News
The number of news found: 33.
12/31/2008 BURGER KING MARKETS MEAT SCENT COLOGNE
American fast food chain Burger King is marketing a men's fragrance with the scent of meat. Called Flame, the company says the spray is "the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat." The scent is on sale in New York for $3.99 and through a website that features a variety of romantic images - but no actual burgers. Its character the Burger King is also seen reclining almost naked in front of a log fire with whipped cream.
12/31/2008 PRINCE EDWARD ATTACKS HIS LABRADORS
Prince Edward has been accused of animal cruelty after losing his temper and lashing out violently and repeatedly at his gundogs with a wooden stick. The 44-year-old Prince reacted angrily when he saw two black labradors trying to grab hold of the same dead pheasant during a shoot at the Sandringham Royal Estate in Norfolk. He approached the dogs with his shotgun tucked under his arm and a 4ft stick raised menacingly in the air. He then brought it down sharply several times towards them. One of the dogs ran off and was seen cowering as Edward chased after it and took another swing at it.
12/28/2008 300 ANIMALS DIE FROM POOR CARE AT CHIANG MAI NIGHT SAFARI
A chronic lack of experience among zoo keepers had led to the deaths of almost 300 animals at the Chiang Mai Night Safari in just two years, zoo director Preecha Ratanaporn said. Poor diet and inadequate care from the zoo's veterinarians had caused the demise of many animals, including zebra and giraffe, he said. The zoo is home to about 1,700 animals but the complex employs just six veterinarians. Chiang Mai Night Safari, initiated by the Thaksin administration, opened on Feb 6, 2006. It is located in Muang district's tambon Suthep and Hang Dong district's tambon Nong Khwai.
12/28/2008 SEA SHEPHERD CLASHES WITH WHALING FLEET IN AUSTRALIAN WATERS
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin closed in on one of the vessels of the Japanese whaling fleet at 0730 Hours GMT (1930 Hours Sydney Time) on December 26 off the coast of the Australian Antarctic Territory north of the Mawson Peninsula. The Kaiko Maru emerged from dense fog in front of the Steve Irwin. The Sea Shepherd crew pursued and delivered 10 bottles of rotten butter and 15 bottles of a methyl cellulose and indelible dye mixture. The Japanese ship was ordered out of the territorial waters of Australia by Australian citizen Jeff Hansen from Perth, Western Australia. The message was delivered in Japanese.
12/25/2008 JAPANESE WHALERS IN THEIR SIGHTS
An environmentalist group chasing Japanese whalers near Antarctica said it had found the Japanese fleet and had attempted to attack one of the vessels with stink bombs. In a statement on its website, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society said the attack by a boat launched from its ship the Steve Irwin was called off because of blizzard conditions. Sea Shepherd said the encounter with the Japanese ship the Yushin Maru 2 occurred in dense fog and icy seas Friday, within an economic exclusion zone Australia has declared near its Antarctic territories. Last year the same vessels were involved in a tense standoff when Sea Shepherd members were held aboard the Japanese ship. Japan's whaling fleet is in the Antarctic region for an annual hunt to catch about 900 whales, which Tokyo says is carried out for scientific research purposes. However, much of the meat ends up on dinner tables.
12/25/2008 FIRST DETECTION OF EBOLA-RESTON VIRUS IN PIGS
Following the detection of the Ebola-Reston virus in pigs in the Philippines, FAO, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the government of the Philippines has requested the three agencies send an expert mission to work with human and animal health experts in the Philippines to further investigate the situation. An increase in pig mortality on swine farms in the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Bulacan in 2007 and 2008 prompted the Government of the Philippines to initiate laboratory investigations. Samples taken from ill pigs in May, June and September 2008 were sent to international reference laboratories which confirmed in late October that the pigs were infected with a highly virulent strain of Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) as well as the Ebola-Reston virus.
