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.
Beagle testing breeder Envigo pleads guilty to mistreatment and fined record $35.5m
As part of the investigation, more than 4,000 beagles bred for medical research experiments were rescued from Envigo’s Cumberland County facility.
Sustainable fashion: Balenciaga launches signature sneakers made from banana plant
The luxury brand has teamed up with Bananatex, a next-gen material that’s completely natural and free from animal skin and plastic.
Council demands report on elephant deaths at L.A. Zoo
After two elephants were euthanized within 12 months, the Los Angeles City Council has intervened, requesting a study to identify the causes and assess the standards for elephant management and care at the facility.
Wildlife killing contests could be banned on public land if this House bill passes
Each year thousands of native carnivores and other wildlife, including coyotes, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, prairie dogs and wolves, are killed during these competitions.
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.
Plans for intensive octopus farm fail to address significant environmental concerns, documents show
The Canary Islands government has rejected an environmental report submitted by Spanish corporation Nueva Pescanova for its proposed octopus farm.
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.
World’s biggest dairy company launches plant-based milk range
The move highlights the growing popularity of alternative milks, with the company even converting one of its milk processing factories into a dedicated plant-based production facility.
Activists fight to free lonely beluga whale from South Korean mega-mall
Dolphin Project and Hot Pink Dolphins have launched a petition urging Lotte World Aquarium to rehabilitate and evaluate Bella for release into the wild.
Meati raises $100M investment to expand its rollout of mushroom meat
The US-based company’s mushroom-based steaks and cutlets feature the mushroom root superfood, with growing consumer demand now bringing product availability to more than 6,000 stores nationwide.
Why have these 26 ex-laboratory chimpanzees not been retired to a sanctuary?
Nearly a decade after the US ended invasive chimpanzee research and promised to send all remaining great apes to sanctuary, 26 chimps remain in limbo at the Alamogordo Primate Facility in New Mexico.
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.
Victory! UK bans the export of live animals
The controversial industry has shipped millions of live farmed animals from the UK to abroad on crowded, grueling journeys, which can last for over 100 hours.
Bird flu virus still present when meat cooked rare, USDA reports
Scientists are racing to understand more about the potential dangers of the H5N1 virus which has been found on dairy farms in the US.
‘Hinders American innovation’: Alabama bans cultivated meat
Alabama has become the second US state to prohibit the production and sale of cultivated meat, following Florida’s recent ban.
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.
New bill aims to ban controversial law enforcement ‘training’ where dogs are legally ‘mutilated’ to help train officers
Taxpayer-funded live tissue training sees live animals intentionally and severely injured so law enforcement staff can practice medical procedures.