“The elephant has worked for humans for too long. It was used in wars, it was used to deforest its own home. What is the little thing I can do as a human to say sorry, for my species for what we have done to them?”

says Paul Barton, the man who dragged a piano up a mountain to play for aging injured elephants.

Remember Prince Charles talking to his plants to make them grow better? You probably don’t. It was thirty years ago after all. At the time he took quite a pasting in the press. But studies prove that plants do indeed seem to ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ different sounds. Clearly HRH’s plants’ taste in voices is different from mine!

Then someone discovered that plants also like music, Mozart proving top favourite on the plant-playlist. The Japanese went into this big. They found that ‘Mozart bananas’ and ‘Mozart tomatoes’…

Dedicated to Anita Krajnc of Toronto Pig Save standing tial on 24th August for the crime of giving water to dehydrated pigs on their way to the slaughterhouse.

“There is good scientific evidence to suggest we need to rethink our overall relationship to them”

Renowned neuroscientist Lori Marino

An oink is not just an oink, and a grunt not just a grunt. It seems from a new study by the University of Lincoln that just like us, pigs have quite a lot to say for themselves, which will come as no surprise to those lucky people who get to rub shoulders with piggy buddies. Or to the rest of us who call nonhuman animals our friends and equals.

As usual, science is catching up with what we instinctively knew already. But the research into pigs’ language is great news because it adds yet another to the fast-growing tally of studies…

On behalf of Taylors of Harrogate may I welcome you to the Grand Beedapest Hotel!

Here at reception can we just check your credentials before you sign in? Forgive the impertinence but we do have to count your legs. Six? Perfect. Now if you wouldn’t mind trying us with a little buzzing? Music to the ears. Come right in. Please avail yourself of all our five star luxury facilities.

Maybe you would like a dip in the Peppermint Leaf Pool before dining in the Rose Lemon restaurant? We’ve given you the Sour Cherry bedroom. I hope that meets with your requirements. The gym? Next to the pool, ground floor. Enjoy your stay, Madam!

I particularly love the bees ‘using’ the gym in this little video!

This is all frivolous fun, nonsense of course, but nonsense with a deadly serious purpose. The famous tea company Taylors of Harrogate is using their colourful quirky…