Don’t allow trophy seekers to hunt black bears*

Florida black bears were once forced to the brink of extinction because of
over-hunting and loss of habitat. These shy forest dwellers have recently
rebounded thanks in part to a 1974 decision to protect the species and a
1994 ban on bear hunting. The state is now considering a proposal to boot
the recovering black bear off of its list of threatened species, a move that
paves the way to reopen “trophy” bear hunts, where hunters kill the
creatures for a hide or head to display.

Though bears may have crept back into a small portion of their historic
range in Florida, some local bear populations are in serious peril and,
indeed, there are still only somewhere between 2,000 and 3,400 black bears
left in Florida — fewer black bears than there are manatees.

The bear habitat in Florida is badly fragmented, confined to isolated
pockets throughout the state. Bears need large areas of habitat that connect
to other areas of land. Unfortunately, their homes have shrunk as Florida’s
neighborhoods push farther into what was once bear territory. As a result,
bears are sometimes drawn to unsecured garbage, birdseed and pet food.

Citing the increase in public encounters with bears, trophy hunters want the
state to remove bears from the protected species list.

We can solve these conflicts without killing bears. Human-bear conflicts in
Florida are still quite low, and they can be reduced by common-sense, proven
methods.

Among other things, neighbors can be educated about the importance of not
feeding bears and using effective garbage maintenance. There are also ways
to use “aversive conditioning” to stop bears from learning that human
neighborhoods automatically mean a free meal.

At its June 8 meeting in St. Augustine, The Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission will consider if black bears meet the state’s newly
adopted threatened species criteria. Commissioners need to hear from
Floridians who oppose hunting this vulnerable species.

The FWC’s draft management plan for bears has rightly drawn controversy for
including trophy hunting as a potential management tool. After public outcry
against reopening the hunt reached a pitch last fall, the FWC abruptly
cancelled public hearings on the issue.

The majority of Floridians oppose bear hunting. The state’s own polling in
the early 1990s showed that the public opposed bear hunting. A poll this
spring by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. confirmed that Florida voters
remain strongly opposed — by a three-to-one margin — to trophy hunting
Florida’s recovering black bears.

The poll also indicated that an overwhelming majority oppose hunting black
bears with dogs, which could be part of the state’s hunting proposal. Voters
also overwhelmingly support the state prioritizing non-lethal approaches to
dealing with community black bear conflicts.

The FWC’s proposed plan for managing bears once they’re removed from the
threatened species list says Florida should protect more habitat for bears
and adopt some humane conflict prevention programs, but it’s unclear whether
funding exists for such protections.

Until Florida’s black bears have sufficient habitat protection and adequate
conflict management programs that don’t include trophy hunting, Florida’s
bears should remain on the protected species list.

If you agree, contact the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 850
488-4676 or Commissioners@MyFWC.com.

Jennifer Hobgood, Florida state director, The Humane Society of the United
States, Tallahassee


Read more:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/06/2254106/dont-allow-trophy-seekers-to-hunt.html#ixzz1Ob1nJDJZ

Yellowstone Grizzlies Back on Endangered Species List

Written by Daniel Hohler

Published on September 23rd, 2009Posted in Action & Activism, Endangered Species, Environmental & Climate Science, Environmental Policies, Legislation, Nature & Conservation


In 2007 federal protections were dropped for the protection of Yellowstone grizzlies. Ever since then, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition have been fighting to give protection back to the bears. They argued that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) failed to address the loss of essential food sources for the bears, whitebark pine seeds and cutthroat trout.

On Monday, September 21 they finally achieved what they were fighting for when Judge Donald Molloy ruled that inadequate regulatory mechanisms were put in place to manage the bears. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and six other groups, represented by Earthjustice, have a similar case pending in Idaho.



Whitebark pine forests are being decimated by a variety of threats that have emerged in high elevation environments as a result of climate change. Researchers worry that the trees, and the major food source for bears, are on the road to extinction.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service tried to pretend there wasn’t a problem, even as two key grizzly foods, cutthroat trout and whitebark pine, collapsed and mortalities went through the roof. A record 79 bears died last year, or 13% of the population, according to federal estimates.” - Louisa Willcox, senior wildlife advocate for NRDC

The judge’s decision came off scientific evidence that the grizzly’s habitat is in decline and cannot support the bear population. At least 18 bears have already been found dead in the Northern Rockies this year, and the population continues to crash. Federal protection is back for the bear, but environmental groups have been working hard to get whitebark pine on the endangered list as well. If the tree gets on the endangered list it will also provide additional protection for grizzlies. You read more about the petition below.

NRDC’s whitebark pine petition is available at http://docs.nrdc.org/legislation/files/leg_08120801a.pdf

Source: Nature Resources Defense Council

Image Credit: Lance McCord on Flicker

Cherokee’s Unbearable Bear Pits

By Bob Barker
Even though my life has been full of incredible experiences and I’ve learned that there’s always more on the horizon, I never imagined I’d be writing a blog post for CNN at the age of 85. But when I was asked to write about my work for animals and my recent campaign to free some bears who are living in appalling conditions in Cherokee, North Carolina, I knew it was time to ask Debbie Leahy of PETA to help me with my computer skills.
Knowing about my love for animals, a few months ago my good friend Rep. Bill Young of Florida called me about an unfortunate experience that his family recently had involving caged bears. His wife, Beverly, had taken their children and grandchildren to Cherokee to educate them about life on a reservation. Being part Native American myself and having grown up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, I appreciated their interest in Indian culture.
Beverly saw a sign that said, “Come Feed the Bears,” so they stopped at a roadside zoo. She described what she saw as “sickening.” There were six to seven bears in concrete cubicles. Their fur was hanging off, they were begging for food, and an employee was tossing one bear cub around by the scruff of his neck. Beverly said she had an uncomfortable confrontation with the person who was mishandling the cub and was asked to leave. I remember her saying, “The prisoners at Guantanamo Bay are treated better than these bears, who have done nothing.”
I contacted my friends at PETA, and they sent a staff member and a bear expert to investigate. They reported that the situation was much worse than what the Young family had witnessed. There are actually three roadside zoos in Cherokee—Cherokee Bear Zoo, Chief Saunooke Bear Park and Santa’s Land. They house close to 30 bears in unimaginably awful conditions. The bears are confined to desolate concrete pits or cramped cages where they often pace back and forth, walk in endless circles, get into fights with each other, cry and whimper and beg tourists to throw food at them. They have no dirt to dig in or trees to climb—just the same four walls every single day of their lives.
Accompanied by representatives from PETA and the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) sanctuary in California, I went to Cherokee to appeal to Michell Hicks, principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, to intervene in behalf of these beautiful animals. Before the meeting, I planned to visit these zoos to see the conditions for myself. I guess the owners of the two facilities where bears live in pits were too ashamed to let me see what was going on there because they refused to let me in.
I told Chief Hicks that I’m not an expert on bears. I’m an expert on giving away refrigerators. But I can tell you that these bears are not properly housed or fed. Cherokee has a rich cultural history and much to be proud of. The cruel bear displays are a glaring blemish on the area, and I hope that the members of the Tribal Council for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will open their hearts and do the right thing by shutting them down.
The good people of Cherokee welcomed me warmly, and many told me they agreed that the bears are kept in deplorable conditions. Bears are very intelligent, active and curious animals. They need room to roam, natural surroundings to investigate and opportunities to forage, climb and dig dens.
Earlier in my career, I hosted a show called Truth or Consequences. I closed the show by saying, “… hoping all your consequences are happy ones!” I hope with all my heart that Chief Hicks and the tribal council will make the consequences for the Cherokee bears happy ones. Until then, my heart and my conscience won’t allow me to do anything but ask people to stay away from Cherokee and voice their support for allowing the bears to retire to a sanctuary.

