have fueled a mining boom, and mercury pollution in remote waterways has increased.

    Mercury can damage the brain, kidneys, lungs and immune system and cause mood swings, memory loss and muscle weakness in people, according to the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Pregnant women and young children are most at risk, with prenatal exposure linked to developmental delays and reduced cognitive function.

    “The maximum any living being should have is 1 milligram per kilogram,” Trujillo said. “Here, we’re seeing 20 to 30 times that amount.”

    In previous years, his team found 16 to 18 milligrams per kilogram of mercury in dolphins, which can suffer the same neurological damage, organ damage and other problems as humans. In Colombia’s Orinoco River, levels in some dolphins have reached as high as 42, levels scientists say are among the most extreme ever recorded in the species.

    Trujillo said it’s difficult to prove the toxin is directly killing dolphins. Further studies are underway, he added, noting that “any mammal with a huge amount of mercury will die.”

    When Trujillo and his team tested their own blood three years ago, his results showed more than 36 times the safe limit — 36.4 milligrams per kilogram — a level he attributes to decades working in mercury-affected areas and a diet heavy in fish. With medical assistance, his levels have dropped to about 7 milligrams.

    “Mercury is an invisible enemy until it builds up to a sufficient amount, then it starts to affect the central nervous system,” Trujillo told AP after his team managed to capture and test four pink dolphins. “We’re already seeing evidence of it in Indigenous communities.”

    A series of scientific studies and reports — including work by the International Pollutants Elimination Network and academic researchers — have found high mercury exposure among Indigenous peoples across the Amazon, including in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Suriname and Bolivia. Hair samples showed averages well above WHO’s safe threshold of 1 part per million, with one Colombian community registering more than 22 milligrams per kilogram.

    Dolphin populations in this part of the Amazon have plunged, with Trujillo’s monitoring showing a 52% decline in pink dolphins and a 34% drop in gray river dolphins, a different species, in recent decades. The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the pink dolphin as endangered in 2018. Trujillo said exact numbers for the Amazon are unknown, but his organization estimates 30,000 to 45,000 across the basin.

    Pink river dolphins also face threats from overfishing, accidental entanglement in nets, boat traffic, habitat loss and prolonged drought.

    Colombia says it’s tackling illegal mining and mercury pollution. It banned mercury use in mining in 2018, ratified the Minamata Convention aimed at reducing mercury in the environment and submitted an action plan in 2024. Authorities cite joint operations with Brazil and recent enforcement sweeps, but watchdogs say efforts remain uneven and illegal mining persists across much of the country.

    Other Amazon nations say they’re stepping up. Brazil has launched raids and moved to restrict satellite internet used by illegal gold-mining camps that use mercury, aiming to disrupt logistics and supply lines. Peru recently seized a record 4 tons of smuggled mercury. Ecuador, Suriname and Guyana have filed action plans to cut mercury use in small-scale gold mining.

    The dolphin testing operation relies on José “Mariano” Rangel, a charismatic former fisherman from Venezuela. He leads the charge when it’s time to haul the animals — which can weigh as much as 160 kilograms (about 353 pounds) — into the small boats. It’s a moment that can end with a stinging blow to the jaw as the dolphins thrash to break free.

    “The most difficult part of the captures is enclosing the dolphins,” Rangel said.

    A portable ultrasound machine scans lungs, heart and other vital organs for disease. The team checks for respiratory problems, internal injuries and signs of reproduction, photograph the animals’ skin and scars, swab blowholes and genital openings for bacterial cultures, and collect tissue for mercury testing. Microchips are implanted so researchers can identify each animal and avoid duplicating tests.

    Omacha has recorded antimicrobial resistance — bacteria that can’t be killed by common medicines — and respiratory problems. They have also identified possible emerging diseases, such as papilloma virus, that could pose risks to both dolphins and humans.

    After a long morning hauling and testing dolphins, the scientists return to a laboratory in Puerto Narino that’s covered with posters of dolphins and manatees and the bones and skulls of dolphins and other animals. They test some samples, prepare others to send to larger facilities and end their day repairing nets and refilling kits to do it all again at dawn.

    For Trujillo, each capture, scan and blood test is part of a larger fight.

    “We are one step away from being critically endangered and then extinct,” Trujillo said.

    ___

    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • Pasco County woman fights off gator to save puppy

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    LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. — A Pasco County woman and her dog are both OK after an alligator attacked them while on a walk.

    What You Need To Know

    • Danie Wright said she and her puppy, Dex, are doing well after being attacked by an alligator last week

    • Wright said it happened while she walked Dex near a creek behind her house on Sept. 3

    • According to Wright, she was able to grab Dex by the collar and get him on land before the gator clamped down on her left arm

    • Wright said she was able to fight the 5-foot-long gator off. She has minor injuries, while Dex was unharmed


    “He really dug in right here, but it was another, the other side of his mouth that dug in here that’s a lot deeper,” Danie Wright said, referring to scratches visible under and just outside a bandage on her left arm during the Sept. 3 attack.

