News
The number of news found: 34.
03/31/2009 ORANGUTAN MOTHER ACCEPTS ROPE AND SWIMS WITH HER BABY TO SAFETY
All mothers know there is no limit to what they will do to protect their children. But this mother orang-utan proved that the selfless sentiment extends to the animal kingdom also. These astonishing pictures from the World Wildlife Fund capture the moment the terrified mother caught a rope thrown to her by humans and swam across a flooded river to bring her baby to safety.
03/30/2009 RED MEAT RAISES RISK OF ALL KINDS OF DEATH
People who eat the most red meat and the most processed meat have the highest overall risk of death from all causes, including heart disease and cancer, U.S. researchers reported. The National Cancer Institute study is one of the largest to look at the highly controversial and emotive issue of whether eating meat is indeed bad for health. Rashmi Sinha and colleagues looked at the records of more than 500,000 people aged 50 to 71 who filled out questionnaires on their diet and other health habits. Even when other factors were accounted for - eating fresh fruits and vegetables, smoking, exercise, obesity - the heaviest meat-eaters were more likely to die over the next 10 years than the people who ate the least amount of meat. "Red and processed meat intakes were associated with modest increases in total mortality, cancer mortality, and cardiovascular disease mortality," Sinha and colleagues wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
03/29/2009 CULLING OF 4,300 HEALTHY CATTLE IN NORTHERN IRELAND
The culling and disposal of thousands of cattle which ate feed contaminated with dioxins has begun at a processing plant in Ireland. The cull marks the final phase of a cross border food alert which resulted in many pork products being withdrawn from shops at the end of last year. In addition, more than 4,300 cattle and hundreds of tons of meat will be destroyed. The cull could last three weeks and will cost the executive millions of dollars. Rendering and disposal of animal carcases and withdrawn meat products will be carried out by Glenfarm Holdings in Glenavy.
03/28/2009 A GINGIN PIGGERY ON ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGE
A Gingin piggery raided by police two years ago amid claims that some pigs at the facility had eaten others which had died in the pens has been charged with animal cruelty. Westpork Pty Ltd confirmed that it had been charged with the mistreatment of one pig by the Department of Local Government and Regional Development. A department spokeswoman said the charge laid under the Animal Welfare Act 2002 against Westpork, its general manager Neil Ferguson and Westpork Mindarra II manager Robert Massam had been heard in Gingin Magistrate's Court. It is understood the charge stems from an investigation into its Gingin piggery that began in early 2007 following claims by an animal welfare group that pigs at the facility had been forced to wallow in filth so deep they struggled to walk and had been left to die slowly once illness took hold.
03/28/2009 13 COUNTRIES JOIN TO STUDY LIVING WHALES IN THE WILD
The world's first international workshop on non-lethal whale research opened in Sydney on March 23 in an effort to counter the Japanese lethal "research" whale hunt that kills hundreds of whales in the Southern Ocean every year. Environment Minister Peter Garrett said Australia is taking the lead to better manage the whales of the Southern Ocean and in the process, show the world that scientific research on whales can be done without killing the giant marine mammals.
03/27/2009 ISRAEL HOPES TO BECOME FUR FREE
Israel creates a precedent by submitting the world's first nationwide bill "Prohibiting the Industry of Fur." Knesset member Nitzan Horowitz proposed on March 18, 2009 a bill to prohibit the fur industry in its entirety, including all importation, production and all sales in Israel; illuminating that his intention is "not to lend a hand to this cruelty towards animals." In light of this bill, Israel takes a giant leap forward; from having no existing law concerning fur; to becoming the first nation on the planet to completely protect all fur bearing animals from the suffering and death inflicted upon millions of animals at the hands of the fur industry the world over.
