It is mysterious and beautiful, literally a creature from a different world. Its body is ebony above and golden below, a serpent with aposematic paint. The edges of the opposing colors undulate down its side until the yellow becomes drips on the black, dorsally flattened tail. The exotic animal is a yellow bellied sea snake, Pelamis platura, which is normally found in warm, tropical waters. But due to a recent climatic vagary, the snake has found its way onto an Oxnard beach, miles up the coast from Los Angeles, hundreds of miles from the edge of its normal range. It is stunning, amazing, but how is the event chronicled? Read more →

By John Shivik Photo credit: USFWS A grizzly bear attack flowed into my news stream today. Lance Crosby worked for a company that ran urgent care clinics in Yellowstone National Park. He went for a hike. He is now dead.... Read more →

Our fascination with predators is obvious, but it’s also conflicting. We both fear and respect them. Simultaneously, we find them beautiful and abhorrent. Wildlife management expert John Shivik has a term for this conundrum. He calls it "the predator paradox." At the root of the paradox is one resounding question: Can humans and mammalian predators coexist? Up until now, the answer has been yes—but at a staggering price. Shivik’s new book—aptly titled 'The Predator Paradox: Ending the War with Wolves, Bears, Cougars, and Coyotes,' available now from Beacon Press—explains that predators have long been paying with their lives for their human neighbors’ peace of mind. Read more →