Posts by Jennifer Huizen
Doggie detectives: How canines are becoming the new conservation superstars
Some of those irksome traits you tell your pooch off for—like sniffing out table scraps for a late night snack—are actually the basis of amazing conservation projects all over the world. Over the last few decades researchers have been trying to come up with less invasive sampling techniques, but it’s no easy feat to … Continued
From pharaohs to hairballs: How Cairo’s cats have evolved since ancient Egyptian times
Sure, there’s that segment of the population that have never warmed up to cats, but a lot of us out there have a weak spot for all things feline. Be it footage of lions roaming the plains or a YouTube video of a housecat riding a Roomba, face it, we’re more or less all suckers for … Continued
Why colourful bird feathers never fade
Imagine a future where colourants were nearly fade-resistant, on top of being far more sustainable and environmentally friendly. In this scenario a coat of paint could last a lifetime and red sweaters would never dye socks and undies pink. Well thanks to University of Sheffield researchers, an X-ray scattering machine at the ESRF facility in … Continued
11 of nature’s cutest, most adorable baby animals
Some of nature’s finest also happen to be extraordinarily adorable. Here’s a list of some of the most classic, interesting and overlooked cuties, a lot of which don’t stay all too cuddly looking for long.
Exploring the extreme biology of being afraid
Halloween is right around the corner and whilst this spooky holiday brings a welcome chance to tip the fear-o-meter for us humans, not many other species seem to enjoy being afraid like we do—as far as we know. Today’s version of Halloween—the one with costumes and trick-or-treating—is far different than the 2,000-year-old Celtic festival of … Continued
The curious case of the domestic cat
From yards to YouTube feeds, cats are simply everywhere. But despite their firm footing in our everyday lives, it seems we still have a ways to go yet when it comes to appreciating the wilder complexities of our feline friends. Jennifer Huizen embarks on a fascinating journey into their hairball-filled history, examining the curious case of the … Continued
Camels: pack animal of the future
Camels are ultra efficient workhorses, and the secret to their success may be in their blood. While most people think of horses, cattle and oxen as the ultimate pack-animals, camels have been equally useful to humans. The perfect longhaul transport vehicle—able to travel for weeks without water or food thanks to reserves in its hump—camels … Continued
The secret language of plants
The evidence is mounting that as a species we are uniquely horrible listeners. But by being self-absorbed, we may be missing a lot of what’s going on around us including—it seems—plant chatter. Susan Dudley, an evolutionary ecologist from Ontario’s McMaster University has been studying the unique behaviour of flora for nearly three decades, but even … Continued
9 totally terrific facts about sharks
No matter how frightened you may be of the ocean’s ultimate hunter there’s really no escaping how awesome and awe-inspiring these animals are. With more than 465 known species, sharks are the top of their food chain, apex predators just likes us. But they’ve been around a lot, lot, longer—thought to have originated some 300 … Continued
Earthquakes ravage central Italy… and the true disaster may have only begun
It’s not the first time, or the last, that Europe’s famous boot got a major kick from down below compliments Mother Nature. On Tuesday central Italy was rocked by a 5.5-magnitude earthquake, which has since been followed by some 1,000 plus aftershocks, with equal and larger magnitudes, devastating ancient villages in the Apennine Mountains and … Continued
Have you ever seen a blue-green farm? They're not quite what you'd expect
The farms of the future can’t feasibly resemble those of yesteryear in size, shape, or form. In fact, they may not even be on land. It only takes a few minutes chatting with Bren Smith, Executive Director and founder of GreenWave—the 501c3 non-profit organisation behind a revolutionary new 3D ocean farming technique—to realise this man’s … Continued
9 awesome aspects of wild Namibia
Namibia’s Namib Desert is one of the oldest on the planet, arid for at least the last 55 millions years or so. During this time a rather incredible array of life has evolved to cope with the dry conditions. And a great wealth of these adapted animals and plants are endemic, meaning they’re not found … Continued
Exploring the often uphill battle of orphaned owl rescue
Here at Love Nature, we have a special appreciation of the wilder side of life on this planet. That’s why we so wholeheartedly admire organisations and individuals worldwide who dedicate themselves to helping orphaned or injured animals. While many wildlife rehabilitation facilities treat the whole gamut of local critters that surround them, some have pursued … Continued
Close encounters of the grizzly kind (or, how to survive a bear attack)
