Researchers discover how nerve cells in bat brains respond to their environment and social interactions with other bats

Researchers discover how nerve cells in bat brains respond to their environment and social interactions with other bats

Researchers have found that nerve cells in the hippocampus region of the brain encode complex information on numerous characteristics of other individuals in the same social group. The work, which is being carried out in bats, is the first to show this in a large, mixed-sex group of wild, social animals, and is important because […]

Read More

Tourist learns the hard way never to approach a grizzly bear for photos – no matter how cute it looks

Tourist learns the hard way never to approach a grizzly bear for photos – no matter how cute it looks

Bears prefer to avoid close contact with people, but will defend themselves if they or their young are threatened Bear naturally prefer to avoid close encounters with people, and will typically leave an area if they know you are coming (hence the advice to talk and make noise when hiking through their territory). However, they […]

Read More

Madagascar lemurs, tortoises seized in Thai bust reveal reach of wildlife trafficking

Madagascar lemurs, tortoises seized in Thai bust reveal reach of wildlife trafficking

In May, authorities in southern Thailand arrested six people for illegally transporting 48 lemurs and more than 1,200 critically endangered tortoises, all of which had reportedly been obtained from the wild in Madagascar. The seizure is the latest in a string of illegal wildlife trade busts in Thailand. Red pandas (Ailurus fulgens), monitor lizards, snakes […]

Read More

New Online Database Highlights Dangers of Keeping Exotic Animals in Captivity

New Online Database Highlights Dangers of Keeping Exotic Animals in Captivity

World Animal Protection Canada has launched an innovative online database to raise awareness about the risks associated with keeping exotic animals in captivity. According to wildlife campaign manager Michèle Hamers, many people misinterpret incidents involving captive wildlife as isolated or amusing occurrences, overlooking the serious dangers they pose. Through her fieldwork, Hamers has observed numerous […]

Read More