1 . After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170 wolves.

Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.

The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations — major food sources (来源) for the wolf — grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation (植被), which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park’s red foxes, and completely drove away the park’s beavers.

As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park. They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.

The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolvers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Elk, deer, and coyote populations are down, while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.

3 . A new study has found that all dogs have different personalities—even dogs of the same breed(品种).

Elinor Karlsson studies genetics at the University of Massachusetts. She co-wrote a report about the study, which appeared recently in the publication Science.

Karlsson said, “Every dog really is an individual,” noting that there is “a huge amount of difference” even between dogs that look the same.

At a New York dog park, dog owners talked about the different characteristics of their pets. Elizabeth Kelly owns an English springer spaniel. She called her dog friendly, but also “kind of the queen bee.” In other words, her dog likes to act like it is in charge of other dogs. Suly described her yellow Labrador as “calm, lazy and shy.”

The idea of dog breeds is quite recent. Around 160 years ago, humans began to breed dogs to have certain physical qualities, such as fur, color and ear shape.

Karlsson said her aim was to learn how much a dog’s breed affects their behavior. The answer? Breed does not decide an individual dog’s personality.

Karlsson’s team gathered information from 18,000 dog owners and studied the genetic code of over 2,000 dogs. The researchers found that some qualities are based on genetics. However, it is not sure that two dogs of the same breed will behave in the same way.

For example, huskies and beagles, may be more likely to howl—or make a long, loud barking sound. But many of these dogs do not howl, as owner observations showed.

Horses are picky eaters

Horses have an even better sense of smell than humans do. When horses raise their noses and open their nostrils (鼻孔), their nervous system allows them to sense smells we can’t sense. This might explain why they refuse dirty water and carefully move around meadows, eating only the tastiest grasses, experts say.

Whale says thanks

In 2018, a whale expert spotted a humpback whale trapped in a fishing net and spent an hour freeing it. Afterward, in an hour-long display of thanks, the whale swam near their boat and leaped into the air about 40 times.

Pandas like to be naughty

Is there anything more lovely than a baby panda, except maybe a human baby? In fact, baby pandas sometimes behave like human babies. They sleep in the same positions and value their thumbs. Pandas are shy by nature for its shy behaviors such as covering its face with a paw or ducking its head when confronted by a stranger.

A cat honors its owner

Paper towels, and a plastic cup are just a few of the gifts that Toldo, a devoted three-year-old gray-and-white cat, has placed on his former owner Iozzelli Renzo’s grave every day since the man died in September 2018. Renzo adopted Toldo from a shelter when the cat was three months old, and the two formed an inseparable bond. After Renzo passed away, Toldo followed the coffin to the cemetery, and now “stands guard” the grave for hours at a time.

5 . Everybody hates rats. But in the earthquake capitals of the world—Japan, Los Angeles, Turkey—rats will soon be man’s new best friends.

What happens after an earthquake? We send in rescue dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. Dogs save lives. They help rescuers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.

How does it work? First, the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal(信号). This is sent to a small radio on its back, and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When the rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. The rat has smelled that person. Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. Christian Linster at Cornell University—New York says, “Robots’ noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that.” Rats can also see in the dark. They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs, and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity!

The “rat project” is not finished, but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says, “It would be fantastic. A rat could get into spaces we couldn’t get to and a rat would get out if it wasn’t safe.” Perhaps for the first time in history，people will be happy to see a rat in a building (but only after an earthquake, of course).

6 . Elephants might be the most well-known and well-loved animal in African wildlife. But conservation (保护) of the African elephant still faces special difficulties. While the elephant population is half of what it was 40 years ago, some areas of Africa have more elephants than populated areas can support. That’s why AWF scientists are studying elephant behavior, protecting habitats and finding ways for humans to live peacefully with elephants in Africa.

Years ago, overhunting and the ivory trade were the biggest threats to elephants’ survival. Luckily, ivory bans (禁令), hunting rules and protected areas protect elephants from these dangers today.

The 21st century brings a different challenge to elephant conservation—land-use. Elephants walk across borders and outside parks and other protected areas. So they often destroy crops, causing conflicts (冲突) between local farmers and these big animals.

Successful conservation strategies must allow elephants to walk freely in their natural habitats while reducing conflicts between elephants and local people.

AWF researchers are searching for a way to give both elephants and people the space they need. The AWF is collecting information on elephant habitats and behavior. The information they gather will help to develop the widest possible space for elephants.

The AWF is helping elephants by protecting their habitats. And they also work with local farmers to improve their life in order to encourage them to protect rather than destroy elephants.

New Yorkers were shocked in early December when a creature as big as a school bus     1     (surface) from the Hudson River. Over the next three days,    2     humpback whale (座头鲸) swam by several popular tourist destinations, where a journalist took    3    (photo) of the animal seemingly waving its tail at Lady Liberty.

Scientists say NYC0089, which hasn't been spotted in several weeks, has likely returned to deeper waters south of the Hudson. Still, the     4    (frequent) of whale sightings in the broader area has gone up rapidly in recent years.

“With these numbers increasing     5     (sharp), it's not surprising that you're seeing them in some unusual places,” says Brown — a biologist. Including the Hudson River and Staten Island.

Scientists say the     6    (rise) whale sightings are likely related to purer water and a brimming buffet of Atlantic menhaden, a fish favored by humpbacks, resulting     7     landmark environmental regulations     8    (pass) in the 1970s as well as New York city cleanup efforts.

“Seeing more whales in this area is a sign    9     the waters are cleaner and there's more food here for these whales,” Brown says. “It shows     10     we've been doing is working, so we need to keep doing that — and more — to protect these species.”

8 . In Northwestern Italy, rice farms are employing bats. Bats are the foremost known predators of insects that are active at night, including several pests that can be found in rice fields. "The idea is that what is needed to achieve sustainable food production is what we already have, but has been ignored for a decade," says Laura Garzoli, 2017 winner of BCFN Young Earth Solutions.

“It has been predicted that, globally, 50 percent of pest species have become pests because chemicals killed their natural predators. There is no sustainability in the long term if there are no conservation efforts,” says Garzoli.

Since 2017, Garzoli, along with colleagues from the National Research Council has fixed 60 artificial bat roosts in three rice fields in Northwestern Italy. Now, they are collecting bats’ waste to analyze their diets at these sites and to gain insight into the insects living in these areas.

“In Italy, there are 34 bat species, each feeding on a variety of insects —each bat species has its preferred insect snack,”—says Garzoli. Bats can eat up to one-third of their body weight each night, which means they can consume thousands of insects per night. They are also flying hunters — they can prey on new non-native pest species.

Garzoli is committed to developing an awareness of the importance of bats in the ecosystem. "Their usefulness has been acknowledged in several countries — not only do they contribute to protecting crops, but they are important pollinators. Bats still get bad press in the news, in particular concerning the spreading of virus diseases, says Garzoli to Food Tank. She explains, "Many bat species are nowadays facing the risk of extinction.”

Garzoli is also drafting a best practice guide for farmers outlining habitat management techniques for sustainable production.