Written by PETA
Grammar Nazis—(cough) PETA editors (cough)—listen up: It turns out that you might have more in common with monkeys than with your fellow humans.
New research suggests that nonhuman animals are capable of communicating not only among their own kind but also with members of other species. Klaus Zuberbühler, a psychologist at University of St. Andrews in Scotland, spent hundreds of hours listening to the calls of Campbell's monkeys and other species, gradually decoding their language, which is so grammatically sophisticated that it uses suffixes to change the meaning of calls based on the kinds of animals posing a threat. These intricate calls, which are used to pass on complex information about predators and their whereabouts, could be understood by other species of monkeys and even by birds such as hornbills.
We're constantly learning more about the countless ways in which animals of all kinds are brilliant, selfless, and complex. Meanwhile, with all our texts, tweets, and e-mails, we sometimes can't even talk to other humans—let alone other members of other species (um, TISNF, BBIAB, FUBAR—WTF?).
Written by Logan Scherer
The following is a guest post from PETA Living's Mylie.
Yes, you read that right: Starbucks now has vegan cookies. As if Starbucks weren't already super vegan-friendly simply by offering soy milk, now it has something that you can dunk in that soy latte. Among a plethora of new healthy snacks it's carrying, like fruit and nut bars, granola, and fruit snacks, Starbucks is now carrying vegan and allergy-friendly Lucy's cookies.
When Dr. Lucy Gibney, the mastermind behind these delicious cookies, learned that her child suffers from severe food allergies, she decided to do some serious cookie research to find a recipe that would be safe for her little one to enjoy. What she stumbled upon led her to create her very own recipe for cookie success! What's even sweeter than vegan cookies at Starbucks? You can now enter to win a case of them in our contest.
So, what are you waiting for? Pick some up today on your lunch break and share our contest on Facebook with your family and friends!
Written by Mylie Thompson
Urban legend has it that Eskimos have 400 words for "snow," but how many do they have for "snowman"?
Unlike real snowmen, these guys thrived in the Ottawa Sun. Passersby couldn't stop looking and were delighted to get to know our blizzard buddies, who educated onlookers about the hundreds of thousands of baby seals who are shot or have their skulls crushed every year. With this year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver approaching, help Canada clean up its reputation by urging officials to end the seal slaughter immediately.
Behold the power of the pen and the protest: Walker Bros. Circus has axed elephant acts from its lineup—and it seems that there's little chance the pachyderms will return. A spokesperson told KeyNews.com that the circus has "basically done away with using exotic animals in the show because of the [animal rights] activists."
PETA has long denounced Walker Bros. Circus for its abuse of elephants, many of whom were leased from Hawthorn Corp., which was forced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to surrender 16 elephants after the agency charged both Hawthorn and Walker Bros. Circus with numerous serious violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
It was the concern and actions of caring people that prompted Walker Bros. Circus to finally drop exotic animals from its lineup—and maybe the circus will eventually drop all animal acts. Let's remember this as we continue to rally against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's shocking mistreatment of elephants and other animals.
Written by Karin Bennett
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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