The phenomenon of “shimmering” in giant honeybees, in which hundreds—or even thousands—of individual honeybees flip their abdomens upwards within a split-second to produce a Mexican Wave-like pattern across the bee nest, has received much interest but both its precise mode of action and its purpose have long remained a mystery.
In a new study published in [...]
Continue reading about Giant Honeybees Use Shimmering ‘Mexican Waves’ To Repel Predatory Wasps
Spain’s parliament recently passed a resolution granting legal rights to apes. Reaction has been mixed. Peter Singer, a Princeton University bioethics professor and animal liberation activist, declared the vote to be of “world historical significance.” The comedian Stephen Colbert — flashing a photo of a performing chimpanzee — insisted that the new law had better [...]
Continue reading about What’s Next in the Law? The Unalienable Rights of Chimps
The online marketplace eBay plans to ban the sale of dog and cat pelts on its German-language Web sites starting Tuesday.
Alexander Witt, a spokesman for eBay in Germany, said the ban was in response to protests from animal rights groups that believe clothing and other goods claiming to contain rabbit or mink fur are actually [...]
Continue reading about eBay bans sale of cat and dog pelts in Germany, other European countries
An outbreak of the insidious ´screw worm´ fly in Yemen, is threatening livelihoods, in a country where rearing livestock is a traditional way of life. In recent weeks, a Ministerial delegation was at the IAEA in Vienna, Austria, to turn to the international community for emergency assistance to fight the deadly pest.
The menacing fly lays [...]
