According to a new study by researchers at The University of Auckland in New Zealand, that whole business about the ocean being a “silent world” is a bunch of bunk. Fish talk to each other all the time through growls, grunts, chirps, and pops—we just can’t hear them without special equipment. Gurnards turn out to … Read more »
BP has more than the loss of human life, livelihoods and tourism to answer for. And so do the government inspectors who allowed this corporation—as seemingly greedy as the bankers, mining companies and marine park owners whose careless conduct has resulted in similar destruction—to put profit over safety. If the criminal investigation of BP and … Read more »
Ladies and gentlemen, in this corner—fighting for animals—we have Strikeforce mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and pro boxer KJ Noons. Mixed martial arts junkies (it’s so addictive!) know that the MMA world champion never backs down from a good fight, and now KJ’s taking on his meanest opponents yet—animal abusers. KJ is a … Read more »
Sue E / CC by 2.0 The Florida Marlins plan to spend millions on their new stadium, which is set to open in 2012. But they can save countless animals’ lives as well as tons of money by rethinking plans to build two saltwater aquariums as part of the project. Instead of exposing fish to … Read more »
Some people don’t eat animals because they don’t want to support factory farming. Others are worried about protecting their health or the environment. Nicolas Cage has a much more, shall we say, X-centric reason for why he leaves certain animals off his plate: They have undignified sex. No, I am not making this up. Here’s … Read more »
Marina Campos Vinhal / CC by 2.0 The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a disaster for both human and nonhuman residents, but there may prove to be a silver lining. With the government’s recent announcement that fishing is banned in 19 percent of the Gulf, there’s no time like the present for … Read more »
By now, we all know what a sea kitten is—or do we? If you’re baffled by the term, you must be a new PETA Files reader (welcome!). PETA’s been campaigning for sea kittens for years, but there are still some people who look at us glassy-eyed when we mention these adorable animals, which is why … Read more »
Showing cruelty of gastronomical proportions, restaurants in Queens (Sik Gaek and East Seafood Restaurant) are chopping up and serving live octopuses to customers. Octopuses have their tentacles cut off while they are still conscious and are then served, writhing, while their hearts are still beating. Others are slowly steamed alive in front of customers before … Read more »
latimesblogs.latimes / CC Let’s get some crustacean cheers up in here—Kalahari Resorts is removing all Lobster Zone “games” from its locations in Wisconsin and Ohio. The Lobster Zone, found in some bars and restaurants, allows patrons to grab at lobsters and pluck one out of a machine using a joystick-controlled crane with an attached … Read more »
Here’s a phenomenon that’ll stick in your memory like an octopus sticks to a … coconut shell: scienceblogs / CCClick here for video With the recent discovery that the veined octopus sometimes carries around a coconut shell to use as impromptu shelter, this eight-legged wonder is now the first known tool-using animal without … Read more »
chicagopublicradio / CC This is one of those bizarre stories that could easily stump the panel on a “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” pick-the-fake-news-story segment. On Wednesday night, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources dumped 2,200 gallons of deadly poison into a 5.7-mile stretch of a canal in order to prevent Asian carp from … Read more »
Oh, South Park. So irreverent, yet poignant! Consider last night’s Whale Wars parody, in which Stan takes Captain Paul Watson’s place in the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and steps up the conservationists’ campaign in a way only possible through cartoon violence. (Yes, there were explosions.) Amidst the world’s rightful outcry at the injustice of whaling, … Read more »
That would be PETA supporters Emily McCoy and Emily Lavender (aka adorable fuzzy seal), who shook things up a bit at the fall conference of the Fisheries Council of Canada. Check out the look on the face of the woman in the foreground. Why were these two nice ladies attending a conference for … Read more »
Those of you who still need convincing that fish sea kittens are smarter than a 5-year-old should check out today’s New York Times. Molecular biologist and geneticist Sean B. Carroll writes about recent studies indicating that fish who inhabit coral reefs can learn to differentiate between targets marked with different designs and colors in order … Read more »
PETA’s Rescue Department is always on call to help animals out of life-threatening emergencies. Case in point: A rescue worker was recently awakened by a page regarding an anhinga who had somehow become entangled in a tree limb. Anhingas are tropical birds found in the Everglades, and this Florida caller was worried about the frightened … Read more »
