CONSERVATION

15 Shucking Amazing Facts About Oysters

3. Spring is when a young oyster looks for love.

Julian Herzog via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

U.S. Government (Finally) Makes It Illegal to Sell Tigers Without a Permit

A new ruling closes the loophole that permitted people to keep cross-bred or “generic” tigers as pets.

Conservationists Plan to Sneak Electronic Eggs Into Vulture Nests

The fake eggs contain sensors to monitor the vultures’ behavior and environment.

Scientists Are Using Virtual Reality to Help Conserve Jaguars

360-degree footage lets scientists visit potential jaguar habitats without leaving home.

Bernard Landgraf via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Conservationists Hope to Reintroduce Lynx to the UK

The wild cats haven’t roamed these forests for more than 1000 years.

Cliff via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0

Human-Made Noise May Interfere with Panda Sex

Keep it down.

Rare Sumatran Rhinoceros Spotted in Indonesia for the First Time in 40 Years

Thanks to hunting and habitat loss, there are fewer than 100 of the animals left in the world.

Where to See the Monarch Butterflies Wintering in California Before They Leave

Thousands of orange and black butterflies are clustering for warmth amidst stunning scenery.

Counting Wolves by Looking at Their Howls

Biologists think that images like these, which let them look at wolf howls instead of just listening to them, might help them better protect wolves.

Kids Help Save the Oceans With Shark Stanley

The cartoon hammerhead helps protect endangered sharks one smile at a time.

6 Audacious Efforts to Save Endangered Rhinos

Drones, armed guards, and international relocation are helping to protect rhinos from poachers.

Could a Seed Bank Be Called Into Action to Save Florida’s Orange Trees?

A fast-spreading bacterial disease might someday destroy the citrus industry.

13 Photos of California's Devastating Drought

2015 marks California’s fourth consecutive year of drought.

Vladimir Nabokov's Karner Blue Butterfly Makes a Comeback

It's not the resurrection of the waxwing slain by the false azure in the windowpane, but it's pretty close.

Meet the Chainsaw Environmentalist

When illegal palm trees are planted in protected Indonesian forest, Rudi Putra grabs a chainsaw.

Scientists Aren't Releasing the Colombian Cocaine Moths Just Yet

Saving A Snake in Disguise

Vultures Find Food With a Little Help From Their Friends

Galapagos Birds Beat Bloodsuckers with Pesticide-Lined Homes

In the 1990s, the fly Philornis downsi was accidentally introduced to the Galapagos Islands, probably in a shipment of fruit. The adult flies are harmless enough as invaders go, but their kids are a real problem for the islands’ native birds, some of whic