Topic

Animals in Culture

A collection of 40 issues

From Pest to Pub Star: Unpacking Australia's Weirdest Sport, Cane Toad Racing

In Australia, the reviled cane toad, a toxic invasive pest, is the star of a quirky pub sport: cane toad racing. This bizarre tradition, especially popular on Australia Day, transforms an ecological disaster into a unique and controversial cultural spectacle.

Meet the Epaulette Shark: The Astonishing Apex Predator That Walks on Land

Meet the Epaulette shark, a unique Australian predator. This small reef dweller can walk on land using its fins to hop between tide pools and can survive for hours with little to no oxygen by shutting down parts of its brain. It's a true marvel of evolution and adaptability.

Vultures Over the Seven Hills: The Bloody Augury That Founded Rome

Rome's legendary founding began with fratricide. When brothers Romulus and Remus sought divine guidance through augury—interpreting bird behavior—to choose a location, a dispute over vulture sightings ended with Romulus killing Remus and establishing the city that would bear his name.

The Unsung Canine Chef: Remembering the Turnspit, the Dog That Cooked Dinner and Was Erased by Technology

Meet the Turnspit, an extinct dog breed bred for one purpose: to run in a wheel, powering a rotating spit to cook meat. Once a common kitchen appliance, this hardworking canine was sadly rendered obsolete by machinery, a poignant tale of a living engine forgotten by time.

The Friendly Wolf That Swam to its Doom: A Tragic Tale of Trust and Extinction

The Falkland Islands wolf, or warrah, was the islands' only native land mammal. Its remarkable tameness towards humans, often swimming out to greet ships, made it an easy target for settlers who hunted it to extinction in 1876, a tragic end for a unique creature.

The Unlikely King: How a Lost Donkey Named Diesel Became an Elk Herd's Leader

A donkey named Diesel vanished in Northern California after being spooked on a hike. Five years later, he was spotted on a trail cam, not just surviving, but thriving as the apparent leader of a wild elk herd. His incredible story of adaptation and leadership has captivated the world.

The Guano Empires: How 17th-Century Persia Built Palaces for Pigeons

In 17th-century Persia, thousands of massive, ornate mud-brick towers were built around Isfahan. Their sole purpose: to house wild pigeons and harvest their nitrogen-rich droppings, creating an enormous and highly valuable supply of fertilizer for the region's prized melon crops.

The Strange Tale of Australia's Giant Worm Museum: From Wonderland to Abandonment and Rebirth

In Bass, Victoria, the Wildlife Wonderland Park housed a unique Giant Earthworm Museum. After the park's 2012 closure over welfare concerns, the iconic worm-shaped building was abandoned before being saved and relocated, preserving a piece of weird Australian history.