A diverse ecosystem means a productive ecosystem, as each small part that makes up the larger whole plays a vital and important part in keeping the machine functioning. With millions of species in the world, biodiversity is one of our biggest economic resources for medicine, food and natural materials.

Bee numbers have been on the decline since the Sixties, so it is crucial to raise as much awareness as possible around their economical and environmental importance to encourage people to show their support for the British bee.

It was 20 years ago when Jill Robinson MBE first walked into a bear bile farm and uncovered one of Asia's darkest secrets. The young animal lover found sweet, Asiatic black bears incarcerated in tiny wire cages with rusting metal catheters implanted in their abdomens through which bile was being extracted for use in traditional medicine.

I'm not saying cats deserve to die. I'm just saying, worse things could happen. You could be walking down the street, spot your girlfriend/boyfriend kissing your brother/sister at a bus stop, distractedly step into the path of a speeding dustbin lorry. Killing a few cats, though not very nice, is not synonymous with the embodiment of all evil, as everyone seems to think.

Animal welfare campaigners have launched an e-petition calling on the Government to ban puppy and kitten farming in the UK. Pup Aid, founded by tel...

A pet dog has been forced to have emergency surgery after eating sausages filled with nails. Police have appealed for information after Meggie, an ...

The illegal slaughter of these majestic beasts has caused outrage globally - and rightly so. Animals are being lost on an almost daily basis. In 2013 there have been in excess of 273 rhino slayings in South Africa alone.

Convictions for animal neglect and cruelty have risen by a third in England and Wales, according to an RSPCA report. There was a 33.8% increase up ...

This adorable little kitten just loves a cuddle. The picture posted to image sharing website imgur by Skot_88 with a caption that reads 'Our kitten...

The best pictures of the week are chosen by YOU voting on our interactive slideshow. Monday's World Earth Day reminded us all of our planet's preci...

The tragic situation for the animals at Imperial College also shows the need for more transparency, with publication of full project licences (with names and confidential information removed) instead of sanitised PR summaries.

For elephants, family is everything. Births are joyous celebrations, and deaths are mourned. Adults share news and offer support while youngsters play together under watchful eyes. Female elephants stay at their mothers' side their entire lives.

Artificial insemination was always planned for our pandas, even if natural mating occurred, because it best mimics the multiple mating strategy of pandas in the wild. Like IVF, artificial insemination is essentially an opportunity for science to give Mother Nature a helping hand.

By making this move, McDonald's has shown that it is possible to bring higher-welfare choices to the consumer on the high street, at an affordable price.

For elephants, family is everything. Births are joyous celebrations, and deaths are mourned. Adults share news and offer support while youngsters play together under watchful eyes. Female elephants stay at their mothers' side their entire lives.

The best pictures of the week are chosen by YOU voting on our interactive slideshow. The week started in tragedy with the bombing at the Boston mar...

A fierce fire that tore through a zoo in Scotland has killed every animal in the tropical house, including an otter, meerkats and turtles. The blaz...