A significant, previously unknown population of freshwater pearl mussel was found in the Ivalojoki watershed in Finnish Lapland. The cooperative Lumimuutos discovered it during restoration work in the Sámi homeland in summer 2025; authorities are withholding the exact location.
Joggers filmed a seal swimming and eating a fish in central Helsinki’s Eläintarhanlahti bay near Hakaniemi. The sighting lasted about 20 minutes and surprised onlookers in the urban setting.
The invasive carpet sea squirt (filtsjöpung), known as “sea vomit,” is rapidly spreading across the seafloor in Kosterhavet National Park, smothering organisms beneath it. Authorities say budget cuts have hampered monitoring and control, but they are now examining ways to slow the outbreak.
A capercaillie has been roaming around central Överkalix for several weeks, surprising residents. A local photographer captured the bird on camera as a bird expert offers possible explanations for the unusual urban visit.
After spotting six wolves on a trail near her home, one Anchorage resident says she's seen the pack multiple times since late August.
A ranger in Mongolia’s Khoridol Saridag Strictly Protected Area found a dead Altai mole (Talpa altaica), a rarely seen species with a restricted range. Though globally listed as Least Concern by IUCN, the species is considered endangered in Mongolia due to habitat loss and disturbance.
A polar bear with a cub has been frequenting residential areas in Dikson amid anomalously warm weather and lack of sea ice. Authorities advise residents not to approach or feed the bears as Rosprirodnadzor monitors the situation.
The Metlakatla Indian Community, which has been at the forefront in the effort to control the invaders, has trapped more than 40,000 of them this year.
A rare Haliphron atlanticus (seven-arm octopus) was caught by shrimp fishers in western Skagerrak at about 200 m depth and sent to the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory for study.
A mourning dove—rare for Alaska’s Seward Peninsula—was spotted in Nome shortly after strong fall storms, likely having been displaced during migration. The bird has continued foraging locally, marking an unusual range occurrence for the region.
A wolf-like animal was filmed near Jarhois in Pajala, and a reindeer was found killed the next day in nearby Kardis, prompting local hunters to keep their dogs at home during moose hunting. The sightings have raised concern in the community close to the Övertorneå border.
The rare clubmoss known in Swedish as “mellanlummer” has been recorded for the first time in Västernorrland, in forests near Viksjö. Botanists link the find to SCA’s prescribed burns that open and rejuvenate the forest.
A rare inland sighting of a white-winged scoter was recorded along the Columbia River near Pasco, Washington, with a birder photographing the sea duck at McNary National Wildlife Refuge on Oct. 26. Biologists say a recent storm may have blown the typically coastal species off course.
Three wolves have been frequenting Fort McPherson, N.W.T.; one was shot this week and two remain. Authorities urge residents to leash and vaccinate dogs, avoid leaving food outside, and note rabies risks; traps have been set for the remaining wolves.
Photos from Fairbanks show delicate “hair ice” forming on dead wood during an extended snow-free cold spell. Researchers link the phenomenon to the fungus Exidiopsis effusa, which enables hairlike ice strands to grow in humid, slightly subfreezing conditions.
A resident in Strendur, Faroe Islands, filmed bats in her yard—an uncommon sight in the Faroes. The bat was seen over about four days before disappearing.
Authorities confirm a new wolf territory called Lapphällarna between western Uppland and eastern Västmanland in Sweden, where several pups have been born. The County Administrative Board provided imagery and details in an SVT video report.
A Tennessee warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina) was captured and identified at Mølen in Vestfold after Storm Amy, marking the first record for Scandinavia. Ornithologists believe it was carried across the Atlantic by strong jet streams; birders rushed from around Norway to see it, though it is unlikely to survive the Norwegian autumn.
Sea lions are increasingly favoring the northern regions of Cape Chukotka, Russia, a shift from their usual habitats, possibly due to changing environmental conditions.
A mosquito species, Culiseta annulata, has been confirmed in Iceland after specimens of both sexes were captured in Kjósarhreppur on October 16–18, 2025. The find suggests mosquitoes may now be present in the country, long considered free of them.
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