    Wright’s wounds may be healing, but the memory of what happened to her and her 4-month-old puppy, Dex, is still fresh.

    “I heard a squeal you never, ever want to hear, and I looked and the alligator was pulling him into the water,” said Wright.

    Wright said she was walking Dex on his leash near a creek behind her home when the gator came out of the water and grabbed him while she was not looking. She told Spectrum News there was only one thing to do: jump into the water after them.

    “Option B was I was just going to kind of step back because I don’t want to fight an alligator, and then not only have to watch my dog get murdered, but hear it,” she said.

    Wright said that was never an option. In the water, she grabbed Dex by the collar.

    “The alligator had him by the front teeth, wasn’t like it was back far,” Wright said. “I took him, and I tossed him up onto the bank. By then, my arm was in the alligator’s mouth.”

    So, the Massachusetts native fought off the Florida predator the only way she could.

    “My dad was a Brockton cop. There’s two famous people from Brockton: Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler, two boxers. So, they always say, you know, ‘Brockton tough.’ But my dad always said, ‘You know, if anyone ever gets you, fight for your life,’” said Wright. “I literally just started punching and kicking and elbowing.”

    Wright said she was able to flip the 5-foot-long gator on its back and thinks it was a punch near his eye that got him to loosen his grip and let her get away.

    “So, then, I literally just come walking out of here looking like Swamp Thing and Carrie from the movie,” she said.

    She provided Spectrum News with video of a trapper catching and hauling the gator off, with Dex barking after it. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt at all.

    “This AirTag saved his life because the alligator got his teeth under it,” Wright said, referring to a small disk on his collar. “If he had gone a centimeter more, he would have punctured his throat.”

    While Wright said she’s never seen a gator in the creek in the 20 years she’s owned the property, she said a 13-foot gator was recently trapped nearby. She said she knows things could have gone differently.

    “Just this five-foot gator, how strong his, I mean, I could not get my arm out of his mouth. He was so strong. But I am so, so thankful, I’m thankful that this guy is fine,” she said about Dex.

    The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office confirmed deputies assisted with an animal complaint involving an alligator on Wright’s street on Sept. 3 and referred Spectrum News to FWC for details.

    FWC did not respond to a request for more information.

    Wright is urging dog owners to stay away from bodies of water while on walks and to always be vigilant.

    “If you’re looking at something or listening to something, you’re not watching your dog,” Wright said. “This guy came out of nowhere. Never saw him. So, you have to have your eyes on your dog the entire time you walk.”

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • Pasco County woman fights off gator to save puppy

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    LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. — A Pasco County woman and her dog are both OK after an alligator attacked them while on a walk.

    What You Need To Know

    • Danie Wright said she and her puppy, Dex, are doing well after being attacked by an alligator last week

    • Wright said it happened while she walked Dex near a creek behind her house on Sept. 3

    • According to Wright, she was able to grab Dex by the collar and get him on land before the gator clamped down on her left arm

    • Wright said she was able to fight the 5-foot-long gator off. She has minor injuries, while Dex was unharmed


    “He really dug in right here, but it was another, the other side of his mouth that dug in here that’s a lot deeper,” Danie Wright said, referring to scratches visible under and just outside a bandage on her left arm during the Sept. 3 attack.

    Wright’s wounds may be healing, but the memory of what happened to her and her 4-month-old puppy, Dex, is still fresh.

    “I heard a squeal you never, ever want to hear, and I looked and the alligator was pulling him into the water,” said Wright.

    Wright said she was walking Dex on his leash near a creek behind her home when the gator came out of the water and grabbed him while she was not looking. She told Spectrum News there was only one thing to do: jump into the water after them.

    “Option B was I was just going to kind of step back because I don’t want to fight an alligator, and then not only have to watch my dog get murdered, but hear it,” she said.

    Wright said that was never an option. In the water, she grabbed Dex by the collar.

    “The alligator had him by the front teeth, wasn’t like it was back far,” Wright said. “I took him, and I tossed him up onto the bank. By then, my arm was in the alligator’s mouth.”

    So, the Massachusetts native fought off the Florida predator the only way she could.

    “My dad was a Brockton cop. There’s two famous people from Brockton: Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler, two boxers. So, they always say, you know, ‘Brockton tough.’ But my dad always said, ‘You know, if anyone ever gets you, fight for your life,’” said Wright. “I literally just started punching and kicking and elbowing.”

    Wright said she was able to flip the 5-foot-long gator on its back and thinks it was a punch near his eye that got him to loosen his grip and let her get away.

    “So, then, I literally just come walking out of here looking like Swamp Thing and Carrie from the movie,” she said.

    She provided Spectrum News with video of a trapper catching and hauling the gator off, with Dex barking after it. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt at all.