http://larrykinglive.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/04/lkl-web-exclusive-bob-barker-im-not-an-expert-on-bears-im-an-expert-on-giving-away-refrigerators/

Congress Aims to End the Black Market in Bear Parts

http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/congress_aims_to_end_black_market_in_bear_parts_073109.html
Congress Aims to End the Black Market in Bear Parts
WASHINGTON — Today U.S. Reps. Raul M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., and John Campbell, R-Calif., introduced bipartisan legislation that would help stop the illegal poaching of bears and conserve global bear populations. The Humane Society of the United States and Born Free USA called on Congress to swiftly pass the Bear Protection Act of 2009, which would prohibit the import, export and interstate commerce in bear parts such as the gallbladder and bile.
"The lucrative black market trade in bear parts drives the illegal killing of these creatures from coast to coast across America and throughout the rest of the world," said Michael Markarian, chief operating officer of The Humane Society of the United States. "Passage of the Bear Protection Act would send a strong message to poachers and illicit wildlife dealers that we will not stand idly by, watching our wild bears unnecessarily slaughtered for their internal organs."
Adam Roberts, senior vice president of Born Free USA, added, "The bear parts trade is truly global in scope, putting endangered Asiatic black bears and our own American black bears at equal risk of merciless slaughter. Congress must act now before bears meet the same tragic fate as wild tigers or other species that have been decimated to supply the trade in their parts."
Wild American bears and highly endangered Asian bears are slaughtered for their gallbladders and bile, which are consumed domestically or exported illegally as traditional folk remedies. Meanwhile, Asiatic black bears are entombed in coffin-like cages in China and elsewhere in Asia, where they are cruelly milked for their bile with a steel catheter. When the bears outlive their bile-producing years, they are slaughtered, their paws are lopped off for high-priced soups and their gallbladders are ripped out for sale.
"This legislation is a simple but vital effort to deter poachers from slaughtering bears for their parts," Rep. Grijalva said. "The Bear Protection Act will not affect the lawful sport hunting of American bears, but will ensure that poachers do not indiscriminately wipe out this important natural resource."
"Some cultures around the world cruelly exploit bears for their internal organs," said Rep. Campbell. "This has created a market for gallbladders (and bile) that has resulted in the killing of many bears in America – including California – where the bear is killed, the gallbladder removed and the carcass left behind. This practice is not only disgusting, but it is also inhumane. The Bear Protection Act would prohibit the import, export and interstate commerce in bear gallbladders and bile, hopefully deterring poachers and smugglers from engaging in this dreadful practice."
Thirty-four states ban the sale of bear parts, but the absence of a strong federal law dealing with interstate and foreign commerce makes enforcement difficult. Some estimates suggest that the illegal poaching of black bears may even exceed the legal take by hunters, which is approximately 35,000 per year in the United States. Legislation similar to the Bear Protection Act twice passed the U.S. Senate unanimously – in 2000 and 2001 – but did not receive action in the House.

SUN BEAR NEEDS YOUR HELP!

HSUS-They Shoot Endangered Animals,Don't They?

The recent decision by a federal court in the District of Columbia to overturn a controversial federal policy allowing the killing of captive and endangered exotic mammals at some of the nation’s estimated 1,000 “canned” shooting ranches was a particularly satisfying victory in our long-term campaign to end the unethical practices of Safari Club International, the world’s largest trophy hunting organization.

This is the group that has manufactured a set of awards programs to encourage competitive killing of rare animals—such as “Bears of the World” or “Cats of the World.” To secure all of SCI’s awards, including the “grand slams” and "inner circle," a trophy hunter would have to kill more than 320 different species and subspecies of mammals.

It’s a selfish, all-consuming passion to kill and display trophies and to occupy a higher place in the hunting pantheon—whether they are shot in the wild or dispatched in one of these drive-by shootings on a fenced preserve. Typically, those involved have the means to pursue any form of entertainment or pastime, yet they choose to spend their dollars and their limited time shooting the world’s rarest and most beautiful animals. How sad.


© iStockphoto
The endangered addax is targeted by SCI.
Our lawsuit, filed jointly with several conservation groups, successfully challenged a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ruling that permitted the shooting of three critically endangered species bred and raised on game ranches—scimitar-horned oryx, addax, and dama gazelle. These antelope have magnificent horns which trophy hunters prize.

SCI argued that charging high fees to kill endangered animals creates a market that encourages money to flow to overseas conservation programs that could benefit the beleaguered species. That bit of twisted logic—kill them to save them—didn’t stop the court from striking down the program.

Last year, The HSUS won another major victory over SCI, which had earlier persuaded Congress to allow U.S. sport hunters to kill Canadian polar bears and import their trophies. We helped persuade the USFWS to list the bears—imperiled by climate change—as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This prohibited the import of polar bear trophies, removing a major incentive to shoot them. But SCI and its trophy hunting cohorts are so bent on killing these imperiled animals, they have filed several lawsuits challenging the decision to list polar bears, and are even lobbying Congress to reopen the polar bear trophy trade. That's right, these groups would rather see the polar bear stripped of federal protection, and potentially go extinct, than temporarily refrain from shooting just one of the hundreds of species regularly sport-hunted around the globe. Yesterday, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) introduced a bill to authorize the import of sport-hunted polar bear trophies.

