After some recent fox squirrel sightings in Currituck and other areas of the state, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is turning to the public to help confirm the species has moved into those areas.

The fox squirrel is the largest tree squirrel in North Carolina, nearly twice the size of the more common gray squirrel, the commission said in a news release.

“It lives primarily in mature longleaf pine and open pine-oak forests in the sandhills and southern coastal plain,” the release said, but has been verified in western parts of the state where there are open hardwood forests surrounded by pastureland. According to the North Carolina State Parks website, the fox squirrel’s range has primarily been west of the Albemarle Sound.

Fox squirrels look different, too. Though they have a variety of colors including gray, black and rust, those spotted in the coastal plain are usually gray with patches of black on the head and feet and white patches on the nose, paws and ear tips, the commission said. Some are nearly all black with dark gray patches and those in the northwestern part of the state are often tawny with some white patches.

If you see a fox squirrel, state wildlife biologists ask that you take a photo, note the location (GPS coordinates preferred) and contact NC Wildlife Helpline, via email at HWI@ncwildlife.org.

The commission is especially interested in sightings from Currituck, Lincoln, Granville and Madison counties.

The Coastal Humane Society invites all four-legged friends and their humans to attend its 5th Annual Soggy Dog Pool Party at the Outer Banks Family YMCA on Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For just $10 per dog (cash or check at the gate), your furry friends can enjoy a day of splashing fun while supporting the Coastal Humane Society’s Emergency Assistance Fund. To keep owners and their pets safe, proof of vaccination is required to attend.

The Outer Banks Family YMCA is at 3000 S. Croatan Highway in Nags Head.

Rhett Beutler, co-owner of Beutler and Son Rodeo Co. near Elk City, told KFOR-TV that the horses died shortly after being fed.

“We didn’t know what was going on, we just got the feed and started feeding it like always,” Beutler said. “Then all of a sudden looked up and there was horses just falling over, dying.”

Beutler and Son officials did not immediately return messages seeking comment Friday.

“All them horses are kind of like my kids; I’ve raised them from time they were born,” Beutler told KOKH-TV, “Once you lose one, that’s one too many.”

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry said in a statement that it was notified Aug. 23 of the horses’ deaths related to a bulk order of feed and has opened an investigation.

“An inspector visited the Beutler and Son site on behalf of the department on Monday, August 26, and learned that the feed originated in Kansas,” according to the statement. “The ODAFF inspector collected a feed sample which is being analyzed in two state-certified laboratories.”

The department said it is working with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to investigate the company that provided the feed.

“We have initiated an investigation which includes labeling procedures, operating procedures and a review of their records to ensure the appropriate protocols were followed” in producing and shipping the feed to Oklahoma, said Kansas agriculture spokesperson Jamie Stewart.

The company that provided the feed has not been identified because of the ongoing investigation, Stewart said.

Dr. Gregg VeneKlasen, of the Timber Creek Veterinary Hospital, the Beutlers’ veterinarian, declined to comment on the deaths other than to call it a “tragedy.”

Beutler and Son was founded in 1929 as Beutler Brothers near Elk City, about 105 miles (169 kilometers) west of Oklahoma City, and provides stock for rodeos, including the National Finals Rodeo.

The company is providing the majority of stock for the Elk City Rodeo starting Friday night, according to Elk City Rodeo board member Randy Hargis, who said the events include bareback horse riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding and steer wrestling.

The Macon and Joan Brock EdVenture and Exploration Campus will feature two classrooms, two outdoor amphitheaters and animal trails. Greg Bockheim, the Norfolk zoo’s executive director, said the center will serve as a base camp for professional educators and volunteers. It will offer virtual reality safari adventures and underwater programming. Animal trails will allow smaller zoo residents like red pandas to walk right above guests through a tunnel.

“It should be a one of a kind in this region,” Bockheim said Wednesday.

