Hunters killed 909 bears during Pennsylvania’s first weekend-long opener to the firearms hunting season for bear – 748 on Saturday and 161 on Sunday – bringing the total 2020 black bear harvest to 2,887 as of the end of hunting at sunset on Sunday. For the first time since bear hunting seasons were instituted in

As Christmas draws near, all manner of preparation and displays arrive to herald in the expected holidays. With 2020 being the year that the world ground to a near standstill due to Covid-19, it is a refreshing change to turn our wearied attention to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays. And with that, the hopeful promise

Naturalist and expert Jane Goodall is throwing her support behind a new bill in Canada. Manitoba Senator Murray Sinclair is pushing for an ambitious animal welfare reform that includes banning the captivity of apes and elephants in the country. Called the “Jane Goodall Act,” the bill would ban zoos and similar entities from getting new

When Lisa Manuel was a child, her mother would take her to Quitobaquito Springs, a rare oasis amid the giant cacti and rolling hills of southwest Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. For at least 10,000 years, the spring has been a vital source of water for wildlife and people, including the Tohono O’odham and Hia-Ced O’odham, whose

There’s a monument near Brora, 60 miles short of John o’Groats, that claims to mark the spot where the last wolf in Sutherland was killed. I pass it often in the car. The wolf, it says, was killed by the hunter Polson in or about the year 1700. I know this story. Polson, so it

Depiction of Thunderbird painted on a drum by a Pawnee artist in the late 19th century. Photo: Heritage Image Partnership Ltd/Alamy In late 2016, after joining protests at Standing Rock against the Dakota Access Pipeline, Stephanie Big Eagle designed a tattoo to help the fight. “My heart was just poured into it,” she recalls. A

French bird hunters won a legal victory to continue trapping wild birds with glue on Thursday [20 November] when a European magistrate found the practice acceptable on cultural grounds. An advocate general of the European Court of Justice, Europe’s highest legal body, issued a legal opinion approving French laws that permit the limited use of

There is only one thing more terrifying for a nesting bird than a person walking nearby: when that two-legged beast is joined by a four-legged companion. A study of how ground-nesting birds are disturbed on beaches in Spain has revealed how they are almost always scared from their nests by passing off-lead dogs, but seem

The killing of a rare “spirit” moose in Canada has shocked residents of a northern Ontario community and prompted one First Nations man to offer a reward to anyone who can help officials apprehend the suspected poachers. Residents around the city of Timmins have long swapped stories of a ghostly white moose population occasionally spotted

Wood Duck. Photo: Jess Deitz/Audubon Photography Awards WASHINGTON  – “President Trump may have pardoned a turkey this week, but he’s in a frenzy to finalize his bird-killer policy before the end of the year.” said David Yarnold, president and CEO of the National Audubon Society. “The administration lost in court and is sidestepping that ruling with

When Victorian man James Glindemann sat down just outside his local mall to enjoy his Chinese takeout, he was happily surprised to see a magpie, and greeted the bird: “How are you going?” Magpies are one of Australia’s most intelligent and loved birds, and Glindemann’s reaction is a common one. In 2017, they were voted

Oregon officials are concerned about a “frenzy of poaching” after a black bear was found decapitated.  A decapitated bear was discovered outside of Veneta in October, and multiple other animals have been poached in the same area of Lane County, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said Friday in a news release. “This

This year our conservation leaders, bird advocates, college students, ambassadors, volunteers, and scientists accomplished amazing things. Through mid-November, more than 196,000 of us contacted decision-makers more than 771,400 times on behalf of birds. All of the accomplishments listed below come from the hard work and dedication of our members, chapters, volunteers, and staff. We’re very proud

Optics 1.Binoculars If there’s one essential tool for birders, it’s binoculars. But with so many models on the market, it can be daunting to find the perfect pair. Whether you’re a novice looking for your first set of bins or an experienced birder looking for an upgrade, we cover excellent options for every budget in our

Illustration: Joe Ciardiello Who’s Kenn? Simply put, Kenn is a national treasure. A renowned birder, author, and conservationist, Kenn Kaufman has spent his life dedicated to observing birds, reading about birds, writing about birds, and sharing the world of birds with others. With all that birdy knowledge in his brain, he also acts as the field editor for Audubon magazine. So, whenever we

As far back as I can remember, I’ve been enthralled with animals. Wherever I went, it wouldn’t take long for me to orient to the nearest one. By age eight, I could identify upward of 100 dog breeds. Yet when it came to birds, my list wouldn’t have gone far beyond Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays.

The high-end French fashion brand Hermès wants to build one of Australia’s biggest crocodile farms in the Northern Territory that would hold up to 50,000 saltwater crocodiles to be turned into luxury goods such as handbags and shoes. But the proposal has come under fire from animal welfare groups, who say other fashion brands have