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Manolo: Eight Years in Jipe
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by Zak Mutinda, Eco-Jipe Program
The post Manolo: Eight Years in Jipe appeared first on Wild.
3 weeks ago
Showing posts with label wildlife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wildlife. Show all posts
Thursday, June 9, 2011
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
Venezuelan Government Bans Wildlife Hunting and Trading in Some Areas
By Minamb, AVN
The tricolored-plumage ara macaws, best known as guacamayas, are one of
the endangered species in Venezuela because they are frequently
extracted from their habitat in the Amazonas, where they mate for life.
This is the reason why they die when they are hunted and taken out of
their environment.
These birds, and other animals such as parrots, monkeys and snakes, are
exhibited by their captors in cages for days on the main road of
Amazonas state, southern Venezuela. Their buyers move them in wrapped
boxes to bypass the National Guard checkpoints. When they reach their
"new home," these animals usually die as a result of stress and sudden
habitat change.
Hence, the Bolivarian Government is taking measures in the Metropolitan
Area of Caracas and the states of Anzoategui, Bolivar, Falcon,
Guarico, Lara, Monagas, Miranda, Sucre, Zulia and Yaracuy in order to
guarantee that this situation does not worsen.
The measures ban the illicit trade and possession of birds and other
wildlife species, as well as products derived from wildlife, on public
roads (roads, highways, paths, streets and avenues) and in unauthorized
shops.
In addition to these measures, the Venezuelan state is promoting a
number of environmental preservation programs.
Arrau Turtle Preservation Program
The arrau turtle, also known in Venezuela as the Orinoco turtle, is the
biggest of the Podocnemis genus and was widely abundant 200 years ago.
Nevertheless, since 1995 it is an endangered species, although it has
been legally protected since 1946.
In the first quarter of 2011, the Bolivarian government, through the
environment ministry, freed 10,000 Arrau turtles (Podocnemis expansa) in
Amazonas state, Venezuela’s south, as part of the conservation program
to protect this endangered species.
The program, which is being developed to prevent illegal hunting, aims
to transport endangered nests to zoo-farms over a one year period, in
order to subsequently return the species to their natural habitat. Over
51,000 turtles bred in captivity are expected to be freed this year.
José Zambrano, director of the environmental office in Amazonas, said
that this activity “shows the interest of the Bolivarian government in
preserving wild fauna, especially endangered species.”
So far, 12,806 Arrau turtles have been freed in the Refuge of Wild Fauna
and Protecting Areas, located in the village of Santa María del Orinoco,
in the south-western state of Apure, and 6,000 in south-western Bolívar
state. By June, 22,000 turtles are expected to be freed in Azoátegui
state, Venezuela’s northeast, and 949 in Barinas state.
National Parks under protection
For a long time, Venezuela was the victim of an activity that caused
irreparable harm to the environment. The Fun Race private organization
staged off-road car races in different national parks of the country
where its participants had to cover hundreds of kilometres in the
shortest possible time. Many of the circuits did not have the
authorization required by the Venezuelan authorities to hold these
races, which helped the company earn millions.
Venezuela's Attorney General, Luisa Ortega Díaz, imposed a ban on this
type of activity. "These races cause irreparable harm because the
vegetation cover wears out and its recovery can take up to 200 years.
The Bolivarian government took legal actions and ordered the Fun Race
company to promote, design and develop awareness-raising campaigns to
show the ecological harm caused by this activity in the country's
national parks and protected areas.
Mission Tree recovers natural ecosystems
Venezuela features a 123.5 million-acre forest area that represents 56%
of its territory. In South America, this is equivalent to 5.6% of
forests and 1.3% of the world's forest area.
Communities nationwide have organized jointly with the Ministry of
People's Power for the Environment (Minamb) to working on the
consolidation of Mission Tree (Misión Árbol in Spanish), which aims to
contribute to the restoration and maintenance of forests and local green
areas.
Currently, nearly 5,200 conservation committees, comprised of 50,000
people, have been created. Over 19 million plants have been planted
throughout the country, thus allowing for the recovery of over 56 acres.
The Venezuelan minister for the environment, Alejandro Hitcher, said
that "the government's social program strengthens the spirit of
conservation of the population, thus contributing to economic
development and environmental sustainability."
