Orangutans learn to trade favours

BBC News, December 24, 2008

Orangutans can help each other get food by trading tokens, scientists have discovered - but only if the help goes in both directions.
Researchers from the University of St Andrews found orangutans could learn the value of tokens and trade them, helping each other win bananas.
An article in Biology Letters, claims it is the first evidence of "calculated reciprocity" in non-human primates. Read more...

From Rhesus to Spartacus

The news – and more specifically, the photos – of three monkeys beating up a man in China who was abusing them to make them perform has again provided an opportunity to look at how we treat animals. Read more...

Test reveals dogs' jealous side

BBC, December 08, 2008

Scientists in Austria say they have found a basic form of jealousy in dogs. The Vienna-based researchers showed that dogs will stop doing a simple task when not rewarded if another dog, which continues to be rewarded, is present.
Writing in the journal PNAS, the scientists say this shows a sensitivity in dogs that was only previously found in primates. Read more...

Μηνιαίο Ενημερωτικό Δελτίο Βιοηθικής

Κυκλοφόρησε το μηνιαίο ενημερωτικό δελτίο της Εθνικής Επιτροπής Βιοηθικής. Σκοπός του να παρουσιάζει ζητήματα βιοηθικής ή επιστημονικά νέα που απασχολούν τη διεθνή επικαιρότητα και δεν προβάλλονται σε ελληνικά μέσα ενημέρωσης ευρείας κυκλοφορίας. Επίσης περιλαμβάνει νέα για τη δραστηριότητα της Επιτροπής, ενημέρωση για συνέδρια ή άλλες εκδηλώσεις με θέμα σχετικό με τη βιοηθική στην Ελλάδα και το εξωτερικό και τέλος παρουσιάσεις βιβλίων.

WORLDWIDE FUR FREE FRIDAY - NOVEMBER, 28 2008

The Anti-Fur Coalition has decided to create a new international event to be held together with Fur Free Friday (FFF) in the USA. Fur Free Friday is an anti-fur event which is always held on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is the country’s busiest shopping day before Christmas.
International Anti-Fur Coalition have, therefore, not only adhered to Fur Free Friday, but also made it an international event and as such named it: Worldwide Fur Free Friday (WFFF).
On this day, more than 100 anti-fur simultaneous demos will be held worldwide. Please check if an action is planed closed to you.

Classical music soothes the wanderlust of zoo elephants

The rousing, patriotic sweep of Elgar's Nimrod, the mournful tones of Nessun Dorma and the urgent eight-note allegro con brio opening to Beethoven's fifth – they have all been helping animal behaviour experts to make life more comfortable for the elephants at Belfast zoo.

The researchers have discovered that playing classical music to the animals reduces abnormal behaviours such as swaying, pacing and trunk tossing, although they said elephants don't seem to have a favourite composer.

Read the whole article here...

Άλλο ένα περιστατικό κακοποίησης ζώου

Ελευθεροτυπία, 01 Νοεμβρίου 2008

Το νέο περιστατικό κτηνωδίας σε βάρος μιας άκακης σκυλίτσας, που έχασε την όρασή της και βρέθηκε με τα μπροστινά της πόδια διαμελισμένα, μόνο και μόνο επειδή κάποιο κτήνος αποφάσισε να πετάξει πάνω της κροτίδα, δεν προκαλεί μόνον αποτροπιασμό και οργή αλλά και φόβο. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...