According to this article, "at least 25 sea turtles have washed up dead on Mississippi beaches over the past few days, according to multiple media reports. So far, there is no evidence that the oil spill killed the turtles, but tests are ongoing." The web page also has a video. MORE

Seems odd, although officials with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said that fish they've tested have not been killed by oil, but a lack of oxygen in the water. But so far, it looks like the oil spill is not to blame. But why did 60 dead endangered turtles wash up over three weeks? And what about the dead dolphin? MORE

In the newest mini-series, Wild Mississippi, viewers will get to see how the Mississippi river can both nurture and destroy. The show covers an entire year along the Mississippi, and shows the many challenges that the wildlife in the area deal with. MORE

New Jersey Illinois Massachusetts Colorado Maine WORST STATES Ohio Hawaii Alabama North Dakota Mississippi Idaho South Dakota (worst) According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the states fell this way. BEST Illinois (best) Maine Michigan Oregon California WORST Mississippi Idaho Hawaii North Dakota Kentucky. According to this Technorati article , the Humane Society rated the states on their animal protection laws. BEST STATES California (best-yay!) MORE

The Cuban sandhill and Mississippi sandhill are both subspecies of cranes that are listed as endangered and are protected under the Endangered Species Act. SeaWorld Orlando’s Aviculture Team Pair Orphaned Chick with Rescued Sandhill Crane. MORE

Ohio, Mississippi, North Dakota, Idaho and South Dakota are at the bottom. It's their first annual "humane state" report. California and New Jersey came out on top. MORE

This kid is a biochem major at the University of Southern Mississippi. He's helping to investigate possible drug cures for obesity. Listen to this. Freeman says that the most difficult thing he has encountered so far in his research comes not from the lab, but from people’s attitudes about animal testing. MORE

And the worst: Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, South Dakota, Wyoming You can check out the whole report on their web site. The ALDF has released a report on how different states' animal protection laws stack up. Among the best: California, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Oregon. MORE