The Columbian

Pets & Wildlife

A Pacific walrus rests on a beach a few miles outside Port Heiden, Alaska, on April 7. Male walruses traditionally spend summers in the Bering Sea near Bristol Bay about 120 miles north of Port Heiden. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says they may be seeking new foraging grounds.

Walrus surprise in Alaska

May 18, 2018, 6:00am Pets & Wildlife

Residents of a village of 110 on the Alaska Peninsula see the occasional walrus in Bering Sea waters, but when 200 packed a beach just outside the community, it took them by surprise. Read story

Lacy Campbell, manager of the wildlife care center at Audubon Society of Portland, holds a bald eagle that was found injured on state Highway 14 on Tuesday while veterinarian Kristina Raum examines the bird.

Bald eagle found injured on Highway 14 recovering in Portland

May 16, 2018, 12:14pm Clark County News

A bald eagle found injured on state Highway 14 on Tuesday was treated in Portland at a wildlife care center. It has a fractured wing and damage to one of its eyes. Read story

Water buffalos stand on a highway near Leverkusen, western Germany, on Monday. The buffaloes, including two calves, escaped from a field Sunday night and walked onto the A3 highway near Leverkusen. The highway was closed temporarily.

German police bring in crane to get 5 buffalo off autobahn

May 15, 2018, 9:22am Nation & World

Police called in a crane to lift five fugitive water buffalo off a highway in western Germany during an operation that lasted about nine hours. Read story

Kristina Geiger and Daniel Sperling at their wedding reception at Como Zoo with Stefano, a two-toed sloth, who was a big hit with guests.

Two-toed sloth popular wedding guest

May 11, 2018, 6:03am Life

Daniel Sperling was expecting a very special guest at his wedding last September. Just days before the big event, though, the star attendee hit a certain snag. Read story

2 friends launch high-end dog box

May 11, 2018, 6:02am Life

Chris Riley and Matt Powers wanted an upscale experience for their dogs. Read story

Tokitae, the performing orca known as Lolita at Miami’s Seaquarium, is shown with a trainer in 2011.

Lummi Nation wants aquarium to return Puget Sound orca

May 10, 2018, 7:05pm Northwest

At Penn Cove, on the north end of Whidbey Island, gulls and other birds fly overhead, and a muddy beach leads down to the water. Read story

Breeding wolverine signals comeback in Washington’s Cascades

May 10, 2018, 9:55am Northwest

The first breeding female wolverine has been documented south of Interstate 90 in modern times, confirming a comeback in the Cascades. Read story

The owl gets an eye exam before being released to the wild.

Owl soars after truck strike

May 9, 2018, 7:42pm Northwest

A great horned owl can take down prey larger than itself: Skunks, wild turkeys, the occasional cat. Its sharp and powerful talons can crush its chosen dinner. Read story

The Vancouver City Council is no longer considering implementing limits on the number of animals residents can own.

Vancouver backs off animal limits

May 8, 2018, 8:20pm Clark County News

After months of back and forth, the Vancouver City Council is no longer considering implementing limits on the number of animals residents can own. A 5-2 vote Monday evening sealed the ordinance’s fate as the majority of the council voted against moving forward with a public hearing. Read story

Clockwise from top left: The deer tick, which transmits Lyme disease; the American dog tick, which transmits Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia; the Culex pipiens mosquito, which transmits West Nile virus; and the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits Zika and more.

Diseases spread by pests climb

May 7, 2018, 6:09am Health

The warmer weather of spring and summer means the start of tick and mosquito season and the diseases they transmit, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, West Nile and Zika. Read story