“When Joro spiders first arrived stateside over a decade ago, scientists worried the massive black and yellow spiders would gorge themselves on the same bugs as native spiders (or even the native spiders themselves).

If the invasive arachnids did make massive meals out of Georgia’s insects, the local orb weaver population — already facing dangers from insecticide and pesticide use — could suffer.

But a new study from the University of Georgia may ease some of those concerns…

The researchers analyzed the stomach contents of more than 200 Joro spiders from 33 sites across Georgia and South Carolina. They compared DNA fragments found in the digestive tracts of these spiders to more than 140 native orb weavers from across the two states.

While Joros do eat some of the same insects as orb weavers, the species’ diets differed significantly, the study found. In fact, the Joros preyed on 26 unique species that the native spiders didn’t touch, including a variety of bugs such as leafhoppers and aphids.

Native spider species had the same diet regardless of whether Joros were present in the area, the study found. This finding suggests that Joros aren’t necessarily making it more difficult for orb weavers to find their favorite snacks.”

From University of Georgia.

“The global population of the greater one-horned rhinoceros has reached a record 4,075, with Assam accounting for nearly 80% of the species’ population and Kaziranga National Park alone sheltering more than 2,600 rhinos, state forest minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said.

According to him, the global population of one-horned rhinoceroses was fewer than 100 in the early 1900s but has now crossed the 4,000 mark for the first time, and Assam’s contribution to this is particularly significant.”

From Hindustan Times.

“Ruhana—or just 'Ru' for short—is one of eight orangutan babies born in a collection of US zoos since the beginning of 2025. For these critically endangered primates, that’s a staggering figure. It’s also not random: The baby boom is the result of a meticulous breeding plan and decades of research to weave a conservation safety net, one birth at a time…

While these new orangutan babies will not be released into the wild, they are a critical part of species conservation. Zookeepers call them ambassadors; when visitors can see the apes, abstract ideas like climate change and deforestation become more real.

But the captive population also has a direct impact on the well-being of wild and rehabilitated populations: Research conducted at AZA zoos on everything from disease management to quality of life is then relayed back to teams in Southeast Asia. Felicity Oram is a conservation practitioner and co-director of OrangJUGA, a Borneo-based conservation organization. Her research on orangutan’s teeth has been critical in the care of young orangutans rescued from the pet trade who live in rehabilitation and rescue centers.”

From Wired.

“In August 2024, excavation crews breached the last of four dams on the Klamath River in far northern California, marking the first time in over a century that salmon could swim above the dam sites.

Now, new research published on Thursday shows that in the two years since dam removal, over 20,000 chinook salmon have migrated up the Klamath River, many past the former dam sites and into traditional spawning grounds…

Following dam removal, water quality improved as high-temperature, algae-bloom-prone reservoirs returned to natural flows. Chinook salmon repopulated close to 90 percent of their previous range and imperiled coho salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey all returned within the first year.”

From Inside Climate News.