Welfare of zoo animals set to improve

Date:  September 18, 2017

Source:  University of Surrey

The wellbeing of zoological animals is set to improve following the successful trial of a new welfare assessment grid, a new study in the journal Veterinary Record reports.

Researchers from Marwell Zoo, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey, trialled a series of monitoring strategies on primates and birds to help zookeepers ensure the health and safety of animals in their care. The introduction of the practice over a period of 13 weeks at two zoological collections in the South of England, clearly demonstrated the level of physical and psychological wellbeing of the animals, and the effect of certain interventions.

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Animal welfare could be improved by new understanding of their emotions

Date:

December 3, 2014

Source:

University of Queen Mary London

Summary:

New research looking at how goats express subtle positive emotions could lead to greater understanding of animal welfare. While there has been a great deal of research into negative emotions and stress in animals it is often hard for those who work with animals to know when they are in more subtle positive states.

Continued ...

Hare Removal – Battle for hares hots up as shooting lobby ignores calls for a closed season

The 1,000 hares shot a day need protection, claim animal welfare groups

March 2013. A new plan to manage hare populations in England has been condemned by animal welfare groups after it ignored calls for a ‘closed season'. A draft code of practice for brown hare management has been drawn up for DEFRA by the British Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC), but a coalition of animal welfare groups claim that it ignores vital concerns.

350,000 hares shot every year
Care for the Wild, the Humane Society International, Blue Hare, and the Hare Preservation Trust are concerned that the current tally of around 350,000 hares hunted each year out of a national population of 750,000 is simply unsustainable.

Photo: Wikipedia

Philip Mansbridge, CEO of Care for the Wild, said "Letting the shooting lobby manage wildlife protection sounds like a bad joke but that is what is happening. The argument for a closed season to protect pregnant mothers and their young in February is scientifically sound, common sense and would put England in line with Scotland. At the moment, hares are suffering from a postcode lottery which is threatening the future of the entire population," he said.

Research from the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust states that shooting hares during February can remove up to 60% of breeding hares. The hare coalition is seeking a meeting with wildlife minister Richard Benyon, requesting that DEFRA take control of the process. Initially the object would be to give Natural England the responsibility of drawing up a draft voluntary code for a closed season, but with the ultimate aim of getting a closed season written in law.

The process would involve working closely not only with shooting, farming and landowning organisations, but also with all key animal welfare and wildlife protection groups in the UK.

80% decline in hare populations
A century ago there were around 4 million hares but the population has been reduced by about 80%, mainly because of farming practices that have reduced their habitat, and the annual kill. Previous government plans to double the hare population by 2010 failed.

"Hares are one of the forgotten victims of English wildlife. I think people would be shocked to know that on average around 1000 are killed every day. That's a deplorable statistic, so asking for a closed season to  protect mothers and their babies is frankly not much to ask," said Mr Mansbridge.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/hare-shooting013.html

Dog Dies During Facelift Demanded By Chinese Breeder

A Chinese man has sued a Beijing animal hospital over the death of his dog during plastic surgery. Chinese animal welfare advocates have been appalled at the surgery, a facelift that was performed specifically to meet “the aesthetic desire” of the man, as Qin Xiaona, director of the Capital Animal Association, says to the Global Times.

Mr. Yu (as the media are referring to him) owns a Beijing dog farm. He wanted the dog to have a “facelift” to improve his appearance and thereby increase profits, as he says in the Global Times: ”The skin of my dog’s head was very flabby, so I wanted to cut part of his forehead and straighten the skin….. If my dog looks better, female dog owners will pay a higher price when they want to mate their dog with mine.”

Yu is demanding 880,000 yuan ($141,240) in compensation for the dog’s death; he claims that he bought the dog, a Tibetan Mastiff, from another owner for that price in March of 2012. He had previously had other dogs undergo surgery to make their ears more erect. The Global Times says that Yu owns 30 dogs and has been breeding them with dogs from other farms for fifteen years, for a price of 30,000 to 300,000 yuan. He also keeps female dogs whose puppies can sell from several thousand yuan to several million yuan.

The Tibetan Mastiff has become a canine status symbol for China’s nouveaux riche. One sold for 20 million yuan last year; a coal magnate in northern China bought a mastiff, Hong Dong for 10 million yuan in 2011. “If you are rich, you can easily buy a big house or a Lamborghini. But owning a pure-bred mastiff is quite another thing. It’s solid evidence of your wealth, power and taste,” millionaire dog breeder Li Yongfu is quoted as saying in the Telegraph.

Not only have Chinese animal welfare advocates expressed outrage at the use of plastic surgery to make the deceased mastiff look “better” according to the eyes of Yu. It is presumptuous for us to think that what humans consider “attractive” is the same as what animals do.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/dog-dies-during-facelift-demanded-by-chinese-breeder.html#ixzz2LLrR4gbE

'Fido smells of dog': Most ridiculous excuses of owners getting rid of their pets revealed

Excuses include "it scares the goldfish" and "it smells of 'dog'"

The saying "A dog is for life, not just for Christmas" was coined 34 years ago by the Dogs Trust, but it seems its relevancy is just as pertinent today as it was back then.

The very worst excuses used by dog owners getting rid of their pets have been disclosed today by the animal welfare charity - and they make for sober reading.

A sample of excuses given to the Dogs Trust:

It's not as cute as it used to be
It's too big for the house

It barks too much

It snores too loudly

It can't do tricks
It keeps passing wind
It smells of 'dog'
The dog doesn't match the sofa
It scares the goldfish
It keeps barking at butterflies
It doesn't look like he did on the website
The dog was too old and no longer brought me any joy
It hurts my back to pick up my dog’s poop
I need a smaller dog
He wouldn’t fit in my handbag or wear the outfit I bought him
It can’t walk on the lino in my house
The dog gets too much attention
The dog doesn’t like me (after 24 hours)

Although some owners have legitimate reasons for giving up a dog, too often a flimsy reason is presented to staff at the charity's rehoming centres.

