In the 19th century, the Bearded Vulture had a bad press. It was accused of carrying off and devouring lambs and even small children. Alpine authorities declared open season on the bird and the last one was shot in 1913. But the vulture, which is capable of digesting large bones, is back thanks to a […]
Tag Archives | animals
Me and My Pet Tiger: “Trespassers Will Be Eaten”
Eccentric private citizens in the United States own more tigers than exist in the wild worldwide. But owning big cats can be a dangerous hobby, especially when the animals turn on their owners. Vincent Lowe, 49, didn’t even have enough time to fire his .357 caliber pistol. In one powerful leap, the 500-pound tiger crashed […]
Climate Change: Carbon Dioxide is Killing Cold-Water Reefs
The greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is acidifying the oceans. The first victims could be cold-water coral, which are believed to populate the edges of all continental shelves. Another endangered species is the plankton in the open oceans — the basic building block of the marine food chain. The Skagerrak strait is a gray body of […]
Winter Sleepers: Researchers Ask – Can Humans Hibernate?
In a new take on hibernation, biologists now believe that mammals are not the only ones who use the winter months to store up energy. Birds, and even humans, may have the capacity to switch to standby mode. By Philip Bethge The Hopi Indians call it Hölchoko: “the sleeping one.” During winter the tiny animal, […]
Stem Cell Flambé: Test-Tube T-Bones on the Horizon Say Researchers
A world which is free of caged chickens, slaughterhouses and avian flu is possible, researchers claim. All that’s needed is labaratory-made meat. While test-tube T-bones are still the domain of futurists, scientists have already taken the first important steps. The frog steaks were sautéed in a garlic and parsley sauce, then garnished with chives. When […]
Mad Cow Disease: British Pair Believe Cows got Sick By Eating Human Corpses
Did humans transmit Mad Cow Disease, or BSE, to cows? According to a new theory, diseased human body parts from India may have been fed to British cows. In traditional Hindu culture, after a person dies, the body gets ritually bathed, the corpse gets burned on a pyre and the head of the dead person […]
Brown Bears in the Alps: The Great Bear Comeback
The brown bear is returning to the mountains of Central Europe, thanks to resettlement projects in Italy, Austria and France. Biologists celebrate the animals’ return as a success in endangered species protection. But the general population has mixed feelings about welcoming back the predator. By Philip Bethge It was Christina Kröll’s dog which showed the […]
The Plague: Locusts Swarm Europe
For months, vast swarms of locusts have been buzzing through Africa, eating everything in sight. Now, they have reached European shores. Can the plague be stopped? By Philip Bethge It was like deja vu, a flashback to that all-too-familiar invasion of feathered-friends from Hitchcock’s thriller “The Birds.” The difference: this time, the attackers had four […]