Stories by alex ruppenthal

Rollie, a western lowland gorilla at Lincoln Park Zoo, with her male infant, who was born May 12. (Christopher Bijalba / Lincoln Park Zoo)

Endangered Gorilla Born on Mother’s Day at Lincoln Park Zoo

Mother’s Day was extra special for Rollie, a western lowland gorilla at Lincoln Park Zoo who gave birth to a male last weekend. 

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Feb. 21, 2019.

Attorney General Raoul Decries Trump’s ‘Punishing’ EPA Budget Cuts

The Trump administration has proposed $2.8 billion in cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, including a decrease of more than $1.4 billion in funding for states. 

A graphic rendering of the new Kovler Lion House planned for Lincoln Park Zoo (Courtesy Lincoln Park Zoo)

Lincoln Park Zoo Unveils Plans for New $35 Million Lion House

The new habitat will also bring a new pride of lions, with the zoo’s current group set to depart for a Kansas zoo in the coming weeks. 

An overhead view of Watco’s storage terminal at 2926 E. 126th St. in Chicago. (Google)

Congressional Members Urge EPA to Crack Down on Chicago Manganese Polluter

U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are among those urging the EPA to take “immediate action” against Southeast Side industrial facilities for emitting potentially harmful levels of brain-damaging manganese dust.

To monitor the development of penguin eggs, Shedd Aquarium staff use a process known as candling, which involves holding a strong light to the egg to observe inside. (Brenna Hernandez / Shedd Aquarium)

How Shedd Aquarium Uses Egg Candling to Monitor Developing Penguin Chicks

In a process known as egg candling, the aquarium’s animal care staff use a high-powered light to observe the inside of growing penguin eggs to determine whether they are fertile and monitor their development. 

A red fox in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska (Katherine Belcher / U.S. National Park Service)

Chicago Zoo, Brewery to Release Beer Inspired by Red Fox’s Diet of Wild Berries

Lincoln Park Zoo and DryHop Brewers are teaming up again in support of conservation. The new fruited sour beer will be made with a blueberry purée complimented by a lemon and citrus tartness, according to DryHop.

Four Critically Endangered Red Wolf Pups Born at Lincoln Park Zoo

The cubs’ arrival – the first litter born at the zoo since 2010 – is a bright spot for one of the world’s most endangered wolf species.

 Students from across the Chicago area rallied in support of action to combat climate change in downtown Chicago on Friday, May 3, 2019. (Alex Ruppenthal / WTTW News)

Chicago-Area Students Join Global ‘Strike’ Over Climate Change

Several hundred students ditched classes Friday for a march and rally downtown as part of the Youth Climate Strike, a global movement demanding action to address global warming.

The new Albany Park Stormwater Diversion Tunnel diverts water 150 feet below the surface. (Courtesy Chicago Department of Transportation)

New $70 Million Tunnel Keeping Water Out of Northwest Side Streets, Homes

Nearly 6 inches of rain has fallen in and around Chicago since last weekend, which in years past might have caused significant flooding in some neighborhoods. But that hasn’t happened, city officials said.

(Chicago Animal Care and Control / Facebook)

Chicago Shelter Launches Partnership With Facial Recognition App to Find Lost Pets

For Chicago pet owners, finding a lost dog or cat could now be just a few clicks away, thanks to an app built using facial recognition technology.

(U.S. Tourist Attractions / Flickr)

Lincoln Park Zoo Receives Arboretum Accreditation

It’s home to more than animals: More than 330 species of trees, shrubs and plants live on zoo grounds, including the historic canopy of oak trees whose roots predate the city’s founding.

A new exhibit at the Field Museum showcases “The Birds of America,” a groundbreaking book published by painter and ornithologist John James Audubon. (Michelle Kuo / Field Museum)

Rare Copy of World’s Most Famous Bird Book on Display in Chicago

The groundbreaking book “Birds of America” by painter and ornithologist John James Audubon features intricate watercolor paintings of nearly every bird on the continent. It’s now on display at the Field Museum.

Chicago Zoological Society veterinary staff position Hudson, Brookfield Zoo’s 12-year-old male polar bear, in preparation for a CT scan. (Jim Schulz / Chicago Zoological Society)

1,000-Pound Brookfield Polar Bear Gets 1st CT Scan

Pair of Brookfield Polar Bears Involved in Artificial Insemination

Hudson, a 1,000-pound male polar bear at Brookfield Zoo, underwent a historic checkup this week when he received a CT scan and had semen collected, which was used to inseminate two female polar bears. 