Four year old Terrier, Kirk, was handed in as his owners felt he got too excited when he was taken for walks.

A total of 16,000 dogs have been cared for by the Trust over the past year but the charity is bracing itself for a Christmas influx of unwanted pets.

Too many owners do not think through the commitment, dedication and money necessary to own a dog, according to Clarissa Baldwin, the CEO of Dogs Trust.

She said: "We see a number of dogs handed into our rehoming centres in the days and weeks following Christmas when the appeal of a cute puppy has worn off.

"It seems that people are still giving puppies as Christmas presents without considering the long term ramifications.

"Dogs can provide a world of happiness and enjoyment, and we urge anyone considering a new addition to the family to think it through properly and remember that the only place a puppy should be is on the outside of the wrapping paper, not inside it.”

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/dogs-trust-christmas-reasons-why-people-give-up-dogs--122646030.html

Farmers Find Rewards in Helping Bog Turtles (Via Herp Digest)

Farmers Find Rewards in Helping Bog Turtles (Cash)
November 14, 2011, 1:50 PMNYTimes (Green Blog), By Deborah Weisberg

The bog turtle, whose numbers have been halved in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states.

The future of the bog turtle, North America's tiniest reptile and one of its rarest, is in the hands of private landowners who are being given incentives to help it recover, wildlife biologists say.
"We're engaging so many partners in various projects that for the first time in five years, I feel we're really moving forward," says Alison Whitlock, the bog turtle recovery coordinator for the federal Fish and Wildlife Service, which is sponsoring a conference this week in Langhorne, Pa., for a species-status review.

"We're finding new populations in areas not surveyed in a long time," she added.
These sites, particularly in the limestone belt that encompasses parts of Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, are wet sedge meadows that contain entire communities of specially adapted plants and animals. Among these are the Canadian burnet, a plant belonging to the rose family; the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly; and bog turtles, as well as the mounds of tussock sedge grass and moss hummocks on which they lay eggs.

Most of these marshy pastures are owned by farmers and others who can now be compensated up to $23,000 by the federal Department of Agriculture for each acre they agree to restore and protect.
Bog turtle numbers in seven Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states, from Maryland to Connecticut, have dropped by half in the past 20 years. While some turtles have fallen prey to the illicit pet trade, the biggest blow has been habitat loss or fragmentation as a result of development.

"Bog turtles are a semiaquatic species endemic to wetlands fed by springs and seeps, where groundwater recharge is critical," said Scott Smith, an endangered-species biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. "They lay their eggs on elevated vegetation, but they need to be able to burrow in mud to escape raccoons, foxes and other predators."

"When you develop and create a lot of impervious surfaces, you alter groundwater budgets, and you may not get recharge," he said.

Mr. Smith is one of dozens of biologists from federal and state agencies and conservation organizations working to engage landowners in the recovery of bog turtles, which were listed as threatened in 1997 by the federal government and have endangered status in some states.

One of the more successful approaches is the Wetlands Reserve Program, which is administered by the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Enrollees are paid to restore and protect fens and their upland buffer zones and guard against alterations to their hydrology, according to Hathaway Jones, who runs the program in Pennsylvania.

"Before this, we didn't have a good way to preserve bog turtle sites," he said. "But Congress set aside money to conserve wetlands. We're well funded and can make good offers to farmers who would have no other use for this land."
The Fish and Wildlife Service and the Agriculture Department provide landowners with restoration plans that promote open-canopy habitat. That means removing woody vegetation like red maple and the multiflora rose, and minimizing regrowth through a surprisingly simple means: using livestock for controlled grazing.

"We make the call about whether grazing should be included in a management plan," said Jessica Groves, a Wetlands Reserve Program manager. She said that the grazing is carefully regulated to protect fens from nutrient impacts and damage to turtle nesting sites. "If fencing is considered part of the restoration, we can pay for that," she added,

Restoration grazing in Maryland has even spawned niche entrepreneurial opportunities for beef cattle and goat farmers, who have found a profitable way to fatten their livestock for market, Mr. Smith said.
"I know of at least one company that is leasing its goats to folks enrolled in the wetlands restoration program," he said.. "It's a good example of market-driven conservation that's creating a win-win for the goat farmer and the landowner."

Mr. Smith called the wetlands restoration program the best tool scientists have for ensuring bog turtle recovery, especially when it involves contiguous sites.

"We know that if we enhance habitat and make it suitable, bog turtles will colonize," he said. "Our goal is to create connectivity among known sites. Enabling animals to cross watershed boundaries helps maintain crucial gene flow."

Enrollment has grown to include more than 1,000 acres, and enthusiasm is growing among the landowners, Ms. Whitlock said. "The program is helping people understand what an amazing thing they have on their property and encourages them to take ownership, and they absolutely love it.
"They keep an eye out," she said. "They call police if they see something they don't like. They are actively involved.

'Watch out before lighting your bonfires,' hedgehog carers warn

Sunday 30 October 2011

THE Help a Hedgehog Hospital in Brimscombe is urging householders to be vigilant before lighting bonfires this month.

Woodpiles make ideal places for hedgehogs to sleep and raise their families in and recently a mother with a litter of autumn juveniles hoglets were found while a bonfire was being dismantled before it was rebuilt elsewhere in the garden.

"Had they not been discovered they would have perished in the fire," said hedgehog carer John Crowther.

"Ideally the entire pile should be re-sited before being lit.

"If this is not possible the base of the pile should be examined carefully using a torch or better still it should be lit the same day it is built before a hedgehog has had chance to move in."

Help a Hedgehog Hospital held an awareness event in Stratford Park on Sunday, October 18 to highlight the plight of hedgehogs. More than £400 was raised to enable the hospital to buy food and medication for many of the sick and injured animals in its care.

In addition, Alicia Dembny took part in the recent horseless event at Badminton and raised £150.

Another awareness day is being held in Bussage Village Hall from 10am until 2pm on Sunday, November 20 - come along and meet the hedgehogs.