Edited by Venezuelanalysis
http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/6251
Saturday, October 23, 2010
U.S. urged to regulate 'backyard tigers'
(CNN) -- Rising numbers of captive tigers in the United States are putting
citizens at risk and could be fueling illegal trade in animal parts, which
threatens their survival in the wild, conservationists have warned.
"Tigers Among US," published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and TRAFFIC,
the wildlife trade monitoring network estimates that there are more than
5,000 tigers in captivity in the U.S. compared with around 3,200 that
remain wild across Asia.
While some tigers are housed in zoos, many more are privately owned, often
free to roam backyards, urban apartments and are generally kept in
"deplorable conditions," the report says.
Leigh Henry, WWF senior policy officer for Species Conservation told CNN:
"We've seen photos and there's a video on our website showing tigers
walking around muddy wet cages."
But its the size of the enclosures that is most distressing, Henry says,
"when you know tigers are supposed to be ranging over hundreds and
hundreds of acres."
Current U.S. regulation on tiger ownership is "a patchwork of federal
laws" full of "exceptions, exemptions and loopholes," the report says.
A majority of U.S. states (28) don't allow citizens to keep tigers as
pets, while 17 have laws which regulate their ownership.
But in some states there are no regulations at all, making it easier to
own a tiger than to adopt a dog, with sometimes tragic consequences.
In 2003, a 10-year-old boy was killed by his aunt's pet tiger in Wilkes
County, North Carolina.
In the same year, celebrity tiger handler Roy Horn (of Siegfried and Roy
fame) was mauled during a performance at Las Vegas's Mirage Hotel.
Nevada and North Carolina are two of eight U.S. states (Alabama, Idaho,
Ohio, South Carolina West Virginia and Wisconsin are the others) which
currently have no laws regulating private ownership of tigers.
More:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/10/21/tigers.captive.regulation.us/index.html?hpt=C2
citizens at risk and could be fueling illegal trade in animal parts, which
threatens their survival in the wild, conservationists have warned.
"Tigers Among US," published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and TRAFFIC,
the wildlife trade monitoring network estimates that there are more than
5,000 tigers in captivity in the U.S. compared with around 3,200 that
remain wild across Asia.
While some tigers are housed in zoos, many more are privately owned, often
free to roam backyards, urban apartments and are generally kept in
"deplorable conditions," the report says.
Leigh Henry, WWF senior policy officer for Species Conservation told CNN:
"We've seen photos and there's a video on our website showing tigers
walking around muddy wet cages."
But its the size of the enclosures that is most distressing, Henry says,
"when you know tigers are supposed to be ranging over hundreds and
hundreds of acres."
Current U.S. regulation on tiger ownership is "a patchwork of federal
laws" full of "exceptions, exemptions and loopholes," the report says.
A majority of U.S. states (28) don't allow citizens to keep tigers as
pets, while 17 have laws which regulate their ownership.
But in some states there are no regulations at all, making it easier to
own a tiger than to adopt a dog, with sometimes tragic consequences.
In 2003, a 10-year-old boy was killed by his aunt's pet tiger in Wilkes
County, North Carolina.
In the same year, celebrity tiger handler Roy Horn (of Siegfried and Roy
fame) was mauled during a performance at Las Vegas's Mirage Hotel.
Nevada and North Carolina are two of eight U.S. states (Alabama, Idaho,
Ohio, South Carolina West Virginia and Wisconsin are the others) which
currently have no laws regulating private ownership of tigers.
More:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/10/21/tigers.captive.regulation.us/index.html?hpt=C2
Monday, July 12, 2010
10 Wildlife Petitions
1.) Stop Dolphin Captivity
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/5/stop-dolphin-captivity
2.) Stop Cruel Den Hunts
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-cruel-den-hunts
3.) Save the Wolves in Lapland
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-cruel-den-hunts
4.) Stop Norway from Hunting Minke Whales
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Stop-Norway-from-Hunting-and-Killing-Minke-Whales
5.) Protect Forests and Save Orangutans
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/7/save-the-orangutans
6.) Ask Elle Macpherson to Stop Using Endangered Rhino Horn
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ask-elle-macpherson-to-stop-using-rhino-horn-become-an-advocate-for-these-endangered-animals
7.) Ban use of Tiger Parts in United States
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/banning-tigerparts-trade-in-us-petition
8.) Ban Ariel Wolf Hunting in Alaska
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ban-aerial-wolf-hunting-in-alaska
9.) Stop Exporting Shark Fins from Peru
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-exporting-shark-fins-from-peru
10.) Save the Artic Fox from Extinction
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/7/save-the-artic-fox-from-extinction
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/5/stop-dolphin-captivity
2.) Stop Cruel Den Hunts
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-cruel-den-hunts
3.) Save the Wolves in Lapland
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-cruel-den-hunts
4.) Stop Norway from Hunting Minke Whales
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Stop-Norway-from-Hunting-and-Killing-Minke-Whales
5.) Protect Forests and Save Orangutans
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/7/save-the-orangutans
6.) Ask Elle Macpherson to Stop Using Endangered Rhino Horn
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ask-elle-macpherson-to-stop-using-rhino-horn-become-an-advocate-for-these-endangered-animals
7.) Ban use of Tiger Parts in United States
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/banning-tigerparts-trade-in-us-petition
8.) Ban Ariel Wolf Hunting in Alaska
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ban-aerial-wolf-hunting-in-alaska
9.) Stop Exporting Shark Fins from Peru
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-exporting-shark-fins-from-peru
10.) Save the Artic Fox from Extinction
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/7/save-the-artic-fox-from-extinction
Monday, April 19, 2010
$35,000 Reward Pledged: Abolitionist ARA raises the stakes at KUMC
http://thomaspainescorner.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/35000-reward-pledged-abolitionist-ara-raises-the-stakes-at-kumc/
Jason Miller, an Animal Rights and social justice activist of modest means, is offering a reward of $35,000.00 to any group or individual who facilitates freedom (i.e. life in a primate sanctuary) for the primates enslaved by the University of Kansas Medical Center OR to any group or individual who orchestrates or causes the complete and permanent cessation of primate vivisection at the University of Kansas Medical Center. DISCLAIMER: Jason Miller is not endorsing, condoning, promoting, or encouraging the commission of illegal or violent acts to achieve the goals necessary to earn this reward.
Date: Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 2:18 AM
Subject Re: Official Letter
Mailed-by: gmail.com
From: Jason Miller
To: Ed Phillips EPHILLIPS@kumc.edu
cc: mnielsen@kumc.edu, batkinson@kumc.edu, twoolley@kumc.edu, jsullinger@kcstar.com, Governor@ks.gov, news@kmbc.com, news@nbcactionnews.com, news@wdaftv4.com, newsdesk@kctv5.com, mdwilliamsatkcstar.com, maugustine@hearst.com, morrison@nbcactionnews.com, jlambe@kcstar.com, “Carolyn. Szczepanski@pitch. com” “Ziegler, Laura A.” , Ray Read , bgrady@kmbz.com, pcheney@kumc.edu
Ed, Barbara, et al,
I appreciate your email. I will admit that it’s a bit puzzling to me that you felt it necessary to send me an “official letter” warning me that I’ll be arrested if I again set foot upon KUMC (The University of Kansas Medical Center) property. Your quartet of armed militia made that abundantly clear when they detained me for twenty minutes, questioned me, searched me, and issued me a written criminal trespass warning for the “crime” of exercising my First Amendment Rights.
I find it amusing (yet at the same time disturbing) that KUMC would have felt threatened enough by an unarmed social justice activist (who was passing out fliers that expressed objection to the enslavement, torture and murder of sentient beings) that it would resort to fascist tactics that run rough-shod over the First Amendment. Obviously you and KUMC have much to hide.
As evidenced by your refusal to allow my allies and me (or the media, whom I’ve taken the liberty to CC in this email) into your laboratories to observe and document your self-proclaimed “ethical” torture and enslavement of nonhuman primates (who think, emote and feel pain like we do), there is a great deal of depravity, cruelty and malevolence lurking beneath the facade of “ethical science” at KUMC. And you have no right to continue hiding your twisted fascination with abusing animals, as you are satiating your sadistic impulses on the public’s dime......
Jason Miller, an Animal Rights and social justice activist of modest means, is offering a reward of $35,000.00 to any group or individual who facilitates freedom (i.e. life in a primate sanctuary) for the primates enslaved by the University of Kansas Medical Center OR to any group or individual who orchestrates or causes the complete and permanent cessation of primate vivisection at the University of Kansas Medical Center. DISCLAIMER: Jason Miller is not endorsing, condoning, promoting, or encouraging the commission of illegal or violent acts to achieve the goals necessary to earn this reward.
