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PHOTOGRAPH BY TANYA HOUPPERMANS
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Who says they’re lonely? Sharks may not be as solitary as originally thought. Researchers have discovered the fish congregating and interacting with others of their own species in ways that suggest they have long-lasting friendships. “We now know that sharks are capable of forming social associations with other individuals that last years,” says Nat Geo Explorer Yannis Papastamatiou. But wait, there’s more. Catch up on Nat Geo’s six-week SharkFest here. (Pictured above, lemon sharks, who seek the companionship of other sharks, off Grand Bahama.)
Threatened sturgeon: On one side sit proponents of the biggest energy project in the republic of Georgia since it broke free of the Soviet Union: a hydroelectric plant promising 1,600 jobs and enough energy to provide 15 percent of the nation’s electricity. On the other, local residents whose communities will be flooded by dams and defenders of rare sturgeons and their last spawning grounds on the Rioni River. “It may be the very last push over the edge to extinction,” conservationist Fleur Scheele tells Nat Geo.
Grizzly bear kills camper in western Montana: The bear had wandered into a campsite before the early-morning attack Tuesday. Officials said the victim was part of a group of cyclists on a trip. Law enforcement and wildlife specialists were tracking down the bear, the Guardian reports.
Slow ride: Boaters south of Martha’s Vineyard have to motor slower temporarily to protect rare whales traveling through there this month. The new federal rule is designed to protect North Atlantic right whales, which number only about 360 and could get hit by boats or tangled in fishing lines and nets, the Associated Press reports.
Zoos vaccinating animals: Lions, tigers, bears, and ferrets at the Oakland Zoo are beginning to receive experimental vaccine against the coronavirus, the New York Times reports. Shots for pets, however, aren’t recommended. How do zookeepers approach big cats with needles in hand? The tiger leans against the fence,” says Dr. Alex Herman of the zoo. “The thousand-pound grizzly bear leans against the fence.”
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