Animals news

• Badger cull may have increased bovine TB risk in neighbouring herds – study

  21-08-2024 01:01
  England’s controversial eradication scheme may have caused higher rates of disease in surrounding areas, research showsEngland’s controversial badger cull may have increased the risk of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) among herds in neighbouring areas, according to new research.Researchers at the University of Oxford found that although badger culling reduced incidences of tuberculosis in the areas where it took place, in neighbouring areas the risk of the disease in cattle increased by al
  
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• Fireworks blamed for baby red panda’s death at Edinburgh zoo

  14-11-2024 09:00
  
  Royal Zoological Society of Scotland calls for tougher laws after three-month-old Roxie dies from Bonfire Night stressThe owner of Edinburgh zoo has linked the death of a baby red panda on Bonfire Night to fireworks and called for tighter regulations.The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said vets blamed the death of three-month-old Roxie on 5 November on her reaction to fireworks in the area. Continue reading...
  
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• Two Worcestershire women jailed for role in global monkey torture network

  13-11-2024 20:58
  
  Holly LeGresley, 37, and Adriana Orme, 56 uploaded content of monkeys being tortured to online chat groupsTwo women have been jailed for their parts in a global monkey torture network described by a judge as “depraved, sickening and wicked”.Holly LeGresley, 37, and Adriana Orme, 56, were jailed for two years and 15 months respectively for uploading content of monkeys being tortured to online chat groups. Continue reading...
  
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• South African tiger farms illegally smuggling body parts, says charity

  13-11-2024 18:37
  
  Biggest tiger farms outside Asia are operating freely in South Africa, Four Pawsanimal charity saysThe largest tiger farms outside Asia are operating freely in South Africa, facilitating the illegal smuggling of tiger body parts, according to a report by an animal welfare charity.Research by Four Paws, which is campaigning to shut down South Africa’s big cat industry, found 103 places in the country where tigers were kept in captivity in 2023 or 2024 or had been kept during the previous th
  
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• Koala deaths almost double in housing developments in south-western Sydney, data shows

  13-11-2024 06:13
  Conservationists demand action from Minns government after ‘alarming’ rise in deaths of female koalas and joeysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKoala road deaths have nearly doubled in a development hotspot in south-western Sydney, according to conservationists who are demanding the Minns government improve protection for the endangered species in new housing areas.In a letter – signed by more than
  
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• Louisiana governor criticized over live tiger show at university football game

  11-11-2024 15:57
  Jeff Landry outrages animal activists after importing Bengal tiger from Florida for on-field traditionA caged Bengal tiger was wheeled on to the field of Tiger Stadium in Louisiana’s capital of Baton Rouge for the first time in nearly a decade before kick-off of Saturday night’s football game between the state’s flagship university and its Alabama counterpart, fulfilling the wishes of the state’s Republican governor, Jeff Landry.The tiger in question – whose forced
  
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• Horse racing’s social licence depends on finding new homes for retired runners. These steps could help | Annie Knox

  03-11-2024 15:00
  Ex-racehorses make wonderful riding horses, but training and rehabilitating them takes work and education – and more industry supportSign up for the Rural Network email newsletterAbout 15,000 thoroughbred and standardbred foals were bred in Australia last year for horse racing. They will have outlived their usefulness for racing before they’ve reached even half of their natural lifespan. Around one-third of retired racehorses are absorbed into the adjacent breeding sector. The remain
  
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• Scientists dismayed as UK ministers clear way for gene editing of crops - but not animals

  02-11-2024 14:49
  
  Advocates urge government to allow ‘precision breeding’ to combat disease, but RSPCA warns of ethical dangersMinisters are preparing to introduce legislation that will permit the growing of gene-edited crops in England and Wales. But the new legislation will not cover the use of this technology to create farm animals that have increased resistance to disease or lower carbon footprints.The decision has dismayed some senior scientists, who had expected both uses of gene editing would b
  
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• Melbourne Cup forced to seek new appeal as race no longer stops the nation

  01-11-2024 15:00
  Horse racing industry is facing up to falls in attendances and betting amid concerns for equine welfareDeclining interest in attending and betting on horse racing has increased the importance of the Melbourne Cup to the industry, as the first Tuesday in November continues to be targeted by equine welfare and “Nup to the Cup” campaigners.With enthusiasm dwindling and the horse racing sector facing up to the need to attract a younger generation of fans, the race’s new music-lovin
  
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• New LAWS briefing document:5 changes to improve the lives of animals

  29-10-2024 18:02 via labouranimalwelfaresociety.org.uk
  
  Labour has pledged to ‘introduce the biggest boost in animal welfare for a generation’.Now it’s time to make it happen.
  LAWS has produced a short political briefing for officials and legislators based on five key recommendations.Mandatory animal welfare labelling
  End the cage age
  Ban low welfare imports
  Strengthen the Hunting Act
  Phase out animal testingThe new LAWS briefing is available for download here:https://www.labouranimalwelfaresociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/
  
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• Country diary 1949: The badger is a friend to the farmer

  28-10-2024 07:00
  
  I have yet to meet the Cheshire farmer with a bad word for it, but so-called pest officers have gassed and trapped them in the forest1 November 1949CHESHIRE: Our chief authority on the life of the badger, Ernest Neal, whose knowledge was acquired by many days and nights of watching and by intensive study, wrote in 1948 in his book on the animal: “There is not the slightest doubt that the badger is a real friend to the farmer.” Very rarely a rogue badger has been known to kill poultry
  
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• Guardians of the Gibbons: can India save its only ape species from extinction?

