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Please check our Status page for more details as they come in. Andrew Lionais, Dave Mahalik, and Donnie Calabrese. A male lion rests in a tree in the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya. The reserve has an exceptional population of game, with an annual migration of zebra and wildebeest from neighboring Serengeti National Park in Tanzania every July and August. Lions have drastically changed the way they behave and perceive their environment because of new, numerous and deadly clashes with humans, according to a new study, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Marion Valeix of the University of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit told Discovery News.

She and colleagues Graham Hemson, Andrew Loveridge, Gus Mills and David Macdonald explained that most prey animals live within a fearful mindset that keeps them on a constant, stressed out watch. Now even high-level predators may live this way too when they exist in or around human-dominated landscapes. The researchers studied the behavior, foraging and territory of lions living in one of the last natural migratory systems, the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park in Botswana, where abundant packs of Burchell’s zebra and blue wildebeest live in different parts of the park on a seasonal basis. Lands used by people for grazing their livestock surround the protected wilderness area. This creates a human-lion conflict, since when the zebra and wildebeest move en masse out of lion areas, many lions will resort to hunting livestock, such as cattle, to avoid losing established territories and reproductive loss, among other reasons. GPS tracking of the lions determined that the major driver of lion behavior was the risk of conflict with humans.

While the herders in Botswana do not always have easy access to firearms, some do. But through their mother and other pride members, they learn to fear humans as they grow up. In Botswana, the researchers hope herders will reduce the abundance of livestock left unattended at night, since these attract lions that are looking for a meal but are also trying to avoid humans. They also call for overall improved livestock husbandry, which might include more consistent use of protective enclosures. The scientists, however, lament that during this present difficult socioeconomic time, such measures are not likely to be implemented anytime soon. They hope an incentive structure might be put into place for herders, providing them with financial and other rewards to make the improvements and to promote tolerance of lions and other wildlife. All lightning on Earth may have its roots in space, new research suggests.

The Makgadikgadi cattle herders and lions exemplify the human-wildlife conflict that has existed ever since livestock domestication began. Now, however, with advanced weapons and poisons, expanding human and livestock populations and reduced indigenous prey abundances, humans have virtually eradicated large predators — and big cats in particular — from the world’s rangelands. He points out that prey animals benefit from fear, using it to avoid risks in parts of their territory. Humans seem to love a good scare, particularly on Halloween.

Ghosts, zombies, vampires and other fictional characters are good for putting a chill down your spine. But if you’re looking for something truly scary, let nature be your guide. Click on the “Next” label to see 10 of the animal world’s scariest creatures. The box jellyfish is ghostly and squishy, with 24 eyes and a tangle of tentacles, each equipped with about 5,000 stinging cells. The creatures pack a special type of venom — the most deadly in the animal kingdom — that is activated by contact with certain chemicals found in fish, shellfish and humans.

The venom can cause cardiac arrest, cripple the nervous system, and eat away skin. Several victims stung at sea die before they reach shore. Even people who are fearless around snakes should be careful in the presence of a black mamba. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, the territorial and aggressive snakes grow up to 14 feet long and travel at speeds of more than 12 miles per hour. Fortunately, black mambas are shy and usually race away when humans approach. But when threatened, they attack with repeated strikes to deliver lethal venom. Only a quickly administered antidote saves victims from death.