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Fox Nation to premiere 'Yellowstone to Yosemite' with Kevin Costner

27 January 2025 at 14:22

Hollywood heavyweight Kevin Costner is teaming up with Fox Nation once again for a new limited series titled "Yellowstone to Yosemite," a sequel to his breakout hit, "Yellowstone: One-Fifty."

"Kevin Costner has a unique ability to capture the American experience and captivate an audience through his extraordinary storytelling," Fox Nation President Lauren Petterson said while announcing the partnership.

The "Dances with Wolves" and "Field of Dreams" star will host and produce the 3-part series that traces the footsteps of 26th President Teddy Roosevelt and environmental advocate John Muir's pivotal 1903 Yosemite expedition.

In the process, he brings to life the story of America's indigenous legacy, the outsiders that came along and how Muir became a crusader for America's wildest places.

KEVIN COSTNER STILL ‘CHASING THE COWBOY LIFE’ AS HE TURNS 70

These elements, all essential to preserving the captivating story of the American frontier, led to where America's more structured National Park System is today – 150 National Forests, five National Parks, along with the preservation and protection of 230 million acres of land.

"Once in a while, you come across a story that has that truly special mix of elements; it's stranger than fiction and happens against all odds. It results in something that legitimately changes the world for the good and, most importantly, it all really happened," Costner said, speaking to its allure.

"The story of President Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir's camping trip through Yosemite is one of those truly special ones, and I'm excited to dig into the next chapter of the preservation of the American frontier."

'HORIZON' DIRECTOR KEVIN COSTNER GRATEFUL ‘GOD ALLOWED’ HIM TO MAKE EPIC MOVIE DESPITE MASSIVE PERSONAL RISKS

Episode one of the series will debut Saturday, February 8, kicking off the streaming platform’s year-long "America 250" campaign, which will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

"With the enormous success of our first project together, there is no filmmaker that better embodies the spirit of America 250 than Costner," Petterson said.

New episodes will drop on the platform each week.

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Law student killed by elephant during vacation to Thailand: officials

6 January 2025 at 18:52

A young woman was killed by an Asian elephant at a sanctuary in Thailand on Friday during a bathing session gone wrong, according to officials.

Spanish citizen Blanca Ojanguren, 22, was visiting Koh Yao Elephant Care on Yao Yai Island with her boyfriend at the time of the incident, Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported over the weekend. She studied law at the University of Navarra at the time.

Koh Yao Elephant Care told the Spanish outlet that a 50-year-old elephant pushed Ojanguren with its trunk while she bathed it, causing a fatal blow. Around 18 people were at the sanctuary at the time, including the victim's boyfriend.

The tourist was rushed to a local hospital where she later died, the sanctuary owner said. The business temporarily closed as a result.

'INCREDIBLY SOCIAL': RESEARCHERS MAKE STUNNING FIND ON HOW AFRICAN ELEPHANTS INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER

Experts told Argentine newspaper Clarin that the elephant was likely stressed from interacting with tourists outside its natural habitat, but officials have not released details about what led up to the attack. 

Koh Yao Elephant Care offers tourist packages ranging from $50 to $85 USD, according to its booking website. The company offered two-hour sessions with elephants that included activities ranging from cooking classes to kayak sessions. 

"Visitors often have the opportunity to join guided tours led by knowledgeable staff who educate guests about elephant behavior, biology, and the sanctuary's mission," the website reads. "This experience allows for a close encounter with these magnificent animals while respecting their well-being."

Elephants, which are profoundly gentle and intelligent animals, are known to occasionally kill humans when under physical and psychological distress. In 2022, an Asian elephant ripped its trainer in half with its tusk in Thailand's Phang Nga province.

Officials later discovered that the elephant's handler had it haul wood to a rubber plantation in hot weather, causing the animal to become overwhelmed.

VIOLA THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT WITH HISTORY OF ESCAPES BREAKS FREE AGAIN IN MONTANA, HEADS TOWARD CASINO SLOTS

At the time, Save the Asian Elephants CEO Duncan McNair told Newsweek that elephants are sensitive to abuse and can become stressed by human behavior.

"[It] is yet another stark reminder that Asian elephants are, and always remain, wild animals that can attack and kill when they are abused or overly stressed by humans," McNair said.

At zoos in the United States, visitors and most staff members are usually prohibited from touching elephants. But elephant sanctuaries in Thailand lure tourists with promises of up-close interactions with the animals.

According to the Global Federal of Animal Sanctuaries, the quality of animal sanctuaries, including elephant sanctuaries, varies widely.

"It is a poorly regulated industry, in which facilities that keep animals in deplorable conditions can identify themselves as compared to those of the highest quality," the site reads. "For anyone invested in the welfare of captive animals, there is a need to differentiate the best sanctuaries and rescues to determine where funds would be best invested, where the need for help is greatest, who provides a model to follow and who can be turned to in times of crisis."

Koh Yao Elephant Care did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Fox News Digital reached out to wildlife experts for more information.