John J. Jackson III, a former SCI president, once tried to explain what motivates the group's members: “A trophy of any species attests that its owner has been somewhere and done something, that he has exercised skilled persistence and discrimination in the agile feat of overcoming, outwitting, and reducing game to possession.”

This is a chilling rationale for participation in this so-called sport. Is it “skilled persistence” on display when the trophy collector is driven to a feeding station at one of these canned hunting operations to shoot semi-tame, captive animals with the kill all but guaranteed?

SCI thinks these kinds of captive shoots are fine and permits them to be counted in its record books. In fact, SCI has one hunting achievement award—"Introduced Trophy Animals of North America"—that can be claimed only by patronizing captive hunting ranches. It’s in effect a marketing effort that drives hunting participation at the ranches in Texas and elsewhere around the country. Yet even other hunting groups that encourage and maintain trophy records, such as the Boone and Crockett Club and the Pope and Young Club, do not permit the listing of trophies from fenced enclosures.

The fight to weaken Endangered Species Act protections and its Orwellian “killing is conservation” theme are woven throughout SCI’s 38-year history. The Tucson-based organization once sought to circumvent the federal law by seeking government approval to import an astonishing 1,125 trophies of 40 species on the endangered list. They included gorillas, cheetahs, tigers, orangutans, and snow leopards.

With a straight face and not a hint of irony, SCI claimed its goal was “scientific research and incentive for propagation and survival of the species.” There was one small problem. The animals they wanted as trophies weren't yet dead. Request denied by the USFWS.

Now a U.S. District Court judge, agreeing with The HSUS, once again held the line on animal protection. An organization that in reality operates as an enemy of the world’s endangered species while masquerading as a conservation organization has been stymied yet again.

URGE E-BAY TO STOP SELLING TROPHY HUNTS OF LIONS,LEOPARDS,BEARS WOLVES!ACTION ALERT!!!

URGE EBAY TO STOP SELLING TROPHY HUNTS OF LIONS, LEOPARDS, BEARS, WOLVES


TAKE TWO SIMPLE STEPS TO SAVE WOLVES, BEARS, LEOPARDS, LIONS
1) Contact eBay directly to urge the company to ban trophy hunt sales




2) Sign onto Big Wildlife letter to eBay urging the company to stop selling trophy hunts of carnivores

In February, Big Wildlife, Alaska Wildlife Alliance, and Raincoast Conservation urged eBay to halt the sale of trophy hunts of lions, leopards, bears, wolves, and other predators on its website. (Scroll down to end of alert to see trophy hunting items recently posted on eBay.) The online auction website regularly permits postings of guided hunts of carnivores throughout the world. Unfortunately, recently we received a letter from eBay Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Tod Cohen, informing us that the company had no interest in halting its sales of trophy hunts. (Read Los Angeles Times story, eBay Will Continue to Allow Postings of Guided Trophy Hunts.)




WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP eBAY'S TROPHY HUNTS:

*Contact eBay directly and urge the company to immediately stop posting sales of trophy hunts of carnivores including lions, leopards, bears, wolves, coyotes, and other predators:

Ebay employees to contact:
Jack Christin, eBay Senior Regulatory Counsel
Phone: 408-376-5145
Cell: 408-679-3621
Email: jchristin@ebay.com

Terri Deanzo, eBay, Office of the President
Phone: 408-376-7400 (After dialing number, you will hear a recording. Press "0." An automated voice message will ask you to spell the person's last name. Key in "Deanzo.")
Email: csme@ebay.com


Amy Skoczlas-Cole, eBay's Global Citizenship Group

Phone: 408-376-7400 (After dialing number, you will hear a recording. Press "0." An automated voice message will ask you to spell the person's last name. Key in "Skoczlas.")
Email: askoczlascole@ebay.com

MASSIVE SKI DEVELOPMENT THREATENS BC COMMUNITY,WILDLIFE ENVIRONMENT!TAKE ACTION NOW!

MASSIVE SKI DEVELOPMENT THREATENS BC COMMUNITY, WILDLIFE, ENVIRONMENT

Grizzly bears, wolverine, wolves, mountain goats, salmon at risk

A massive ski resort proposal near Squamish, British Columbia would threaten the quality of life for area residents, wildlife, and the environment. The planned development, Garibaldi at Squamish (GAS), could adversely impact an array of wildlife including grizzly bear, wolverine, mountain goat, and salmon and steelhead.

Until recently, Squamish had been a relatively sleepy town. But expansion of the Sea-to-Sky Highway that connects Vancouver to Squamish has ushered in unprecedented and unplanned development. Local residents have grown increasingly concerned about how urban sprawl is affecting wildlife. A recent spike in encounters with cougars has focused attention on the connection between sprawl and the displacement and change of behavior of the big cats and other large predators. Driving these species from their territory is a recipe for disaster for Squamish and wild animals.

The GAS plan, first submitted to the BC’s Environmental Assessment Office in 1997 and recently resurrected, would cover an area roughly half the size of Squamish. The development would include two golf courses, 25 ski lifts, 98 km of new roads, hotels, and nearly 6,000 new homes, apartments, and condominiums. The proposed development encompasses land that has been identified as prime habitat for endangered or at risk species such as peregrine falcon, wolverine, and marbled murrelet. The GAS area also includes a threatened grizzly bear population unit that has been designated for recovery by the province. The project has come under especially intense fire because of its potential impacts on Brohm River, one of the most productive salmon and steelhead streams in the province. The development calls for expansive water management, including sewage and storm water discharge, irrigation for golf courses and potable water, extractions of water for snowmaking, and as many as five dams.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
*Urge provincial and local officials to reject the Garibaldi at Squamish ski resort proposal. For your convenience, Big Wildlife has included a sample letter below. Email your letter to the following officials:

Environmental Assessment Office: eaoinfo@gov.bc.ca

Premier Gordon Campbell: premier@gov.bc.ca
West Vancouver - Garibaldi MLA - Joan McIntyre: joan.mcintyre.mla@leg.bc.ca
Local MP - John Weston: westoj@parl.gc.ca
NDP Leader - Carole James: carole@bc.ndp.ca
Green Party - Jane Sterk: info@greenparty.bc.ca
Conservative Party - Wilf Hanni: leader@conservativesbc.com

District of Squamish
Mayor Greg Gardner: ggardner@squamish.ca
Councillor Bryan Raiser: braiser@squamish.ca
Councillor Corinne Lonsdale: clonsdale@squamish.ca
Councillor Doug Race: drace@squamish.ca
Councillor Patricia Heintzman: pheintzman@squamish.ca
Councillor Paul Lalli: plalli@squamish.ca
Councillor Rob Kirkham: rkirkham@squamish.ca

SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear Public Official:

I urge you to reject the planned Garibaldi at Squamish (GAS) ski resort. The development, which would include two golf courses, 25 ski lifts, 98 km of new roads, hotels, and nearly 6,000 new homes, apartments, and condominiums, would erode the quality of life for area residents and adversely impact prime habitat for endangered and at risk species, such as peregrine falcon, wolverine, and marbled murrelet. The GAS area also includes a threatened grizzly bear population unit that has been designated for recovery by the province.

