Animals
Is playing throw and catch harming your dog? Here's the one thing that vets say you should always avoid
The curious case of the dog poo bag in the tree: a very modern countryside mystery explained
Why do we bag up dog poo and stick it in a tree? The surprisingly complex psychology behind this phenomenon turns out to be less about laziness – and more about humans’ brain psychology
Impossibly cute sloths and a colossal swarm of mayflies amongst 27 winners of the Close-up Photographer of the Year awards
The winners of this year's Close-up Photographer of the Year have been announced, with the photographer Ross Gudgeon scooping the top prize with their entry 'Fractal Forest', showing cauliflower soft coral in exquisite detail. Named for its characteristic cauliflower-like appearance, this species of coral has numerous small, bump-like polyps that give it a distinctive texture. The international competition attracted more than 12,000 entries from 63 countries, skillfully judged by 22 expert photographers, naturalists and editors. The judges selected winners and the Top 100 images across 11 categories. Co-founder Tracy Calder noted: "This was the toughest competition yet. The winning image
Chris Packham is moving his dogs to a plant-based diet – should you? Here’s what the research says
Chris Packham has explained why he's transitioning his dogs onto a vegan diet
Dog food humans could eat? How a dog's dinner just got an upgrade
Make the switch to fresh
What's new?
How to claim two free freshly cooked meals for your dog today
Here's how to get vet-backed meals
Cow filmed using tool for the first time
Cow in Austria shows first case of flexible, multi-purpose tool use in cattle.
Chris Packham is moving his dogs to a plant-based diet – should you? Here’s what the research says
Chris Packham has explained why he's transitioning his dogs onto a vegan diet
The silent architects: How horses have sculpted the British countryside over centuries
The countryside would look very different were it not for horses. Tiffany Francis- Baker reveals some of the surprising ways horses have sculpted our landscapes.
Walking dogs in bad weather? Here’s when you should (and shouldn’t) risk it
Find out when it's safe to walk your pet in bad weather.
Farm animals
What’s the tallest cow in the world? At over 6ft tall, she would tower over many people
Discover the record-breaking cow, named Blosom
How many stomachs do cows have? The biology behind the myths
Do cows really have four stomachs? We take a look at their rather complicated digestive system
"No lounging about or a second glass of wine – someone still needs to tend to the livestock:" Frost, snow, animals - the gruelling reality of Christmas on a farm
While most of us down tools and pick up the mince
pies, a farmer’s work doesn’t stop for the festive
break. Amy Bateman welcomes us into her
farmhouse for a busy Yule on her Cumbrian farm
Horses
With just 300 left in the world, is this the rarest horse on the planet?
Once the lifeblood of Scotland’s island communities, this rare pony now faces a fight for its future
How real was 'War Horse'? Discover the harrowing story and the true horrors of horses on the front line of WWI
The charity The Brooke brings to life the horrors horses faced during the First World War
Watch dramatic footage of wild ponies being rounded up by riders on a brutal, rugged English moorland
We joined the action as the historic Anchor herd was brought down from the moor for their annual health check
Pets
"Once symptoms develop it's almost always too late to treat and unfortunately leads to death." The everyday item that is fatal to pets
Sadly it causes irreversible kidney failure in affected animals
Top 10 naughtiest dog breeds in the world – according to a very scratched and scarred veterinary surgeon...
Is your dog on the naughty list?
Can dogs eat Brussels sprouts?
poultry
Mike the Headless Chicken: the real-life chicken that lived for 18 months without a head
After a failed decapitation in 1945, a chicken in Colorado stunned the world by surviving for 18 months without a head
Meet the bizarre blue-egg laying chicken taking over British backyards
Bird flu: what is it, which populations are affected and what are the long-term impacts?
As bird flu hits the headlines again, we take a look at what it is, the long-term impacts and what to do if you find an infected bird