A mink eradication plan in the High Weald of Sussex is proving so successful that Defra has given the go ahead to extend the project across southern England from the Kent coast to the Dorset border. It raises the realistic prospect that this invasive aquatic mustelid – a diminutive relative of otters, badgers and weasels – may be removed from […]
Bill to ban hare coursing overwhelmingly defeated by 125 votes to 24
A Bill to ban hare coursing was overwhelmingly defeated in the Dáil by 125 votes to 24 as all Fianna Fáil TDs voted in line with the party whip, including those who personally supported the legislation. Sinn Féin also opposed the Bill during the vote on Wednesday night, making its rejection inevitable. The legislation was introduced by People Before Profit […]
Are elephant graveyards a real thing? Is there any truth in the legend elephants go to a special place to die?
The story goes that an elderly or sick elephant, knowing that death is near and not wanting to be a burden to its family and friends, will slip quietly away from its herd and head off alone to a special place, where many others have gone before, to end its days amongst the bones of its […]
Petition: Wild Animals Are Still Suffering in Circuses and Fairs Across the United States
Imagine being ripped from your family, confined to small, dirty enclosures and transported to strange places. You are forced to perform painful and unfamiliar tasks, dances, and movements. If you resist, you are beaten, screamed at, or another horrific form of intimidation. Your captors get paid while you waste away, psychologically broken and physically brutalized. […]
It looks like a wolf, acts like a wolf – but don’t be fooled this is no wolf…
Unlike the hapless Wile E. Coyote of Looney Tunes fame, the real-life version is an intelligent and highly successful animal. Once associated with North America’s prairies and deserts, the coyote now turns up almost everywhere, even city streets, thanks to its remarkable ability to thrive alongside people. Its appetite for rubbish and even pets can provoke a […]
Herculean Effort to Restore Mozambique’s Rhino Population Succeeds with 61 Animals Moved There
9 female white rhino have been reintroduced to one of Mozambique’s southern national parks as part of a mammoth undertaking to bring back species the country has lost. Mozambique was the victim of one of Africa’s worst post-colonial power struggles, during which time they lost virtually all of several large animals during a civil war […]
“When they use these spines, they puncture them really deeply into their attacker. They can deliver venom into the wound”
The name of these creatures immediately lets you know they’re not something to be messed with. Assassin caterpillars (Lonomia) are the larval stage of the giant silkworm moth and they are believed to be the deadliest caterpillars in the world. Found in South America, these creepy crawlies protect themselves with a very special coat of armour: their […]
Tasmanians warned of ‘loving Neil to death’ as 1,000kg seal’s antics feed ‘double-edged sword’ of fame
Wildlife officials have warned people to give Neil the seal space during his visit to Tasmania, saying some have gone so far as to bring their human babies close to the 1,000kg giant for a photo. Neil, a southern elephant seal, was born in Tasmania in October 2020, but his existence is an anomaly: most […]