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IUCN - IUCN Red List reveals world’s mammals in crisis
Barcelona, Spain, 6 October, 2008 (IUCN) – The most comprehensive assessment of the world’s mammals has confirmed an extinction crisis, with almost one in four at risk of disappearing forever, according to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, revealed at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona.
The new study to assess the world’s mammals shows at least 1,141 of the 5,487 mammals on Earth are known to be threatened with extinction. At least 76 mammals have become extinct since 1500. But the results also show conservation can bring species back from the brink of extinction, with five percent of currently threatened mammals showing signs of recovery in the wild.
“Within our lifetime hundreds of species could be lost as a result of our own actions, a frightening sign of what is happening to the ecosystems where they live,” says Julia Marton-Lefèvre, IUCN Director General. “We must now set clear targets for the future to reverse this trend to ensure that our enduring legacy is not to wipe out many of our closest relatives.”
The real situation could be much worse as 836 mammals are listed as Data Deficient. With better information more species may well prove to be in danger of extinction.
“The reality is that the number of threatened mammals could be as high as 36 percent,” says Jan Schipper, of Conservation International and lead author in a forthcoming article in Science. “This indicates that conservation action backed by research is a clear priority for the future, not only to improve the data so that we can evaluate threats to these poorly known species, but to investigate means to recover threatened species and populations.”
The results show 188 mammals are in the highest threat category of Critically Endangered, including the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus), which has a population of just 84-143 adults and has continued to decline due to a shortage of its primary prey, the European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Barcelona, Spain, 6 October, 2008 (IUCN) – The most comprehensive assessment of the world’s mammals has confirmed an extinction crisis... more -
UN envoy says Congo fighting could escalate
* http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/:
Secretary-General’s Special Representative Alan Doss has asked for additional peacekeepers beyond the nearly 19,000 uniformed personnel already there to prevent the vast country from slipping back into “horrendous” conflict.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The top U.N. envoy to Congo warned Friday that renewed fighting in eastern Congo has heightened ethnic tensions and could lead to the renewal of a wider conflict in central Africa.
Alan Doss urged all militias in the country's hilly eastern border area — the scene of the worst fighting and a humanitarian crisis in Congo — to support a U.N. disengagement plan to bring peace to the conflict-wracked region.
He expressed dismay at reports this week that a key rebel leader, Laurent Nkunda, who initially said he would discuss the plan, was now reported to be backtracking and "walking out of any effort to move the peace process forward."
Nkunda launched a low-level rebellion several years ago claiming Congo's transition to democracy had excluded the country's minority Tutsi ethnic group, which is being targeted by ethnic Hutus from Congo as well as Rwanda.
The U.N. estimates there are about 20,000 militia fighters in the east, belonging to a number of different groups.
Among them are members of an extremist ethnic Hutu militia accused of orchestrating the 1994 genocide of 500,000 ethnic Tutsis in Rwanda. The group and others are accused of razing villages, terrorizing the local population and perpetrating rapes.
Doss told reporters after briefing the U.N. Security Council he was deeply concerned about renewed fighting that began at the end of August in eastern Congo, especially in North Kivu, and has continued intermittently since then.
"We believe we need to go ahead as quickly as possible with the disengagement plan to reduce the risk of those hostilities spreading and spilling over," Doss said. "Ethnic tensions have risen in North Kivu and that is very dangerous — no doubt about it."
He warned that "tensions are rising and we do not want to see the Congo plunged back in to the conflict which spilled over and involved neighbors. That conflict lasted for many years with horrendous consequences."
Back-to-back wars in Congo spilled into half a dozen neighboring countries and destroyed much of Congo itself by 2002.
Doss said the 17,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, whose main role is protecting civilians caught in fighting, is trying to bring the situation under control through a proposed comprehensive disengagement plan.
He said a "modest" increase in the force is sought to help implement the disengagement plan, which includes a cease-fire, separation of forces, demobilization, disarmament and the reintegration of militia fighters.
