To recap 2025, NewsForKids.net is taking a look back at some of the most interesting stories we covered last year.
Today we’re looking at some amazing stories from the world of animals.
Scientists have discovered that a male humpback whale traveled over 8,100 miles (13,000 kilometers) across three oceans. The journey is the longest known trip for a humpback whale. It’s likely that the whale made the trip in search of a mate.
As humans, we can think about what other people are thinking, and understand that their ideas might be different from ours. Scientists call this “theory of mind”. An important question is whether animals can do the same. A recent experiment suggests that bonobo apes may share this ability.
Scientists in Hawaii have discovered a new species of moth, and its caterpillar has an unusual lifestyle. It lives in spiders’ webs, eating insects it finds there. To protect itself from the spiders, the caterpillar covers itself with body parts from dead insects. Scientists call it the “bone collector” caterpillar.
When hikers in California came across a young bear cub crying on a trail last month, they knew they had to help. It was a rough start for the tiny bear, but now he’s safe, healthy, and growing fast. In a year or so, he may be ready to return to the wild.
Scientists have long known that chimpanzees sometimes use leaves or insects as medicine. Now, researchers studying chimpanzees in Uganda have discovered that the animals will sometimes provide “first aid” to each other. This suggests that chimpanzees may be able to think about how to help others, as well as themselves.
Scientists have been studying a group of cockatoos in Sydney, Australia that have a clever trick: they’ve figured out how to drink from water fountains. The birds use one foot to turn the fountain’s handle and then lower their head to the spout, allowing them to drink.
The world’s smallest snake – the Barbados threadsnake – hadn’t been seen in almost 20 years. Scientists were beginning to think that the tiny snake might be extinct. But in March, researchers searching a forest in Barbados found one of the snakes under a rock.
Scientists have reported on an unusual “hybrid” bird spotted in Texas – a cross between a blue jay and a green jay. The discovery is surprising because the two species are quite different. Scientists think the hybrid could be a result of climate change.
Human history is sometimes recorded in unexpected ways. Scientists studying the ancient nests of bearded vultures in Spain have found over 200 human-made items built into the nests. One surprising item was a complete sandal woven from grass and small sticks. The sandal turned out to be 650 years old.
In 2021, the Heiltsuk Nation in Canada set traps to catch invasive European green crabs. The traps kept getting destroyed, and no one knew how. When scientists set up a camera to learn what was going on, they got a surprise: a clever wolf had used a series of complicated steps to get food from the trap.