Joy & Wonder

Article Link: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/belgian-man-and-owls-watch-television/

Discussion posted by: David McNamara

A Belgian man has managed to strike up a friendship with an unlikely new family living outside his window. When Jos Baart initially heard noises coming from the planter outside his 3rd-story apartment window two months ago, he assumed that he was being visited by pesky pigeons. To his surprise, Baart arrived home one day just in time to see an enormous Eurasian eagle owl taking flight from his balcony. Upon investigating his planter a little closer, he was shocked to find three fluffy baby owls staring back at him.

Article Link: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/rare-gibbon-population-triples/

Discussion posted by: David McNamara

A brighter future lies ahead for the critically-endangered Hainan gibbons of Hainan Island thanks to decades of steady conservation work. The small tropical island off the coast of China is the only place this charismatic primate is found, and their numbers have increased from just 10 individuals in 1970 to 30 in 2020. The progress has been slow due to limited quality habitat and a slow rate of birth inherent in the species, but things have improved dramatically from when the conservation project began in 2003, and just 13 wild gibbons were left on the island living in two family groups.

Article Link: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/white-stork-chicks-born-in-the-wild-in-england/

Discussion posted by: David McNamara

The babies brought by these storks weren’t delivered in blankets. The White Stork Project was delighted to announce last week that wild storks in West Sussex have hatched their very own babies—and it is believed to be the first time in England since the 1400s. On a private estate used for stork conservation called the Knepp site, five eggs appeared in a nest high up in an oak tree. After 33 days of incubation, and much tending by the pair of storks, the first chick hatched on May 6.

Article Link: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/dogs-have-saved-45-rhinos-from-poachers/

Discussion posted by: David McNamara

Everybody knows that dogs are man’s best friend—but these trusty canines in South Africa have also proven themselves to be the best friends of endangered wildlife as well. The pack of beagles, bloodhoods, and more, has saved the lives of 45 rhinos threatened by poachers since 2018. Now, in the midst of the coronavirus lockdown, they and their human friends at the Southern African Wildlife College continue to provide their essential services in the country’s national parks. Trained to protect wildlife since birth, these hounds began their important work at the age of 18 months. Their efforts have helped law enforcement in the region of Kruger National Park catch an “unprecedented 145 poachers and confiscate 53 guns,” according to National Geographic.