Animal rights activists are protesting the proposed importation of 18 beluga whales to American aquatic parks. Leading the importation initiative is the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, which claims the whales are needed for captive breeding, research, and education. Those opposed to the plan are protesting on bioethical grounds, citing the belugas’ vast natural habitat and migration patterns, which cannot be recreated in even the best captive conditions. There are currently 31 captive belug... Read More
Tanzania has formally applied for permission to unload its more-than-100-ton stock of ivory in a one-off sale. They also want to downgrade the protection of Tanzanian elephants from the highest category to allow for trophy hunting and trade in tusks, hides, and live animals. The country maintains that all proceeds from the sale would go toward elephant conservation. But environmentalists say the sale would counteract any positive revenue. "It's ludicrous for Tanzania to even consider applying ... Read More
On Tuesday, Red Bull Stratos was forced to again delay the launch of a balloon that was to take skydiver Felix Baumgartner 23 miles above the earth, where he was expected to break the world record for highest skydive and become the first free-falling human to reach the speed of sound. A commentator on the Red Bull Stratos livestream indicated that a radio failure had forced the delay of the 5 a.m. launch until the winds became too strong for the balloon to safely take off. The jump was origina... Read More
Tommy Caldwell and new partner Jonathan Siegrist will head up El Capitan in Yosemite National Park tomorrow to return to Caldwell's longtime Dawn Wall project. With about 30 pitches, including seven of 5.14 and seven of 5.13, the Dawn Wall would likely be the world's hardest big-wall route when complete. Caldwell began working on the project in 2007, teaming up with Kevin Jorgeson in 2009. The climb will be the first on El Cap for Siegrist, who recently made the first ascent of Idaho's hardest... Read More
Florida resident Edward Archbold, 32, died Friday night after ingesting a large volume of live cockroaches and worms in a contest at a local pet store. According to investigators, Archbold began to feel ill almost immediately after the contest and started regurgitating the roaches. He was taken to a Broward County hospital where he was pronounced dead. The exact cause of death has yet to be determined. Michael Adams, a professor of entomology at the University of Californa, told the Associated... Read More