In addition, the GAS proposal would degrade Brohm River, one of the most productive salmon and steelhead streams in the province. The ski development calls for extensive water management, including sewage and storm water discharge, irrigation for golf courses and potable water, extractions of water for snowmaking, and as many as five dams.

Expansion of the Sea-to-Sky Highway has ushered in unprecedented and largely unplanned development. Local residents have grown increasingly concerned about how urban sprawl is affecting wildlife. A recent spike in encounters with cougars has focused attention on the connection between sprawl and the displacement and change of behavior of the big cats and other large predators. Driving these animals from their territory is a recipe for disaster for Squamish, wildlife, and the environment.

Again, I urge you to reject the GAS ski resort plan. Thank you.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE
EMAIL

Action Alert!Protect Grizzly Bears!

Urge the Obama administration to restore endangered species protections for grizzly bears.

July 5, 2009

Secretary Ken Salazar, Department of the Interior

Subject:


Dear Secretary Salazar,

(Edit Letter Below)

I urge you to restore endangered species protections for Yellowstone's grizzly bear population. In 2008 alone, approximately 49 grizzlies were killed -- the largest level of mortality since 1972, when bears were still legally hunted. The previous year, we were just one female grizzly death shy of breaching the allowable mortality limit. These numbers are devastating to the already imperiled grizzly population.

In recent years, grizzly bears have suffered from a serious decline in whitebark pine seeds in the Yellowstone ecosystem -- one of their major food sources. This decline is only expected to accelerate as a result of global warming and mountain pine beetles. With this major loss in the grizzly diet, it is especially critical that your agency take immediate steps to reduce human-grizzly conflicts. These include simple steps such as requiring hikers and hunters to carry bear pepper spray, enforcing and implementing food storage regulations in occupied bear habitat, and funding bear education programs that will prepare outdoor enthusiasts for potential bear encounters.

With grizzlies already reduced to one percent of their former range because of excessive killing and habitat loss, it is clear that they need access to additional suitable habitat, such as the Wind Rivers and Palisades.

If this alarming and excessive grizzly mortality rate continues, the hard-earned progress toward recovery will be quickly reversed in a few years. The Yellowstone grizzly, a symbol of our wilderness heritage, deserves our best efforts to ensure that it will still be here for future generations in and around our nation's oldest park.

Please restore endangered species protections for Yellowstone's imperiled grizzlies.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

Sincerely,

URGENT ACTION ALERT FROM BIG WILDLIFE!LETTERS NEEDED!

URGENT: Please sign Big Wildlife's letter below as instructed and return it to Brian Vincent <brian@bigwildlife.org>.
Contact information for EBay is also below for your own letters to protest the sale of hunted-animal "trophies."
Please cross post.
Deadline to sign onto letter: Friday, June 5, 2009




