Amid calls for increased experimentation on monkeys during the COVID-19 outbreak, PETA is once again calling on Air France to stop flying monkeys to laboratories for pointless and deadly studies. Air France is the only major airline that continues to transport monkeys to laboratories, despite the failure of primate experimentation to lead to cures and

American Robin. Photo: George Ostertag/Alamy After a rough night, I woke up at dawn to the sound of a robin singing. Last night was bad. The coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world dominated every corner of the news, with every headline more horrifying than the last: Rates of infection doubling. Schools, restaurants, offices closing. Major events

The government of China is reportedly recommending a coronavirus treatment that includes bear bile. The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) reported today that a list of recommended treatments for the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 published by the Chinese government earlier this month includes injections of a traditional medicine called “Tan Re Qing,” which contains bear

WASHINGTON— The Trump administration has proposed to approve genetically engineered crops on national wildlife refuges throughout the southeastern United States, a step likely to increase use of glyphosate and other pesticides known to harm wildlife. The Obama administration acted in 2014 to phase out GE crops on all national wildlife refuges following a successful decade-long

Two suspected rhino poachers have been killed in a shootout at the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, KwaZulu-Natal Environmental Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube said on Sunday. She said that “courageous field staff, who work in dangerous conditions”, encountered three armed suspected rhino poachers on the night of 6 March. Alleged rhino poachers captured with new technology being used

Amelia Love Clearheart was recording a ballet lesson for her class when an unusual dance partner made a surprise appearance. Clearheart’s cat, Aurora, heard the music start and ran to join the fun. Aurora knows that whenever her mom starts dancing, it’s the perfect opportunity to get a little extra attention. That, however, is not

Someone was watching them. Then he wasn’t. Then he was again. This went on and on. Why?  That “someone” was a dog on a trampoline. Facebook/Rena Nicole The other day, while Rena Nicole and her partner were out for a stroll through their neighborhood in Ohio, they caught the attention of a local Great Dane.

Sports leagues may be on hiatus — but that still hasn’t silenced professional sportscaster Nick Heath. While out of work, he’s using his golden voice to add a bit of extra drama to some everyday scenes. Like these two pups enjoying a game of chase. The other day, Heath spotted the pair of lively dogs chasing

The other week, while dropping by a store near her home in Mexico, Tania Sants noticed a certain someone lingering out front. It was a white cat, sitting all alone. But his presence there was far from random. As Sants came to learn, the clever cat had chosen the spot with a very specific goal

Whenever a new cat arrives at the RSPCA Friern Barnet Adoption Center, they’re immediately presented with their very own knitted blanket. A lot of cats brought to shelters have had rough lives, and getting something right away that’s all their own is so special and important.  RSPCA “It’s something warm and cozy for them to

Snow Goose being tested for bird flu in Barrow, Alaska. Photo: Al Grillo/AP COVID-19, the viral disease gripping the globe, is not bird-related. Researchers believe it likely came from bats. Still, this pandemic understandably provokes fear about wildlife diseases and so provides an opportunity to clear up confusion surrounding the question, “can birds get you sick?” Karel

During the month of March, artists across the world spent much of their time studying the same photo of a flamboyant Appenzeller Spitzhauben. Many of them initially knew nothing about this Swiss chicken, a hardy bird with mottled plumage, but that didn’t matter. For all of the artists, the goal was the same: To create

Mayibout 2 is not a healthy place. The 150 or so people who live in the village, which sits on the south bank of the Ivindo River, deep in the great Minkebe Forest in northern Gabon, are used to occasional bouts of diseases such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever and sleeping sickness. Mostly they shrug

Orange-crowned Warbler. Photo: Devin Grady/Audubon Photography Awards Orange-crowned Warbler. Photo: Devin Grady/Audubon Photography Awards In March, we asked a group of some of our most loyal and engaged members (who participate in Audubon’s Donor Insight Panel survey) to share a conservation victory or personal experience that gave them the inspiration or strength to keep working

Brown Pelican. Photo: Franklin Abbott/Audubon Photography Awards Brown Pelican. Photo: Franklin Abbott/Audubon Photography Awards In late February, National Audubon Society held a Climate Solutions Q&A Call with Vice President/Interim Chief Scientist Chad Wilsey and Senior Climate Scientist Brooke Bateman. Like many of our members, Bateman was introduced to birding by her grandmother and grew up listening

One of South Africa’s top detectives, famous for capturing rhinoceros poachers, was gunned down early Tuesday on his way to work. Lt Colonel LeRoy Bruwer, 49, working in the Mpumalanga province, 200 miles north east of Johannesburg, was described by colleagues as a “wildlife fanatic.” Lt Colonel LeRoy Bruwer, a leading detective who was investigating

Dr. Irene Pepperberg and African grey Griffin Life at the moment is incredibly confusing. As I write (03-19-2020), my computer is filled with horrible news reports of all sorts, and the thought of writing a light-weight, chatty piece as a distraction doesn’t seem reasonable. So, I’m going to provide a report of about life in

American Kestrel. Photo: Zoe Finney/Audubon Photography Awards City life isn’t for everyone, and it can be especially challenging for birds. On top of finding food and places to nest, urban birds have to contend with noise, pollution, and glass surfaces that can produce deadly collisions. Yet, 20 percent of avian species worldwide can be found

China has banned the trade and consumption of wild animals in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that has claimed more than 2,700 lives and infected more than 81,000 people, most of them in China, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. A temporary ban on trade in wildlife announced in January was expected to

While people across the country are stepping up to clear the shelters amidst the coronavirus crisis, some dogs are still very much in need of a hero. Last week, a woman in Orlando, Florida, stepped outside her house to discover a dog lying in her yard. The brown and white pit bull was muzzled and

When Brittni Young saw a video of someone playing tic-tac-toe with their cat using treats, she immediately knew she had to try it. It can be easy to get bored spending so much time inside, and what better way to pass the time than by playing games with your cats? After drawing up the board

The victim lying on Kevin Hynes’s stainless-steel table on March 11, 2015, showed no obvious cause of death. There were no injuries indicating that she had been hit by a car or electrocuted—the usual killers. Dressed in surgical scrubs and latex gloves, Hynes, a wildlife biologist with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation in

Although Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) primarily “manages” wolf populations using hunters and trappers, the agency also authorizes its “control actions” in areas where regulated killing is deemed as an insufficient tool to meet “management” goals. Idaho’s Lolo Elk Management Zone is in a remote area of the Clearwater National Forest. It’s a steep and

With people around the world practicing social distancing, one pet owner came up with a creative way to let his dog enjoy her time outdoors. This week, Vakis Demetriou posted a video showing his dog out for a stroll on the streets near their home in Cyprus — guided along the way by a remote-controlled