For more details call 01453 886424 or go to www.helpahedgehog.org

http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/archive/2011/10/30/News+%28snj_news%29/9332789._Watch_out_before_lighting_your_bonfires____hedgehog_carers_warn/

Terrapin haven in Tuscany for UK rescued reptiles is ruined and overrun (via HerpDigest)

Terrapin haven in Tuscany for UK rescued reptiles is ruined and overrun (Carapax)
Carapax sanctuary, which gave new home to UK's abandoned terrapins, in disarray after legal battle and neglect claims.

It seemed the perfect solution to the problem of Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello. Thousands of red-eared terrapins had been dumped in Britain's waterways in the early 1990s, after being bought as pets during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle craze.

Rather than allow them to devour native animals including fish, newts, moorhens and ducklings, a terrapin charity paid for more than 800 to be flown abroad to start a new life in Italy.

The terrapins took up residence at an idyllic site, a sanctuary in Massa Marittima, 90 miles south of Pisa. However, after the eviction last year of the sanctuary's manager hundreds of the rescued reptiles are dead or dying, while scores more of the non-native animals have escaped into the Tuscan countryside, according to local people and terrapin experts.

The Italian sanctuary, known as Carapax, or the European Centre for Chelonian Conservation, and run by Donato Ballasina, the director, attracted funds from charities across Europe. It received £25 for every terrapin and other non-native chelonian sent to the centre.

"This was a shipping of animals to their death - to be put in lakes which were not fit for purpose," said Tom Langton, an independent ecologist who investigated the project. "Animals were underfed and dying with disease. The whole thing is bizarre and worrying."

In Britain, there are more than 2,000 terrapins still at large in waterways in the London area alone. Many are dinner plate-sized red-eared terrapins (Trachemys scripta elegans), also called sliders, which were discarded by their Ninja Turtle-loving owners. Red-eared terrapins are now banned from sale in Britain but many enthusiasts have switched to other similar non-native species.

In 2007, the City of London Authority captured rogue terrapins from park ponds in the capital and, along with other organisations and individuals, passed them to the British Chelonia Group.

The BCG funded the terrapins' expatriation to the Tuscan sanctuary, which was billed as a home for life, where the creatures could swim in lakes fed by streams warmed by volcanic rock. The sanctuary was also claimed to be "hermetically sealed" so that no red-eared terrapins could escape and start terrorising the native species.

Almost immediately, the BCG received evidence that terrapins were dying because the sanctuary's ponds were too small and because fencing was not secure. But the charity said it dispatched people to check on the animals' conditions and found no problems, so it continued to part-fund the project.
"It all sounded too good to be true, and it was," said Paul Eversfield, a former BCG member, referring to his visit to the sanctuary in the autumn of 2007.

Eversfield said that he found a muddy pond overcrowded with terrapins with no filtration, and fencing through which the creatures could easily escape. He said he warned the BCG of the situation.

Don Freeman, the BCG's chairman, said Eversfield's findings were not ignored. "When we sent people out to have a look, including those who had sent terrapins there, they were satisfied with what they found." According to Freeman it was difficult to prove that terrapins had escaped because feral red-eared terrapins were already at large in Tuscany before the sanctuary was built.

"The problems were none of ours. It was a question of [Ballasina's] tenure and that's it," added Freeman. "What can we do about another organisation? Nothing. It's up to them. The book is closed."
A former Carapax employee said the sanctuary "lost control" of its animals and "turtles spilled into streams, ponds and rivers, creating environmental pollution".

After a court battle with the local landowner, Ballasina was last year evicted from the site for breaking his tenancy terms. Native tortoises and turtles were seized by the Italian authorities but the non-native terrapins were left on the site and the Italian courts allowed Ballasina access to feed the animals. Ballasina could not be reached to put the allegations to him.

In a letter purporting to be from the Belgian based charity the International RANA Foundation, the umbrella group of Ballasina's defunct Carapax project, a representative accused "local mafia" of forcing the Tuscan centre to close, claimed reports of salmonella infections at the site were invented, and appealed for more money to pay to feed "8,000 turtles" still there.

Freeman confirmed the BCG was still funding the feeding of the terrapins left in the sanctuary from charitable donations, but insisted that the money - ?180 (£157) a week according to the BCG's website - was no longer going to Ballasina or Carapax.

The Italian authorities appointed Marco Zuffi, of the Museum of National History, at the University of Pisa, to monitor the derelict sanctuary. According to Zuffi the sanctuary became overcrowded because Ballasina was incapable of refusing requests to help terrapins. "He should not have accepted so many individuals coming from the UK or other countries," said Zuffi. "He wasn't able to say 'no'." Observers who regularly visited the site said that the remaining 1,500 terrapins were in a "pretty bad" way, he said.

"The animals are evidentially very distressed. They come to the shore with their mouths open looking for food. It is a sign of animals in a very bad condition."

Eversfield said the remaining terrapins were a dilemma for all parties involved. "This solution to this is very uncomfortable. The site needs to be sanitised and we need to collect the animals and humanely destroy them," he suggested.

According to Zuffi, euthanasia was not a solution. "If you [tell] the public you are going to kill hundreds and hundreds of sliders you're likely to be stopped at all legal levels. People want to protect their pets, and sliders are considered pets."

He said that the terrapins could be repatriated to their countries of origin, including the UK (some are micro-chipped), or taken to secure centres. But he said that there was no timetable for cleaning up the sanctuary.

More Reasons Not to Abandon the Baby Turtle Ban (Via herp Digest)

More Reasons Not to Abandon the Baby Turtle Ban
Animals.Change.org, By Laura Goldman, September 19, 2010

Louisiana turtle farmers are suing the FDA to lift a 35-year-old ban on the sale of baby red-eared slider turtles, saying they desperately need the business and now have efficient ways to eliminate salmonella, which was the reason for the 1975 ban on the U.S. sale of turtles smaller than 4 inches. A major reason why those of us who support the ban want it to stay in place is because, although the baby turtles may be salmonella-free, they can still continue to shed the bacteria throughout their lives, wreaking havoc on humans and wildlife alike.