Two Simple Steps to Save Lions, Leopards, Bears, Wolves, Other Predators
ACTION ALERT
TAKE TWO SIMPLE STEPS TO SAVE WOLVES, BEARS, LEOPARDS, LIONS
1) Sign onto Big Wildlife letter to eBay urging the company to stop selling trophy hunts of carnivores
2) Contact eBay directly to urge the company to ban trophy hunt sales
Scroll down for more details
In February, Big Wildlife <http://bigwildlife.org/> , Alaska Wildlife Alliance <http://www.akwildlife.org/> , and Raincoast <http://www.raincoast.org/> Conservation <http://www.raincoast.org/> urged eBay to halt the sale of trophy hunts of lions, leopards, bears, wolves, and other predators on its website. (Scroll down to end of alert to see trophy hunting items recently posted on eBay.) The online auction website regularly permits postings of guided hunts of carnivores throughout the world. Unfortunately, last week, we received a letter from eBay Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Tod Cohen, informing us that the company had no interest in halting its sales of trophy hunts. (Read Los Angeles Times story, eBay <http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2009/05/ebay-will-continue-to-allow-postings-of-guided-trophy-hunts.html> Will Continue to Allow Postings of Guided Trophy Hunts <http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2009/05/ebay-will-continue-to-allow-postings-of-guided-trophy-hunts.html> .)
TWO EASY STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO STOP eBAY'S TROPHY HUNTS:
Step 1.) Sign onto Big Wildlife letter to eBay:
Big Wildlife is urging groups and individuals to add their names to a letter we've drafted to eBay (see letter below). To include your name to Big Wildlife's letter, please send the information below to Brian Vincent at brian@bigwildlife.org. Brian will then add your name to our sign-on letter. Big Wildlife will send the final letter to eBay on June 5.
Information to send to brian@bigwildlife.org to add you name to sign-on letter:
Your name:Title:Organization:Address:Email:Phone:URL:
Deadline to sign onto letter: Friday, June 5, 2009
Big Wildlife sign on-letter:
Dear Mr. Donahoe:
We, the undersigned, urge eBay to halt the sale of trophy hunts of lions, leopards, bears, wolves, and other large predators on its website. As you are aware, in February the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, Big Wildlife, and Raincoast Conservation wrote to you requesting that your company ban such trophy sales. We were deeply disappointed to learn from eBay Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Tod Cohen, that the company has no interest in halting its sales of trophy hunts. In a May 5 letter to the wildlife groups, Mr. Cohen wrote:"While these decisions are never easy for us to make, the conclusion to this broad decision-making process is that we will not be expanding the scope of hunting experiences prohibited at this time. eBay is an open marketplace based on the principle that anyone can buy or sell just about anything, as long as those sales comply with applicable laws and our policies..."
Mr. Cohen also clarified that eBay has refused to post the sale of items the company and the general public find "offensive." For example, Mr. Cohen wrote, "Nazi paraphernalia is not only offensive to millions of people but much of it is illegal to possess and sale in Germany, Austria, Italy, and France. So eBay decided years ago to prohibit the sale of most Nazi items within our 'Offensive Material" policy. This policy also gives us the direction to remove items'when the item or description graphically portrays violence or victims of violence and lacks substantial social, artistic, or political value.'"
Expansive hunting of top predators such as lions, leopards, wolves, and bears ignores the importance these species play in natural systems. As "keystone species," they help maintain ecological integrity and preserve species diversity. The disappearance of carnivores triggers the loss of other species and the intricate connections among the remaining residents begin to unravel. Most of these species face growing threats from habitat destruction, aggressive lethal "management," and poaching. Trophy hunters target the largest and most healthy animals, disrupting the intricate social structures of predators and eliminating those individuals who are most critical to sustaining viable populations.
In addition, trophy hunting of carnivores is unethical, cruel, and unnecessary. It is important to note that hunters kill these animals simply for "sport" and for a trophy head and hide, not for subsistence. Some of the methods used by trophy hunters and included in some of the eBay sales are especially barbaric. For example, a number of eBay postings advertise using hounds to chase bears and cougars and placing bait to lure lions, bears, and wolves.
Again, we urge eBay to end its practice of selling these types of trophy hunting opportunities. Thank you.
Sincerely,Big Wildlife will add your name here along with other cosigners
Step 2.) Contact eBay directly and urge the company to immediately stop posting sales of trophy hunts of carnivores including lions, leopards, bears, wolves, coyotes, and other predators:
Ebay employees to contact: Jack Christin, eBay Senior Regulatory CounselPhone: 408-376-5145Cell: 408-679-3621Email: jchristin@ebay.com
Terri Deanzo, eBay, Office of the PresidentPhone: 408-376-7400 (After dialing number, you will hear a recording. Press "0." An automated voice message will ask you to spell the person's last name. Key in "Deanzo.")Email: csme@ebay.com
Amy Skoczlas-Cole, eBay's Global Citizenship GroupPhone: 408-376-7400 (After dialing number, you will hear a recording. Press "0." An automated voice message will ask you to spell the person's last name. Key in "Skoczlas.")Email: askoczlascole@ebay.com
SOME RECENTLY POSTED ITEMS ON eBay (Click highlighted text to go to eBay posting):" <http://cgi.ebay.com/AFRICA-DANGEROUS-GAME-MAILE-LION-HUNT-24-999_W0QQitemZ390045804571QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item390045804571&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1> Africa Dangerous Game Maile Lion Hunt: <http://cgi.ebay.com/AFRICA-DANGEROUS-GAME-MAILE-LION-HUNT-24-999_W0QQitemZ390045804571QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item390045804571&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1> This auction price of $12,500 is the 50% deposit required to book the hunt the remaing 50% will be due on arrival, which is $12,500. The main difference between the different Lions is the size of the mane. The more expensive Lions have bigger black manes while the ones with less pronounced manes cost less. This is all based on good genes."
" <http://cgi.ebay.com/AFRICA-DANGEROUS-GAME-LEOPARD-HUNT-16-999_W0QQitemZ390045794935QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item390045794935&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C> Africa Dangerous Game Leopard Hunt: Dreamin of having a leopard trophy on your wall, dream no more. We could help you with leopard hunting in South Africa...African leopard hunting is usually done by baiting with freshly killed antelope and other prey species. African leopards may also be hunted by tracking. Some African leopards are hunted after being spotted by a hunting party on safari. Once a leopard is spotted it can be tracked and taken by the hunter. Some countries in Africa currently allow leopards to be hunted with dogs and this has become a popular and effective way of hunting them." Price: $8,500.
³ <http://cgi.ebay.com/ONTARIO-TIMBER-WOLF-HUNT-NEAR-100-OPP-ON-http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390045814530&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX&refitem=390026932972&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refw> Ontario Timber Wolf Hunt, Near 100 Opp on Wolf: The hunt is a real hunting adventure! Near 100% opportunity on timber wolf, we hunt over bait in a heated treestand...Choose any weapon.² Price: $699. ³ <http://cgi.ebay.com/2009-ALBERTA-WOLF-HUNT-100-OPP-HUNT-OVER-http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390046370978&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX&refitem=390027588479&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refw> 2009 Alberta Wolf Hunt, 100% Opp, Hunt Over Bait: We¹re overrun with wolves, we have trophy wolves.² Price: $1,199.00. ³ <http://cgi.ebay.com/2009-B-C-SPRING-BLACK-BEAR-HUNT-WITH-HOUNDS_W0QQitemZ390045858864QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item390045858864&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%> 2009 Spring Black Bear Hunt With Hounds: Price Includes 2 Bears. We hunt Black Bears with hounds, hunters have the opportunity to hunt black bears or the desirable colour phased bear in brown, blonde or cinnamon tones." Price: $3,999.00
³ <http://cgi.ebay.com/ALASKA-SPRING-or-SUMMER-GRIZZLY-BEAR-HUNT-5-899_W0QQitemZ390045843910QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item390045843910&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%> Alaska Spring or Summer Grizzly Bear Hunt: "Wow Fall Sale, Only $5899, That's Over $7,000 in Savings. "
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Vincent at brian@bigwildlife.org
*NOTE: While Big Wildlife is opposed to all trophy hunting of wildlife, we are focused primarily on protecting top, at-risk carnivore species. We do, however, support other campaigns by animal rights groups against eBay.
-- BE SURE TO CHECK OUT BIG WILDLIFE'S WEBSITE AT: www.bigwildlife.org <http://www.bigwildlife.org>
Big Wildife is a project of the Earth Island Institute. Visit Earth Island at: www.earthisland.org <http://www.earthisland.org>
"The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men."-- Leonardo Da Vinci
"One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds."-- Aldo Leopold

GERMAN ZOOS BATTLE OVER KNUT-THE 6- MILLION -DOLLAR POLAR BEAR

A court battle began in the German capital Berlin today for the rightsto the most famous polar bear in the world.
Two German zoos are embroiled in a bitter custody battle overhand-reared bear Knut and the some £6million in revenue he has earnedsince 2007.
Neumuenster Zoo let the Berlin Zoo borrow Knut’s father Lars in 1999on the condition that the first-born cub from his union with motherTosca would belong to Neumuenster.
--full story:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1184479/German-zoos-battle-Knut-6m-polar-bear.html

DEEPAK CHOPRA APPALLED BY THE BC TROPHY HUNT

JANE GOODALL COMMENTS ON THE BC TROPHY HUNT

SAVE SPAIN'S BEARS-PETITION TO SIGN!

