Ross Harvey, Senior Researcher in Natural Resource Governance (Africa), South African Institute of International Affairs The world’s leading lion scientists argue that captive predator breeding has no conservation value. Successful reintroduction from captivity into the wild among large felids is extremely rare. Nonetheless, the captive predator breeding industry in South Africa operates on the pretext […]
Why does my Cat lick me?
by Barbara George – Tellington Ttouch Behaviourist Cats lick to groom themselves and they groom their social friends as a way of showing that they care. Grooming another is their way of showing affection, so when your cat licks you treat it as a kiss! Along with the grooming goes the exchange of scents, all animals in the same […]
The why, what and where of the world’s black leopards
A black leopard was recently spotted in Kenya’s Laikipia area by San Diego Zoo scientist, Nicholas Pilfold. Sam Williams, a conservation ecologist focused on African carnivores, asked Nicholas about the elusive cats. Where are black leopards found in Africa? There have been a number of reports of black leopard in Africa, but very few confirmed […]
How Cats Move
by Barbara George – Tellington Ttouch Behaviourist Walking is a 4-beat gait, with one foot off the ground at a time. The legs on one side are moved, back first, then the front, then the legs on the other side are moved in the same way, back first, then front. The back foot is placed as close as possible […]
These bizarre creatures defy what we think we know about plants and animals
Jordi Paps, Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex There are dozens of groups of living species that are neither plants nor animals. We tend to think of plants as organisms that stand still and use photosynthesis to produce energy from sunlight and make their own organic molecules from the soil. And we see […]
For the first time, we can measure the human footprint on Antarctica
While buildings and disturbance cover a small portion of the whole continent, it has an outsized impact on Antartica’s ecosystem. Shaun Brooks, PhD Candidate, University of Tasmania and Julia Jabour, Leader, Ocean and Antarctic Governance Research Program, University of Tasmania – 4 March 2019 Most people picture Antarctica as a frozen continent of wilderness, but […]
Cats – Starting Food Puzzles Simply
by Barbara George – Tellington Ttouch Behaviourist There are many benefits to using puzzle feeders, entertainment, stimulation, using the mind and body, honing their hunting skills, preventing boredom, and as a weight-loss exercise. While we may think the beginner puzzles are easy to use, our cats may think differently. After all, they have been pampered and fed their […]
Why do animals have varying lifespans?
For the microscopic lab worm C. elegans’ life equates to just a few short weeks. The bowhead whale can live over two hundred years. Why are these lifespans so different? And what does it really mean to ‘age’?
Cats and Petting Aggression
by Barbara George – Tellington Ttouch Behaviourist Cats are generally very touch-sensitive – this is part of their survival instinct as solitary hunters; they need to be aware of every sound, smell, sight, and touch all the time. It’s no wonder that they react to overstimulation, seemingly at the flick of a whisker! Petting aggression is the term […]
Zebra’s stripes are a no fly zone for flies
We think that the reason equids need to be striped in Africa is that African biting flies carry diseases such as trypanosomiasis, African horse sickness and equine influenza which can be fatal to equids. Tim Caro, Professor of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Ecology, University of California, Davis and Martin How, Research Fellow in Biological Sciences, […]