April 2026 sneak peek

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Meet the beaver, nature’s master builder! This furry creature is famous for its huge front teeth and its ability to design and construct dams and lodges—no hard hat required. Using mud, sticks, and logs, beavers carefully engineer their homes to stay safe and dry. And they don’t just live near water; they reshape it, creating entire habitats that help other animals, too. When beavers build dams, they create ponds where fish can hide, frogs can lay eggs, and birds can find food. In this issue, you'll get some weird-but-true facts about these awesome animals!

Next, follow in the footsteps of a tiger named Varvara in southern Russia. This big cat surprised scientists when she unexpectedly had cubs, giving researchers a special opportunity to learn how tiger mamas keep their cubs safe, healthy, and fed. Turns out, it's a full-time job! Want more tigers? Watch the video below!

Then flip a few pages to discover how ostriches are not your basic bird. For example, you might think they could fly, but they don't. Instead, they run—fast. Ostriches are actually the fastest animals on two legs, sprinting at speeds up to 43 miles an hour on muscular legs that race 16 feet in a single stride. That means they can outrun some big cats!

Finally, meet five sneaky plants! If you think all plants are just gentle growers, you’ll be shocked by these sly sprouts that eat bugs, send secret messages, and more.

Other stories in this month's issue:

Weird But True!: Check out fun facts you can share with your friends.
Science Bloopers: Four Nat Geo Explorers share their silliest slipups.
10 Ways to Save the Ocean: Get tips to protect the planet!
Moment of Yikes: These pics might give you the heebie-jeebies.
Incredible Animal Friends: Meet a capybara that babysits puppies.

Easily recognized by its coat of reddish-orange with dark stripes, the tiger is the largest wild cat in the world. The big cat's tail is three feet long. On average the big cat weighs 450 pounds, about the same as eight ten-year-old kids. It stands three feet tall with teeth four inches long and claws as long as house keys. A female tiger gives birth to a litter of three or four cubs, who she will care for until they are a year-and-a-half old. These cubs quadruple in size during their first month! The powerful predator generally hunts alone, able to bring down prey such as deer and antelope. Tigers wait until dark to hunt. The tiger sprints to an unsuspecting animal, usually pulling it off its feet with its teeth and claws. If the prey animal is large, the tiger bites its throat to kill it; smaller prey is usually killed when the tiger breaks its neck. Tigers have been known to eat up to 60 pounds of meat in one night, but more often they consume about 12 pounds during a meal. It may take days for a tiger to finish eating its kill. The cat eats until it's full, and then covers the carcass with leaves and dirt. The tiger comes back to feed some more. Tigers live far apart from each other. A tiger knows if it is in another tiger’s territory based on the trees around him. Each tiger marks the trees in its area with urine and special scratches. Unlike most members of the cat family, tigers seem to enjoy water and swim well. Some tigers live where it gets very cold—in India and parts of southeast Asia. The whole species is endangered throughout its range. Tigers have been overhunted for their fur as well as for other body parts that many people use in traditional medicines. Tigers' habitat has also dwindled seriously as humans have developed land for uses such as farming and logging. However, in the Siberian region of Russia, there’s hope that these big cats are making a comeback. Because of their size, strength, and predatory skills, tigers are considered one of the “big cats.” Lions, cheetahs, jaguars, and cougars are also part of this grouping. Tiger stripes are special to each individual, and their tails help them to keep their balance. The big cats share all but 4.4% of their DNA with domestic cats. Take the big cat quiz to see how much you know about these fierce felines. Then, just for fun, see which wild cat you’re most like with our personality quiz.

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