When I wrote about this last month, I didn't realize there were equally compelling reasons to keep the ban intact, and those reasons are practically in my own backyard. The Madrona Marsh Preserve in the Los Angeles area is a 10-acre refuge - basically a suburban pond - and many turtle owners apparently think it's the perfect habitat in which to abandon their turtles. That's right, when the adorable, silver-dollar-sized baby red-eared sliders illegally bought at flea markets, on the internet or elsewhere grow up to become not-so-cute, foot-long, high-maintenance adults, they're often dumped.

Although the turtles can live to be 50 or older in a proper pond, they have difficulty surviving in places like Madrona Marsh. The Daily Breeze reported last week that officials are finding increasing numbers of the turtles either dead or sick from extreme dehydration. They're also easy prey for raccoons and other wildlife.

"In the last couple of weeks I've found three dead ones," Tracy Drake, manager of the preserve, told the newspaper. "We have people that go up to the gate at night and push them through."

In a fact sheet, the U.S. Geological Society says that throughout its nonindigenous range, the turtles "are introduced primarily through pet releases and escapes; a situation which has continued for several decades since the 1930s, reaching a peak during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television cartoon craze of the late 1980s-early 1990s."

Sadly, the turtles have no mutant ninja powers in real life, and rarely grow up to become teenagers.
"The animal trade business is a little scary and we see the dark side of it here," Drake said. "They have their lives and personalities. When they get abandoned, I don't know if they think like we do, but they know they've been abandoned."

The dumped turtles that are strong or lucky enough to survive have become a major threat to western pond turtles, a species native to California. Because of the sliders' aggressive eating and reproducing habits, the USGS has labeled them "clearly invasive."

Since Madrona Marsh represents just one small area inundated with illegally obtained sliders - turtles that carry salmonella, are capable of destroying other species and are typically abandoned and left to die by dehydration or starvation - what's the point of lifting the ban and opening the floodgates for thousands of more unwanted turtles?

At http://animals.change.org/petitions/view/dont_lift_the_us_ban_on_the_sale_of_small_turtles there is a petition asking the FDA to continue banning the sale of baby red-eared slider turtles.

No cull of badgers in Wales during scientific review

Controversial plans for a badger cull in west Wales have been put on hold while a review is carried out. The Labour-run Welsh Government says an independent panel of experts will examine the science involved.

The cull had been part of an attempt by the previous Labour-Plaid Cymru coalition government to combat bovine TB. But Environment Minister John Griffiths said there would be no cull while the panel carried out its work.

The Labour-Plaid coalition had planned the cull alongside other measures to control TB in cattle in an area of north Pembrokeshire - the so-called Intensive Action Area.

Read on...

Alliance for Animals and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals File Complaint Over Crimes Against Animals

AFA and PETA filed a complaint with the Dane County District Attorney’s office on June 9, 2011, documenting over a decade of violations of Wisconsin’s Crimes Against Animals stemming from research involving staged animal fights in the Stephen C. Gammie  and the Catherine A. Marler labs.
The Wisconsin statute is easy to understand:

951.08 Instigating fights between animals.

(1) No person may intentionally instigate, promote, aid or abet as a principal, agent or employee, or participate in the earnings from, or intentionally maintain or allow any place to be used for a cockfight, dog fight, bullfight or other fight between the same or different kinds of animals or between an animal and a person. This section does not prohibit events or exhibitions commonly featured at rodeos or bloodless bullfights.

951.08 (2) No person may own, possess, keep or train any animal with the intent that the animal be engaged in an exhibition of fighting.

951.08 (3) No person may intentionally be a spectator at a cockfight, dog fight, bullfight or other fight between the same or different kinds of animals or between an animal and a person.

951.18 Penalties.

951.18 (2) Any person who violates s. 951.08 (2m) or (3) is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Any person who violates s. 951.08 (1) or (2) is guilty of a Class I felony for the first violation and is guilty of a Class H felony for the 2nd or subsequent violation.

Fights between mice have been instigated at the UW-Madison for over a decade. Mice have been kept for this purpose. Mice have been trained through multiple fights with other mice known to be winners or losers. Researchers have earned money from instigating the fights and have paid others in their labs from those earnings. Other university staff and probably students have been spectators at the fights.

Fights between mice are not genteel affairs. Wounding and even death are common results. A BBC video of a fight between mice is available here.


Coming on the heels of the university’s legal problems surrounding the illegal sheep decompression deaths, this new complaint makes clear that the university has a long history of disdain for or ignorance of Wisconsin State laws against cruelty to animals.

The university has now slipped a measure into the state budget bill by way of the University System Omnibus Motion. Item 27:

Liability Protections for Scientific Researchers: Specify that current law provisions prohibiting crimes against animals would not apply to persons engaged in bona fide scientific research at an educational or research institution or persons who are authorized or otherwise regulated under federal law to utilize animals for these purposes.

In short, the University does not want to follow Wisconsin's Crimes Against Animals laws.

What you can (MUST) do:

Contact your state legislators today. Ask them to request a formal Report on Item 27 of the University System Omnibus Motion passed in the Joint Finance Committee as part of the state budget bill.
Don't know your legislators? Click here. It's easy.

Telll them that the language of item 27 is confusing. Are all persons engaged in research at the university exempt from all the state’s anti-cruelty laws all the time wherever they are? Will the university be able to stage dog fights if item 27 becomes law? Tell them that the state has an obligation to regulate the use of animals and protect them from cruelty, especially at the state university.

You can read the complaint here.

http://www.allanimals.org/fighting_mice.html

Beached 44ft whale dies on Redcar beach

The mammal died despite hopes it would survive until the tide went out

31 May 2011

A 44ft (13m) long whale has died three hours after becoming stranded on a beach on Teesside.

Police alerted the RNLI after spotting the 20 tonne stricken mammal on Redcar Beach, just after 0620 BST.

A rescue bid started which involved trying to keep the adult sperm whale wet until high tide but it died.

Richard Ilderton, of British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said the North Sea was not a suitable environment for such a large creature.

