A zoo in China is facing criticism for allowing visitors to participate in an unlikely form of entertainment: They can pay to see tigers feed on a live animal.
The incredible moment at Siberian Tiger Park in Harbin, China was captured by a tourist who said visitors can choose from a menu what they’d like to see the ferocious beasts eat. He witnessed chickens served as appetizers to the tigers (at a cost of $5.50), followed by a live cow (at a cost of $205)–dumped from a truck–and pounced on immediately. “It was dragged to the ground within seconds,” he told The Sun. And tourists relished in the attraction–taking photos and watching with binoculars from a bus nearby.
All along the Oregon coast over the last month, hundreds of brown pelicans have turned up dead, starving or begging for food.
As many as 1,000 of the gangly seabirds failed to make their annual fall migration to California, many instead winding up at Oregon's rehabilitation centers.
Those that did head south, leaving the Pacific Northwest winter behind, were battered by California's recent storms. Shelters in San Pedro and the San Francisco Bay Area are also full of emaciated pelicans.
Researchers, at a loss to explain the casualties, are looking at unusual ocean currents and the depletion of fish stocks -- as well as warmer temperatures, toxic runoff and algae blooms -- as possible causes.
Meanwhile, pelicans are sitting listlessly on beaches and scavenging outside restaurants and canneries.
"In one parking lot, there were people in cars surrounded by pelicans asking for food. We have never seen that before," said Roy Lowe, project leader for the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex. "These birds literally have lost all fear of humans."
Continued...http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-dying-pelicans5-2010feb05,0,3956288.story?track=ntoth... more
Jackson, Miss. – In Defense of Animals’ (IDA) Project Hope sanctuary near Grenada, Mississippi, and Mississippi Spay & Neuter (MS SPAN) are teaming up to spay and neuter scores of dogs released to IDA by a Holmes County woman. Once a breeder, she’d fallen on hard times and couldn’t feed or properly care for the dogs.
On Friday, February 5, 20 of the dogs will be spayed by MS SPAN at their “Big Fix” rig at 2104 Old Brandon Road, Pearl, Mississippi. IDA and MS SPAN hope this event will bring attention to the plight of homeless and abused companion animals across Mississippi through the promotion of affordable low cost, high volume spay/neuter of animals.
This documentary explores the impact of illegal breeding and selling of exotic pets on not only the lives of the animals, but the lives of the people around them. We explore many causes of why these animals are abandoned and focus on Shirley Cannan owner and operator of Fallin' Pines Critter Rescue, a non-profit organization that takes in exotic animals which have been neglected or abandoned.This documentary explores the impact of illegal breeding and selling of exotic pets on... more
A dog had a lucky escape when a Polish boat rescued him from an ice floe that had carried him more than 100 miles up a river and out onto the icy waters of the Baltic Sea.
"My crew saw... a shape moving on the water and we immediately decided to get closer to check if it was a dog or maybe a seal relaxing on the ice," Jan Joachim, senior officer aboard the Baltica, told Reuters Television.
"As we got closer to the ice floe we saw that it was a dog struggling not to fall into the water."
Ship engineer Adam Buczynski managed to scoop the dog off the floe onto an inflatable dinghy and wrapped him in a blanket.
"He didn't even squeal. There was just fear in his big eyes," said Buczynski.
The dog was first seen on the ice floe some 100 km (70 miles) inland to the south on the Vistula river but firemen were unable to rescue him. When the Baltica crew found him, he had already drifted some 24 km (18 miles) out to sea.
"We were in the right place at the right time," said Joachim, noting that they rescued him shortly before night fall.
The crew are now trying to locate the dog's owner.
Poland is in the grip of bitterly cold weather, with night temperatures in some areas falling as low as -34 Celsius (-31 Fahrenheit).
The Los Angeles fire department has had to defend its decision to send 50 firefighters and a helicopter to rescue a single dog from a river.
Capt. Steve Ruda pointed out that risk associated with carrying out the one hour rescue was not as great as it looked.