    “This AirTag saved his life because the alligator got his teeth under it,” Wright said, referring to a small disk on his collar. “If he had gone a centimeter more, he would have punctured his throat.”

    While Wright said she’s never seen a gator in the creek in the 20 years she’s owned the property, she said a 13-foot gator was recently trapped nearby. She said she knows things could have gone differently.

    “Just this five-foot gator, how strong his, I mean, I could not get my arm out of his mouth. He was so strong. But I am so, so thankful, I’m thankful that this guy is fine,” she said about Dex.

    The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office confirmed deputies assisted with an animal complaint involving an alligator on Wright’s street on Sept. 3 and referred Spectrum News to FWC for details.

    FWC did not respond to a request for more information.

    Wright is urging dog owners to stay away from bodies of water while on walks and to always be vigilant.

    “If you’re looking at something or listening to something, you’re not watching your dog,” Wright said. “This guy came out of nowhere. Never saw him. So, you have to have your eyes on your dog the entire time you walk.”

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • Endangered orca in Washington state seen carrying a dead calf

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    EASTSOUND, Wash. — Once again, an endangered orca in Washington state has been seen carrying her dead newborn calf in an apparent effort to revive it.

    Researchers with the Center for Whale Research, Sea Doc Society and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said they received reports on Friday that the whale — identified as J36 — was pushing the dead calf in Rosario Strait, part of the Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands. They were able to confirm that the female calf, which still had its umbilical cord attached, was deceased.

    Calf mortality is always high among orcas, but the endangered population of killer whales that frequent the marine waters between Washington state and Canada have especially struggled in recent decades due to a lack of their preferred prey, Chinook salmon, as well as pollution and vessel noise that interferes with their hunting. There are 73 whales remaining in the so-called Southern Resident population.

    Early this year, another Southern Resident orca — known as Tahlequah, or J35 — was observed carrying the body of a deceased newborn. Tahlequah made global headlines in 2018 for carrying a dead calf for more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) over 17 days.

    Researchers said it wasn’t clear if J36’s calf had been born alive. Based on prior observations of the whale, the calf would have been no more than three days old when it was spotted dead on Friday.

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  • New mom “so worried” about baby with cane corso—then comes videocall

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    A heartwarming TikTok video has captured the gentle first steps of friendship between a St. Louis family’s cane corso and their newborn baby—long before the pair even met in person.

    The clip, posted by Brittany Hogan (@brittanyandjax), has racked up more than 3.3 million views and shows her husband carefully preparing their 145-pound, 5-year-old dog Jax to welcome their new daughter.

    While recovering in the hospital after giving birth, Hogan watched via video call as her husband introduced Jax to the baby in a thoughtful, scent-based ritual. The text over the video recorded last year explains the family’s initial concern: “He didn’t like kids at the time, we had no idea how he’d react.”

    The American Kennel Club (AKC) says that this breed isn’t the type to befriend every person or canine they encounter. They typically remain aloof toward outsiders, but show unwavering loyalty and a strong protective instinct toward their family.

    Two screenshots from the viral video showing Jax sniffing the newborn’s blanket in his owner’s hand and in the bassinet.

    TikTok/@brittanyandjax

    During the clip, the husband begins by holding out the newborn’s blanket for Jax to sniff. The dog’s nose twitches as he takes in the unfamiliar scent, clearly aware that something significant has changed. The man then places the blanket in the baby’s bassinet and leaves another one on Jax’s bed, even letting the animal sniff Hogan’s labor gown.

    For the next four days—while Hogan and the newborn remained in the hospital—Jax repeatedly returned to the bassinet to inhale the baby’s scent, lingering quietly as if standing guard for the infant’s homecoming.

    The video’s heartfelt caption reads: “I remember being so worried about how he would react. He is the most perfect boy. It’s incredible how they just KNOW.”

    Viewers around the world have been touched by the cane corso’s instinctive devotion, with many sharing their own experiences of introducing pets to newborns.

    In the comments, Hogan reassured a concerned user: “Jax doesn’t like people, dogs or other kids. It will be okay.”

    One popular reply with over 60,000 likes captured the sentiment perfectly: “Girl he just don’t like other ppl [people] kids, that’s his kid.”

    Another viewer added: “Corso’s are natural guardians and will guard their pack. They are great with children. I have no children and my Corso loves all kids and is so gentle with them.”

    How To Introduce Your Dog to Your New Baby

    These AKC-recommended tips can make your baby’s first meeting with your beloved pet a calm, positive experience.

    • Stay calm and balanced: Dogs sense your body language and pheromones, so avoid projecting anxiety about their reaction to the baby.
    • Practice relaxed breathing: Work on breathing normally and not holding your breath when canine and child are together.
    • Plan interactions: Map out each dog/child encounter, starting simple and aiming for small, positive successes.
    • Support your dog’s emotional health: Speak with your vet about strategies to ease canine anxiety.
    • Maintain a safe space: Ensure the crate remains a private sanctuary for your dog, off-limits to children.

