One spring morning, I was hiking on southeastern Alaska’s Island when I froze. 20 paces away was a huge Alaskan Wolf — caught in a trap. It was a mother wolf. Somewhere there were hungry pups (幼崽) waiting for her.

From her appearance, I guessed that she had been trapped only a few days. That meant her pups were probably still alive. So I decided to search for her pups. Fortunately, I spotted her pups. I began imitating the high-pitched call of a mother wolf calling her young. A few moments later, four tiny pups appeared. One by one, I placed them in a bag and headed back down the slope.

When the mother wolf spotted me, she let out a high-pitched. I released the pups, and they raced to her. I could see that the trap’s steel jaws had imprisoned only two toes. They were swollen, but she wouldn’t lose the paw — if I could free her.

“OK,” I said. “Just a minute and you will be free.” I applied pressure, the trap opened, and the wolf pulled free. Reaching the far side, I looked back. The mother and her pups were sitting where I had left them, watching me. I waved. At the same time, the mother wolf sent a long howl into the air.

Four years later, I returned after serving in the Army. Standing on the edge of a hill, I gave out a wolf call. An echo came and a wolf call followed. Then I saw a dark shape moving in my direction. “Hello, old girl,” I called gently. The wolf moved closer, her tail wagging slightly. Moments later, the wolf left. But the memory she left with me will always be there, a reminder that there are things in nature that exist outside the laws and understanding of man.

Climate change and habitat loss from big agriculture are combining to decrease global insect populations, with each problem making the other worse, a new study finds.

While insects may bother people at times, they also are key in pollinating (授花粉) plants to feed people, making soil more fertile. Scientists have noticed a dramatic drop both in total insect numbers and diversity of insect species due to harmful chemicals and high pollution.

Big single-crop agriculture that leaves less habitat and leafy food for insects plus higher temperatures from climate change are huge problems for insect number drop, but a new study in the journal Nature based on more than 750,000 samples of 18,000 different species of insects says it’s not just those two threats acting on their own. The interaction between habitat loss and climate change does smash insect populations.

“In his case, the habitat loss and climate change can often be worse than if they were acting on their own, as one can make the impact of the other worse and vice versa (反之亦然). We’re missing part of the picture if we are only looking at these things individually,” said Outhwaite, an ecologist at University College London. For example, single-crop agriculture often reduces tree shading, making it hotter in a given spot. On top of that comes climate change. Then insects that need heat relief or need to move north for cooler climates can run into problems with lack of proper habitat because of large farms.

What makes this study important is that it’s the first to link climate change and industrialized agriculture together in explaining harm to insects. The study used so many different samples and species around the world, which gives its findings more credibility.

“Join our exciting wildlife watching tours and experience the holiday of a lifetime!” Eco-wildlife tours like this are becoming more and more popular with tourists. The opportunity to see whales and dolphins swimming in their natural habitat is so much better than seeing these great mammals in zoos and aquariums. As your boat edges out into the blue water, a group of dolphins come to greet you and swim around the boat, jumping playfully around you. In some places, tour companies even encourage tourists to go swimming with the dolphins. These smart mammals seem to enjoy our company and interact (互动) with us. But is it possible that this kind of human activity putting their survival at risk?

A recent study has shown that the behavior of whales and dolphins changes greatly when they are close to boats. Interpreting (诠释) the boats as a possible danger, they start to breathe more quickly. The boats drive them away from the places where they feed and interrupt (打扰) their routine of resting and taking care of their young. All of these factors could have a very negative effect on their general health. Another factor that should be taken into account is the effect of human attention on the animals. As they become more used to interacting with humans, they become less afraid of them. There have been several cases of tour boats running into dolphins or whales and causing their deaths. As dolphins live within close communities, events like these cause a lot of stress.

Perhaps the best way to protect these animals is to reduce our interaction with them. We could do by keeping a minimum distance between the animals and the boats, and by limiting the number of boats out on the water at one time. Most importantly, instead of interrupting these animals, routines (日常生活), we should try to adapt to them. In this way, we could learn to stay in harmony with these wild animals and ensure our continued co-existence on the planet that we shall share.