Animals

Man who killed eagles on a Native American reservation gets nearly 4 years in prison
A Washington state man who authorities say led a wildlife trafficking ring on a Native American reservation in Montana that killed thousands of eagles and hawks was sentenced to nearly four years in prison. 
Should elephants have the same rights as people? A Colorado court may decide
Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou and Jambo have lived in Colorado Springs for decades in the elephant exhibit at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Now an animals rights group is trying to get them released from what they say is essentially the equivalent of a prison for such highly intelligent and social animals known to roam for miles a day in the wild.
Midwest chicken farmers struggle to feed flocks after sudden closure of processor
Dozens of farmers in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin are scrambling to feed their flocks after a struggling organic broiler chicken producer abruptly closed a year after getting a $39 million federal loan. Pure Prairie Poultry shuttered its Charles City, Iowa, processing plant after filing for bankruptcy in September.
Giant pandas will arrive at D.C.'s National Zoo this week
After an 11-month wait, giant pandas will populate the zoo once again. A pair of pandas, which left China on FedEx's "Panda Express" cargo jet, are expected to arrive in the D.C. area on Tuesday.
Birders argue over plan to change dozens of bird names
On Thursday, a major birding society will discuss how to go about changing potentially offensive bird names. There's resistance to the original plan to rename all birds named after people.
Minnehaha Off-Leash Dog Park will soon be fenced off
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board passed a resolution Tuesday to formalize the park's boundaries, cutting off access to areas that are not part of the park.
Fat Bear Week delayed after a large bear kills a rival bear
The scene was relayed by a live webcam of bears on Alaska's Brooks River. “This is very difficult to watch and comprehend,” said Naomi Boak of the nonprofit Katmai Conservancy.