03/26/2009 MAJOR LOSSES FOR CARIBBEAN REEF FISH IN LAST 15 YEARS
By combining data from 48 studies of coral reefs from around the Caribbean, researchers have found that fish densities that have been stable for decades have given way to significant declines since 1995. "We were most surprised to discover that this decrease is evident for both large-bodied species targeted by fisheries as well as small-bodied species that are not fished," said Michelle Paddack of Simon Fraser University in Canada. "This suggests that overfishing is probably not the only cause." Rather, they suggest that the recent declines may be explained by drastic losses in coral cover and other changes in coral reef habitats that have occurred in the Caribbean over the past 30 years. Those changes are the result of many factors, including warming ocean temperatures, coral diseases, and a rise in sedimentation and pollution from coastal development. Overfishing has also led to declines of many fish species, and now seems to also be removing those that are important for keeping the reefs free of algae.
03/25/2009 CLEANING UP OIL SPILLS CAN KILL MORE FISH THAN SPILLS THEMSELVES
A new Queen's University study shows that detergents used to clean up spills of diesel oil actually increase its toxicity to fish, making it more harmful. "The detergents may be the best way to treat spills in the long term because the dispersed oil is diluted and degraded," says Biology professor Peter Hodson. "But in the short term, they increase the bioavailability and toxicity of the fuel to rainbow trout by 100-fold." The detergents are oil dispersants that decrease the surface tension between oil and water, allowing floating oil to mix with water as tiny droplets. Dr. Hodson and his team found that dispersion reduces the potential impacts of oil on surface-dwelling animals. While this should enhance biodegradation, it also creates a larger reservoir of oil in the water column.
03/24/2009 FUR COMPANIES LURE DESIGNERS WITH FREEBIES AND SPONSORSHIP
Fur companies are offering lucrative sponsorship deals and expensive trips to British designers in an attempt to break the taboo on fur, an investigation by The Times has found. After a ban on fur farming in Britain and successful campaigns by anti-fur groups, designers have been reluctant to promote ranges in this country for fear of retaliation. Now it has emerged that the large companies, including Saga Furs and Kopenhagen Fur, both in Denmark, are providing expensive furs free to British designers, as well as entertaining designers and stylists at their Scandanavian headquarters. Designers said that in the present financial climate, sponsorship from fur companies could make the difference between putting on a show or being able to hire the right model.
03/23/2009 PETA TARGETS JAMIE OLIVER OVER PIG MEAT CAMPAIGN
Animal rights group PETA has targeted Jamie Oliver's flagship restaurant Fifteen in a protest against the celebrity chef's promotion of British pork. The move will surprise many, as the chef's television show investigating pig welfare standards urged people to buy British rather than cheaper pork produced abroad under poorer conditions. But PETA argued: "The answer to saving pigs is not to buy British pork, it's to go vegetarian." Mr Oliver's spokesman said the chef was a "big supporter" of animal welfare, while his London restaurant Fifteen served pork products from "the happiest pigs you can get."
03/22/2009 AUSTRALIA DIVIDES OVER PLANS TO SHOOT URBAN KANGAROOS
Australians are in uproar over plans to turn unleash marksmen on one of their nation's favourite symbols after an invasion of wild kangaroos caused mayhem in Canberra. With much of the country still in drought, the landlocked capital city has been invaded by thousands of fearless eastern grey kangaroos, which are now a common sight hopping around public parks and suburbs. Residents complain, however, that the creatures are a traffic hazard since they often hop across busy freeways, and this week one kangaroo terrified a family by jumping through an open window and running amok in their home.
03/21/2009 UNPRECEDENTED DROP IN PIG NUMBERS
The total European Union breeding herd fell by an unprecedented six per cent compared with a year earlier, according to December census results. Slaughter pigs are down five per cent. "These results indicate that European Union pigmeat production will remain well down on year earlier levels, at least through to mid-2009 and possibly through to the end of the year."
