The semester is winding down. Exams are looming—or finally behind us. Assignments are being submitted, practicals are wrapping up, and somewhere between the last lecture and the last deadline, we're all starting to realise: we made it through another academic year. But how are we actually doing? Maybe you're feeling proud of how far you've come. Maybe you're exhausted and counting down the days until you can sleep without an alarm. Maybe you're somewhere in between; relieved

Three years, a lot of ideas, and one stubborn dream

Some things only make sense if you've survived vet school. Every Christmas, my family slaughtered a chicken. It was routine. Someone would pluck the feathers, someone else would cut it into pieces, and before long it would be in the pot. I never thought much about what happened between "alive" and "dinner." Then I went to veterinary school. After one semester of anatomy practicals, I went home for the holidays carrying something I didn't even know I'd learned. While everyone

Different paths, same destination. If you ask any group of veterinary students about the toughest part of vet school, you'll hear stories of endless practicals, sleepless nights, impossible exams, and the constant pressure to keep going. But there's no experience we rarely talk about openly: failing an exam, resitting a course, or repeating a year. For many students, it's one of the loneliest moments of their academic journey. It can feel as though everyone else is moving for

The answer came only after the patient had died. Lola, a three-year-old female dog, arrived at the teaching hospital with bleeding gums, lethargy, and worsening respiratory distress. Laboratory results pointed toward severe inflammation, and clinicians worked to identify the underlying cause. Hours later, after Lola succumbed to her illness and was brought back for a necropsy, her owner revealed a detail that had never been mentioned during the consultation. Rat poison had re

For many communities around the world, wildlife is more than biodiversity. It can also be a source of food, income and cultural identity. The Original Food Animals Before there were the cattle ranches, poultry farms and supermarkets, humans survived by hunting and gathering. The first food animals were not livestock but wildlife. For thousands of years, people relied on the animals around them for survival. Only later did humans begin domesticating species such as cattle, goa

Few animals are as misunderstood as vultures. They are seldom photographed with admiration and rarely celebrated with the same fascination as lions, elephants, or eagles. In many communities, vultures are linked to death, witchcraft, bad omens, and decay rather than their ecological significance. However, ecosystems present a very different narrative. Vultures are among nature’s most effective sanitation workers, clearing carcasses from the environment before harmful pathogen

The night shift vendor noticed it first in the silence between customers. A sack of maize, carefully stacked, carefully counted, had shifted. Not fallen. Not spilled. Shifted, as if something small and determined had worked through it grain by grain. By morning, half the stock was gone. No broken lock. No forced entry. Only the faint, unmistakable trail of something that had already disappeared into the city before dawn. Whatever had done this had been here all night. And it

From mosquitoes to hippos, every animal is suddenly available as a household pet. Which one are you avoiding at all costs—and why? Imagine a world where absolutely every animal on Earth could be safely kept as a pet. Tigers? Allowed. Hippos? Sure. Mosquitoes? Technically yes. Somewhere out there, someone is probably trying to potty train a crocodile. But while some people dream of owning wolves, otters, or snow leopards, other animals should probably remain very far away from

Before machines, before engines, and long before instant communication, humans relied on something far more natural to keep life moving-animals. From transport and farming to communication and survival, entire systems that we now associate with technology were once carried out by living creatures doing the work of machines. In many ways, they were the original living machines. From pigeons that acted like long-distance messengers, to oxen that powered agriculture, to dogs and

They may look harmless on your plate, but they don't belong in your dog's bowl. Dogs don’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to food decisions. If it smells good, it’s considered fair game—whether it fell on the floor five seconds ago or is still on your plate. But while their curiosity makes them entertaining (and occasionally frustrating), it can also get them into serious trouble. Many common human foods contain ingredients that dogs can’t safely process, turn

For months in 1898, two lions turned the Tsavo railway camp into a place of fear. Workers whispered that the pair moved like shadows- silent, bold and strangely unafraid of humans. As the roars crept closer each night, it became clear these were no ordinary lions, and the men building the bridge were no longer just fighting the wilderness... they were being watched by it.

From pet rocks to fainting goats, the world of companion animals is far weirder than you think. This article explores the fascinating—and often hilarious—range of strange things people keep as pets, from slime moulds that solve mazes to chickens in tutus and cockroaches with names. Whether you're a vet student, an animal lover, or just curious, these unconventional pets will challenge your idea of what makes a good companion.

When most people think of famous dog breeds, they picture the fluffy Chow Chow from China, the loyal German Shepherd from Germany, or the beloved Golden Retriever from Scotland. But Africa — with its vast savannahs, deserts, forests, and mountains — is home to some of the world’s most fascinating and underrated dogs. From fearless hunters and livestock guardians to elegant companions with ancient histories, African dog breeds are as diverse, resilient, and captivating as the