Cougars, bears, sloths, & a kangaroo, oh my, & a rap sheet as long as a python MARGATE, Florida; BROOKHAVEN, New York––Sloth, a harmless herbivorous “species of least concern,” according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, frequently exhibited but rarely surviving long in captivity, also happens to be the name of one […]
How “tiger porn” & kitten handling Trump the Big Cat Public Safety Act
The Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary, Knoxville Zoo, and Sharkarosa Zoo defy the intent of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, if not the actual letter of it WEST BEND, Wisconsin; KNOXVILLE, Tennessee; PILOT POINT, Texas––One might call it “tiger porn.” Mingling fantasy with delusion, voyeurism, exhibitionism, and profitable showmanship, the grotesquely misnamed roadside zoo calling […]
Hunting lobby Michigan United Conservation Clubs goes bust
Would culling the Michigan hunter population have prevented the collapse? LANSING, Michigan––Once reputedly the most influential state-level pro-hunting lobbying voice in the U.S., the Michigan United Conservation Clubs are “dissolving after almost 90 years because of ongoing financial struggles,” reported Dan Basso on May 6, 2026 for the Lansing State Journal. The fiscal collapse of […]
Elephants stomp wine grape-growing millionaire trophy hunter
Why did the death of trophy hunter Ernie Dosio attract more online notice than all 158 comparable cases over the past 20 years? LODI, California––Ernie Dosio, 75, described by Metro correspondent Jamie Pyatt, of Cape Town, South Africa, as “A millionaire U.S. big game hunter,” a longtime wine grape grower from Lodi, California, and “a […]
The Wild Truth about wildlife videos & lack of humane jurisdiction
The wild truth seems to be that either no one in authority cares about alleged cruelty in wildlife filmmaking, or no one actually has the authority even to investigate serious allegations JOHANNESBURG, South Africa––Substack browsers with an interest in animals may in recent weeks have discovered a site titled The Wild Truth: Exposing animal cruelty […]
All the news, good & bad, about vaquitas, jaguars, & hippos, oh my!
Vaquita porpoises & a clouded jaguar seen alive, but Colombian environment minister wants to see feral hippos dead SAN FELIPE, Mexico; TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras; BOGOTA, Colombia––Recently reported good news about vaquita porpoises and jaguars, among the most endangered species in Latin America, was offset by the April 1, 2026 announcement by Colombian environment minister Irene Vélez […]
Search for Lost Birds shows that “extinction” is not always forever
Surprisingly often “lost” means just very scarce or very well hidden ITHACA, New York––The dodo, the moa, the passenger pigeon, the ivory-billed woodpecker, and the Carolina parakeet are all out of luck, but the “Search for Lost Birds” conducted by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology since 2022 has brought 21 species back from the […]
He arose! Jonathan the 194-year-old tortoise did not die on April 1!
Reports of his death, as Mark Twain said, were “Greatly exaggerated.” HELENA––“Heartbroken to share that our beloved Jonathan,” a Seychelles tortoise with an estimated age of 194 years, “the world’s oldest living land animal, has passed away today peacefully,” a scammer purporting to be St. Helena veterinarian Joe Hollins posted to social media on April […]
In memoriam: Mark Bittner, Edward Hoagland, Anthony McAllister
Parrot man, writer, and activist Mark Bittner, 74, who died on March 1, 2026, and Edward Hoagland, 93, who died on February 17, 2026, were both known to millions and are remembered for their unique insights into animal and human relationships. Anthony McAllister, 36, killed in a March 22, 2026 motorcycle accident, was known mostly […]
Kangaroos, mink, & crocs have skin in the game; politicians do not
Republicans try to undo legislation against kangaroo leather and the mink trade; IUCN favors crocodile & snake farming DETROIT, SACRAMENTO, WASHINGTON D.C., MELBOURNE, Australia––2026 began most auspiciously for those of us who believe fur and hides belong on the animals who grew them, not to human scavengers, but that was before politicians got involved on […]