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Bile Isn’t Vile: Identifying the Scent that Lures Trout Home

If a Lake Superior Kamloops rainbow trout could talk, it still might not care to reveal what Minnesota Sea Grant-funded graduate student Ben Thwaits has painstakingly discovered: the smell of certain compounds found in fish excrement help adults of this strain of migratory trout find their way home.

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Kate's Nest
The Nest Quest
Along Highway 61 it’s not unusual to see bald eagles, but it never fails: Someone exclaims “Eagle!” and we crane our necks to see the regal bird. My favorite sight was a massive eagle’s nest in a mature aspen. Occasionally, an eagle poked up from among the sticks. I always mused about what dinner was that day, or how many hungry beaks the eagles had to feed.
Lakota
“Retired” Wolf Dies
Lakota, a 15 1/2-year old wolf at the International Wolf Center, was euthanized last Nov. 7. A consultation with the Center’s veterinarian, Dr. Chip Hanson, led to the assessment that Lakota’s metabolic system was declining; she had stopped eating and was unable to deal with ambient conditions. While anti-inflammatory medication provided some relief, her condition continued to decline. Wolves in the wild may live eight to 10 years; captive wolves sometimes live as long as 14 to 16 years.