RSPCA officers were involved in the rescue attempt, along with those from the Coastguard and Cleveland Fire Brigade, while RSPCA vets assessed the mammal's condition.

An RNLI spokesman said: "We don't know the reasons but usually when they get to this situation the conclusion is that they don't survive.

"A post mortem will be carried out on the whale and then it will be up to the local council to dispose of it."

'Becomes malnourished'

Crowds went to the beach to see the whale.

Redcar and Cleveland Council said cordons had been put up around the whale, which is due to remain on the beach overnight, watched by security guards.

Mr Ilderton said: "While we have whales in the North Sea, it is not a suitable environment for a sperm whale because the food supply is not there.

"It doesn't eat, it becomes malnourished, it becomes dehydrated because whales do not drink - they get their liquid from their food.

"It can cause all sorts of health problems and ultimately results in something like this happening."

He said the whale's death might actually have been the best outcome.

"If we were able to put the animal back out to sea, all we would be doing is putting it back out to starve, which is massively cruel and against what we want to do," he said.

Robbie Marsland, UK Director of International Fund for Animal Welfare, said whales stranded for a variety of reasons.

He said: "While it is not possible to pinpoint the cause in every case, we do know that human activity in the seas is increasing the threats to these highly intelligent and complex marine mammals.

"Manmade ocean noise, from shipping, oil and gas excavation and naval sonar, makes it ever harder for whales to navigate, communicate, find food or mates and avoid prey."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-13601654
(Submitted by Liz R)

Township mob burns 'talking' monkey as witch

Children traumatised as animal welfare group blames 'dreadful superstition' fuelled by ignorance

David Smith in Johannesburg
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 31 May 2011 14.07 BST

A monkey was pelted with stones, shot at and burned to death in a South African township because residents believed it was linked to witchcraft, an animal welfare agency has said.

A mob chanted "Kill that witch!" as the vervet monkey was put in a bucket, doused with petrol and set on fire, according to witnesses. Children who witnessed the killing last week were said to be traumatised.

One resident, Tebogo Moswetsi, admitted he had captured the monkey as it sought refuge up a tree in Kagiso, west of Johannesburg.

"I was curious to see this monkey that people claimed could talk, and when I saw a group of people chasing after it, I joined them," he told South Africa's Star newspaper. "When it went up the tree, I climbed after it and brought it down because I was curious as I found it unbelievable that a monkey could talk.

"I feel guilty. I shouldn't have taken it down from that tree. I dropped it down after someone poured petrol on it. I had no choice."

Moswetsi added: "Someone struck a match. [The monkey] got out of the bucket and dropped down dead. They continued throwing stones at it."

Cora Bailey, manager of Community Led Animal Welfare (Claw) in South Africa, was alerted by a local resident and arrived at a scene of "sheer criminality".

She said: "We just got there too late. What was incredibly sad is that there were so many little children in the crowd – some of them very traumatised.

"There were youngsters literally laughing in my face. But there were older people who were devastated by it. Everyone was saying sorry. While I was talking, the monkey was burning behind me."

Bailey said there is a "dreadful superstition" about monkeys and witchcraft in some communities, fuelled by ignorance that the animals can become separated from their troops or displaced from their natural habitats.

"We deal with this kind of situation on a very regular basis. We usually manage to do crowd control so the monkey doesn't come to any harm."

Bailey said she was horrified by racist comments that have appeared online in reaction to the incident. "Every time this happens, it's people in the community who call us. Cruelty to animals is not a racial thing. I've worked in townships for 20 years and there are good and bad people in all communities."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/31/mob-burns-monkey-as-witch

TSA Europe Assists with Illegal Turtle Confiscations

TSA Europe Assists with Illegal Turtle Confiscations

by Henk Zwartepoorte on March 29, 2011

Over the past few years in Hong Kong, large numbers of illegally imported and/or traded turtles have been confiscated. On one hand, these confiscations are a good sign of effective law enforcement, but on the other hand it indicates that the mass illegal trade in Asia is on-going. The CITES Hong Kong authorities, in close contact with the Kadoorie Farm Botanic Gardens (KFBG), has offered these confiscated turtles to the TSA for re-homing within TSA assurance colonies and breeding programs.
 
TSA Europe has played a vital role in re-homing significant numbers of turtles within the European zoos organized within the European Association for Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA) and the privately managed European Studbook Foundation (ESF). The year 2010 was a particularly busy year for re-homing confiscated shipments.

A history of cooperation with KFBG goes as far back as 2001 when 10,000 turtles were confiscated in Hong Kong and about 6,000 were shipped to the USA and Europe. December 2001 through January 2002 was a very hectic, but well-organized time in all three parts of the world. This large operation put the TSA on the map worldwide. Over the past decade, a total of nine shipments came to Europe comprised of 1500 turtles representing 20 species.

Early in the past decade, the so-called "paperwork period" took a long time, too long some times. During this time, some of the confiscated animals unnecessarily died while waiting in Hong Kong for shipment. These "paperwork periods" has become much shorter in recent years and cooperation with KFBG, CITES, and Hong Kong broker has improved significantly. This improved communication has resulted in much better results for the confiscated animals.

During 2010 three shipments of a total of 122 turtles were sent to Europe.

April - 37 turtles arrived:

20 Astrochelys radiata, 1 Geochelone platynota, 1 Cuora mouhoti, 10 Cuora amboinensis, 1 Heosemys depressa, 2 Siebenrockiella crassicollis, 1 Cuora flavomarginata and 1 Indotestudo elongata

July - 39 turtles arrived: 7 Heosemys grandis, 10 Cuora amboinensis, 10 Cyclemys dentata, 8 Cuora galbinifrons, 3 Cuora boureti and 1 Malayemys macrocephala
November - 46 turtles arrived: 32 Hieremys annandalii, 8 Heosemys grandis, 2 Notochelys platynota, 4 Siebenrockiella crassicollis

All of the animals arrived at Amsterdam airport and as always the KLM animal hotel staff people, airport agent Malenstein Air and customs staff were very cooperative. The animals were distributed among EAZA zoos and ESF privates on the day of their arrival. Thankfully, the private recipients always arrived on time at the airport or at the Rotterdam Zoo and someone was always prepared to arrange transport to the various final destinations within Europe. Beyond the Netherlands, some animals were rehomed as far away as Poland, the Czech Republic, France, Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, and Austria. We wish to thank all of these private individuals for making these transfers within Europe possible.

