Animals
Woman found keeping 21 cats, a dog and a python in filthy east London flat
February 1, 2026A woman has been banned from keeping pets after authorities discovered 21 cats, a dog and a python being kept inside a flat in east London. The RSPCA launched an inquiry in January 2025 after a veterinary surgery raised concerns about a cat that had been brought in severely unwell. Although emergency treatment was attempted, […]
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From scorpions to peacocks: the species thriving in London’s hidden microclimates
January 24, 2026London is the only place in the UK where you can find scorpions, snakes, turtles, seals, peacocks, falcons all in one city – and not London zoo. Step outside and you will encounter a patchwork of writhing, buzzing, bubbling urban microclimates. Sam Davenport, the director of nature recovery at the London Wildlife Trust, emphasises the […]
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Woman arrested and fined £100 for ‘throwing bread on the ground to feed pigeons’
January 10, 2026A woman was arrested and handed a £100 fine for ‘feeding pigeons’ in northwest London. Local council enforcement officers stopped the woman over an alleged breach of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) relating to bird feeding. The PSPO is in place across several councils in England to tackle excessive pigeon feeding in town centres. […]
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Pangolin and porcupine seized in illegal bushmeat raid in London
December 11, 2025Sarah Hooper Published December 11, 2025 2:37pm Updated December 11, 2025 5:22pm A man has been arrested after police found 38kg of illegal frozen bushmeat in a London building. Animals, including pangolins, cane rats and porcupines, were found inside the freezer, the food safety watchdog said. Officers from the Food Standards Agency and the Metropolitan […]
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MPs call for release of 15 penguins ‘trapped’ at London aquarium
November 11, 2025A group of 75 MPs are calling for the release of 15 penguins “trapped” in a small enclosure “without sunlight or fresh air” at the Sea Life London Aquarium. Housing the 15 gentoo penguins at the attraction on the South Bank was “un-British”, said the leader of the campaign. Members of parliament from across the […]
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Passengers baffled to find live crab on train heading to the seaside
September 20, 2025Sarah Hooper Published September 20, 2025 4:17pm Updated September 20, 2025 4:17pm Train passengers were shell-shocked after discovering a live crab on a train – sitting in its own seat. The commuter – who has been named Craig – was found on Wednesday evening on a South Western Railway service from London to Portsmouth. Train […]
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Grazing sheep return to Hampstead Heath for first time in 70 years
September 12, 2025Sheep have returned to graze on London’s Hampstead Heath for the first time since the 1950s. The flock of five Norfolk Horn and Oxford Down ewes will roam the anthill site on the Heath’s Extension from 8am to 7pm each day until Monday. The rare breed sheep, which will be stabled locally overnight, are on loan from […]
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London Vietnamese restaurant shut down after ‘dog meat found in freezer’
August 14, 2025Brooke Davies Published August 14, 2025 1:19pm Updated August 14, 2025 5:49pm A London restaurant has been shut down after dog meat was allegedly found in the freezer. Pho Na, a Vietnamese restaurant on Old Kent Road, Southwark, closed after inspectors found the suspicious looking meat labelled as ‘goat wrapped in leaves’. But when it […]
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Fox gets trapped inside London charity shop ‘for days’ and causes complete chaos
August 11, 2025Locals have demanded a clean up after a desperate fox was left trapped in a London charity shop for several days, leaving a ‘disgusting’ trail of carnage. The Sue Ryder shop in Pinner, north west London, was closed for refurbishment when the fox got in and ran riot around the store, which was still fully […]
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Stampede in Soho: puppet animals on an epic trek bring wonder and warning to London streets
June 28, 2025The animals went into the West End, not quite two by two, from the direction of Soho Square. Monkeys ran ahead, gorillas bounded behind and bringing up the rear were a pair of handsome, ambling giraffes. Down Greek Street they marched, past pubs and cafes, resulting in an actual zebra crossing as the pack moved […]
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