Staff Writer/Editor at @NatGeo covering how animals and culture intersect.
DM for Signal. Also at https://t.co/v2R9ow8boJ
Jan 30, 2021 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
Just now, in Taiji, Japan, hunters have driven a pod of bottlenose dolphins into the cove—to be slaughtered or captured. Ren Yabuki, a Japanese activist, documents the hunts live, every day, for months. It's through his work that we have transparency into the killings.
Once in the cove, hunters close nets, making it impossible for dolphins to escape. They're killed for meat and some (often babies) are captured for sale to aquariums. Dolphins and other cetaceans live in tightly bonded family groups—rounded up and driven into the cove together.
Here's my story. I spoke with the @sandiegozoo. The gorillas live in a troop of 8, led by a silverback. They're being kept together, as opposed to being socially isolated (like a positive human would be!), because it's best for their well-being. nationalgeographic.com/animals/2021/0…
Dec 3, 2020 • 29 tweets • 8 min read
Today, the House is scheduled to vote on the Big Cat Public Safety Act. The bill seeks to federally ban private ownership of AND public contact with big cats—essentially ending the U.S. cub petting industry.
I’ve been covering this industry for @natgeo for a while now. THREAD!
PROCEDURE: IF the bill passes the House, it'll go to the Senate, but it's unclear if it will be brought to the floor for a vote in this Congress. It’s v. late in the term. If NOT, it'll have to be re-introduced next Congress. Still, passing the House now would indicate momentum.
Jul 29, 2020 • 10 tweets • 2 min read
EXCLUSIVE: The first dog positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S. was a German shepherd named Buddy. He has died.
We knew little about US pet cases before now. No identities, scant details, few updates.
Buddy’s owners reached out to me to tell their story: nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/0…
Buddy likely had lymphoma. It's unclear if he was more susceptible to contracting the virus. Buddy’s family, like thousands of families grappling with the effects of the coronavirus around the world, is left with many questions and few answers.
Apr 22, 2020 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
BREAKING: The USDA reports that two pet cats in New York have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. These are the first domestic pets in the U.S. to test positive. Both expected to recover.
*Note: there remains NO EVIDENCE that domestic animals can pass the virus to humans*
The first cat's owners have *not* been confirmed to have COVID-19. They may been asymptomatic and transmitted the virus to the cat.
The second cat's owner *did* test positive for COVID-19 prior to the cat being tested. A second cat in the house has no symptoms.
Apr 5, 2020 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
BREAKING: A tiger at the Bronx Zoo has tested positive for Covid-19. 6 other tigers and lions at the zoo are also showing symptoms. Believed to have been infected by an asymptomatic zoo worker. All doing well. To my knowledge, this is the first animal to test positive in the U.S.
AND here's my @natgeo story, after chatting with the Bronx Zoo's chief vet: nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/0…