In addition to the facilities, Bockheim said the zoo will make investments in connectivity and Wi-Fi at the zoo. He said this would allow classrooms and students at home to view the animals, such as through a livestream.

“I remember coming here as a child with my mother and father on Sundays and bringing a picnic (to) Lafayette Park,” Joan Brock, namesake of the new development, said. “It was 53 acres, right here in the middle of Norfolk, and it’s been a beautiful area and been a special place all these years. I just want to thank all the people that made (the announcement) happen.

“It’s been a pleasure for me to be involved in this situation. The zoo — it’s a gem. It’s a real asset to our community, and it’s something that we all need to take care of and be respectful of.”

The Perry Family Rhino Valley, will use about five acres of undeveloped space on zoo property to build a habitat for one-horned rhinos. A boardwalk will connect the habitat to Asia: Trail of the Tiger, where three treehouse classrooms will be built to give guests a better view.

The greater one-horned rhino, or “Indian rhino,” is the largest of the Asian rhino species. Once widespread across the entire northern part of India and Nepal, rhino populations plummeted as they were hunted for sport or killed as agricultural pests. Now, there are about 4,000 left.

In addition to the rhino exhibit, the zoo’s turtle oasis will have a second phase of development. The oasis, which officially added its turtles in May, will be extended within the Edventure and Exploration Campus. Greenhouses and pollinator gardens will be upgraded, as well, and the zoo will improve greenhouse growing centers and install the only public facing compost learning center in Hampton Roads. According to the zoo, 100 pounds of food waste thrown away at the zoo will become 20-30 pounds of compost that will be used on the grounds.

Mayor Kenny Alexander said the project’s energy and environmental efficiency is what he looks forward to most.

“Norfolk is 90% developed,” he said. “So what you see in Norfolk is not only conservation, but it’s preservation as well as new development. There’s a lot of mixed-use in being creative and innovative as we rethink, as we retool and provide the latest iteration of our city. We’re doing it in a smart way, using data — using evidence — to drive our change, (and) to drive our transformation.

“It’s important that we take in consideration all of those factors so that we are sustainable.”

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

The North Carolina Aquariums is joining the ever-growing movement of migration to “Wildlife Friendly Lighting,” which often shine an amber hue.

In Nags Head, Jennette’s Pier has transformed its nighttime outline with brand new shielded fixtures with amber lighting, which ultimately creates less light pollution, according to pier director Mike Remige.

“This specific color temperature is far less disruptive to insects, bats, birds, and most importantly along the oceanfront, sea turtles,” he said. “It also reduces eye strain for people, better preserving our night vision.”

The idea of transforming lighting at North Carolina’s three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier has been developing for years, according to Dr. Carol Price, conservation research coordinator.

The North Carolina Aquariums’ Conservation Action Plan first prioritized the use of Wildlife Friendly Lighting at aquarium facilities back in 2021, Price said.

In January 2023, sea turtle conservation groups from near and far assembled for the North Carolina Sea Turtle Symposium at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington where light pollution was a “huge topic,” Price said.

Conservation leaders met again in March for the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle conference in Orange Beach, Alabama, where the topic was again discussed. The pair of meetings were an “inspirational call for action,” Price said.

Scientists have been collecting data on how light pollution impacts nesting turtles and their clutch of babies or hatchlings.

“We know nesting mothers may not nest where there’s light pollution,” Price said added.

Another problem light pollution creates has to do with hatchlings making their dash to the sea. When sea turtle nests erupt or “boil” with the tiny babies, the reptiles are hard-wired to use natural environmental cues, such as following the brightest horizon like the reflection of the moon and stars on the water and the downward slope of the beach, to find their way to the ocean.

Light pollution confuses this innate navigation system, resulting in hatchlings becoming disoriented and unable to reach the ocean before they fall prey to predators or succumb to dehydration, according to aquarist Michele Lamping of the N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

She has spent the last 20 years working with sea turtles, which include three endangered species: Kemp’s ridley, Atlantic hawksbill and leatherback, as well as two threatened species loggerhead and green sea turtles.

