News about Animals

DNA in Viking poop sheds new light on 55,000-year-old relationship between gut companions

Using stool samples from Viking latrines, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have genetically mapped one of the oldest human parasites – the whipworm. The mapping reflects the parasite’s global spread and its…

Compete or Cooperate with ‘Dr. Google’? Small Animal Veterinarians’ Attitudes towards Clients’ Use of Internet Resources

Using a questionnaire, we found that a majority of Austrian, Danish, and UK veterinarians (n = 641) surveyed were occasionally confronted with clients who question their medical advice based on information obtained from…

New revelations about an ancient fish: the secret to swimming upside down

An after-hours trip to Aarhus University Hospital Skejby’s radiology department has shed light on a mysterious and ancient fish, one that remains one of the world’s rarest – the Coelacanth. Researchers from the…

The modern dog fights a lonely battle

Separation anxiety and behavioral problems. Veterinary care and malnutrition are no longer the main problems for Danish dogs, as was the case a hundred years ago. On the other hand, our sky-high expectations of them are…

The modern dog fights a lonely battle

Separation anxiety and behavioral problems. Veterinary care and malnutrition are no longer the main problems for Danish dogs, as was the case a hundred years ago. On the other hand, our sky-high expectations of them are…

Shelter use by horses during summer in relation to weather conditions and horsefly (Tabanidae) prevalence

This study investigated use of artificial shelters by 10 horse groups continuously for eight summer week to understand how horses use shelters to provide shade and a refuge from biting insects during summer.

Zombie fly fungus lures healthy male flies to mate with female corpses

A unique fungus survives by 'bewitching' male flies into mating with dead female flies. The longer a female fly carcass has lain and rotted, the greater the male’s lust. This, according to a new study led by researchers…

Invasive ant species headed to Denmark: super colony builders ruled by several thousand queens

A warmer climate is causing new species of ants to head for Denmark. One of them is likely to invade soon, according to a researcher at the University of Copenhagen. The species spreads quickly and can be a great…

Wild animal welfare

In this commentary on Rowan et al’s article on sentience politics, especially regarding farm animals, we ask how the welfare of wild animals differs from that of farmed animals, especially how the ability to make…

Estimating the Population of Unowned Free-Ranging Domestic Cats in Denmark

This study estimated the size of the population of unowned free-ranging domestic cats and their distribution in Denmark using a combination of questionnaires and GPS tracking

Market driven initiatives can improve broiler welfare – A comparison across five European countries

Market driven initiatives can have a strong impact on improving broiler welfare, building on those standards achieved by animal welfare legislation.

Insect wingbeats will help quantify biodiversity

Insect populations are plummeting worldwide, with major consequences for our ecosystems and without us quite knowing why. A new AI method from the University of Copenhagen is set to help monitor and catalogue insect…

Positive animal welfare: Bridging the gap or raising inequalities worldwide?

This paper takes a comparative approach to the ways animals are kept in various parts of the world, and highlights the opportunities and potential barriers to promote positive animal welfare in a global context.

After thousands of years, an iconic whale confronts a new enemy

The iconic tusked whale of the Arctic has a new enemy – noise. A unique study from the University of Copenhagen and the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources shows that narwhals are highly affected by noise from ship…

New phenomenon: Forest mammals eavesdrop on messy monkeys

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have discovered a unique phenomenon among forest mammals – eavesdropping. Their study demonstrates that various animal species depend on one another in more ways than ever…

Tigers end their days in high-pressure cookers

Thousands of tigers, bred on farms like pigs and raised in basements, end up in high-pressure cookers, where their bones are dissolved and transformed into traditional medicine. University of Copenhagen researchers are…

Zebrafish reproduction affected by plastic particles in the aquatic environment

Plastic nanoparticles cause mild inflammation, disrupt metabolic pathways, change the gut microbiota and affect reproduction in zebrafish.

Taking up red nanoplastic particles and showing green neutrophils

Our new Zeiss V8 stereo microscope have captured the red nanoplastic particles taken up by the zebrafish and the Artemia.

New edible cricket species discovered in Kenya

Researchers at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in Nairobi, Kenya, have discovered a new, previously undescribed edible cricket with great promise for mass production for human…

2nd Insects to feed the world confernce in China

GREEiNSECT project members very active at 2nd international conference.

Nyfødt reagensglaskalv

Nyfødt reagensglaskalv kan blive starten på en revolutionering af dansk kvægavl.

Farmers to use insects as their new livestock

From 2008-2013 the idea developed and since it has been met with great interest from farmers and especially the media. Nanna Roos wants to create a food production of insects and her first endeavors to achieve this took…

Technical Brief #5 Nutrition

GREEiNSECT Technical Brief #5 on Nutrition of insects as food released

Technical Brief #4 Gastronomy

GREEiNSECT Brief #4 on insect gastronomy released