EMA: Ill-treating leatherback turtles can cost you $100,000 – via Herp Digest

Rhondor Dowlat, The Guardian, 4/4/18 

A file photo of an unidentified woman sitting on a leatherback turtle. If caught in the act perpetrators can face hefty fines of up to $1000,00 or two years in prison.

People who are caught harming or ill-treating the leatherback turtle can face a hefty fine of $100,000 and jail for two years.

Recently a 39-second video surfaced on social media showing a leatherback turtle attempting to return to the sea after laying her eggs but was being hampered by several men who were seen pulling on its flippers and trying to drag it back to the shore. One of the men was then seen stepping onto the back of the turtle while attempting to place a child on it. Another person was seen climbing onto the turtle’s back.

As the turtle nesting season official opened on March 1, the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) said the leatherback turtle is an environmentally sensitive species and strongly condemned the ill-treatment of the leatherback turtles.

The Authority made an appeal to citizens to refrain from harming turtles, and by extension all wildlife in general.

“It is especially disheartening that after concerted efforts by government and non-governmental entities to sensitise persons against sitting or riding on the carapace of leatherback turtles, this is still happening now,” the EMA said in a release.

The EMA is expected to conduct further investigations into this recent incident with a view to determining the relevant enforcement actions to be taken.

The EMA will also collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries on other possible actions to be taken as the leatherback turtle is protected under the Conservation of Wildlife Act.

Concerned persons and those who may have information to help the EMA in its investigations are asked to contact EMA’s Emergency Response Hotline at 680-9588.’

In the event of an environmental incident or for complaints, emails can be sent to complaints@ema.co.tt. or visit the EMA website at www.ema.co.tt

Thieving monkey bound and caged in India's Mumbai

AFP

5 February 2016

The captured monkey, its arms tied tightly behind its back, sits crouched over in a Mumbai residential colony trying with its teeth to untie the cord bound around its ankles.

But this primate -- caught just moments ago by a professional monkey catcher in India's commercial capital -- isn't going anywhere for a while, other than straight into a cage.

The wild macaque was caged after locals said it had been causing a nuisance for more than six months, including stealing food and tearing up pillows that were on sale in one of the colony's shops.

It was one of three or four monkeys to have been tearing around the community in the western city's Sion area and residents recently complained to a local municipal councillor about the unwelcome guests.

Monkeys, who are revered in Hindu-majority India, often trash gardens, offices, residential rooftops and even attack people viciously for food -- but are rarely subjected to such public humiliation.

When locals spotted one of the primates on Friday morning they called a monkey catcher who hot-footed it to the housing block and laid a trap with fruit.

Local residents gathered round and cheered as bandages were tied around the macaque's wrists and elbows and a rope was put around its neck.

Read on ...

Woman, 20, faces up to five years in jail after being Phototographed riding a sea turtle on Florida beach - via Herp Digest

• Stephanie Moore, 20, was one of two women seen riding a turtle in July
• Pictures of them were widely circulated, prompting criminal probe
• On Saturday, police recognized Moore from the photo during a house stop
• She was detained on felony animal cruelty warrant, held on $2,000 bond
• If found guilty she faces up to five years in jail and up to $10,000 in fines 

By Dailymail.com Reporter, 9/26/15

A woman has been arrested for riding a sea turtle in Florida.

Stephanie Marie Moore, 20, was one of two women pictured astride the creature during a debauched night on the beach in July.

The Snapchat image, which was circulated on Facebook and Twitter, prompting a criminal investigation by police and animal protection groups in Melbourne, Florida.

On Saturday, officers responding to a disturbance at a home recognized Moore from the photograph and detained her on suspicion of molesting a marine turtle.

She is being held on a $2,000 bond.

Animal cruelty is met with heavy penalties in Florida.

In most cases, including this one, where the animal is thought to have suffered unnecessary pain or suffered it is treated as a felony.

If guilty, Moore faces up to five years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.

Sea turtles are endangered in Florida as illegal harvesting and pollution have left numbers dwindling.

They are protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 and Florida's Marine Turtle Protection Act. 

