"Upward of" 10,000 trees near giant sequoia groves have been "weakened by drought, disease, age and/or fire" and must be removed in the wake of California's wildfires, the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks announced.
Why it matters: The damage to these trees, considered "national treasures," and work to remove them means a nearby key highway must remain closed to visitors as they have "the potential to strike people, cars, other structures, or create barriers to emergency response services," per a statement from the national parks.
Ivory poaching in Mozambique led to a "rapid evolution" of tuskless African elephants, according to a study published Thursday in Science magazine.
Driving the news: Years of poaching in Mozambique has led to a greater proportion of elephants that will never develop tusks, which are used by the animals to dig for water and strip bark for food, according to the Associated Press.