Date: Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 2:18 AM
Subject Re: Official Letter
Mailed-by: gmail.com
From: Jason Miller
To: Ed Phillips EPHILLIPS@kumc.edu
cc: mnielsen@kumc.edu, batkinson@kumc.edu, twoolley@kumc.edu, jsullinger@kcstar.com, Governor@ks.gov, news@kmbc.com, news@nbcactionnews.com, news@wdaftv4.com, newsdesk@kctv5.com, mdwilliamsatkcstar.com, maugustine@hearst.com, morrison@nbcactionnews.com, jlambe@kcstar.com, “Carolyn. Szczepanski@pitch. com” “Ziegler, Laura A.” , Ray Read , bgrady@kmbz.com, pcheney@kumc.edu
Ed, Barbara, et al,
I appreciate your email. I will admit that it’s a bit puzzling to me that you felt it necessary to send me an “official letter” warning me that I’ll be arrested if I again set foot upon KUMC (The University of Kansas Medical Center) property. Your quartet of armed militia made that abundantly clear when they detained me for twenty minutes, questioned me, searched me, and issued me a written criminal trespass warning for the “crime” of exercising my First Amendment Rights.
I find it amusing (yet at the same time disturbing) that KUMC would have felt threatened enough by an unarmed social justice activist (who was passing out fliers that expressed objection to the enslavement, torture and murder of sentient beings) that it would resort to fascist tactics that run rough-shod over the First Amendment. Obviously you and KUMC have much to hide.
As evidenced by your refusal to allow my allies and me (or the media, whom I’ve taken the liberty to CC in this email) into your laboratories to observe and document your self-proclaimed “ethical” torture and enslavement of nonhuman primates (who think, emote and feel pain like we do), there is a great deal of depravity, cruelty and malevolence lurking beneath the facade of “ethical science” at KUMC. And you have no right to continue hiding your twisted fascination with abusing animals, as you are satiating your sadistic impulses on the public’s dime......
Uganda: Govt Plans to Export Monkeys to Russia
Zahra Abigaba and Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa
11 April 2010
Zahra Abigaba & Al-Mahdi SsenkabirwaPalm oil growers in Kalangala
District can now sigh with relief after it emerged that the government
was planning to export monkeys that had become a menace to Russia.
Tourism Minister Sarapio Rukundo told Sunday Monitor on Thursday that
plans were underway to issue licenses to companies that will sale them
overseas.
"We have plans to start giving out licenses to some people to export
them (monkeys) to Russia and in return the country will be getting
foreign exchange the same way we reap from local tourism," the minister
said adding, "We are going to send our team on the ground to investigate
those reports (of killing monkeys) and if we find out that it is true,
the perpetrators will be jailed."
The minister was reacting to media reports that authorities in Kalangala
had sanctioned the extermination of all monkeys to save the oil palm
fields on Bugala Islands.
The island is the second largest on Lake Victoria after Ukerewe and has
67,000 acres. Monkeys in the area help themselves on ripe palm fruits -
something that has left many farmers in the area counting hefty losses.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201004121465.html
IPPL note: addresses for protests:
http://www.worldembassyinformation.com/embassy-of-uganda/usa.html (US)
http://www.worldembassyinformation.com/embassy-of-uganda/united-kingdom.html
(UK)
Dr. Shirley McGreal, OBE, Chairwoman
International Primate Protection League
PO Box 766
Summerville, SC 29484, USA
Phone - 843-871-2280, Fax- 843-871-7988
E-mail - smcgreal@ippl.org
Web: www.ippl.org
Working to Protect All Primates Since 1973
One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly
making exciting discoveries. ~ AA Milne
11 April 2010
Zahra Abigaba & Al-Mahdi SsenkabirwaPalm oil growers in Kalangala
District can now sigh with relief after it emerged that the government
was planning to export monkeys that had become a menace to Russia.
Tourism Minister Sarapio Rukundo told Sunday Monitor on Thursday that
plans were underway to issue licenses to companies that will sale them
overseas.
