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Space and Astronomy
- Mars: Just the Beginning? – Lesson
- Mars: Just the Beginning? – Quiz
- Six Billion ‘Earth-like’ Planets in the Milky Way Galaxy? – Lesson
- Six Billion ‘Earth-like’ Planets in the Milky Way Galaxy? – Quiz
- Did NASA Scientists Find Another Universe? – Lesson
- Did NASA Scientists Find Another Universe? – Quiz
- A New Planet Was Discovered – And Old Theories Must Change – Lesson
- A New Planet Was Discovered – And Old Theories Must Change – Quiz
- SpaceX Completes First Civilian Trip to Space – Lesson
- SpaceX Completes First Civilian Trip to Space – Quiz
- First Movie Filmed in Space Successful – Lesson
- First Movie Filmed in Space Successful – Quiz
- James Webb Telescope Heads to Deep Space – Lesson
- James Webb Telescope Heads to Deep Space – Quiz
- A Lot Is Happening on and Around the Moon – Lesson
- A Lot Is Happening on and Around the Moon – Quiz
- First-Ever Picture Taken of the Milky Way’s Black Hole – Lesson
- First-Ever Picture Taken of the Milky Way’s Black Hole – Quiz
- First James Webb Telescope Images Revealed – Lesson
- First James Webb Telescope Images Revealed – Quiz
- Buzz Aldrin Sells Jacket from the Moon Landing – Lesson
- Buzz Aldrin Sells Jacket from the Moon Landing – Quiz
- Humans at Home on the Moon – Could It Really Happen in This Decade? – Lesson
- Humans at Home on the Moon – Could It Really Happen in This Decade? – Quiz
- Winter on Mars – Lesson
- Winter on Mars – Quiz
- Pictures of Mars Show Hidden Figures – Lesson
- Pictures of Mars Show Hidden Figures – Quiz
- Jupiter and Venus Appear to ‘Kiss’ – Lesson
- Jupiter and Venus Appear to ‘Kiss’ – Quiz
- The James Webb Telescope Finds Six Ancient Galaxies – Lesson
- The James Webb Telescope Finds Six Ancient Galaxies – Quiz
- Would an EpiPen Work in Space? – Lesson
- Would an EpiPen Work in Space? – Quiz
- Satellite Spots Earth’s Second Moon? – Lesson
- Satellite Spots Earth’s Second Moon? – Quiz
- Space Mining – The Race is On and China is Leading – Lesson
- Space Mining – The Race is On and China is Leading – Quiz
- How Did Gold and Platinum Arrive on Earth – Lesson
- How Did Gold and Platinum Arrive on Earth – Quiz
- Odysseus Has Found Its New Home – Lesson
- Odysseus Has Found Its New Home – Quiz
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The Environment
- Red Tide: No Fun in the Florida Sun – Lesson
- Red Tide: No Fun in the Florida Sun – Quiz
- Leaded Gas Eradicated from the World, Says United Nations – Lesson
- Leaded Gas Eradicated from the World, Says United Nations – Quiz
- COVID Plastic Waste: A Big Problem for Oceans – Lesson
- COVID Plastic Waste: A Big Problem for Oceans – Quiz
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Archaeology and Paleontology
- Ancient Human Species Discovered – Lesson
- Ancient Human Species Discovered – Quiz
- Biblical City of Sodom Found in the Jordan Valley? – Lesson
- Biblical City of Sodom Found in the Jordan Valley? – Quiz
- Antarctic Explorer’s Ship Found After a Century – Lesson
- Antarctic Explorer’s Ship Found After a Century – Quiz
- Newly Found Diary Shows How Ancient Egyptians Built the Pyramids – Lesson
- Newly Found Diary Shows How Ancient Egyptians Built the Pyramids – Quiz
- Study Shows ‘Apocalyptic Dust’ Might Have Killed the Dinosaurs – Lesson
- Study Shows ‘Apocalyptic Dust’ Might Have Killed the Dinosaurs – Quiz
- Ancient Celestial Calendar Found in a 2,000-Year-Old Tomb – Lesson
- Ancient Celestial Calendar Found in a 2,000-Year-Old Tomb – Quiz
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Technology
- 3 Reasons to Protect Your Online Privacy – Lesson – VIDEO
- The Rise of Deepfakes – Lesson
- The Rise of Deepfakes – Quiz
- A New Mayflower Voyage, Captained by AI Technology – Lesson
- A New Mayflower Voyage, Captained by AI Technology – Quiz
- The Latest Supercomputer Is Breaking Speed Barriers – Lesson
- The Latest Supercomputer Is Breaking Speed Barriers – Quiz
- LNGenZ Survey: What is the Greatest American Invention? – Lesson
- LNGenZ Survey: What is the Greatest American Invention? – Quiz
- School and ChatGPT – Is it Cheating? – Lesson
- School and ChatGPT – Is it Cheating? – Quiz
- Artificial Intelligence Gets an Upgrade? – Lesson
- Artificial Intelligence Gets an Upgrade? – Quiz
- Scientists Plan to Bring the Dodo Bird Back from Extinction – Lesson
- Scientists Plan to Bring the Dodo Bird Back from Extinction – Quiz
- Is There Too Much Technology in Education? – Lesson
- Is There Too Much Technology in Education? – Quiz
- AI Coming to a Keyboard Near You – Lesson
- AI Coming to a Keyboard Near You – Quiz
- Is the NSA Browsing Your Browser History? – Lesson
- Is the NSA Browsing Your Browser History? – Quiz
- AI Can’t Compete With People Skills – Lesson
- AI Can’t Compete With People Skills – Quiz
- How Social Media Is Hazardous to Generation Z – and Beyond – Lesson
- How Social Media Is Hazardous to Generation Z – and Beyond – Quiz
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Mind and Body
- Teen Scientist’s Invention Mixes Music with Mental Health – Lesson
- Teen Scientist’s Invention Mixes Music with Mental Health – Quiz
- Man Receives First Pig Heart Transplant – Lesson