    Newsweek is waiting for @brittanyandjax to provide a comment.

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  • Bushcraft Pics That Make Us Want to Go Touch Grass Immediately

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    Being stuck inside all day truly has us ready for adventure and the great outdoors. But since there’s still work to be done here at Chive HQ, I figured bushcraft photos were the next best thing.

    We’ve compiled some of the most interesting and ingenious uses of bushcraft – not to be confused with Busch craft which is just me crushing an entire 12-pack by myself.

    Perfect idea for the weekend: Enjoy these pics, then get out there and touch some grass yourself!

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    Zach

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  • Man crowned “dog dad of the year” for his method of washing muddy dog

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    Many dog owners know just how difficult it can be to wash a pup—especially when they loathe water—but internet users are obsessed with one man’s ingenious way of getting his canine to shower.

    Upon returning home from a camping trip, dog owners Treasure Azuara, 27, and Osmin Azuara, 29, knew they had their work cut out trying to clean their Doberman pincher named Buddah. Treasure, who resides in Utah, told Newsweek that Buddah was “full of mud,” and was in desperate need of a thorough cleanse.

    If only getting him to have a bath was quick and simple.

    Unfortunately for the couple, Buddah hates baths, showers, and just water in general. The only kind he finds mildly acceptable is the water he drinks—and even that is a stretch.

    From left: Osmin Azuara stands in the shower and holds Buddah to wash him off.

    @treasuregrill / TikTok

    So, Osmin had to get creative in order to clean all the mud off Buddah.

    Indeed, rather than making the dog wash by himself, Osmin stood under the shower head and had to hold Buddah in his arms the entire time. The Doberman pincher certainly didn’t look too pleased about it, but at least he could cling onto his dad while washing off.

    “When I walked into the bathroom as I saw them in the shower, I immediately thought to myself, ‘What a good dad.’ I knew I taught him well,” Treasure said.

    After seeing how her husband was ridding Buddah of all the mud in his fur, Treasure couldn’t resist capturing a video and sharing it on TikTok (@treasuregrill). Since the clip was posted on September 2, it has gone viral with over 2.7 million views and more than 434,000 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.

    Writing in the TikTok caption, Treasure joked that she “gasped” when she saw her husband’s unconventional method. Nonetheless, social-media users can’t get enough and they have hailed Osmin’s commitment as a dog dad.

    “This is now the way Osmin showers Buddah every time he needs a wash,” Treasure continued.

    There is no doubting how much Buddah trusts his human, and this moment was adorable proof of that. In fact, the dog loves to wait by the door for Osmin to return home every day, and always gets so excited when he finally arrives.

    The couple, who moved to Utah earlier this year, brought Buddah home shortly after moving in. A Doberman has always been Treasure’s idea of “a dream dog,” and Buddah has finally made that a reality.

    In just a matter of days, the TikTok video has generated over 2,000 comments as internet users lauded Osmin’s dog-washing hack.

    One comment reads: “Don’t tell my Doberman this is an option.”

    Another TikTok user wrote: “The most Doberman thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

    A third person replied: “Dog dad of the year.”

    One commenter posted: “Great. Now my Great Dane is asking me why I don’t love him that much.”

    Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.

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  • Fans bid farewell to beloved California octopus Ghost as she cares for eggs in final stage of life

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    LOS ANGELES — A dying octopus in a Southern California aquarium is receiving an outflowing of love and well wishes as she spends her final days pouring her last energy into caring for her eggs — even though they will never hatch.

    Many on social media have reminisced about seeing the giant Pacific octopus named Ghost when they had visited the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Some shared that they had a tattoo of Ghost or would wear a sweater emblazoned with the beloved cephalopod in her memory.

    “She is a wonderful octopus and has made an eight-armed impression on all of our hearts,” the aquarium said on Instagram.

    Ghost laid eggs earlier this week and entered the last phase of her life cycle, known as senescence. During this period, the octopus will neglect her own basic needs like eating, instead focusing on protecting her eggs and aerating them to prevent bacteria or other harmful agents from growing on them.

    Ghost’s eggs are unfertilized and will never hatch, however. In the wild, giant Pacific octopuses spend their whole lives alone and only come together for a brief instance to reproduce.

    “You really can’t combine males and females for any period of time because they don’t naturally cohabitate,” said the aquarium’s vice president of animal care, Nate Jaros. “They’re at high risk or aggression or even potentially death.”

    Ghost is originally from the waters of British Columbia, Canada, and arrived at the aquarium in May 2024 from a scientific collector. She was only 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) then but now weighs more than 50 pounds (22.7 kilograms).

    The average giant Pacific octopus lives for three to five years. Ghost is estimated to be between two and four years old, Jaros said.

    Ghost was a “super active and very physical octopus” who enjoyed spending time with humans, Jaros said.

