It's wonderful to notice things The way in which the bold white spines of the feathers lay diagonally across the screen The shades of green and earthy brown representing the solid connection to nature The vibrant blue moving focus across the image The intricate intertwining of delicate hairs The perfectly designed placement to provide a…
The Great British Bee Count
During the bank holiday weekend I took part in the Great British Bee Count. As we all know, bees are essential for our own survival, but they are rapidly declining due to a number of factors including heavy usage of strong pesticides, climate change, and the stress of the same bees being trucked from field-to-field…
How to make fat balls in 3 easy steps
Garden birds love fat balls and bird cakes that are commonly available in pet stores, garden centres and even some major supermarkets. However, they are also super easy to make at home using a few simple ingredients. What you will need: bird seeds peanuts raisins grated cheese vegetable suet A container such as a yoghurt…
What you should do if you find a baby bird
This is Troy the tawny owl. I recently had the opportunity to meet Troy and hear his very valuable story about how he came to be a resident at a bird conservation facility called the Hawk Conservancy Trust. Troy was found by a member of the public when he was a young chick. Upon finding…
Continue reading ➞ What you should do if you find a baby bird
Taiwan becomes first country in Asia to ban eating cats and dogs
A bill has just been approved by Taiwan's parliament that bans the slaughter of both cats and dogs for human consumption. Despite this being a long time coming, Taiwan is the first country in Asia to ban the eating of the animals. The bill also prohibits anyone pulling their pets alongside them when travelling by…
Continue reading ➞ Taiwan becomes first country in Asia to ban eating cats and dogs
Nature the healer
Those who live closer to nature are less likely to have an array of medical issues, including obesity and depression, according to a new report. The study found that middle-aged Scottish men who lived in areas that were surrounded by greenery and an abundance of nature had a death rate that was 16% lower than their more…
Introduction to the animal abuse registry
In recent years, worldwide consciousness has increased with regards to topics of animal abuse and protection of the environment. Due to this, animal abuse is being taken a lot more seriously than it ever has been before, which has resulted in countries introducing new laws to adapt to this change. Recently, a number of United…
Continue reading ➞ Introduction to the animal abuse registry
Is a spider about to eat you?
A recent entomological survey has concluded that a worldwide abundance of spiders means that, theoretically, the eight-legged arachnids could eat all of the humans currently on the planet in the space of just 12 months. This conclusion is however, only to put the amount of food that spiders eat into a comparative perspective, as spiders mostly eat…
Think twice before you throw
A turtle named "Bank" has died following surgery to remove almost 1,000 coins from her stomach, according to vets in Thailand. The coins found inside Bank were a result of tourists repeatedly throwing them into the pond that was the turtle's home. Her death was caused by blood poisoning from the loose change, which was confirmed by doctors…
Poachers target captive rhinos in brutal killing
Following the devastating news of the recent poaching attack on the orphaned rhinos at Thula Thula in South Africa, a similar tragedy has just occurred, only this time in a place that perhaps most would not expect. Reports have just come in claiming that a rhino has been murdered at a zoo in France, with poachers…
Continue reading ➞ Poachers target captive rhinos in brutal killing
Highlights of ranger struggles
In a week that has brought terrible news which highlights the endless hazards and dangers that animal protectors face, eight wildlife rangers have recently been killed in four separate countries. Sean Willmore, founder and director of the Thin Green Line Foundation, which supports widows and children of rangers killed in the line of duty, said, "It’s a tough week…
Remembering Rhinos: a kick start in the right direction
With rhino population figures at a crucial level, there has been no better time than now to introduce an innovative new incentive to raise money to protect an animal that has roamed the earth for more than 50 million years. Rhinos are critically endangered, with only around 29,000 left across the entire world, which includes all…
Continue reading ➞ Remembering Rhinos: a kick start in the right direction
Undercover investigation reveals chimps being sold as pets for £10,000
A BBC News investigation has uncovered a huge section of the wildlife trafficking business that sells baby chimpanzees as pets for £10,000, after their families are shot dead in front of them. The well-known West African hub for wildlife trafficking, which is known as the "blue room" was uncovered by the BBC's 12 month investigation, and reveals how…
Continue reading ➞ Undercover investigation reveals chimps being sold as pets for £10,000
Rare species of woodlouse glows in the dark
An incredibly rare species of woodlouse has just been discovered to have glow in the dark properties. The critically endangered spiky yellow woodlouse can only be found on St Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is one of many endemic and rare species on the remote island. The rare woodlouse is normally incredibly difficult…
Continue reading ➞ Rare species of woodlouse glows in the dark
New insect species discovered: Katydid
I always seem to get strange looks when I tell people that I love insects. I have a deep fascination with them and people always question 'why?!'. A friend recently asked me why I like them so much, and my immediate answer was that I find it so fascinating how they are so small and…
Children encouraged to climb on tiger to keep the devil away
I gaze at this video with my hand to my mouth as thoughts race through my mind of utter disbelief and disgust. Not only can I barely believe that people across the world are still treating animals like this, considering what we know about our depleting wildlife population, but also that hundreds of tourists are…
Continue reading ➞ Children encouraged to climb on tiger to keep the devil away
Death after a life in captivity: Tilikum
The star of the Blackfish documentary, and possibly the most talked about killer whale in the world, has sadly passed away. Tilikum is the well-known and loved orca who was made famous following the controversial documentary which uncovered the truth behind the trainer and orca interaction at Seaworld, and how keeping the beautiful creatures in captivity…
Wildlife charity saves elephant from a life of torture
Amongst all the horrific news about our ever-depleting wildlife, it is always heartwarming to hear about a positive story with a very happy ending. Couple that with the power of social media and an array of people with incredibly good souls and you will find a story that will restore a little bit of faith…
Continue reading ➞ Wildlife charity saves elephant from a life of torture
An elephant that ceases to be wild ceases to be
35 young elephants have just been taken from their life in the wild in Zimbabwe to spend the rest of their lives in captivity in China. It has recently been reported that Grace Mugabe has sent the elephants to China, along with a small number of lions, hyenas and a giraffe, in exchange for boots and uniforms…
Continue reading ➞ An elephant that ceases to be wild ceases to be
A pea in an elephant herd pod
Nature is full of unpredictable surprises. And there are few things more heart-warming to watch than the unlikely friendships and bonds of two completely different species in the wild. In 2014, two ostrich chicks were bestowed upon the world-renowned wildlife organisation The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. These two sibling chicks, a female named Pea and…
Beware of the bead
Tesco have announced that they will remove all products containing microbeads from all of their stores by the end of 2016. The huge supermarket chain said that it has been listening to its customer concerns about the array of products which contain microbeads, which are essentially tiny pieces of plastic, and therefore had instructed productions…
The new elephant: tuskless
During the current wildlife crisis, it is now becoming more common to see rhinos without their horns, due to the need to take extreme precautions during this desperate time, which means that cutting off a rhino's precious horn is seen as a necessary deterrent against poachers. However, are we now entering into a time where elephants…
Do you want to dance with a bear?
If you thought that our modern times and forward way of thinking had evolved past the use of should-be wild animals as entertainment through torture was long gone, then think again. A nightclub in western France has been brought to the frontline of media attention as the club thought it appropriate to include a chained…
The permanent European prison
We've all heard about the horrors of zoos and what once was a practice that we seemed oblivious to and didn't think to question, is now almost common knowledge as those thoughts of the welfare and care of those imprisoned animals creeps into our minds. Highly upsetting…