If you love Hunger Games as much as I do, you might be happy to hear that Liam Hemsworth who plays Gale alongside Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games trilogy, has ditched meat, eggs and dairy! (And there's more! Keep reading for another awesome thing Hemsworth has done for animals.)

When asked why he's eating vegan, Hemsworth told Men's Fitness:

Look out Ryan Gosling, you've got some 'sensitive new age guy' competition.

Eating vegan is not only the kind choice for animals as Liam said, but it's also good for your health and has huge benefits for the environment. Which reason will it be for you?

For the animals	For the planet	For your health

And as if we you needed another reason to love Liam Hemsworth -- he also recently adopted a mixed breed dog named Tani. Just look at them together.

"I’m a big advocate of pet rescue," said Hemsworth. "If you’re going to get a dog, get a rescue."

And I couldn't agree more. By adopting a dog like Tani from a shelter, Liam has not only saved her life but he's also made room at the shelter for another homeless dog to get a second chance. Think that's awesome? Sign the pledge to adopt your next pet.

Whilst Tani is the new love of Liam Hemsworth's life, ex-fiancé and singer Miley Cyrus is also a passionate animal lover. During their time together Miley adopted 5 shelter pets. She's also vegan and recently spoke out against cruel wolf culls in Canada.

*Header image thanks to Getty Images.

You may be aware that male chicks born into the egg industry are killed since they can't lay eggs. But did you know that countless chicks born into the meat industry are also killed on their first day of life, if they are deemed 'unsuitable' to join the 'growers'? And as for the 'growers' -- they're thrown into a life of fear, confusion, suffering and ultimately an early death.

In a world first, Anonymous for Animal Rights have shown us inside a broiler hatchery in Israel through the eyes of a chicken. Everything shown in this footage is common practice (and legal) in Australia too.

Of the billions of chicks born into this world because of humans, almost none of them will ever meet their mothers. Mother hens, when allowed to live naturally, have been found to form a bond with and communicate to their young before they've even hatched! And scientists have found that chickens have the ability to share learnings from one generation to the next.

It saddens me to think that the path we have chosen as a society denies us the opportunity to really know some of the animals we share this planet with. For many humans the main interaction with chickens and other animals bred for meat is as body parts on a supermarket shelf. When we turn to the other animals in our lives -- our pets -- we cringe at the thought of killing and eating them. Many who have been lucky enough to get to know chickens have found them (like cats and dogs) to be infinitely unique in their personalities. Some are shy, some are social. Some are active while others prefer dozing in the sun.

But no matter their personalities, chickens born onto a meat farm have only one of two grim fates -- death by maceration or gassing in their first days of life, or death at a slaughterhouse 5-7 weeks later, when they're likely too big for their young legs to hold them up, thanks to breeding. We need only to look to children to see that the way we treat animals on a mass scale today, is contrary to our true nature. One of my favourite quotes goes like this:

"You put a baby in a crib with an apple and a rabbit. If it eats the rabbit and plays with the apple, I'll buy you a new car." - Harvey Diamond

We have come a long way down the path of cruelty, perhaps because we have had less opportunity to see the truth than we do now. But as more and more people see for themselves what happens to animals behind closed doors, (thanks to organisations like Anonymous) the trend towards kinder choices grows. If you're ready to join the movement and change direction, it all starts with what you're having for dinner tonight.

P.S. Chickens are just one of many species who humans have an impact on on a daily basis without ever actually getting to know any of them. Click here to meet the animals.

If you love horses, horse racing is nothing to celebrate. Sadly, a lot of people still don't know the shocking truth about horse racing ... what the industry refers to as 'wastage' -- the thousands of horses that are killed every single year simply because they aren't winning races and making money.

So I for one won't be celebrating the Melbourne Cup BUT there's plenty of other good reasons to celebrate -- It's a Tuesday? (Which means it's not a Monday.) The sun is shining? (Fingers crossed.) I get a day off while my mates in other states have to work? Yep. Yep. Yep! (Sorry guys). So here's my top tips for how to celebrate November 3rd minus the cruelty of horse racing ...

Our friends at Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) are hosting a picnic at the park opposite Flemington Racecourse.

