A new relationship with animals, nature and each other.

Crows Rolling in the Snow

If you thought the crow who goes snowboarding was just a one-off, this video, also from Russia, would seem to say otherwise. Or maybe it’s just…

Did Bunnies Kill Off the Neanderthals?

What brought about the demise of the Neanderthals? Was it the arrival of the Cro-Magnon early-modern humans? John Fa of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust suggests that it was rabbits – or more precisely, the Neanderthals’ lack of skill in catching them.

Of course, those of us who studied ancient history under Prof. Monty Python know that killer bunnies were wiping out whole armies of humans well into the Middle Ages …

Will Pentagon Abandon ‘Training’ on Animals?

Congress has ordered the Pentagon to draw up a plan to phase out the use of animals in combat medical training – or, as the military calls it, “live tissue training.” (Sounds like how parents teach their children to blow their nose.) Sounds good. But will the Pentagon actually comply?

The Horsemeat Taboo

The horsemeat scandal that’s eating away at Europe isn’t about bad food or labeling or criminal black markets. It’s about the violation of cultural taboos.

Every culture has its food taboos, and for some people, eating horses is one of those. But what we really need is a new set of taboos that aren’t rooted in outdated religions and will engender a new relationship with our fellow animals.

Health Concerns about Spay/Neuter

Spay/neuter is one of the bedrocks of the no-kill movement. Every year it saves millions of unwanted dogs and cats from being born. But veterinarians are always looking for better ways of preventing unwanted pregnancies. And in this guest post, Prof. Hal Herzog looks at new research that challenges conventional wisdom that desexing dogs is also good for their health.

He says that while “no one wants to go back to the days when 24 million unwanted cats and dogs got the blue needle each year … it’s a classic conflict between what is best for the individual versus what is best for society.” He also offers a possible solution.