12/24/2008 AS ECONOMY FALTERS, MORE PEOPLE GIVING UP THEIR ANIMALS
A growing number of Americans are giving up their dogs and cats to animal shelters as the emotional bonds between people and companion animals get tested by economic ones. The population growth at animal shelters in Connecticut, Nebraska, Texas, Utah and other states shows how the weak economy is also shrinking the pool of potential adopters. And it coincides with a drop-off in government funding and charitable donations. The effect has been cramped quarters for dogs and cats, a faster rate of shelters euthanizing animals and some shelters turning away people looking to surrender animals, according to interviews with several shelters and animal advocates. Of the estimated 6 million to 8 million dogs and cats sent to animal shelters every year, half are euthanized and the rest adopted, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
12/24/2008 GREATER PROTECTION FOR EUROPE'S WILDLIFE
Europe's rich patchwork of protected flora and fauna grew further with a major extension of Natura 2000, the EU's network of protected natural areas. The additions include 769 new sites and a total area of 95,522 km2. Most of the sites are in the newer Member States. Romania and Bulgaria have now added areas to the network for the first time, including areas along the Black Sea that are home to numerous varieties of rare and threatened plants and animals. Natura 2000 now includes around 25,000 sites, covering almost 20% of the EU's landmass, making it the largest interconnected network of protected areas in the world. It is the EU's key weapon in the fight against biodiversity loss.
12/23/2008 BIDDEN ANNOUNCES FAMILY WILL ADOPT POUND PUPPY, TOO
Vice President-elect Joe Biden, who took heat from animal-rights advocates for buying a German shepherd puppy from a breeder this month, is looking for a second pooch - and this time it will be a pound puppy. Biden revealed his canine intentions during an interview on the ABC News show "This Week with George Stephanopoulous." The dogs will live at the vice president's residence with a spacious fenced yard in Washington, Biden said. The longtime Delaware senator also indicated the new dog will be picked out any day, telling Stephanopoulous he expects his grandchildren to name both dogs on Christmas morning. Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander dismissed any notion that Biden was bowing to pressure from groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Shelter and rescue advocates in the region praised Biden's decision.
12/21/2008 BONNIE THE ORANGUTAN IS THE FIRST WHISTLING PRIMATE
Scientists were stunned when they first heard Bonnie whistle. The 30-year-old female orangutan at the Smithsonian National Zoo had never been taught to whistle, but she figured out the trick all by herself back in the 1980s, according to her caretakers. That makes her the first documented case of a primate spontaneously mimicking the sounds of another species - in this case, humans.
12/19/2008 ELEPHANT LIFESPAN DROPS IN ZOOS
Zoos are no haven of safety for endangered elephants, and could be contributing to shorter life spans and higher infant mortality rates for captive females, a new study shows. The findings, published in Friday's edition of Science, show that the ideal of creating self-sustaining captive elephant populations is almost impossible under current conditions. While the research focused on European captive elephants, co-author Georgia Mason, from the University of Guelph, said there are implications for zoo elephants all around the world.
12/19/2008 IMPRISONED MEXICAN DRUG DEALERS LEAVE EXOTIC ANIMALS BEHIND
Mexico's war on drugs has swept up a new breed of innocent victim: hundreds of exotic animals, from monkeys to white tigers, which are kept by drug cartel bosses as flashy "pets" but then become homeless when their owners are thrown in prison. In recent months, Mexican police have raided at least four estates populated by zebras, giraffes and other animals that big-time drug traffickers like to brandish as status symbols on their ranches and in their mansions. In just one bust in the town of San Simon de Guerrero, authorities netted 193 animals, from colorful Chinese pheasants to squirrel monkeys. The raids have left federal officials with the problem of what to do with the animals. Mexican zoos have taken in some of them, particularly the rarest specimens, but don't have the capacity to handle them all.
12/18/2008 ROUX CONDEMNS FOIE GRAS PRODUCTION AS INHUMANE
One of the world's most influential chefs has criticised the methods used to produce foie gras, saying the product should carry a similar warning to cigarettes to ensure consumers are aware of the effects upon the birds. Albert Roux said the traditional force-feeding of ducks and geese could and should be replaced by more humane methods in which they are allowed to gorge themselves naturally. His comments, at a cookery exhibition at a hotel in Inverness, were welcomed by campaigners against animal cruelty. "It's absolutely fantastic when chefs stand up against foie gras because it is one of the most inhumane and cruel systems of feeding," said a spokeswoman for Compassion in World Farming. "It's all very well British chefs speaking out against foie gras but a French chef coming out against it is a move forward." Roux, 73, born in Normandy, revolutionised the British catering establishment when he and his younger brother Michel opened Le Gavroche, the UK's first Michelin-starred restaurant, in London in 1967.
