“Cassowaries are large, flightless birds related to emus and (more distantly) to ostriches, rheas, and kiwis”, writes Olivia Judson in the September issue of National Geographic magazine. How large? People-size: Adult males stand well over five foot five and top 110 pounds. Females are even taller, and can weigh more than 160 pounds. Dangerous when roused, they’re shy and peaceable when left alone. But even birds this big and tough are prey to habitat loss. The dense New Guinea and Australia rain forests where they live have dwindled. Today cassowaries might number 1,500 to 2,000. And because they help shape those same forests – by moving seeds from one place to another – “if they vanish”, Judson writes, “the structure of the forest would gradually change” too. (Photo by Christian Ziegler/National Geographic)

People are seen in the crowd as Serbian Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra performs during the third day of the Mexican musicial festival Vive Latino, at the Foro Sol in Mexico City, on March 29, 2014. (Photo by Alfredo Estrella/AFP Photo)

This image released by Neon shows Matthew McConaughey in a scene from “The Beach Bum”. (Photo by Atsushi Nishijima/Neon via AP Photo)

An Oakland Raiders cheerleader performs during an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions in Oakland, Calif., Friday, August 15, 2014. (Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo)

This is the stunning body of work by a talented painter – who transforms humans into amazing animals. From alligators to foxes and even owls, artist Shannon Holt, 39, paints every little detail on models to turn them into wildlife. The incredible paintings, which take anywhere between six to 12.5 hours to complete, are part of her Florida Wildlife Series. Shannon, from DeLand, Florida, previously worked on different surfaces such as glass, metals and wood. But the animal advocate decided to experiment with human canvasses and incorporate animals in her work. Here: Red Fox. (Photo by Ryder Gledhill/Shannon Holt/Caters News)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, right, and Coco Gauff of United States dance during a practice session ahead of the Wimbledon Championships in London, Friday, June 27, 2025. (Photo by Kin Cheung/AP Photo)

A sun bear reacts to triple-digit temperatures at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, where the temperature reached 103 degrees Fahrenheit on July 6, 2012. (Photo by Nati Harnik/Associated Press)

German photographer Tobias Lang had a brilliant idea, he started photographing his friends and their pets and suddenly folks from all over the world where asking him to capture them too. Check out his Facebook page to see. Tobias is in the process of putting together a coffee table book of his impressive collection. Photo: Pet owner Isabel with her blind housecat, “Captain Jack”. (Photo by Tobias Lang)