A weekly round-up of the most important animal stories happening around the world.
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“Blood on its hands again”: US research facility where 43 monkeys escaped earlier this month is now accused of killing 18 other monkeys after a heater malfunctioned
The case has renewed anger over public money being used to fund monkey experiments, with the accused US facility receiving $19 million this year alone from National Institutes of Health contracts.
US man jailed for “ringleader” role in monkey torture network
Known as the ‘The Torture King’, he plead guilty to creating and distributing sadistic videos of monkeys being tortured, which were posted on private social media channels.
Giraffes could move to the Endangered Species List for the first time
Poaching, habitat loss, climate change, human population growth, and urbanization are pushing giraffes closer to extinction.
Three million dogs could be slaughtered for Morocco FIFA World Cup bid
Thousands of dogs have already been rounded up and killed as Morocco prepares for its World Cup bid next month, with campaigners warning that the situation could worsen.
The first child to contract bird flu has been reported in California
The CDC has confirmed that a child has tested positive for bird flu, marking the 55th human case in the U.S.
More than $100K reward offered after protected Mexican gray wolf found dead in Arizona
Hope was last seen traveling with another critically endangered Mexican gray wolf, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Here’s why animals lost in the 2024 US election
The 2024 election cycle will continue to be discussed and debated by pundits and social scientists for years to come, but the majority will overlook one group that lost big in this election: animals.
Controversial plans for a huge monkey farm in a small Georgia city will now be taken to the Georgia Supreme Court as concerned residents up the ante
The planned facility will house up to 30,000 monkeys, who will be bred for use in painful and often fatal animal tests.
“Left to die one by one”: Canada’s controversial Marineland zoo announces five beluga whales have died this year
The zoo and aquarium has faced years of animal abuse allegations, and now welfare groups are calling on the government to step in to prevent further deaths.
Final 23 surviving Alamogordo chimpanzees to be moved to sanctuary
The retired research chimpanzees at the Alamogordo Primate Facility, where they were once used as test subjects, will soon be relocated to Chimp Haven sanctuary.
US university blasted for parading a live tiger during football game
The stadium’s decision to use a live tiger has been widely criticized as cruel and outdated.
Veterans call on US Army to end weapon-wounding experiments on animals
Over 250 U.S. veterans are urging the Army to stop testing weapons on live animals, a practice involving shootings, mutilations, and lethal trauma experiments.
Fur ban and slaughterhouse ban proposals rejected in Denver
Two pro-animal initiatives have failed to gather enough support after appearing on the ballot for all Denver voters.
Oakland Zoo’s last remaining elephant is sent to a sanctuary, in “watershed moment” for the evolution of zoos
The compassionate move comes after modern research into animal welfare has shown that elephants do not cope well in captivity, with zoo enclosures unable to meet the complex needs of elephants.
SeaQuest Fort Worth closes amid animal cruelty investigation
The aquarium chain has shut its Texas location after whistleblower reports revealed animal abuse including sharks likely starving to death and marine animals dying in plastic bags during transport.
Conservation groups urge US government to ban controversial ‘cyanide bombs’, which poisoned over 6,000 animals last year
The government's little-known Wildlife Services continues to use the ‘horrifying’ bombs in national forests to kill wildlife including coyotes and foxes.
Microplastics found in dolphin breath, alarming study finds
The scientific research reveals that microplastic exposure is now so widespread that it has been detected in wild bottlenose dolphins.
Florida man who tied his dog to a pole and then abandoned him during Hurricane Milton is charged with a felony
Viral footage of law enforcement discovering the stranded dog near a highway led to mass calls for the owner to be identified and held accountable.
Disney World is removing all dolphins from Epcot to prioritize animal welfare - but sadly they won’t be retired to a sanctuary
The dolphins at Epcot are being sent to a dolphinarium which has one of the highest death rates in the US, leading campaigners to call for the animals to be transferred to a sanctuary instead.
Six critically endangered red wolves die in aftermath of fatal vehicle strike in North Carolina - now fewer than 20 remain in the wild
Conservationists say more wildlife crossings could help protect the long-term survival of the species, which is regarded as the most endangered wolf in the world.