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A famous cat has died. C.C. the cat, sometimes known as Carbon Copy, was the world’s first cloned pet. Texas A&M University scientists cloned C.C. to investigate whether the process could be used by owners to keep their beloved pets alive. C.C. became a celebrity when a photo of her sitting in a lab beaker circulated around the world. Listen to hear the scientist who cloned C.C. explain the cloning process and learn why he does not recommend cloning your cat.

Peacocks are pestering residents of an historic neighborhood in Miami, Florida. It’s mating season, and the male birds are trying to attract attention by showing their feathers, screeching loudly, tearing into flowers, and attacking cars. Some residents admire the birds’ beauty while others complain about noise and damaged property. Listen to learn what the town is doing to solve the peacock problem and why one man compared the birds to ninjas.

Listen to hear about why iguanas were falling from the sky in southern Florida.

Vocabulary: uncommon, tumble, advice, slumber

A beloved elephant in Kenya has died. Tim was one of the few remaining “tuskers,” elephants with big, fully developed tusks. His dramatic good looks and willingness to pose beautifully for wildlife photographers made Tim an international celebrity. He lived a long life and died of natural causes, a surprising fact since many African elephants are poached, or killed illegally, for their tusks when they are young. Listen to learn why local farmers feared Tim and how wildlife scientists helped them learn to appreciate him.

Where did the new coronavirus start? Scientists believe the highly contagious virus spreading quickly among humans probably originated with bats. Bats’ amazing immune systems allow them to carry viruses without getting sick themselves. Just as with past viral outbreaks like SARS and MERS, scientists believe bats infected other animals with coronavirus, and those animals then passed it to humans. Listen to learn more about the origin of coronavirus and why scientists believe studying bats could unlock secrets about fighting disease.

Listen to this story about a cat who is famous for his ability to escape.

Vocabulary: agenda, contained

Scientists have developed a new, more accurate way to count a dog’s age in human years. Until now, people have generally believed that one year in a dog’s life equals seven years of human life. But when scientists compared chemical marks on dog and human DNA to see where they matched, they found surprising results about the relationship between dog and human ages. Listen to hear a scientist explain how the new technique works and what the research on canine aging means for dogs and their human friends.

Listen to learn about the special beekeeping unit of the New York Police Department.

Vocabulary: deployed, expertise, extract

Listen to hear about a young boy who caught a six-foot fish with a lasso.

Vocabulary: exaggerate

Listen to hear how a group of "fantastic grandmothers" are helping researchers study sea snakes.

Vocabulary: citizen scientist, venomous

A man recently received a shocking phone call: a shelter had found his beloved lost cat, Sasha. Five years had passed since Sasha’s owners had last seen him, and Sasha was over a thousand miles from his home in Portland. No one is quite sure how, but Sasha made his way from Portland, Oregon to Santa Fe, New Mexico safely and survived without his owners for all that time. Listen to learn more about Sasha’s story and find out what happened when he returned home.

Listen and learn how researchers have taught lab rats how to drive cars.

Vocabulary: navigate, maneuver, extraordinary

A Pennsylvania animal shelter put up a horse and a goose for adoption – together. That is because, as best friends, the members of this unlikely duo cannot bear to be apart. Listen to hear a surprising story of friendship between two animals from different species and learn how their bond developed.

UPDATE: Since this story first aired, the pair has been adopted.

Listen to hear what happened when a man signed up his dog to run for Governor of Kansas.

Vocabulary: qualifications, disqualify

Listen and learn about a family of eagles who adopted a baby hawk.

Vocabulary: avid, observe

An electric eel is lighting up a Christmas tree at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. The eel, named Miguel Wattson, emits pulses of electricity that cause the lights to flicker and blink. Visitors are delighted, and the aquarium hopes they gain a new appreciation for the species. Listen to learn how Miguel’s meals affect the brightness of the tree lights and what his Twitter followers are seeing.