03/20/2009 IN SCOTLAND 345 ANIMAL CRUELTY ALERTS EVERY DAY
Scotland should be "ashamed" of its continued high levels of cruelty to animals, the lead investigator of Scotland's animal welfare charity said. Mike Flynn, chief superintendent of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA), made the comments as the charity revealed a dramatic increase in its cruelty figures for 2008. Figures released show emergergency calls from members of the public to the charity's Animal Helpline leapt by 20 per cent in 2008, with 126,000 calls received - 345 a day. This followed year-on-year increases in calls for the past five years, which has led the charity to open a new helpline centre in Dunfermline. The charity's inspectors and ambulance drivers experienced a 15 per cent rise in call-outs, attending more than 38,000 incidents and rescues - up 5,000 since 2007.
03/19/2009 DISASTER DECLARED AFTER AUSTRALIA OIL SPILL
Authorities declared parts of Australia's northeast coast a disaster area after tons of oil from a damaged cargo ship contaminated several beaches popular with tourists. Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh declared Moreton Island, Bribie Island and southern parts of the Sunshine Coast as disaster zones after a ship lost more than 30 tons of fuel when its hull was pierced by a container washed overboard. At least 60 kilometers of beach coastline had been covered by the slick, which came from the Hong Kong-flagged ship Pacific Adventurer after it was damaged in heavy seas generated by tropical cyclone Hamish. The Sunshine coast is one of Australia's most popular tourist destinations with several major resort towns located not far from the spill area, including the coastal towns of Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore and Noosa. Marine experts are also searching for 31 containers of ammonium nitrate, used for making fertilizer and explosives, which were lost from a ship near the city of Brisbane.
03/19/2009 HUMAN-GENERATED SOUNDS MAY BE KILLING FISH
Anthropogenic, or human generated, sounds have the potential to significantly affect the lives of aquatic animals - from the individual animal's well-being, right through to its reproduction, migration and even survival of the species. According to a new study marine animals could suffer detrimental effects ranging from a loss of hearing to increased stressed levels as a result of environmental noise - in ways not dissimilar to humans and land animals. The study also describes some recent well-controlled experimental studies while highlighting areas for future study.
03/18/2009 JCPENNEY IS FUR-FREE
JCPenney, with more than 1,000 stores in 49 states, has become fur-free, making it the first multiple location, traditional department store to be fur-free in stores and on its website. The company is currently fur-free and has no plans for fur items in the future.
03/18/2009 WOMAN BUYS USED COUCH AND FINDS CAT LIVING INSIDE
The mysterious mewing in Vickie Mendenhall's home started about the time she bought a used couch for $27. After days of searching for the source of the noise, she found a very hungry calico cat living in her sofa. Her boyfriend, Chris Lund, was watching TV on Tuesday night and felt something move inside the couch. He pulled it away from the wall, lifted it up and there was the cat, which apparently crawled through a small hole on the underside. Mendenhall contacted Value Village, where she bought the couch, but the store had no information on who donated it. So she took the cat to SpokAnimal CARE, the animal shelter where she works, so it could recover, and contacted media outlets in hopes of finding the guardian. Sure enough, Bob Killion of Spokane showed up to claim the cat on Thursday after an acquaintance alerted him to a TV story about it. Killion had donated a couch on Feb. 19, and his 9-year-old cat, Callie, disappeared at about the same time.
03/17/2009 OCEAN TRASH KILLING AND WEAKENING ANIMALS
The 23rd annual International Coastal Cleanup took place at 6,485 sites in 104 countries, 30 percent more countries than the previous year. The cleanup just scratched the surface; there's lots more debris in the oceans. The uncollected trash damages fishing and tourism industries, threatens human health, and kills wildlife. Last year's cleanup volunteers found 443 animals entangled or trapped by marine debris and released 268 alive. By weakening ecosystems, ocean debris reduces animals' ability to adapt to other stresses, such as climate change.
03/16/2009 LANDMARK BULLFIGHTING BAN IN PORTUGAL
A city in northern Portugal has become the first in the country to ban bullfighting, the authorities announced on Tuesday, winning cheers from animal rights activists. The city council in Viana do Castelo, which has a socialist majority, voted in favour of the ban on last Friday, officials said. "The defence of animal rights is not compatible with spectacles that torture and impose unjustifiable suffering," said city mayor Defensor Moura, adding he had received more than 1 000 congratulatory e-mails from around the world. Anti-bullfighting and animal rights activists hailed the move as setting "an example of modernity" they hoped would be followed.
