Topline:
This year, animals made their marks with encounters that ranged from sad to creepy to cute. These were the most popular animal stories on NPR's site in 2023.
Read on ... for the full roundup, which includes the world's oldest dog, a spotless giraffe, puppies on a bus, and a snake on a plane.
This year, animals made their marks with encounters that ranged from sad to creepy to cute.
These were the most popular animal stories on NPR's site in 2023.
In May, a baby bison from Yellowstone National Park was euthanized after a visitor touched it. The calf became separated from its herd as it was crossing the Lamar River. A visitor pushed the calf from the river bank onto the roadway, the National Park Service said.
The park rangers tried several times to reintegrate the calf with the herd, but it was rejected. After some backlash, NPS said "national parks preserve natural processes."
Clifford Walters, a Hawaii resident, was charged with "one count of feeding, touching, teasing, frightening, or intentionally disturbing wildlife," according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Wyoming. Walters paid $1,000 in fines.
The American Ornithological Society is removing human names from about 70 to 80 bird species, to begin with, in the U.S. and Canada, it said in November.
Some of those being renamed include Anna's Hummingbird, Gambel's Quail, Lewis's Woodpecker, Bewick's Wren and Bullock's Oriole.
"We've come to understand that there are certain names that have offensive or derogatory connotations that cause pain to people, and that it is important to change those, to remove those as barriers to their participation in the world of birds," the organization said.
Jake Waleri, 22, was seen on video capturing a 19-foot Burmese python, the longest ever recorded, and as long as a giraffe is tall.
The female snake was seen at the Big Cypress National Preserve in July, and lunged at Waleri before he was able to tape its mouth shut and take it to a conservancy.
Burmese pythons are considered an invasive species in Florida, and have decimated the populations of other animal species, due to them not having any natural predators. As a result, Florida doesn't require a permit to kill the snakes, as long as people do so humanely.
Bobi, a Rafeiro do Alentejo dog, broke the Guinness World Record in February for the oldest living dog, and possibly the oldest dog ever.
Bobi is 30 years old, but was supposed to be buried as a newborn, after a Portuguese couple had too many animals than they knew what to do with. But somehow Bobi survived.
One of the couple's sons, Leonel Costa, is Bobi's owner, and suspects Bobi's brown fur blended into the shed where he was being held, causing his father to overlook Bobi on his day of doom.
A spotless reticulated giraffe was born at Brights Zoo in Tennessee in July.
Reticulated giraffes are a subspecies of giraffes. The zoo asked the public to vote on a name for the calf, and decided on Kipekee, Swahili for "unique."
Kipekee was thought to be the only spotless reticulated giraffe in the world at the time, but one was seen on a reserve in Namibia in September.
There are only about 16,000 reticulated giraffes left in the wild — a drop of more than 50% from 35 years ago, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
In Santa Cruz, Calif., multiple videos show a Southern sea otter hijacking surfboards.
The otter, known as Otter 841, was reported to have had several interactions with humans over the summer. Though many found the interactions cute or funny, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discouraged the behavior and warned people to stay away from the animal.
The otter was born into captivity, but was released in 2020, and had been acting strangely since September 2022. The Monterey Bay Aquarium told NPR in July that if they were to capture her, she'd spend the rest of her life there.
But in October, the USFWS reported Otter 841 had given birth, and that hormone surges could cause aggression in otters. The agency said they had no plans to capture her or her pup.
A bear in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., was nicknamed "Hank the Tank" after authorities said the male bear had been behind "152 reports of conflict behavior."
But turns out, it was three separate adult bears descending onto the town, and the main perpetrator was actually a female bear, whose three cubs tagged along on her missions.
Still, "Hank," or Bear 64F, was responsible for at least 21 break-ins. Normally, she would have been euthanized, but public pushback prevented that from happening.
Instead, she and her three cubs were relocated to sanctuaries.
Patrons of a whale watching tour off the coast of Dana Point, Calif., were lucky enough to spot a gray whale that was giving birth.
After seeing a pool of blood, the tourists feared the whale had encountered a predator. But they soon saw a smaller fluke, or tail, poke out from under the water.
The mother and baby whale, called a calf, nuzzled together as the mom held it up. Newborn whales' flukes do not become rigid for about 24 hours, and therefore have difficulty swimming.
Whales also touch a lot to become familiar with each other, as they cannot smell like land mammals.
A pilot was making a trip across South Africa in April when he felt a cold sensation under his shirt. He looked down to find a Cape cobra, a snake whose bite could kill a person in less than an hour.
