
A weekly round-up of the most important animal stories happening around the world.
Join over 150,000 others who start their week with the latest animal stories delivered straight to their inbox. We are currently accepting feature pitches. Learn more →
Is foie gras the world’s cruelest food?
The production process involves confining 12-week-old ducks and geese in small, dark pens for weeks, during which they are force-fed.
Drone footage shows rescued elephant Pupy thriving in new sanctuary home
The 35-year-old African elephant spent decades in a Buenos Aires zoo before being relocated to Latin America’s first elephant sanctuary.
Kamea, the youngest orca at SeaWorld, dies at 11
Her death brings SeaWorld’s orca death toll to 45, renewing calls to release the remaining whales into seaside sanctuaries.
Step into cruelty-free summer style with these vegan sandals
Is it even summer if you haven't ditched your boots for a carefree pair of sandals?
A third of North American bird species are rapidly declining, study warns
Researchers tracked 495 species using citizen data and found nearly 75 percent are plummeting in the regions they once thrived.
246 pilot whales slaughtered in Faroe Islands during controversial hunt
Pregnant females and newborn calves were among the pilot whales violently killed after being herded into the North Atlantic cove during this year’s Grindadráp.
Wild horse protections slashed in 2026 budget proposal, opening door to mass slaughter
The proposal cuts Bureau of Land Management funding by 25% and removes bans on killing federally protected animals, putting 64,000 wild horses and burros at risk.
The bird flu vaccine just lost US funding, do we still need it?
We have not yet experienced a bird flu pandemic, and there is little understanding of how dangerous this disease is.
Why our oceans matter and how you can help
The ocean is the heartbeat of our planet. It covers over 70% of Earth’s surface, generates more than half of the oxygen we breathe, regulates climate, and provides a home for nearly a million species.
Swapping animal products for plant-based foods helps people with type 1 diabetes lose weight, study finds
Researchers found that replacing animal products with plant-based foods, rather than focusing on calorie restriction, had the most significant effect on weight loss and overall metabolic health in people with type 1 diabetes.
Ant smuggling ring busted in Kenya, as wildlife traffickers turn to insects
Thousands of queen ants were found hidden in test tubes and syringes, part of what officials describe as a well-planned international trafficking operation.
Harvard’s infant macaque experiments defunded after years of public outrage
The NIH has terminated funding for Dr. Margaret Livingstone’s controversial primate lab, with advocates now calling for the surviving monkeys to be retired to sanctuary.
Horse carriage crash in Central Park renews push for Ryder’s Law
With both drivers hospitalized and video of runaway horses circulating online, advocates call on lawmakers to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC.
LA Zoo quietly moves elephants Billy and Tina to Tulsa, ignoring calls for sanctuary freedom
Billy and Tina, the last elephants at LA Zoo, were relocated to Tulsa Zoo under cover of night amid ongoing lawsuits seeking their transfer to a sanctuary.
Thousands of monkeys unaccounted for in Vietnam’s primate breeding trade, report finds
New analysis raises concerns of wild-caught macaques being fraudulently sold as captive-bred to supply U.S. laboratories.
Suffocation and souvenirs: what exactly is tuna tourism?
“Hauling fish like tuna from their ocean home and confining them in overcrowded pens is sickening.”
‘Vegan McDonald’s’ Mr. Charlie’s is coming to Arizona with 18 new locations
The plant-based fast food chain, backed by Mike Tyson and Future, is making its Southwest debut as part of a multimillion-dollar expansion, with plans for a national rollout already underway.
Why is a drug banned in more than 160 countries still used on farmed animals in the US?
Food safety and animal welfare groups argue the FDA is ignoring evidence on human health risks and environmental harm in its decision to maintain approval of the drug ractopamine in animal farming.
Major shipping company bans donkey skin transport in world first
Swire Shipping becomes the first international carrier to commit to a ban, as pressure mounts on the international transport industry to cut ties with the donkey skin trade.
‘This hellhole must be shut down’: 310 animals seized from Oregon zoo
Multiple inspections uncovered big cats with protruding bones, a tiger carcass stored alongside food, and a chimpanzee left in isolation following the death of his companion.