SAVE SPAIN'S BEARS

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/418999897
Target:Cristina Narbona, Ministra de Medio Ambiente, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente
Sponsored by: Lisa Stuart
A business consortium, backed by regional government, is threatening the continued, precarious survival of the Cantabrian brown bear or Oso pardo Cantábrico (Ursus arctos), already catalogued as in danger of extinction in Spain. An unsustainable project to build a ski resort in an important corridor of access for the last remaining bears in the region of the San Glorio pass in the Cordillera Cantábrica mountains of Northern Spain may still be given approval. Spanish law courts recently vetoed a large-scale type of project but a smaller, just as threatening project could still be put forward. Relatively low altitude and regular windy conditions would ensure the need for water-draining, artificial snow machine use. The local population will not get rich on the occasional weekend of piste skiing a year whilst destroying habitat of bear, Iberian wolf, Capercaillie, Marsh fritillary and Apollo butterflies, among others of the area's natural wildlife and beauty - it's main attraction. (This petition will also be sent to the EU Minister for the Environment.)
For more information visit;
www.picos-accommodation.co.uk/MammalsofthePicosdeEuropa.html#cantabrianbrownbear
and www.iberianatureforum.com/index.php/topic,47.0.html
Pedimos a los ministros del medio ambiente de España y del
Parliamento Europeo que no permiten la construcción de una macro-estación de esqui, insostenible por la falta de nieve fiable y por vientos fuertes, en un paraje natural tan importante para la supervivencia del oso pardo y del urogallo entre demas especies tan emblematicas de Espana.

PROTECT GRIZZLY BEARS-TAKE ACTION NOW!

Urge Forest Service officials not to reopen a road that runs through grizzly bear habitat in Wyoming's Sweetwater Valley.
May 15, 2009
Terry Root, Acting Forest Supervisor
Subject:
Dear Acting Supervisor Root,
(Edit Letter Below)I urge you to permanently close the road that runs through the Shoshone's Sweetwater Valley, and keep this area wild for the grizzlies and wolves that live there.
The road has been closed for the last eight years, and since then the valley has become an oasis for grizzlies, wolves, cougars, wolverines and lynx. The valley's sagebrush grasslands also support an abundance of elk, deer, moose, and bighorn sheep. Sweetwater Creek is an important spawning stream for imperiled Snake River and Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
I am concerned that the Forest Service has plans to reopen the road in the next few weeks, without conducting an environmental analysis of the impacts of this decision. For example, much has changed for grizzlies since the road was originally closed, including the decline of whitebark pine (a key grizzly food) as a result of mountain pine beetles and global warming, as well as increased human development along the North Fork of the Shoshone.
The lodge that this road originally accessed has burned down and the site has been restored. There is no rational reason to reopen the road and disturb what has become a wilderness refuge. I urge your agency to permanently close the road, in order to maintain the unique characteristics of the Sweetwater Valley.http://www.nrdconline.org/campaign/biogems_bears_0409

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION WON'T SAVE POLAR BEAR FROM BUSH'S RULE CHANGE!

Written by Jeff Pecaro
The Obama administration’s Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, announced today that he won’t be changing George W. Bush’s rule that global factors, such as climate change, cannot be considered in analyzing the polar bear’s survival.

The rule, instituted in the last months of Bush’s presidency, prohibit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries services from considering whether practices outside the polar bear’s territory are affecting its chances for survival.
» See also: No New Coal: Help List All Proposed Coal Mines in the US

This severely limits the environmental agencies’ ability to regulate how the effects of climate change are impacting the polar bear and its habitat. Congress passed legislation on March 10th that specifically allowed Salazar to rescind this rule-change by the Bush administration, but he has decided today to allow the deadline for that rule change to pass.
The inclusion of climate change in the protections of the Endangered Species Act presents a nightmare scenario for many of the major players in American industry, who could be forced by federal law to undergo costly and expansive changes if science could provide a causal link between their projects or proposals and the impending extinction of such a popular and charismatic species.
The Endangered Species Act was intended to protect animals at risk of extinction, and their habitats, from danger as a “consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation.” Bush’s rule, limiting the protections available to a species to actions taken in that animal’s home-range, legally removes the EPA’s ability to hold American industry responsible for how their actions are affecting the arctic.
One of the ESA’s most powerful tools is its effect on the approval of new projects, such as power plants, factories, and housing developments. Environmental groups have successfully brought suit to stop or alter a number of projects that threatened habitats critical to a species’ survival, using the Act for legal justification.
While it may protect American industry from making costly changes, at least for the time being, it seems to indicate that Salazar’s agency and Obama’s government are not ready to accept responsibility for how climate change that is threatening the polar bear.
Photo Credit: Just Being Myself on Flickr under Creative Commons license.
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STOP BEAR BATING NOW!PETITION TO SIGN!

PLEASE PUT A STOP TO BEAR BAITING NOW!
Target:
Animal Abusers
Sponsored by:
God's Children
Bear baiting is a medieval sport still carried on today in some countries,such as Pakistan. Even though it is against the law to do this type of thing they still continue to do it. It should be totally banned. the conditions these poor animals must endure is enough to warrant banning of it.First they pull all of the cubs teeth out. then they turn 4 to6 dogs on the poor animal utterly defenseless.Afterwhich there is no medical staff to look after their wounds.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ban-bear-baiting

