Tag: animal rights

All sperm whales off the Norwegian coasts are males. Their lives are far more interesting than we imagined

Males used to be regarded as loners.

What do pigs and birds have in common?

They have a shared instinctual trait that defies expectations.

How do frogs survive the winter?

The freezing temperatures can be lethal to frogs, but the cold actually has some advantages.

Why do dogs eat poop?

ASK A RESEARCHER: Many animals eat faeces; dogs are one example.

Mucus oozed when this deep-sea creature was kept in murky water

Researchers tested how well the jellyfish could tolerate particles in water that simulated potential seabed mining conditions.

This Arctic fox will help save its species

“We hope he will become the father of many kits,” researcher says.

After thousands of years apart, wild and domesticated cats are now having kittens

Researchers have found that European wildcats and domestic cats did not have offspring with each other until the 1960s.

Reindeer in Svalbard are inbred. Is this a problem?

Researchers believe that inbreeding can sometimes be an advantage.

Why Norway has banned the breeding of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Norway’s Supreme Court has ruled that the breeding of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels violates the Animal Welfare Act. A Norwegian professor believes the court has made a mistake in allowing further breeding of English Bulldogs.

Researchers have managed to extract RNA from an extinct animal

The last known Tasmanian tiger died in 1936. “It’s unexpected and fantastic to get this information from an extinct animal,” a researcher at UiT The Arctic University of Norway says.

Swine fever in Sweden is spreading. Norway offers bounty for reporting sick and dead wild boars

African swine fever has not yet spread into Norway. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute is now urging Norwegians to report any injured, sick or dead wild boar they see.

Were Norwegian whalers worried about what they were doing?

Norwegian whaling in the Antarctic consisted of blood, toil and adventure. In his new book, Espen Ytreberg writes about daily life in the industry that ended up almost wiping out the big whales.

Do we really need to pick up dog poop?

Yes, according to scientists. But should we also do it while hiking in the woods?

The secret lives of slugs: Where do they hide and why do the come out after rain?

A wet summer is not necessarily the best for the much detested Spanish slugs.

There are many strange poops in the animal kingdom

Everything from wombats that poo cubes to fish that poo sand.

Research project halted after minke whale in Lofoten died: “The worst thing that could happen”

A minke whale died after getting stuck in a part of a research facility in Lofoten during the night of June 3rd. The research project has now been temporarily halted.

Mark drove from the Netherlands to Norway for a new cancer treatment to save Misty the dog

Mark Klaver has travelled from the Netherlands to Norway five times so that his dog Misty (12) can receive a new immunotherapy cancer treatment. Misty is participating in an experimental trial at the Veterinary College that could extend dogs' lives.

What are these holes at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean?

Marine scientists discovered them by accident.

Even chickens can de-stress with a good bath

Stressed chickens have pain, become sicker and lay fewer eggs. Food and animal welfare are at stake when researchers help the birds cope with stress.

Mina the sheep was born intersex

"She was the most beautiful sheep in the flock," says the owner of Mina's farm.

Why aren't animals as smart as humans?

ASK A RESEARCHER: "Fire may have made human brains larger," researcher says.

Trying to make assisted fertilization work for pigs

Researchers want to put Norway on the pig embryo map. Animal rights activists are critical.

World's oldest DNA: Scientists discover 2-million-year-old remains of plants and animals

Genetic material from the elephant relative mastodon, cedar and spruce has now been discovered in a warmer Greenland of yore. It is the oldest DNA ever found.

Here are 12 of the most exciting prehistoric animal discoveries

Palaeontologist Jørn Hurum takes us through the highlights of dinosaurs and other extinct animals over the past 20 years.

Is it cruel to keep your cat indoors?

Or can cats live inside and be walked on a leash like dogs?

Animal populations saw average declines of 69 per cent, but what does that actually mean?

The figure from the new WWF report can easily be misinterpreted.

Necropsy report following Freya’s euthanasia: Was healthy and died instantly

According to the walrus Freya's necropsy, she was in good health. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute's report also shows that she died instantly when she was put down.

Should you help injured birds?

A little duckling has injured its foot. Should you help, kill it or do nothing?

Both animals and humans yawn. Why do we yawn and why is it contagious?

It's not because we need more oxygen to the brain.

Biological sex: What kind of variations exist in nature?

In plants and animals, one type of gamete – reproductive cell – is larger than the other.

Here’s why Rattus norvegicus has taken over Europe

The black rat spread across Europe in two waves, first in Roman times and then in the Middle Ages. But today it has had to cede Europe to the ‘Norwegian’ brown rat.

Ukraine: How can we protect animals when we can’t even protect humans?

OPINION: Ukraine may be a game changer for pets and animal protection rules, and for how we understand pets as a humanitarian protection problem.

Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?

ASK A RESEARCHER: People used to not have cavities. So why do we get them today?

Mammoths and other large animals survived in the north much longer than previously believed

New DNA research indicates that the climate, not humans, led to the demise of these large creatures.

Calves not allowed to stay with their mother are more stressed and grow less well

Consumers of milk and cheese want cows and calves to stay together.

It’s not just city dwellers who like large carnivores

Norway and Sweden have seen an increase in wolf, bear, wolverine and lynx populations in recent years. Meanwhile, people’s positive attitudes towards carnivores has remained high. There are more who like them than dislike them.

Vikings had a completely different relationship to animals than we have today

The Vikings and their ancestors looked at animals with awe and admiration, researchers at the Museum of Cultural History say.

If horses hadn’t made it out of North America, they probably wouldn’t exist today

Ancient horses similar to the ones we know today evolved in North America. From there they spread to Asia and Europe.

