“Dancing” bears were a common and popular form of street entertainment in Europe and Asia in the Middle Ages. Although there were still dancing bears in Western Europe in the 20th century (the 1911 UK animal protection law forbid the practice) but the dancing bear...
Last year, WBI ran a story about the South African documentary, My Octopus Teacher and recommended it to our readers. Many then watched the documentary (on Netflix) and sang its praises to their friends and contacts. This year, My Octopus Teacher, was nominated for numerous...
Most of the dogs in India are homeless stray dogs who survive mainly on handouts from people. While the keeping of pet dogs is increasing (almost doubled in the past decade), only around 10% of households have pet dogs (compared to 35% in the US...
Despite the Covid pandemic (and unlike in Africa where poaching is driving rhinos toward extinction in the wild), 2021 has proved to be a good year for the Greater One-horned Asian Rhinoceros, aka Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), in Nepal. An intensive three-week census (22 March...
Everybody probably knows, or knows of, someone who apparently has a special affinity with animals. That person may be able to interact with an animal that everybody else is afraid to get near or they can quickly calm a frightened creature. In the human-animal bond...
Today, it is not unusual to see assistance dogs in stores, restaurants, on public transportation and in the workplace assisting their human partners to overcome the boundaries that their disabilities present. Presently, there are approximately 30,000 actively working assistance dogs making the world a better...
Asian wild tigers are clinging to existence in relatively few protected areas located mainly in India, Russia, Nepal and Bhutan. The vulnerability of these populations is reflected in the excitement generated by the announcement that the wild tiger population had recently increased from a global...
In 1959, Chinny Krishna, then almost fifteen years old, was one of the four founders of the Animal Aid Association in Madras, India (now Chennai). Two of the three other founders were his parents. In 1964, the Animal Aid Association morphed into the Blue Cross...
It seems fitting during Valentine’s week to address the mystery of how the dog became the dog and ended up as a devoted and beloved companion for billions of people over the span of 20,000 years or so. Several academic papers and one blog by...
Over the past decade, there has been an explosion of interest in the use of assistance dogs to help military veterans cope with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and other challenges posed by a return to civilian life. Numerous organizations have been founded to provide such...
