Animals
Elephants are special – the Romans knew it too
In order to deter poachers, hundreds of tons of elephants’ tusks are being incinerated in Kenya. But even for Romans,…
Beautiful, wilful, never dull: in praise of Clumber spaniels
For the first time in more than 30 years we have no Clumber spaniel. We have had five: Henry, Judith,…
Snakes, kookaburras and bandicoots: a garden in Australia’s rainforest
What you can see from a tin house in the Australian rainforest
The chief executives who volunteer for pay cuts
Boss cuts The chief executive of the Co-operative Group, Richard Pennycock, asked for a pay cut, saying his job had…
Why compulsory microchipping is bad for caring dog-owners
Compulsory microchipping of dogs will hurt caring pet owners – but help busybodies
Aftershocks and polo ponies in Christchurch, New Zealand
On my first night in Christchurch, I woke at 3.32 a.m. to what felt like an explosion. My bed was…
The noisy, filthy, scary glory of geese
They’re noisy, filthy, scary – and glorious. No wonder we have such complicated feelings about them
How humanity learned to love whales (and what they taught us in return)
How humanity learned to love them – and what we learned about ourselves in the process
Dear Mary: Must I have name badges for guests at my wedding?
Q. My husband-to-be and I both work full time. We are getting married from his family HQ and his kind…
Henry Worsley and the annals of heroic British failure
So near and yet so far Henry Worsley died in a Chilean hospital of peritonitis after being airlifted from Antartica,…
The many fights over the Lord’s Prayer
Amen corner Digital Cinema Media, a company which distributes adverts to cinemas, refused to allow an advert which involves the…
Dreaming of bringing your favourite pet back to life? Soon it could be reality
The super-rich are already bringing beloved dogs and horses back to life. Soon the rest of us will be able to do it too
A piece of primeval England reborn in Sussex
A piece of ancient England is being reborn around a castle in Sussex
In praise of the pit bull terrier
Last night I saw a woman dancing with a pit bull terrier. It was about 9 p.m. and her curtains…
Welcome to Miliband country: how Labour would wreck rural life
A ‘progressive alliance’ would be a profound threat to rural life
Humans are doing democracy wrong. Bees are doing it right
What the hive knows about democracy that humans have yet to learn
It really must be a mid-life crisis. I’ve fallen in love with a pony
Because I’m reckless, stupid and irresponsible, I normally get landed with the biggest, most obstreperous hunters. But the other weekend…
What to do with a squirrel (without getting prosecuted)
Squirrels have much to teach us – once they’ve finished eating our nuts
How (not) to poison a dog
Deadly to dogs An Irish setter was allegedly poisoned at Crufts, using beef containing slug pellets. Some other substances with which dog-show rivals…
A dog to remember (and the wine he inspired)
Meeting to taste wine, we started by talking about dogs. Roy Hattersley is good on the subject, which ought to…
The Tooting poisoner and the relentless rise of the urban fox
In my London neighbourhood, an argument about urban foxes is turning very nasty indeed
Revealed: five British royals who definitely slept with underage girls
Teen queens The Duke of York denied allegations in court papers that he had had sexual relations with a girl…
A miracle: French hotels actually like dogs
The first time I checked in to a French hotel with a golden retriever — his name was Gregory, predecessor…
Why do we care about the mutts from Manchester and not the chickens from KFC?
Our attitude to animals and their suffering is bonkers
I believe in animal research. But it’s time to draw a line
I believe in animal research. But is there really a justification for using animals in biology lessons?