Fire kills dozens of animals at Zoo to You in Paso Robles

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/695266.html


Fire kills dozens of animals at Zoo to You in Paso Robles
Tonya Strickland
A barefoot Anita Jackson fought urges to dash into the building filled with thick smoke and raging flames early Thursday morning to save the 62 Zoo to You animals inside.
“You don’t even have time to think,” she said, “You’re just reacting.”
Instead, the nonprofit educational director grabbed a hose and began pouring water on the flames. Just seconds before, she first learned the building on the eastern Paso Robles property was on fire, threw on clothes and ran from her home next door.
“It was engulfed in flames,” Jackson said. “The whole ceiling was just covered in fire. There was black smoke everywhere.”
No people were hurt in the fire, which started about 7:40 a.m., but nearly 40 animals died. Early indications were that the fire started from some kind of electrical malfunction.
Finding flames
Employee Angela Beolk, who first discovered the blaze and called Jackson when smoke billowed from a door she opened, was already on the phone with a 911 dispatcher to send help to 2445 Adobe Road when Jackson arrived.
Soon, other employees came, too — hosing the building down before County/Cal Fire and Paso Robles Emergency Services arrived within 10 minutes. The blaze was contained 10 to 15 minutes later.
Zoo to You is a nonprofit North County-based wildlife educational organization that takes in rescued animals and introduces them to schools and groups. About 250 animals live in habitats on its 40-acre site near the Paso Robles Municipal Airport, including mountain lions, a tiger, a bear, porcupines and alligators.
“Just looking at it,” Jackson said of the fiery building, “you could tell nothing was surviving in there.”
However, less than half the occupants did survive — primarily snakes, lizards, frogs and turtles from the reptile room where the door was always kept shut to keep the heat in for the climate-controlled environment. A total of 24 live animals were pulled from the charred building when the fire was out.
Those killed were 38 of the nonprofit organization’s monkeys, parrots, sloths, small kookaburra birds and others.
“Everybody is devastated,” Jackson said of the numerous helpers that spend hours each day caring for and interacting with the creatures.
“These aren’t just animals, they’re your best friends.”
Among the animals that died was a 50-year-old Macaque monkey named Lisa Lulu. Jackson said the 20-pound primate was a staff favorite and everyone is saddened to have lost her and the others.
Another animal Jackson spoke fondly of was a 10-year-old sloth named Mogee who recently traveled to Santa Maria to interact with hundreds of smiling children.
“He was such a sweetie,” she said. “He just wanted to be in your arms.”
Community help
The destroyed building was a one-story ranch house converted into habitat rooms for animals that needed to be kept indoors, Jackson said.
While about 95 percent of the approximately 1,200-square-foot building was used to house the critters in enclosures and aquariums, County/Cal Fire public information officer Clint Bullard said, one corner was used as an office with a desk, computers and a fax machine.
Officials reported $400,000 in damages to the contents and animal equipment kept inside the building, and about $80,000 to the structure itself.
Investigators said the cause was electrical and started in the office, and insurance investigators were still trying to determine the specific cause.
By about 8 a.m., Jackson said about 50 neighbors and passersby showed up to help.
The group saw an outpouring of assistance by the afternoon — neighbors brought food, two Atascadero veterinarians donated antibiotics to treat the surviving animals, Sylvester Winery lent out its climate-controlled wine container for a temporary reptile home, Paso Robles Waste Disposal set up a trash bin for debris and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio donated $5,000 to the fire-recovery effort.
how you can help
To donate to Zoo to You’s fire-recovery effort to build a new reptile structure, send checks to P.O. Box 1998, Paso Robles CA 93447. There is also an account set up at Rabobank under the name Zoo to You. Officials estimate a new reptile enclosure will cost the group $70,000 to $80,000.

HELP STOP EXPANSION OF TROPHY HUNTING OF BLACK BEARS IN CALIFORNIA

HELP STOP EXPANSION OF TROPHY HUNTING OF BLACK BEARS IN CALIFORNIA

Deadline for public comment is April 20.

Last month, the California Department of Fish & Game (CDFG) announced two new, alarming proposals that could dramatically increase the number of black bears killed by trophy hunters in the state. Tragically, bear hunting – including the barbaric practice of pursuing bears with packs of radio-collared hounds, treeing, and then shooting them – is already legal in California. But now the CDFG plans to lift all numerical limits to bear hunting. Previously, the Department had closed bear "season" after 1,700 bears were reported killed. At the request of hunting lobbyists, the CDFG is proposing to lift this "closure mechanism" and permit an unlimited number of bears to be killed during hunting "season." The CDFG also plans to allow trophy hunting of black bears in San Luis Obispo County, California for the first time. The hunt could begin as early as this summer, with as many as fifty black bears being hunted and killed each year, primarily in the Los Padres National Forest.

Both proposals were announced as part of the CDFG's periodic revision of the state's Mammal Hunting Regulations. The bear hunt plans will be discussed at a California Fish & Game Commission's hearing on April 9 in Lodi, California. The commission will also accept public comments on both plans through April 20 and is expected to formally adopt the proposals during a teleconference on April 21.

PLEASE NOTE: While Big Wildlife is obviously troubled by these new proposals and is urging Californians to vigorously oppose them, our organization wants to make it clear that we oppose any trophy hunting of apex species, including bears, cougars, coyotes, and other predators. We believe trophy hunting of these animals is scientifically and morally indefensible.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
*Submit comments OPPOSING the CDFG's proposals to allow unlimited limits on the number of bears killed by hunters and to expand bear hunting in San Luis Obispo County (see SAMPLE LETTER below. Be sure to personalize your letter). Deadline for comments: April 20, 2009. Submit comments via email, fax, or snailmail to:

Email: wildlifestrategy@dfg.ca.gov

Fax: (916) 445-4048

Snailmail:
Wildlife Branch
California Dept. of Fish and Game
1812 9th St.
Sacramento, CA 95811

To review the proposal online go to:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/pubnotice/docs/20090217-Bear-Regs-Neg-Dec.pdf

*Attend the April 9 hearing in Lodi to voice your opposition to the bear hunt proposals.
When: Thursday, April 9. Time to be announced.
Where: Wine & Roses Country Inn, Garden Ballroom, 2505 W Turner Rd., Lodi, California


SAMPLE LETTER:
DATE

Wildlife Branch
California Department of Fish and Game
1812 9th St.
Sacramento, CA 95811

Dear California Department of Fish and Game:

As a California resident, I vigorously oppose the California Department of Fish and Game’s (CDFG) proposals to lift all numerical limits to bear hunting throughout the state and expand trophy hunting of bears into San Luis Obispo County. Killing black bears for “sport” is unethical, cruel, wasteful, unnecessary, and scientifically indefensible.

The CDFG’s new proposals are deeply troubling because:

· Lifting all numerical limits to bear hunting could dramatically increase the number of bears killed by hunters across California.

· The CDFG’s continuing support of trophy hunting of black bears ignores the ecological values of bears. Apex species, such as bears, cougars, and wolves, play critical roles in maintaining ecosystems. Black bears often scavenge for food, playing an important role in recycling carrion. Bears also help transport berry seeds. Along salmon spawning streams, bear scat and the remains of fish carried into the woods contribute to the long-term nutrient cycle in old-growth forest. Even cambium feeding by bears, which sometimes kills trees, creates widely scattered snags that benefit other species of wildlife.

· The methods used to hunt black bears are cruel, unethical, and environmentally harmful. In California, black bears can be legally chased by hounds, treed, and then shot by hunters. Hounds have been known to pursue bears with cubs, increasing the risk that cubs could be separated from their mothers, then orphaned. It is not uncommon for hounds to maim bears, especially cubs. In California, bears can also be killed with bow and arrow, an especially inhumane method of hunting.

· The proposal fails to assess the cumulative impacts of poaching. Recent discoveries of black bear poaching operations in California call into question the CDFG's recommendation to allow bear hunting. Poaching of bears has increased nationwide, fueled by growing international market in bear parts. I understand because of California's deepening financial crisis as many as 45 percent of the states game wardens charged with enforcing laws to protect wildlife may soon be laid off. That would leave only 100 wardens to police the entire state. It makes no sense to expand hunting opportunities at the same time state wildlife law enforcement capabilities are being severely curtailed.