All animals will be included in EAZA and ESF studbook/breeding programmes and as such will be part of ex situ assurance colonies. With these colonies, the TSA is aiming at securing these endangered and critically endangered species for the future.

For those of you who would like to support the shipments, medical care and placement of these turtles with a donation to TSA Europe, click here. Given not only the sheer number, but also the size of some of these turtles, shipment costs are anticipated to be high and any support that you can provide would be appreciated. One of the hallmarks of the TSA is our ability to respond quickly to wildlife crises, but we can only do so with your support.

New Protests in Egypt: Activists to Picket Cairo Zoo for Animal Rights

11 April 2011
By: Erin Skarda

The Egyptian uprising was enough to wrestle a dictator from his long-held post and bring shadows of democracy to a Middle Eastern nation. But can people power also be utilized to elicit support for an animal-rights movement?

A coalition of organizations and activists in Egypt have banded together to demand an overhaul of animal treatment within the country, and just as weeks of protests forced the resignation of former president Hosni Mubarak in February, they hope that a citizen demonstration will bring a renewed focus to the issues that have long plagued the country and seem to only get worse over time.

The Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA), along with the Egyptian Society of Animal Friends (ESAF) and Animal Welfare Awareness Research (AWAR), announced over the weekend that a protest will take place outside the Giza Zoo on April 16 to bring to light matters ranging from the state of the zoo itself to illegal wildlife trades, unregulated pet breeding and the government's propensity for shooting or poisoning homeless animals in order to control their population.

(More on TIME.com: See the fate of Cairo's many cats)

Mona Khalil, ESMA co-founder, said in a press release announcing the protest that now is the time to seek rights for Egypt's animals, as the nation is currently focused on building a more humane society overall.

"The way Egypt treats animals is a shame. The Giza Zoo is a national disgrace, Egypt has become known as a hub of the international illegal trade in wildlife, and the municipal policy of controlling street animal populations by shooting and poisoning is deplorable," Khalil said in the release. "At the root of all this is a not only systemic corruption but also policy failure, as Egypt is lacking even the basic animal welfare legislation that would enable the prosecution of violators."

As a new, democratic government is being constructed within Egypt, these organizations and their supporters have outlined specific (and likely controversial) demands, including launching investigations into corruptions at the Ministry of Agriculture and enacting legislation that will provide legal standards on how animals should be treated within the country. But while Egypt has a history of respecting — and even revering – animals like cats and camels, the current environment is a far cry from ancient times.

Whether or not the demands of these demonstrators will be met remains in question, but NewsFeed agrees with the group's effort to piggyback on the country's newly-united spirit. After all, if you're going to reform a nation, why stop at its human citizens?


http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/11/new-protests-in-egypt-activists-to-picket-cairo-zoo-for-animal-rights/

Mo. lawmakers overhaul law aimed at puppy mills

Thursday, Apr. 14, 2011

By CHRIS BLANK - Associated Press

Missouri voters thought they scored a big win against some of the nation's most notorious puppy mills when they approved strict new dog breeding regulations last year. Now state lawmakers are changing the rules.

A state law aimed at cracking down on disreputable breeders and improving animal care has been overhauled by lawmakers who say the voter-approved version is too costly, and punished legitimate dog-breeders who generate an estimated $1 billion annually in the state. Animal advocates complain elected officials are overruling the will of the people and some are prepared to put the issue on the ballot again next year.

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, said public confidence is undercut when about 100 lawmakers change a law backed by about 1 million voters.

"The effort in Jefferson City is a piece-by-piece dismantling of every core provision," Pacelle said. "It suggests to me that this is an industry that wants deregulation. They want to do things that they want and to heck with the people who care about dogs or consumers as long as there are enough dogs purchased."

Missouri Rep. Jerry Nolte, who represents part of a county that passed the ballot measure, said he voted for the bill because it will help protect dogs by increasing funding for enforcement.

"What I was trying to do was interpret what the voter intent was, and what they wanted to do was to lessen the suffering of these animals," said Nolte, a Republican. "And I believe that this, on balance, will reduce the suffering of these animals."

A spokesman for Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon said Thursday the bill would get a careful review and declined comment on whether he planned to sign it.

Missouri's law passed last November on the strength of residents from heavily populated Kansas City and St. Louis but failed in rural areas where many dog breeders operate. But swayed by breeders who argued the law would close them down and concerned about possible future regulation for other agricultural industries, a bipartisan group of mostly rural lawmakers voted to change most of the law's provisions. For example, a 50-dog cap is scrapped but breeders would pay more to boost state oversight of the industry.

The Humane Society of Missouri and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were among the animal advocates who pushed for ballot measure, pointing to emaciated and flea-infested dogs that lived in filthy conditions. Even breeders who followed the rules, proponents said, have been allowed to keep dogs in wire cages not much larger than their bodies and exposed to excess heat and cold.

Advocates say more than a dozen states have approved stiffer dog-breeding laws in recent years, and like Missouri, Oklahoma lawmakers are considering changes to that new law.

Many of Missouri's roughly 1,300 licensed breeders pushed back, warning lawmakers the voter-approved law could shutter the industry by limiting the number of the breeding dogs they can own and forcing costly housing upgrades. They said some requirements also could worsen care, including mandating solid floors in indoor enclosures that could slow the draining of fluids and lead to cold and sick dogs.

Critics of the law contend the industry's worst has tainted public perception and blame many problems on unlicensed breeders.

The voter-approved measure "is just going to put the law-abiding, licensed, legitimate, conscientious, caring breeders out of business, and the only ones remaining will be the illegal people already flying under the radar," said Mindy Patterson with the Missouri Federation of Animal Owners.

