An illegal 10-year, cross-border, Canada-to-America, narwhal tusk-smuggling ring has been busted in an international sting. For a decade, two Canadians have been legally purchasing narwhal ivory in Canada, and then transporting it to Bangor, Maine, hiding the tusks in a secret trailer compartment in order to cross the border. (It has been illegal to import narwhal tusks since 1972.) The tusks were then shipped, via FedEx, to American dealers, who sold the tusks for anywhere between $1,000 and ... Read More
California’s Pinnacles National Monument will be promoted to the status of National Park per a bill passed through the United States Senate on Sunday. The ancient volcano field, located in the Gabilan Mountains, is a popular destination for climbers with its many caves, canyons, boulders, and spires. The 26,000-acre site is also a haven for the endangered California condor. Thirty-two of the birds have been safely released there since 2003. The bill was already approved by the House of R... Read More
Burry Stander, one of the top cross-country mountain bike racers, died on Thursday after been hit by a taxi while on a training ride. The 25-year-old South African was riding on the South Coast with his wife, pro rider Cherise Stander, when he was struck and killed. The 2009 U-23 cross-country world champ, Stander had competed in the Beijing and London Olympics and had won the fifth round of the 2012 World Cup.
The reaction on social media drew attention to the uneasy relationship between cyc... Read More
Barbara Casey, who worked for the American Humane Association for 13 years, most recently as the director of production in the group's film and television unit, has filed a lawsuit against her former employer, HBO, and Stewart Productions. In the lawsuit, recently filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Casey says that she was wrongfully terminated after attempting to report criminal activity she witnessed on the set of Luck, the David Milch-produced horse racing drama starring Dustin Hoffman tha... Read More
A compound found in the blood of the giant panda may hold the secret to fighting the next wave of global super bugs, say Chinese scientists. Studies at the Life Sciences College of Nanjing Agricultural University have found that the animals produce a powerful antibiotic, called cathelicidin-AM, capable of killing both standard and drug-resistant strains of various bacteria and fungi. Scientists have already artificially synthesized the compound, eliminating the need to harvest it directly from... Read More
