Meet Nigeria’s ‘snake man’

Tortoise callipers and camel scales are put to good use at ZSL London Zoo, which is holding its annual animal weigh-in. While keepers put on a show for the cameras, it is important that the zoo keeps up-to-date size and weight information on its animals to compare them with animals in the wild and in other zoos, as well as to have an indication of which animals are pregnant.

Singapore's new wildlife forensics centre aims to help in the fight against smuggling networks by analysing seized body parts from endangered animals to determine where they originated from.

The European Union should intensify efforts to phase out the use of animals in scientific research, lawmakers have said in a resolution.

The massive oil spill from 480,000 liters leaking off the Orange County coast is slowly moving south, threatening marine-protected areas as well as popular beaches. On the coastline of South California, most beaches are closed, with efforts to clean areas impacted by the oil ongoing.

While Chinese papers hail the country's launch of a $233 million biodiversity fund, the Guardian warns that China is rowing back on its commitment to reduce carbon emissions. We also look at the tragic deaths of three migrants who were hit by a train in south-western France. Meanwhile, employees from Google and Amazon call on their companies to abandon a project with Israel. We end with the most striking winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards.

ZooTampa in Florida vaccinates a skunk with a specific vaccine developed exclusively for animals. The zoo in Tampa has begun to vaccinate animals who have been identified as most susceptible to Covid-19. The use of the special vaccine, which was developed exclusively for animals by the Michigan-based veterinary pharmaceutical company Zoetis, has been used for vaccinating those species that are known to be more vulnerable to contracting the virus in other zoological organizations throughout the United States. ZooTampa says it has received a shipment of approximately 220 doses – enough to vaccinate roughly 19 species which includes 93 animals such as Florida panthers, skunks, otters and primates.

Advances in genetic engineering are reviving the idea of de-extinction, or whether to bring back extinct animals to try to save endangered ecosystems. But is it really a good idea? What would be the unforeseen consequences of such an act? We speak to Ben Lamm, CEO of the American startup Colossal, which has just raised $15 million to revive the woolly mammoth.

Team Lionesses created in 2019 is stationed near the community land around Amboseli National Park. Members of the all-female rangers unit are selected based on high school level, fitness and an interest in wildlife conservation.

Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world. Their meat is a prized delicacy and their scales are used in traditional medicine. Traffickers are targeting Africa as the animal is now scarce in Asia.

Lawmakers in France have approved new animal rights legislation making it illegal to purchase, breed or sell wild animals for traveling circuses.

Some people consider snakes as cursed, which motivates the capture of these reptiles for witchcraft rituals. It has led to the creation of a rescue group that's already making important discoveries with the recovered animals.

Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, with an enormous variety of wild birds and reptiles. Amidst the COVID-19 lockdown the residents of Bogotá are now discovering that the city has a greater diversity of inhabitants than they had imagined.