By Nick Engelfried Claiming the lives of tens of millions of domestic canines every year, the brutal dog meat trade is–for many people–one of the most shocking industries on the planet. From stray dogs snatched off the streets, to pets stolen from loving homes, to dogs bred in factory farm-like […]
By Nick Engelfried When deputies went into a home in Spring Hill, Florida where they had received a tipoff about a possible animal hoarding situation, they say they found almost 100 pets living in filth and suffering from neglect. The officers claim to have discovered about thirty bird cages with […]
By Nick Engelfried Between November 2024 and January 2025, researchers in Antarctica found remains of 35 dead skuas (large predatory seabirds) that had no signs of injury or an obvious cause of death. The ominous discoveries prompted fears that the birds had been infected by disease–and subsequent testing confirmed one […]
By Nick Engelfried Grizzly bears are the largest land omnivore in North America, weighing up to 800 pounds. When standing upright, adult males may reach a height of eight feet. For many people, grizzly bears represent a symbol of untamed wilderness–but their numbers have plummeted to a tiny fraction of […]
By Nick Engelfried The practice of subjecting live animals to tortuous surgeries and other medical procedures was once common practice in the U.S. medical establishment. Pigs, goats, and other helpless animals endured agonizing pain as doctors practiced operations they would later perform on human patients. Thankfully, as technologies have advanced […]
By Nick Engelfried If you are an animal lover, you almost certainly know about the environmental harm and animal suffering caused by the cattle industry. Cattle farming is responsible for massive deforestation and a significant percentage of global carbon emissions. It also subjects millions of animals to short lives of […]
By Nick Engelfried In Colombia’s Magdalena River, a pair of big eyes and two round ears protrude above the water. A long snout slopes away from the eyes, toward a pair of huge nostrils that hint at the very large animal concealed beneath the surface. It’s a full-grown hippopotamus, a […]
By Nick Engelfried The stands in a giant arena are filled with eager spectators, waiting in suspense. In the center stands a man with a sharp lance and a colorful cape, facing an angry bull with lethally sharp horns. Suddenly the bull charges at the man–or matador–who skillfully steps aside […]
By Nick Engelfried Last year, a single organization killed over 375,000 native wild animals in the United States, including cougars, bobcats, black bears, coyotes, foxes, and wolves. The entity responsible wasn’t a hunting club or a private wildlife-killing contest. Rather, it was a secretive agency within the federal government. For […]
By Nick Engelfried For people who care about ending animal cruelty, the modern world is full of products to avoid. From pigs, cows, and chickens slaughtered for meat, to egg-laying hens whose beaks are mutilated in factory farms, to cattle killed for their leather hides, the aisles of stores are […]
By Nick Engelfried For the first time in history, humans are “farming” more fish and other aquatic life for food than we catch from oceans, lakes, and rivers. That’s according to a report recently released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, which showed aquaculture supplied 51 percent of the […]
By Nick Engelfried Every year, an estimated 6.3 million homeless cats and dogs are taken into shelters in the United States. Some are strays who may never have known a loving home, while others are surrendered by owners who are unable or unwilling to care for them. Each one of […]
By Nick Engelfried Few things are cuter than a loris. These small primates with big, round eyes and bodies covered in fuzzy fur look as if they were born to be cuddled–and as a result, pet lorises have become internet sensations and popular novelty pets. However, the trade in these […]
By Nick Engelfried In 1982, North America’s largest bird seemed to be heading for extinction. California condors, which prior to European colonization soared above forests, prairies, and deserts from what is now British Columbia down into Baja California, had been reduced to just 22 individuals. A variety of factors, from […]
By Nick Engelfried Every summer, millions of people head to ocean beaches to surf, swim, fish, or otherwise enjoy the water. For some, there’s nothing more relaxing than a day at the beach. However, what many beach-goers don’t realize is that they may be recreating in proximity to some of […]
By Nick Engelfried On Spain’s Canary Islands, an international seafood company wants to build the world’s first large industrial octopus farm, raising and slaughtering animals widely considered to be the world’s most intelligent invertebrates. Octopuses, which are solitary creatures in the wild, would be kept in tanks with dozens grouped […]
By Nick Engelfried Nothing is more tragic than the disappearance of a species. Once an animal or plant goes extinct, there’s no bringing it back and the result of millions of years of evolution is gone forever. Today, climate change, habitat destruction, and other effects of human actions are driving […]
By Nick Engelfried With their powerful muscles, streamlined bodies, and ability to run up to 40 miles per hour, greyhounds are master sprinters of the dog world. Over the centuries, greyhounds have been selectively bred to reach greater and greater speeds, and there can be little doubt these dogs enjoy […]
By Nick Engelfried Seabirds are among the natural world’s most impressive world travelers. With migration routes that may span entire oceans, they cover distances almost no other animal will venture in its lifetime. Their streamlined bodies and paraglider-like wings are designed to keep them aloft above the open seas, where […]
By Nick Engelfried Every year, an estimated one to two million large animals are hit by cars or trucks in the United States. The damage from these collisions for both wildlife and people is immense, and includes approximately 200 human deaths, 26,000 human injuries, and $8 billion in property damage. […]