M21: The Greatest Wolf Pack Leader Ever Known

By David Churchill Barrow

Along with his mate F42, with whom he shared authority, M21 presided over the Halcyon days of the monitored Yellowstone wolf pack known as the Druids. He died peacefully of natural causes under a tree of his own choosing; undefeated in battle yet never having killed an opponent.

The 3 Final Photos in the Galápagos Series: Cute Seals and More Cool Reptiles

By Michael Sheldon

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3 More Nature Photos: Turtles in Love and Iguanas in a Pile on the Galápagos Islands

By Michael Sheldon

*Submit your photographs of nature and the outdoor life to [email protected] to participate in this weekly feature exploring the natural world.*

3 Shots of the Birds and Stones of the Galápagos Islands

By Michael Sheldon

*Submit your photographs of nature and the outdoor life to [email protected] to participate in this weekly feature exploring the natural world.*

New Nature Nonfiction & Photography: Golden Comet Hospice

By Audie Cockings

Mama swaddled the week-old infant and strapped the fragile runt neatly into her own slight chest. It had been seven years since she’d tethered herself to a baby. But Mama was getting desperate. The topical spray pharmaceuticals, vitamin drops, manual extractions, and even a warm sitz bath couldn’t fix the distended lower abdomen of her young one.

The sheer frail skin covering Tiny’s lower G.I. was increasingly warm and pink. Impacted bowels were finding no more road to roam and the last exit was blocked with a pebbly yellow wall that kept reinforcing itself. Mama spoke with experts on line, all in agreement that an internal abnormality was primary reason for Tiny’s failure to thrive. The bowel trouble, a symptom of a mortal medical defect.

Mama searched online for home remedies as she gently stroked Tiny’s tender disproportioned lower trunk. Tiny had declined enormously after having a brief rally on day four just to tank the following two. It was now day seven and there was nothing more Mama could do.