· The methods used to estimate black bear populations in San Luis Obispo County are not scientifically credible. I understand the CDFG conducted a two-year study on the San Luis Obispo County bear population. While that study – which involved hanging cans of fish from tree limbs, with monitors visiting the bait sites and recording signs of teeth marks or bear prints – may indicate where some bears are located, it is hardly a scientifically credible method for determining the number of bears and the composition of the bear population in the county. Other methods, such as radio telemetry and DNA analysis of hair or scat, are far more reliable for determining bear populations. I also feel very strongly that this issue should be discussed and decided at a hearing in San Luis Obispo County, not at a location hundreds of miles away from the area affected.

I urge the CDFG to not approve this expansion of bear hunting in California. Thank you.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE
EMAIL

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ADVERSE IMPACTS OF BEAR HUNTING, CONTACT BIG WILDLIFE AT:
Brian Vincent
Big Wildlife
brian@bigwildlife.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSAL TO EXPAND BEAR HUNTING INTO SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CONTACT LOS PADRES FORESTWATCH AT:
Jeff Kuyper
Los Padres ForestWatch
jeff@LPFW.org
www.lpfw.org



THE BEAR FACTS, BEARS FACE WORLD WIDE THREATS

Bears throughout the world face a host of threats from trade in bear parts, poaching, hunting, trapping, baiting, damage "control" programs, habitat destruction, and climate change. Unless quick and concerted international actions are taken to halt these assaults against bears, the future of many bear species and populations across the globe is grim.

Trafficking of Bear Parts
Bear Damage "Control" Programs
Hunting
Habitat Destruction
Climate Change

HELP STOP POACHING OF BEARS

Each year, 30,000 or more bears are killed illegally in the U.S. Most are poached to feed the lucrative black market for bear parts. Many bears are killed simply for their gallbladders, used in traditional Asian medicines. Although accepted alternatives exist in traditional medicines, demand for bear parts is soaring. As Asian bear populations have plummeted, poachers are turning to bears in the U.S. to satisfy this underground market. Poachers target hibernating bears in their dens and even track radio-collared bears that are part of scientific studies. But bipartisan legislation in Congress can help put an end to this disturbing trend. Representatives Raul Grijalva (AZ) and John Campbell (CA) have introduced legislation that will help bears by banning the trade in gallbladders at the federal level. The Bear Protection Act will end a patchwork of state laws that creates an enforcement nightmare and allows the illegal killing of bears to continue.

LIVING WITH BEARS

Interactions between people and black bears have increased in recent years, due largely to human encroachment into bear habitat, population growth, and other dramatic changes to the environment. Suburban neighborhoods, especially those adjacent to forest habitat, are ideal habitats for bears because they offer food, water, and shelter.

Bears are here to stay. We must learn to peacefully co-exist with our wild neighbors, as this is their home as much as ours. This requires modifying our own behavior so as not to attract or incite unwanted guests. Communities need to take preventive action to head off conflicts by providing information about living with bears to new residents, homeowner associations, schools, and businesses.

Those living in bear country can take these simple and humane steps to prevent conflicts with bears:
· Secure garbage cans and compost piles and clean up fallen fruit.
· Keep animals in at night.
· Don't leave dog or cat food outside.
· Walk your dog on a leash.
· If approached by a bear, make loud noises and make yourself look big. Show your dominance and re-instill the bears natural fear of humans.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1) Urge your Representative to sign on as a cosponsor to the Bear Protection Act (H.R. 5534) -- a bill that would help save America's bears.
2) Support Big Wildlife’s campaign to end all trophy hunting of bears. Big Wildlife applauds Congressional lawmakers for working to stop poaching of bears. But legal trophy hunting is also taking its toll on these at-risk animals and facilitating poaching. Legal hound hunting provides the prefect cover for poachers killing bears for their gall bladders, paws, and teeth for the black market without arousing law enforcement suspicion. In addition, many states have reduced wildlife law enforcement presence, while continuing to allow hunting of bears. The simplest way to reign in the bear poaching epidemic is for state governments to end trophy hunting of bears, a species declining world-wide at unprecedented rates due to habitat loss and direct killing.

Coalition seeks ban on bear hunt

KATE ALLEN


VANCOUVER — After coming up short in an attempt to buy out hunting businesses, a coalition of conservationists and native groups is urging the province to ban trophy killing of bears in the Great Bear Rainforest.

Members of the group believe that ecotourism in the protected coastal area can generate more revenue than hunting while avoiding its ecological and moral costs. British Columbia's bear hunt generates more than $100-million a year and provides 2,000 jobs, according to government and industry figures.

"There's going to be a lot of questions about the economy ... but it doesn't change the fundamental reality. It's not a hunt, and it's not at trophy hunt. It's a slaughter," said Arnie Bellis, vice-president of the Council of the Haida Nation and a coalition member.

The group, which includes members of the Humane Society International and Coastal First Nations, raised money in an attempt to buy outfitters' provincial certificates that allow them to guide trophy-hunting trips, but said they were unable to secure all of the protected coastal area. Hunting season opens April 1.

In 2007, 363 grizzly bears were killed for sport province-wide, more than any year on record. The B.C. Ministry of the Environment puts the provincial population of grizzly bears, the second-slowest reproducing land mammal in North America, at 17,000. Industry members say hunting is essential for controlling those numbers.

But the coalition's members worry the number is far lower and that hunting is compromising the population's gene pool. "Another aspect of taking trophies is that you're taking the most robust and the most vigorous [animals]," said Art Sterritt, executive director of Coastal First Nations Turning Point Initiative. "Get the biggest, that's the trophy."

The group is also concerned about the numbers of the rare spirit bear. One in 10 black bears carries a recessive gene that gives them a white colouring, and the coalition warns that female black bears killed during the spring hunt are often pregnant, potentially with white cubs.

The Guide Outfitters Association of B.C. says that of the 363 grizzlies killed for sport in 2007, 126 were taken by non-residents of B.C., most of whom were American.

The Great Bear Rainforest group says ecotourism is poised to out-earn hunting, and that one bear-watching organization in the area grossed more than $3-million in 2007.

"Each bear killed is one less bear that tourists will pay top dollar to photograph," Dean Wyatt of the Commercial Bear Viewing Association said in a press release.

Late yesterday, Environment Minister Barry Penner announced new "no-hunting" zones throughout the region. The Great Bear Rainforest Group said its position hadn't changed. No number of hunted bears is acceptable, said Mr. Sterritt. "The reality is it's not about numbers. From our perspective, it's just not in tune with our culture."