The German shepherd, nicknamed Vernon, was saved when a firefighter dangling from a helicopter grabbed the dog and held tight as they were taken to an overpass.
Unfortunately for the hero fireman there was some risk involved: the dog bit the firefighter, who lost a nail and fractured his thumb.
Like more than a dozen manatees that washed up in the last week, this one was a victim of the cold weather.
But unlike those other manatees, this one was still alive.
The mammal, 6 or 7 years old, washed up behind the Princess Condominium in the Jensen Beach area on Thursday afternoon.
Beach-goers and condo residents stood vigil over the manatee, some donating towels and blankets to keep it warm.
"She is still alive, still breathing, she's hanging in there, she's pretty emaciated," says Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Manatee Biologist John Cassady. "Probably hasn't eaten in a while. But she's holding on right now."
A rescue ambulance from Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution arrived just after sunset.
Onlookers jumped in to help carry the manatee to the ambulance.
It's an afternoon they'll never forget.
"I've been here since it first came on the beach," says David Brand, a visitor from Canada. "I wouldn't want to desert it."
The manatee was taken to the Miami Seaquarium.
Anyone who sees a sick or dead manatee should call FWC's manatee hot line at (888) 404-3922.
Last week we told you the steps IDA was taking to prepare our response to the Haiti earthquake. Now we have moved into action – at least into the first phase. The next steps will be determined by what we find on the ground.
IDA, as part of a coalition of animal protection organizations called the Animal Relief Coalition of Haiti (ARCH), is sending an animal disaster relief team of veterinarians and animal disaster responders, food and supplies. The team is on the ground in the Dominican Republic right now, preparing and stocking the animal emergency response clinic, which will be enroute to Haiti within 24 hours.
In Haiti, the coalition has already identified veterinary and animal care resources to deploy on ground, and is securing permissions from the Haitian Ministries of Agriculture and Public Health, and working with United Nations agencies to begin helping both non-human animals and people. The coalition is engaging directly with the Haitian community, including local veterinarians, who themselves have been severely affected - losing their loved ones - as well as their livelihoods, devastated by this enormous earthquake that the U.N. calls one of the worst disasters ever encountered.
For more information about IDA's disaster relief efforts, please e-mail: disasterrelief@idausa.org. And please click here to support our work.Haiti Earthquake Update - Our Team Is On The Move
Last week we told you the steps... more
All the street animals who survived the Haiti earthquake(s) have absolutely no help -- no medical care, no shelter.
Please consider contributing to either this organization or any of the other animal rescue-related organizations that are sending humans and supplies over to Haiti specifically to help our innocent animal friends.All the street animals who survived the Haiti earthquake(s) have absolutely no help --... more
Heroic behaviour among animals is far more common than previously thought, according to scientists.
Creatures including dolphins, monkeys, fruit bats and even ants are all capable of selflessly coming to the rescue of others, researchers found.
Dr Elise Nowbahari, from the University of Paris, said there is mounting evidence that willingness to go to the aid of others at personal risk is common in a range of species and far from a solely human trait.
Dolphins endanger themselves to rescue trapped dolphins, lifting an injured dolphin to the water's surface to help it breathe, she said.
Monkeys will drive away an attacker from a vulnerable female or infants and female fruit bats help other fruit bats in labour to ease the birth.
She also said that ants frequently help other ants from the same colony if they are caught in traps or by a predator – though their heroism does not extend to helping ants from other colonies whose actual cries for help are ignored.
One of the biggest internet hits is a film of buffalo fighting off lions that had attacked one of their young in the Kruger National Park in South Africa.
"We may be underestimating the extent of rescue behaviour in the wild," said Dr Nowbahari, whose work is published in the latest issue of Communicative and Integrative Biology.
"Reports of rescue behaviour in non-human animals are exceedingly rare but is far more common than thought."
She has drawn up a four-point model that could be applied to the behaviour of any creature, including humans, to identify heroic acts.
First, the individual being helped is in distress and unless it escapes on its own it will suffer severe physical harm.