Quokka survives alleged attempt by French tourists to light it on fire

Two men, aged 18 and 24, will face court on animal cruelty charges after police seized a video of the alleged attack on the marsupial on Rottenest Island near Perth

Calla Wahlquist

Sunday 12 April 2015 03.38 BST

Last modified on Sunday 12 April 201503.57 BST

Two French tourists have been evicted from Rottnest Island, a popular holiday spot 20km off the coast of Perth, Western Australia, for allegedly attempting to light a quokka on fire.

A quokka joey. WA police say two men

 aimed lit a stream of aerosol aimed 

at a quokka on Rottnest Island, 

which was singed during the alleged 

attack. Photograph: Taronga Zoo/PR

WA Police spokeswoman Ros Weatherall said the men, aged 18 and 24, allegedly lit a stream of aerosol on fire and aimed the jet of flame at a quokka on April 3.

Weatherall said the animal was allegedly singed during the incident.

It’s understood the quokka was not badly injured and managed to run off. It has not received veterinary treatment.

The men have been charged with animal cruelty and bailed to appear in Fremantle magistrates court on Friday.

Continued ...

In Massive Shift, Nestlé Takes on Animal Cruelty (Op-Ed)

Matthew Prescott, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) | 

 September 09, 2014 12:12am ET

Matthew Prescott, food policy director for The Humane Society of the United States, contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. 

In late August, Nestlé, the world's largest food company, rocked animal agribusiness when it teamed up with humane organizations to announce groundbreaking reforms in the way chickens, pigs, cows and other animals in its global supply chain will be treated. The company has a market capitalization of nearly a quarter-trillion dollars, and its message was clear: Factory farming has become too extreme, and something must be done about it. 

Nestlé's new policies address several practices, such as drugging and breeding chickens to grow too heavy, too fast, which leads to crippling injuries; mutilating animals by cutting their tails, horns and genitals off without pain relief; and locking egg-laying hens, veal calves and mother pigs in tiny cages for their entire lives.

Continued ...

Court Rules That Sunder WILL Be Free!

We have some excellent news today that is bound to bring a smile to the face of anyone who has heard the story of Sunder, a young Indian elephant who has spent the last six years chained up in a temple, miserable and alone, and endured beatings and abuse.

Today, in a landmark judgment, the Honourable Bombay High Court ruled in favour of PETA India by upholding the implementation of the Joint Secretary (Forests), Government of Maharashtra’s order of August 2012 to release Sunder to a sanctuary. This is the result we’ve all been hoping for, and it’s a major victory in the 21-month-long campaigns by PETA and our international affiliates to free Sunder – supported by Paul McCartney,Pamela Anderson, many well-known Bollywood stars and more than 17,000 PETA UK supporters who wrote to Indian officials calling for Sunder’s release.

Sunder’s shocking beatings have been caught on videotape, and veterinarians and elephant experts who examined him found him scarred, wounded and chained so tightly that he couldn’t lie down. The Jyotiba temple came into possession of Sunder in 2007, but after constant chaining and beatings came to light, Maharashtra Minister of Forests Dr Patangrao Kadam and the Project Elephant division of the Ministry of Environment and Forests issued orders for Sunder’s release to a sanctuary on 21 August 2012 and 9 November 2012, respectively. However, those orders were never carried out, and Sunder was then whisked away at the behest of the Member of Legislative Assembly Vinay Kore and hidden in an old poultry shed, where he remained chained. In December 2013, PETA India obtained new video footage showing that his mahout was violently beating him.

Now, at long last, it looks like Sunder’s suffering could be over. The next step will be to transfer Sunder to the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Bangalore. PETA India is calling on officials to implement the court’s order quickly, before he can be harmed again.

Thank you to everyone who spoke out for Sunder. Now, all compassionate people can look forward to seeing him finally receive the care and respect that he deserves.

http://blog.peta.org.uk/2014/04/court-rules-that-sunder-will-be-free/

Protect and Serve — Including the Animals (Op-Ed)

Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO, 

Humane Society of the United States | February 18, 2014 11:45pm ET

Wayne Pacelle is the president and chief executive officer of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). This Op-Ed is adapted from a post on the blog A Humane Nation, where the content ran before appearing in Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

In recent years, legislatures have been fortifying the legal framework against animal cruelty, step-by-step, with felony-level penalties adopted for dog fighting, cockfighting and other extreme acts of violence. In addition, every day there are more and more interventions against cruelty in dozens of communities nationwide, as police and sheriffs and animal control personnel raid and bust up animal fighting rings, puppy mill operations and other dens of abuse.