"We have plans to start giving out licenses to some people to export
them (monkeys) to Russia and in return the country will be getting
foreign exchange the same way we reap from local tourism," the minister
said adding, "We are going to send our team on the ground to investigate
those reports (of killing monkeys) and if we find out that it is true,
the perpetrators will be jailed."
The minister was reacting to media reports that authorities in Kalangala
had sanctioned the extermination of all monkeys to save the oil palm
fields on Bugala Islands.
The island is the second largest on Lake Victoria after Ukerewe and has
67,000 acres. Monkeys in the area help themselves on ripe palm fruits -
something that has left many farmers in the area counting hefty losses.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201004121465.html
IPPL note: addresses for protests:
http://www.worldembassyinformation.com/embassy-of-uganda/usa.html (US)
http://www.worldembassyinformation.com/embassy-of-uganda/united-kingdom.html
(UK)
Dr. Shirley McGreal, OBE, Chairwoman
International Primate Protection League
PO Box 766
Summerville, SC 29484, USA
Phone - 843-871-2280, Fax- 843-871-7988
E-mail - smcgreal@ippl.org
Web: www.ippl.org
Working to Protect All Primates Since 1973
One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly
making exciting discoveries. ~ AA Milne
Sunday, March 21, 2010
UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE ILLEGAL TRADE IN TIGER PARTS IN SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE, 19
March 2010– A 3-month undercover investigation by ACRES (Animal Concerns Research and
Education Society) has revealed that 59 out
of 134 jewellery and antique shops visited in Singaporeoffered
alleged tiger parts for sale. Evidence of the 59 shops
selling alleged tiger parts was recorded on video.
Approximately159 alleged tiger
claws, 303 alleged tiger teeth and 38 pieces of alleged tiger skin were found on
sale during the investigation, which was conducted from December 2009 until February 2010. Tiger parts are used for various purposes such as traditional
medicine, jewellery, lucky charms and novelties.
Singaporehas previously been recognised as playing
a role in the trade of tiger products from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, for both domestic trade and
international re-exports.1
Although all
commercial tiger trade has been banned since 1987 by CITES (Convention on the
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), whichSingaporeis a party to, there has been an
approximate 50% decrease in wild tiger populations since the
ban.
Less than a century ago, more
than 100,000 tigers roamed the world’s jungles and forests. Today, less than
3,200 remain in the wild.Three subspecies of tiger
have become extinct within the last 50years and,despite the inclusion of
Asian big cat species in Appendix I of CITES, the illegal trade in
specimens of nearly all these species has escalated and further threatens their
long-term survival in the wild.
Singaporejoined CITES in 1986 and ratified the
Convention in 1987. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority is the CITES
authority in Singapore. AVAadministers the Endangered Species
(Import and Export) Act (ESA), which lists all CITES species in its
Schedules. Under the ESA, it is an offence to import, export and re-export any CITES species
without a permit from AVA. The possession, sale, offering or exposing or advertising for sale
or displaying to the public of any illegally imported CITES specimen is also an
offence. The penalties, on conviction, are a fine of $50,000 (per species), not
exceeding an aggregate of $500,000 and/or 2 years imprisonment.
Under the Endangered
Species (Import and Export) (Prohibition of Sale) Notification, the domestic sale of tiger
specimens is prohibited. Any person who sells, offers or exposes for sale or
displays to the public any tiger parts and products, commits an offence. The
offender shall be liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000 for each species (but
not to exceed in the aggregate $100,000) or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 1 year or to both.
“It is important to note that
anyone who advertises for sale any tiger parts contravenes the above Act, even if the products turn out to be not
authentic. By making a claim that
the product is from tigers, the dealer is potentially driving up the demand for
tiger parts,which directly contravenes the spirit of CITES and
the local legislation meant to enforce
CITES” said
Ms. Anbarasi Boopal, Director of ACRES Wildlife Crime Unit.
Key findings of the investigation
include:
* The demand for tiger parts and the amount of tiger parts being stocked by the shops appeared to be higher over the Chinese New Year period in this year of the tiger, as reported by a shopkeeper.
* At 52 shops, the alleged tiger parts were openly on sale.
* 28 shopkeepers mentioned that an order for more tiger parts could be placed with them, and the delivery time ranged from one week to three months or more.
