In celebration of the author’s 250th year, Bethany Stone delves into the small but significant role of horses in Jane Austen’s fiction

ANNA HARRISON can’t remember a time when she wasn’t surrounded by animals – and, of all the animals she’s known, donkeys have touched her heart the most. “I was sitting on our family donkey before I c

When famed country singer Willie Nelson’s home caught fire in 1969, he fought his way through the flames to rescue his best friend and bandmate, Trigger. Fifty-six years later, they’re still making mu

A furry hot-water bottle? Or a restless snoring pest? Sharing a bed with a dog isn’t ideal for everyone, but it certainly warms the soul, says Bethany Stone

Keepers at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in Zambia have noticed a fashion trend spreading among groups of chimpanzees living there – sticking strands of grass in their ears or rectums, and just le

Let’s start with the numbers. There are about 13.5 million tame wolves (we call them pet dogs), 12.5 million cats, one million rabbits, 700,000 tortoises and turtles, 700,000 guinea pigs, 600,000 hams