As bear populations make a comeback, many of the same issues that initially helped cement their decline are rearing their ugly head once more. Namely unfortunate human-bear encounters. Yet despite the gnarly attack stories making headlines, including some stories we’ve covered here at Love Nature, most bears want nothing to do with people. In fact, … Continued
The elk, the wolf, and the hunter—Exploring the turbulent juncture between hunting and conservation
As far as we’re aware, no one’s ever been quoted saying conservation is an easy science. But in the United States balancing the needs of these ecosystem’s two top types of hunter—humans and freshly rehabilitated or reintroduced native predators—is an ethical minefield. Alongside the usual uncertainties that arise when working with living things, are the … Continued
Exploring what happens when you make an animal 'un-endangered' again
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is recommending that Yellowstone National Park’s iconic grizzly bear population be delisted as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. And just last year another classic American bear, the Louisiana black bear— inspiration behind the world famous teddy bear— underwent the same process. There’s been public outcry over … Continued
The macroscopic splendour of snowflake photography
Canadian nature and landscape photographer Don Komarechka has a passion for exposing the hidden aspects of the world around us—and clearly a real knack for it. Komarechka uses a suite of tricks to showcase everything nature, from the progression of a Lunar eclipse to the compound eye of a deer fly, but some of his … Continued
Forecasting nature’s double-headed monsters: The science behind anticipating earthquakes
Everyone knows what the aftermath of an earthquake looks like—the collapsed buildings, ramshackle homes, split roadways, not to mention the accompanying dead and displaced. Then of course there’s the potential second stage of the disaster—the tsunami. And as the nasty effects of human accelerated climate change become more apparent and developing nations ramp up infrastructure … Continued
The puzzling case of what to do with 'T24', India's man-eating tiger
The case of India’s Ranthambore Tiger #24, aka Ustad—transferred from his jungle-bound reserve home to a zoo after killing four humans—has recieved a lot of attention from the media, general public, and activists. But according to those who actually work on the front lines of conservation in the country, this decision is one based on careful … Continued
Meet the family saving Zimbabwe's wildlife
Here at Love Nature we—to state the obvious—really love nature. That’s why instead of just presenting you with the latest and greatest wildlife news, we’re also helping out behind the scenes, supporting amazing groups worldwide that are working to preserve the diverse and spectacular array of life our planet boasts. Wild is Life, a Wildlife … Continued
Animeyed
Flora Borsi is young Hungarian fine art photographer who uses photo manipulation techniques to craft surreal, dramatic bordering on theatrical images, primarily centered on expressing ideas about emotions, dreams, identity and relationships. She’s racked up awards on both sides of the Atlantic, exhibited in the Louvre, and had her work featured in a variety of … Continued
The story behind the tiger that fell out of a truck in Doha and ran away, straight onto social media
A few weeks back an immature tiger became the latest in the series of exotic ‘pets’ to make headlines. According to this video posted on Facebook, the young tiger fell out of the back of a truck onto a jam-packed road in the Qatari metropolis Doha, and spent a few moments desperately seeking cover before … Continued
The story behind the tiger that fell out of a truck in Doha and ran away, straight onto social media
A few weeks back an immature tiger became the latest in the series of exotic ‘pets’ to make headlines. According to this video posted on Facebook, the young tiger fell out of the back of a truck onto a jam-packed road in the Qatari metropolis Doha, and spent a few moments desperately seeking cover before … Continued
And the world's greatest pack hunters are...
If you thought the world’s greatest ‘pack’ hunters are wolves, technically you’re probably right. But there’s quite a few species that cooperatively hunt like wolves whose social units aren’t called packs, rather basks, drafts, pods, prides, casts, clans, colonies, congregations and troops. While the vast majority of meat-eaters hunt alone, there are a small percentage … Continued
Here be spirit bears
As if there weren’t already enough reasons to visit Canada’s breathtaking west coast, did you know that the region boasts the world’s largest intact coastal temperate rainforest, the legendary home of the Spirit Bear. British Columbia’s entire coastline is lined by old-growth rainforest, but in roughly the middle of the province, a special stretch some … Continued
Explore the incredible work of computer conservationists
For those of you cursing autocorrect right now, here’s a comforting fact. Today’s gadgets, apps, programs and the overall accessibility of the Internet are helping conservationists and animal biologists big time, allowing them to ask far more complex questions than traditional tools realistically allow, at a fraction of the price. WWF’s chief scientist and vice … Continued