12/17/2008 LORRY DRIVER GIVEN PRISON SENTENCE FOR CAUSING SUFFERING TO DEATH TO ANIMALS
As a result of an investigation by animal rights organization Animals' Angels and in a judgment of considerable significance for all countries of the European Union, a lorry driver from a Dutch transport company has this month been given an eight month prison sentence by an Italian Court for causing suffering and death to animals due to exceeding the permitted loading density and journey time, exposing the animals to excessive temperatures and for failing to provide rest and water for the animals. The case was brought by Animals' Angels and Lega Antivivisezione under the Italian Penal Code and the Italian legislation implementing Council Directive 91/628 EEC as amended by 95/29 EC which relate to the protection of animals during transport.
12/17/2008 MCCARTNEY'S MEAT ROW WITH DALAI LAMA
Sir Paul McCartney tried to turn the Dalai Lama vegetarian, insisting the famed Buddhist was "wrong" to eat meat. The Beatles legend wrote to the spiritual leader to point out that meat-eaters contribute to the suffering of animals, contradicting his statement that Buddhists "believe in not causing suffering to any sentient beings." And the Hey Jude hitmaker even disagreed when the Dalai Lama insisted he ate meat for health reasons. In an interview with Prospect magazine, MCCartney says, "I found out he was not a vegetarian, so I wrote to him saying 'Forgive me for pointing this out, but if you eat animals then there is some suffering somewhere along the line'. He replied saying that his doctors had told him he needed it, so I wrote back saying they were wrong."
12/15/2008 FIRE KILLS 30 LEMURS AT SANCTUARY
A blaze killed 30 lemurs as it ripped through an animal enclosure at a park in Cumbria. The fire destroyed the wooden buildings that were housing the creatures at South Lakes Wild Animal Park in Dalton. The cause is currently under investigation by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service. A spokesman for the fire service said he believed the lemurs, which originated from Madagascar, had died from smoke inhalation.
12/15/2008 HONG KONG KILLS 80,000 CHICKENS DUE TO FLU FEARS
The Hong Kong government has shut down all poultry farms and markets, killed 80,000 chickens and halted chicken imports from mainland China after the dreaded bird flu virus was detected at a local poultry farm, according to reports. The H5 virus, which causes avian or bird flu, killed 200 chickens at the farm, including vaccinated as well as unvaccinated birds, the South China Morning Post reported. Secretary for Food and Healthy, York Chow Yat-ngok declared a "serious alert," which means a 21-day shutdown of the trade until Dec. 29, if the outbreak doesn't spread.
12/14/2008 KOREA SET TO LEGALIZE DOG AND CAT CONSUMPTION
The Ministry of Environment plans to categorize dogs as livestock to regulate the sanitation practices of large-scale dog breeders. There are about 720,000 dog farms, raising some 2.3 million dogs as of Dec. 2005.
12/14/2008 ICELAND: POLAR BEARS TO BE SHOT
Polar bears that drift ashore on Iceland should be shot and not offered a safe haven, a commission recommended on Tuesday. The commission was appointed this summer after two polar bears landed on the northern coast of Iceland apparently after being swept to sea on ice floes from Greenland, several hundred kilometres away. Both polar bears were shot, but the move sparked protests from some conservationists and animal rights groups in the North Atlantic nation. Commission head Hjalti Gudmundsson said the recommendation was based on the fact that polar bears pose a potential threat to humans and were not in immediate danger in Greenland. Other factors considered were the costs of moving the large mammals back to Greenland or a zoo. The second polar bear was dubbed Ofeig by the media, meaning it should not be killed in Icelandic. Police marksmen were forced to shoot the bear in mid-June when it charged a group of reporters "in a panic."
