6 Environmental Stories You Don't Want to Miss

By Catherine Schuknecht

August 27, 2015

The world record height for cliff jumping was broken.

Share image by Sindlera

RHINO SEEKING RHINO: Dating is tough, but the odds are even worse when you’re the last Sumatran rhino in the United States. The Cincinnati Zoo’s breeding program is sending its only remaining Sumatran rhino to Southeast Asia, where it is hoped he will find a mate and help save the species from extinction.

FREE FALLIN’: 27-year-old Laso Schaller broke the world record height for cliff jumping. The experienced canyoneer and high-diver plummeted a dizzying 192.9 feet off a cliff in Maggia, Switzerland, recording the jump on a GoPro attached to his helmet.

SINK OR SWIM: The drought in California has got us down. And we’re just getting lower. According to NASA, California’s San Joaquin Valley is sinking at a rate of nearly 2 inches per month in certain areas. The culprit? Excessive pumping of groundwater.

WHALE DONE: An ancient whale skull was discovered sitting in full view on the bottom of a riverbed in Virginia. Jason Osborne chanced upon the six-foot skull during a routine dive in 2013 and finally got a bigger boat and went back to get it.

CA CRIES WOLF: Northern California is now home to the first wolf pack the state has seen since 1924. Hopefully, the Shasta Pack—two adults and four pups—are there to stay.

NPS TURNS 99: The U.S. National Park Service celebrated its 99th anniversary on Tuesday by offering free admission to all its parks. Best birthday party ever.