Topic description and stories

Adult pheasant in grass

Pledge to phase out toxic lead ammunition in UK hunting by 2025 has failed

06 Mar 2025

A voluntary pledge made by UK shooting organisations in 2020 to replace lead shot with non-toxic alternatives by 2025 has failed, analysis by...

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Birds of prey populations suppressed by lead poisoning from gun ammo

16 Mar 2022

New study uses data on lead levels in the livers of thousands of dead raptors to calculate the impact of lead poisoning on population size.

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Alpine ibex

Managed hunting can help maintain animal populations

21 May 2018

Researchers studying the hunting of ibex in Switzerland over the past 40 years have shown how hunts, when tightly monitored, can help maintain animal...

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Trophy hunting of lions can aid in conservation, but overhaul of system is required, say researchers

23 Sep 2016

New research has found that controlled trophy hunting of lions can actually help conserve the species, but only in areas where hunting companies are...

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Lion waiting in Namibia

Banning trophy hunting could do more harm than good

11 Jan 2016

Trophy hunting shouldn’t be banned, but instead it should be better regulated to ensure funds generated from permits are invested back into local...

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The Sedgwick Museum bears

Lord Byron and the bears beneath Cambridge

10 Jun 2015

The Cambridge Animal Alphabet series celebrates Cambridge's connections with animals through literature, art, science and society. Here, B is for...

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Running

Distance running may be an evolutionary ‘signal’ for desirable male genes

08 Apr 2015

New research shows that males with higher ‘reproductive potential’ are better distance runners. This may have been used by females as a reliable...

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Brown Vs Yellow Dottyback

Colour-morphing reef fish is a 'wolf in sheep's clothing'

19 Mar 2015

The dottyback changes its colour to match surrounding damselfish species, enabling it to counter the defences of its damselfish prey by disguising...

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Chimp eating army ants using an 'ant-dipping' tool

Chimpanzees have favourite ‘tool set’ for hunting staple food of army ants

16 Oct 2014

New research shows that chimpanzees search for the right tools from a key plant species when preparing to ‘ant dip’ - a crafty technique enabling...

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