12/13/2008 NATO INVESTIGATES CLAIM THAT US PILOTS "MASSACRED SHEEP"
Nomad farmers in Laghman province, eastern Afghanistan, claim US pilots killed and wounded 140 sheep during a botched counter-terrorism operation. US Apache helicopter pilots are accused of killing and wounding 140 sheep. Afghan officials say the helicopters opened fire after NATO forces were tipped off that insurgents in the area had launched an attack. The US Air Force could be forced to pay the farmers up to ?10,000 in compensation if the claims are proved. A NATO spokesman said the Americans denied being involved in last Tuesday's shooting.
12/13/2008 IRELAND PIG CONTAMINATION
An estimated 100,000 pigs will have to be destroyed because of the pigmeat crisis which has led to the recall of all Irish pork products in Ireland's largest food scare since BSE. The public have been told to dump or return all pork products which they purchased since September 1 last because of the risk of dioxin contamination. It is estimated that €125 million worth of food products in home and in export markets - up to 25 countries - will have to be destroyed.
12/12/2008 SWISS CHICKENS INFECTED WITH CAMPYLOBACTERIA
As many as nine out of ten chickens in Switzerland are infected with campylobacter bacteria, which when transmitted to humans can cause cramping and diarrhoea. According to a report in the Sunday newspaper, SonntagsZeitung, the Federal Veterinary Office has called a crisis meeting of food and health experts, as well as poultry producers, for December 18.
12/12/2008 FIRST MAMMAL VICTIM OF CLIMATE CHANGE?
Scientists say a white possum native to Queensland's Daintree forest has become the first mammal to become extinct due to man-made global warming. The white lemuroid possum, a rare creature found only above 1000 m in the mountain forests of far north Queensland, has not been seen for three years. Experts fear climate change is to blame for the disappearance of the highly vulnerable species thanks to a temperature rise of up to 0.8oC. Researchers will mount a last-ditch expedition early next year deep into the untouched "cloud forests" of the Carbine range near Mt Lewis, three hours north of Cairns, in search of the tiny tree-dweller, dubbed the "Dodo of the Daintree". The cute white possum (Hemibelideus lemuroids) has not been sighted in any night time spotlighting expedition since 2005.
12/11/2008 JAPAN CITES SCIENCE IN DEFENCE OF DOLPHIN KILL
The Japanese Government, already under siege for its refusal to halt whaling, has been forced to defend the annual slaughter of thousands of dolphins around the country's coastline, claiming that "scientific research" supported the killing. Through WA's Japanese Consulate-General's office, the Government said the regions where dolphin pods were allowed to be captured and killed, including Broome's sister town of Taiji, had a long history of eating dolphin meat. "The Japanese Government position on this matter is based on ongoing scientific research in this area," the statement said. "The utilisation of dolphins in this manner is sustainable and is carefully monitored."
12/11/2008 PORTUGUESE ZOOS BREACH EU ANIMAL PROTECTION RULES
Eurogroup for Animals has lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission in protest of the poor conditions animals are being kept in at Portuguese zoos. Under European legislation Portugal was obligated to have inspected and licensed all its zoos by April 2005 at the latest. Nearly four years later, 20% of Portuguese zoos are still unlicensed and thus operating illegally. Some of the zoos that are licensed do not respect legal requirements. An investigation by Eurogroup has uncovered many shortcomings that put both the animals and the public at risk.
12/10/2008 VIDEO CAPTURES HERO DOG RESCUING DOG IN CHILE
Chileans have a new hero: an apparently homeless dog who's gone missing. A surveillance camera on a Santiago freeway captured images of a dog trotting past speeding cars to pull the body of another dog, mortally struck by a vehicle, away from traffic, to the median strip. The scene was broadcast by Chilean television stations and then posted on Web sites such as YouTube.com, and hundreds of thousands of people had viewed versions of it by Monday. Highway crews removed both the dead and live dogs from the median strip of the Vespucio Norte Highway shortly after the Dec. 4 incident, and the rescuer dog ran away. Authorities say images of the rescue prompted some people to call and offer to adopt the dog, but neither highway workers nor a television crew could find they animal when they went to hunt for it.