Continued

Authorities find 12-foot 'gator tied to tree near Hillsborough River - via Herp Digest

Will Hobson, Times Staff Writer

Thursday, October 24, 2013 8:08pm

Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission

Trappers and wildlife officials examine an alligator estimated at 12 feet and 500 pounds after it was found this week tethered to a tree outside an apartment complex along the Hillsborough River near Tampa.

TAMPA — Authorities are looking for the person, or people, who thought it was a good idea to tie up an approximately 12-foot alligator behind an apartment complex along the Hillsborough River.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received a call Wednesday afternoon about children feeding and harassing an alligator in the river behind Rivertree Landing Apartments, 6909 Indian River Drive, just north of E Sligh Avenue near Temple Terrace.

When wildlife officers arrived, they found the alligator, weighing more than 500 pounds, tethered to a tree near the river.

Officers and a local trapper captured the alligator, which was later euthanized.

Any alligator that has been fed by humans is deemed a threat, according to agency spokesman Baryl Martin.

"Any time an animal is fed, especially an alligator, it begins to associate humans with food," Martin said.

Whoever tied up the alligator could be guilty of either attempting to take an alligator or possession of an alligator without permits — crimes that can be considered felonies under Florida law, Martin said.

He urged anyone with information about the incident to contact the wildlife commission toll-free at 1-888-

Wild-caught baboons subjected to cruel experiments in Kenya

UK investigation discovers practices and conditions of Kenyan research facility in breach of guidelines

December 2013: An investigation by leading UK animal protection organisation the BUAV in Kenya has uncovered the capture and use of wild baboons for research.

Legislation in Kenya relating to animal experiments is outdated and hopelessly inadequate. Wild baboons are captured and held at the Institute of Primate Research in Nairobi under conditions which seriously compromise their welfare and breach international guidelines, before being subjected to disturbing experiments by visiting researchers from the US and Europe, including the UK.

Read more

Snared and beaten badger found on footpath in Scotland

Badger beaten to death after it was caught in a snare

October 2013. The Scottish SPCA is appealing for information after a badger was found snared and beaten to death on a public footpath in the Inshes area of Inverness.

Scotland's animal welfare charity was alerted when two ladies walked into its Highlands and Islands Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre to report that they'd seen the badger on the path close to a nearby garden centre. Senior Inspector Gill MacGregor found the animal on its back with a deep laceration to the throat. A post mortem examination has now revealed that the badger was snared using baler twine and killed with a heavy blow to the head using a blunt instrument.

The charity has been conducting enquiries into this incident since it happened on 30 September but so far the investigation has not resulted in any leads. The Scottish SPCA is now appealing to the public for help.

Senior Inspector MacGregor said, "This is a very unusual incident as it appears that the badger was deliberately killed and then placed on what is a very busy footpath, possibly with the intention of it being discovered. We have been advised there are no known badger setts in the area so this rules out the possibility that the badger crawled there or was killed at the location where it was found.

"The injuries the badger sustained were horrendous and this was an incredibly cruel act. I initially thought the badger's throat had been slit, but in fact it had been snared and the baler twine was still deeply embedded in its neck. This would have caused a tremendous amount of suffering before the badger was finally killed with a blow to the head. We are very keen to speak to anyone who knows anything about this incident. The persecution of badgers is abhorrent and killing a badger is an offence under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. The use of an illegally set snare is also an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981."

Anyone with information should call the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/snared-badger.html

Jody Putnam Kicked Off Police Force After Shooting Squirrel At Dollar Store

It sounds nuts, but a Tennessee police officer has been kicked off the force after a run-in with a squirrel.

Jody Putnam was fired from the Mountain City Police Force after a Sept. 27 incident where he shot his gun at the unnamed squirrel, which had found its way into the Dollar General store.

Animal control to help get rid of the rascally rodent, but when that officer was unavailable, Putnam answered the call of duty instead.

