(WWJ) We keep a close eye on the numbers here at WWJ, so we can learn which stories most interest our digital audience each day.
While tastes can vary and popular topics change with the times, there is one subject that our listeners always seem to love: Animals! With that in mind, here's a look at some our most clicked-on animal news stories of 2022:
TURKEY VULTURES IN METRO DETROIT: Back in May, photos of turkey vultures in Warren caused a social media stir, when a resident warned neighbors: "Watch your small kids and pets!!!" But there's nothing to worry about. The DNR tells us these birds like to winter down south, but return to Michigan every spring. Turkey vultures play an important role in the environment by acting like nature's clean-up crew, scavenging on roadkill, the DNR says, and are unlikely to go after your live pets or children. Learn more about these big birds, here.
SUBURBAN PEACOCKING: Also making news last spring, neighbors in one Wayne County community were all aflutter over another bird sighting. WWJ's Mike Campbell reported from Garden City where several residents confirmed they'd seen a peacock wandering around. It's unclear what became of the colorful bird, or how it ended up in the suburbs. Listen here.
MACOMB COUNTY COUGAR: Confirmed cougar sightings in Michigan are fairly rare, but that doesn't stop people from speculating. After video of what a Macomb County resident thought was a cougar went viral last summer, WWJ's Zach Clark dug into into why cougar sightings are on the rise in Michigan. More here.
BLACK PANTHER DEBUNKED: About a week later, the DNR said they were looking into images of a large black cat with a long tail captured during a 5K race near Traverse City. Could it be a panther? Probably not. Large carnivore specialist, Cody Norton, told WWJ's Beth Fisher they checked out the photos -- and more than likely, it was just an XL housecat. See it here.
RARE WHITE SPIRIT BEAR: In September, an Upper Peninsula trail camera spotted what is known as a “Spirit Bear” – the first ever spotted in the state. The majestic animal is so rare it’s thought to be one-in-a-million. In an episode of The Daily J podcast, we learned why these special animals are sacred to many indigenous cultures.
MICHIGAN'S 9 SPECIES OF BATS: What's furry, flying, essential to our ecosystem, unfairly feared and misunderstood? The bat! During Bat Week in October, thousands of WWJ listeners clicked to learn more about the nine species of bats that live in Michigan, and why they're so important to our state and the world. Get the details.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WOLVERINE? While Michigan is known as "The Wolverine State," there had been only one confirmed sighting here in 200 years at least. So, what happened to the wolverine? And why did Michigan become so closely associated with the animal? Here's a look.
DISAPPEARING DEER HUNTERS: Michigan has lost hundreds of thousands of hunters over the last 20 years, but why? A rifle season began in November, WWJ’s Zach Clark looked into the drop in hunter numbers, and what’s being done to buck that trend and get more people back to deer camp. Listen here.
DETROIT ALLIGATOR EVICTIONS: In mid-December, a bailiff and Detroit police officers were serving an eviction notice when they discovered four unruly residents in the home on the city's east side: a family of alligators! Here's that story.
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