The Bears are Going Ape in Japan
Is this the beginning of the Bear Uprising? An episode this week in which a bear occupied a shopping mall for half a day has brought added attention to a mounting wildlife problem across Japan.
Category: ANIMALS
Back in the Pink: Hong Kong Dolphins Enjoy Rare Quiet as Pandemic Halts Ferries
Rare pink dolphins are returning to the waters between Hong Kong and Macau after the coronavirus pandemic halted ferries, but scientists remain deeply concerned about their long-term survival in one of the world’s busiest sea lanes.
India Claims Cow Dung Chip Protects against Radiation
An Indian government unit established to develop soaps and medicinal products from cow dung has branched out with a “chip” it claims can protect people from cellphone radiation.
Tasmanian Devils Released on Australian Mainland after 3,000 Years
Tasmanian devils have been released into the wild on Australia’s mainland 3,000 years after the feisty marsupials went extinct there, in what conservationists described Monday as a “historic” step.
Singaporean ‘Ant-Repreneur’ Sells Tiny Six-Legged Pets
Ants scurry around in transparent boxes stacked outside a Singaporean store that is tapping into an unlikely but growing local trend of keeping the six-legged creatures as pets.
Taiwan’s Largest Zoo Celebrates Baby Boom Amid Pandemic
Taiwan’s largest zoo has celebrated a flurry of births in recent months — including pandas and pangolins — in a welcome boost during a visitor slump due to the coronavirus.
Europe’s Captive Tiger Trade ‘Risks Spurring Illegal Demand’
Trade in tigers bred in captivity in Europe risks encouraging illegal demand for the endangered big cats, according to a new report published Wednesday by wildlife groups that warns lax oversight is enabling the grisly market for their body parts.
Study Found Reptiles Vulnerable to Global Lizard ‘Laundering’
More than a third of reptile species are bought and sold online in often-unregulated international trade, researchers said Tuesday, warning of the impact on wild populations of a pet market that puts a bounty on rare and newly discovered animals.
Sri Lanka to Ban Cattle Slaughter
The slaughter of cattle will soon be banned in Sri Lanka, the government said Tuesday, in a move widely viewed as a concession to increasingly influential Buddhists in the ruling party.
Life Still Precarious for Pangolins Despite Vietnam’s Illegal Trade Crackdown
Head keeper Tran Van Truong gently takes a curled-up pangolin into his arms, comforting the shy creature rescued months earlier from traffickers in Vietnam.
Whale Strandings: Some Notable Events
At least 380 pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia, officials said Wednesday, in what is likely to be the biggest beaching of the cetaceans in the country’s history.
Extremely Rare Endangered Javan Rhino Calves Spotted in Indonesian Park
Two extremely rare Javan rhinoceros calves have been spotted in an Indonesian national park, boosting hopes for the future of one of the world’s most endangered mammals.
Why is China Buying up the World’s Donkeys?
China’s domestic donkey population has already halved in the last century, while the world’s total is facing extinction by the next decade. But what is the reason behind China’s strange appetite for the beloved beast-of-labor?
World Wildlife Plummets More Than Two-Thirds in 50 Years
Global animal, bird and fish populations have plummeted more than two-thirds in less than 50 years due to rampant over-consumption, experts said Thursday in a stark warning to save nature in order to save ourselves.
Taiwan’s ‘Fattest’ Pig Festival Draws Smaller Crowds
A festival in Taiwan where enormous pigs are slaughtered and displayed is drawing smaller crowds as animal rights activists alter perceptions of the controversial tradition.
