Environment:

Kenyan Rhinos Cannot Survive in the Wild. From the article: “Kenya has about 850 black and white rhinos out of approximately 25,000 in Africa, but more than 50 were killed for their horns in 2013, up from 30 killings in 2012, and those that remain are increasingly vulnerable to organised poaching gangs.” Wow, this is so sad. [TheGuardian]

Health & Science:

Beating Bacteria on Earth — And in Space. Antibiotic resistance is a current public health threat thanks to the non-therapeutic overuse of antibiotics in the animals we eat. There’s a small group of people who are especially impacted by antibiotic resistance: astronauts. NASA’s website has a recent article on bacteria in outer space. While they don’t mention the link between antibiotic resistance and factory farming, it’s clear that this public health threat is going to have some serious effect on space travelers. [NASA]

Extensive Use of Antibiotics in Agriculture Creating Public Health Crisis, Study Shows. Speaking of antibiotics. [ScienceDaily]

Animals in Entertainment:

Photos: Did You See Camel in Brooklyn Today? Camels, goats, and a donkey paraded around Brooklyn recently. Of course people on social media had a field day, capturing how ~weird~ it was. Animals have greater purposes than to be paraded around and laughed at. [Gothamist]

Pets:

Dogs defecate in accordance with earth’s magnetic field, research finds. Dogs poop north-south! As a dog-walker, I find this fascinating (even though apparently they don’t exhibit a poop preference while leashed). [Guardian]

Drug dealers — and their gator– busted in Brooklyn. Snapple the illegal alligator is now being housed at the ASPCA. His owners were busted for drug possession. This is a great (and by that I mean this is terrible) example of how drug trafficking is often linked with exotic animals. [NY Post]

The Animals We Eat:

Abandoned animals find solace and comfort in this NY sanctuary. A post highlighting the mission and success of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, one of my favourite places! [Treehugger]

Anthropology:

Giraffe Was On Menu in Pompeii Restaurants. “How part of the animal, butchered, came to be a kitchen scrap in a seemingly standard Pompeian restaurant not only speaks to long-distance trade in exotic and wild animals, but also something of the richness, variety and range of a non-elite diet.” [Discovery News]

ETC:

Dark Sky Regulations Bring Zodiacal Light to Rhode Island Observatory. Because I’m from Rhode Island and I love outer space. [Universe Today]