    She was trained to voluntarily crawl into a basket so staff would weigh her and monitor her diet. Sometimes, she would push aside food her caregiver was offering just to interact with them more, Jaros said.

    “Octopus in particular are incredibly special because of how charismatic and intelligent they seem to be, and we really form tight bonds with these animals,” Jaros said.

    Her caregivers engage her in enrichment activities multiple times a day, putting food inside of toys and puzzles with moving parts to simulate what a octopus would do to hunt live crabs and clams in the wild.

    One time, staff spent hours building a large acrylic maze for Ghost to explore.

    “She mastered it almost instantly,” Jaros said.

    While Ghost receives special attention in a private tank during her last days, the aquarium has already received a new octopus that will carry on her mission of educating the public. Staff will name the 2-pound (900 gram) octopus after spending some time assessing its personality, but it is already “super curious” and “seems to be a very outgoing animal,” Jaros said.

    Marine biology student Jay McMahon, of Los Angeles, said he was glad he was able to visit the aquarium in the last few weeks and see Ghost one more time. He said he was inspired to pursue his studies after his parents brought him to the aquarium when he was 4.

    “When you make a connection with an animal like that and you know they don’t live for that long, every moment means a lot,” he said. “I just hope she encourages people to learn more about the octopus and how important they are.”

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  • Australia approves world-first vaccine to save koalas from chlamydia

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    MELBOURNE, Australia — A regulator has approved a world-first vaccine to protect koalas from chlamydia infections, which are causing infertility and death in the iconic native species that is listed as endangered in parts of Australia.

    The single-dose vaccine was developed by the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland state after more than a decade of research led by professor of microbiology Peter Timms.

    The research showed the vaccine reduced the likelihood of koalas developing symptoms of chlamydia during breeding age and decreased mortality from the disease in wild populations by at least 65%.

    The recent approval by Australia’s veterinary medicine regulator means the vaccine can now be used in wildlife hospitals, veterinary clinics and in the field to protect the nation’s most at-risk koalas, Timms said on Wednesday.

    “We knew a single-dose vaccine — with no need for a booster — was the answer to reducing the rapid, devastating spread of this disease, which accounts for as much as half of koala deaths across all wild populations in Australia,” Timms said in a statement.

    “Some individual colonies are edging closer to local extinction every day, particularly in southeast Queensland and New South Wales, where infection rates within populations are often around 50% and in some cases can reach as high as 70%,” Timms added.

    Deborah Tabart, chair of the conservation charity Australian Koala Foundation, said resources being spent on vaccinating koalas should be redirected at saving koala habitat.

    “At the risk of sounding flippant, how can anyone be so delusional as to think that you can vaccinate 100,000 animals? It’s just ridiculous,” Tabart said on Friday.

    Tabart’s foundation estimates there are fewer than 100,000 koalas in the wild. The government-backed National Koala Monitoring Program estimated last year there were between 224,000 and 524,000 koalas.

    “I accept that chlamydia is an issue for koalas, but I also want people to understand that they’re sick because they haven’t got any habitat,” Tabart said.

    The Queensland Conservation Council, an umbrella organization for more than 50 environmental groups across the state, welcomed the vaccine. But the council’s director, Dave Copeman, echoed Tabart’s focus on preserving koala habitat.

    “It’s really good news. Chlamydia is one of the key stresses that has been putting pressure on koala populations,” Copeman said.

    “Koalas were at risk before chlamydia outbreaks, and they will remain at risk even if we manage chlamydia perfectly, because we keep on destroying their habitat,” he added.

    Koalas are listed as endangered species in the states of Queensland and New South Wales and in the Australian Capital Territory, with habitat loss due to wildfires and urban expansion as the major threats. Chlamydia can cause urinary tract infections, infertility, blindness and death.

    Treatment with antibiotics can disrupt an infected koala’s ability to digest eucalyptus leaves — its sole food source — leading to starvation, the university said in a statement.

    The research has been supported by the federal, New South Wales and Queensland governments.

    Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt said his government had contributed to the vaccine’s development through a 76 million Australian dollar ($50 million) Saving Koalas Fund.

    “We know that koalas need help to fight diseases like chlamydia. It’s a widespread threat impacting their reproductive health and causing infertility,” Watt said in a statement.

    Koalas are iconic Australian marsupials, like wombats and kangaroos. They spend most of their time eating and sleeping in eucalyptus trees, and their paws have two opposing thumbs to help them grasp and climb up tree trunks.

    Australia’s wild koala populations have declined steeply in the past two decades.

    Facing compounded threats from disease, habitat loss, climate change and road collisions, koalas could become extinct by 2050, according to a 2020 assessment from the New South Wales government.

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  • How to use 8 arms? Octopuses tend to explore with their front limbs

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    WASHINGTON — Humans may be right-handed or left-handed. It turns out octopuses don’t have a dominant arm, but they do tend to perform some tasks more often with their front arms, new research shows.

