Wildlife
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Our ethics columnist helps a biologist reckon with the double-edged sword caused by land protection rules in the American West
Our ethics columnist weighs in on the dilemma about when a predator has the right to act like a predator—and when it crosses the line
A team of wildlife experts and ice climbers worked to rescue a bull elk that became tangled in a climbing rope at Colorado’s Lake City Ice Park
For decades, field technicians have scoured the Mojave Desert monitoring threatened tortoises. Their searches sometimes uncovered human remains. Our writer untangles a mystery dug up by the turtle counters.
It was the trip of a lifetime. Several months paddling the Amazon, trying to eat without being eaten. It almost all went to plan.
JJ Harrison is the only person at a rodeo who is supposed to get hit by the bulls
In an excerpt from his new book, ‘Into the Thaw,’ Jon Waterman vividly depicts one of his most painful expedition moments ever
The border wall had an all star cast of political operatives trying to get it built. The butterflies had Marianna Trevino Wright.
How did a US congressional candidate and the director of the National Butterfly Center end up in a physical altercation on the US border with Mexico?
Scouring your yard clean is a waste of time and deprives your soil of valuable nutrients
Was Homero’s death an accident? Or murder? And who would want Homero dead?
Monarchs are considered the king of the butterflies. In Michoacan, Mexico conservationist Homero Gomez Gonzalez was considered the king of the Monarchs. Until one day in 2020, when he disappeared without a trace.
Two beautiful national parks, 89 state parks, plus mountains, rivers, and coastline. Having grown up in Texas, I can attest: this state has it all.
Aaron Lopez opened Ursa to pay homage to the desert ingredients of the Southwest
Emojis are silly. But sometimes something silly gets lodged in your brain and you can’t stop thinking about it. Recently, reporter Meg Duff noticed that her phone was mis-classifying a handful of animal emojis, and an internet rabbit hole turned into a headphones smiley face.
Hummingbirds and other pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. I set out to attract them to my yard.
Our farthest-roaming travel writer reveals her favorite stretches of sand, from a sheltered cove in Greece to a stunning outpost in North Carolina. Which looks best to you?
We’ve always been thrilled to see orcas near our home in Alaska. But sailing through the waters along the Iberian Peninsula, where 600 boats have been hit—and five sunk—by whales, was unnerving at best.
Fifteen minutes of ooh-ing and ah-ing isn’t worth the wildfire risk, pollution, and trauma to wildlife
After ‘My Octopus Teacher’ won the Oscar for Best Documentary, the producers realized they had left an important voice out of their movie—indigenous South Africans who had been silenced and separated from the ocean by apartheid
I like the mountains, not boats, which make me sick. Then came a chance to see the beautiful landscapes of California’s Channel Island National Park.
A Canadian study found that chemicals excreted by ants keep ticks at bay. Researchers hope the discovery leads to new ways to ward off the Lyme Disease-spreading insects.
From California to Belize to Australia—at these spots you'll experience thriving intact coral reefs, colorful (and big) fish, and the trip of a lifetime. Our diving expert reveals her favorites.
Four easy things you can do to rewild your space and support climate-critical biodiversity
Where did eagles come from? Why are grizzly bears so mean? In this Audible Original excerpt, host James Dommek Jr—the great-grandson of a famous Iñupiaq storyteller—travels around the state sharing legends from different cultures and traditions
Singer-songwriter David Lindes found his way into running with help from the most unexpected teacher: a bull moose
We think of New York as having a rat problem, but cats are doing just as much damage
When Marty Moose strolled into Santa Fe looking for a mate, he became a viral sensation in New Mexico. But that did nothing to help his search for love—and it created big issues for wildlife managers.
People dream of boating or swimming with whales. But that’s based on the false assumption that they are gentle giants that don’t bother humans.
The secretary of transportation spoke to Outside about his plan to save the lives of humans and wild animals simultaneously
After 50 years, one of the most consequential environmental laws in U.S. history may no longer be relevant to the world we’re living in
Mountain lions are becoming more aggressive. Or maybe they aren’t?
A video of daddy longlegs clustering on a backpacker’s had arachnophobic hikers vowing to stay away. But look a little closer, and you might just gain a new appreciation for the Alaskan wilderness.
The “mategration” of giant spiders across the southwest has prompted biologists and state officials to consider creative ways to circumvent roadways
In the new PBS documentary 'The American Buffalo' by Ken Burns, the filmmaker goes deep on the near-extermination of bison, unearthing stories that shaped—and still haunt—this country's soul
Nearly half a million listeners download ‘Tooth and Claw’ each month. Can the show also help save the animals it profiles?