Putnam tried to apprehend his squirrelly suspect by shooting his gun inside the store, according to property owner Carl Duffield.

"Shooting back there, of course that should not have been, that should not have happened. Then they began to spray it with mace and pepper spray." Duffield told WJHL-TV. "There was a lot of people that come out and just like me they came out and they were coughing and a hacking. It was comical, but I'm sure they didn't feel that way, the customers that came out."

It is unknown how many shots Putnam fired, and Dollar General store officials have refused to release the surveillance tape.

When bystanders were allowed back in the store, they saw the dead squirrel pinned under his shoe, the Mountain City Tomahawk reported.

Continued

Science journal details turtle farm cruelty (Cayman Islands) – via Herp Digest

9/27/13 Cayman News Service

Animal welfare issues relating to the Cayman Turtle Farm (CTF) have been detailed in a scientific report published Friday in the Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. The report points to the physical injury, disease and abnormal behaviour of turtles at the farm observed by the authors, based on evidence provided by the World Society for the Protection of Animals, a site inspection and research. The findings point to physical and behaviour problems of the sea turtles at the farm being “indicative of problematic management and captivity-related stress,” which the scientists said demonstrated the limitations of turtles to adapt to captivity.

The WSPA, which is continuing its campaign to persuade the CTF to change to a conservation facility, said the report, entitled "Welfare and Environmental Implications of Farmed Sea Turtles", presents a major challenge for the managers of the Cayman Turtle Farm, who had committed to improving conditions for what are now estimated to be around 9,500 turtles in their care.

The report was written by three specialised reptile biologists: Phillip Arena of Murdoch University, Catrina Steedman of the Emergent Disease Foundation, and Clifford Warwick, a London-based biologist and medical scientist who was recently offered the post of Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics in recognition of his long career and scientific contributions to reptile welfare and conservation.

“The problematic physical and behavioural signs, in our view, related to the inherent nature of intensive turtle propagation which in particular involves overt- and crypto-overcrowding and under stimulating environments, and an associated failure to meet all the physical, biological and innate behavioural needs of sea turtles,” the authors said in the conclusions about the farm.

The animal welfare charity WPSA said the report tallies with their results following the controversial undercover investigation conducted over a year ago that documented the extent of problems at the Farm, which the CTF has been at pains to deny. However, this latest scientific report also contradicts the farm management’s claims following its own assessment inspection in December, when the farm said there was no strong evidence for WSPA’s concerns about animal welfare.

Talking about the work of the scientists, one of the authors, Clifford Warwick, said that the detailed evidence- based research into farming practices at the farm has highlighted a range of physical and behavioural problems, some of which are extremely serious.

“In our view, these concerns are unresolvable, the Farm simply cannot replicate the turtle’s natural habitat, nor can it meet their biological needs within a captive environment. Also, the transmission of potentially dangerous pathogens from the turtles to the visiting public continues to represent a significant health risk,” he said, adding that the recent changes instituted by the CTF did not alter any of these concerns.

The WSPA campaign to persuade the management to transition the facility away from farming towards conservation continues and has drawn support from over 180,000 people worldwide, as well as a host of animal welfare and conservation organisations. The campaign leader for WSPA, Dr Neil D’Cruze, said the report documents physical and behavioural problems among the marine animals consistent with animal cruelty, which is extremely worrying.

“Despite WSPA raising concerns over a year ago, this new scientific report shows that the turtles are still suffering,” he said. “WSPA has met with the new Caymanian Government and had open and candid talks to ensure that positive steps are taken to help the thousands of sea turtles which continue to suffer at the Cayman Turtle Farm. We hope the new government will learn from the errors of its predecessors and ultimately see that the long term solution for the Cayman Turtle Farm is to become a turtle rehabilitation and release facility,” the charity leader added.

The Turtle Farm has been battling the fallout from the bad publicity since the WSPA’s report went public in October last year. It comes at a time when public attention on the farm has also focused on the massive almost $10 million subsidy provided to the facility every year from an increasingly tight public purse.

Despite the major issues, the CTF enjoyed a bumper year this breeding season and recently cut the price of meat as a result of the increase in production. The farm has also claimed a number of improvements in the conditions and it has now employed a full time vet. 

