Pete Thomas

6 days ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Pete Thomas

The North American pronghorn is a remarkable animal, elegant in stature and a speedster on the prairies, capable of sprinting at sustained speeds of 45 to 50 mph. But pronghorn, which often gather in herds, cannot outrun bullets. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department announced this week that it's investigating the poaching of 12 pronghorn that were shot and left to waste in a hunting zone north of Kemmerer in southwest Wyoming.

1 week ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Pete Thomas

A Southern California-based photographer on Thursday shared footage showing a U.S Coast Guard boat speeding over two gray whales off Laguna Beach. Mark Girardeau, who has spent countless hours on marine mammal excursions off Orange County, shared the footage to illustrate that vessels of all types pose a threat to whales that feed or migrate in California waters.

1 week ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Pete Thomas

Last week in Grand Teton National Park, my brother and I were involved in an adrenaline-filled, once-in-a-lifetime grizzly bear encounter. It began when we spotted a large grizzly bear, which we were later told was likely a famous boar named Bruno, plodding toward us from a willow patch 150 yards away. We were astonished at how briskly and purposefully the bear walked, and somewhat reassured by a spacious pond between us and the bear.

1 week ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Pete Thomas

Caitlin Simmers didn’t win the recent Western Australia Margaret River Pro, but the 2024 World Surf League champion did to surf circles around a couple of dolphins. The accompanying footage, courtesy of the WSL, shows Simmers ripping a large wave in slow motion while at least two "locals" appear in the face.

1 week ago | ftw.usatoday.com | Pete Thomas

By now, many have heard about Grizzly Bear 1063 losing two of her yearling triplets to an attack by a male grizzly bear earlier this month in Grand Teton National Park. The carcasses were discovered by park staff on May 13 near Colter Bay. Both showed signs of predation by a larger bear. If that weren’t sad enough, the third cub was missing and presumed by many to be dead. But on May 15, Grizzly 1063 was spotted crossing a paved road with her lone-surviving cub.