Luckily, Rudolf Erasmus and his passengers remained calm, and he made an emergency landing at the closest airport.
The snake did not strike anyone, and was not found after the plane landed.
@mo_mountain_mutts Welcome aboard Mo Mountain Mutts! #puppybus #dogwalker #alaska
♬ original sound - Mo_Mountain_Mutts
The "puppy bus" took the internet by storm. Various TikToks showed dogs outside in snowy Alaska, waiting to be picked up by Mo Mountain Mutts, a dog walking and training service.
Some videos show dogs walking up the bus stairs and plopping into their seats on their own, while one dog lying in the snow began wagging its tail as the bus approached.
"There's so many different dogs and there's so many different breeds and ages that there's plenty of dogs on the bus that you can relate to," said Mo Thompson, the owner of Mo Mountain Mutts. "So people are like, 'Oh, my dog's like Lola,' or 'I'm like Carl.' They identify themselves, like, with the dog."
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit npr.org.
Topline:
California is once again taking steps to limit the influx of dogs from out-of-state puppy mills with a package of laws that take effect in the new year.
What the laws do: AB 519, authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, prohibits both in-person and online pet brokers from selling dogs, cats or rabbits under a year old. In addition to the pet broker ban, the “Stop The Puppy Mill Pipeline” legislative package includes two other bills that aim to protect consumers from deceptive third-party pet sellers. The laws are part of a slate of statewide animal protections that will go into effect today, including a ban on declawing cats.
Why now: Lawmakers introduced these bills to close loopholes that emerged after California’s initial effort to shut down the puppy mill pipeline.
The backstory: In 2019, California led the nation in banning pet stores from selling dogs from commercial breeders, also called puppy mills, which prioritize profits over animals’ welfare. But the law did not cover online marketplaces, and resellers cropped up to take the place of pet stores.
Read on ... for more on what's changing today.
California is once again taking steps to limit the influx of dogs from out-of-state puppy mills with a package of laws that take effect in the new year.
AB 519, authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, prohibits both in-person and online pet brokers from selling dogs, cats or rabbits under a year old.
“The goal is that this will … funnel Californians into the legitimate avenues for either purchasing or rescuing an animal, and it’ll make it harder for bad people to do bad things,” Berman said.
The bill defines a broker as a person or business that sells, processes or transports a pet bred by someone else for profit. It carves out exceptions for shelters, rescues and educational nonprofits teaching kids to care for animals. Service animals and those involved with government agencies, like police dogs, are also exempt.
In addition to the pet broker ban, the “Stop The Puppy Mill Pipeline” legislative package includes two other bills that aim to protect consumers from deceptive third-party pet sellers. The laws are part of a slate of statewide animal protections that will go into effect on Jan. 1, including a ban on declawing cats.
AB 506 by Assemblymember Steve Bennett, D-Ventura, voids any pet contracts that include a nonrefundable deposit or fail to disclose the pet’s medical information and breeder origin. If a contract is voided, the purchaser is entitled to a refund and is not required to return the pet.
SB 312 by state Sen. Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana, requires dog importers to send health certificates to the buyer and the California Department of Food and Agriculture at least 10 days before the dog enters the state. The CDFA must keep these records for five years and make them publicly available.
Lawmakers introduced these bills to close loopholes that emerged after California’s initial effort to shut down the puppy mill pipeline.
In 2019, California led the nation in banning pet stores from selling dogs from commercial breeders, also called puppy mills, which prioritize profits over animals’ welfare. But the law did not cover online marketplaces, and resellers cropped up to take the place of pet stores, as revealed by a 2024 Los Angeles Times investigation.
The report detailed truckloads of designer dogs, many of them abused and neglected, shipped into the state from commercial breeders in the Midwest. Consumers were advertised puppies from small, local breeders on online marketplaces and unwittingly ended up with sick puppies requiring expensive veterinary care. In one case, a puppy died within weeks.
Brittany Benesi, the senior legislative director for the Western division of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said these online marketplaces hide the origin and condition of animals even more than brick-and-mortar pet stores do.
“You can go to these websites and they will tell you the astrological sign of a puppy, but you could not find out who that puppy was bred by,” Benesi said.
She argues that the 2019 bill effectively shut off one valve of the puppy mill pipeline, but the online market took advantage of that absence. The ASPCA, which co-sponsored the legislative package, expects these new laws to shut off the online valve as well.