She has a passion for protecting them all and is currently involved in several important projects including the operation of the N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores’ sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation operations.

She also is the volunteer coordinator for the Atlantic Beach Sea Turtle Patrols, which protects sea turtle nests.

Lamping has attended numerous lighting workshops and conferences. She said there’s a movement to curtail and negate harmful artificial lighting across all of North Carolina.

“We’re also trying to address negative impacts to wildlife from all lighting including residential, municipal and pier lighting along our beaches,” Lamping said. “Northwest Florida has already gone through lighting retrofits. Now Southwest Florida is going through it, too.”

Price and Lamping worked directly with Kristi Spohn of SESCO Lighting’s Florida Branch who crafted the plan for Jennette’s Pier’s refit. There is a growing need in North Carolina for industry leaders specializing in Wildlife Friendly Lighting, they said.

Price and Lamping said it took many steps and many years to get the project to this point. They each hope it will inspire other piers and properties to do the same.

Remige reports that a significant amount of unrestricted support funds from the N.C. Aquarium Society paid for the 200 new fixtures. These include low-mounted pathway lights, wall sconces, overhead recessed can lights, bollards, and lampposts.

“Fortunately, the changeover came right when many of the old bollards and lampposts were starting to fail,” Remige said.

A certified electrical contractor plans to wrap up installation of Phase 1 soon, Remige noted. The 29 tall parking lot lights will be changed in Phase 2 of the project as more funds become available.

Remige said that the town of Nags Head has already deployed Wildlife Friendly Lighting at several crosswalks and beach accesses.

“We’re all trying to make a difference for wildlife,” Remige added.

A handful of additional Carolina coastal towns and ocean piers such as Oak Island Pier also use Wildlife Friendly Lighting.

Daryl Law is an Outer Banks writer and communications manager at Jennette’s Pier.

Nursey, as the shark was known, was notorious for hiding during his 16-year stay in the Manteo aquarium’s “Graveyard of the Atlantic” habitat, staff said.

“Because nurse sharks are nocturnal, he could often be found in the replica shipwreck,” aquarium officials wrote in an Aug. 19 Facebook post.

“Guests and staff enjoyed his lazy swims along the sand and seeing him peek out from the wreck. He will be missed.”

A cause of death isn’t yet known. Nursey was 22 years old, “nearing the natural lifespan of nurse sharks,” officials said.

“Members of the animal care and veterinary teams performed a medical exam last week. The exam was successful, but Nursey’s recovery from the exam did not go as expected,” the aquarium said.

“Eventually, he became unresponsive and passed away. The animal care and veterinary teams did all they could to help him recover and are heartbroken by the outcome. … We do not yet know the cause of his decline.”

A necropsy was performed and samples were taken for testing, officials said.

Nursey was 7 feet, 7 inches long and the only nurse shark on display at the facility. Nurse sharks can reach 9 feet and are known to be slow, sluggish and prone to spending “much of their time resting on the ocean’s bottom,” according to the National Aquarium.

“They show a strong preference for certain resting sites, repeatedly returning to the same spot after hunting for food,” the National Aquarium says.

Nursey came to the aquarium in 2008 from the Virginia Aquarium, officials said. He was fed three times a week, and the menu consisted of capelin, squid, mahi, sardines and mackerel.

Social media commenters on the shark’s obituary noted he had a devoted following, despite being tough to see.

“Nursey was a very loved shark,” Emma Arnette Denney wrote.

“I only saw him a handful of times, but every time I got a glimpse of Nursey was a treat. Most times I did not see him, but a few visits ago I did get to see a glimpse of him stirring within the shipwreck, like some kind of deep-sea leviathan,” Cheyne Runnells posted.

“What a beautiful ambassador. I’m certain sharks have a Rainbow Reef that’s the most perfect swim ever,” Claudia Hurd said.

