5 animals with abilities that outdo humans

Mantis Shrimps Mantis shrimps are marine crustaceans that live in warm shallow water. They typically grow to be six to twelve inches in length, and live between three to six years. Though this colourful crustacean is small in size, they’ve actually got the world’s fastest and most powerful punch. Two raptorial appendages on the front … Continued

Did you know that dolphins have names?

Humans have known for a long time that dolphins are intelligent animals. They are among a handful of animals that recognize themselves in a mirror. They play, they show off for boats. They even have a sweet move called the “spy hop” in which they lift their bodies vertically out of water to have a … Continued

Canada is one step closer to banning whale and dolphin captivity

These days, no responsible tourist can enter a marine park or aquarium without facing the ethical question of whether they should be forking over their hard-earned money to support such establishments. Look no further than the Vancouver Aquarium or Niagara Fall’s Marineland, where activists regularly congregate to protest the captivity and breeding of cetaceans, for … Continued

Animals that get drunk, stoned or high

From bears to bats, a whole range of animals have discovered the dangerous vices of alcohol and drugs. Most manage to find their narcotics naturally in the wild, although some have unfortunately found human substances to be more effective at getting them high. We don’t necessarily condone the unhealthy habits of these substance-abusing beasts, but … Continued

Up all night: 7 animals that hardly ever sleep

If you are a regular homo sapien you will spend a third of your life tucked up in bed, sound asleep. If you live to the respectable age of 75, then you would have successfully slept through a whopping quarter of a century. Sleep is a state of inactivity when we become less responsive to stimuli. … Continued

These everyday animals all have shockingly naughty habits

It’s hard to look at a cow in the same way once you know how much these farm animals fart. Likewise, red foxes don’t seem quite as cute after you’ve heard their chilling human-like screams, and you might not want to feed the ducks after you discover their disturbing gang rape tendencies. A number of … Continued

Russia revives combat dolphin programme

As relations between Eastern and Western superpowers continue to cool, Russia looks poised to restart a programme mothballed after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, which once saw dolphins and other intelligent marine mammals used for military missions. Accessing the government’s procurement website, Russian reporters revealed that an … Continued

Mother whale and mother dolphin take their kids for a stroll

Add this to the mix of odd animal friendships: a mother whale and her calf were spotted swimming along with a mother dolphin and her calf. The footage, captured via drone by YouTube user Vern Sky-Pro, shows the pair of whales calmly following the path of the dolphins. The notion of whales and dolphins getting … Continued

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Legal protection secured for whales against harmful U.S. Navy sonar

The U.S. Navy has agreed to restrict its use of sonar and explosives off the coasts of Southern California and Hawaii in a landmark settlement that will protect whales and dolphins from the harmful effects of ocean noise. A federal court ruled that military training and testing activities, such as mid-frequency active sonar and underwater … Continued

Desperate dolphin throws itself on rocks to escape hunters

Ric O’Barry, founder of The Dolphin Project and subject of the 2009 documentary The Cove, captured this troubling footage over the weekend. The Taiji dolphin drive, which occurs each fall, began this past Friday in Taiji, Japan. The dolphin drive kills more than one thousand dolphins each year for commercial purposes, while others are captured … Continued

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