“Raccoons living wild in cities in the United States are beginning to show physical changes that resemble early signs of domestication, according to a recent study.

The study found that urban raccoons had developed shorter snouts than rural raccoons, with the research produced by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and published in Frontiers in Zoology. This is an example of a physical trait that appears across domesticated animals that have adapted to living in close proximity to humans over long periods of time, along with other traits such as smaller teeth, curlier tails, smaller brains and floppier ears.”

From The Guardian.

“Seabirds, the IUCN Endangered Palau Ground Dove (Pampusana canifrons), and other native species have significantly increased in number thanks to a successful restoration campaign on Ulong Island, Republic of Palau in the Western Pacific Ocean. 

Island Conservation, the Koror State Government, the Koror State Department of Conservation and Law Enforcement (DCLE), and the Koror State Rangers worked together in 2023-2024 to remove introduced, damaging invasive rats which devoured native bird eggs and young, decimated native plant populations through seed predation, preyed on native crabs, and disrupted food webs—ultimately threatening ecosystem collapse.  

Now, after one full year of rigorous monitoring—including trail cameras, eDNA sampling, and field surveys—the partners confirmed no invasive rodents remain on the island. This success marks a monumental step forward for conservation in Palau, the Micronesia region, and across the Pacific.

With the pressure of invasive species removed, signs of recovery in this unique ecosystem are already emerging. Island Conservation’s monitoring team noticed a higher incidence of Ground Doves, including sightings of chicks at landing sites where they were never previously recorded.”

From Island Conservation.

“The spots gave it away. Just like a human fingerprint, the rosette pattern on each jaguar is unique so researchers knew they had a new animal on their hands after reviewing images captured by a remote camera in southern Arizona.

The University of Arizona Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center says it’s the fifth big cat over the last 15 years to be spotted in the area after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. The animal was captured by the camera as it visited a watering hole in November, its distinctive spots setting it apart from previous sightings…

As an indicator species, Malusa said the continued presence of big cats in the region suggests a healthy landscape.”

From ABC7.

“Kartik Shanker, a leading Indian sea turtle expert and author of From Soup to Superstar, says around 20 years ago, conservationists counted no more than 100,000 turtle nests across the country…

‘But when some measure of protection was put in place,’ he says, ‘these turtles, olive ridley turtles, have rebounded.’ During the past winter’s nesting season, he says conservationists counted ‘about a million nests, which is crazy high.'”

From NPR.