"The disengagement plan was presented to the government and it has accepted it," Doss said, "and it was presented to some of the armed groups. They have accepted it."
The U.N., is looking for support for the plan from the Security Council, countries that contribute troops to the force, and all militias, he said. * http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/: ... more -
Uganda’s new family of mountain gorillas
KAMPALA: A new family of mountain gorillas, one of the world’s most endangered species, is ready for interaction with tourists, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said on Friday.
“There is a new group of 13 members that has been habituated,” UWA spokeswoman Lillian Nsubuga said.
Wildlife experts began habituating the family, headed by a silverback named Nduhura, in October 2006 when one of the already habituated families in Uganda showed signs of moving into the bordering Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Nduhura’s family completed its two-year habituation process, designed to gradually allow them to become used to a limited human presence, the day the other group crossed the border. “The timing was really perfect,” Nsubuga said.
The endangered primates draw foreign visitors to Uganda’s Impenetrable Forest at a cost of $500 per visit and are a cornerstone of Uganda’s renascent tourism industry.
There are around 350 mountain gorillas currently living in Uganda, half of the world’s population. The remaining half is found in the Virunga park which straddles the DRC and Rwanda.
“The population in Uganda is stable and can even increase,” Nsubuga added.—AFP KAMPALA: A new family of mountain gorillas, one of the world’s most endangered species, is ready for interaction with tourists, the Ug... more -
World's most endangered turtles fail to produce offspring
SUZHOU, China — She's around 80 years old. He's 100. Breathless scientists watched as the world's most endangered turtles successfully mated.
But the attempt to breed the species' last known female with the last known male in China has failed because the eggs didn't hatch, disappointed conservationists said Saturday.
The elderly pair can try again next year, part of a delicate attempt to keep the species alive.
Just four known Yangtze giant soft-shell turtles are left and three are male.
The only female was found in a Chinese zoo just last year after a long and desperate search. She was quickly protected with a surveillance camera, a guard and bulletproof glass, and given the nickname "China Girl."
A successful batch of baby turtles would be a welcome environmental win for China. The country's efforts to save its pandas are famous, but scientists have said about 40 percent of China's mammal species are endangered. Pollution and hunting almost erased the Yangtze turtles.
Conservationists were thrilled this spring when the female and male finally were introduced, nudged each other curiously and slowly got down to business. Artificial insemination was deemed too risky.
Details & more on this story: http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Oct04/0,4670,ASEndange... SUZHOU, China — She's around 80 years old. He's 100. Breathless scientists watched as the world's most endangered turt... more -
Deceptive Labeling of Faux Fur!
Please Protect Raccoon Dogs - Stop Deceptive Labeling of Faux Fur!
Target: U.S. Congress
Sponsored by: Care2.com
A startling investigation shows that 80 percent of jackets mislabeled as faux fur contain raccoon dog fur. U.S. law prohibits the import and sale of dog and cat fur products – but the law does not protect raccoon dogs, nor does it require labeling products with fur valued under $150.
* Learn more about faux fur issues at http://go.care2.com/16828429
Wild raccoon dogs are members of the canine family native to dense woodlands and forests of Asia, but they are domesticated in China primarily for their fur. Undercover video footage shows gruesome methods used, such as skinning them alive. Estimates of how many raccoon dogs are killed each year range from 1.5 million to 4 million.
Reps. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.) have introduced the Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Act (H.R. 891), a bill that would protect raccoon dogs and require the labeling of all fur products, thus closing the loophole that has allowed the deceptive marketing of real fur as "faux" fur.
Please urge your Representative to help close this loophole by cosponsoring the Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Act now!