Responding to the latest report on Friday, the CTF seemed unconcerned and said the findings were a rehash of the previous WSPA report. It accused the charity of trying another publicity attack with what it said was more WSPA-sponsored research.

“This latest article really isn’t saying much of anything the WSPA hasn’t already said before,” said Tim Adam, Managing Director of CTF. “It repeats the same allegations the WSPA made previously citing the same authors, and basically comes across as just another effort by the WSPA to force the Cayman Turtle Farm and the CI Government to completely change the operating model of the CTF since the WSPA campaign has thus far been unsuccessful in achieving that aim.”

Adam said the charity wants to stop turtle farming, stop a legal source of meat, stop public interaction with turtles, and stop the release programmes. 

“Apparently the WSPA has sponsored yet another report hoping it will help them achieve those objectives,” he said, insisting that the farm had been vindicated by it's own inspection last year, despite the extensive photographic evidence of the scientists’ findings to the contrary, and that the turtles were in good shape.

“At the Cayman Turtle Farm we are committed to the health, safety and well-being of both our guests and our animals and we continue to strive for the highest standards in all the key aspects of the work we do - sea turtle reproduction and husbandry, conservation, display and education,” Adam said. “The independent inspection of our operations confirmed the validity of our research and conservation work, and also highlighted areas for improvement. We have worked hard since the publication of the inspection report to address the issues raised by the independent inspectors, and we strive for continued improvements.”

Adam dismissed the latest findings as the same accusations. “We are frankly disappointed that the WSPA continues to repeat their same accusations about the Cayman Turtle Farm in order to damage our reputation and impede our work,” he added.

See full scientific report go to

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10806-013-9465-8/fulltext.html

Tribal elders say they'll sue Cherokee NC bear zoo

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians said Wednesday they're planning to sue a North Carolina roadside zoo that houses bears in concrete pits on reservation land unless they release the animals to a reputable sanctuary.

An attorney for two tribal elders filed a notice of intent to sue the operators of the Cherokee Bear Park for violating the federal Endangered Species Act.

The act allows citizens to file lawsuits for violations, but it requires them to give 60-days' notice to the violators and federal regulators, said James Whitlock, an attorney for tribal elders Amy Walker and Peggy Hill.

If the bear park doesn't come into compliance, the next step is to file a federal lawsuit, he said.

Walker and Hill said the bears are being held in tiny cages in barren concrete pits.

"The Cherokee Bear Zoo is an open concrete grave for these intelligent animals and they must be move from the despicable facility to a place where they'll cared for, not abused and neglected," Walker said.

The owners of the bear park could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.

This is the latest development in the long, public campaign to close three privately owned bear zoos on the Cherokee Indian Reservation: Cherokee Bear Zoo, Chief Saunooke Bear Park and Santa's Land.

Earlier this year, the Chief Saunooke Bear Park's 11 bears, including three grizzlies, were taken to a 50-acre animal sanctuary in Texas. The move came after the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which enforces the federal Animal Welfare Act, suspended the park's exhibitor's license and fined the owner $20,000 over inhumane conditions.

Inspectors found that the zoo was failing to provide the bears with appropriate food, proper veterinary care and a safe enclosure.

Continued

Kittens run over after being dumped from a car on Penryn bypass: UPDATE

EDITOR'S NOTE: The CFZ is primarily a research organisation, but we are also involved in activism and animal welfare. Therefore, stories like this, which aren't the least bit Fortean, are included because we think that it is important that such events are highlighted, rather than ignored.

Police have confirmed that two kittens died after they were dumped from a car on Penryn bypass this morning.

PC Barry Nicholas, a wildlife crime specialist said that the passenger dropped them out the window one at a time.

PC Nicholas condemned the men’s actions as “horrific” and reminded pet owners that any unwanted pets can be handed in at a number of rehoming establishments.

A police spokesman said they received a call just after 9am from a driver that saw an arm come out of the window of an old style Golf red VW Golf in front, and drop two items onto the busy road.

She added that the driver who reported the crime stopped once they realised that the items were two kittens, however despite an attempt to rescue the little cats, they were run over and killed by the fast moving traffic.

