On the day of the fast, which commemorates the Babylonian siege on Jerusalem, few Israelis are thinking about Gaza, under Israeli blockade for twice the time ancient Jerusalem was besieged.

THOUSANDS of people turned out for traditional hunt meetings across the Westcountry at the weekend as the Government indicated that its controversial ban could become a key election issue.

Join the fight against this barbarity by signing up below. Tell us why you are against moves in the next Parliament to allow foxes to be ripped apart at the teeth of hounds so we can use it in the campaign as it goes forward.

Despite recent reports that bear dancing has been completely eradicated from India, a lot of work still needs to be done before we can truly celebrate the end of this cruel practice; more bears remain in need of rescue.

An animal welfare group is fighting to get new regulations proposed by the UK Government introduced in Scotland. Greyhound Watch, which supports organisations set up to protect the breed, said the planned legislation was very relevant to Scotland.

Wild horse advocates held placards and waved down motorists Sunday to protest a federal roundup of mustangs from private and public lands in Nevada.

It's not unusual for Peter Bingham to throw open the curtains and find a squirrel nibbling at his bird feeder. But the retired prison officer, 81, found himself reaching for the sherry on Christmas morning when he was greeted by this stag in the back

But while this year's weather wasn't great for we humans, there have been mixed blessings for the country's wildlife. Butterflies and some other types of insect saw their numbers soar, but cuckoos, daddy longlegs, bats and beetles fared less well.

Another human superstition driving a protected species closer to extinction: Vulture brains are believed to increase luck in the lottery and at the race track.

SCIENTISTS have gained a glimpse into how the koala, one of the nation's most loved creatures, may have acted tens of millions of years ago.