A sensory organ discovered in the jaw of the world’s largest whales explains how the animals open their huge mouths so quickly, say scientists.

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How whales open their huge mouths

A British tourist who tried to protect a girl being mauled by captive cheetahs tells how the animals then turned on her.

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Tourist mauled by ‘tame’ cheetah

Foie gras: it's French for ‘fatty liver,’ and it's produced by deliberately overfeeding ducks or geese. The birds' livers become enlarged up to ten times their normal size and the result is many a chef’s delight: a rich, creamy delicacy enjoyed the world over. Foie gras can be seared like a steak or smoothed into a pâté, and it's at the center of a major legal flap between California chefs and animal rights activists. The process of feeding the birds to enlarge their livers is called gavage. The ducks or geese are force-fed more food than they would usually eat, and therein lies the controversy. Opponents claim that the process of force-feeding the fowl is detrimental to their health and well-being. Foie gras enthusiasts argue that ducks and geese, which don't have a gag reflex, are used to swallowing fish whole and putting on weight for migratory flights. In California, the practice of force-feeding was banned more than 7 years ago, but producers of the delicacy were given a grace period during which they could come up with a more humane way to feed the birds. In fact, the sole producer of foie gras in California endorsed the bill. The grace period is up on June 30. On July 1, it will be illegal in California to sell products that are made as a result of force-feeding animals. San Francisco-based chef and restaurateur Chris Cosentino is one of the most outspoken voices opposing the looming ban on foie gras. “Foie is low hanging fruit for attack,” he says. “It’s very frustrating as chefs and producers to be so lambasted.” Cosentino has joined about 100 other notable California chefs and culinary professionals, including Thomas Keller, Michael Chiarello and Tyler Florence, who have formed the Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards , or CHEFS. They’re advocating humane feeding methods that produce a high quality product and “support a broader standard for ethical treatment of animals and humane farming practices,” according to their website. To some, their efforts seem too little too late. As the deadline nears, tempers are starting to flare. Cosentino has received death threats against himself and his family, and protesters have picketed outside his restaurant. Tensions are clearly running high. Cosentino thinks this is part of a larger debate. “[Animal rights activists] have an agenda for a vegan country,” he says. “Once this goes through, they’re going on to the next meat item they deem unfit.” He would prefer that the activists go after factory farming of other animals: “We’re pumping the food we eat with antibiotics. Let’s focus on those big pictures.” Paul Shapiro, the Vice President of Farm Animal Protection for the Humane Society points to a “whole host” of animal protection projects he’s working on, and rattles off laws the state of California has passed protecting cattle, chickens, pigs and sharks . Of this current battle, he says, “How much suffering are we willing to inflict on animals who stand completely helpless before us? Shoving a pipe down a bird’s throat multiple times a day is cruel, and the state had a right to ban it.” Shapiro points to studies that say the mortality rate is 10 to 20 times higher for force-fed ducks. He says, “The ducks display really serious fear and aversion. They huddle in a corner. They have to be caught by hand and dragged to have this pipe shoved down their throats.” Cosentino has been to Hudson Valley Foie Gras in New York, one of four farms in the U.S. which produces foie gras. “I found very comfortable living environments,” he says. As for the ducks huddled in the corner, he rebuts, “It’s the same concept as if you put on a monster outfit and walked into a preschool.” “It’s OK to have disagreements, but to ban something outright doesn’t work,” Cosentino finds. “Let’s focus on making something right.” As it stands, CHEFS needs a Californian legislator to introduce a repeal bill. So far, no one has offered to do so. Senate President Pro Tem and Democrat Darrell Steinberg told reporters yesterday, “I'm not going to allow an issue like that to preoccupy the Legislature.” If foie gras fans did find someone to introduce legislation on their behalf, the state would likely take up the bill. But, it’s unsure if they’ll find someone to swallow their 11th hour appeal. Take Our Poll

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Foie gras laws causing a flap with California chefs

Two managers of a supermarket have been accused of illegally selling wildlife, illustrating what some see as a cultural fault line in a changing population.

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As Asians Flock to Northern Virginia, Laws and Palates Collide

Literature professors, sociologists, theologians and others who have studied humans and their doings are joining a growing, but still undefined, field.

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Animal Studies Move From the Lab to the Lecture Hall

Some four dozen animals escaped on Tuesday from an exotic animal farm in Zanesville, Ohio, and were loose in the area, according to the sheriff’s office.

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The Lede Blog: Deputies Hunt Exotic Animals on the Loose in Ohio

The event, based on the running of the bulls in Spain, comes with a waiver that says “you, your neighbor, your cousin and your cousin’s brother can’t sue anybody about any of this.”

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In Arizona Bull Run, Danger, Yes. Liability, No.

The male pronghorn stood perfectly still, as if posing for the Jeepful of tourists madly snapping his picture. We were marveling at his regal stature, the graceful U-shaped horns, when . . . “He’s pooping!” exclaimed my friend Amanda. “Right in front of us! That’s very rude,” quipped our fellow tourist Harriet Coorssen. Of course, here in Custer State Park’s backcountry, the animals don’t have to mind their manners. This is their turf — all 71,000 acres of it. Luckily, the Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour goes into the heart of that territory, showing you pronghorn, deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and, of course, the star attraction — buffaloes. The wildlife reserve is home to roughly 1,300 of the shaggy beasts, one of the biggest publicly owned herds in the world. I’m an animal lover, so the buffalo adventure was the first activity I booked when Amanda and I decided to spend four days exploring the Black Hills of South Dakota in July. Read full article > >

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The Impulsive Traveler: Shuffling off to see the buffalo in South Dakota’s Black Hills

Jellyfish have long been dismissed as so much mindless protoplasm with a mouth. Now, in a series of new studies, researchers have found that there is far more complexity and nuance to a jellyfish than meets the eye.

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So Much More Than Plasma and Poison

ZSL London Zoo has opened a new pool for its penguins. It has been designed to more closely resemble the animals’ natural habitat, as keeper Evelyn Guyett explains.

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VIDEO: London Zoo opens new penguin pool

A second whale is found dead in a Hebridean loch after more than 60 of the animals were spotted in the area.

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Second whale found dead in loch

Goats are able to recognise the voices of their own kids, differentiating them from other animals’ offspring, according to researchers.

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Goats recognise their kids’ voices

Goats are able to recognise the voices of their own kids, differentiating them from other animals’ offspring, according to researchers.

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Goats recognise their kids’ voices

After the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, many people were forced to leave their pets behind. One dog was rescued after what is believed to be three weeks at sea. Groups have worke d to provide care and shelter to the animals and to reunite them with their owners.

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Dog rescued in Japan; others reunite with owners

Our video on London’s most extensive and unusual collection of taxidermic antiquities by Michael Tyburski In this video we catch up with Emma Hawkins , co-curator of the 2010 Hawkins Zoomorphic Collection exhibit in London. Put together in association with her father J.B. Hawkins , a 40-year-veteran of the antique industry, the collection contains over 200 animal objects, from hummingbird jewelry to a bull head snuff box. Here Emma shows off some prime examples of functional and entertaining taxidermy that has lasted into the 21st century.

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Cool Hunting Capsule Video: Zoomorphic Collection