* Petition Link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/141079863 Please Protect Raccoon Dogs - Stop Deceptive Labeling of Faux Fur! Target: U.S. Congress Sponsored by: Care2.com ... more -
Snares & Scares | GorillaDoctors.wildlifedirect.org
Dr. Lucy Spelman, the regional veterinary field manager for MGVP, a team of eight vets and support staff who work throughout the range of the Mountain Gorilla in UG, DR Congo, and RW.
Category: Monitoring Visits | Date: Sep 22 2008 | By: Dr. Lucy for gorilladoctors
Guhonda, the silverback in Sabinyo Group, has removed snares more than a few times from the arms and legs of his family members.
"I’d nearly finished my routine health check in Pablo Group when my cell phone buzzed in my pocket, making me jump. It was Jean Felix. We usually text each other in order not to disturb the gorillas, so I knew right away there must be a problem. We did indeed have an emergency. One of the infant gorillas in Sabinyo Group was caught in a snare, and the silverback, Guhonda, had bitten one of the trackers. We made a quick plan: Jean Felix and Elisabeth would try to check on the infant, knowing they might not be able to get very close; I would rush back to the office to grab my kit, and then check on the injured tracker.
I thought through possible next steps and outcomes as we hiked down out of the forest. Either Guhonda was already in a rage, or the tracker tried to take the snare off and the silverback saw him. There was a good chance no one would even see the Sabinyo gorillas for the rest of the day. Often our first opportunity to remove a snare is not until the next morning, once the group has calmed down. Even then we may decide not to intervene if we think the gorilla or one of its family members can get the snare off."
See photos & the rest of this post by Dr Lucy along with more information on how you can help these gentle giants, please visit: http://gorilladoctors.wildlifedirect.org/2008/09/22/sna... Dr. Lucy Spelman, the regional veterinary field manager for MGVP, a team of eight vets and support staff who work throughout the range... more -
Romanian hunters now allowed to shoot urban bears | AP | 09/26/2008
Romanian hunters now allowed to shoot urban bears
The Associated Press
BUCHAREST, Romania - Romanian authorities have decided to let hunters shoot bears that are increasingly moving into urban areas to find food.
Some of the animals have become tame, allowing tourists to take close-up photographs. But a few months ago a bear killed a man in the city of Brasov.
Environment Minister Attila Korodi said Thursday that he authorized hunting associations to shoot the bears in areas frequented by tourists in Brasov and the Prahova valley.
Authorities say they are monitoring some 800 bears in the Brasov area, 100 more than last year.
Romania is home to 60 percent of the bears in the European Union. Romanian hunters now allowed to shoot urban bears The Associated Press ... more -
Rescued baby gorilla fuels campaign to save a species
LOS ANGELES, Sept 24 (Reuters Life!) - The cold-blooded murder of about 10 of Congo's endangered mountain gorillas last year horrified author Craig Hatkoff until one glimmer of hope emerged -- the rescue of an orphaned baby gorilla.
The baby, named Miza, was feared dead as her mother was among the gorillas killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park, home to 380 of the world's 720 mountain gorillas.
But after several days lost in the jungle, Miza was rescued by her father, silverback gorilla Kabirizi, and brought back to live with her family to be raised by her sister and half-brother.
The story inspired New York-based Hatkoff to write "Looking for Miza: The True Story of the Mountain Gorilla Family Who Rescued One of Their Own", along with his daughters Isabella, 9, and Juliana, 13, as the centrepiece of a campaign to help save the gentle giants that range across the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It is not the first animal story by Hatkoff. He has previously written books about the polar bear Knut who became an icon for global warming and about the friendship of a tortoise and hippo, Owen and Mzee, after the southeast Asian tsunami.
"Miza's true story is a life-affirming tale of hope and courage. I think the appeal of this story is that gorillas are about 98 percent human from a genetic standpoint and it is like we are looking into a mirror at ourselves," Hatkoff told Reuters.
"My guess is you could put a name, face and nose print to every mountain gorilla left on the planet and it becomes a powerful metaphor because if we can't save the mountain gorillas what does it say about the other species we have to save."
