Animals
News and essential information regarding animals.
Two beluga whales evacuated to Spain from war-torn Ukraine
Two beluga whales have been evacuated from an aquarium in war-torn Ukraine to Spain by road and plane in a "high-risk" operation, officials at their new home said Wednesday.
Spain passes animal welfare law
Spain's parliament on Thursday gave the green light to an animal welfare law, while also amending the penal code to bring in stiffer penalties for abuses.
FACT CHECK: No, Spain has not legalised bestiality
Hundreds of tweets, Spain’s far right and even Poland’s Justice Minister have claimed that the Spanish government’s new animal welfare law decriminalises sex with animals if they suffer no injuries.
How long can I leave my cat or dog alone at home in Spain?
How long can you leave a pet unattended under Spain’s new animal welfare law without facing a hefty fine? And are there any exceptions?
PETA offers cash to ban Pamplona’s famous running of the bulls forever
With the news last week that the Spanish city of Pamplona in Navarra has been forced to cancel its bull running fiesta for the second year running due to the Covid crisis, animal rights activists have seized on the opportunity to call for it to be banned permanently.
Spain moves to ban wolf hunting and give species protected status
Spain has taken steps to award the Iberian wolf protected status which will mean a complete ban on hunting the species.
Coronavirus: Four lions test positive at Barcelona zoo
Four lions at Barcelona Zoo, three of them older females, caught Covid-19 last month but suffered only mild symptoms and have since recovered, the Catalan animal park said.
Spanish conservationists lament 'dark day' as two brown bears shot by hunters
Two of Spain’s protected brown bears have been shot dead by hunters in separate incidents during wild boar hunts on Sunday, striking a blow to a conservation programme that has seen the population grow from near extinction.
What's up doc? How Donkey therapy is easing Spain medics' stress
Walking into a dusty paddock, a young nurse is quickly surrounded by a group of donkeys gently nudging her for attention as she strokes their soft noses and feeds them carrots.
200kg gorilla attacks female keeper in Madrid zoo
A gorilla mauled a 46-year-old zookeeper in Spanish capital Madrid on Sunday, leaving her in serious condition with two broken arms and chest and head injuries, the zoo and emergency services said.
Is there a black panther prowling around a small village in southern Spain?
Residents of a small town in the province of Granada in southern Spain have been warned to be on their guard after reports that a large black panther was on the loose.
IN PICTURES: Loggerhead turtles hatch on Barcelona beach for the first time
Loggerhead sea turtles hatched on Barcelona’s Mar Bella beach over the weekend from what is being hailed by conservationists as the first ever recorded nesting site on one of Barcelona’s city beaches.
How Gibraltar is moving to protect its monkeys against coronavirus
Authorities in Britain's tiny enclave of Gibraltar, fearful of a coronavirus epidemic among its famous Barbary monkeys, have banned tourists from touching the animals.
Spain makes landmark ruling against pet shop for animal abuse
In a landmark ruling for Spain, the owners of a pet store have been found guilty of animal abuse and forced to shut down.
Seville wants owners to rinse away dog pee
Municipal councils in Spain have long been battling to keep their streets free of dog messes introducing ingenious ways to punish or shame irresponsible pet owners, but Seville City Council has just taken it a step further.
WATCH: First Eurasion Lynx born in Spanish Pyrenees for more than a century
Officially extinct in the region for more than a century, a Eurasion Lynx has been born in the Catalan Pyrenees.
This horse-killing bear is causing 'lots of concern' in Spain and France
An "abnormally predatory" brown bear that has killed horses in the mountains between France and Spain could be removed from the area if he doesn't change his behaviour, Spanish environmental authorities said on Friday.
How Spain brought the Iberian Lynx back from the brink of extinction
In 2002, the Iberian lynx was identified as the world’s most endangered cat, with just 94 left in the wild and looked all set to become the first species of cat to die out since the sabre-toothed tiger 10,000 years ago.
Sheep nibble Madrid's largest park into shape
It's a rustic scene: sheep graze placidly on grass as a shepherd keeps watch. But this is Madrid's largest public park, not the tranquil countryside.
The world’s saddest elephant, dies after 43 years alone in Cordoba zoo
She was known as the “saddest elephant in the world” after living 43 years in solitary confinement at the zoo in Cordoba, southern Spain, and on March 1st she passed away.
Lions and tigers and bears... oh my! Spanish police raid illegal taxidermist
Spanish police said Tuesday they had seized more than 200 stuffed endangered animals, including giraffes, rhinos, lions and tigers, from an illegal taxidermy workshop that was selling them online.
First great white spotted off Spain in decades
A great white shark was spotted in waters off Spain's Balearic Islands this week in what is the first such sighting by scientists in at least 30 years, a marine conservation group said Saturday.
Vet extradited to US over puppy-smuggling heroin plot
A 38-year-old Colombian vet appeared in a New York court Tuesday, accused of injecting liquid heroin into puppies to evade border control in a drug smuggling ring.