Over the past decade, several state audits have criticized Missouri's dog regulation efforts. But the state is working to do better, now employing 12 inspectors, who each on average cover a region with 225 licensees. The governor also has proposed adding $1.1 million to the budget to hire more personnel.

Supporters of the voter-approved law said insufficient regulations remained a problem. Last year, the Better Business Bureau in Missouri reported receiving 352 complaints and reports against dog breeders and sellers over three years - including many about ill dogs.

"It is interesting to hear some of the statements that are made now that somehow this industry has been wronged," said Barbara Schmitz, campaign manager for the measure. "This industry has had a very long time to voluntarily correct the problems that exist. They have not done so. Lawmakers have failed to act, and the voters stepped in."

Numerous Missouri breeders raise dogs on their farms, selling puppies through Internet ads and word-of-mouth, while others sell to pet stores and to brokers that buy dogs nationwide.

One of those breeders, Hubert Lavy, said people who wrote the law don't fully understand the business and shouldn't develop rules to regulate it. Lavy, 68, whose family raises Labrador retrievers, Maltese, Yorkshire terriers and French bulldogs, said dogs - like employees - are most productive when treated well.

Outdoor pens are cleaned daily and connected to a building with heaters at Lavy's Tenderheart Kennels in Silex about 70 miles northwest of St. Louis. Indoor cages connect through a doggy door to an elevated outdoor cage and have a coated mesh pattern that allows waste to drain.

The kennel donates some dogs and sells roughly 200 puppies per year to earn about $20,000, Lavy said. He estimates it would cost $50,000 to comply with the voter-approved law, which would include expanding indoor space and building solid floors. However, he said he's more likely to just go out of business if the voter-backed law stands.

"There is a place for what I do. There (are) people who want what I do, and I just don't think they should be able to take it away," Lavy said.

http://www.bradenton.com/2011/04/14/3115459_p2/mo-lawmakers-overhaul-law-aimed.html

LIVE ANIMAL KEYRINGS

Animal rights groups are appalled by a new popular trinket being soldon the streets of China - live animal key rings.The key rings are attached to a bag filled with coloured watercontaining either a live Brazil turtle or two small fish.Vendors spoken to by China's Global Times claimed the water containednutrients and that the animal could live for months, however theanimal would suffocate sooner because of a lack of oxygen, animalrights activists say.

-- full story:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10718022

Police: Video Shows Animal Rights Activist Beating Dog

Ottumwa Police Charge Woman With Animal Cruelty

POSTED: 9:30 pm CDT March 29, 2011
UPDATED: 10:11 am CDT March 30, 2011

OTTUMWA, Iowa -- Ottumwa police said they have a shocking video that shows a local animal rights activist beating a dog with a club.

Investigators said what happened on the video is not only cruel but criminal.

"Fifteen times taking a club to an animal, nearly pulling its leg out of a socket, in my mind -- that's abuse," Ottumwa police Chief Jim Clark said.

Officers said 41-year-old Noelle Stanbridge faces one count of cruelty to animals.

"Unfortunately, with our state laws, if you beat your own dog and it does not suffer serious injuries, it's just a simple misdemeanor," Clark said. "It appeared that she was going beyond disciplining the animals and actually abusing them."

Detectives said a concerned resident videotaped the incident.

"It appears she was disciplining the dog for digging in the backyard," Clark said. "I think it's, frankly, pretty hypocritical of her to turn around and treat the animals like you see on this video."

Clark said Stanbridge identifies herself as an animal rights activist and is very critical of his department's policy on stray dogs.

"We put them down after seven days, which is very common around the state. And yet, you can see for yourself on the video how she treats her animals," Clark said.

Stanbridge refused to comment about the video or her arrest.

Officers accompanied by a licensed veterinarian served a search warrant at her home Tuesday afternoon and discovered 10 dogs inside.

Investigators said none of them showed obvious signs of injury and will be allowed to stay for now.

Stanbridge will appear in court Wednesday morning and if convicted, she could face a $500 fine.

The case is far from complete. Investigators expect more charges to be filed and a judge will decide whether the 10 dogs in her home should remain there.

Video at: http://www.kcci.com/r/27365120/detail.html

Flathead Co. wants couple to relinquish control of their cats

Posted: Mar 30, 2011 4:11 PM by Katy Harris (KAJ News)
Updated: Mar 30, 2011 6:43 PM

COLUMBIA FALLS- Back in December, animal wardens seized over 100 cats from a remote location in Marion. Animal Cruelty charges are pending for Cheryl and Edwin Criswell, meanwhile The Flathead County Spay and Neuter Task Force is spending hundreds of dollars still caring for the cats.

The county wants the Criswell's to relinquish control so that they can now start to be adopted.

The Criswells want to keep anywhere from 15 to 45 of their 100 cats that are currently housed in the task force shelter but the county says they will not have any of the cats back in their possession.

The Criswells are charged with cruelty to animals and aggravated animal cruelty. Because of the crowded and poor conditions the cats were living in, one was put down, 2 cats are blind in both eyes due to conjunctivitis and 6 have only one eye. 5 cats had to get surgery to remove teeth due to an immune disorder.

The task force had to purchase a trailer for $500 to specifically accommodate the Criswell's cats. Flathead County pays for food and litter for the cats, which should be paid in restitution costs by the Criswells.

Until the Criswells release control over the animals it will cost the Spay and Neuter Task $150 a day to take care of them.

http://www.kpax.com/news/flathead-co-wants-couple-to-relinquish-control-of-their-cats/

Shocking number of animals dying at Kiev Zoo

Dozens, maybe hundreds, have died in recent years, animal welfare groups say

By Maria Danilova
The Associated Press
updated 3/23/2011 8:42:37 PM ET

KIEV, Ukraine — An Indian elephant called Boy, the pride of the Kiev Zoo, collapsed and died in his enclosure. Around the same time, Maya the camel succumbed to a digestive illness and Theo the zebra died after crashing into a metal fence.

And there's more, much more.

