Ancient Chinese Poems Reveal the 1,400-Year Disappearance of a Smiling River Spirit
Publishing in Current Biology, a team led by Zhigang Mei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed 724 poems dating back as far as the year 618 to reconstruct the historical range of the Yangtze finless porpoise, a freshwater species once revered in Chinese folklore for its intelligence and seeming smile. Their findings are sobering: the porpoise’s habitat has shrunk by at least 65% over the past 1,400 years, with the steepest declines occurring in the last century.
Scientists Just Unlocked the DNA of a “Unicorn” — But Is It Already Extinct?
Is it extinct, or does it still roam somewhere deep in the misty highland forests of Vietnam and Laos? It has been nicknamed the Asian unicorn due to its almost mythical rarity, and it is the most recently discovered large land mammal, becoming known to science as late as in 1992. Even then, it was already endangered. Today, even the most optimistic estimates say fewer than 100 saola individuals (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) remain, but it could also be extinct by now. The last confirmed sighting in the wild was in 2013. Image credit: ©Toon Fey/WWF
This New $6 Million Vet School Facility Is Set to Revolutionize Clinical Training at Penn Vet
The University of Pennsylvania marked a major milestone in veterinary education with the groundbreaking of the Gail P. Riepe Center for Advanced Veterinary Education—known simply as the CAVE.
PBI-Gordon Companies Acquires TriviumVet, Expanding Portfolio of Innovative Treatments in Pet Health
PBI-Gordon Companies, Inc., an organization that inspires innovations for green spaces, pets, and people, announces the strategic acquisition of TriviumVet®, a leading research and development company advancing innovative treatments for chronic conditions in cats and dogs. The move is the largest transaction in the company's 77-year history and includes the addition of an innovative new product, Felycin®-CA1, to the PRN® Pharmacal portfolio of products.
A Silent Exodus—Veterinarians Among Thousands Leaving the USDA
In a quiet but sweeping shift within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 15,000 employees have opted for financial incentive programs designed to reduce the federal workforce. Among them are hundreds of veterinarians—public health guardians whose work is essential to protecting animal welfare, ensuring food safety, and responding to disease outbreaks like avian influenza.
Proposed “Skinny Budget” Federal Budget Cuts Could Hit Veterinary Professionals Hard
A newly released federal budget proposal for the 2026 fiscal year calls for $163 billion in cuts to non-defense discretionary spending. While defense and border security are set to see significant funding increases — 13% and 65% respectively — most other areas face steep reductions, including programs vital to veterinary medicine, research, and animal and public health.