EnvironmentAugust 26, 2015
$1 Million More a Year Could Save Kiwi Birds from Extinction
More than 75 percent of New Zealand’s iconic birds are not currently protected
Stories by John R. Platt
John R. Platt is the editor of The Revelator. An award-winning environmental journalist, his work has appeared in Scientific American, Audubon, Motherboard, and numerous other magazines and publications. His "Extinction Countdown" column has run continuously since 2004 and has covered news and science related to more than 1,000 endangered species. John lives on the outskirts of Portland, Ore., where he finds himself surrounded by animals and cartoonists.
EnvironmentAugust 21, 2015
The Cuckoo Reason Why These Bumblebees May Go Extinct
It’s called co-extinction and it’s coming for some poorly understood species
EnvironmentAugust 20, 2015
Poop Could Help Save Rare Tree Kangaroo from Extinction
Tiny Lumholtz’s tree kangaroos are inexplicably dying in Queensland, Australia
EnvironmentAugust 13, 2015
Are Zoos Failing Amphibians?
Nearly 94 percent of threatened amphibians have been ignored by the world’s top zoos
EnvironmentAugust 7, 2015
Ring-Tailed Lemurs Threatened by Illegal Pet Trade
Residents of Madagascar have stolen 28,000 lemurs from the wild in the past three years
EnvironmentAugust 6, 2015
Devil Tree Threatens the World's Rarest Zebras
An invasive plant—we know it as mesquite—is choking out Ethiopia’s last population of endangered Grevy’s zebras
EnvironmentJuly 31, 2015
Giant Squeaker Frog Gets Ready for Cries of Joy
A new discovery indicates hope for one of Africa’s rarest amphibians
EnvironmentJuly 29, 2015
Another Northern White Rhino Dies--and Then There Were 4
The slow countdown to extinction continues for this victimized species
EnvironmentJuly 28, 2015
Bangladesh Has 75 Percent Fewer Tigers Than Expected
A new census estimates the country has just 106 tigers, but there’s some good news hidden in the low number
EnvironmentJuly 22, 2015
No Motherhood Yet for 100-Year-Old Turtle
Attempts to artificially inseminate the last female Yangtze giant softshell turtle have failed—but researchers have learned enough to try again
EnvironmentJuly 17, 2015
World's Biggest Bumblebee at Risk of Extinction
South America’s “flying mouse” has been nearly wiped out by an imported pathogen
EnvironmentJuly 16, 2015
3 Angel Shark Species Proposed for Protection
Commercial fishing has nearly wiped out many of these interesting shark species
EnvironmentJuly 10, 2015
Endangered Antelope with Fur More Valuable Than Gold on Its Way to Recovery
Poachers nearly wiped this species out for its valuable fur, used to make luxurious shawls called shahtoosh
EvolutionJuly 8, 2015
Wolves and Monkeys: Unusual Hunting Buddies
In Ethiopia, rare wolves and primates have developed a great way to co-exist
EnvironmentJune 25, 2015
Good News for the World's Rarest Lions
The critically endangered Asiatic lions of Gujarat, India, have enjoyed a population boom over the past five years
EnvironmentJune 24, 2015
African Lion Populations Drop 42 Percent in Past 21 Years
Lions have now disappeared from as many as 16 African nations
EnvironmentJune 18, 2015
Sex and the Single Male Bird: Why Uncoupled Individuals Matter
Unmated birds that emulate lovable loser George Costanza play an important evolutionary role
EnvironmentJune 16, 2015
The Sneaky Ways 2 Frogs Are Beating a Killer Fungus
Two Australian tree frog species are still dying from the chytrid fungus, but they have advantages that are helping them to survive in the long run
EnvironmentJune 12, 2015
Isn't It Time We Recognize African Elephants as 2 Separate Species?
Fourteen years after genetic tests showed African bush and savanna elephants to be separate species, most organizations still treat them as one. That, some fear, hurts efforts to conserve them
EnvironmentJune 11, 2015
Alaska's Rare Alexander Archipelago Wolves Nearly Wiped Out in 1 Year
Only about 60 of these now critically-endangered wolves remain on Prince of Wales Island
EnvironmentJune 5, 2015
No Fish, No Fowl: European Fish and Birds in Decline, Despite Some Conservation Successes
Two new reports paint a bleak portrait of the species that live in Europe’s waters and sky
ConservationJune 3, 2015
100-Year-Old Turtle, the Last of Her Kind, Could Soon Be a Mom
An international team of scientists has succeeded in artificially inseminating the last female Yangtze giant softshell turtle. Will babies be far behind?
EnvironmentMay 27, 2015
Mysterious Disease Threatens Australian Turtle with Immediate Extinction
Almost the entire population of Bellinger River snapping turtles has been wiped out since February
EnvironmentMay 25, 2015
Memorializing the Wake Island Rail: An Extinction Caused by War
This tiny bird went extinct as a direct result of World War II