12/10/2008 SCIENTIST IS DENIED RENEWAL OF LICENCE TO CARRY OUT RESEARCH ON PRIMATES
A change in the political make-up of a German state has resulted in a leading neuroscientist being denied the right to renew his licence to conduct research on primates. Andreas Kreiter, professor of animal physiology at the University of Bremen, whose research includes the use of monkeys, was told in October that his licence would not be renewed. Since May 2007 the state of Bremen has been run by a coalition of the centre left Social Democratic party of Germany (SPD) and the Greens, who during the election campaign called for an end to the monkey research. Professor Kreiter is preparing for a court battle to try to reverse the politicians' decision. In preliminary legal wrangling, an administrative court in Bremen ruled that he could continue his research on 24 macaques, a genus of Old World monkeys, beyond the expiry of his current three year licence on November 30.
12/08/2008 TAINTED IRISH PIG MEAT MAY HAVE REACHED 25 NATIONS
Irish pig meat contaminated with toxic dioxins could have been exported to as many as 25 countries, including France and the Netherlands, Irish government officials said on Sunday. The Irish government has recalled all domestic pork products from shops, restaurants and food processing plants because of contamination with dioxin - which in some forms and concentrations, and with long exposure, can cause cancer and other health problems. Neighboring Britain, the main export market, has warned consumers not to eat any Irish pig meat products after tests revealed the contamination.
12/07/2008 MAN-MADE NOISE IN WORLD'S SEAS THREATENS WILDLIFE
Man-made noise in the world's seas and oceans is becoming an increasing threat to whales, dolphins and turtles who use sound to communicate, forage for food and find mates, wildlife experts said on Wednesday. Rumbling ship engines, seismic surveys by oil and gas companies, and intrusive military sonars are triggering an "acoustic fog and cacophony of sounds" underwater, scaring marine animals and affecting their behavior. "There is now evidence linking loud underwater noises with some major strandings of marine mammals, especially deep diving beaked whales," Mark Simmonds, Science Director of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, told a news conference in Rome.
12/07/2008 BULGARIA PRESIDENT SHOT PROTECTED WILD ANIMAL DURING UZBEKISTAN VISIT
During his visit to Uzbekistan in early November, the Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov had shot a wild mountain goat, the "arhar" - a protected animal, registered in the endangered species "Red Book", the internet news site Fergana.Ru, registered and published in Moscow, reported on Tuesday(...). In Uzbekistan such violation requires a fine between 100 and 300 minimum salaries or two years of community service.
12/05/2008 PACHAURI AND McCARTNEY URGE PEOPLE TO BECOME VEGETARIANS
Nobel Prize-winning Indian scientist Rajendra Pachauri and musician Sir Paul McCartney have teamed up to urge people to become vegetarian to save the panet from the greenhouse gases created by rearing livestock. According to a letter sent to The Independent, Dr Pachauri, chairman of the intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and McCartney, who are both vegetarians, blame the worsening global warming on a rise in the number of people who eat meat. They believe that global food shortages are exacerbated by the planting of cereal crops for animal fodder. A mass switch to a more vegetarian diet will, according to them, help the poorest people in the world.
12/05/2008 OSTRICH FARMING IN VIETNAM DEVELOPING
There is much development evident in the ostrich farming sector in Vietnam, said the Department of Animal Husbandry. It is reported that there are currently 12,000 breeding ostriches on 56 farms situated in 40 provinces and cities in the country. There are 16 farms in the central region alone where 8,911 ostriches are raised for their meat.
12/02/2008 JONAH/KARAM IS DEAD
All the world watched in distress the way the dog in Van was dragged to the garbage truck with a sting tied on his neck. As a result of protests coming from all over the world and Turkey, he was taken from the garbage damp he was dumped at and brought to the Van Veterinary Hospital for medical treatment. A spontaneous international movement had started to help Karam/Jonah. Van Mayor promished to give the dog for medical treatment abroad. Suddenly Gamze Neer's campaign to prevent Karam to be taken abroad started. The authorities in Van suddenly changed their mind. Karam wouldn't go out of Van and he died yesterday.
The number of news found: 33.
