The results of two government-commissioned studies into the number of dead badgers infected with bovine TB (bTB) have finally been released, confirming that badgers are being scapegoated for the spread of the disease.

The regret the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has expressed at the resignation of former Conservative MP Owen Paterson may go against public opinion but is no surprise at all, writes Claire Hamlett.

Food at COP26 might be labelled to show its carbon footprint, raising awareness of meat and dairy’s disproportionate impact compared to vegan alternatives, but why are politicians both local and national so averse to anything ‘plant-based’?

There is just one more day to add your name to a parliamentary petition to ban the use, sale, and manufacture of free-running snares for trapping wildlife. In order to secure a debate in parliament, 31,522 signatures are still needed.

We hear a great deal about large zoos with money to spend on maintaining enclosures and keeping up the appearance of conservation work, but what about the countless small, private zoos around the world? Coco Hou tells us about her experience visiting Club de los Animalitos in Mexico.

The 26th UN Climate Summit in Glasgow is in full swing and world leaders are attempting to hash out a climate action plan commensurate with the scale of the crisis the world faces. But campaigners and activists have warned that without prioritising the reform of food systems and particularly animal agriculture - a major global contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and habitat destruction - plans will inevitably fall short.

PROFILE: Claire Hamlett spoke to ‘bear boy’ Justin Baker about his work campaigning against zoos following a profound realisation at just 13 years old.

THE BIG DEBATE: With a growing number of fast-food chains adding vegan options to their menus, we look at both sides of the debate about the ethics of eating at them.

CULTURE: According to a recent study, animals have been declining in fiction since 1835, running parallel to animal extinction in our world. As animals and natural habits vanish around us, is it any surprise that they have disappeared from books too? And as we live increasingly urbanised lives, does this lack of fictionalised animal friends have real-life consequences?

TRENDS: Between 2008 and 2019, the average daily meat consumption in the UK fell by around 17g per person with the greatest reduction in cow and processed flesh, a new study by researchers from the University of Oxford has found.

SCHOOL OF THOUGHT: Wrestling with the unshakable feeling that you just can’t give up ‘seafood’? We get it, we’ve all been there. For many people considering switching to veganism, giving up aquatic animals is a major challenge. So it might help to learn about this shocking procedure carried out in almost all prawn farms around the world.

PICTURES: World Animal Day was actually on October 4th, but events celebrating the day across many countries go on until November. We’re marking the occasion by bringing you a selection of award-winning photographs from the last 12 months.