CAMPAIGNING FOR GORILLAS
Hatkoff wants to use the book, released this week by Scholastic, as a centerpiece of a campaign to raise awareness about the endangered mountain gorillas and help the people living in the Great Lakes area of Africa.
"This is a war-torn area of the world and the loss of habitat and economic problems like the charcoal mafia have created a crisis," said Hatkoff.
"This is not longer just about saving the gorillas but we have to save the people there too who need clean water, food security, education and health care. These are complicated problems but they are solveable."
His company Turtle Pond Publications has joined forces with Scholatic, Wildlife Direct, the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative founded by Bill Clinton to raise awareness about Africa's endangered mountain gorillas.
The book will be at the core of the campaign with a children's summit on gorillas with U.S.-wide webcast planned and websites to get people involved and show how they can help.
"These true stories can create an emotional connection to real animals and the idea here is to say what you can do about it and you can become part of the story," said Hatkoff.
"Mountain gorillas must be the most magnificent species on the planet and if this campaign works, it will work for tigers, for people as well." LOS ANGELES, Sept 24 (Reuters Life!) - The cold-blooded murder of about 10 of Congo's endangered mountain gorillas last year horr... more -
Manatee Pair Make Trip North To Frolick in Md. Tributary - washingtonpost.com
Two West Indian manatees were sighted in a Chesapeake Bay tributary near Baltimore this week in a rare appearance of Florida's beloved sea cow in Mid-Atlantic waters.
During that encounter, first reported by the Baltimore Sun, Hill snapped several pictures. Yesterday, the manatee expert at the National Aquarium in Baltimore said the sighting seemed legitimate.
"It is, more than likely, a manatee," Jennifer Dittmar said. One clue, she said, was the bump on the back. It's not a blowhole, she said, but a barnacle, which manatees often pick up in their slow-motion wanderings.
Manatees, docile vegetarians, have been declared an endangered species; collisions with boats are a serious threat. Their population is estimated between 3,000 and 3,500, and their home territories are Florida and the Caribbean.
But some have been spotted around the Chesapeake. The most famous was Chessie, a manatee that visited several times in the mid-1990s and was named for its resemblance to the bay's mythical sea monster.
Dittmar said the Baltimore aquarium receives three or four reports of sightings every year -- usually in August or September, after the bay's water has been warmed all summer. She asked anyone who spots a manatee to call the aquarium scientists' pager at 410-373-0083.
Scientists say that to travel north, the mammals use the Intercoastal Waterway, which can offer a buffet of underwater grasses, or they traverse the open Atlantic Ocean. It's not clear why they come.
"I don't know why they do it," said Cathy Beck, a scientist who studies manatees for the U.S. Geological Survey. She said she didn't know if climate change was playing a role. Beck said her current concern is whether these roaming manatees will find their way back south before the winter, because they cannot stand water colder than 68 degrees.
In Essex, Hill said the two manatees vanished when she and a neighbor got into a boat to follow them. "I've been looking ever since," she said.
"They're not the prettiest faces," she said. "But there's something lovable about them." Two West Indian manatees were sighted in a Chesapeake Bay tributary near Baltimore this week in a rare appearance of Florida's be... more -
$2,225 REWARD for Hunters Who 'Immorally' Killed Bears: VIDEO
In a town where bears are everywhere from decorations at the corner bar...to real life next-door-neighbors, bear county is an understatement.
So when news spread that two bears may have been unethically killed near the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary near Orr, area hunters down the road could barely stomach it.
"It's not right," said Robert Gross, visiting from St. Paul.
"You abide by the rules," said his brother Mark. "This is one out of a million that something like this would happen."
The first dead bear was found Saturday, shot once and left untouched. The second was found a day later, skinned with his head and paws cut off.
"There's hunters and then there are what we call the poachers, these guys are the worst of the worst," said Dennis Udovich, President of Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary.
