Monthly Archives: December 2011

(CHIMPANZEE DISCOVERY) Here's one more reason proving primate intelligence. Just like we take vitamins, drink tea, or eat certain foods when we're not feeling well, chimps self-medicate with plants. This new research finding shows that chimpanzees often consume plants that are mostly non-nutritional and sometimes toxic in order to cure various bodily ailments. Read more about how members of this intelligent species learn how to care of themselves. — Global Animal

(KIDS & PETS) During the holidays it is tempting to include animals in all of the festivities, but that might not always be what's best for the animal. More than just including pets in questionable holiday activities, giving pets as gifts is never a good idea. In this preview from her upcoming book Raising Kids Who Love Animals, child psychiatrist Dr. Sujatha Ramakrishna explains why giving pets as gifts can teach children the wrong attitude about caring for animals. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL WELFARE) The FDA denied two petitions that would limit the amount of medications fed to farm animals. A shocking eighty percent of antibiotics sold in the US are fed to farm animals, which in turn poses a threat to human health. Read on for information on why this was a bad decision on the FDA's part. — Global Animals

(SEA CREATURES) You think you have a hard time dating nowadays? Check out the male fiddler crab and what he has to do to attract the ladies. — Global Animal

(RACE HORSES) Dr. Matthew Binns, previously Professor of Genetics at The Royal Veterinary College in London and a founder of the Horse Genome Project has attempted to answer the question of whether the Thoroughbred horse is becoming more inbred. Binns and his team's research revealed that inbreeding had increased over the last forty years, most dramatically in the past fifteen years. Scientists from the journal Animal Genetics describe the current trend of greater inbreeding as "worrisome." With a rise in pregnancy failure rate (reproductive depression), an initial sign of inbreeding, Dr. Binns suggests rechecking Thoroughbreds inbreeding levels every 5-10 years to ensure "that dangerous levels of genetic variation are not lost from this fantastic breed.” We here at Global Animal agree. — Global Animal

(ANIMAL SCIENCE) The age-old question of 'which came first: the chicken or the egg?' has generated debate for centuries. Which do you think? Guess no more – we have the answer! — Global Animal

(HORSE SLAUGHTER) An ethical conundrum: Despite the fact that 70 percent of Americans oppose horse slaughter, a five-year ban on U.S. slaughterhouses has been lifted. As the country's number of neglected and abandoned horses continues to rise, there is a disturbing prevalence of U.S. horses being sold to Mexico and Canada and processed for meat. Read on to learn more about this unsettling reinstatement. — Global Animal