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Tag - animal-welfare

 
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July 24, 2026
 

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ANIMAL WELFARE

A dead pangolin stripped of its scales is advertised on Facebook by a Thai account selling "seasonal wild delicacies," part of what conservationists call rampant illegal wildlife trafficking across social media platforms.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 29, 2026
For sale on Facebook: monkeys, rhino horn and dead pangolins
A recent report by conservationist organizations accuses Meta of hosting and effectively encouraging the world¡¯s ¡°largest single known illegal wildlife trade market.¡±
Punch, a Japanese macaque known for clinging to a stuffed orangutan, at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Chiba Prefecture in March
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jun 25, 2026
¡®Unacceptable¡¯: Laser pointer aimed at Punch, the viral baby monkey
Pointing a laser at a monkey will cause it a great amount of stress, a zoo official said, adding that aiming one at its eyes could cause blindness.
Penguins are seen on an iceberg as scientists investigate the impact of climate change on Antarctica's penguin colonies, on the northern side of the Antarctic peninsula in 2022.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 12, 2026
Emperor penguins in focus as Antarctic talks start in Japan
Officials from the nearly 60 countries signatory to the Antarctic Treaty are meeting in Hiroshima for annual discussions on protecting and managing the fragile region.
A staff member checks a Komodo dragon at Surabaya Zoo in Surabaya on Wednesday. Indonesia will lend a pair of endangered breeding Komodo dragons to Japan.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 30, 2026
Indonesia lends Komodo dragon pair to Japan zoo
Indonesia¡¯s Surabaya Zoo will receive a pair of red pandas, a pair of giraffes, four Aldabra giant tortoises and two female Japanese macaques from iZoo in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Toru Akama pets a cat at his animal shelter in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, on March 5.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 18, 2026
Former Fukushima worker devotes life to abandoned pets
Toru Akama tends to dozens of pets abandoned after the catastrophe 15 years ago, work he sees as part of his quest for redemption.
French actress Brigitte Bardot addresses a news conference in 1965 in Hollywood for the film "Viva Maria," directed by Louis Malle (background). A female icon of the 1960s and a fervent animal rights activist, it was announced Sunday that she died at age 91.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 28, 2025
Brigitte Bardot, sex symbol turned animal activist, dies age 91
Bardot quit making movies at age 39, and she courted controversy with comments about marginalized members of society.
Naoyuki Kayamoto (left) and Makoto Murakami of venture firm Hundred aim to launch a subsidiary in the United States.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Nov 24, 2025
The Fukushima startup bringing a welfare perspective to animal testing
Naoyuki Kayamoto¡¯s venture firm Hundred develops laboratory instruments that cause less stress to animals during experiments.
Yo Okutani holds a bear repellent spray he developed at Biosiense in Anan, Tokushima Prefecture, last month.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Nov 4, 2025
Tokushima company develops bear repellent spray amid record attack numbers
The spray is a rare domestic product in a market dominated by imported options.
Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki attends a meeting to tackle bird flu held in Sapporo on Wednesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Science & Health
Oct 22, 2025
Bird flu season begins in Japan with infection confirmed at Hokkaido farm
The Hokkaido government has started to cull some 459,000 laying hens at the farm and imposed a ban on the transportation of hens within a 10-kilometer radius.
Jane Goodall communicates with a chimp named Nana in June 2004 at a zoo in Magdeburg, Germany. She was the world's foremost authority on chimpanzees.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 6, 2025
Without Jane Goodall, chimps need new champions ¡ª us
Goodall revolutionized the way we see both great apes and ourselves. We can¡¯t let her legacy fade away.
An owl cafe in Tokyo
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Oct 3, 2025
Investigation finds poor infection controls at some animal cafes in Japan
Through microbial examinations, investigators found a type of pathogenic E. coli in four of the stores and a type of salmonella bacteria in two.
Japan allows municipalities to authorize the shooting of wild bears in residential areas under an amended law aimed at preventing further attacks.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Sep 2, 2025
Shooting bears in residential areas made easier in Japan
Many bear cases have already been reported in various parts of the country so far this fiscal year.
A polar bear at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo on Thursday. The Arctic animals are among the most vulnerable species to Japan's scorching summer heat and zookeepers have to take a number of precautions in order to keep them safe.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / OUR PLANET
Aug 31, 2025
How Tokyo¡¯s Ueno Zoo helps their animals cope with extreme heat
From limiting their time outdoors to serving frozen food, the staff at Ueno Zoo take a number of measures to help the animals cope with the heat.
John Hume, the South African who bred the world¡¯s biggest rhino herd, has for years campaigned unsuccessfully for the legalization of international trade in the animals¡¯ horns.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Aug 20, 2025
Man who bred world¡¯s biggest rhino herd charged with horn smuggling
John Hume, 83, has for years campaigned unsuccessfully for the legalization of international trade in the animals¡¯ horns.
People watch a cockfight in Bulacan province, north of Manila. Cockfighting has long been a national obsession in the Philippines, tracing its lineage to well before the first Spanish arrived in the 1500s.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Aug 15, 2025
Online cockfighting thrives in Philippines despite ban and murders
Authorities estimate cockfight bettors are fueling an industry that generates millions of dollars in revenue each week.
A dog looks through the bars of a cage at the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control as the shelter struggles with overcrowding caused by pets abandoned during recent immigration raids, in Downey, California, on July 29.
WORLD / Society
Aug 6, 2025
Trump¡¯s immigration raids in LA affecting pets too
Dogs and cats are finding themselves in Los Angeles County¡¯s care centers after their owners get detained or deported.
A month-old lion cub (center) is seen in front of two 8-day-olds at a breeding facility in Chachoengsao province, Thailand, on July 7.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jul 29, 2025
¡®Absolute madness¡¯: Thailand¡¯s pet lion problem
Thailand¡¯s captive lion population has exploded in recent years, with nearly 500 registered in zoos, breeding farms, petting cafes and homes.
A rescued baby orangutan rests in a basket in Bangkok on May 14.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Jun 11, 2025
Snakes on a plane highlight Thailand-India wildlife trafficking, NGO reports
Many of the animals seized are alive, showing demand for exotic pets is driving the smuggling trade, the nongovernmental organization said.
The Kumamoto Municipal Government building in the city of Kumamoto
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 4, 2025
Around 100 dead cats found at woman¡¯s home in Japan
City officials and animal rights volunteers inspected the house twice, before launching a full search and rescue mission.
A student in hazmat suit moves around a taxidermied giraffe at the "crime scene" set up in the warehouse of the Wildlife Forensic Academy in the Buffelsfontein Game and Nature Reserve near Cape Town, South Africa, on April 16.
WORLD / Society
Apr 22, 2025
Inside South Africa¡¯s wildlife CSI school helping to catch poachers
South Africa faces an acute poaching crisis, with more than 10,000 rhinos killed since 2007 according to the International Rhino Foundation.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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