A New Study Discovers a Mind-Blowing Fact About Leopards

Farms Across the U.K. Accepting Christmas Tree Donations to Feed Animals

An animal park in the United Kingdom is requesting that residents of North Cave, East Yorkshire, donate their Christmas trees. Ings Park Alpacas uses the trees to feed their goats, sheep, and alpacas, who receive essential nutrients and fiber from the food source. Last year, more than 300 Christmas trees were donated to the park, feeding the animals for nearly three months.

Donating Christmas trees to the farm feeds the animals and recycles the trees that would otherwise go unused. The park also allows donors to feed trees to the animals themselves. Another farm in East Yorkshire named Little Haven Farm also accepts donations. Visitors can watch rabbits, goats, and other animals snack on Christmas trees at Little Haven Farm as well as at Willowbank Farm in Piddletrenthide. Find out more about animals at Ings Park Alpacas and ways to donate here.

Group of Ice Climbers Rescue Elk from Cliffside

Climbers and wildlife officials were given a challenging task when a bull elk became entangled in a climbing rope last Friday. Several ice climbers found the elk stuck near an ice climbing area near Lake City, Colorado. Officials immediately came to the elk’s rescue, cutting ropes away from its antlers.

However, the climbers and wildlife experts struggled to determine how to lower the 700-pound bull elk down from the climbing wall. Biologists tranquilized the animal, allowing climbers to lower it with ropes down the cliffside. After two grueling hours, the rescue proved successful. Observing no significant injuries, authorities released the elk back into the wild.

Recent Study Finds Each Leopard Has a Unique Voice

A new study by the University of Exeter found that leopards have a unique roar that identifies them. Researchers listened to and observed leopards using camera traps and a bioacoustics survey, classifying leopard vocalizations with over 90% accuracy. Learning about leopard vocalizations can help scientists understand how cats use their voices to communicate and identify themselves.

The study was the most extensive of its kind, gathering data on 42 individual leopards in Nyerere National Park, Tanzania. Due to habitat loss and other environmental factors, leopards are classified as threatened. Decreased population numbers make their study difficult for researchers seeking a large participant pool.

Nevertheless, researchers found a way to capture nearly 200 leopard encounters on tape. The findings showed that individuals were marked by unique vocal signatures and recorded different vocal frequencies, evidence that leopards have distinctive voices. Read more about the study and its findings.