Animals

How Groundhog Day came to the U.S. — and why we still celebrate it 137 years later
Punxsutawney Phil predicts more winter ahead. Groundhogs may not have a great track record when it comes to weather forecasts, but experts say the tradition sheds light on our culture and environment.
Dog helps family escape fire at Duluth home
Fire officials in Duluth say the barking of a yellow Lab named Dudley woke up a 12-year-old girl — who in turn alerted her family and helped everyone to escape to safety after a fire at their home Wednesday night.
A curious Colorado bear strikes a pose for 400 selfies on a wildlife camera
Photoshoots are an unintended — but amusing — use of the cameras. The Open Space and Mountain Parks department in Boulder, Colo., set up nine of them to learn about and protect local wildlife.
What a hoot! Houston, Minn., is a national hot spot for studying owls
Host Cathy Wurzer talked with Karla Bloem, executive director of the International Owl Center in Houston, Minn., where staff members teach visitors how to identify owls during small-group “owl prowls.”
Polar bear kills woman, boy in remote Alaska village
A polar bear entered the village of Wales in the state’s far northwest and chased multiple people before being fatally shot by a local resident, according to the Alaska State Troopers.
Seals warned zoo keepers of 2012 flood, by escaping
During a flood in Duluth five years ago, two harbor seals, Vivian and Feisty, managed to escape their enclosure at the Lake Superior Zoo -- prompting a frantic search for other escaped animals.