Spring has arrived and the flowers are starting to bloom. ‘Tis the season for a certain long-eared mammal to hop its way into the spotlight. No, not the Easter Bunny. It’s time to celebrate the bilby!

Read on to discover what makes these critters unique and why some Australians are pushing for the bilby to replace the bunny as a symbol of Easter.

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital recently demonstrated the benefits of a virtual reality (VR) game during potentially painful procedures in different clinical settings. Providers and patients reported positive feedback to the intervention, suggesting that VR could be implemented more broadly to help manage pediatric pain and anxiety around medical procedures.

Read the story here: Managing the Pain of Medical Procedures with Virtual Reality.

Check out some of my favorite science stories from last month, including pieces on cuttlefish camouflage, narwhal tusks, and the cocktail party problem in bats.

Anecdotes from around the world describe wild animals—everything from wasps to songbirds to baboons—acting drunk after feeding on fermented fruits. But these incidents are assumed to be rare and accidental, and the scientific literature largely treats alcohol consumption as a uniquely human behavior.

Now, a team of researchers are challenging this view. They cite growing evidence that fruit- and nectar-eating animals likely consume ethanol (or ethyl alcohol) on a regular basis - though the reasons are understudied.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: Why Do Animals Drink Alcohol?

Good fences make good neighbors—and good conservation tools, according to a new study. Analyzing nine years of data, researchers confirmed that beehive fences are highly successful at deterring African elephants from crop-raiding small farms, protecting both wildlife and livelihoods. The elephants’ natural fear of bees keeps them away, and the farmers also generate an income through honey and wax production.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: Beehive Fences Benefit People and Elephants.