But what bothers staff even more is that the bears were killed so close to sanctuary grounds--making them believe the hunters waited for bears to leave the protected land, so they could legally shoot them on public land.
"The bears are real relaxed in this area, so it's not a challenge," said Udovich.
"All you have to do is sit on the travel corridor and pick and chose which bear you want," said Klari Lea, Vice President of Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary. "It's a highway and that's unfair and it's not ethical."
Unethical? Perhaps. But illegal? Not quite. The DNR is investigating for possible wanton waste charges.
"It's slob hunting, definitely slob hunting," said Mark Gross. His brother agrees.
"If you are going to kill something you should probably plan on eating it," said Robert Gross.
Now perhaps the most talked about hunt...is for the responsible hunters themselves.
"We want to get these slime balls," said Udovich. "I mean they are given all good hunters a bad name."
There is a $2,225 reward for information on the suspects. If you have any information, a tipline has been set up at 1-800-652-9093.
VIDEO:
http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S591589.shtml?cat=1... In a town where bears are everywhere from decorations at the corner bar...to real life next-door-neighbors, bear county is an understa... more -
Alaska Wildlife Alliance - Zoos not contacted before wolf pup kills
JUNEAU - Two of Alaska's leading animal facilities say state wildlife officials did not try to place orphaned wolf pups with them before killing the pups.
The revelation is causing a stir ahead of Tuesday's primary election, during which Alaska voters will decide whether to curtail the state's predator control program.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists were given the OK from the state's Board of Game to kill wolves if necessary on the southern Alaska Peninsula to protect a caribou herd considered to be in trouble.
Biologists shot 14 wolves from a helicopter in June. On the ground, they discovered and killed 14 pups orphaned by the shooting.
The state's orphaned wildlife policy is first to leave an animal alone if it can survive on its own. If not, the department is supposed to look for a home. If no home is available, biologists are directed to kill the animals quickly instead of leaving them to die slowly.
Officials at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage and the Haines Animal Center, the likely candidates to care for such animals, said they were never contacted.
The Alaska Zoo would have taken in and sought permanent homes for orphaned wolf pups, one official said.
"The first thing I'd do would be talk to the curator, figure out how many (pups) for how long, figure out a place where they could be appropriately placed," Alaska Zoo Director Pat Lampi said. "We would certainly be willing to make some phone calls."
Both Lampi and Steve Kroeschel of the Haines Animal Center, an educational facility, said the state did not call to ask about wolf pup placements.
For more of this story: http://www.akwildlife.org/content/view/127/61/ JUNEAU - Two of Alaska's leading animal facilities say state wildlife officials did not try to place orphaned wolf pups with them... more -
Biggest Rally in Alaska's History - Opposing Palin - iReport.com
" ASK YOUR TV STATIONS WHY WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE THE BIGGEST RALLY IN ALASKA?
Alaskan Women Reject Palin rally was to be held outside on the lawn in front of the Loussac Library in midtown Anchorage. Homemade signs were encouraged, and the idea was to make a statement that Sarah Palin does not speak for all Alaskan women, or men.. I had no idea what to expect...
The rally was organized by a small group of women, talking over coffee. It made me wonder what other things have started with small groups of women talking over coffee...
Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage.
The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn't honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn't happen here.
Then, the infamous Eddie Burke showed up. He tried to talk to the media, and was instantly
surrounded by a group of 20 people who started shouting O-BA-MA so loud he couldn't be heard. Then passing cars started honking in a rhythmic pattern of 3, like the Obama chant, while the crowd cheered, hooted and waved their signs high.
So, if you've been doing the math… Yes. The Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was significantly bigger than Palin's rally that got all the national media coverage! So take heart, sit back, and enjoy the photo gallery. Feel free to spread the pictures around to anyone who needs to know that Sarah Palin most definitely does not speak for all Alaskans. The citizens of Alaska, who know her best, have things to say.
