Ravens Console Each Other After Fights

After ravens see a friend get a beat down, they approach the victim and appear to console it, according to new research.  This is the first evidence for birds consoling one another.

Ravens are one species of corvid, a famously smart group of birds, so they are a natural set of study subjects for researchers probing the uniqueness of mammalian behaviors like empathetic consolation. The consolation of fight victims has only been definitely shown in chimpanzees and bonobos. Recent studies show similar behaviors in dogs and wolves, but how consolation works in those animals hasn’t been tested.

The scientists noticed that birds with whom a victim spent a lot of time were most likely to approach it after a fight.  A victim’s “friends” seemed to notice when it was stressed by the fight.

Original article here.

World's Biggest Beaver Dam Visible From Space

Canadian beavers built the world's longest dam -- so big it can be seen from space.  At 2,790 feet, it is more than a half mile long.

It is twice the size of what was the world's largest, the Hoover dam, which borders Arizona and Nevada in the U.S. and spans 1,244 feet. The furry critters use trees, mud and stone to make a type of moat where they can use their swimming skills to evade any predators.

The dam, located on the southern edge of Wood Buffalo National Park in Northern Alberta, central Canada, was spotted by experts monitoring the size and spread of beaver dams in North America.

It is thought that several beaver families joined forces to create the massive dam, containing thousands of trees, and took many months to complete it.

Original article here.