    Scientists studied a series of short videos of wild octopuses crawling, swimming, standing, fetching, and groping — among other common activities — to analyze how each of the eight arms were moving.

    “All of the arms can do all of this stuff – that’s really amazing,” said co-author and marine biologist Roger Hanlon of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

    Octopus limbs aren’t specialized as many mammal limbs are. However, the three octopus species in the study showed a clear preference for using their four front arms, which they did about 60% of the time. The back arms were used more frequently for stilting and rolling that help move the octopus forward.

    “The forward arms do most of the exploring, the rear arms are mostly for walking,” said Mike Vecchione, a Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History zoologist who was not involved in the study.

    Researchers analyzed video clips taken between 2007 and 2015 in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It was the first large study to examine precise limb actions in the wild.

    Unlike previous research of octopus behavior in a laboratory setting, the new work showed that octopuses did not show a preference for right or left arms in their natural environment.

    Results were published Thursday in Scientific Reports.

    “I’m in awe that the researchers managed to do this,” said Janet Voight, an octopus biologist at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, who had no role in the study.

    Octopuses are shy and elusive creatures. The species studied spend most of their time hidden in dens — meaning that filming them required patience and perseverance over many years.

    Octopus limbs are complex — used for mobility and sensing the environment. Each arm contains between 100 and 200 suckers – complex sensory organs “equivalent to the human nose, lips, and tongue,” said Hanlon.

    If an arm is bitten off by a predator, as often happens in the wild, octopuses have multiple backups.

    “When you’ve got eight arms and they’re all capable,” Hanlon said, “there’s a lot of redundancy.”

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Video of dog vs cat reacting to moving apartment has internet in stitches

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    Moving to a new home can be stressful, and when you add pets into the mix, it can feel overwhelming trying to help them adjust, but, as one owner experienced, each pet reacts differently.

    Abi, who is known on TikTok as @abi.and.their.thoughts, recently moved to a new apartment with their Jack Russell Chihuahua and cats. In the midst of the empty home and boxes, the owner quickly noticed their two pets reacting differently.

    The August 30 TikTok video shows the small dog running around the apartment with a giant smile on her face. Her tail wagged with excitement at the new territory. The owner, however, couldn’t keep up with her, asking the dog to please stop for a moment.

    Then, the camera panned to the side of the room as the owner checked in on the cat. Unlike her happy doggy sibling, this cat wanted nothing to do with the move. She stayed glued to the back of the cat carrier, refusing to come out.

    Newsweek reached out to @abi.and.their.thoughts via TikTok for additional information and comment.

    The owner shared in the comment section that while the dog looked beyond excited about the new space, she ended up puking in the only carpeted room of the house.

    What surprised this owner was the cat. Another comment revealed that the cat, Charlotte, does not normally have an issue with moving. This time was different. She hid in the carrier all day before exploring a bit at night. Then, she went back to hiding in the closet with the other cat, which again caught the owner off guard as these felines “hated each other” before the move.

    When it comes time to settle into the new home, it may be tempting for you to let your dog or cat loose and explore. However, an article from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) stated that the new and unfamiliar space can be overwhelming.

    Instead, start by letting them explore one room at a time. Be sure to keep their favorite toys, treats, water and food bowls in the room or “home base” area. As they become comfortable, gradually introduce them to other rooms while keeping other doors shut.

    For cats, you’ll want to relocate the litter box to a more permanent location by slowly moving it over time. The article suggested moving it one foot each day. Slow and steady wins the race to get them feeling like themselves in their new home.

    Viewer Reactions

    With over 1.6 million views on TikTok as of Wednesday, the internet was left in stitches over the cat and dog’s reactions to the move, calling it “extroverts vs introverts.”

    “The dog is like, ‘There’s so much more room for activities! You should’ve got rid of everything sooner!’” joked a viewer.

    Another added: “The dog was like on a loop.”

    Meanwhile, someone else pointed out: “Kitty needs 5-10 business days.”

    Screenshots from an August 30 TikTok video of an owner experiencing two different reactions from a cat and dog during their move to a new apartment.

    @abi.and.their.thoughts/TikTok

    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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  • Man shopping for suit can’t believe what wedding guest left in the pocket

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    While shopping for suits, a man from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, found a beige jacket he liked, but what was in its pocket has left internet users in hysterics.

    The poster, Zach Carty, told Newsweek that he ended up not buying the suit because it was too small, and partly because he found a wedding speech in the jacket pocket.

    In a viral post shared on Reddit on Sunday, under the username u/zachismyname89, Carty holds up the folded piece of paper that he found hidden inside the suit jacket pocket while searching for the tag.

    The wedding toast is from two people named Val and Jack, which they wrote for their friend, Tony, and his wedding to his wife Ally.

    The toast recounts the friends’ years at college, first jobs in New York, as well as ski trips, traveling and game nights within the friendship group.