“I think California is such a large, powerful market that these retailers are going to have a really hard time making up for the loss,” Benesi said. “And it may force their hand to change their business models or their business practices in order to regain the California market.”
Opponents of AB 519 argue the law will have a similar unintended consequence as the 2019 retail ban, which they see as having worsened the underground market for puppies.
“You’re once again removing the ability for Californians to access well-regulated, well-run and folks that have oversight, both in the animal welfare and consumer protection areas,” said Alyssa Miller-Hurley, the vice president for government affairs for the Pet Advocacy Network, a national trade association representing breeders, retailers and distributors. “And it’s just going to exacerbate a problem that, unfortunately, already exists.”
By preventing USDA-licensed pet brokers from selling puppies under a year old, Miller-Hurley said this law will push consumers “into the shadows” and force them to work with unregulated online markets like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and even TikTok.
“How do you enforce something … over some random person selling an animal on TikTok Live?” Miller-Hurley said.
Animal welfare groups have long been critical of the standards for licensed dog dealers. In 2024, USDA investigations at commercial breeding operations found more than 800 direct violations, according to an ASPCA report. Only two dealers lost their licenses and not a single dog was removed from the facility.
“The federal laws around animal welfare are very, very low bars to meet,” Benesi said. “The USDA licensure allows for dogs to be kept in wire cages with only six inches of space on any side of them for their entire lives, breeding out litter after litter after litter.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta supported all three bills, and Benesi said the office has made it clear they are committed to enforcing them. She said groups like the ASPCA, as well as the public, will help monitor and file complaints to the attorney general’s office.
Although they oppose the broker ban, the Pet Advocacy Network supports stronger regulations on the puppy trade, like Umberg’s bill, streamlining pet medical information to a single department.
Previously, California required importers to send certificates of veterinary inspection to individual counties. However, many counties were unaware they were supposed to receive them, and many importers would send them to the CDFA, which deleted the files.
“We’re happy to see California join what most of the states already do, which is allow the state department of agriculture or department health to have oversight of these critical pieces of information,” Miller-Hurley said.
This holiday season, as Californians welcome new furry family members to their homes, Benesi encourages people to consider adopting through a rescue or shelter.
For those working with a breeder, she urges prospective pet owners to see where the puppy was raised, meet its parents in person and vet the breeder as carefully as the breeder should be vetting them.
Topline:
We're taking you behind the scenes of a Rose Parade float showcasing a phoenix, rising from the ashes — and honoring the LA wildfire victims and survivors.
Why it matters: Nearly a year ago, the Eaton Fire tore through whole neighborhoods not far from the parade route, just one week after the 2025 New Year's Day celebration. This year, a float honors those who made it through, and remembers those who were lost. The float is decorated entirely by fire survivors.
Why now: The Rose Parade is a New Year's Day tradition for millions of viewers who tune in on TV to see the creative displays of Southern California's natural bounty roll through the streets of Pasadena. For locals, it has long been a point of pride to be included among the many float crews, marching bands, and equestrian performers that have participated in the event since the first Tournament of Roses in 1890.
Read on ... for more about the symbol-rich float that is taking center stage today.
The 40-foot-long parade float dwarfed volunteer Darlene Leyba as she attached flowers to bald spots of exposed wire mesh. As per Rose Parade rules, every inch of the float must be decorated with only natural, organic materials.
Blue waves sweep up into the tailfeathers of the design's symbolic centerpiece:
"A phoenix, rising," the 76-year-old described, looking up at the representation of the mythical bird born from ashes. "And that's how we all feel, that we're going to rise above this and rebuild and bring back our communities."
Nearly a year ago, the Eaton Fire tore through whole neighborhoods including Leyba's, leaving behind an ashy forest of chimneys not far from the parade route, just one week after the 2025 New Year's Day celebration. The grandstand was still up, covered in windblown debris as Leyba's home burned down.
"I told the kids, pack an overnight bag, we'll be back tomorrow," she remembered. "We never came back, and we never said goodbye to our home."
But she's finding her community again through work on the float, which is decorated entirely by fire survivors.
The Rose Parade is a New Year's Day tradition for millions of viewers who tune in on TV to see the creative displays of Southern California's natural bounty roll through the streets of Pasadena. For locals, it has long been a point of pride to be included among the many float crews, marching bands, and equestrian performers that have participated in the event since the first Tournament of Roses in 1890.
"I'm going, my God, I'm representing Altadena, all these people who have lost their homes and live in the community," marveled Leyba. "So, it's an honor."
