More than 200 animals abandoned by farmers after the eruption have not been fed or watered for days
A daring operation is being launched to rescue more than 200 sheep left to their fate by farmers after a volcanic eruption near the evacuated Icelandic town of Grindavik.
With molten lava setting homes ablaze and the ground surface cracking, rescue teams are seeking to bring out an estimated 270 animals from their fields and indoor pens.
Continue reading...SNP leader to replicate new restrictions in England and Wales that have resulted in apparent influx to Scotland of breed
Unlicensed XL bully dogs will be banned in Scotland, Humza Yousaf has said, as the Scottish government moves to replicate the new restrictions in England and Wales that have resulted in an apparent influx to the country of the breed.
Speaking at first minister’s questions on Thursday, the SNP leader told MSPs: “What has become clear, I’m afraid, in the last few weeks is we have seen a flow of XL bully dogs coming to Scotland.”
Continue reading...Giant primate ate bark and twigs after climate change turned sub-tropical environment into savannah
It was the largest primate ever to have roamed the Earth, but just why – and when – our distant cousin “giganto” ended up extinct has been something of a mystery.
Now researchers say the enormous ape was victim of an unfortunate choice of food when its preferred snacks became scarce.
Continue reading...Animal welfare campaigners hail decision as ‘historic victory’ after years of pressure at home and abroad
South Korea’s parliament has voted to ban the production and sale of dog meat, in a decision campaigners hailed as a “historic victory” for animal welfare.
The country’s national assembly voted overwhelmingly to ban the breeding, butchery, distribution and sale of dogs for their meat on Tuesday, after years of pressure at home and abroad.
Continue reading...Two Siamang gibbons rescued from the illegal pet trade have been rehabilitated in a new Indonesian centre
The forest chorus of South Sumatra in Indonesia has some of its finest singers back: a pair of rare Siamang gibbons, rescued from the illegal pet trade, have been released into the wild.
Siamang gibbons (Symphalangus syndactylus) are known for their distinctive large throat sacs. But their powerful, haunting voices, used for communication and marking territory, are a blessing and a curse.
Continue reading...Animals have been popping up on golf courses and surfing contests in Dunedin as they reestablish a foothold on the south island
A growing population of sea lions in the New Zealand city of Dunedin is provoking “overlapping chaos” as their breeding season coincides with residents enjoying peak summer weather.
Two sea lions gave birth on a golf course, another swam alongside competitors in a surfing contest. Others have been spotted crossing roads as Dunedin’s sea lion “silly season”, which runs from mid-December to mid-January, is in full swing.
Continue reading...Several species have vanished across swathes of the continent – and scientists say their disappearance holds unknown risks for humans
Africa’s birds of prey have experienced a widespread population collapse that risks unforeseen consequences for humans, according to a new study.
Tropical raptor species including the martial eagle, the bateleur and the dark chanting goshawk have vanished from swathes of the African continent over the past 40 years, new analysis shows, as many wild areas were converted to farmland. Several African birds of prey are on track to become locally extinct in many countries this century.
Continue reading...Expert says if you see a snake you should leave it alone and call for a professional catcher
When Tennille Bankes walked into a toilet cubicle in Goondiwindi, Queensland, she was greeted by the scaly tail of a spotted black snake peaking out beneath a closed lid.
The wildlife carer and snake catcher was called by police to the public bathroom after a local, surprised by the reptile, summoned them for help.
Continue reading...Photograph taken at wildlife reserve shows baby nestled with his mother after his return
A baby elephant who was separated from his mother and the rest of his herd in a wildlife park in Tamil Nadu, south India, has been reunited with them by park officials.
An aerial photograph taken by officials shows the mother and calf, three days later, enjoying a nap on a slight incline with the baby nestled in the nook of his mother’s chest.
Continue reading...From Sunday it is illegal to rehome, sell or transfer ownership of the dogs in England and Wales
A judicial review hearing has been granted for campaigners seeking to overturn the UK government’s ban on XL bully dogs, with owners of the animals now subject to tight restrictions as the legislation comes into force.
