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Animals

Animals
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Animals. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Visitors feed fruits to elephants at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s first elephant orphanage celebrates 50 years

The orphanage opened in 1975, but Sri Lanka is also now facing a human-elephant conflict in areas bordering traditional wildlife sanctuaries.

Viral stories

‘Dog’ man in Japan rents out canine costumes so others can live animal dream

Conservation

Opinion | Asia must act to avoid eating pangolins out of existence

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Trending in China

White horse in China that died after saving drowning man to get statue in its honour

Heartbroken owner of heroic horse tells how animal fell sick, went quickly downhill after it played a vital role in pulling stricken man to riverbank.

A white horse in China that died after it helped save a drowning man is to have a statue of it erected in its honour. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Conservation

Humpback whale swallows then spits out kayaker in Chile – and it’s captured on video

Adrian Simancas was paddling off Chilean Patagonia when the giant whale surged out of the water swallowing him and his yellow kayak.

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Zambia

US man sues safari tour firm after wife dies in Zambia hippo attack

The lawsuit alleges that local guides walked away without helping as the animal grabbed Lisa Manders with its mouth and crushed her.

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Trending in China

Outrage in China as highway workers eat dog that escapes from boarding centre

Surveillance footage shows two highway patrol officers taking dog to office kitchen, where it was cooked, shared among eight workers.

Chinese highway workers sparked public outrage after cooking and eating a dog that had escaped from a pet boarding centre. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote
Singapore

Horse therapy for the elderly gallops into gear in Singapore

The initiative aims to tap into the therapeutic power of miniature horses to help elderly residents improve their health and well-being.

Viral stories

Japan ‘Miracle’ cat survives on toilet water, eating leftovers for a month

Left-for-dead cat suffers sickness and brain damage but clings onto life to raise awareness about animal cruelty in Japan.

Australia

Over 100 venomous snakes found in Australian man’s backyard

Pregnant red-bellied black snakes tend to pile on top of each other; two of the adults gave birth to 29 babies as they were being rounded up.

Red-bellied black snakes are contained in a bucket after 102 of the reptiles were captured in Sydney yard on January 31. Photo: Cory Kerewaro via AP
Britain

UK’s top feline diplomat ends retirement for ‘purr-fect’ job

Palmerston, former chief mouser at the Foreign Office, is now Britain’s chief four-legged representative in Bermuda.

Palmerston, who is named after the longest-serving British Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston, arrived in government in April 2016 as a rescue cat. Photo: AP
The Netherlands

Room with a seal view: Dutch hotel gets unusual guest

The seal had become ‘quite grumpy due to its disturbed beauty sleep’ and animal rescue moved it to a more usual habitat by the beach.

Asia travel

YouTubers blamed for monkey attacks on tourists at Angkor temples

At Angkor Wat and other temple ruins nearby, macaque monkeys fed by YouTubers creating videos are stealing visitors’ food and injuring them.

Britain

Scotland has no plans to ban cats, first minister says

A report from the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission had called for restrictions on cats to protect wildlife in ‘vulnerable areas’.

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission urged ministers to explore introducing containment zones, within which there would be restrictions on cats. Photo: EPA-EFE
Trending in China

Taiwan actress slams mainland Chinese influencer after dog dies on live-stream

Online viewers look on in horror as influencer slaps and gags struggling canine while giving it a bath until animal becomes motionless.

A Taiwan actress has slammed a Chinese influencer after a dog died while he was giving it a live-stream bath. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo/Douyin
Malaysia

Stripped for parts: Vietnamese poachers target last of Malaysia’s wild tigers

Poachers use commercial fishing fleets to smuggle what remains of Malaysia’s wild tiger population out of the country, a new report finds.

Trending in China

China zoo criticised for selling tiger urine for US$7, claims it treats rheumatism

‘World class’ animal park which promotes ‘civilised’ tourism recommends mixing urine, which it collects in basins, with white wine for treatment.

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Trending in China

First China corgi police dog loses ‘bonus’ for sleeping on job, peeing in food bowl

Diminutive doggy detective with good reputation has snacks ‘confiscated’ by human handlers, sparking humour, sympathy on social media.

China’s first Corgi police dog loses its “year-end bonus” for being tired on the job and urinating in its food bowl. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Trending in China

Cute tales: China canine cops in doghouse, Japan aquarium cures fish’s depression

Online observers have been tickled pink by official warnings given to police dogs in China, while keepers help a ‘sad’ fish in Japan get back in the swim.

US-China relations

New pandas from China make their debut at National Zoo in Washington

Bao Li and Qing Bao, both three years old, are the US capital’s latest panda diplomats.

Japan

Outrage in Japan over man suspected of killing 77 rabbits on famed tourist island

The man, charged with kicking a rabbit to death on Okunoshima, reportedly said he was curious how they would react to ‘bullying’.

There are an estimated 1,000 rabbits on Okunoshima, an island that is a 15-minute ferry ride from the mainland in Japan’s eastern Hiroshima prefecture. Photo: Shutterstock
Extreme weather

Texas got so cold in US winter blast that alligators froze in solid ice

Online footage shows the reptiles completely submerged except for their snouts, through which they take one breath a minute.

An alligator is seen frozen in ice, with its snout above the surface. Photo: TNS
Hong Kong

Editorial | Stricter Hong Kong law on animal cruelty long overdue

Pets cherished during the lonely days of the pandemic are now being abandoned and Hong Kong care groups are struggling to cope.

Pakistan

Lion mauls Pakistani man who was filming TikTok video

The mauling occurred in Lahore after the social media enthusiast entered the lion’s cage to shoot a video.

Tourism

The thrill of tracking rhinos in Zimbabwe’s oldest national park

Travellers to Matobo National Park in southern Africa can get close to rhinos and enjoy beautiful views from a Unesco World Heritage site.

Two southern white rhinoceros graze in Matobo National Park, in Zimbabwe. The population of these rhinos has stabilised in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, eSwatini, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Photo: Shutterstock
Art

Portuguese dressage school preserves a ‘source of collective identity’

At Lisbon’s Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, riders and a unique breed of horses are guardians of dressage recently listed by Unesco.

A dressage performance at the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art. Photo: AFP
New Zealand

Cat from New Zealand left on plane in Australia flies there and back again

Mittens, 8, was only supposed to take a one-way flight from Christchurch to Melbourne. She ended up being airborne for over 10 hours.

Wellness

Snake behaviour altered by climate change, habitat loss. Why we’re at risk

Rising global temperatures and growing human populations are going to increase conflict between snakes and people, experts say.

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