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A male giraffe, Lbarnoti, was rescued from flooded Kenyan rangeland using a custom barge and some patient training.
floods

The Great Kenyan Giraffe Rescue

It took a custom-built barge and a whole lot of patience to get these rare animals off a shrinking island.
Winnie Lee February 16, 2021
Elephants, such as these in South Africa's Kruger National Park, are highly social—and loud.
earthquakes

Can We Track Elephants With Earthquake Detectors?

Low-cost seismometers could give rural communities an alert system, or begin to decipher elephant communication.
Robin George Andrews February 8, 2021
Steam blowing off Iceland's Holuhraun lava field.
space exploration

In Iceland, Testing the Drones That Could Be the Future of Mars Exploration

“We’re going to do so many cool things.”
Robin George Andrews January 26, 2021
Lavafalls have filled the crater, replacing the water that had taken residence there.
islands

Kīlauea’s Lava Lake Is Back, and Volcanologists Are Bubbling With Excitement

There's uncertainty, but the eruption is confined to the summit caldera.
Robin George Andrews December 23, 2020
Heron Island is a good place to look at (and smell) coral.
coral reefs

How Do Stressed-Out Corals Smell?

The answer could help researchers detect bleaching events before they happen.
Jessica Leigh Hester December 11, 2020
In forest farming, ripe ginseng berries are harvested, the seeds are extracted, and then planted in the fall.
plants

The Quest for Appalachia's Wild Ginseng

The plant is imperiled by overharvesting, and locals are racing to preserve it—and its economic potential.
Emily Cataneo November 18, 2020
Courtesty of Uldis Kalejs
science

What Ancient Toilets Reveal About the History of the Human Gut

Scientists are learning loads from medieval latrines.
Luke Fater October 20, 2020
Construction crews are cooperating with expert paleontologists as the site is developed and more bones are uncovered.
museums

What Will Mexico City Do With 2,000 Mammoth Bones?

The fate of an enormous trove of fossils hangs in the balance.
Luke Fater September 30, 2020
The Shilin scenic zone in Yunnan Province is a popular destination for tourists.
geology

What Candy Can Teach Us About the Origin of Mysterious Stone Forests

A stunning geological phenomenon, sweetly explained.
Luke Fater September 21, 2020
These singing dogs were recently found near a gold mine in Papua.
islands

Found: The Rare Singing Dogs of New Guinea, In the Wild

The distant cousin of the dingo had been hiding out in the island’s highlands.
Isaac Schultz September 10, 2020
This lightning flash with an upward branch, observed south of Langmuir Laboratory, helped researchers understand the mechanisms by which lightning can escape clouds.
science

Can America’s Premier Lightning Lab Revive Its Renegade Spirit?

“We want to continue triggering lightning. We’re in no way done with that.”
Elizabeth Miller September 9, 2020
At Plaza San Martín in Buenos Aires, Argentina, crown shyness is hiding in plain sight.
nature

Trees Have Their Own Way of Social Distancing

A treetop expert explains the mystery of "crown shyness."
Zoe Baillargeon September 8, 2020
The inside of a boab nut, a versatile source of food in the Kimberley.
science

The Researchers Bringing 'Uniquely Australian Foods' to Stores Near You

Scientists and Indigenous businesses are collaborating to identify under-appreciated bush tucker.
Ronan O'Connell August 28, 2020
Just offshore from the postcard-worthy landscapes is a seismic threat as catastrophic as any on earth.
disasters

A Massive Earthquake Is Coming to Cascadia—And It Can't Be Stopped

But it can be anticipated and mitigated. Meet four guardians of the Pacific Northwest.
Kaitlyn Schwalje August 25, 2020
Drone, meet tuna.
oceans

Scientists Tracked Truly Enormous Tuna From Way Up in the Air

Drones helped researchers keep up with fish that are longer than a person and as fast as a car.
Jessica Leigh Hester June 10, 2020
The copper time capsule was sunk inside another copper box, for extra protection.
manuscripts

The Things Inside This 105-Year-Old Time Capsule Have Hardly Aged a Day

The slew of ephemera was tucked in a copper box behind a cornerstone at Arlington National Cemetery.
Jessica Leigh Hester May 22, 2020
The Francisco Morazan is an off-shore wreck visible from South Manitou Island.
shipwrecks

Michigan Archaeologists Want Your Help Scouting for Shipwrecks

Look, document, but please don't touch.
Jessica Leigh Hester May 21, 2020
When studying hail, time is of the essence.
science

The Slippery Problem of Measuring Enormous Hunks of Hail

They’re huge, rare, and melting all the time.
Jessica Leigh Hester May 12, 2020