China’s claims that the pandemic emerged from a wild animal market in Wuhan last December have been challenged by a landmark scientific study. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that analysis of the coronavirus by specialist biologists suggests that all available data shows it was taken into the market by someone already carrying the disease. … Read more
Owners who tug on their dog’s leash risk injuring the animal’s neck – and it can lead to breathing difficulties, research finds Even the lightest tug on a lead said to exert force similar to that of a a tourniquet When a dog on a lead suddenly lunges, the force could even be six times greater … Read more
BBC travel presenter Simon Reeve warns that the lockdown has left animals vulnerable to poachers – even in parks and conservancies Many rangers and guides at national parks across the globe are being laid off This is leaving endangered animals unprotected and poaching has increased Rhinos have been killed in Africa in tourist areas considered … Read more
Now THAT’s social distancing! People around the world share funny snaps of animals following the COVID-19 rules better than some humans Some well behaved animals around the world have also been social distancing Funny examples of this have been shared online and collated by Bored Panda One shows a pigeon in Poland taking up a spot … Read more
A director of a zoo in Germany has admitted that for her zoo to survive, it may be forced to feed some animals to others. Visitor attractions across the globe have been closed down because of the coronavirus, and without the income generated from visitors, zoos are struggling to find the funds to look after … Read more
Netflix’s Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem And Madness has gone viral in Australia. And although the documentary series focuses on big cat sanctuaries in America, there are several zoo keepers risking their lives to look after similar deadly mammals much closer to home. Australia’s answer to Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin, minus his 22-year jail sentence … Read more
A vet has issued an urgent warning to pet owners as researchers look into the link between domestic animals and coronavirus. Dr Anne Fawcett, from the University of Sydney’s School of Veterinary Science, said common sense should be used after two cats and two dogs tested positive for COVID-19. ‘Out of an abundance of caution, … Read more
As a fellow scribbler remarked elsewhere this week, wild animals seem to possess ‘some atavistic sixth sense that humans are in disarray or on the retreat’. His theory is certainly borne out by my own observations of the behaviour of the local fauna in our South London suburb. For many years now, we’ve been plagued … Read more
Beauty of the beasts: Photographer’s striking black-and-white images reveal the magnificence and vulnerability of Africa’s wildest animals Laurent Baheux’s coffee table book is called The Family Album of Wild Africa and is 480 pages long The book includes almost 300 remarkable black-and-white images of animals from lions to hippos Animals are pictured nuzzling and tending to … Read more
Wild animals take back control of Mexican resorts: Crocodiles and jaguars roam deserted tourist hotspots as turtles lay their eggs in front of a luxury Cancun hotel The animals were filmed in the coastal resorts of Cancun and Riviera Maya In one clip a crocodile swims along a canal outside people’s hotel balconies A leatherback … Read more