  23-10-2024 11:56
  
  For over a century the villagers of Barekuri, north-east India’s biodiversity hotspot, have coexisted with the country’s only ape species, the hoolock gibbon. But this harmony stands in fragile ecological balance. Mohit Chutia, a 55-year-old farmer and father, has been taking care of one gibbon family while raising his own. When researcher Ishika Ramakrishna arrives to study human-gibbon interactions, she joins forces with Mohit and the villagers to tackle the gibbons' urgent populat
  
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• Guardians of the Gibbons: animal-human harmony hangs in the balance

  23-10-2024 11:56
  
  For over a century the villagers of Barekuri, north-east India’s biodiversity hotspot, have coexisted with the country’s only ape species, the hoolock gibbon. But this harmony stands in fragile ecological balance. Mohit Chutia, a 55-year-old farmer and father, has been taking care of one gibbon family while raising his own. When researcher Ishika Ramakrishna arrives to study human-gibbon interactions, she joins forces with Mohit and the villagers to tackle the gibbons’ urgent p
  
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• Number of abandoned cats soars by more than 30% in UK

  23-10-2024 01:01
  Leading animal rescue charity describes situation as a ‘deepening crisis’, as cost of caring for pets risesThe number of cats and kittens being abandoned in the UK has soared by more than 30% this year, according to a leading animal rescue charity, which described the situation as a “deepening crisis”.Last year Cats Protection helped a total of 184,000 cats, which equates to about 500 a day. However, the charity has launched an urgent appeal for donations as staff struggl
  
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• Adverts for ‘cruel’ elephant rides still rising despite new UK law, says charity

  20-10-2024 09:00
  MPs passed legislation a year ago to ban advertising of unethical animal tourism – but it has not yet come into forceGrowing numbers of travel companies are promoting holidays involving animal attractions through adverts that should be illegal in the UK under new legislation, campaigners say.MPs passed a law more than a year ago that gave ministers the power to ban tourism adverts that offer animal attractions, including elephant rides, but it has not yet come into force. Continue reading.
  
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• UK experts warn against buying ‘XL bully cats’

  19-10-2024 13:40
  Mutant breed, starting to be offered for sale in UK, has short legs, no whiskers and suffers serious health issuesPeople are being urged not to buy the feline equivalent of XL bully dogs, which have been created by breeders in the US.The hybrid breed is understood to be spreading to the UK after being bred to resemble XL bully dogs, mixing the gene that causes hairlessness in sphynx cats with the gene responsible for the short legs of munchkin cats. Continue reading...
  
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• Labour to legalise harmful practice of carrying chickens by legs, say charities

  18-10-2024 14:00
  
  Government accused of ‘shocking’ choice to dilute protection standards in first animal welfare policyLabour is using its first animal welfare policy since entering government to dilute standards by legalising the harmful practice of carrying chickens by their legs, charities have said.European transport regulation 1/2005, which still applies in the UK, prohibits lifting chickens by their legs on farms and during loading and unloading, but the government is going to change the law to
  
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• Shooters to target feral cats in NSW national parks amid boom in population

  14-10-2024 03:44
  
  Invasive Species Council says 5 million native mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs are killed by feral and roaming pet cats a day in AustraliaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA five-person team of expert shooters will soon target feral cats in New South Wales national parks as the state steps up efforts to control the pest animals.The intensive ground operation is being deployed in response to increased cat numbers, according to National Parks and Wildlife Service deputy
  
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• Accidental vet email further evidence of euthanasia of healthy greyhounds in Victoria

  13-10-2024 16:00
  
  As more cases of dogs being unnecessarily put down are revealed, activists want stricter reporting requirements for the racing industryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt was an accidental email that confirmed what many animal activists fear is widespread in Victoria’s greyhound racing industry: young, healthy dogs are being euthanised.In July clinic notes from a vet intended for a greyhound trainer were mistakenly sent to a rehoming group that had been to the sam
  
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• Lab-grown meat could be sold in UK in next few years, says food regulator

  08-10-2024 06:00
  
  Food Standards Agency says applications for cultivated steak, chicken and foie gras have already been submittedCell-cultivated meat could be on sale in the UK within a few years, the food regulator has said, with applications for lab-grown steak, beef, chicken and foie gras already submitted, while another 15 applications are expected in the next two years.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) was awarded £1.6m of government funding on Tuesday to develop an efficient safety assessment process fo
  
