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Raccoons are creating a menace offshore British Columbia in Canada due to the elimination of carnivorous predators like local bears, wolves and cougars, which were killed by humans. These predators actually kept a check over the island raccoons, which are capable of causing extreme damages. Domestic dogs are the only natural predators existing on the majority of the islands.

Island raccoons started coming out in broad daylight for strolling and hunting. The population of coastal animals like crabs, worms and fish is decreasing at a shocking rate. Raccoons partially eat crabs and leave the remaining parts. Ecosystem of the island is facing disturbance due to missing large carnivorous predators.

A team of astronomers at the California Institute of Technology claimed to have discovered traces of ninth planet in our solar system. Our solar system comprises many tiny planets, one such example is Pluto, formerly known as ninth planet. However, a celestial body is called a real planet if it is giant and round in shape like other planets in our solar system.

A gene editing tool termed as Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs), has the potential to introduce genetic engineering for humans. Scientist Jacob Corn is researching to find a way to put an end to genetic diseases through the help of gene technology. But such a research could lead to many other significant findings that would have broader applications.

In 2013, CO2 accounted for more than 80% of all US greenhouse gas emissions due to human activity, according to United States environment protection agency (EPA). Air pollution is associated with high number of deaths from respiratory complications. Cutting down carbon emissions will not only favor our environment, but also health of masses.

EPA stated that carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activity. A new study was conducted by researchers at Duke University and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies to investigate impacts of polluted air on mortality rate. The findings of the study were published in Nature Climate Change on Monday.

Not just California, but all forests in the United States are at risk of facing catastrophic effects of climate change, a new study published in journal Global Change Biology has predicted. Change in weather pattern is happening rapidly, and forests don’t have time to react, as per the study.

Researchers from over one dozen institutions said that rising instances of drought-like conditions, which were previously found affecting only Western forests, have now started impacting nearly all forests and cities across the country. Climate models created by ecologists and researchers are suggesting that drought may become more severe and prolonged in most of the states in the US.

On Tuesday, a gorilla ran away from its container on the International Space Station (ISS). It chased European astronaut Tim Peake across the orbiting laboratory.

Some might think it is a plot of an upcoming science fiction flick or next sequel to ‘Planet of the Apes,' but it has really happened. However, the ‘ape’ was astronaut Scott Kelly attired in a gift from his twin brother Mark Kelly that he received on the previous cargo resupply mission.

A video featured Peake apparently unloading the soft cargo container unknown of the fact that Kelly is inside and strapping it down, as an astronaut does at the time of zero gravity, and then moves out. Kelly comes out of the container, reappearing as if is flying after Peake around the Space Station.