Edinburgh Zoo's quest to return giant pandas to captivity for the first time in the UK for years, cites conservation as the justification for what First Minister Alex Salmond described as “primarily a commercial transaction”.

Shetland police have charged two men with the brutal killing of 18 grey seal pups on the remote island of East linga. Several of the victims of this callous attack look to have been clubbed to death.

On Tuesday, Advocates for Animals along with representatives from other conservation and animal welfare organisations handed in a letter to the Scottish Parliament, asking Alex Salmond to provide greater protection for Scotland's seals.

Advocates for Animals has released the findings of Scottish opinion polls showing the importance of animal welfare to people in Scotland.

Advocates for Animals has renewed its call on the Scottish Government to end the killing of seals in Scottish waters as new research shows a “frightening” fall in the numbers of common (or harbour) seals around the coast.