'It's almost the size of me!': Boa constrictor discovered under car hood in West Allis

Yin, one of the Milwaukee County Zoo's Chinese alligators, has died

From JSOnline:

Hannah Kirby

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A Yang without his Yin. The Milwaukee County Zoo is mourning the loss of another one of its animals.

Chinese alligator Yin, a longtime resident, was humanely euthanized in early May, the zoo shared in a Tuesday, May 19, post on its website and social media. She is suspected to have had ovarian cancer with metastasis, the zoo shared, citing preliminary necropsy results.

"Yin was a favorite among zookeepers and will be missed," the post said. "She was very smart and slower to trust but comfortable once she knew the animal care team members. The zookeepers noted she was strong-willed and intelligent, and loved shrimp."

When the animal care team noticed Yin was having mobility issues last June, the veterinary staff assessed her, which lead to antibiotic treatment for a spinal lesion, the post said. More recently, Yin's skin condition and appetite have been declining.

"After much consideration about her quality of life, along with a poor prognosis, the team made the decision to humanely euthanize her," the post said.

Yin was nearly 41 years old. The median life expectancy for a Chinese alligator in human care in 26 years old, according to the zoo.

Yin and male Chinese alligator Yang, 39, have been behind the scenes since Yin's treatment began, with Yang providing companionship to her, the post said.

"In the morning, Yin and Yang were often seen laying closely, and they spent a lot of time together," the post said.

Yin and Yang came to Milwaukee together from the Bronx Zoo in 1995.

Yang – who zookeepers note is healthy – will return to the Chinese alligator habitat, located in the zoo's Aquatic & Reptile Center, once ongoing pool renovations to the habitat are completed, the post said.

The zoo has been in contact with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan Program coordinator, the post said, and Milwaukee will likely receive a recommendation for another female in the future.

Yin's death comes just around a month after another longtime zoo resident, Brittany – a 45-year-old African savanna elephant – was humanely euthanized after her health declined. In September, one of the zoo's other beloved geriatric elephants, Ruth, was euthanized after a couple of falls.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2026/05/19/yin-one-of-the-milwaukee-county-zoos-chinese-alligators-has-died/90167241007/

Bombshell UFO claims spark frenzy as researcher alleges four alien species discovered

'Sad situation': Large dead snake found dumped in Iowa County

Falling iguanas in Florida • FRANCE 24 English

More than 50 dead dogs found in MKE home | FOX6 News Milwaukee

Scientists discover diminutive dinosaur ancestor: a 4-inch 'tiny bug slayer'

Researchers have discovered an ancient relative of dinosaurs, a 4-inch reptile that lived 237 million years ago.

Known as Kongonaphon kely, the ancient reptile was a "tiny bug slayer" and lived in modern-day Madagascar, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The fossil was first discovered in 1998 by a team of researchers from all over the world, including from the American Museum of Natural History.

“There’s a general perception of dinosaurs as being giants,” said the study's lead author, Christian Kammerer, in a statement. “But this new animal is very close to the divergence of dinosaurs and pterosaurs, and it’s shockingly small.”

Life restoration of Kongonaphon kely, a newly described reptile near the ancestry of dinosaurs and pterosaurs, shown to scale with human hands. The fossils of Kongonaphon were found in Triassic (~237 million years ago) rocks in southwestern Madagascar and demonstrate the existence of remarkably small animals along the dinosaurian stem. (Credit: Frank Ippolito, American Museum of Natural History)

With the pointy, albeit worn, teeth, it's likely that Kongonaphon fed on a diet of insects, the researchers stated. They also looked at a part of the reptile's thigh bone to conclude that it was a full-grown creature and not a baby.

John Flynn, who helped discover the fossil in the late 1990s, said he was surprised at the diminutive size of Kongonaphon, but also how unique the discovery was.

“This fossil site in southwestern Madagascar from a poorly known time interval globally has produced some amazing fossils, and this tiny specimen was jumbled in among the hundreds we’ve collected from the site over the years,” Flynn added in the statement.

“It took some time before we could focus on these bones, but once we did, it was clear we had something unique and worth a closer look," Flynn continued. "This is a great case for why field discoveries – combined with modern technology to analyze the fossils recovered – is still so important.”

Read more: https://www.foxnews.com/science/scientists-discovered-dinosaur-ancestor-4-inch-tiny-bug-slayer