Eerie photos show sharks appearing to sleep atop shipwrecks off North Carolina

Historic WWII shipwrecks off North Carolina attracting invasive lionfish, NOAA finds

Shark tagged in 2012 off South Carolina caught again — same date, same area, NOAA says

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Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Kristina Scott, public relations manager for the Virginia Aquarium, said the team was notified of the two dolphins Friday afternoon: one in Sandbridge and the other in Chic’s Beach. Both animals were deceased when they were reported.

Response team members collected the dolphins and took them back to the Darden Marine Animal Conservation Center for testing.

Currently, it is unclear what may have killed the dolphins, but Scott said the team will perform postmortem exams and assessments to determine cause of death.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com

When Adam A. Pack, a marine mammal researcher at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, was photographing whales in Alaska’s Frederick Sound in July, he instantly recognized the flukes of an old friend.

Emphasis on old. The tail — mostly black, with a wash of white speckles near the edge — belongs to a whale named Old Timer. First spotted in 1972, Old Timer is now a male of at least 53 years, making him “the oldest known humpback whale in the world,” said Pack, who is also the co-founder and president of The Dolphin Institute.

Humpback whale populations, once severely depleted by commercial whaling, have rebounded in recent decades. But the animals are threatened by ship strikes, entanglements in fishing gear and climate change. And Pack had worried about Old Timer. The last time he had seen the whale, in 2015, was in the middle of a record-breaking, yearslong heat wave. Scores of seabirds and marine mammals, including humpback whales, died.

But after nine years, he saw with his own eyes that Old Timer had survived.

“It was heartwarming, because I realized it wasn’t just the old whales who were perishing,” Pack said. “Some of them were resilient.”

Historically, tracking the whereabouts of the whales has been done the hard way: by scientists using their own eyes to compare new fluke photos with old ones. But future studies of Old Timer and other humpbacks of all ages are set to be accelerated with artificial intelligence. And Pack hopes it will help him learn how, and why, some whales can withstand tough conditions.

Multiple humpback populations dwell in the North Pacific. Old Timer is part of a population that spends winters breeding in the waters around Hawaii and summers in southeastern Alaska, filling up on fish and tiny shrimplike animals known as krill. These humpbacks have been the subject of an ongoing scientific study, which began in 1976, when a marine mammal researcher, Louis Herman, began photographing the whales and their distinctive flukes.

Herman conducted annual surveys, amassing an enormous collection of tail pictures that allowed scientists to keep tabs on individual whales over the course of their lifetimes. These fluke photos, which now number more than 30,000, have provided new insight into the lives of whales, from their migration patterns to their social behaviors.

“It’s one of the longest ongoing scientific studies of humpback whales in the world,” said Pack, one of Herman’s former students and colleagues and now leader of the whale project.

The study is now entering the age of machine learning, with the help of an online platform called Happywhale, which collects whale fluke photos from scientists and members of the public from around the world. The Happywhale database currently contains roughly 1.1 million images of more than 100,000 individual humpbacks, said Ted Cheeseman, a co-founder of Happywhale and a doctoral candidate at Southern Cross University in Australia.

Artificial intelligence-powered photo matching algorithms help automatically identify the whales in submitted photos, aiding scientists in the field or others who need to look up previous sightings of a given animal.

“Happywhale has revolutionized our field and has made large-scale collaborations possible,” Pack said.

Earlier this year, Cheeseman, Pack and dozens of other researchers used Happywhale’s image recognition tool to estimate humpback whale abundance in the North Pacific from 2002 through 2021. Initially, the population boomed, climbing to about 33,500 whales in 2012.

But then it dropped sharply. This population decline coincided with the severe marine heat wave, when Pack last spotted Old Timer. It lasted from 2014 to 2016 and slashed the supply of fish and krill. “There’s a lot more we want to learn about the event, but it is quite clear: warmer waters mean food is less available overall, and what is available is more dispersed and deeper,” Cheeseman said in an email.

