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A “chicken in distress” call last month led to an unusual rescue effort in Lincoln Park – and an award for the Chicago Police Department.

(Courtesy PETA)

Dressed in little more than black-and-white body paint, a PETA supporter on Wednesday will urge passersby to skip performances this month by a circus company with a track record of mistreating animals. 

(Dmitry Korotkov / PETA)

As part of PETA’s eye-catching “Lettuce Ladies” campaign, South Elgin native Mysti Lee travels the globe promoting animal rights. 

(Nazim Uddin / Flickr)

Illinois will become the first state to ban the use of elephants in circuses and other traveling exhibitions, putting an official end to a practice that animal rights activists have been protesting for decades.

(Brookfield Zoo / Chicago Zoological Society)

The ethical debate over zoos – and whether animals belong in them – has resurfaced over the past year, and now Brookfield Zoo is joining the discussion.