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Valencia Cuts Its Pigeon Population by 9% Under Emergency Plan
After the population jumped 60% between 2021 and 2024, the city has rolled out contraceptive feed, fake eggs, and fines up to €3,000 for feeding pigeons
Spain Tops Europe for Pet Abandonment, New Report Finds
Shelters recorded 285,000 abandoned animals in 2025 — barely down on 2024, in figures the Affinity Foundation calls stagnation rather than real improvement
Venomous Chilean Recluse Spider Recorded in Portugal for the First Time
University of Porto researchers document the first confirmed appearance of Loxosceles laeta on the Iberian Peninsula, though they assess the risk to the public as low
Valencia's Oceanogràfic Welcomes Rare Sea Lion Twins
A male and female California sea lion pup were born May 31 without complications — an exceptional event for the species
Scientists Describe a New Extinct "Bear-Dog" Species Found at a Barcelona Province Site
Fossils from the Els Casots site in Subirats have yielded Paludocyon moyasolai, a medium-sized amphicyonid predator that lived around 15.9 million years ago during the early Middle Miocene
A Blesbok Calf Is Born at Bioparc Valencia — Part of Spain's Largest Herd
The male calf, born without complications, joins an African savannah enclosure alongside giraffes and ostriches. The blesbok was once near extinction before one of conservation's great success stories
Spain Now Has More Pets Than Young People Under 30 — Over 15 Million, Official Data Shows
The first official figures from Spain's Ministry of Social Rights count 15.2 million pets, up 14% in five years. Dogs lead at 7.56 million, but cats have grown fastest, gaining over a million
Whale-Watching Season Begins off Dénia — 62 Fin Whale Sightings in a Month
Volunteers have spotted the world's second-largest animal migrating south along Cabo de San Antonio. Anyone can join the observation campaign from the Torre del Gerro, which runs through August
Valencia Launches Anti-Pigeon Feeding Campaign — Fines Up to €3,000 for Offenders
The city has more than 32,000 pigeons — above the recommended density. New rules target public feeding with steep fines, while sterilising feed has already cut the population by nearly 10% in a single quarter
Valencia's Bioparc Threw a Joint Birthday Party for Its Hippos — With a Beetroot and Pumpkin Cake
Gori turned six and Serena five. The pair celebrated on the beach with a vegetable cake decorated with leek, carrot, and pepper, before diving for watermelon. Hippos are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN
Flamingo Chicks Have Hatched at the Torrevieja Lagoon — Up to 18,000 Birds Are Nesting This Season
First photographed by a salt mine worker turned wildlife photographer, the colony has grown from zero in 2020 to one of the largest on the Iberian Peninsula in just six years.
Feeding Stray Cats in Spain Without a Licence Can Now Cost You Up to €200,000
A 2023 animal welfare law that many residents still don't know about restricts who can feed street cats and how. Only accredited volunteers working within official colony management programmes are permitted to do so
Eleven Things in Spain That Can Sting, Poison, or Burn You — and How to Avoid Them
From processionary caterpillars under pine trees to weeverfish buried in the sand, oleander growing in every park, and tiger mosquitoes active all day — a guide to Spain's less-talked-about seasonal hazards
Those Black Boxes on Valencia's Trees Are Bat Houses — and the City Needs Them
Thousands of bats live in Valencia's buildings and parks, eating half their body weight in insects every night. As modern construction seals up their shelters, ecologists are fighting to keep them house
Sheep Take Over the University: Guided Walks and Shearing Workshops at Madrid’s Complutense Campus
A flock of 70 Asturian sheep is grazing on the Moncloa campus until May 16, inviting the public to rediscover the ancient art of pastoralism in the heart of the capital
Valencia Has Opened Spain's First Municipal Veterinary Centre Dedicated Entirely to Stray Cats
The city is home to more than 22,000 street cats across over 600 colonies, looked after by 450 volunteers. The new centre saved its first life on day one — a routine spay revealed a deadly uterine infection
Adidas Releases Official 2026 World Cup Jerseys — for Dogs and Cats
Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Japan kits, redesigned with stretch panels and printed crests so seams don't rub. €30 a piece, but Europe will have to wait
Guau Canet Fest: The Valencian Community's Biggest Dog Fair Is Back on 9 May
Free entry, disc dog competitions, obedience trials, a dog beauty contest, and paella for everyone — all in Canet de Berenguer's Parque Blasco Ibáñez. Dogs welcome