National / Science & Health | NATURAL SELECTIONS Jan 25, 2019
by Rowan Hooper
The condemnation of Japan became louder with the announcement that Tokyo would leave the International Whaling Commission, but is there a benefit to this?
Asia Pacific Jul 21, 2018
Macau takes in 533 dogs after one of Asia's only race tracks shuts
Macau authorities took in more than 500 greyhounds abandoned following the closure Saturday of one of Asia's only legal dog-racing tracks. The former Portuguese territory has been the only place in China where dog racing is legal. However, betting on dog races at Macau's Canidrome ...
National Dec 23, 2017
Environment chief denies claims that Japan is center for illegal ivory trading
Environment Minister Masaharu Nakagawa denies claims that Japan has been a hotbed for illegal ivory exports even after a wildlife watchdog urged Japan to stop fueling the internationally outlawed trade practice. "We have been bolstering distribution management in the market and taking necessary measures," following ...
National Aug 20, 2017
After 13-year quest, shamisen maker sheds animal skin in favor of synthetic
A shamisen instrument maker near Tokyo has developed a synthetic substitute for the cat and dog skins used to craft the traditional three-stringed instrument. Developed by Komatsuya Ltd., the artificial material has been well received by professional musicians for its ability to match sound created ...
World Jul 6, 2017
PETA protesters don horns, doff tops in Pamplona call for end to bull runs
Around 100 shirtless protesters covered in red powder called for a ban on bullfighting and bull runs as they marched through the streets of Pamplona on Wednesday, in a prelude to the northern Spanish city's famous bull festival. The activists from animal rights groups People ...
Business May 22, 2017
'Greatest Show on Earth' Ringling Bros. shuts down circus after 146-year run
With laughter, hugs and tears — and the requisite death-defying stunts — the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus received its final standing ovation Sunday night as it performed its last show. "We are, forevermore, the Greatest Show on Earth," boomed Johnathan Lee Iverson, ...
National / Crime & Legal Oct 7, 2016
Former Hokkaido horse breeder found guilty of shooting dead two thoroughbreds
A former operator of a racehorse breeding farm in Hokkaido was found guilty Friday of shooting dead two thoroughbred horses, in a case highlighting the financial struggles facing many breeders in a region known for its racehorses. The Sapporo District Court's Urakawa branch sentenced Akihiko ...
National Aug 14, 2016
Would-be buckaroos took part in their last pig rodeo in Seiyo, Ehime Prefecture, Saturday after organizers of the long-held festival decided to shut it down following criticism it was a form of animal abuse. The festival, held almost every year for the past 25 years, ...
World Jun 7, 2016
No charges for mom whose son, 3, 'scampered off' into gorilla exhibit, leading zoo to shoot primate
A prosecutor Monday announced no charges will be brought against the mother of the little boy who got into the gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo, saying the 3-year-old "just scampered off" as children sometimes do. The shooting of a 400-pound gorilla that was dragging ...
World Jun 1, 2016
Police said Tuesday they were investigating the circumstances surrounding a 4-year-old boy entering a gorilla's exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo and the animal being shot to death to protect the child. A federal investigation is also planned. A federal inspection less than two months ago ...
World May 31, 2016
Cincinnati Zoo vigil remembers gorilla killed 'in senseless tragedy' to save boy
Dozens of animal rights advocates and others held a Memorial Day vigil at the Cincinnati Zoo in remembrance of a gorilla that was fatally shot to protect a 4-year-old boy who entered its exhibit. The male western lowland gorilla named Harambe was killed Saturday by ...
World May 13, 2016
The head of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management says it's time to admit his agency has a $1 billion problem. BLM Director Neil Kornze says the administration can't afford to wage an increasingly uphill battle to protect the ecological health of federal rangeland across ...