(Creative Commons /  © 2013, Jeremy Atherton)

Chicago Among the Country’s Most Polluted Cities, Study Finds

The American Lung Association’s annual “State of the Air” report found that Chicago has experienced an increase in days with spikes of ozone-polluted air.

A Fowler’s toad (Courtesy Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum)

Calling Frog Survey Returns to Chicago’s Southeast Side

By tracking the types, frequency and intensity of frog mating calls, experts hope to gauge the success of conservation efforts in an area commonly referred to as the city’s dumping ground. 

A North American river otter born in February at Brookfield Zoo had to be euthanized after his health declined. (Jim Schulz / Chicago Zoological Society)

Brookfield Zoo’s 7-Week-Old River Otter Pup Dies

Staff made the decision to euthanize the North American river otter pup after his health declined over the weekend. “This was an enormously hard decision to make,” said Bill Zeigler of the Chicago Zoological Society.

Conservation advocates worry that proposed legislation in Illinois could make it harder to protect vulnerable populations of monarch butterflies, which face a number of threats in the state. (Patrick Williams / Openlands)

Proposed Bills Would Restrict Illinois’ Authority to Protect Endangered Species

A pair of bills would strip the state of its authority to regulate endangered species that are protected at the federal level but that might require further protections within Illinois.

A North American river otter born in February at Brookfield Zoo will be relocated to a zoo with otters of a similar age. (Jim Schulz / Chicago Zoological Society)

River Otter Pup Being Hand-Reared at Brookfield Zoo

Staff at the zoo are caring for the pup because his mother was unable to provide him with proper nourishment. His arrival in February marked the zoo’s second successful birth for this once-endangered species.

Identical twin brothers retired astronaut Mark Kelly, left, and Scott Kelly (Robert Markowitz / NASA)

NASA Twins Study Shows How Astronaut’s Body Changed Over a Year in Space

A groundbreaking study concludes that human health can be “mostly sustained” for a year in space, a key finding that figures to help NASA with its mission of sending humans to Mars within two decades.

Chicago City Council Approves Clean Energy Resolution

The non-binding measure is being celebrated by environmental advocates, who note that Chicago is now the largest U.S. city to announce a timeline for obtaining all of its energy from renewable sources.

(Pexels / Pixabay)

Chicago is Most Dangerous City for Migratory Birds, Study Finds

The city’s gleaming skyline and its position along a busy migratory corridor make it the most dangerous in the U.S. for birds traveling north and south each fall and spring, a new study finds.

Lincoln Park Zoo’s new Searle Visitor Center (Courtesy Lincoln Park Zoo)

Lincoln Park Zoo Ending its ‘Meet an Animal’ Program

The zoo is no longer offering a program that allowed visitors to touch or interact with a handful of different animals, citing research showing that some animals display signs of stress after being handled by humans. 

The Field Museum’s new pop-up “Dig Site” (333 N. Michigan Ave.) aims to replicate a location where paleontologists might search for fossils. (Courtesy The Field Museum)

Field Museum Pranks Twitter, Opens Pop-Up ‘Dig Site’ on Michigan Avenue

After teasing social media by announcing the discovery of “unprecedented” dinosaur fossils under a Michigan Avenue storefront, the Field Museum unveiled a new pop-up exhibit that replicates a “dig site” where paleontologists search for fossils. 

Kapuki, a 13-year-old female eastern black rhinoceros at Lincoln Park Zoo (Courtesy Lincoln Park Zoo)

Pregnant Rhino Kapuki Undergoes Ultrasound at Lincoln Park Zoo

Kapuki, a 13-year-old eastern black rhinoceros, is expected to give birth to a baby calf in May. 

(U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III)

Lose a Pet? Chicago Shelter to Use Facial Recognition App to Help Reunite Animals, Owners

Each year, Chicago Animal Care and Control takes in more than 3,000 stray dogs and 3,000 stray cats on average, but only a fraction of them are reunited with their owners. How a new app could help link lost pets with their owners.

(Matt Madd / Flickr)

White People’s Eating Habits Produce Most Greenhouse Gases, Study Finds

The diets of white Americans contribute to climate change more than the eating habits of African and Latino Americans, according to a new report by a group of Chicago researchers.