Animal Behavior

The brutal abuse of Asiatic moon bears to produce bile for advocates of Chinese Medicine is receiving much needed widespread global attention. Guan Zhiling, a youngster who visited Animals Asia's Moon Bear Rescue Centre outside of Chengdu, China, summed the situation up beautifully: “It’s brutal and disrespectful to the bears, and a disgrace to the human race.” Read More

Perhaps no other phenomenon demonstrates our brain’s ability to make believe better than the placebo effect. Read More

A yearly epidemic kills local dogs with parvovirus, a preventable disease. We must educate people to vaccinate their pets. These plagues will happen again and again, unless we act. Read More

Economics as a science aims to be the value-neutral study of how value happens. Since all living things express values, economics is fundamental to all of the life and social sciences. Some say economics can't speak to transcendent values like love and spirituality. Here's an argument than it can--more honestly, humbly and wisely than other spiritual practices do. Read More

A Green Conversation with renowned ecologist Michael Tobias focuses on why the lives of individual animals matter in conservation projects and the time is overdue for factoring compassion into these efforts. Compassionate conservation can rescue other animals and us from the unprecedented egregious and speciesist path of anthropocentric and anthropogenic domination. Read More

Rory Freedman's latest book called "Beg" is a must read about how we must do more to improve the lives of other animals. Her direct approach and occasional irreverence are very much welcomed as are the deep and unwavering passion and love she offers to other animals and brings to her readers. It's really easy to make the lives of other animals much better. Let's do it now. Read More

In a regrettable move the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has granted exceptions to a wind farm and building project allowing them to harass or kill endangered California condors. Luxury homes, hotels, golf courses, and lots of money will trump the lives of these magnificent birds. This is consistent with the proposed removal of wolves from the Endangered Species List. Read More

Dog Smarts? It's knowing where your next meal comes from. Maxwell says, "I'll tell you what I think about this book after you take me for a walk and give me some treats and then a big breakfast with some scrambled egg on top. And a nap." Read More

Recent research shows that dogs purchased as puppies from pet stores are more likely to have behavioral difficulties than dogs obtained from breeders. This is particularly the case in terms of aggression and fearfulness. Read More