Animal science

This year’s Bird Photographer of the Year competition attracted more than 33,000 entries from across the globe, which ultimately delivered a 2025 winners’ list that captures the beauty, drama and diversity of winged wildlife at its best.

It turns out that donkeys are exceptionally good at repelling deer ticks. Now, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have harnessed that ability to create a natural bug repellent that proved as effective as DEET at fighting the pests.

This stunning image of a bearded dragon soaking up the rays in southern Australian has taken out the overall prize in the 2024 British Ecology Society's photography competition, an annual contest open to any nature snapper around the globe.

While some pet owners may disagree, it's widely accepted that around 80% of dogs will "play fetch" with their humans. But scientists have now discovered that almost half of house cats will also chase and return objects to their owners.

In its eighth year, the Beaker Street Festival's Science Photography Prize tells the story of one of the more remote places on Earth, Australia's southern island state of Tasmania. The 12 finalists capture the beauty and diversity of this stunning land.

Even the most devout cat person can sometimes struggle to understand their pet – like why they scratch up a new chair. Now, a new study delves deep into the domestic lives of cat families to find out just why this happens, and how it can be prevented.

More than 17 million US households now have chickens. The world's first smart Coop, which is an ideal gateway to help novices raise chooks, has now rolled out Cluck Talk, which can tell you just what your chatty birds are saying to each other and to you.

It's one of the biggest and most treasured photography contests on the planet, and this year attracted a massive 49,957 entries. But there could be only a handful of winners. We present the standouts, offering a rare glimpse into the natural world.

Whether their stripes are to deter predators, cool down their bodies on hot days or make it hard for horseflies to land and bite, the zebra's appearance is an ongoing fascination for scientists. Now, their style has been adapted in a novel way.