From Sunday, it is illegal to rehome, sell or transfer ownership of XL bully dogs in England and Wales, and they must be muzzled and kept on a leash when in public, with animal rescue centres fearing they could be forced to euthanise hundreds of dogs.
Continue reading...Khai Cowley, 15, was killed by a suspected great white shark off Ethel beach on the Yorke Peninsula
A teenage boy killed in a shark attack off the coast of South Australia has been remembered as a talented and dearly loved member of the surfing community.
The 15-year-old, identified by friends and a family member as Khai Cowley, was mauled by a suspected great white while surfing off the remote Ethel beach on the Yorke Peninsula west of Adelaide about 1.30pm on Thursday.
Continue reading...Body recovered from ocean off Dhilba Guuranda-Innes national park on the Yorke Peninsula
A teenage boy has died after a shark attack near Ethel Beach in South Australia, police say.
At 1.30pm on Thursday police received reports of a shark attack in Dhilba Guuranda-Innes national park, on the Yorke Peninsula.
Continue reading...Lee Parkin intervened in vain in 20-minute attack as he walked his dog near his home in Doncaster
Lee Parkin had been the proud owner of his terrier-spaniel cross Izzy for nearly 10 years when he stepped out for what would be his last walk with his beloved pet.
He was walking Izzy near his home in Doncaster when an XL bully pounced on her, mounting a 20-minute attack and ultimately killing the dog in front of Parkin, who desperately intervened in vain.
Continue reading...National Trust gave long list of species that have suffered in the past year
The disappearance of reliable seasonal patterns is causing chaos for the flora and fauna of the UK, a long-running annual audit of the impact of weather on nature has found.
Extreme weather events, from storms and pounding rain to searing heat and drought are putting huge pressure on animals, plants and the environment, the report from the National Trust says.
Continue reading...Just in time for Christmas, Adams county SPCA adopts out 598 animals and reunites 125 with their owners
An animal shelter in Pennsylvania reached a milestone this Christmas season, celebrating one of the rare moments where less is more.
The Adams county SPCA, which houses dogs, cats and other homeless, abandoned or lost animals, was empty for the first time in 47 years, according to a Facebook post from the shelter, reported by CNN.
Continue reading...Temporary roadside barriers set up to channel tens of millions of crabs migrating to the coastline
The welcome mat has been rolled out for scores of red crabs as they make their annual coastal dash on Christmas Island.
Each year, the first substantial rain of the wet season triggers tens of millions of adult red crabs to leave their forest homes, in the interior of the island, and march towards the coast to mate and spawn.
Continue reading...There are now seven known species of soft-furred hedgehogs, which look like a cross between a mouse and a shrew
Scientists have identified five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs from south-east Asia.
Two of the species discovered are entirely new to science, while three have been elevated from subspecies level by researchers, who carried out DNA analysis as well as detailed physical observations of the mammals.
Continue reading...Wolves are the first part of a plan to reintroduce the endangered species into the state after it was eradicated in the region
In an effort to restore an endangered species, Colorado just released five gray wolves in the western part of the state.
On Monday, Colorado parks and wildlife released two female and three male wolves on to remote public land. The predators were captured and brought over from Oregon, after Wyoming, Idaho and Montana refused to share their wolves citing interstate migration and financial concerns.
Continue reading...Commission’s proposal to downgrade animal’s ‘strictly protected’ status not based on scientific evidence, say conservationists
Wolves could be hunted again across western Europe after the European Commission proposed to reduce their protection, in what lawyers said was an ominous move against effective environmental laws.
The commission has proposed that EU member states downgrade the wolf’s status under the Berne convention from “strictly protected” to “protected” after two decades in which the species has returned to many countries from which it has been extinct for decades, including Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark.
Continue reading...Dozens of the animals died after they were treated with anti-parasitic medicine
A Japanese zoo has launched an investigation after apparently killing 31 of its 40 squirrels by mistake with treatments meant to kill parasites, officials said.
Keepers at the Inokashira Park Zoo in Tokyo treated the animals with anti-parasitic medicine on 4 December as part of a sanitary precaution, while also spraying insecticide over their nest boxes.
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