Japan's bear attacks broke records in 2025. Will this year be worse?
By Lauren Beldi

Bear encounters are rising in Japan, and the problem is not confined to the wilderness.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-10/japan-bear-encounters-increase/106772880

#AnimalAttacks #Animals #Nature #Environment #HumanInterest #AnimalBehaviour #LaurenBeldi

Bear attack in Japan car park captured on CCTV as cities record more wild encounters

Bear encounters are rising in Japan, and the problem is not confined to the wilderness.

🎙️ New Meet the P.I. podcast episode with Wen-Sung Chung (University of Queensland, Australia) is out!

From octopus brains and neural plasticity to underwater fieldwork, marine ecosystems, and the challenges of studying cephalopod behaviour ✨

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/40TtxZF8LZlo1mIhyLAdrW?si=cd1bdcf968424341

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hngdIvHd20U&list=PLrIfH_cu6HIaUL-lpQ0rktAKGK6x4y945&index=5

#sciencepodcast #academia #animalbehaviour

Masturbation among birds is ‘natural’ and should not be punished, say experts

Study finds activity is not harmful or caused by stress of captivity – and is in fact more common in wild birds

The Guardian
Don’t reach for the bug spray: crickets stroke a sore antenna, as cues suggest insects feel pain https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/may/13/insects-feel-pain-research #AnimalBehaviour #Insects #Environment #Animals #Biology #AustraliaNews #Wildlife #Science
Don’t reach for the bug spray: crickets stroke a sore antenna, as cues suggest insects feel pain

The behavioural cue of ‘flexible self-protection’ is a way to establish whether an animal feels pain, scientists say

The Guardian
Urban birds fear women more than men, and scientists don’t know why

An international team of researchers have made the surprising discovery that urban birds - such as great tits, house sparrows and blackbirds - flee sooner when approached by women compared to men. But they don’t understand why.

EurekAlert!

This happened to me in 2024, my lecturer's response was: "It should," and he went on to explain 🥲.

#meme #animalbehaviour #zoology #biology #dogs #fediverse

10/
Conclusion: The Human-Animal Web

• Humans are described as one thread in a vast, continuous living web.

• Domestic pets, such as dogs and cats, foster empathy in children that bridges the gap between our homes and wild animals like elephants.

• The findings demand a reconsideration of our relationship with the conscious, feeling beings in the natural world.

https://youtu.be/y14Cd-mwass

#animals
#elephants
#AnimalBehaviour
#AnimalRights
#AnimalSentience
#AnimalEthics

From 'It' to 'Who'

YouTube

6/
Chemical evidence of shared traits includes:
◦ Crayfish: Display clinical anxiety and elevated serotonin when subjected to shocks.
◦ Honeybees: Become pessimistic after simulated attacks.
◦ Tiny Worms: Use oxytocin-like chemicals to seek mates despite having only 302 nerve cells.
◦ Dogs: Can suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Case Study: The Elephant Mind

https://youtu.be/y14Cd-mwass

#animals
#AnimalBehaviour
#AnimalRights
#ethology
#video

From 'It' to 'Who'

YouTube

4/
By recognizing these shared emotions, we take a giant stride toward understanding the living web we inhabit. So, let's dive into the animal mind and see the world through a completely new light.

The Paradigm Shift: From "It" to "Who"

• Science is moving away from viewing animals as biological "its"—mechanical beings driven solely by instinct—to recognizing them as conscious "whos".

https://youtu.be/y14Cd-mwass

#animals
#AnimalBehaviour
#AnimalRights
#AnimalEthics
#ethology
#video

From 'It' to 'Who'

YouTube

3/
This isn’t just sentiment—it’s biological truth. Modern neurology reveals that we inherited our nervous systems from the same evolutionary tree as the creatures around us. From crayfish experiencing clinical anxiety to elephants making strategic alliances, we are finding that the biological trails of human emotion are built upon ancient trails shared by all living things.

https://youtu.be/y14Cd-mwass

#animals
#AnimalBehaviour
#AnimalRights
#AnimalEthics
#ethology
#elephants
#video

From 'It' to 'Who'

YouTube