The Aspinall Elephant Controversy

A look at the plan by The Aspinall Foundation to re-wild 13 captive, Kentish born elephants into ‘the wild’ in Kenya and why many scientists, conservationists and local community groups think it might not be such a good idea and is, in fact, ego-conservationism being done by someone who might have more financial interest in it than people could be led to believe.

Top Ten Cats #2 – Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus.

One of my proudest moments in academia, if not my proudest moment, you know not having graduated or won a Nobel Prize or anything, was in ‘Scientific Communications’ class when I gave a presentation about the cheetah. Now let me explain a few things. For one thing, I’m autistic. Standing under bright lights talking to

Top Ten Cats #3 – Tiger, Panthera tigris

CONTENT WARNING: Contains images of animal cruelty “Tiger, tiger burning bright…” etc. I’ve got tiger stories up the wazoo, man. I did a pub quiz once where I argued for an extra half point because the question was ‘what is the largest cat in the world?’ and everyone said tiger, but I said, quite rightfully,

Top Ten Cats #6 – Lion, Panthera leo

What top ten list of cats is complete without the so-called ‘King of the Jungle’ that is, actually, more a Prince of the Plains. I’ll level with you. I like lions. I love lions like I love any other kind of cat. But they make this list for one reason and one reason alone. Sociability.

Top Ten Cats #7 – Jaguar, Panthera onca

Content Warning: This article contains images of animal predation. I left this one up to the community and your voices were heard. They were completely silent. Thanks, guys. So given how I feel you basically stuck your teeth on my skull and bit a hole in it, I put a cat in this place that

Happy Birthday Darwin!

I got so moody about dickheads being stupid about fatness that this nearly slipped me by! There’s little I can say or do, historically or scientifically, to better other communicators on their thoughts on Darwin. On what he achieved, his pioneering spirit, his indomitable determination, his seeming respectability and his love of worms. I’m fairly