When Pam Houston traveled to the nordic island nation to ride its unique breed of spirited horses, she wasn’t just after an adventure—she was urgently seeking a way to be well again
Sometimes a quick brush with danger can feel almost transcendent
A hiker found the woman’s body on a popular trail near the national park
During his first wilderness job, a chance encounter with a bear left the wildlife biologist with a profound respect for nature that has endured ever since
Nothing says “I do” like a small blood sacrifice
Serious illness gave our writer an urgent need for physical and spiritual rebirth. She found both by bonding with a unique riding breed that seems touched by Viking spirit.
Authorities say the unleashed mutt provoked the bruin, and have closed a popular trail near Asheville
There’s a reason the acclaimed author wrote his latest book in the voice of a stray dog: it enabled him to run free all over an imagined seaside park
Vacation season is only a few weeks old, and visitors to America’s oldest national park can’t stop approaching animals
Get the beta on the best places to spot bison, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and more amid one of America’s wildest landscapes
Apples no one has ever tasted are still out in the wild. Dave Benscoter, a retired FBI agent, has spent a decade searching for these 100-year-old heirlooms.
Encounters between bruins and campers led the forest service to shutter the areas
Peter Kaestner has traveled the world on an adventure-filled quest to become the first birder to hit 10,000. Ornithologist Jessie Williamson hitched a ride on a rollicking South American mission that involved land, sea, and (you guessed it) air.
Two humongous male grizzly bears square off in one of the craziest, most mesmerizing battles caught on video
Wolves are my favorite animal, but my parents see them as the enemy that kills their livestock
National parks protect our land and a wide variety of wildlife, many of them dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Here are the animals and reptiles to look out for and the best ways to keep you—and them—safe.
Some of you are thinking, Ewww, no way. But open your hearts to the truth: spiders are among the most fascinating creatures on earth, and great neighbors to boot (goodbye, mosquitos!). With climate change putting them in danger, they could use a few new friends.
He likes to cozy up to animals and take their pictures. I prefer to keep my distance.
The acclaimed science writer answered audience questions about reporting on the race to understand the SARS-CoV-2 and how the COVID-19 pandemic began
There are those moments when you think: maybe I’m no smarter than a trash panda. This is one of them.
On these expert-led trips, you’ll spot the National Park System’s wildest residents, from mysterious wolves to fat bears. Pro tip: the bioluminescent fireflies are pretty cool, too.
Born on an island off the coast of Virginia, home to a wild herd that inspired the classic children’s novel ‘Misty of Chincoteague,’ this gentle, blue-eyed gelding enjoyed an adventurous life with a family in New Mexico. After his death, a mother and daughter went on a mission: to lay him to rest amid the sand and the waves.
It’s like sustainable tourism 2.0—with a focus on leaving destinations better than we found them.
‘Prey,’ ‘Fall,’ and ‘Beast’ are all in theaters or streaming now—we break down which ones are worth your time
We’ve collected tales about curious mountain lions, amorous warthogs, hardworking beavers, and more from our adventures in the wild
Western Rewilding Network calls for replacing livestock grazing on public lands with protected habitat for two of the most controversial wild species
Jordan Peele's latest film explores how Hollywood has tokenized non-white people and commodified landscapes and wildlife, nowhere more than in westerns. Can the genre reclaim those marginalized stories and all their complexity?
Those iconic bulbous boulders, lucid skies, and namesake trees are mere backdrops to a Californian desert playground filled with jaw-dropping vistas, dynamic hiking trails, and that famous grippy rock. Here’s everything you need to know to explore it.
A bloody conflict between the Himalayan ‘ghost cats’ and Nepali shepherds is only partially to blame—and raises questions about their future
The A-list actor is the voice of the new National Geographic documentary ’America the Beautiful,’ and we loved every minute
Thanks to a lot of hard work, skill, luck, and love, these amazing animals emerged safely from the flames and disruption
This portable, packable device will repel mosquitoes no matter where you take it
Rattlesnakes bite 150,000 pets each year in the U.S. These innovative rattlesnake training courses could save you and your canine companion.
The beloved annual gathering is in person again in Telluride, Colorado, and screening some of the most exciting adventure films of the year
This Central American destination is the adventure traveler’s dream, from its jungle-covered peaks to a coastline where 450 islands stretch across the world’s second-largest barrier reef. It’s beautiful, accessible, culturally diverse, and home to historically significant Maya sites.
Freezing to death. Heatstroke. The excruciatingly painful sting of a box jellyfish, which can kill a person in under a minute. After writing the classic 1997 story “Frozen Alive,” Peter Stark became an expert on what it feels like to die in the wild. We asked him why people are so interested in reading about it—and about his own close calls.
When travel resumed in early 2021, Americans in droves headed south of the border, with most opting for popular tourist meccas. But why follow the masses when you can explore wild corners of the country few others visit? We rounded up 18 ways to do just that—and to support local economies while you’re at it.
The Twitter famous saurologist and cofounder of Black AF in STEM is helping to build a more inclusive scientific community—and spotting some very sneaky lizards along the way