- Man Receives First Pig Heart Transplant – Quiz
- Sniffing Out the Truth About Smells – Lesson
- Sniffing Out the Truth About Smells – Quiz
- The Power of Playtime – Lesson
- The Power of Playtime – Quiz
- Is Language Getting More Emotional? – Lesson
- Is Language Getting More Emotional? – Quiz
- Scientists Say Household Chores Help Kids’ Brains – Lesson
- Scientists Say Household Chores Help Kids’ Brains – Quiz
- Transplant of Pig Kidney Into a Human Successful So Far – Lesson
- Transplant of Pig Kidney Into a Human Successful So Far – Quiz
- The Lack of a College Degree Is Shortening Lifespans – Lesson
- The Lack of a College Degree Is Shortening Lifespans – Quiz
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Flora and Fauna
- Dogs Can Tell When Humans Make a Mistake, Says Study – Lesson
- Dogs Can Tell When Humans Make a Mistake, Says Study – Quiz
- Jonathan: The World’s Oldest Living Tortoise – Lesson
- Jonathan: The World’s Oldest Living Tortoise – Quiz
- The Monarch Butterfly Makes a Surprise Return – Lesson
- The Monarch Butterfly Makes a Surprise Return – Quiz
- Bat Falcon Spotted in the United States for the First Time – Lesson
- Bat Falcon Spotted in United States for the First Time – Quiz
- Charles Darwin’s Notebooks Mysteriously Returned after 20 Years – Lesson
- Charles Darwin’s Notebooks Mysteriously Returned after 20 Years – Quiz
- Six Endangered Red Wolf Pups Born in Wildlife Refuge – Lesson
- Six Endangered Red Wolf Pups Born in Wildlife Refuge – Quiz
- Scientists Record Never-Before-Heard Whale Call – Lesson
- Scientists Record Never-Before Heard Whale Call – Quiz
- Underwater Meadow Gets Credit as the World’s Largest Living Plant – Lesson
- Underwater Meadow Gets Credit as the World’s Largest Living Plant – Quiz
- Scientists Trying to Bring the Tasmanian Tiger Back from Extinction – Lesson
- Scientists Trying to Bring the Tasmanian Tiger Back from Extinction – Quiz
- Jurassic Era Insect Found at Arizona Walmart – Lesson
- Jurassic Era Insect Found at Arizona Walmart – Quiz
- The Comeback of the Nearly Extinct Earless Lizard – Lesson
- The Comeback of the Nearly Extinct Earless Lizard – Quiz
- A Strange Golden Orb Found on the Ocean Floor Is Alive! – Lesson
- A Strange Golden Orb Found on the Ocean Floor Is Alive! – Quiz
- Peanut: The Pet Chicken With a World Record – Lesson
- Peanut: The Pet Chicken With a World Record – Quiz
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Mathematics
- Metric vs. Imperial: A Weighty Debate in Britain – Lesson
- Metric vs. Imperial: A Weighty Debate in Britain – Quiz
- The Abacus is Helping Kids Master Math Skills – Lesson
- The Abacus is Helping Kids Master Math Skills – Quiz
- Retired Engineer Discovers ‘Einstein’ Shape – Lesson
- Retired Engineer Discovers ‘Einstein’ Shape – Quiz
Six Endangered Red Wolf Pups Born in Wildlife Refuge – Lesson
The red wolf (Canis rufus) is an endangered species, making the birth of six healthy pups very exciting news! The litter of pups was discovered in North Carolina’s Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. It included four females and two males. There had not been a birth of wild red wolves since 2018, so this is a big step in rebuilding the population of these beautiful animals.
Red Wolf History
Red in color and weighing between 45 and 80 pounds, the red wolf is one of the most at-risk canids (a mammal of the dog family). The species is native to the southeastern United States, but its numbers dropped to low levels, and it was officially classed as endangered in 1973. The population was damaged by years of hunting, and habitat destruction as cities and towns took over more land.
To begin restoring the population, 17 wild red wolves were captured and placed in captivity with hopes of increasing their numbers. The plan worked, at least temporarily, as enough wolves were born to release some into the wildlife refuge. However, after reaching about 130 wolves in 2006, problems with the program, illegal hunting, and mistaken identity (hunters thought they were coyotes) caused the red wolf population to drop again.
A court forced the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to release some of its captive red wolves into the North Carolina refuge. But, despite the efforts, there were only eight known wild red wolves in October of 2021.
The Six Pups that Revived Hopes of Survival
The Red Wolf Recovery Program announced the arrival of the six adorable pups with the message, “This new litter is the first wild-born litter of red wolves since 2018 … Every generation yields a new born hope for the red wolf … a cause for joy and celebration!”With no births of the canid on record since 2018, the future of the species seemed very bleak. However, thanks to the USFWS and other groups, the new birth of wild red wolf pups gives hope that the endangered species can still survive.
The near-extinct wolf breed still faces an uphill battle. Today there are 15 to 17 wild red wolves and about 240 held in captivity. The USFWS is already working to protect and track the newborns. Hopefully, the hard work will pay off, and the red wolf can make a comeback from the edge of extinction.