Second, the rescuer places themselves in harm's way by helping.
Third, the rescuer's behaviour is suitable to the circumstances of the victim's distress.
And last, rescuing is not done for any inherent reward.
She said: "Human acts of heroism are often rewarded with medals and commendations, for example. But one needs to distinguish between the reward inherent in the rescuing someone and the reward that may or may not be given if the act is recognised."
Dr Nowbahari and her colleagues now intend to apply the four-point model to a range of non-human animal situations to determine if the rescuer's behaviour was indeed heroic.
By using this detached method she expects to be able to document an enormous range of animals being heroic.Heroic behaviour among animals is far more common than previously thought, according... more
New Yorker writer Michael Specter, on his first visit to a chicken farm:
"I was almost knocked to the ground by the overpowering smell of feces and ammonia. My eyes burned and so did my lungs, and I could neither see nor breathe….There must have been thirty thousand chickens sitting silently on the floor in front of me. They didn’t move, didn’t cluck. They were almost like statues of chickens, living in nearly total darkness, and they would spend every minute of their six-week lives that way."New Yorker writer Michael Specter, on his first visit to a chicken farm:
"I... more
This sea lion keeps avoiding capture. Officials believe it is malnourished and dehydrated.
Rescue workers with the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito are trying to corral an injured sea lion at Moss Landing Harbor in Monterey County.
Jim Oswald, a spokesman for the center, says efforts to capture the animal in a net Wednesday and again Thursday afternoon failed with the skittish animal swimming away each time. At least one more attempt is expected Thursday.
Oswald says the sea lion is unable to eat because of an entanglement around its neck and muzzle that needs to be removed.
The animal appears malnourished and dehydrated.
Rescuers believe it is the same sea lion that was reported entangled on San Francisco's Pier 39 on Friday. The animal had swum off before officials from the center arrived the next morning.This sea lion keeps avoiding capture. Officials believe it is malnourished and... more
Do not support breeders. RESCUE a beautiful animal who will otherwise be euthanized. Your animal companion will thank you by giving you tons of love for the rest of your lives together.Do not support breeders. RESCUE a beautiful animal who will otherwise be euthanized.... more
We all hear so many sad stories of animal abuse—of pit bulls being forced to fight and kill one another; of pets left outside to suffer through the coldest and hottest of days; of dogs and cats left behind to die when their owners move; and of the millions of unwanted pets that are dumped at animal shelters, where they’re often euthanized (make that killed) before they can find new families.
Luckily, there are still many people who care enough about animals to go to extreme measures to save the life of an innocent creature. Here are five of those animal rescue stories.We all hear so many sad stories of animal abuse—of pit bulls being forced to... more
When a dog curls up on a blanket, everything seems better. But for some of LA's shelter dogs, a blanket isn't just a warm place to rest -- it might help them find new homes.
That's why Operation Blankets of Love provides blankets for animals in LA's shelters.
The blankets help a dog or cat relax and adjust to their new environment at the shelter. When someone approaches a dog with positive body language, it's more likely they will consider adopting the animal.
"A blanket is going to make them more adoptable," said Eileen Smulson, Operation Blankets of Love's founder. "Their whole behavior changes and you want to take them home with you."
Just watch the video above to see the change for yourself.
Once they feel comfortable, there's just one thing left to do -- wait for the right person to walk through the shelter's door.
"We have dogs that come in and they're trying to bite us on Day 1," said Jan Selder, of LA Animal Services. "They're snapping and they're hiding. By Day 5, because they've been handled, because they've been given toys and treats and blankets, they're in our laps.
"Now, they're adoptable."
Blankets of Love collected 150,000 blankets, comfort items and toys in the last year. About half of the items were collected at donation boxes in pet stores and schools.
Call 818-402-6586 for information about Operation Blankets of Love or visit the website.The tails say it all.
When a dog curls up on a blanket, everything seems better.... more
Just wait 'til you see the happy pictures of Oliver with his new, forever home -- never again to suffer at the hands of Michael Vick.
