No conspiracy this time: Dan Brown writing children’s book
NEW YORK (AP) — Dan Brown’s next book will have a lighter, more musical touch. The “Da Vinci Code” author is working on ...
Egypt’s once-reviled street dogs get chance at a better life
CAIRO (AP) — Karim Hegazi spends his days in a Cairo clinic taking care of animals long considered a menace in Egypt.Str...
Review: A CGI canine yearns to be free in ‘Call of the Wild’
Does the dog movie have any new tricks? Do we want it to?For the most part, we want our dog movies like our pooches: com...
Virus renews safety concerns about slaughtering wild animals
BEIJING — China cracked down on the sale of exotic species after an outbreak of a new virus in 2002 was linked to markets selling live animals. The ge...
Puppy love: Westminster dog at the heart of a human romance
NEW YORK — It’s a love story that all starts with Spuds MacKenzie.
Factory farms provide abundant food, but environment suffers
AKRON, Iowa — In recent years, Fred Zenk built two barns housing about 2,400 hogs between them — long, white, concrete-and-metal structures that are u...
China temporarily bans wildlife trade in wake of outbreak
BEIJING — Chinese authorities announced a temporary ban on the trade of wild animals Sunday following a viral outbreak in Wuhan, saying they will “sev...
2 elephants escape from circus in Russian city
Russia is said to be the place where bears roam the streets — but for a short while it was a free-for-all for elephants.
For hippo Fiona’s 3rd birthday, zoo seeks aid for Australia
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Zoo is using the third birthday of its beloved hippo, born premature, as a way to raise money for Australian wildlife affe...
Cast in many roles, Gus Kenworthy is one tough act to follow
Freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy hasn't had much time to rehearse and practice new tricks heading into the Winter X Games this weekend.
New rules could bump emotional-support animals from planes
The days of passengers bringing their pets on airplanes as emotional-support animals could be ending.
Scientists seek rare species survivors amid Australia flames
Australia’s unprecedented wildfires season has so far charred 40,000 square miles (104,000 square kilometers) of brushland, rainforests, and national ...
Germany: ugly anti-Semitic remnant at center of court battle
WITTENBERG, Germany — High on the wall of a German church where Martin Luther once preached, an ugly remnant of centuries of anti-Semitism is now at t...
Review: ‘Dolittle,’ with Robert Downey Jr., is a disaster
Dr. Dolittle, who favored animals and shunned humans, was on to something.
Crafting for critters: Australian fires prompt global effort
CONCORD, N.H. — Kyla Gill had never so much as touched a sewing machine or picked up a crochet hook two weeks ago. Now, she’s hooked on crafting for c...
‘Amazing’: New embryo made of nearly extinct rhino species
JOHANNESBURG — Researchers say they have successfully created another embryo of the nearly extinct northern white rhino in a global effort to keep the...
Oklahoma program offers rescue for horses, other equine
EDMOND, Okla. — When Ken Friend learned a job transfer meant moving his family to California from the small farm they’d been living on in rural Oklaho...
Official: DNA test to determine if coyote bit Chicago child
CHICAGO — DNA tests to determine if a coyote captured on Chicago's North Side is the same animal that attacked a 6-year-old boy will take weeks to com...
Chicago coyote captured after 2 suspected attacks reported
CHICAGO — Authorities on the hunt for coyotes in downtown Chicago after two reported attacks, including one where passersby said they had to pull a wi...
Apes, monkeys among 30 animals killed in German zoo fire
BERLIN — A fire raced through a zoo in western Germany in the first few minutes of the new year, killing more than 30 animals, including apes, monkeys...
Fake frogs in school dissections eliminate gross-out-factor
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — It's a rite of passage in schools across the U.S.: frog dissection.
Thousands of koalas feared dead in Australia wildfires
PERTH, Australia — Thousands of koalas are feared to have died in a wildfire-ravaged area north of Sydney, further diminishing Australia's iconic mars...
African swine fever kills more than 20 wild boar in Poland
WARSAW, Poland — An outbreak of African swine fever in Poland near the German border has killed 21 wild boar, the agriculture minister said Wednesday.
10 animals killed in barn fire at Ohio wildlife park
PORT CLINTON, Ohio — Officials in Ohio say at least 10 animals have been killed in a barn fire at a wildlife park.
The search is on for a red panda that escaped a French zoo
PARIS — A search is on for a red panda that broke out of a zoo in the Rhone region of southeastern France.
Pet shop owner says suspects threw stolen guinea pig at him
DANVILLE, Ky. — A Kentucky pet store owner says two women stole a pair of guinea pigs, lobbing one of the animals at him during their escape.
Actor Dave Bautista is now guardian to 2 abandoned pit bulls
TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida animal shelter sent out a desperate plea after someone had abandoned two pit bull dogs. But volunteers never expected the post...
Grin and bear it: Berlin panda gets CT scan for kidney exam
BERLIN — A Berlin zoo says a giant panda whose twin cubs have captured international attention has undergone a CT scan after veterinarians discovered ...
Special South African gin is infused with elephant dung
MOSSEL BAY, South Africa — The makers of a South African gin infused with elephant dung swear their use of the animal's excrement is no gimmick.
Biggest tropical wetlands ravaged by fires in Brazil
RIO DE JANEIRO — Fires in Brazil's Pantanal wetlands have ripped through the biodiverse region, consuming an area the size of London in just the past ...