Animals and Wildlife

Wildlife authorities freed a entangled gray whale Wednesday after it was caught in a net off the Southern California coast. The Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) worked together to free the adult whale after weeks of “death and stranding.” The whale was first spotted April 8 near the coast of Palos Verdes Peninsula….

A whale entangled in a net is rescued off Rancho Palos Verdes. Video broadcast on NBC4. 

Experts say what makes this year’s algae bloom significant is that it has sickened different animals compared to years past. “It does not look like we are close to seeing the end of this bloom yet,” Clarissa Anderson with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography said. Anderson said the algae bloom was first reported in late February. “I actually have a...

Abraxas, a 3-year-old shepherd mix, who suffered from anxiety and stress is now learning to decompress and is ready for his forever home.

Eesha, the young rhino’s mother, is pregnant; the new baby is expected to arrive in late summer.

Photos on social media showed a goose nesting in a juniper planter next to the center-field seats underneath the scoreboard during Saturday’s game.

A small whale, possibly a minke whale, has been drawing crowds in Long Beach after being spotted swimming around the harbor for consecutive days. Mekahlo Medina reports for the NBC4 News at 3 p.m. on April 3, 2025.

A small whale drew a crowd this week when it entered harbor waters in Long Beach. Video from NewsChopper4 showed the whale late Thursday morning near a Catalina Express dock in the Shoreline Marina. The whale surfaced a few times as people watched from nearby office buildings and the walking path overlooking the water. The whale reappeared Friday. Witnesses said…

Officers with the California Highway Patrol’s Antelope Valley office rescued two stolen horses Wednesday after a good Samaritan stepped in.

California Live’s Jessica Vilchis sits down with Amelie Anastasia, a young philanthropist on a mission to bring attention to and better the lives of animals from wildlife to shelter pets. Learn about her remarkable fundraising efforts and dream of opening a unique animal sanctuary.

A Florida influencer and self-described “dog mom” has been arrested after she filmed herself having sex with a dog for a social media user who paid for it, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.⁠ Logan Guminski, 27, was charged with two felonies, sexual activity involving an animal and filming sexual activity involving an animal. ⁠It was back in January...

A 15-year-old girl recounts her frightening encounter with a sea lion after it attacked her in Long Beach. Hetty Chang reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

A teenager was attacked by a sea lion in Long Beach while she was trying out to become a junior guard cadet.

Another milestone is met for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills. Michelle Valles reports for the NBC4 News at 11 a.m. on Monday March 31, 2025. 

The first layers of soil were placed on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over the 101 Freeway Monday morning as the project enters its landscaping phase. Drone video showed the flat surface of the overpass in Agoura Hills ahead of the soil project, the next step in construction of a bridge that will cross 10 lanes of the freeway and…

Construction crews are making substantial progress on the world’s largest wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway. Michelle Valles reports for the NBC4 News at 6 a.m. on March 31, 2025.

Calling all Jackie and Shadow fans, you still have a chance to name Jackie and Shadow’s remaining two chicks. Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit organization that oversees the bald eagle nest camera in Big Bear, will accept naming suggestions until Friday March 28 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. The contest is a fundraiser for the non-profit organization with…

Heal the Bay, an environmentally focused nonprofit organization, tested 116 known pollutants and found many harmful heavy metals in the waters.

Due to environmental shifts many of the marine mammals have been struggling with health issues. Amber Frias reports for NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, 2025.

It’s a major milestone for the Agoura Hills animal span, which is due to open in 2026.