Yes, we can prevent future pandemics

OPINION: With new health threats perhaps just an airflight away, we need to ask how countries like Norway can contribute in the global effort to prevent future pandemics.

Why do animals hibernate?

ASK A RESEARCHER: All kinds of animals go into hibernation. Some hibernate all winter, while others "turn off" their bodies for just a few hours.

How do search and rescue dogs train to find missing people?

Every year, search and rescue dogs find between 40 and 50 missing people in Norway. They are trained through interaction and rewards. “They’re clearly sad when the people they find are dead,” says Bjørn Tore Ulsrud, from Norwegian Search and Rescue Dogs.

How lynx hide their dinner from scavengers

Many predators leave decomposing carcasses behind, allowing scavengers a meal. Eurasian lynx, however, have a trick for how to keep their dinners all to themselves.

Political controversy over how Norway decides to shoot wolves

If wolves have reached or exceeded target population numbers, is that reason enough to shoot them? The Norwegian parliament recently voted yes to this. The result may be more wolves shot in Norway.

Moose lower body temperature and heart rate in winter

Using surgically implanted sensors, researchers have for the first time been able to measure precisely what happens in the body of the moose during the changing seasons. Their body temperature and pulse are at their lowest in early spring - when conditions are the toughest.

Do birds like modern architecture?

Birds need hiding places, and some like to build nests in our buildings. So how are birds dealing with all the flat roofs and clean lines in modern construction?

Salmon in pain when warm water is used as delousing treatment

Salmon are briefly immersed in warm water so the lice lose their grip. The treatment is the most common non-chemical delousing method used at Norwegian fish farms. But its imminent ban comes as new research reveals the pain and injury to the salmon.

Every year, 50 million cleaner fish die in Norwegian fish farms

“Would we tolerate the same mortality in other animals?” one veterinarian from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority asked at a recent conference on salmon lice.

She’s given birth to six calves before — but now she finally gets to be a mother

Most dairy cows aren’t allowed to mother their calves. Julie Føske Johnsen from the Norwegian Veterinary Institute is leading a new research project where cows get to visit their calves.

Is it okay to feed your dog leftovers?

ASK A RESEARCHER: Many dogs love to eat the same thing that we humans serve for dinner, but is it good for them?

Your cat meows mostly for you

Cats don't often meow to other adult cats, but they quickly learn to use sounds to talk to humans.

Why are we more concerned about someone seeing us fall on our face than whether it hurt?

ASK A RESEARCHER: Avoiding social pain is often more important than avoiding physical pain, according to psychology researcher.

'Fish welfare should be a criterion for obtaining new aquaculture concessions'

If fish mortality affects the bottom line, preventing mortality will be given more priority, says fish welfare researcher Tore Kristiansen.

How annoying is it for sheep to wear a bell all summer long?

Do sheep bells qualify as mistreatment of animals?

Chickens do best when they can play, climb and bathe

Chickens play more if they grow up in a varied environment with hay bales to peck at, boxes to climb onto and bedding in which to dust bathe. They become more active and build stronger bones, according to a new study.

Humans curb movements of wild animals

But researchers do not think this is necessarily catastrophic. It even makes life easier for a few species.

Do animals have personalities?

Donkeys are stubborn, pandas are cute, and dogs are faithful — right? We usually describe people's personalities, but are we right to assign personalities to animals, too?

Where do bats go in the winter?

Bats are quite visible in Norwegian skies during the summer, but scientists are not quite sure what happens to them in winter.

How to capture a jaguar

Before a tracking collar can be placed on a jaguar it has to be caught. Here is how it’s done.

Increasing border security fences are a lethal problem for wildlife

OPINION: Wire fences and walls along country boarders are a huge problem for wildlife. Animals die after getting entangled in the wires and many species are cut off from important seasonal habitats. This situation forces a re-think of conservation strategies across borders, says researcher.

Could we eat like scavengers?

Dogs eat all kinds of nasty things, and vultures eat carcasses that are long dead. Could we eat rotten food if we heat treated it beforehand?

The riddle of rodents

Last year so many rodents roamed Norwegian forests that residences were overrun, from mountain cabin attics to house basements. This summer in southern Norway, rodent numbers have plummeted to roughly one-hundredth of what they were just a year ago. Yet no one really knows what’s powering these enormous population swings.

Rodent population swings remain a mystery

They’re small and almost unnoticeable, until their population explodes. Now recent swings in Norway’s small rodent populations have underscored the importance of these creatures for the health of the entire natural community.

Can wild animals have mental illnesses?

Blame it on humans when animals become mentally ill.

What’s a moose to eat?

Moose like to browse on young saplings. Forest owners count on their trees for timber. Researchers are looking for better ways to meet both needs.

Norwegians more tolerant of illegal wolf shooting

Sweden has ten times more wolves than Norway, yet Norwegians are less tolerant of wolves in the wild and are more likely to accept illegal shooting of the animals.

Wolves love and fear forest roads

In recent years we have become far more likely to encounter wolves on the Scandinavian Peninsula. A major reason is that Homo sapiens and Canis lupus lupus both like to get from point A to point B as quickly and effortlessly as possible.

An in-trawl camera for fish

A cod swims right past the camera. These images could make it easier to set fishing quotas.

Calves need more motherly care

Calves are usually separated from cows right after birth. A new study indicates that they should get more time with their mothers.

Thin Arctic foxes suffer more from industrial pollutants

The Arctic may be a long way from the industrial world, but harmful chemical substances find their way northward and concentrate in animals there. Researchers have now found a disturbing trend: concentrations of one harmful chemical family are higher in thin Arctic foxes than in their more well-fed brethern.