Birds understand each other’s alarm calls

Well of course they do, sensible birds:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/do-different-species-of-birds-understand-each-other-s-tweets-1.5377188

 

Interesting, and hopefully good, times for animal protection in Ontario

Just catching up on all that happened on the legislation front this Summer and Fall. The Guelph Humane Society is cautiously optimistic about the new PAWS bill, which was passed yesterday (though still looking for reassurance that they’ll be supported as a place where rescued animals can be homed and cared for).

 

I said I’d stop posting about cat faces…

… but it turns out I was lying! Because the National Geographic just did a great piece:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/11/cats-facial-expressions-whisperers-pets/

It also turns out that over 130,000 people completed the easier of our two quizzes! (Though “only” 30,000 people finished the tough advanced one).

 

Should aged monkeys be retired to sanctuaries?

There was an interesting well-rounded piece in Science this week, on a growing trend for universities to partner with or create sanctuaries to retire their research monkeys to: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/12/should-aging-lab-monkeys-be-retired-sanctuaries.

As ever, this really appeals to me on a gut levels, but it raises a tonne of questions in my mind too. If monkeys are so special that we should retire them to somewhere nice, then why is is OK to do research on them? Do primates really warrant more concern than rats? And if everyone involved is a meat-eater (most are, so chances are high), aren’t there some contradictions here, since it’s either OK to kill animals or it isn’t… ? But that said, if this is a first step on a road towards taking lab animal welfare seriously, let’s welcome it. And its value for animal technicians shouldn’t be sneezed on either, as I think they’re at high risk of burn out and compassion fatigue.

 

 

Something fishy

A break from cats to things cats eat: the ANSC*4700 students presented their posters today. And here I am with two of mine: Kendra, L (who’s going to join us for a zebrafish coursework MSc in the summer) and Jaqui, R (a mean hand with the throwing knife), who reviewed different aspects of mate choice in zebrafish. Thanks to Michelle for the pic!

jj

Cat faces in Science!

I will stop this soon I promise, but this was exciting:

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/12/how-good-are-you-reading-your-cat-s-facial-expressions

 

 

Cat faces on CBC!

Came out not bad actually!

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-2-as-it-happens/clip/15749553-afterthoughts-in-the-aftermath

Go to 1:04.18