With politics, technology, and crime dominating the news headlines, it can be easy to miss out on what’s going on in our natural world.
But our wildlife is beautiful, fascinating, inspiring, and full of surprises, so taking the time to connect with and understand it can be a worthy use of our time. Plus, the more we know about creatures great and small, the better equipped we’ll be to support and protect them and their habitats.
So, what notable news has come out of the wildlife world in recent months? From squirrels eating meat to scientists’ race to save starfish, here are eight surprising updates.
1. Scientists are racing to save starfish from a mysterious disease
Otherworldly, intriguing, and beautiful, starfish – also known as sea stars – are invertebrates belonging to the same family as urchins and sponges.
Starfish don’t have blood; instead, pumping seawater through their bodies to get nutrients. They also move slowly but, if need be, can shed an arm to escape a predator – and, at mealtimes (they eat snails, clams, and crabs), their stomachs extend out through their mouths!
Sadly, as evolved as these weird and wonderful creatures are, there’s been a 90% population decline since 2013. This fall is due to a condition called ‘star wasting syndrome’, the spread of which has been exacerbated by climate change.
Luckily, scientists have stepped in and are breeding starfish in an attempt to save them – with over 300 young starfish growing across six partner institutions, including the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The aim is to one day release them back into California waters where starfish populations are near extinction.
2. Orcas have been spotted swimming with dead fish on their heads for the first time since 1987
Orcas were first spotted swimming around with dead salmon on their foreheads off Washington State in the 1980s, after which, the behaviour became common.
The Washington State area is home to three orca pods and, while the trend was started by a female orca in K-Pod, it soon spread to both K-Pod and L-Pod. Before long, salmon hats became prominent across the entire clan.
The craze went on for several months until it eventually faded. However, several decades later – on October 25th, 2024 – photographer Jim Pasola captured an incredible shot of an orca (named J27 Blackberry) with a shiny silver fish on its head. While 32-year-old Blackberry is too young to have witnessed the original salmon hat craze, experts believe he could’ve learned the behaviour from some members of the J-pod who were still alive in 1987.
Though it’s not yet understood why orcas ever began wearing their food, some think it could be a way to impress a potential mate while others say it could be a form of play. But, for now, the mystery remains…
3. Californian squirrels have developed a taste for meat
Pretty much all of us know that squirrels are firm fans of nuts and seeds – especially acorns! So, you can understand why it came as a surprise when a study from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the University of California caught footage of Californian ground squirrels of all ages and genders hunting, eating, and competing over vole prey.
Scientists carried out 74 observations of squirrels and voles in a park between June and July last year, and saw that 42% involved squirrels actively hunting these small rodents. This coincided with a boom in vole numbers, suggesting that the squirrels were opportunistic – and took advantage of this temporary increase in prey.
It’s still unclear how widespread this hunting behaviour is in squirrels. However, researchers believe this flexibility will give opportunistic species an advantage in environments that are rapidly changing due to the presence of humans.
4. Scientists are hopeful that honeybees may one day be used to detect lung cancer
As if honeybees didn’t already do enough for our planet, scientists have found that these wonderful creatures can detect the subtle scents of lung cancer on patients’ breath. During a lab experiment, the brains of honeybees were hooked up to electrodes. Different scents were then passed under their antennae while their brain signals were recorded.
Different odours sparked different recognisable brain activity patterns. And experts hope that one day, doctors will be able to use honeybees in cancer clinics as living sensors for early disease detection. The team of scientists behind the experiment also reported that, with just one bee brain, they could theoretically buzz through more than 100 samples.
5. A lone penguin swam 2,000 miles to Australia
Penguins are known for being wanderers but generally stray within the far limits of their territories. That’s why it came as such a surprise when, on November 1st, 2024, an emperor penguin, alone and malnourished, arrived on an Australian beach, more than 2,000 miles away from its native Antarctica.
The penguin, now nicknamed Gus, swam the human equivalent of 44,000 lengths and is the first of his species to reach the continent. After being found severely underweight, he was brought to safety by local wildlife experts.
It’s still unclear how Gus ended up so far out of his way but some experts suggest he could have been blown off course by a storm and become confused. It’s also not the first time a penguin has roamed further than expected, with an emperor penguin showing up in New Zealand in 2011 and a South American Humboldt penguin travelling to Alaska after reportedly stowing away on a fishing ship.
Although unusual, experts suggest that Gus’ case could be an example of what’s to come: ice shelves continue to melt and food sources continue to diminish. Penguins may need to travel further to find food and shelter.
Gus gained several pounds while in care and has now been released back into the Southern Ocean – which you can see below!
6. Burmese pythons could be even more skilful hunters than was originally thought
Scientists have found that Burmese pythons living in the swamps of Florida’s Everglades National Park have a wider gape than was previously thought. These huge predators have already decimated populations of bobcats, racoons, and foxes but it looks likely that their menu will become more varied.
A snake’s gape refers to its ability to stretch its jaws wide to engulf its prey whole. Pythons are already known for swallowing large animals – such as alligators and deer – and a wider gape means more dinner options.
In a new study of Burmese pythons by the University of Cincinnati, experts found that they might have larger gaps than earlier mathematical models predicted. The snakes in the study measured 15-19ft and the largest one had a gape of 26cm (10.2 inches). That’s 4cm wider than the gape of snakes of a similar size from previous studies.
With Burmese pythons spreading in Florida, scientists say that pythons being able to eat animals even bigger than before could have a substantial impact on prey populations and cause an imbalance in the area’s delicate ecosystem.
Burmese python populations in Florida are, therefore, being monitored closely so that this data can be used to curb the spread. At least 770 snakes weighing over 15 tonnes have been removed from the area so far. According to Discover Wildlife, if each of these pythons consumed just one deer-sized animal, this would equate to 5,800kg of prey.
7. Murder hornets have been eradicated in North America
Murder hornets, native to East and South Asia, are the world’s largest hornets, growing up to two inches long. They earned their dramatic nickname due to their ability to decimate entire honeybee colonies – they can kill thousands of bees in just hours by decapitating them. While their sting is painful and venom-potent, deaths in humans are rare.
Murder hornets were first spotted in 2019 in North America (Washington State and Vancouver Island). Authorities took quick and aggressive action (which relied on plenty of funding and public attention) to stop the spread.
Just over five years later, in December 2024, authorities announced the eradication of murder hornets from the continent. While this doesn’t mean they won’t be introduced again, for now, experts are celebrating this victory.
8. Polar bears were captured relaxing in fireweed in summer
Polar bears are usually pictured with a backdrop of ice and snow. But people are particularly stunned by recent footage captured by cinematographer, Martin Gregus – which shows the bears lounging around in bright purple fireweed.
Gregus’ project was fuelled by a desire to document more about what the bears do in the summer – and that he did. He set up camp in Canada in a remote area two hours north of Churchill, Manitoba, and spent time getting to know the bears.
Martin told Discover Wildlife: “There is just something incredibly humbling about being in their presence. I hope when people see these images they are able to build a much deeper connection with these animals, reinforcing the need to protect them not as a species, but as individuals.”
Final thoughts…
These wildlife stories remind us that while human affairs often dominate our attention, nature continues to surprise, inspire, and sometimes challenge us. From conservation successes to new discoveries, these updates show both the resilience of wildlife and our growing capacity to understand and protect it.
For further reading, check out our article: 16 weird and wonderful animals you can find in the UK.
Were you surprised by any of these updates? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.