    A screenshot of the viral video shows the beige suit and the wedding toast hidden inside it.

    u/zachismyname89

    “Someone bought, used, then returned a suit from H&M, and left their wedding toast in the pocket”, the Reddit caption says.

    “I get being tight on money, but an H&M suit is like $100, at least get it dry cleaned first”.

    Carty told Newsweek: “I had no idea what it had been through that night at the wedding so I didn’t want to risk getting something used and abused.

    “I only stumbled upon it because I was trying to find the size tag for the suit in the pockets since they are hidden in there sometimes.

    “Just thought it was funny that someone would cheap out on an already affordable H&M suit just to use it for one day and return it.”

    Newsweek reached out to H&M for comment.

    The wedding toast from Val and Jack.
    The wedding toast was from named Val and Jack, which they wrote for their friend, Tony, and his wedding to his wife Ally.

    u/zachismyname89

    While used items may not appeal to all buyers, thrift stores and other second hand retailers are actually big in America. According to a report from Capital One Shopping, the U.S. secondhand market generated an estimated $53 billion in revenue in 2023 alone.

    There are over 25,000 resale, consignment, and not-for-profit resale shops in the U.S., and about 16-18 percent of Americans shop at thrift stores each year. Buying from thrift stores saves shoppers an average of $1,760 per year, the report said.

    The post quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 3,900 upvotes and 182 comments on the platform.

    One user, Siempre_maria, said: “I’m pretty sure my husband left both of our wedding vows in the front pocket of his suit, but it was definitely rented.”

    Lois_sanb0rn said: “Now I’m tempted to slip random terrible wedding speeches into formal wear pockets lol.”

    While OkCopy4627 added: “Jack got all the good lines.”

    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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  • Bird Watch: Sightings from Greater Newburyport and beyond

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    These recent sightings are compiled by Sue McGrath of Newburyport Birders. Report your sightings to Newburyport Birders at newburyportbirders@comcast.net or 978-204-2976.

    Great Neck, Ipswich: Eurasian Wigeon, Mute Swan, Gadwall, American Widgeon, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Mourning Dove, Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Osprey, Yellow-shafted Flicker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tree Swallow, House Wren, Marsh Wren, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, House Sparrow, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Song Sparrow, Bobolink, Baltimore Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Cardinal.


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  • June Cleaver the loggerhead turtle is released into the ocean off Florida after rehab

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    Marine biologists on Florida’s Space Coast have released June Cleaver, a 230-pound loggerhead turtle, back into the ocean

    MELBOURNE, Fla. — She may not wear a pearl necklace like her namesake from the TV show, “Leave it Beaver,” but June Cleaver, the 230-pound loggerhead turtle, nevertheless was happy as a clam to be going home.

    Marine biologists on Florida’s Space Coast on Wednesday released June Cleaver back into the ocean before 300 beachgoers following a two-month rehabilitation at the Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center in Melbourne, Florida.

    The turtle was first observed having difficulty laying eggs in Melbourne Beach in June. The Sea Turtle Preservation Society transported her to the Healing Center, and caretakers discovered that she had been hit by a boat. They gave her several CT scans to make sure that the injury to her top shell wasn’t critical, according to the center.

    The scans showed that her wound wasn’t fatal but she needed rehabilitation. While at the center, she laid 113 eggs in a pool. Biologists buried the eggs in the beach where they are incubating, according to the center.

    The center said June Cleaver had “diva” tastes in food, preferring squid over the crabs which typically are favored by loggerheads.

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  • San Bernardino man enlists public’s help in finding missing pet tortoise

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    A San Bernardino man is calling on the public to help locate his tortoise, who has been missing for nearly a week.

    Cactus Bash has been searching for his 3-year-old Sulcata tortoise, Dolly, since Thursday. The young reptile was roaming around the yard as she normally does when she managed to leave the property.

    “My gate came loose recently, and she was able to push the bottom of it further and I didn’t know,” Bash said. “She was waiting for me to feed her and she just decided to walk out. I got out there and she was gone. I couldn’t find her, nothing.”

    Since Dolly’s disappearance, Bash has spread the word about his missing pet on social media and posted flyers asking the community to keep an eye out. The pet-owner said this is the first time the tortoise has been on her own.

    “She’s like my kid. She’s going to live to be 130. She’s only 3 right now, so she’s a baby,” he said. “… Just imagine how scared that she is, you know? My poor baby, I really hope she’s OK. I hope that she’s safe.”

    Dolly is described as being about the size of a medium cat. She’s larger than a football, according to Bash’s flyer.

    Bash asks anyone who sees Dolly to call him.

    “If anyone comes across my pet, please reach out to me,” he said.“… Just please reach out, I want to find her as soon as possible. She is very important to me.”

    Bash can be reached at 951-669-0644.

