The tragic shooting of two brown bears at a zoo may have been an unusual and apparently unavoidable incident, but it is a stark reminder that animals do not belong in captivity.

The discussion around the consumption of animal flesh and the climate has rather stepped up over the past week. From Joe Biden and Kwasi Kwarteng to Epicurious, we analyse several of the top stories highlighting the serious problem of animal agriculture and the environment.

Providing care to some animals as a vegan can be fraught with ethical compromises. One of the biggest issues that is often used to deride veganism for being hypocritical is whether or not it is cruel to feed dogs on a plant-based diet. Caregiver to two very healthy dogs, Surge contributor Claire Hamlett talks us through her personal journey navigating this sensitive subject.

According to a new study by researchers at Tel Aviv University, humans were hypercarnivores that hunted megafauna for around two million years. Only as large animals like mammoths and aurochs began to die out towards the end of the Stone Age, with humans as possible culprits, were our ancestors forced to diversify their diets to include more plants. That may be, but what relevance does it have today?

For our latest grassroots focus, we take a closer look at the compelling DONTWATCH.ORG campaign launched earlier this year. Based on a short seven-minute video, the campaign uses reverse psychology and a strong guerilla activism element to compel people to engage with the shocking truth of how we exploit animals.

Last week, news emerged of a pig who after escaping during the journey to the slaughterhouse is now to be allowed to live out his natural life with his original ‘owners’. We take a look at the story in more depth and what it reveals about our conflicting attitudes towards non-humans.

Several industry reports released in the last fortnight, concerning the onward march of the plant-based food sector, have generated some truly attention-grabbing headlines. There is no denying that the increase in products is great news for consumers who choose not to eat animal products some of the time, but as ethical vegans, are we celebrating a little too much?

ZSL’s two zoos - London and Whipsnade - are in serious trouble. Lockdown has meant no ticket sales yet with a workforce that cannot possibly be furloughed. They’re asking for the UK government to help, but with zoos as problematic as they are, should we let them fail?

The news that China will no longer require animal testing data on most cosmetics is an important step in the right direction, opening up ‘cruelty-free’ products in a market famously without them, but is it really the cause for celebration that many are making it out to be?

Make no mistake, foie gras is barbaric and like any food where animals are exploited, should not be on our menus. The news that the UK is moving closer to a ban on its import, bolstering the ban on its domestic production, is wonderful, but it does somewhat highlight certain hypocrisies.

32% of the population agreeing with something may not seem like the knock-out result we want when the majority still take an opposing view, but it does put us well ahead of the so-called ‘tipping point’ observed by socio-cognitive scientists.

Since Brexit finally came to pass, there’s been uncertainty within the UK plant-based movement about whether it’s worth engaging with vegan, environmental, and animal-welfare issues in Europe. The plant-based dairy censorship petition is a great example of why EU issues still matter.