03/16/2009 VIETNAM COPS SEIZE ELEPHANT TUSKS SMUGGLED FROM TANZANIA
A massive shipment of elephant tusks worth around $10.5m has been seized in Vietnam after being smuggled from Tanzania. Reports say customs officials at Vietnam's Hai Phong Port on March 6 discovered up to seven tonnes of jumbo tusks hidden in hundreds of boxes of plastic waste inside a container which had been transported from Tanzania through Malaysia. There were more than 200 pairs of tusks in the haul, the reports say.
03/15/2009 1.5 MILLION CATTLE BELIEVED DEAD FROM DROUGHT IN ARGENTINA
The sweeping grasslands are a key part of Argentinian identity, stretching for one million sq km. It was once one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. But as a result of the drought an estimated 1.5 million cattle have died. Many farmers are simply giving up on cattle altogether and switching to growing wheat or soy.
03/14/2009 EU'S FIRST 2009 BIRD FLU CASE FOUND IN GERMANY
Germany has informed the European Commission of an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu, the EU's first case of the lethal strain of the contagious disease in poultry this year.The outbreak occurred in the German state of Bavaria, the European Union's executive arm said in a statement.
03/13/2009 OPRAH ADOPTS PUP FROM SHELTER
Making good on a promise that her next dog would come from an animal shelter, Oprah Winfrey adopted a female cocker spaniel puppy from PAWS Chicago this weekend. Winfrey, who had previously sponsored a dog room at the state-of-the-art no-kill shelter, stopped by Saturday to look at available dogs. She was drawn to the litter of cocker spaniels - the same breed as Sophie, her 13-year-old dog who died last year. Winfrey returned Sunday with Steadman Graham, and they adopted a goldenish cocker puppy.
03/12/2009 CAMPAIGNERS CELEBRATE THE COMING INTO FORCE OF THE EU BAN ON COSMETIC TESTING ON ANIMALS
Wednesday March 11 marks the banning of cosmetics testing on animals within the European Union, potentially saving thousands of animals from appalling suffering every year. The 7th amendment to the Cosmetics Directive means that from March 11, 2009 it becomes illegal to: a) test cosmetic ingredients on animals anywhere in the EU, irrespective of whether there is a non-animal alternative method available (testing on the products themselves is already banned); b) sell or import into the EU cosmetics ingredients or products where they have been animal-tested after March 11, 2009, with the exception of certain types of test which have an extended deadline until March 11, 2013. Despite the ban, large numbers of cosmetic products available in high street stores will still contain ingredients that have previously been tested on animals.
03/11/2009 ZOO CHIMP SHOWS PEOPLE AREN'T THE ONLY PLANNERS
A canny chimpanzee who calmly collected a stash of rocks and then hurled them at zoo visitors in fits of rage has confirmed that apes can plan ahead just like humans, a Swedish study said Monday. Santino the chimpanzee's anti-social behavior stunned both visitors and keepers at the Furuvik Zoo but fascinated researchers because it was so carefully prepared.
03/10/2009 BENNET GOES FUR-FREE
Bennet is a chain of hypermarkets in Italy. They own 59 stores and are the second largest company in the sector. After almost one year of pressure and contacts, some demos and leafletings in front of their offices and their stores, Bennet said they are going fur-free when they will finish the stocks they already bought, at the end of winter 2010. This includes all fur, also rabbit fur, which they tried to keep selling in their first statement. This winter some Bennet stores had a lot of trims, including racoon dog and fox fur.