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    Karla Rendon

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  • Drones blast AC/DC, Scarlett Johansson to scare off wolves

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    For millennia humans have tried to scare wolves away from their livestock. Most of them didn’t have drones.

    But a team of biologists working near the California-Oregon border do, and they’re using them to blast AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” movie clips and live human voices at the apex predators to shoo them away from cattle in an ongoing experiment.


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    By CEDAR ATTANASIO – Associated Press

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  • Drones blasting AC/DC, Scarlett Johannson help biologists protect cattle from wolves

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    For millennia humans have tried to scare wolves away from their livestock. Most of them didn’t have drones.

    But a team of biologists working near the California-Oregon border do, and they’re using them to blast AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” movie clips and live human voices at the apex predators to shoo them away from cattle in an ongoing experiment.

    “I am not putting up with this anymore!” actor Scarlett Johansson yells in one clip, from the 2019 film “ Marriage Story.”

    “With what? I can’t talk to people?” co-star Adam Driver shouts back.

    Gray wolves were hunted nearly to extinction throughout the U.S. West by the first half of the 20th century. Since their reintroduction in Idaho and at Yellowstone National Park in the mid-1990s, they’ve proliferated to the point that a population in the Northern Rockies has been removed from the endangered species list.

    There are now hundreds of wolves in Washington and Oregon, dozens more in northern California, and thousands roaming near the Great Lakes.

    The recovering population has meant increasing conflict with ranchers — and increasingly creative efforts by the latter to protect livestock. They’ve turned to electrified fencing, wolf alarms, guard dogs, horseback patrols, trapping and relocating, and now drones. In some areas where nonlethal efforts have failed, officials routinely approve killing wolves, including last week in Washington state.

    Gray wolves killed some 800 domesticated animals across 10 states in 2022, a previous Associated Press review of data from state and federal agencies found.

    Scientists with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service developed the techniques for hazing wolves by drone while monitoring them using thermal imaging cameras at night, when the predators are most active. A preliminary study released in 2022 demonstrated that adding human voices through a loudspeaker rigged onto a drone can freak them out.

    The team documented successful interruptions of wolf hunts. When Dustin Ranglack, the USDA’s lead researcher on the project, saw one for the first time, he smiled from ear to ear.

    “If we could reduce those negative impacts of wolves, that is going to be more likely to lead to a situation where we have coexistence,” Ranglack said.

    The preloaded clips include recordings of music, gunshots, fireworks and voices. A drone pilot starts by playing three clips chosen at random, such as the “Marriage Story” scene or “Thunderstruck,” with its screams and hair-raising electric guitar licks.

    If those don’t work, the operator can improvise by yelling through a microphone or playing a different clip that’s not among the randomized presets. One favorite is the heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch ‘s cover of “Blue on Black,” which might blast the lyric “You turned and you ran” as the wolves flee.

    USDA drone pilots have continued cattle protection patrols this summer while researching wolf responses at ranches with high conflict levels along the Oregon-California border. Patrols extended south to the Sierra Valley in August for the first time, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

    It’s unclear whether the wolves might become accustomed to the drones. Herders and wolf hunters in Europe have long deterred them with long lines hung with flapping cloth, but the wolves can eventually learn that the flags are not a threat.

    Environmental advocates are optimistic about drones, though, because they allow for scaring wolves in different ways, in different places.

    “Wolves are frightened of novel things,” said Amaroq Weiss, a wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. “I know that in the human imagination, people think of wolves as big, scary critters that are scared of nothing.”

    There are also drawbacks to the technology. A drone with night vision and a loudspeaker costs around $20,000, requires professional training and doesn’t work well in wooded areas, making it impractical for many ranchers.

    Ranchers in Northern California who have hosted USDA drone patrols agree that they have reduced livestock deaths so far.

    “I’m very appreciative of what they did. But I don’t think it’s a long-term solution,” said Mary Rickert, the owner of a cattle ranch north of Mount Shasta. “What I’m afraid of is that after some period of time, that all of a sudden they go, ‘Wow, this isn’t going to hurt me. It just makes a lot of noise.’”

    Ranchers are compensated if they can prove that a wolf killed their livestock. But there are uncompensated costs of having stressed-out cows, such as lower birth rates and tougher meat.

    Rickert said if the drones don’t work over the long term, she might have to close the business, which she’s been involved in since at least the 1980s. She wants permission to shoot wolves if they’re attacking her animals or if they come onto her property after a certain number of attacks.

    If the technology proves effective and costs come down, someday ranchers might merely have to ask the wolves to go away.

    Oregon-based Paul Wolf — yes, Wolf — is the USDA’s southwest district supervisor and the main Five Finger Death Punch fan among the drone pilots. He recalled an early encounter during which a wolf at first merely seemed curious at the sight of a drone, until the pilot talked to it through the speaker.

    “He said, ‘Hey wolf — get out of here,’” Wolf said. “The wolf immediately lets go of the cattle and runs away.”

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