The Columbian

Pets & Wildlife

A sage grouse is seen near Fallon, Nev. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says a new federal plan to protect the threatened sage grouse will better align with conservation efforts in 11 Western states where the bird lives.

Feds to give states more flexibility in protecting wild bird

August 7, 2017, 1:58pm Northwest

The Interior Department on Monday unveiled a plan to protect the threatened sage grouse that gives Western states greater flexibility to allow mining, logging and other economic development where it now is prohibited. Read story

Colville expand tribal wolf hunting in northeast Washington

August 7, 2017, 9:17am Northwest

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation has approved wolf hunting for tribal members on land off its reservation in northeast Washington. Read story

Chase stokes, then 10, holding a giant carp, weighing 33.25 pounds, April 17 in Ferrisburgh, Vt. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department made the record official a few weeks ago, stating that the fish was a quarter-pound bigger than the previous record holder.

Vermont boy reels in a record-setting carp

August 6, 2017, 2:44pm Nation & World

A 10-year-old who reeled in a giant carp says he knew it was a record contender before he ever got it ashore. Read story

Kittens in peril all over South Sound but firefighters come to rescue

August 6, 2017, 2:41pm Northwest

A structure fire partially damaged a Thurston County home Saturday afternoon and gave two kittens smoke inhalation. Read story

A Karner blue butterfly is seen after it was released at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission in Albany, N.Y. Wildlife officials announced July 20 that the butterfly on the federal endangered species list is doing well in the sandy pine barrens west of Albany. The butterfly is also making a comeback through recovery efforts in Ohio and New Hampshire.

Endangered Karner blue butterfly making recovery goals

August 4, 2017, 6:03am Life

The Karner blue butterfly has exceeded recovery goals in the rare New York habitat where it was discovered by Russian author Vladimir Nabokov in the 1940s, officials announced last week. Read story

Pete the parrot tries out a new prosthetic leg with Dr. La’Toya Latney at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital.

Vet makes a 3-D leg for Pete the parrot

August 4, 2017, 5:11am Life

It was Pete’s screams that first alerted Benjamin Spalding to a crisis in the backyard. A fox had grabbed the 34-year-old Mealy Amazon parrot as he was climbing up the side of his aviary and tore off his left foot. Read story

3 Oregon pet owners cited for leaving animals in hot cars

August 3, 2017, 9:07am Latest News

Three Oregon pet owners were cited for second-degree animal neglect after police investigated reports of dogs and cats that had been left in hot cars. Read story

Gus looked up at his handler, Deputy Erik Dunham, as Sheriff Chuck Atkins, right, conducted the ceremony to swear in Gus at the Clark County Sheriff's Office headquarters on Tuesday afternoon.

Sheriff’s office swears in two new police dogs

August 2, 2017, 6:00am Clark County News

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office welcomed two new dogs to its ranks Tuesday in a swearing-in ceremony at the agency’s headquarters in downtown Vancouver. Read story

East Vancouver: Students at Crestline Elementary School collected box tops and traded them with Box Tops for Education, and donated $500 to the Humane Society of Southwest Washington.

Students collect box tops for Humane Society

August 2, 2017, 5:59am Community

Students at Crestline Elementary School spent the year collecting box tops, and then traded them into the Box Tops for Education program, which was created in 1996 by General Mills. Read story