Idaho mother discovers infant being attacked by raccoon inside home in 'extremely rare' encounter

28 December 2024 at 17:21

A bewildered mom happened upon her infant son being attacked by a raccoon that had sneaked inside their Idaho home and successfully fended off the unlikely holiday visitor.

The mother called the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) and the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office Dec. 23 after she heard "a loud noise in the home" and discovered the raccoon attacking her baby boy, Idaho Fish and Game shared in a release.

Authorities said the mother managed to grab the furry intruder to save her son.

BIRD FLU CAUSES DEATHS OF CATS AND ZOO ANIMALS AS VIRUS SPREADS IN US

The infant was taken to the Cassia Regional Hospital in Burley for undisclosed injuries before being transferred to a hospital in Salt Lake City.

According to officials, a sheriff’s deputy returned to the home with the baby's father, located the animal and killed it. 

IDFG noted it was unclear how the raccoon got inside the home and that there were no other raccoons inside.

COMPLETE MASTODON JAW FOUND IN NEW YORK HOMEOWNER'S BACKYARD: ‘REMARKABLE DISCOVERY’

The animal's carcass has since been tested for rabies by the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories, and tests were negative, the release said.

"Once notified of the incident, staff from the Magic Valley Region activated their Wildlife Human Attack Response Team," the IDFG wrote. "This specially trained team of department staff has the responsibility to act to protect the safety of the public and incident responders; attempt to identify, locate, and control the animal(s) involved in a human-wildlife incident; and conduct, document and report investigative findings."

The agency noted that raccoon attacks on humans in the state are "extremely rare" and that there has only been one case of raccoon rabies documented in Idaho.

The IDFG instructed Idahoans to "never purposely feed a raccoon," saying they generally avoid humans unless they feel "threatened."

"As with all wildlife that can be found around homes in Idaho, the best course of action to avoid raccoon encounters is to take preventative actions before a problem starts," the department wrote. "Raccoons can live in a variety of habitats, but an area with access to water and food will attract them.

"A homeowner can limit food sources by securing residential garbage, removing any fallen fruit or rotten produce from your yard or garden, feeding pets indoors, keeping pet food securely stored, and removing or securing bird feeders," IDFG added. "Blocking raccoon access to hiding places in sheds and outbuildings and sealing off potential entryways and exits in and around a home will also discourage raccoon use."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the IDFG for comment.

New glowing species of sea slug that inhabits ocean's deep sea 'midnight zone' discovered

13 November 2024 at 14:12

Researchers have discovered a new species of glowing sea slug deep in the ocean’s midnight zone.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) scientists said in a press release on Tuesday that while Bathydevius caudactylus is classified as a sea slug, it was nicknamed the "mystery mollusk" because the creature was unlike any other that’s been encountered before.  

The mystery mollusk’s genus name, Bathydevius, is a play on the deep-sea animal’s "devious" nature that fooled researchers, the researchers said.

Bathydevius is the first nudibranch, or sea slug, known to live in the deep sea. The sea slug’s body is made up of a large gelatinous hood and paddle-like tail. It can glow with bioluminescence. 

A LOOK AT THE WORLD'S LONGEST SNAKE WHICH MEASURES OVER 32 FEET, A RECORD-BREAKING SLITHERING SERPENT

It lives at an extreme depth of 1,000 to 4,000 meters, or 3,300 to 13,100 feet, below the surface in the ocean’s midnight zone, creating a unique challenge for scientists who’ve worked for decades to catalog the mysterious animal.

"We’ve invested more than 20 years in understanding the natural history of this fascinating species of nudibranch," said MBARI Senior Scientist Bruce Robison. "Our discovery is a new piece of the puzzle that can help better understand the largest habitat on Earth."

Researchers found that Bathydevius evolved to find unique ways to survive in its environment.

It uses a cavernous hood to trap crustaceans "like a Venus fly trap plant," like some jellies, anemones and tunicates. The mysterious creature also hides from predators in plain sight, taking advantage of its transparent body. 

FIRST EMPEROR PENGUIN KNOWN TO REACH AUSTRALIA FOUND ALIVE ON TOURIST BEACH

If it feels threatened, however, the sea slug will light up with bioluminescence to deter and distract hungry predators. Researchers once observed the creature illuminate and detach a "a steadily glowing finger-like projection from the tail, likely serving as a decoy to distract a potential predator."

Bathydevius, like other nudibranchs, is a hermaphrodite, having both male and female sex organs. Researchers said that the animal will descend to the seafloor to spawn, using their muscular foot to anchor to the muddy seafloor before releasing their eggs.

MBARI scientists said that it was only thanks to the facility’s advanced underwater technology that they were able to compile the most comprehensive description of any deep-sea creature to date.

"What is exciting to me about the mystery mollusk is that it exemplifies how much we are learning as we spend more time in the deep sea, particularly below 2,000 meters," said MBARI Senior Scientist Steven Haddock. "For there to be a relatively large, unique, and glowing animal that is in a previously unknown family really underscores the importance of using new technology to catalog this vast environment." 

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