A weekly round-up of the most important animal stories happening around the world.
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Room to roam: California Assembly passes landmark bill to improve wildlife connectivity
The legislation would help ensure that the state’s wildlife can move across the landscape to find food, shelter, and potential mates.
Florida woman who brutally attacked husky with mallet sentenced to five years in jail
The abuse was captured on a hidden camera, and showed Elizabeth Jaimes striking the 9-year-old dog over sixty times.
Bird flu in the US: third person tests positive as virus also detected in beef
The outbreak continues to spread in farms across the country as figures show that nearly 100 million poultry and 68 dairy herds have now been affected by the deadly H5N1 strain.
Historic bill bans bullfighting in Colombia
“More than 500 years of animal torture in bullrings comes to an end”, Senator Esmeralda Hernandez said on the bill’s passing.
Monkeys falling dead from trees as intense heat hits Mexico
Over 100 howler monkeys have been found dead as the country reaches highs of 133 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wolverines to return to Colorado in new government restoration plans
The species is native to the state, but they were wiped out in the early 1900s by trappers.
USDA ends ‘gruesome’ practice of horse soring
Long condemned by campaigners, horse soring involves using chemicals and devices to inflict pain on horses to produce an exaggerated gait rewarded in some competitions.
Saved! Wild Horses To Stay at North Dakota National Park as Roundup Plans Cancelled
Controversial plans to roundup and remove the herd of 200 wild horses have been dropped, and wildlife services will now help to maintain the animals inside the park instead.
Grizzly Bears Will Return to Washington State In Government Restoration Effort
The species was hunted to near extinction during the 20th century, but now federal plans will see the bears finally return to their natural home in the North Cascades ecosystem.
South Dakota Governor Condemned for Shooting Her Family’s Dog and Goat
The politician has been widely criticized after comments in a new book revealed how she took a goat and 1-year-old dog to a gravel pit and shot them both dead.
California’s Salmon Fishing Ban Kept in Place for Second Year as Fish Stocks Still Haven’t Recovered
All commercial and recreational salmon fishing has been banned off the coast of California for only the fourth time in state history.
Birth Control Could Help Manage Rats in NYC, New Bill Suggests
The bill aims for safer and humane alternatives for rat control, and hopes to protect the city’s wildlife who can be killed by eating poisoned rats - including Flaco the Owl who died back in February.
Conservation Groups Launch Legal Challenge Against Government’s Inaction for Wolves in Northern Rockies
The lawsuit says the US Fish and Wildlife Service is illegally denying protections to wolves.
Robotic Police Dog Who Was Shot Three Times Is Credited for Helping to Apprehend Armed Suspect
Massachusetts state police’s futuristic companion shows how innovative solutions like robotics could help reduce the number of animals used in dangerous police missions.
Virginia Man Charged for “Ringleader” Role in Global Monkey Torture Network
The alleged criminal is accused of making sadistic videos of monkeys being tortured and killed for paying customers around the world.
Hope for Elephants: U.S. Restricts the Import of Elephant Hunting Trophies
The move is a win for conservationists, who say America imports more hunting trophies than any other country in the world.
Wolves Spotted in Nevada for First Time in Nearly a Decade
The sighting of three wolves in the Silver State is a positive sign that wolf populations are recovering in the area.
Sixteen Bear Cubs Rescued from Wildlife Trafficker
The orphaned moon bears have been taken to a sanctuary after government officials in Laos discovered them being illegally kept at a house in the country’s capital.
US Bill That Would Ban Trophy Hunting Imports of Threatened Species Reintroduced
If passed, the ProTECT Act would also ban domestic hunting of at-risk species in the US.
This New Plant-Based Octopus Tentacle Could Help Keep Octopus in the Ocean
An innovative company has unveiled the first-of-its-kind plant-based tentacle in a move that could help solve the world’s unsustainable demand for octopus meat.