In 2003, scientists discovered wolves refused to cross a simple line of fluttering flags; today it helps protect cattle without killing predators |

In 2003, scientists began closely examining how an old hunting technique called fladry could be transformed into a modern, non-lethal tool for reducing conflicts between wolves and livestock. Originally used in parts of Eastern Europe and Russia to guide wolves toward traps, lines of hanging flags were later tested as a way to keep wolves…

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A rare Woodhouse’s toad has returned to Las Vegas’ Springs Preserve for the first time in nearly 65 years, where cameras caught a lone male calling for a mate

Woodhouse’s toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii) (Representational photo, Instagram/Tom Mathies) A rare Woodhouse’s toad has returned to the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas for the first time in nearly 65 years, giving conservationists fresh hope that wildlife is returning to a restored habitat where the species once lived naturally.The male toad was captured on a trail camera…

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Scientists looked 2,000 metres below the ocean and found microplastics in 92% of deep-sea animals, revealing plastic has reached Earth’s most remote ecosystems and could threaten marine food webs |

Scientists have uncovered plastic pollution in one of Earth’s most isolated environments, challenging the long-held belief that the deep ocean remains largely untouched by human activity. Analysing animals living more than 2,000 metres beneath the sea, researchers discovered that 92% contained microplastics, offering some of the clearest evidence yet that plastic waste has reached even…

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West London streets flooded annually with heavy rains: Local council was about to spend millions to fix the problem, then beavers did it for free

For Londoners living around Greenford Tube station, tiptoeing through floodwater to get to work was a part of their daily routine. The ticket hall found itself inundated after a heavy downpour with neighbourhoods flooded and sandbags routinely deployed to make way.The local council of Ealing, a borough in West London faced the daunting reality every…

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‘Internet of the forest’: Scientists discover birds and monkeys in the Amazon have developed a natural communication network to share danger warnings and protect each other from predators |

The Amazon rainforest is never truly quiet, and its endless chorus of chirps, whistles and calls may carry far more information than humans realise. Scientists studying wildlife in the Peruvian Amazon have uncovered a remarkable network in which birds and primates pick up information from one another’s alarm calls when predators appear. Small canopy birds…

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An asteroid shattered near Jupiter’s gravitational gateway 800 million years ago; scientists say the debris may have bombarded Earth for 150 million years

Asteroid breakup 800 million years ago may have triggered impacts on Earth, the Moon and Mars (AI photo) A massive asteroid that broke apart around 800 million years ago may have sent a huge number of rocky fragments towards Earth, the Moon and Mars, according to a new study led by researchers at the Southwest…

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More than 2,200 years ago, an ancient Greek scholar calculated the Earth’s circumference with a stick and the Sun |

More than 2,200 years before satellites, GPS and space missions revealed the Earth’s true size, an ancient Greek scholar calculated the planet’s circumference using nothing more than a stick, sunlight and basic geometry. Around 240 BCE, Eratosthenes, the chief librarian of the Library of Alexandria, carried out one of history’s most brilliant scientific experiments. By…

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People may not need to touch Florida’s toxic algae blooms to be exposed; scientists found their toxins travelling through the air

Cyanobacteria, a blue-green algae is known to have played an ancient role in establishing Earth’s atmosphere. They love warm temperatures, lots of sunlight and slow-moving water. Florida’s year-round climate provides all of this and more. When rivers, lakes and estuaries are loaded with excess nitrogen and phosphorus, often due to agricultural runoff and improperly treated…

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