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• Taurine torpor: bullfighting’s non-fatal French cousin fights for survival

  03-10-2024 10:11
  Picasso and Hemingway believed folk sports like the course camarguaise were the height of European culture. Facing financial struggles, rowdy spectators and animal rights concerns, can its practitioners keep the custom alive?In an arena in the southern French village of Raphèle-lès-Arles on a torpidly hot July afternoon, a young black bull paws the floor next to the exit door. Eight raseteurs – the white-clad runners whose job is to seize tokens fixed to the animal – ye
  
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• Bird flu outbreak kills dozens of tigers in Vietnam zoos

  03-10-2024 03:50
  The H5N1 virus killed 47 tigers, three lions and a panther at the My Quynh safari park and the Vuon Xoai zoo, according to state mediaForty-seven tigers, three lions and a panther have died in zoos in south Vietnam due to the H5N1 bird flu virus, state media reported.The deaths occurred in August and September at the private My Quynh safari park in Long An province and the Vuon Xoai zoo in Dong Nai, near the capital Ho Chi Minh City, the official Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported on Wednesday.
  
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• When Gyles Brandreth almost turned Guildford red | Brief letters

  02-10-2024 18:35
  Blind polling | Gen Z crossword | Stella McCartney and silk | Tory flip-flops | Belfast LoughThe blind polling of American voters (Kamala Harris’s economic policy slate more popular than Trump’s – poll, 30 September) reminded me of Gyles Brandreth’s excursion to Guildford in 2019 for The One Show on BBC One. He asked people in the town what they thought of a whole raft of policies, from scrapping university fees and restoring grants to having a 50% top tax rate, and most
  
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• Alpine dingoes at risk of extinction after Victorian government extends right to cull

  01-10-2024 17:00
  At least 468 shot by government controllers last year out of an estimated population of as few as 2,640 in the state’s east, advocates sayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTraditional owners and dingo advocates say a Victorian government decision extending the right to kill dingoes on private and public land until 2028 could threaten local populations with extinction.A government order, which took effect on Tues
  
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• Stella McCartney preaches Peace and Dove in mission to save birds

  30-09-2024 16:53
  
  Designer launches campaign to banish real feathers from fashion industry as she shows latest collection in ParisThe battle to banish fur from fashion being mostly won, with almost all luxury brands fur-free, Stella McCartney is now on a mission to save the birds.“1.5 billion birds are killed for their feathers by the fashion industry every year,” the designer said backstage after a street catwalk show held in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, launching a campaign to put bird cruelty in
  
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• The world is shifting away from using animals in research. Will Australia get left behind?

  28-09-2024 22:00
  Australia’s lack of transparency and funding leave it on the outer as researchers worldwide explore alternatives for training, study and testingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA global shift in scientific and medical research is under way as countries hope to phase out experimentation on animals – but Australia risks being left behind.The transition from using animals to alternatives based on human cells
  
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• Scottish salmon farm cleared tonnes of dead fish before inspection, charity says

  25-09-2024 18:54
  
  Footage taken by Animal Equality UK before MSPs’ visit was a daily procedure, says Scottish Sea Farms The removal of tonnes of dead fish from a salmon farm before a Scottish parliament fact-finding mission there gave a misleading impression of conditions, an animal rights charity says.Footage secretly filmed by Animal Equality UK shows salmon being disposed of on Monday morning before a visit to Dunstaffnage salmon farm, near Oban, later that day by committee members carrying out an inquir
  
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• NSW man tossed chicken known as Betty White to ‘feed a hungry alligator’, court hears

  24-09-2024 09:54
  Peter Smith accused of act of aggravated cruelty on ‘a silkie bantam chook’ at wildlife park in Salt AshFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man who tossed a chicken known as Betty White to its death in an alligator pen had simply wanted to feed the reptile, his lawyer has said.Peter Smith, 58, of Hunterview in regional New South Wales, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Raymond Terrace local court to one count o
  
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• With agriculture at a sharp fork in the road, Australia needs savvy farm leaders | Gabrielle Chan

  23-09-2024 17:00
  
  There’s a war brewing between those who want to plan for future challenges and those who want to turn back the tideSign up for the Rural Network email newsletterJoin the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the communityThe leadership of Australian farming is a club that has strict rules. Like the classic movie Fight Club, the first rule about farm club is you don’t talk about farm club.But that doesn’t always work out well for farmers. There are clever people in the l
  
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• Veganism through the looking-glass | Brief letters

  20-09-2024 18:13
  
  Lewis Carroll and oysters | Tupperware | Storm Boris | Onstage bust-ups | Keir Starmer’s glassesBivalve veganism’s philosophical debate over oysters’ perceptions (‘I’ll have them with hot sauce’: should vegans eat oysters?, 12 September) appears to rage without any reference to Lewis Carroll’s The Walrus and the Carpenter. Curiouser and curiouser …
  Nic Howes
  Hereford• I’m sorry to learn of Tupperware’s demise. My Tupperware biscui
  
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