The car containing two men was driving from Penryn to Falmouth direction at about 9.15am.

Anyone with information should contact PC Barry Nicholas at Falmouth on 101.

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/10631856.Kittens_run_over_after_being_dumped_from_a_car_on_Penryn_bypass__UPDATE/?ref=ar

Fox found tied up and gagged with a copper pipe in a Swansea garden

An investigation into animal cruelty has been launched after a fox was found tied up inside a box in the garden of a house in Swansea. The fox's legs were bound by rope and it had been forced to bite down on copper piping with its muzzle tied up. Despite the RSPCA's best efforts, the fox had to be put to sleep ten days after it was rescued on the advice of a vet due to injuries sustained by the rope tied around its legs. Officers made the grim discovery at a home in the Blackpill area of Swansea, where they also found a metal fox trap tucked away in the garden. 

RSPCA Inspector Gemma Cooper called the treatment of the female fox "barbaric" and appealed for information surrounding the incident. She said: "Someone had deliberately trapped this poor fox and kept in this barbaric way. "We have no idea why she was trapped or what would have happened if we hadn't found her. "We would like to hear from anyone who has information about this incident or with information where the trap was purchased. 

"We would be particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has sold one between January and June of this year." Fox traps are legal, but officers believe information about where it was acquired may help them find those responsible for tying the fox's legs and muzzle. It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to treat an animal this way, the RSPCA said, and those found responsible could face prosecution with a maximum sentence of £20,000 and or a six month prison sentence. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the RSPCA cruelty and information line on 0300 1234 999. 

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/fox-found-tied-up-copper-5803083

Two California men arrested for rat and reptile cruelty (Video) – via Herp Digest

By: Sonia Lavina, Examiner, 7/23/13

http://www.examiner.com/article/two-california-men-arrested-for-rat-and-reptile-cruelty

Two men have been charged with 106 counts of felony animal cruelty for the way they treated nearly 20,000 rats and reptiles at a breeding center in Lake Elsinore, California according to Fox News on July 23.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called it the largest-ever seizure of animals in California.

Global Captive Breeders bred animals for the exotic pet trade. Owner Mitch Behm and company manager David Delgado were arrested Friday.

In addition to the 106 cruelty counts, Delgado was charged with 11 counts of alleged direct torture or killing of rodents.

Behm was released on $50,000 bail Saturday. Delgado is still in custody.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) initiated the investigation after sending an undercover operative to work at the breeding facility.

Cruel indigenous harvest continues on northern turtles and dugong – via Herp Digest

Malcolm Holland Brian Williams, Courier-Mail 7/1/13

 Also go to http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/torres-strait-islanders-hunting-animals-under-native-titles-act-slammed-by-animal-welfare-groups/story-fni0cx12-1226672204034

for photos. Pretty graphic.

LARGE numbers of north Queensland dugongs and turtles are being cruelly harvested during a grace period attached to new animal protection laws.

Turtles are being left alive on their backs in hot sunlight and dugong are being speared and drowned slowly in age-old traditional hunting practices that will not be outlawed until September.

The State Government last year amended the Animal Care and Protection Act to remove indigenous exemptions from cruelty provisions and make illegal some dugong and turtle hunting practices.

Conservationist Bob Irwin yesterday called on Murris to abandon the cruel practices and to show more care for animals such as dugong whose numbers were declining rapidly.

Mr Irwin said no formal complaints had been laid and much of the information was hearsay but he had no doubt many dugongs and turtles were being killed.

Only a small number of Murris were still being cruel to animals after the concerns were raised last year and he feared this would continue when the new legislation came into effect.

"Without policing, the law means nothing,'' he said. "We're still getting reports of turtles being cut up alive and that is still within the law at this point in time.

"The thing is what may have been acceptable years ago is not acceptable now.''

An Agriculture Department spokeswoman said the grace period allowed time for people to be informed and modify practices to adjust to new rules.

Activist Colin Ridell has called for a total ban on the hunting of endangered or vulnerable native animals.

He was not aware of any other group where extreme animal cruelty was not policed.

Rupert Imhoff, who videos dugong and turtle practices in March last year, filmed a turtle tethered by rope in May this year.