• Cruelty-free BBQ ✔
• Animal friends welcome ✔
• Show racegoers that kindness is more fun than cruelty ✔

RSVP to the FB event

Let's be honest, the best bits of Cup Day are the fancy clothes and hats. (And the company of course!) So host a Hat Day party! Get your mates together, put a fake feather in your hair, clink glasses and if you're the gambling type, here's 10 bets you can make with your friends that you'll never lose :)

A lot of workplaces and even schools have sweeps on race day or place bets in other ways. Why not convince your work or school mates to put their coin towards helping animals this year instead of supporting cruelty?

You could all pitch in a few dollars, draw a name out of a hat to win a box of chocolates or another prize, and then donate the rest to an animal charity of your choice.

It's pretty clear that there's heaps of ways to drop the cruelty of racing and still have an awesome day on Nov 3. So let your friends know too by sharing this silly hat cat on facey. Maybe with an invite to your cruelty-free party ;)

When a workmate told me that you can make meringues out of the water from a can of chickpeas (called aquafaba) I looked at her like she was loopy. Then she handed me one, and I've been a convert ever since.

For all my fellow kind eaters who love experimenting with egg-free baking, this is going to blow your mind. The water that comes out of a can of chickpeas (and other beans) whips up just like egg whites and has ENDLESS uses. Here's some of the best aquafaba recipes I've discovered so far.

It's literally just aquafaba and sugar beaten with an electric mixer. And it comes out of the oven looking like this! Trust me, just try it.

This has always been a family favourite over Christmas time and now it's back on the table for me thanks to aquafaba :)

Are you drooling yet? Get this incredible recipe here.

Delicious, cruelty-free chocolate mousse and it only has 3 ingredients!

Lemon: good; meringue: good; pie: good. This recipe is SO good.

Because one macaron recipe just isn't enough.

Melty vegan cheese made from the leftover chickpea water -- does it get any better than this?

To answer my own question, yes it does get better. Between the tahini and aquafaba you could almost convince yourself that you're eating salad. (#health). But it's so not salad. It's very much icecream. Creamy, sweet, delicious icecream.

It appears aquafaba can be whipped up into a yummy egg-free mayonnaise too. Is there anything this stuff can't do?

To answer my own question again, not really. It can pretty much do everything. If you're ready to join the aquafaba cult (it's a real thing) there's a Facebook group dedicated to aquafaba successes and failures. Join in here.

The best bit about this amazing discovery is that it's tapped into a world of possibilities for vegan baking. If I asked you what the essential ingredient to a good baked treat was I reckon that with a little twist of the arm you'd give me this answer -- sweetness. And for me that sweetness not only refers to sugar and spice and all things nice but to sweetness to hens and calves and all those who share this planet with us.

For every cage egg used in baking there is a hen suffering in darkness -- confined and stressed in a grim wire cage. For every hen in any laying system (be it free range, organic or otherwise) there is a male chick who was killed in the first days of his life because he couldn't lay eggs. The story for dairy cows and their calves is just as dark. (Find out the sad truth about dairy.)

Thanks to the magic of aquafaba we have another ingredient for a super easy recipe to ending animal cruelty and celebrating sweetness -- which is what good baking is all about :)

Have you had enough of animals suffering at the hands of law-breaking live exporters? It's time to make your voice heard for animals.

This Saturday 17th October, caring Aussies across the country will demand justice for the Australian sheep who cruelly had their throats sawn open while fully conscious during this year's Festival of Sacrifice.

What our investigators uncovered during the festival was nothing short of criminal. Watch the latest proof that certain live exporters are acting like they're above the law ...

Our investigators found thousands upon thousands of Aussie sheep being illegally sold for sacrificial slaughter. In backyards and makeshift abattoirs they were killed by untrained slaughtermen. Often sheep stood by and watched others of their kind being brutally butchered.

And the Government continues to give offending exporters the okay to export more animals!

We're determined to make sure that live exporters who break the rules are charged for their crimes -- and to see an end to this cruel trade. Join us in demanding justice for Australian sheep on Saturday 17th October. Click on your city to RSVP to the Facebook event.

Find a rally near you:

• Sydney
  Top of Martin Place, 12 pm
• Canberra
  Federation Mall, Parliament House, 12 pm
• Brisbane
  Parliament House, 1 pm
• Fremantle
  Peter Hughes Drive (in front of E shed markets), 12 pm
• Adelaide
  Parliament House, 12 pm
• Melbourne
  Parliament House, 1 pm
• Hobart
  Parliament Lawns, Salamanca House, 3 pm

The only thing left to do is sign up for an SMS reminder and download your live export rally placard to take along on the day.