**Story not written by myself** " " ASK YOUR TV STATIONS WHY WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE THE BIGGEST RALLY IN ALASKA? ... more -
New manatee species discovered!
NEW SPECIES OF LIVING MANATEE!
'A New Species, the Dwarf Manatee, Amazon Association for the Preservation of Nature'
Discovered in AAPN Manus-Amazonas, Brazil.
Shallow clear-water adapted dwarf manatee is already on the edge of extinction due to rainforest deforestation, hunting...
THERE ARE NO LAWS TO PROTECT THIS CRITICALLY ENDANGERED DWARF MANATEE.
http://www.care2.com/news/member/785844898/889616
http://www.marcvanroosmalen.org/dwarfmanatee.htm
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED! NEW SPECIES OF LIVING MANATEE! 'A New Species, the Dwarf Manatee, Amazon Association for the Preservation of Nature' ... more -
Pamela Anderson Has Finally Gone too Far
PETA president Dan Matthews recently spoke to the New York Post and revealed that Pamela plans to shun fashion great Giorgio Armani and is going to encourage stars who wear his designs to do the same.
Keep reading on Bitten and Bound... PETA president Dan Matthews recently spoke to the New York Post and revealed that Pamela plans to shun fashion great Giorgio Armani an... more -
Shocking New Bearskins Video
Bears Are Still Slaughtered for the Royal 'Headgear'
Ms Widdecombe and PETA are calling on the Ministry of Defence and HRH Queen Elizabeth to end the use of bear fur for The Queen's Guards' caps.
The Ministry of Defence has spent more than £321,000 on bearskin caps in the past five years alone.
More than 200 MPs signed a recent Early Day Motion calling on the government to switch to a modern and humane synthetic fabric.
Celebrities including Sir Roger Moore, Mary McCartney and Sadie Frost have also called on the government to "go faux".
Please take a moment to contact Secretary of State, Des Browne today; tell your friends and family and urge them to do the same for the sake of the bears!
Instead of financially supporting the shameful slaughter of black bears, Great Britain should set a compassionate example by switching to a humane and progressive alternative and committing to stopping the needless killing.
PLEASE SAVE THE BEARS! Sign the petition in support of bears today!
Petition:
http://www.unbearablecruelty.co.uk/petition.asp
Main Webpage:
http://www.unbearablecruelty.com
VIDEO:
http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/ukawbearvideo?qp_sou... Bears Are Still Slaughtered for the Royal 'Headgear' ... more -
Hilda the elephant killed trying to escape circus
MEXICO CITY – A five-ton elephant escaped from a circus and wandered onto a busy highway, where it was hit by a bus and died on Tuesday.
State officials say bus driver Tomas Lopez, 49, also was killed and at least four passengers were hospitalized after the pre-dawn collision in Ecatepec, just north of Mexico City.
Mexico State police spokesman Juan Sanchez said the elephant escaped from its cage at the Circo Union, but he declined to give any other details. He said officials were investigating.
The state-funded Notimex news agency reported that the elephant named Indra escaped as its keeper arrived to feed it, knocking down a metal door that led to the street and wandering through two neighborhoods before trying to cross the highway.
Small circuses have used the name "Circo Union" in Mexico and it was not immediately clear which was involved.
Last month, a 500-pound lion escaped from a private zoo owned by a local lawmaker in southern Mexico. The animal killed two dogs and a pig and attacked a woman and child on a donkey before it was sedated and caught.
For more information on elephants... please visit:
http://www.elephant-news.com/linkto.php
http://tinyurl.com/4lpe36 MEXICO CITY – A five-ton elephant escaped from a circus and wandered onto a busy highway, where it was hit by a bus and died on Tuesda... more -
Do other animals feel emotions?
Moving images of a female gorilla holding the lifeless body of her baby has left many asking whether animals feel similar emotions to humans. Ian Redmond, from UN's Great Ape Survival Project, and Miranda Stevenson, director of BIAZA, discuss Gorilla Gana, who appeared to mourn the sudden death of her three-month-old baby.
