News about Wild animals

A new family tree revises our understanding of bird evolution

A team of researchers from the Bird 10,000 Genomes (B10K) consortium has reported a new bird family tree that promises to reshape our understanding of avian evolution. Published in Nature on April 1st, 2024, the study…

Mediterranean marine worm has developed eyes “as big as millstones"

Scientists are amazed at the discovery of a bristle worm with such sharp-seeing eyes that they can measure up to those of mammals and octopuses. The researchers from University of Copenhagen and Lund University suspect…

PhD-student wins poster price at the SVEPM 2024 Conference

At the annual European conference in Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, SVEPM, PhD-student Helene Ane Jensen won the poster price.

Avian Influenza Group participated in the SVEPM 2024 Conference

The avian influenza epidemiology research influenza group participated in the annual SVEPM conference in 2024 with 5 contributions. Yangfan Liu showcased her work on a mathematical model for the spread of avian influenz…

Gene flow in giraffes and what it means for their conservation

Giraffes, with their bizarre body plan, have always held a special place in the minds of evolutionary biologists and non-experts alike. In a new study, led by a team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen,…

The genomic secrets to how the muskox mastered living on the edge

At the end of the last Ice Age, many iconic species became extinct - including the steppe bison, the woolly rhinoceros, the Irish elk, and the dire wolf. However, one Ice Age relict, perfectly adapted to the harsh…

Disguised as tree bark and another species: Newly discovered gecko is a master of disguise

An international team of scientific researchers, among them a University of Copenhagen herpetologist, has discovered a new gecko species in Madagascar that resembles tree bark during the day and had been mistaken for a…

Wildlife ethics: The Ethics of Wildlife Management and Conservation

New book out September 2023: 'Wildlife ethics: The Ethics of Wildlife Management and Conservation' by Clare Palmer, Bob Fischer, Christian Gamborg, Jordan Hampton and Peter Sandøe

Number cruncher calculates whether whales are acting weirdly

We humans can be a scary acquaintance for whales in the wild. This includes marine biologists tagging them with measuring devices to understand them better. These experiences can make whales behave erratically for a…

Number cruncher calculates whether whales are acting weirdly

We, humans, can be a scary acquaintance for whales in the wild. This includes marine biologists tagging them with measuring devices to understand them better. Now, University of Copenhagen researchers have figured out…

New tracking device to keep better tabs on wolves

Keeping up with the journeys of wolves and welfare of wild horses has never been easier. With a GPS wildlife tracker powered by an animal's own movements, University of Copenhagen researchers have solved a problem faced…

Spaghetti-armed egghead strives to move people with facts

Hans Henrik Bruun is an especially active voice of reason in public discourse about the present and future of Danish nature. Whenever engaging, he often greets strong emotions with facts. This year's recipient of…

Spaghetti-armed egghead strives to move people with facts

Hans Henrik Bruun is an especially active voice of reason in public discourse about the present and future of Danish nature. Whenever engaging, he often greets strong emotions with facts. This year's recipient of…

Ethicists’ commentary on hierarchies of animal “value”

Ethical question of the month, January 2023 A recent media article on the needs of chimpanzees that are “so closely related to humans” caused me to reflect that people, including veterinarians, tend to ascribe more valu…

Danish researchers discover birds with neurotoxin-laden feathers

An expedition into the jungle of New Guinea has resulted in the discovery of two new species of poisonous birds by researchers from the University of Copenhagen. Genetic changes in these bird species have allowed them t…

Opportunities and Challenges in Applying the 3Rs to Zoos and Aquariums

This paper analyses opportunities and challenges for each of the three Rs when applied to animals housed in zoos and aquariums.

Will the use of domesticated animals in rewilding projects compromise animal welfare?

Based on a survey of public media in Denmark, this paper identifies different animal welfare issues relating to rewilding projects.

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

Ethical management of wildlife. Lethal versus nonlethal control of white-tailed deer

By C. Gamborg, P. Sandøe, & C. Palmer (2020). Conservation Science and Practice. Wiley. Abstract Calls for ethical management of wildlife in the international conservation com- munity are increasing. However, it is not…

Animal Welfare Impact Assessments - A good way of giving the affected animals a voice when trying to tackle wild animals

By P. Sandøe & C. Gamborg (2017) Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. Springer. Abstract Control of wild animals may give rise to controversy, as is seen in the case of badger control to manage TB in cattl…

Bears or butterflies? How should zoos make value-driven decisions about their collections?

By C. Palmer, TJ Kasperbauer & P. Sandøe (forthcoming 2017) Book chapter in The Ark and Beyond, Minteer, B.A., Maienschein, J. & Collins, J.P. (eds.). University of Chicago Press Excerpt Zoos are ethically contested…

A dividing issue: Attitudes to the shooting of rear and release birds among landowners, hunters and the general public in DK

By C. Gamborg, F.S. Jensen & P. Sandøe (2016) Land Use Policy. Elsevier Abstract Why are organised shoots involving birds that are farm-reared and subsequently released a dividing issue in several countries? As a…

Management and use of wild animals

By P. Sandøe, S. B. Christiansen & B. Holst Ethics of animal use. Wiley-Blackwell. 2008 Excerpt The animals which are the focus of this chapter differ in an important respect from those discussed in previous chapters:…