Illegal Wildlife Trade Captured

An internet sting called "Operation Cyberwild" was connected to a dozen people in California and Nevada. They were suspected of selling endangered and protected species. Agents disguised as buyers on Craigslist, eBay, and other online stores. People found animal skin rugs, an elephant foot, a polar bear pelt, and numerous live animals. The California Fish and Game, the US Fish and Wildlife, and the Humane Society of the US helped stop this. Three people face California State Charges, and nine people face Federal Charges. They could face six months in prison, and fines up to $100,000.

List of Sold Items

a pair of Loggerhead sea turtle leather boots.

 leopard skin coat.

a rug made out of an endangered tiger.

a live Western Scrub-Jay.

an Asian arowana.

two live Red-whiskered Bulbul birds.

a Hawksbill sea turtle shell.

three birds, including a Eurasian kestrel and a Black-shouldered Kite, for $150

an elephant's foot, a mounted hawk and a mounted owl.

a bear skin rug.

a live piranha.

Old Mice Made "Young"

If you've read Mrs.Frisby and the Rats of NIMH well, this is the exactly like how the rats of NIMH could live so long. Scientists have injected  muscle-derived stem cells into the mice, which allows them to live three times longer. Scientists think this could also work on humans. To test it, they put a disease (progeria) which makes its life shorter. That disease works like some human diseases. After that, they put the stem cells in. Amazingly it worked. This could be used on humans to allow us to live longer. 

Hybrid Silkworm Spin Spider Silk

Spider silk is stronger than you think. If you have enough of it, you can make a super-strong material, but still be lightweight. As we get more technologically advanced, we get closer to making spider silk. But until then, scientists have found a way to make spider silk from silkworms. They have grown genetically modified silkworms that produce stronger silk, or in other words, spider silk. What they did was extract the spider silk gene from spiders and put it in the silkworm. The silk was still 96-98% silkworm though. But the silk is stronger and more durable. this is good enough until we can be able to produce it ourselves.

New Crab Species Discovered

A new species of Yeti Crabs were found near hot, mineral-rich hydrothermal vents in an ocean off the coast of Antarctica. Researchers had a submersible, camera-equipped robot, which allowed them to film barnacles, anemones, octopus, and crabs. The camera had found big groups of Yeti Crabs. Male Yeti Crabs live nearest to vents to feed on swarms of bacteria. The females are farther, because they have to protect their embryos. If you know what a Yeti is, it's not that hard to tell what the crab looks like.  

Banana Sam Found

On Thursday, a monkey was stolen from San Francisco Zoo. The thieves had cut two holes into the monkey exhibit and took the monkey. There is a $5000 reward for the person who finds and brings back the monkey to San Francisco Zoo.

Banana Sam after he was rescued

At Stern Grove Park, minutes before 9 p.m. on Saturday, a resident found Banana Sam, a male Squirrel Monkey ( see Monkey Stolen From Zoo for more information), walking by a tree. The resident coaxed the Squirrel Monkey into their own backpack. The person returned Banana Sam to San Francisco Zo, and later zoo officials verified its identity. Banana Sam looked hungry, thirsty, and frightened. It's not certain that the rescuer got the reward. Zookeepers returned Banana Sam to the other 17 Squirrel Monkeys. This is an act of vandalism and trespassing. The police are trying to find the burglar. No one has been arrested yet.  On Friday, the news about how Banana Sam got stolen spread very quickly. Someone had also set up a fake Twitter account tracking the whereabouts of Banana Sam. The zookeepers and workers at San Francisco Zoo are very happy about the return of their beloved Squirrel Monkey, Banana Sam, the oldest in all of the Squirrel Monkeys at the zoo.