VIDEO: http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7571000/757... Moving images of a female gorilla holding the lifeless body of her baby has left many asking whether animals feel similar emotions to ... more -
The Humane Society of The United States
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest and most effective animal protection organization—backed by 10 million Americans, or one in every 30. Established in 1954, The HSUS seeks a humane and sustainable world for all animals—a world that will also benefit people. We are America's mainstream force against cruelty, exploitation and neglect, as well as the most trusted voice extolling the human-animal bond.
Our mission statement: Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty.
We work to reduce suffering and to create meaningful social change for animals by advocating for sensible public policies, investigating cruelty and working to enforce existing laws, educating the public about animal issues, joining with corporations on behalf of animal-friendly policies, and conducting hands-on programs that make ours a more humane world. We are the lead disaster relief agency for animals, and we provide direct care for thousands of animals at our sanctuaries and rescue facilities, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and mobile veterinary clinics.
We celebrate pets, as well as wildlife and habitat protection. We are the nation's most important advocate for local humane societies, providing shelter standards and evaluations, training programs, direct support, and national conferences. We are building a Humane Wildlife Services program to provide homeowners and businesses with humane and effective solutions to conflicts with our wild neighbors. The HSUS publishes All Animals, a membership magazine, and Animal Sheltering, a bi-monthly magazine for animal sheltering professionals.
We confront national and global cruelties through major campaigns targeting the barbaric practices of dogfighting and cockfighting; abusive puppy mills where dogs are treated not like family but like production machines; the worst cruelties of factory farming in modern agribusiness such as confinement of animals in crates and cages; inhumane and unsporting hunting practices such as "canned hunts" of captive exotic animals; the slaughter of American horses for export to foreign countries where horsemeat is considered a delicacy; and the clubbing of baby seals and other animals for the commercial fur trade. Our track record of effectiveness has led to meaningful victories for animals in Congress, state legislatures, courtrooms and corporate boardrooms.
Our website: humanesociety.org The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest and most effective animal protection organization—backed by 10 mi... more -
China: Contaminated Integrity
BEIJING — China’s leaders scrambled Saturday to contain public dismay over widespread contamination of milk supplies, criticizing local officials for negligence while moving to tamp down criticism of the government’s response.
Officials promised to keep stores supplied with clean milk and set up medical hot lines nationwide to help people cope with one of the worst product safety scandals in years.
Milk and dairy products from 22 companies have been recalled after batches tainted with the industrial chemical melamine sickened more than 6,200 children and left four infants dead from kidney failure.
Trying to shore up public confidence, Premier Wen Jiabao told senior Communist Party members that official misconduct contributed to the milk contamination and earlier product scandals. He demanded they put public safety “at the top of the agenda.”
In a show of concern, Wen’s chief deputy made a highly publicized trip to a dairy region south of Beijing at the center of the scandal, visiting farms, shops and a hospital, where he urged “all-out efforts on medical treatment” for the sick.
The energetic response underscored the deep challenge the crisis poses for the communist leadership. The government has staked its legitimacy in part on competent management of a rapidly developing society, a reputation it hoped would be burnished by last month’s lavish, well-run Beijing Olympics.
But the post-Olympic accolades have been pushed aside, and the scandal is again baring widespread public skepticism about the government’s abilities to get lower level officials to enforce policies and overcome cover-ups of problems.
In the 10 days since the government revealed that Shijiazhuang Sanlu Group sold tainted milk powder and infant formula, sketchy details have exposed one local government cover-up as well as the sale of contaminated milk by China’s biggest dairies, many of them state-owned.
Recalls of Chinese-made dairy products widened Saturday to Japan, which followed the lead of Singapore, while more products were recalled in the self-governing Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau.
