LONDON -- We might think most animals have simple, care-free lives, but the truth is much, much sadder than that.
Did you know, for instance, that wolves who are unlucky enough to get booted out of their pack never howl again? Or that black eagle parents won't interfere as they watch their offspring fight each other to the death?
It's a grim world, the animal kingdom, and no-one knows this better than illustrator Brooke Barker -- author of a new book called Sad Animal Facts.
"I’ve been an animal enthusiast ever since I was the age when all of us were animal enthusiasts," Barker told Mashable. "And it’s more fun to tell people about the sad facts, because we’re bombarded with the happy facts when we’re growing up.
"We’ve all been told cats have nine lives, but that’s not even true, so it’s a lot more interesting that adult cats can’t recognise their mothers, and that their tongues can’t taste sweet things, and that they can get zits.
"Those are the things I’m interested in drawing."
Barker has been sharing her cartoons on her website sadanimalfacts.com since 2015. She's constantly seeking out new facts to turn into illustrations.
"I look for new animal research in newspapers, subscribe to wildlife journals, and visit zoos and taxidermy museums to read the plaques," said Barker. "There’s also a link on sadanimalfacts.com where people can send in animal facts, and I love hearing from people all around the world with sad facts they read."
And as for Brooke's favourite facts?
"Crows never forget a face: if you upset a crow not only will he remember it pretty much forever, he will describe your face to every crow he knows," Barker told us. "I live in constant fear that I've accidentally committed some crow faux pas I didn’t even know existed.
"I also love that snails can re-grow their eyes, and that cows produce more milk when listening to R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts"."
You learn something new every day!
Sad Animal (Boxtree, £9.99) is out now in bookshops and is available on Amazon.