A Perth couple who were filming a documentary on the issue and declined to be named said just four or five extended Torres Strait families were responsible for most of the cruelty.

"They are taking anywhere between 200 and 400, to 500 dugongs and sea turtles - mainly green sea turtles - each year,'' the couple said.

A spokesman for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda declined to comment and activist Murrandoo Yanner could not be contacted.

Dugongs and turtles were prolific when whites arrived in Australia. In 1893, a dugong herd in Brisbane's Moreton Bay was reported as 5km long and about 300m wide. European hunting for oil, accidental kills in fishing nets and boat strikes devastated numbers to the extent there are just a few hundred left in the bay.

Endangered species found in slums

Manila - Five dead crocodiles, 14 critically endangered turtles and a cache of other rare species have been found in the home of a suspected wildlife trader in one of the Philippines' biggest slums, the government said on Friday.

The juvenile saltwater crocodiles, as well as 90 birds, were killed by the trader or his aides shortly before police and environment officials raided the place on Wednesday, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said.

He denounced the unnamed suspects' “cruelty”.

“What's particularly alarming about this poaching incident is that there were reports that most of these endangered animals were intentionally killed to avoid detection by authorities,” Paje said in a statement.

The authorities also found 14 live Philippine forest and pond turtles in the address in Manila's Tondo slum district, he added.

The turtle species are considered “critically endangered” according to global “red list” compiled by the Swiss-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

All the animals, which also included 78 Palawan hill mynahs and 12 blue-naped parrots, are protected by Philippine law, which prohibits their trade or capture.

Paje said an informant tipped off the government that a wildlife trafficker was shipping protected animals to Manila from the western Philippine island of Palawan, one of the country's last wildlife refuges.

Read on

Chickens will be substituted for rabbits in 'animal scramble' at Cottage Grove Rodeo

What started off as a family project to rescue rabbits led a Creswell mother and daughter on a crusade to ban an event they regarded as animal abuse at the Cottage Grove Rodeo.

And they got their wish -- sort of.

Heather Crippen and her 18-year-old daughter, Alex Crippen, heard about the "animal scramble" at the Cottage Grove Rodeo last year and decided to go see it firsthand. The two operate Red Barn Rabbit Rescue in Creswell, a nonprofit group that cares for about 60 rabbits that have been abused or abandoned.

"We don't cry easily," Heather Crippen said, "but we were having a hard time watching."

Dozens of rabbits were hauled into a horse trailer, she said, and released into the rodeo ring at the event that's organized each year by the Cottage Grove Riding Club. At the count of three, scores of children charged, each trying to snag a rabbit to keep. Some children grabbed the animals by their fur, and a few stepped on them, she said.

"People are whooping and hollering and yelling for the kids to grab (the rabbits)," Heather Crippen said.

"The stress that the rabbits go through is ridiculous," Alex Crippen said.

The two drafted a Lane County ordinance that would ban such events. And they sent several letters and emails to the Cottage Grove Riding Club, asking the organization to end the animal scramble at the rodeo, which this year will take place next Friday and Saturday, July 12-13.

There will be no bunnies at this year's scramble, Riding Club President Kelli Fisher said.

Instead, there will be chickens.

Continued

(Editor-TO BLOW UP TURTLES?) Kingwood Teen Seriously Injured When Plan to Blow up Turtles Goes Awry - via Herp Digest

by KHOU.com staff 

Posted on May 5, 2013 at 3:13 PM 

KINGWOOD, Texas – A 19-year-old male suffered severe injuries to his hand, lower extremities and face after a bomb he made detonated while he was carrying it in northeast Harris County, according to police. 

The Houston Police Department said that at about 7:40 p.m. on Saturday the teen and another 18-year-old male had gone down to a bayou near the 3100 block of Valley Rim Drive. The teens had materials to create what is being called a “combustible mixture” with the intention of going to go “blow up turtles.” 

Police said that at some point, the 19-year-old lit a cigar, and the ashes from his cigar fell near his pocket where he was carrying the explosive cartridges. Police said it is likely that the ashes ignited the cartridges. 

The 18-year-old was not injured in the explosion, police said. There have been no arrests or charges in connection with the incident.