Seeking to rein in criticism, propaganda officials ordered newspapers, TV stations and Web sites to mainly use reports from the government’s official Xinhua News Agency, news employees at two publications reported.
Food and product safety scandals have been a feature of Chinese life. Only last year, the government promised to overhaul inspection procedures after exports of medicines, toys and other products that killed and sickend people in the United States.
Also last year, pet food contaminated with melamine killed thousands of pets in North and South America. The dangerous chemical in the pet food was the same as in the milk scandal -- melamine. Used in making plastics, melamine is high in nitrogen, which registers as protein in tests of milk.
Some of the farmers who sell milk to Chinese food companies are thought to have used melamine to disguise watered-down milk. BEIJING — China’s leaders scrambled Saturday to contain public dismay over widespread contamination of milk supplies, criticizing loca... more -
Cruelty, the Livestock Industry Standard
WASHINGTON – An Iowa sheriff said Wednesday he has launched an investigation into a videotape showing abuse of pigs at a farm.
The video, shot by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, shows farm workers hitting sows with metal rods, slamming piglets on a concrete floor and bragging about jamming rods into sows' hindquarters. Greene County Sheriff Tom Heater told The Associated Press that he had met with PETA representatives on Tuesday. "They provided us with what appears to be some really good information," he said. "Our next step is to secure interviews with potential suspects, and definitely make sure that there's no further abuse occurring down there; that's our main concern at this point." --when asked if crimes had been committed, Heater responded, "It appears that there were, yes."
On the video, obtained by The AP, a supervisor tells an undercover PETA investigator that when he gets angry or a sow won't move, "I grab one of these rods and jam it in her (anus)."
The farm, located outside of Bayard, Iowa, about 60 miles west of Des Moines, is a supplier to Hormel Foods of Austin, Minn. PETA wants to use the results of the investigation to pressure Hormel, the maker of Spam and other food products, to demand that its suppliers ensure humane treatment of pigs.
Hormel spokeswoman Julie Henderson Craven called the incidents "completely unacceptable."
PETA is seeking prosecution of 18 people on animal cruelty violations. According to PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich, the video shows eight people directly abusing animals.
"Abuse on factory farms is the absolute norm, not the exception, and anyone eating factory-farmed meat is paying to support it," Friedrich said.
After getting a whistleblower complaint from someone inside the farm, PETA sent two undercover investigators to get hired at the farm and document its practices; one from June 10 to Sept. 8, and the other from July 23 to Sept. 11.
At one point on the video, an employee shouts to an investigator, "Hurt 'em! There's nobody works for PETA out here. You know who PETA is?" The undercover PETA investigator replies that he's heard of the group "I hate them. These (expletives) deserve to be hurt. Hurt, I say!," the employee yells as he hits a sow with a metal rod. "Hurt! Hurt! Hurt! Hurt! ... Take out your frustrations on 'em." He encourages the investigator to pretend that one of the pigs scared off a voluptuous and willing 17- or 18-year-old girl, and then beat the pig for it.
Natural Pork Production II referred questions to AMVC Management Services, which managed the farm under its ownership. Mark Jones, AMVC's network manager, said the video showed "unacceptable practices" and that his company is working with the new ownership to investigate.
Craven, the Hormel spokeswoman, said the farm became a Hormel supplier only after the change in ownership, and that MowMar "shares our commitment to animal welfare and humane handling. Our industry is committed to handling pigs humanely," she said. "My industry is full of good people."
At one point in the video, workers are shown slamming piglets on the ground, a practice designed to instantly kill those baby pigs that aren't healthy enough. But on the video, the piglets are not killed instantly, and in a bloodied pile, some piglets can be seen wiggling vainly. The video also shows piglets being castrated, and having their tails cut off, without anesthesia.
Temple Grandin, a leading animal welfare expert who serves as a consultant to the livestock industry, said that while those are standard industry practices, the treatment of the sows on the video was far from it.
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