The Hawaii humpback population was especially hard hit, falling by 34% from 2013 to 2021. Although there had been some sightings of Old Timer reported after 2015, Pack was excited to finally set eyes on the whale himself. That excitement soon gave way to curiosity: Why had Old Timer survived, when so many others had perished?

Now, Pack is hoping to dive deeper himself, with the help of Happywhale. He plans to investigate how humpbacks survived the lean years and whether there are any discernible patterns. Could Old Timer’s age have been an advantage?

“It is possible that Old Timer’s been around enough to be adaptable when certain food resources are limited,” Pack said.

The idea remains speculative, and it is not yet clear whether Old Timer was the exception or the rule. “How many whales like Old Timer were resilient to this devastation of marine resources?” he said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Jane Hughey got a photo of a female hummingbird visiting her feeder in the Saratoga section of Norfolk. “She visits about every 15-20 minutes,” Hughey wrote. The female lacks the ruby red throat that is characteristic of the male.

Joan Mikulas photographed a beautiful indigo bunting at her feeder in Smithfield. “I caught it two times,” Mikulas wrote. Indigo buntings can be spotted during the summer months singing from their perch on telephone lines or wooded edges.

Evan Rhodes photographed a female tiger swallowtail sipping nectar from horsemint flowers in a field in the Blackwater section of Virginia Beach. The female tiger swallowtail has two forms: one that is yellow with black stripes like the male and another that is all black. An iridescent blue can be seen on the upper side of the hindwings of both female forms.

Allen Waters noticed a spot between the front/back side windows of his SUV in the Haygood section of Virginia Beach that turned out to be a tiny common tan wave moth resting on it. “I’m finding one has to really look at things on a small scale,” Waters wrote. “There are all types of creatures to observe you’d otherwise miss.” The adult tan wave moth is only about 1/4-inch long and slender.

Allen Lawver sent a photo of a box turtle that laid eggs in his front yard lily patch in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach. “We’ve got the spot identified with flags so as not to disturb the eggs, hoping to see little box turtles once they hatch,” Lawver wrote.

Dan Short had a great day adventuring through Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina. He came across an alligator that was out enjoying the sunshine. “With its mouth wide open it appears to have been taking a moment to cool down a little bit,” Short wrote.

Evan Rhodes got a photo of a red swamp crayfish standing on guard with its claws extended near the swamp in the Blackwater section of Virginia Beach. Red swamp crayfish are large, dark red crayfish with long, narrow claws. They are native to the south-central United States and northern Mexico and have established populations throughout the United States.

Jean Broughton sent a cute photo of a mother deer and her fawn on alert at the edge of a wooded area in the Morgans Walke neighborhood in Virginia Beach. The fawn was still sporting its white spots, which last for three to four months after they are born, until they wean from their mother.

June McDaniels was looking for migrating birds at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach and spotted a coyote that came out of the Fort Story dunes and proceeded to take a nap on the beach.

Vickie Shufer, wildfood@cox.net

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If you go

What: Dolphin watching in Virginia Beach

Where: Rudee Inlet Fishing Center

When: Through October

Cost: $27 for adults (12 and older); $22 for kids (4-11); $5 for infants (3 and younger)

Information: For information on all events, times, and locations visit rudeetours.com or call 757-425-3400.

It’s still a mystery, after a state Department of Public Safety trooper recently helped rescue an escaped sulcata tortoise that was attempting to cross Interstate 10 near Picacho.

A motorist contacted authorities on July 30 to report a tortoise trying to cross the busy highway that’s halfway between Casa Grande and Tucson in Pinal County.

The motorist and DPS Sgt. Steven Sekrecki managed to get the tortoise off the roadway unharmed.

Troopers saw the name “Stitch” labeled across the tortoise’s shell and contacted an ostrich ranch that was 3 miles away.

According to the Arizona Republic, the ranch confirmed Stitch was one of their resident tortoises and had recently escaped from his habitat.

The newspaper said Stitch was then safely returned to the ranch.