It’s been 120 years since New York ornithologist Frank Chapman launched his Christmas Bird Count as a bold new alternative to what had been a longtime Christmas tradition of hunting birds.

Health officials believe puppies purchased from pet stores are the likely source of an outbreak that has sickened 30 people across more than a dozen states, including Illinois. What you need to know about the outbreak.

Television traditions on Thanksgiving have usually involved the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and then hours of football, but in recent years, another has emerged: The National Dog Show.

Can old dogs teach us new tricks? Scientists are looking for 10,000 pets for the largest-ever study of aging in canines. They hope to shed light on human longevity too.

The latest member of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office isn’t a human. She’s a dog. We meet the new Labrador retriever, Hatty.

In Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, there’s an animal shelter with a twist. We visit an arcade-themed cat rescue and lounge that’s helping foster feline friendships.

It was a real dog of a ceremony this week during a swearing-in at the state’s attorney’s office in Chicago.

Inside a barn about 60 miles southwest of Chicago, six giant pumpkins are hoisted by forklift onto an industrial scale and weighed, one by one, so their growers can claim cash prizes for the heaviest – and bragging rights.

The state has recognized a 169-acre section of Harms Woods, which is home to 400 different plant species, as an official state nature preserve, the highest level of protection for land in the state.

Chicago Animal Care and Control says its renovated facility and new medical equipment will allow staff to evaluate animals more quickly and carry out surgical procedures that will ultimately lead to more adoptions.

Sahar, a 9-year-old African lion, arrived in Chicago in 2012 and became a favorite among staff and visitors. He died unexpectedly last month while living at a zoo in Kansas. 

With winter right around the corner, home gardeners should harvest whatever fruit and vegetables that remain in their garden as soon as possible. Organic gardener Jeanne Nolan shares tips to get your garden ready for the cold season. 

Colleen and Keith Begg founded an organization that helps maintain the wildlife in the Niassa National Reserve in Mozambique, one of the last remaining strongholds for lions in Africa. 

This week, a number of dead monarch butterflies were found along the lakefront. The sight alarmed some members of the public who spotted the insects. But one local expert says it’s par for the course as the butterflies retreat south for the winter.

Hundreds of bird species in North America are at risk of extinction from climate change, according to an alarming new report from the National Audubon Society.

Autumn is upon us, and soon Illinois will be awash in fall foliage. Here’s your guide to when – and where – you can spot those red, orange, yellow and purple leaves during their peak throughout the Land of Lincoln.