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Oysters return to the Firth of Forth

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

An "extinct" animal has been found alive and well in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. Oysters were thought to have died out in the area decades ago but specimens were found at a secret location.

Red alert: scientists identify 17,000 endangered species

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Six years ago, tiny mustard-coloured toads could be found in their thousands living under the spray from an African waterfall. No one even knew they existed until 1996. Yet today the Kihansi spray toad will be declared extinct in the wild, a symbol of the plight facing 17,000 species that are slipping towards obscurity.

How scientists cracked puzzle of the Falklands wolf

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:54:27 GMT

The origin of the mysterious Falkland Islands wolf, which was persecuted to extinction in the late 19th century, may finally have been solved – 175 years after Charles Darwin puzzled over the nature of this curious fox-like creature.

Graphic: The real climate culprits?

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:53 GMT

Graphic: Wildlife crime soars

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:04 GMT

Wildlife crime: Britain's killing fields

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Crimes against wildlife, including badger baiting with dogs, hare coursing, poisoning of protected birds and even trapping them to sell as caged pets have soared to unprecedented heights. New figures from the police show that the number of wildlife crimes more than doubled in the last year, from 2,177 to 5,854.

Britain's killing fields: Wildlife crime doubles

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

What lies beneath the rainforest

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

The tropical rainforest in the eastern lowlands of Ecuador assaults the senses: the sunlight dazzles the eyes, the heat is so fierce that within seconds one's clothes are soaked in sweat. Then there are the sounds: a hypnotic symphony of frogs, crickets and other insects and birds which continues unabated day and night. There are sudden glimpses of the jungle's abundant wildlife: a spectacular flash of a blue morpho butterfly at the river's edge, a flock of green parakeets screeching.

'Beautiful plague' of budgies descends on Outback

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Many people believe the budgerigar's natural habitat is a pet shop. In fact, the bird is a native of the Australian outback, and locals there are saying they have rarely seen flocks of the size that are descending on Queensland this year. Some are calling it a "beautiful plague".

The palm oil scandal: Boots and Waitrose named and shamed

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Most British manufacturers and retailers including Boots, Morrisons and Waitrose have done little to limit the environmental damage done by the production of the world's cheapest vegetable oil, according to research published today.

Michael McCarthy: Butterflies to make the heart beat faster

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Just what is the elation produced by butterflies in some people? Having spent five months writing incessantly about the things, in pursuit of The Independent's quest to see all 58 British butterfly species in a single summer, I did not think I would return to the subject now, with the clocks having gone back and the dark nights lying in wait for you when you leave work. But I got a phone call last week from one of Britain's keenest butterfly enthusiasts, Neil Hulme, chairman of the Sussex branch of the charity Butterfly Conservation, who told me the Queen of Spain fritillary had bred in Britain this year.

Illegal logging responsible for loss of 10 million hectares in Indonesia

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Lush tropical rainforest once covered almost all of Indonesia's 17,000 islands between the Indian and Pacific oceans. And just half a century ago, 80 per cent remained. But since then, rampant logging and burning has destroyed nearly half that cover, and made the country the world's third largest emitter of greenhouses gases after the US and China.

Oil spill off Australian coast poses major threat to marine life

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Sea birds are dying and thousands of marine creatures are at risk from a massive oil spill in the Timor Sea, off north-west Australia, warn the first scientists to survey the isolated site.

M&S makes palm oil pledge to save forests

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Marks & Spencer will commit to paying more for sustainable palm oil across its entire range of products today in an attempt to limit environmental damage in south-east Asia.

Asian visitor's debut sparks twitching tizzy

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:54:17 GMT

A tiny bit of China which turned up on Tyneside put British birdwatchers in a twitching tizzy today. They flocked in their hundreds to South Shields to try to catch a glimpse of an eastern crowned warbler, a bird never seen in Britain before.

Gorilla warfare: The battle to save one of Africa's rarest animals

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

The sound of the first crack stops the patrol dead. Halfway up the 3,407 metres of the Nyiragongo volcano, the rangers fan out in the direction of the chopping noise, leaving the path of shattered lava for the dense forest, assault rifles at the ready.

Kool for kats: How meerkats conquered the world

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

There has never been a better time to be a foot-tall, slender-tailed, pointy-nosed mongoose with an elevated outlook on life. Just ask Tony, a two-year-old boy with wide eyes and blonde hair. He's come to London Zoo with his grandparents, John and Jacqueline, who support the boy as he stands on the railings overlooking an enclosure. He doesn't say much – he's only two – but as an adult male climbs a gnarled branch and uncurls its body into its trademark upright position, Tony straightens his back and brings his arms in front of him, letting his "paws" hang above his waist. Bobbing his head left and then right, he opens his mouth and squeals: "Meeeeeerkaaat!"

24,200 down, 217,800 to go: why the pink banana is a coup for Kew

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

A pink banana marks a milestone today, as Kew Gardens celebrates collecting the seeds of 10 per cent of the world's wild plants.

Kool for kats: The creatures that conquered the world

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

UK looks to tropics for help reducing rain storm flood risk

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Open drainage ditches may have to be installed in Britain's towns and cities to help cope with future rainstorms. Flood engineers warn that the existing drainage network of underground pipes is unlikely to be able to deal with the intensity of downpours expected as climate change takes hold, and additional measures will have to be put in place.

Six-year-old girl discovers Asian moth in UK

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:34:11 GMT

A shrub-eating moth has been discovered in the UK for the first time - thanks to the keen eye of a six-year-old girl.

Michael McCarthy: Going cuckoo over New Nats books

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

They celebrated the New Naturalists yesterday and I missed it. The great series of groundbreaking books on the natural world, published by Collins from 1945 onwards and still going, has long been the object of reverence from wildlife lovers, including yours truly, and in recent years collecting the volumes (now over 130 of them) has become so popular that demand has driven some prices to fantastic levels.

One in 40,000: first veggie spider discovered

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:25:37 GMT

Scientists have discovered the world’s first vegetarian spider, which eats nectar-filled leaf tips rather than other animals. It is the first of about 40,000 species of spider known to survive by eating plant food.

Peak District plateau is National Nature Reserve

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Kinder Scout, the famous plateau in the heart of the Peak District, has been officially declared a National Nature Reserve.

Dying to make us happy: The bloody truth behind the dolphinarium

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Richard (Ric) O'Barry is a marked man. Whenever he travels to Taiji, a tiny former whaling village on the southern coast of Japan, he has to wear a disguise. There are people there who would like to kill him. Or, at the very least, give him a severe beating and run him out of town. Nevertheless, he goes there every year – he has just returned – dodging police tails and shadowy underworld figures as he tries to put an end to the annual slaughter of thousands of dolphins that he inadvertently helped to start.