Yesterday life in New York City ground to a halt as New Yorkers pondered the possibility that the next time they ride the subway, there might very well be an opossum snarling under their seats. The story went viral, but it seems none of the online articles have any new information about the animal's fate, beyond what the Times reported. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne told the Times that animal control agents met the train in a subway yard next to the Grand Concourse in the Bronx... but Richard Gentles, the spokesman for Animal Care & Control, tells us, "AC&C was not involved in the removal of an opossum from a subway train on Friday, nor was one delivered to the shelter." more ›

A Bronx-bound D train was evacuated at West 4th Street early Friday morning after a suspicious passenger was discovered cowering under a seat. It was an opossum! Aw, isn't it adorable? Well, no not really; opossums are actually quite terrifying. So how did it get there? Nobody knows! The Times reports that the marsupial was spotted huddling by a heat vent after the train pulled away from Coney Island, and police cleared the train when it reached the Village. Cops, "armed with heavy-duty gloves and a canvas bag" tried to collar the animal, but after it snarled at the officers, they backed off (we don't blame them!) and arranged for animal control agents to meet the train in the Bronx. more ›

Environmental groups have sued to stop New Jersey's six-day black bear hunt after 589 of the animals were killed last year. An appeals court is scheduled to hand down a ruling tomorrow, as the season begins on Monday. "The back bear policy is full of scientific flaws, self-contradictions and outright fabrications," Doris Lin, director of legal services for New Jersey's Bear Education and Resource Group tells CBS. The bears should probably pay whoever is lobbying for the coyotes in Trenton to reduce their sentence to sprinklers. more ›

Every once in a while, an exotic animal gets blown way off course and winds up in New York, where confused locals point quizzically at the nature before them and wonder what the hell to do with it. Fortunately for the pink flamingo that wound up in Westchester, an actual wildlife expert was on hand to save the day. more ›

Officials have indicted a Brooklyn importer on charges of illegally importing the scary-looking "snakehead" fish, which is a freshwater fish native to China and Korea. It's a delicacy in those cultures, but it's also an invasive species that kills indigenous fish populations in North America. Snakeheads are air-breathers and can travel short distances over land, writhing their body and fins until they reach a suitable aquatic habitat. They have even been known to devour ducks and other mammals. Why, there's one slithering up your leg right now! more ›

If you read about a dead animal discovered in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, see a photo of an injured swan caught on fishing line, or hear commentary on the mass Canada goose slaughters in the area... it's most likely coming from Anne-Katrin Titze. We recently asked Titze some questions about her role as unofficial wildlife rehabilitator there, and below she discusses her training, the geese, and how she believes Tupper Thomas did "serious harm" to the park. more ›

As you can see, Obama's cunning plot to spill oil into the gulf in order to justify strict new environmental regulations is going exactly according to plan. These devastating photos of sea birds and brown pelicans (Louisiana's state bird) coated in oil were taken yesterday by AP photographer Charlie Riedel, and they call to mind something BP CEO Tony Hayward said about two weeks ago: "The environmental impact of this disaster is likely to be very, very modest." Have a great weekend, everybody! We'll be spending the rest of the day drafting our resignation letter from the human race. Meanwhile... more ›

Cute Owl Overload! Five eastern screech owls were released in Central Park on Saturday (hopefully not in a quiet zone!). They won't be the only ones there, some were spotted in the North Woods last year. Turns out wildlife rehabilitor Bobby Horvath is responsible for both releases, and after seeing that the North Woods ones were doing so well, he brought the new troupe in—Yojimbot of The Origin of Species was on hand to document the release. Urban Hawks notes that "Central Park may have its risks, but it lacks Great-Horned Owls which are becoming a major predator of Eastern Screech-Owls." more ›

Human intruders aren't the only worry amongst New Yorkers--now wildlife is encroaching upon residences throughout the city, especially in Brooklyn. Many blogs have been reporting neighborhood sightings, and now the NY Times jumps in with a look at raccoons paying visits to human neighbors. more ›