Even if we could speak to animals, should we?
AI could satisfy our deeply held desire to talk to other creatures. But the potential for harm might outweigh the benefits
by Virginie Simoneau-Gilbert & Leonie Bossert
Animals
Dog day blues
We were a new stepfamily, and only the puppy was missing. With Elsa, we lobbed a grenade into the mix
by Lily Dunn
Alone with a she-wolf
Time slowed and adrenaline kicked in. The creature studied me, just another element in nature
by Melanie McGrath
High in the Alps, Kathleen takes extraordinary steps to keep a pet safe through the winter
Directed by G Anthony Svatek
What if animals find beauty in the world, just like we do?
Chimpanzees favour the colour red. Junglefowl prefer symmetry. Our shared capacity for aesthetic pleasure is cause for wonder
by Brandon Keim
A former office worker charts his own path, herding sheep high into the Pyrenees
Directed by Jake Joynson
Feral knowledge
I wrote a book about dogs as pets. But I truly understood them only after I was bitten by a street dog
by Margret Grebowicz
Through Zuri’s eyes
She was a young gorilla, sitting alone in the Calgary Zoo. Once our eyes locked, I was in for a life-long connection
by Keriann McGoogan
How small creatures helped James connect with the human-scale world
Directed by Spencer MacDonald
You can think like an animal by silencing your chattering brain
The desire is partly whimsical, but a brief shapeshift across the taxonomic gulf could help us better empathise with animals
by Bryony Tolhurst
Learn to tune into birdsong – respite and fascination await
Listening deeply to the sounds of birds is a powerful form of meditation and a first step towards a rewarding new hobby
by David M Logue
Why, in a universe of pain, I’m saving stranded earthworms
Any action can seem futile amid so much suffering. I’ve realised the important thing is to stop despairing and do something
by Claire E Schultz
A makeshift community of people and migratory birds converge on a strip mall
Directed by Henry Davis
I learned to hear the music of Earth’s underwater musicians
If we consider the sounds of whales and other organisms with an open mind, we find a strange beauty – and can even join in
by David Rothenberg
Same-sex sexual behaviour in mammals evolved to keep the peace
Although these new findings can’t tell us much about human sexuality, they could help to solve an evolutionary paradox
by Shayla Love
