ReadingAnimals

There is no reason to wait when the choice is between compassion and suffering. It’s a shame that Petal was forced to wait for so many decades only to die on the cold, hard floor instead of surrounded by trees, fresh air, bird song and perhaps the company, warm breath or caress of an elephant friend.
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Here’s an excerpt from one news story that addresses why Swarna the elephant attacked the “keeper” at the Calgary zoo:
“It’s possible Swarna considered Van Hooft a threat when it came after him, zoo staff said.
Van Hooft, meanwhile, is out of the hospital and recovering from the incident.

The zoo is looking into what led to the [...]

A new feature over at Discovery News reports: Next human plague likely to come from wildlife.
Noting that disease from HIV to SARS have animal vectors, scientists also predict that emerging disease risks are greatest for disease that pass from other animals to humans, i.e. “zoonoses.”
“We are crowding wildlife into ever-smaller areas, and human population is [...]

Why exactly would one use a cutesy Valentine’s Day headline for a story that is loaded with the language of war, control and the objectification of animal? Apparently the National Zoo thought it was a good idea. (The headline *and* the war on, control over and objectification of animals)

The thought of pig brain mist and the processes that result in said mist make me want to throw up, but that’s not what I’m writing about here. Turns out that people who breathe pig brain mist can become sick; many such workers have developed a neurological condition.
Apparently some people’s jobs are to blast [...]

Are bird feeders always bird friendly?