I hope to see you there :)

So this guy just made paddle boarding seem like the best thing ever! Watch how close he gets to two curious whales.

Amazing. The pair of whales who popped up to say hello to paddle boarder Dave are Southern Right whales, of which there are only around 7,000 left! Dave's friend Jaimen jumped on the chance to film this incredible encounter on his drone camera, which is why we're lucky enough to be able to see it.

The best bit about this video is that Dave got to see these amazing animals where they belong -- in the ocean. Animals like whales deserve to live freely and happily, and it's this realisation that has helped many people come to the decision that a tank is no place to see a marine animal. (Here's 5 more reasons animals don't belong in tanks.)

Has this video got you hungry to see animals up close in the wild? Check out these 10 amazing places to see animals in their natural habitat.

For the animal lover, seeing an animal in captivity is no way to see an animal at all. So we're lucky to live in a time where it's increasingly easy to see wild animals in the wild, as they should be. Here's 10 incredible places across the world where you can observe animals in their natural habitat.

Nicknamed the 'polar bear capital of the world' Churchill in Hudson Bay is one of the few places where polar bears can be seen in the wild. There are a variety of 'Tundra' adventures to choose from, which offer guided viewing of the bears. Churchill is also home to around 3,000 beluga whales during the summer months and a great place to view the Northern Lights. More »

Yep, the whole of Costa Rica! The jungles of Costa Rica are brimming with monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, lizards, frogs and birds. More than 27% of the country is nature conservation areas. You can also head to Tortuguero -- a town with no cars and no streets -- during September and October to watch hundreds of baby turtles hatch on the sandy beaches and make their way into the ocean. Or head to Costa Rican Sloth Sanctuary to see some rescued sloths. More »

One of the seven wonders of the world and the most extensive reef system on Earth – the Great Barrier Reef is home to a an abundance of marine species including turtles, sharks, fish and coral. More »

The mountains of Volcanoes National Park are a safe haven for the mountain gorilla, with 18 gorilla groups living in the protected forests. An incredible 300 of the estimated 850 mountain gorillas remaining in the world live here. Gorilla trekking permits are required, to limit the number of visitors out of respect for the gorillas. More »

The inspiration for Darwin's theory of evolution, the Galapagos Islands has amongst its residents species that are found nowhere else in the world. Isolated from the mainland, and devoid of predators, the Islands have become a tropical paradise. Giant tortoises, penguins, seals and the aptly named blue-footed boobies are just some of the incredible animals who live peacefully in this largely untouched paradise. More »

*This very delicate ecosystem can be impacted by tourism. Be sure to talk to your travel agent about respectful travelling.

The Serengeti is perhaps one of the best places to see large numbers of animals in their natural habitat. It's well known for being able to spot the 'big five' -- a term coined by hunters but largely reclaimed by tourists referring to lions, elephants, buffalos, leopards and rhinoceroses. The Serengeti also boasts one of the greatest migration systems in the world, with an estimated 2 million wildebeest, giraffes and zebras migrating together at different times of the year. More »

Australia's national icon abounds in the native bushland on Kangaroo Island. Along with kangaroo and wallaby spotting, Kangaroo Island is home to Australian seals, penguins, koalas, echidnas and, at the right time of year, whales can be spotted off the island's shores. More »

The south island whale watching hotspot of Kaikoura is one of the only places in the world where you can see sperm whales all year round. Humpback whales and orcas also populate the area at certain times of the year and dolphins, seals and albatross can be spotted all year round. More »

Home to 10 different primate species as well as elephants, leopards, rhinos, reptiles, birds and more, the tropical rainforests are alive with colourful and varied wildlife. Borneo is one of only two places in the world where orangutans still survive. The orangutan's greatest threat is habitat destruction for palm oil plantations. Fred Galdikas from Orangutan Conservation International believes that increasing tourism to the area is helping locals realise that orangutans are 'Borneo's treasure' and they need to be protected. Ask your travel agent how your trip can help contribute to the conservation and protection of this incredible species. More »

The simplest and most affordable way to see animals in their natural habitat -- through your TV screen. Nature and wildlife documentaries can offer amazing insights into the lives of animals, often allowing you to get (virtually) closer than you ever would be able to in the wild. (And no animal has to spend their lives in captivity for the sake of entertainment.)

Do you know a great animal documentary? Share in the comments below.