"It's really kind of a living memorial of beautiful flowers and organic material, in a very LA experience that the world is watching," said Miguel Santana, CEO of California Community Foundation, a charity organization that funds wildfire recovery and sponsored the float.
Santana said many survivors are having a tough time as the anniversary of the fires approaches.
"People are really starting to feel a real mental breakdown," he said. "Folks are really struggling to navigate an insurance system that is failing them. For many people, the fact that the federal government hasn't provided the relief that it has for other natural disasters around the country, they're struggling."
In addition to reminding the nation of the ongoing need for assistance, Santana hoped the float would be a healing way to bring survivors together and create something beautiful to mark the moment.
"One person shared today that this is the first event that he's attended following the fires," Santana recalled. "He had lost his sister and was reluctant to go to anything, but because the Rose Parade is such a part of his own life being from Altadena, it felt right."
That survivor decorated one of 31 sunflowers; each represents someone who died in the fires. During construction in the float barn, the honor of installing the sunflowers was reserved for surviving friends and family, many of whom shared stories of their loved ones as they worked.
"We're hoping that, even for just one day, when they see that float going down a street that they're all familiar with, that they know that the world does care about them, that they're not alone in their journey of grief," says Santana.
"At first, it was very taxing to be around people," said Myra Berg, a survivor of the Palisades Fire. "But when I look around me and see other people who have lost their homes or who have smoke damage, I want to help."
Berg said she liked being up high in the scaffolds, working on the phoenix.
"I enjoyed the hell out of it!"
Like many of the volunteers, it's not the only construction project she's got going on right now — she hopes to have her Malibu home rebuilt around this time next year — but the speed at which the float has come together is gratifying compared to the slow pace of permitting and rebuilding a house.
"Another reporter asked if working on the float has been therapeutic. And I thought, 'Oh, therapeutic! I'm moving forward at this point," Berg jokes.
"I think it's good for the world to know that there is something that honors the survivors and the victims. People forget that these things happen. It's a nice way to reach out and say, 'Yes, we're ok. Thank you.'"
Copyright 2026 NPR
Topline:
Yama Sushi Marketplace is hosting a free mochitsuki demonstration Saturday, offering the public a chance to witness — and participate in — the traditional Japanese art of pounding fresh mochi for the new year.
Why now: The events coincide with the Japanese New Year period, the most important holiday in Japanese culture. The word mochi comes from the Japanese word motsu, which means "to hold"; the ritual symbolizes holding on to good fortune for the coming year.
Why it matters: While mochi has become a trendy dessert in L.A., these public demonstrations showcase the ceremonial traditions that have anchored Japanese celebrations for over a millennium. By making this sacred practice participatory, Yama hopes to bridge Japanese cultural heritage with L.A.'s diverse communities.
These days, mochi might bring to mind the ice cream selection at Trader Joe's or the cute, shaped donuts at Mochinut, which have made the chewy rice cake an L.A. favorite.
But for more than 1,000 years in Japan, at this time of year, fresh mochi has been celebrated through mochitsuki — a rhythmic New Year's ceremony in which steamed glutinous rice is pounded with wooden mallets into smooth, elastic cakes symbolizing good fortune.
Yama Sushi Marketplace is turning this tradition into a public celebration with a free mochitsuki event Saturday at its Koreatown location. (The marketplace also hosted two previous events, one Dec. 20 at the San Gabriel location and the other last Saturday in West L.A.).
Scott Kohno, CEO of Yama Sushi Marketplace, grew up eating mochi and attending mochitsuki festivals around Los Angeles. He describes the spectacle as "like a dance."
The two-part process requires pounders wielding mallets and turners flipping the rice between strikes, demanding rhythmic precision to avoid injury. Attendees at the Yama events can try their hand at pounding.
The New Year marks the biggest holiday celebration in Japanese culture. In Japan, Oshogatsu is observed Jan. 1, with the main celebrations beginning on New Year's Eve and continuing through the first days of January.
Traditionally, Mochitsuki is celebrated chiefly through community events, but many families also rely on store-bought mochi rather than pounding their own.
The word mochi comes from the Japanese word motsu, which means "to hold," Kohno said. "And so it's very symbolic: holding onto good fortune for the coming year.”
The ceremony holds personal meaning for Kohno, who recalls participating in mochitsuki throughout his childhood. For him, the pairing of mochi and the new year represents a time of reflection — acknowledging his staff and customers while looking ahead.