03/08/2009 PERU MOVES CLOSER TO ANIMAL CIRCUS BAN
Animal Defenders International (ADI) is delighted that a ban on the use of animals in circuses is within reach in Peru. A bill proposing a ban has passed through its first debate in the Congress. It's a major victory for ADI, after an intensive lobbying campaign involving other Peruvian animal protection groups and supportive cross-party politicians. The unique collaboration followed the successful launch of the report "Science on Suffering" in the Peruvian Congress in 2008. None of the politicians in the Peruvian Congress voted against the bill when it was debated and approved by the Agrarian Committee. Following the debate, the Commission decided to amend the National Animal Protection Law by adding an article banning the use of animals in circuses.
03/07/2009 MTV GETS VEGANIZED WITH NEW COMPASSION OVER KILLING ADS!
MTV viewers are about to get a serious dose of VEG action delivered straight to their living rooms! The ads will run nationwide for five straight weeks, offering viewers a 30-second behind-the-scenes tour inside the world of factory farming and encouraging them to think about exactly what they're eating.
03/05/2009 GORILLAS KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE FROM BIRTH
Gorillas are born with an international sign language of gestures that they use to communicate. The largest scientific study of the great apes revealed they had a repertoire of 102 different signals - more than any other mammal. Many of these such as "disco arm shake" and "tapping other" were common in all the gorillas studied despite being in different continents. The researchers from St Andrews University also found each gesture was carried out with close attention to their audience: silent signals were only given when other apes could see them.
03/04/2009 MEPS CALL FOR COMPLETE BAN ON TRADE IN SEAL PRODUCTS
Internal market and consumer protection committee wants total ban on trade in seals in the EU. The European Parliament's internal market and consumer protection committee has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a ban on trade in seal products in the EU, rejecting a report which had instead called for a strict system of animal-welfare labelling on seal-derived products. In a March 2 decision, MEPs threw out the proposal from Diana Wallis, a UK liberal MEP and the Parliament's rapporteur on the issue, that all seal products on the market should display labels guaranteeing that they had been killed in the most humane way possible. MEPs also rejected the European Commission's plans to exempt goods produced by traditional Inuit communities from a ban. The full Parliament, which has the right of co-decision on the subject, will vote on the issue at a plenary session on April 1 in Brussels.
03/03/2009 ROME BANS MANY HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES
Animal rights activists have succeeded in obtaining a ban on horse-drawn carriages in Rome's historic centre following several traffic accidents. The 44 horse-drawn carriages will be confined to parks during the week, under plans drawn up by the city, and allowed in the centre only at weekends. They will be replaced on weekdays by electrically-powered vintage cars.
03/03/2009 COMMISSION MAY TIGHTEN ANIMAL-WELFARE RULES
The European Commission said that it is considering tougher rules on the treatment of animals in transit and that it shares the concern of 150,000 Europeans who have signed a petition calling for an end to the "unnecessary suffering of millions of animals" being transported long distances in Europe. The petition, which was handed to the European Commission, says that EU animal welfare rules on the transportation of live animals are not being correctly applied and should be updated. Androulla Vassiliou, the European commissioner for health, said that the Commission was "well aware" of the problems of animal suffering and of non-compliance with EU rules. The Commission "shares the view of the petitioners that the correct implementation of EU rules on animal transport is a priority," she said.
03/02/2009 OBAMA SAYS END SUBSIDY TO LARGE US FARMS
President Barack Obama called for an end to "direct payments to large agribusinesses that don't need them," an apparent attack on subsidies costing $5.2 billion a year. In an address to Congress, Obama said the White House has identified $2 trillion in wasteful and ineffective spending, including unneeded direct payments to large farms.
03/01/2009 CROATIAN SINGER LUKA NIZETIC AND 200 PROTESTERS ON AN ANTI-FUR DEMO IN ZAGREB
About 200 protesters from Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, and Bosnia and Herzegovina took part on an anti-fur demo against exploiting cats and dogs for fur yesterday in Zagreb, Croatia. At the moment the most popular Croatian singer, Luka Nizetic, also joined protesters on the main Zagreb square during a performance. Wearing pleather jacket he showed that clothing does not have to be cruel.
The number of news found: 34.