December 21, 2009 : 8:51 AM ET
Erika describes herself as not having a mean bone in her body. She’s the kind of person who can keep her cool in all situations. That all changed, however, when she heard Michael Vick was approved to play football again. She had already made her peace with the Michael Vick situation, but this particular news tossed that peace right out the window. For several days, she was just plain angry. Yelling, screaming, you name it.
Then she decided something. “I wasn’t going to let him ruin me,” Erika says. So she changed course and put all that energy in the exact opposite direction. She wanted to help one of the Vicktory dogs in a very special way. In fact, she wanted to do more than help from a distance. She was hoping to adopt.
Erika has been a Best Friends’ member for years, and has followed the progress of the Vicktory dogs since the beginning. So she contacted Kristi Littrell, adoption coordinator at the sanctuary, and hoped for the best. To her surprise and delight, everything worked out to where she could indeed adopt one of the dogs. To say Erika was thrilled would be an understatement. But first, they had to find the right dog.
She and her husband David have another dog back home. They told Kristi all about Boss, their 128-pound shepherd/husky mix. The plan was for Best Friends to pick a Vicktory dog who would best fit in with their little family. The caregivers and adoption folks picked Oliver, who turned out to be exactly the right match.
David and Erika came out with Boss to do a meet and greet. Boss played the role of big brother in every sense of the word. For one thing, he’s more than three times the size of Oliver! But a big brother is exactly what Oliver needs. He needs somebody to help him learn the ropes. They became fast friends, and as for Erika and David, they were hooked from the word go. Final approval came and Oliver was ready to go home to foster care (all Vicktory dogs are court-ordered to go into foster care first before the family can consider adoption).
Best Friends’ trainer Tamara Dormer is the one who made the actual delivery. She headed out with Oliver, ready to bring him to his new home and new life. Tamara knew how excited Erika and David would be to see Oliver again, so she asked them what time in the morning she should arrive.
“Well, I’m sure I won’t sleep a wink that night,” said Erika. “How does 4:00 a.m. sound?” (For Oliver’s sake, they waited a few hours later!) The reunion was one of the happiest moments ever.
Erika is also quick to say this is one of the proudest events in her life. To be able to give one of the Vicktory dogs a fresh start, she feels, is an honor and a privilege. “He’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” she says.
As for Oliver, the excitement is mutual. He follows Boss around like a shadow and curls up in Erika’s lap for naps every chance he gets. He even sleeps on the bed with David, Erika, Boss and Squeaky the cat. He smiles up at them and snuggles at each and every opportunity. Life is good. And as for Erika, she found something a whole lot better to do with all that energy. She turned it into love and found a dog who can soak up all she can dish out. Now there’s a happy ending.
Story by David Dickson
Photos by Molly Wald
Wish Oliver success in his new foster home by sponsoring him or one of the other dogs at Best Friends.Just wait 'til you see the happy pictures of Oliver with his new, forever home --... more
What I object to in the following story is the use of the phrase "animal welfare" instead of "animal RIGHTS." Nonetheless, anytime I see something at least moving in the right(s) direction for the sake of an animal, I want to share it....
A coalition of conservation and animal rescue groups has today made animal welfare history by taking the last dancing bears off the streets of India - bringing an end to a centuries-old tradition that inflicted terrible cruelty on thousands of highly endangered sloth bears.
The groups behind the bear rescue project are International Animal Rescue (IAR), Wildlife SOS (WSOS) of India, Free the Bears Fund (FTB) from Australia, and One Voice Association France. Between them they have rescued more than 600 bears and given them a permanent home and lifetime care in sanctuaries throughout India.
At the same time they have provided a rehabilitation package for the bear handlers, known as kalandars, so that they can learn new trades and continue supporting their families after surrendering their bears. For the first time kalandar children are able to attend school and receive an education sponsored by the Kalandar Rehabilitation Project.What I object to in the following story is the use of the phrase "animal... more
