What’s Happening to America’s Sows?

🐷 Sows are dying at alarming rates—rising from 5.8% to 10.2% on farms with more than 125 sows. There’s no clear cause yet, but experts point to vitamin deficiency, mycotoxins in the feed, high-density diets, abdominal issues, modern breeding practices, and confinement systems like gestation and farrowing crates used in intensive farming.

Meanwhile, Iowa’s pig population quietly hit a new record: 23.6 million hogs.

1. 😨 Yellowstone National Park is the only place in the U.S. where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. But in recent years, hunters slaughtered some 11,000 bison in the park. That number is only going to grow, as the bison population is reproducing at 17% annually. [E&E News]
2. 🌴 Palm Beach County’s friendly visitor, Storm, the kangaroo, is now at a wildlife facility with six other kangaroos. Storm made national news after he hopped free early last week and went for a casual 4-day jaunt around the Jupiter Farms neighborhood. [Palm Beach Post]
3. 🥩 Gene-edited beef might hit Brazil’s meat market sooner than we thought. U.S. beef is valued at about 50% more than Brazilian beef. This is largely because it’s hard for cows to get beefy in hotter climates. But now, gene editors are giving cold weather cows the heat resistance gene and sending them down south. [WSJ]
4. 🐶 Dating app Bumble is partnering with American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for Adopt a Shelter Dog month. The easiest opening line is always, “omg is that your dog,” anyways. [ASPCA]
5. ✌️ North Korea just gave two Pungsan puppies to South Korea. They’re bred for their loyalty and ferocity, so things are getting better? [NPR]