The demonstration held at Yama will be led by Kodama Taiko, a performance group that has brought mochitsuki to various Southern California communities for several years.
This year, Yama is partnering with Fugetsu-Do, the historic Little Tokyo mochi shop founded in 1903 and now in its third generation of ownership under Brian Kito, whose grandfather, Seiichi Kito, started the business.
Kohno sees the partnership between the two businesses — Yama has operated for more than 40 years — as a continuation of Japanese community resilience in Los Angeles.
The partnership feels personal for Kohno, who grew up eating Fugetsu-Do mochi and now sells its products at Yama.
"These two legendary brands coming together, we think it's a natural fit," he said.
The events pair taiko drumming with rhythmic mochi pounding, offering a celebratory experience most attendees will witness for the first time. For Kohno, these gatherings serve a larger purpose: bringing the community together while passing traditions to future generations.
"I hope that the customers really can understand that Japanese food is beyond just the tasty dishes, that there's a lot of symbolism tied to the culture behind it," he said.
Yama Sushi Marketplace will host a free mochitsuki demonstration Saturday: Yama Seafood Market, 3178 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles (Koreatown), 11 a.m.-noon
For more information, visit yamasushimarketplace.com
Topline:
LAist food and culture writer Gab Chabrán predicts 2026's biggest food and drink trends, from cappuccinos and personal cake slices to diasporic cuisines and walk-in-only restaurants.
Why now: Conversations with chefs, restaurateurs and frequent diners reveal what's bubbling up in L.A.'s food scene as we enter a new year.
Why it matters: These predictions offer insight into how Angelenos will eat, drink and gather in 2026 — from health-conscious choices driven by GLP-1 medications to the rise of all-day cafes that maximize their appeal across different dayparts.
One advantage of being someone who writes about food is getting to talk to people involved in L.A.'s food scene — from chefs to restaurateurs to frequent diners. That gives me insight into what trends are bubbling up and likely will come into full view this year.
Last year, I predicted the Manhattan cocktail and pavlova desserts would make a comeback and Orange County's dining scene would gain momentum. This year's forecast includes a range of predictions, from personal-sized treats to low-alcohol craft beers to diasporic cuisines ready to take center stage.
Personal cake slices: Forget the whole cake. Expect individual slices to be the hot new treat — a perfect, commitment-free indulgence for one (or two).
Cinnamon rolls: The breakfast pastry, whether homemade or from your local bakery, will dominate social media feeds and the baked goods conversation.
While restaurant reservations aren't going away, a new crop of restaurants will be less dependent on online bookings or will host only a few seatings per meal. This helps combat revenue loss from no-shows, reduce third-party platform fees and enable more precise staffing and inventory management.
Your favorite coffee shop will also serve lunch and dinner, staying open late for drinks, thereby maximizing its concept to appeal to a broader range of customers.
The year of the cappuccino: Move over, latte. The sophisticated cappuccino is making a comeback. With its airier texture and perfect 1:1:1 ratio of espresso, steamed milk and froth, it's a balanced coffee choice that emphasizes traditional craft over the milk-heavy lattes that have dominated American coffee culture.
Low-ABV beers: We've seen low-alcohol wine and liquors in previous years, and now it's beer's turn to be in the spotlight. As more people prefer lighter-style beers, both independent brewers and larger brands will offer additional lower-alcohol options for consumers looking to avoid hangovers.
Artisan ice: In cocktail bars, expect more attention to ice in various forms, including shaved ice in different types of drinks, plus imported ice from other countries featured in cocktail menus.
Fibermaxxing: Fiber is set for a big year. The trend emphasizes gut health and is popping up everywhere — in high-fiber foods like beans, lentils, artichokes and brussels sprouts that will get new attention, as well as an additive in pastas, drinks and snacks to boost fullness. It aids digestion, stabilizes blood sugar and helps lower cholesterol.
Smaller portions: Driven partly by the rise of GLP-1 medications, expect smaller meal sizes everywhere — from fine dining to fast food. Del Taco recently launched a $2.99 "Micro Meal" designed specifically for lighter-eating lifestyles, featuring deliberately small portions: a mini beef and cheddar burrito, seven to 10 fries and a single donut bite. It signals what's to come.
We'll see a bigger emphasis on diasporic communities — populations displaced from their homelands through conflict, colonization or forced migration, as opposed to voluntary immigrant communities. Southern California's restaurant scene and cookbooks will spotlight Cambodian, Haitian, Palestinian and Puerto Rican cuisines — all shaped by displacement, conflict and colonial histories.
