In a shocking move, Marineland Canada has reportedly threatened to euthanize its remaining 30 beluga whales after the government denied its request to export them to a marine park in China. These intelligent, social animals deserve protection, not punishment. Sign now to demand that Canada build marine sanctuaries and make it illegal to randomly euthanize […]
The vampire that regurgitates its bloody stomach contents to hungry roost-mates to save them from starvation
A vampire bat’s habit of regurgitating some of its bloody stomach contents to hungry roost-mates is a textbook example of reciprocal altruism – “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.” But it now seems that this sort of co-operation is more subtle than simple tit-for-tat. Vampire bats are most likely to share their blood […]
Antarctic krill: how did a paperclip-sized crustacean cause a diplomatic row – and why are they so important?
Antarctic krill are small, shrimp-like marine crustaceans (Euphausia superba). They feed on plankton and are the main food source for larger marine animals. The word “krill” comes from the Norwegian word “kril” meaning the small fry of fish. Why are they so important in Antarctica? In the Antarctic, they are the key species upon which […]
Colony of world’s highest-flying bird under threat in Uganda
LUKU CENTRAL FOREST RESERVE, Uganda — Ornithologist Ivan Oruka stops suddenly near the foot of a cliff that’s streaked with the telltale whitewash of bird droppings. He quickly presses his binoculars to his eyes. Against the clear blue sky, on a bright September morning, at least 29 large birds circle effortlessly above on broad, dark […]
California euthanizes 4 gray wolves after ‘unprecedented’ surge in livestock kills
After being wiped out in California for nearly a century, the gray wolf has been making a comeback in the state, in a change that’s been celebrated by conservationists and wildlife lovers. But as their population has grown over the last decade, so too has the number of conflicts between wolves and ranchers. It’s a […]
Petition: Canada Must Ban Cruel and Outdated Ostrich Farming
After an avian flu outbreak at an Ostrich farm in British Columbia, the Canadian government informed the farm that it had to cull the infected ostriches – at least 400 animals in total. But it wasn’t the ostriches’ fault that humans had crammed them in farmed conditions where diseases run rampant. Canadians and Americans alike […]
Senate declines to halt plan to kill off half-million barred owls by Fish and Wildlife Service
The US Senate rejected an effort on Wednesday to halt a contentious US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) plan to kill nearly half a million barred owls in order to save their cousin, the northern spotted owl. John Kennedy, the Republican senator from Louisiana, had hoped to block the proposal by bringing the matter to […]
Is this the world’s most aggressive animal? Just the size of a fox, this badass raids beehives, steals from lions, shrugs off snake venom and never backs down…
Also known as the ratel, the honey badger is famous for its seemingly fearless and aggressive attitude to other animals, even larger predators such as lions and leopards – but does the honey badger live up to this infamy, and if so, just why is it so aggressive? What is a honey badger? The honey […]