The animals just keep on dying at the Kiev Zoo, a place some have likened to an unkempt warehouse for those with fur and feathers. Animal welfare groups say dozens if not hundreds of animals have died at the zoo in recent years due to malnutrition, a lack of medical care and mistreatment — and some suspect that corruption is at the heart of the problem.

Naturewatch, a British-based animal welfare group, is among the organizations calling for the 100-year-old zoo to be closed and its animals sent elsewhere in Europe.

"The Kiev Zoo will never attain any basic standards, it's so far removed from any zoo in Europe," said John Ruane of Naturewatch. "The conditions have been absolutely horrendous and no matter how many more directors were appointed the situation still remained the same."

New managers appointed in October said that nearly half of the zoo's animals either died or mysteriously disappeared over two years under their predecessors, and a government audit found that thousands of dollars were misspent as animals were illegally sold and funds earmarked for their food and care disappeared. Ukrainian prosecutors have also opened an investigation.

But despite the management change, the zoo's animals are still dying. Some activists suspect a secret real estate deal is in the works — that the zoo is being deliberately decimated so it can be closed down and the prime land that it sits on in the center of Kiev can be sold.

Other violations included the purchase of medication for already deceased apes, paying for hyenas that were never shipped to the zoo, the illegal sale of 12 macaques, the unrecorded sale of zoo tickets and the misallocation of funds earmarked for feeding zoo animals. The violations totaled the equivalent of $200,000, according to Irina Parkhomenko, spokeswoman for the government auditing agency.

Deterioration started after Soviet Union's collapse
Once the jewel of the Ukrainian capital and a favorite weekend spot for families, the zoo began to deteriorate after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and the years of poverty that followed. Animals were kept in cramped, poorly lit and poorly heated enclosures, fed improperly and left unattended, according to watchdogs.

The Kiev Zoo gained international notoriety in 2007 when it was expelled from the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria after the tragic death of a female bear.

The elderly brown bear named Dinara had been moved from a small enclosure where she had spent all her life to a bigger pen with a male Malayan sun bear. Stressed by the new premises and her new companion, Dinara began to bang her head against the concrete walls of the enclosure, leaving blood stains on the walls and floor. After days of this, she was euthanized.

On a recent visit, the zoo looked desolate. The elephant's pen stood empty, a lonely wolf paced an open-air enclosure, a collection of farm animals was closed to visitors and two giraffes were locked in two small indoor cells.

Mayor accused of mismanagement
The zoo's problems grew worse under the leadership of the city's eccentric mayor, Leonid Chernovetsky, who has been widely accused of mismanagement. Under his appointed zoo director, Svitlana Berzina, about a quarter of the animals died and another quarter disappeared in the two years before she was ousted in October, according to the new zoo director, Oleksiy Tolstoukhov.

Boy, the biggest Indian elephant in a European zoo, collapsed in his enclosure and died in April at age 39. Berzina denied any wrongdoing and claimed the elephant was poisoned.

Others disagree. Serhiy Hryhoryev, a zoo worker who has set up a group to protect the animals, believes that Boy was killed by a yo-yo diet. He said zoo staff considered Boy to be overweight and put him on a diet of mainly water and hay, causing him to lose more than a third of his weight in four months.

"By the end, his ribs were sticking out," Hryhoryev said.

Then Boy was put back on beets, carrots and apples, which caused rapid weight gain, which Hryhoryev said led to the elephant's heart failure. An autopsy was inconclusive.

Bad diet — or poison?
A month later, Maya the camel died. Hryhoryev said zoo workers failed to treat her for abdominal bloating after a sudden diet change. The zoo, however, blamed the death on a mysterious poisoner, a middle-aged man with an earring who just happened to resemble the whistleblower Hryhoryev. He was fired from his job but then reinstated through a court order late last year.

Theo the zebra died in late March after being separated from his female companions, as the animals were let outside after spending the winter in cramped indoor quarters. The male zebra threw himself into a metal fence in a desperate attempt to reach the females.

Officials are having a hard time determining exactly how many animals died or disappeared under the previous management. The zoo now has 2,600 animals from 328 species.

'Not as bad as they say'
Oleksandr Mazurchak, deputy head of the Kiev city administration, said about 250 animals died due to "problems" during two years under Berzina. The government audit last year also found that 131 other animals were missing.

Mazurchak said 50 animals have died since Tolstoukhov took over, though most from old age. But some deaths could have been avoided, like those of the three fish that died in late December when a power outage stopped the flow of oxygen into their tank.

Defending his record, the new director said the zoo has not purchased any new animals in recent years due to funding shortages and 60 percent of the zoo's animals are approaching the end of their natural life span anyway.

"It's not as bad as they say," Tolstoukhov said. "In all the zoos, including in Europe, animals don't live a million years. They also die and get sick."

Ecologist cites close to 250 deaths
But Volodymyr Boreiko, an ecologist who has monitored developments at the zoo, said in a report last week that the number of animals that have died since the new managers took over in October is closer to 250 and includes a penguin, a crane, turkeys and mongooses. The zoo said his findings are falsified.

Tolstoukhov said the zoo hopes to attract funds to restore existing enclosures and build new ones, and to repair the heating, air conditioning and electric systems. The zoo also plans to acquire new animals, including two young female elephants and 12 blue sheep.

He denied any plans to sell the 84 acres of land the zoo occupies in central Kiev.

Luisa Kuznetsova, 26, who came to the zoo last week with her 2-year-old twins Kolya and Karina, hopes it can be saved.

"I want there to be a beautiful zoo here with all the beautiful animals because the kids are growing and the zoo helps them develop," Kuznetsova said as the twins watched a giraffe attempt to kiss them through a glass wall.

But Tamara Tarnavska of the Kiev-based SOS animal rights group believes the zoo must be closed to protect its animals from further abuse.

"The zoo is in such a condition that it's no longer a zoo, it's a concentration camp," Tarnavska said. "When I look those animals in the eyes, I am ashamed to be a human being."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42240723/ns/technology_and_science-science/