Animal News

Chris the sheep, famed for record-breaking fleece, dies

By AFP

Sydney - An Australian sheep that entered the Guinness World Records after being found with an enormously overgrown fleece has died, its carers announced.

Rescued circus elephant Ramba arrives at Brazil sanctuary

By AFP

Chapada Dos Guimar - An Asian elephant that spent decades performing in South American circuses has started a new life in an open-air sanctuary in Brazil, after travelling thousands of kilometers by plane and truck from a Chilean zoo.

High-stakes conflict threatens DR Congo gorillas

By AFP

Aged almost 17 years, Bonane is an eastern lowland gorilla, a survivor in a critically endangered species reduced to about 250 members in DR Congo's Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

China says Thailand's panda died from heart attack

By AFP

Bejing - A giant panda whose sudden death in Thailand sparked outrage in China last month died from a heart attack, according to a Chinese government agency.

From Med's biggest nesting ground, turtles swim to uncertain future

By AFP

Kipariss - Freed from its eggshell by a volunteer, the tiny turtle hatchling clambers across a pebble-strewn sandy Greek beach in a race to the sea, the start of a hazardous journey that only one in 1,000 will survive.

Indonesia's Aceh says wildlife poachers to get 100 lashes

By AFP

Jakarta - Poachers who threaten endangered orangutans, tigers and other wildlife could receive up to 100 lashes under new rules in Indonesia's Aceh province, which usually reserves whipping for morality crimes under Islamic law.

In northwest Spain, conservation efforts pay off as bears thrive

By AFP

Somiedo - Daylight is only just breaking over Spain's Cantabrian Mountains and already a dozen enthusiasts are up and about in the hope of spotting a brown bear.

East Timor says swine fever outbreak kills hundreds of hogs

By AFP

Dili - East Timor on Thursday confirmed that hundreds of hogs have died in an outbreak of African swine fever, after the disease has killed pigs from China to Slovakia, pushing up pork prices worldwide.

Pig farmers pessimistic as China tries to talk down swine fever

By AFP

Bejing - Sun Dawu sighs sadly when asked about the death of thousands of his pigs, killed by the African swine fever outbreak that has been decimating hog herds across China.

Tougher penalties to protect Sri Lanka elephants after mass deaths

By AFP

Colombo - Sri Lanka announced harsher penalties in a bid to protect wild elephants on Tuesday, as investigators probed whether seven jumbos found poisoned over the weekend were killed by villagers.

Indonesia scraps plans to close komodo dragon island

By AFP

Jakarta - Indonesia has scrapped plans to ban tourists from an island home to komodo dragons and will instead limit visitor numbers and raise entry prices to create a "premium destination", officials said.

Skeletal elephant dies in Sri Lanka weeks after parade outcry

By AFP

Colombo - An emaciated 70-year-old elephant that caused a social media outcry after being forced to take part in an annual Buddhist pageant in Sri Lanka has died, officials said Wednesday.

Panther stolen from zoo after rescue from French rooftops

By AFP

Lille - It appears to be France's most coveted cat: A black panther rescued from rooftops near the northern city of Lille last week has been stolen from the zoo where it was taken after capture, officials said.

Bats starving to death in Australia drought

By AFP

Sydney - Large numbers of bats are being found severely emaciated or starved to death in Australia amid a prolonged drought that is crippling their food supply, according to wildlife carers and environment officials.

Cramped Gaza zoo reopens, only months after closure

By AFP

Rafah - A lioness is beaten with sticks while her cubs are dragged away -- a Gazan zoo closed after a long campaign has reopened, with conditions seemingly as bad as ever.

China bans S. Korea pig imports on swine fever fears

By AFP

Bejing - China has banned pig imports from South Korea after Seoul became the latest to report an outbreak of the African swine fever that has destroyed hog herds and pushed up prices globally.

Tiny penguin's clean bill of health after epic NZ-Australia swim

By AFP

Sydney - A tiny penguin that made the mammoth journey from New Zealand to Australia has been nursed back to health and released into the wild -- in the hope it will find its own way home.

Cats, dolphins and one smart raven: the CIA's secret animal spies

By AFP

Washington - In early 1974, Do Da was top in espionage class, on the way to becoming a high-flying CIA agent: he handled himself better in the rough, carried heavier loads, and could brush off attackers.

Colombian authorities seize animal parts sold for rituals

By AFP

Apo - Colombian authorities seized 1,400 animal parts intended for witchcraft rituals and amulets from shops in the capital Bogota, officials said on Thursday.

Hide and squeak: scientists reveal the playful lives of rats

By AFP

Washington - The next time you come across a rat darting furtively for cover, consider this: It might just want to have a playful game of hide-and-seek.

Monkey business: Vietnam macaque island draws tourists — and criticism

By AFP

Nha Trang - Menacing macaques snatch bags of crisps, water bottles, cookies and crackers from uneasy tourists on Vietnam's Monkey Island, a popular attraction decried as cruel by activists calling for an end to animal tourism in Southeast Asia.

Great snakes: two-headed serpent spotted in Bali

By AFP

Bali - Residents of a village in Bali got a shock when they spotted a two-headed snake in their midst -- a rare find in the wild.The reptile was seen slithering in the central part of the Indonesian holiday island last week.

The worm that turned: fossils shed light on early animal movement

By AFP

Apo - More than half a billion years ago, a worm-like creature wriggled its last, creating a groove preserved as a fossil that offers new insights into some of the earliest animal movement.

Berlin zoo delights in rare birth of panda twins

By AFP

Berlin - Berlin zoo said Monday its resident panda Meng Meng had delivered twins, as it voiced delight at the first such births in the country."Meng Meng became a mom - twice!

Pole caught in customs web with tarantula haul

By AFP

Cayenne - Customs officials caught a Polish man was after trying to smuggle nearly 100 tarantula spiders in his luggage, at Cayenne airport, French Guiana, regional officials told AFP Saturday.

Deadly Cobra caught in Germany after five days on the loose

By AFP

Berlin - A deadly cobra that escaped, terrifying a German community, was captured Friday after five days on the loose.The monocled cobra was sighted at the entrance to a basement, and a snake expert came and trapped the animal, a local official said.

Russia releases last orcas from 'whale jail'

By AFP

Moscow - Russian environmentalists celebrated a "huge victory" on Tuesday after the last of a group of killer whales kept in a notorious facility were released into the sea following year-long captivity.

More than 2,300 tigers killed and trafficked this century: report

By AFP

Geneva - More than 2,300 endangered tigers have been killed and illegally trafficked since the turn of the century, according to a report published Tuesday, urging more action to protect the giant cats.

Ban on sending wild elephants to zoos a step closer

By AFP

Geneva - The regulator of global wildlife trade will likely ban sending African elephants captured from the wild to zoos after countries supported the move Sunday, in what conservationists hailed as a "historic win".

Wildlife summit mulls trade rules to counter 'unprecedented' species declines

By AFP

Geneva - Conservationists warned of "unprecedented" species declines Saturday as countries met in Geneva to tighten rules on trade in elephant ivory and products from other endangered animal and plants.