Thinking Animals United

07/12/2023

03/31/2023

Researchers found that pets and their owners are far more alike than they may realize

You may have more in common with your pup than you thought

02/23/2023

This is the best!

“Pretty good frens”

01/13/2023

Awww! Poor baby. I hope he will be able to live.

A baby elephant walking confidently without a trunk – Forest department investigation IG News FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp The forest department has investigated the cub that was roaming around without a trunk in the Athirappalli forest area. For the past two days, 5 wild elephants with their ...

01/12/2023

A BIG win for marine mammals!

Large-mesh drift gillnets, which for decades have killed more dolphins, whales, and porpoises than all other West Coast fisheries combined, are finally on the verge of being banned from federal waters.

01/10/2023

Let's say prayers.

The calf was born in Dana Point, California, hundreds of miles away from the lagoons of Baja California, where these whales usually breed.

11/29/2022

This is a fabulous organization trying to save the Arctic and all it's animals! www.globalchoices.org

11/17/2022

Fate of endangered animals in the hands of COP19 at CITES
Bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) are the first shark species discovered to be omnivorous. They ingest copious amounts of seagrass while feeding on crabs and are able to retain nutrients from the plants. Sharks in captivity that only had access to seagrass actually gained weight. Picture: Shane Gross
Bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) are the first shark species discovered to be omnivorous. They ingest copious amounts of seagrass while feeding on crabs and are able to retain nutrients from the plants. Sharks in captivity that only had access to seagrass actually gained weight.

A focal point of CoP19 are several historic proposals that would change the face of

10/12/2022

To anyone who studies other animals, it is evident that they have emotions similar, but not the same as ours. Indeed, many dogs are prescribed SSRIs and other antidepressants/antianxiety drugs for emotional experiences similar to the ones we are treated for with the same drugs. Those who deny that animals have emotions are either blind, don’t read, or don’t care to know. Unfortunately, most of the world falls into the latter category, as evidence by the horrendous ways we treat these wonderful creatures with whom we share our future. We need more articles like this to open people’s’ eyes.

Are mammals, birds, and fish ‘soulful’? Accumulating evidence suggests that the answer may be yes.

09/08/2022

African Tinsel!
Photographer Paul Goldestein took this fabulous photo. He said that five out of the six cubs ended up in the tree at the same time. Then the mother, her belly concave with hunger, suddenly leapt up too. She paused just below the crown and looked around, scanning the plain for breakfast.

09/03/2022

It's well documented that male giraffes fight and they can be very brutal. Sparring matches between two males however are part of a ritual performed during the mating season. But in a surprising example of fair play rarely seen, the giraffes think about their opponent and make a decision to make the fight fair!

Firstly the male giraffe males will select another male of similar stature. Then they decide how they will position themselves by respecting their opponent's laterality. If one giraffe's neck swing is right-oriented and the other giraffe's swing is left-oriented, they stand head to head so they can attack each other from their preferred sides. If both were left-oriented or right-oriented, they fight head to tail to keep the fight fair.

The researchers who studied this behavior never saw a male try to cheat the rules. But maybe that was because mature giraffe bulls often played the role of ‘referees’ during fights between young adults, and quickly intervene if violence escalates, with the most dominant bull being responsible for the majority of the interventions.

Scientists believe that their sparring behavior is a way to test their competitive abilities without escalating to dangerous, full-scale fights. It shows a surprising example of fair play that is rarely seen in animal species.

08/25/2022

This is a fine example of species working together in more ways than one.

Due to virtually no shade due to a lack of trees in South Africa, Sociable Weaver birds create their own shade, by building incredible nests that can house up to 500 birds. The nests have separate breeding and roosting holes and are insulated very well so the birds can escape the heat of the day. Sometimes the nests are so large and heavy that they can cause a tree to collapse.

As their name suggests they are very social birds and allow other bird species and even harmless skinks and geckos to set up a home in their nests too. One bird that sets up camp is the South African pygmy falcon which is the smallest diurnal raptor at only 7.8inches (20cm), may sometimes prey on young weavers in the nest chambers, but it is still a win-win arrangement as the falcon gets a home and the weavers gain protection from some predators.