* 7 shopkeepers recognised that tigers are protected animals, that it is illegal to sell tiger parts, and that tiger parts are customs-controlled items.
* The alleged tiger parts were claimed to originate from Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Lao and Cambodia.
“The
investigation findings showed the presence of an illegal trade in alleged tiger
parts in Singaporeand that
there is an immediate need for continued serious efforts to curb this illegal
trade. The investigation
findings and footage have been submitted to the AVAand we look
forward to working closely with the AVA”
said Mr. Louis Ng, Executive Director of ACRES.
“As long as there is demand, there will be
supply. Legislation alone is insufficient to bring a complete halt to the
illegal trading of endangered species and their parts. We must do more public
education and awareness so demands for them can be curbed and supply will then
terminate”
said Dr. Lim Wee
Kiak,Member
of Parliament for SembawangGRC.
Contact:
Louis
Ng (ACRES Executive Director)
Email: louis@acres.org.sg
· Photographs
and video footage of the investigation are available on
request.
· In 2003, ACRES, in collaboration with The New
Paper, conducted undercover investigations into the illegal trade in tiger parts
in Singapore. The
investigations revealed that alleged tiger parts, including tiger bones, tiger
paws and tiger penises, were on sale at Traditional Chinese Medicine stores in Chinatown.
· Between 2008
and 2009, ACRES received 3 tip-offs regarding the sale of alleged tiger parts in Singapore. ACRES
investigations confirmed alleged tiger parts being sold as lucky charms in all
three cases. Enforcement action by the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority
followed.
· ACRES
is a local animal protection charity and Institution of Public Character aimed
at fostering respect and compassion for all animals. It currently has more than
18,000 individuals on its supporter database.
1. Chris R.
Shepherd and Nolan Magnus, 2004. Nowhere to hide: The trade in Sumatran tiger. A
TRAFFIC South-east
Asiareport.
March 2010– A 3-month undercover investigation by ACRES (Animal Concerns Research and
Education Society) has revealed that 59 out
of 134 jewellery and antique shops visited in Singaporeoffered
alleged tiger parts for sale. Evidence of the 59 shops
selling alleged tiger parts was recorded on video.
Approximately159 alleged tiger
claws, 303 alleged tiger teeth and 38 pieces of alleged tiger skin were found on
sale during the investigation, which was conducted from December 2009 until February 2010. Tiger parts are used for various purposes such as traditional
medicine, jewellery, lucky charms and novelties.
Singaporehas previously been recognised as playing
a role in the trade of tiger products from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, for both domestic trade and
international re-exports.1
Although all
commercial tiger trade has been banned since 1987 by CITES (Convention on the
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), whichSingaporeis a party to, there has been an
approximate 50% decrease in wild tiger populations since the
ban.
Less than a century ago, more
than 100,000 tigers roamed the world’s jungles and forests. Today, less than
3,200 remain in the wild.Three subspecies of tiger
have become extinct within the last 50years and,despite the inclusion of
Asian big cat species in Appendix I of CITES, the illegal trade in
specimens of nearly all these species has escalated and further threatens their
long-term survival in the wild.
Singaporejoined CITES in 1986 and ratified the
Convention in 1987. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority is the CITES
authority in Singapore. AVAadministers the Endangered Species
(Import and Export) Act (ESA), which lists all CITES species in its
Schedules. Under the ESA, it is an offence to import, export and re-export any CITES species
without a permit from AVA. The possession, sale, offering or exposing or advertising for sale
or displaying to the public of any illegally imported CITES specimen is also an
offence. The penalties, on conviction, are a fine of $50,000 (per species), not
exceeding an aggregate of $500,000 and/or 2 years imprisonment.
Under the Endangered
Species (Import and Export) (Prohibition of Sale) Notification, the domestic sale of tiger
specimens is prohibited. Any person who sells, offers or exposes for sale or
displays to the public any tiger parts and products, commits an offence. The
offender shall be liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000 for each species (but
not to exceed in the aggregate $100,000) or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 1 year or to both.
“It is important to note that
anyone who advertises for sale any tiger parts contravenes the above Act, even if the products turn out to be not
authentic. By making a claim that
the product is from tigers, the dealer is potentially driving up the demand for
tiger parts,which directly contravenes the spirit of CITES and
the local legislation meant to enforce
CITES” said
Ms. Anbarasi Boopal, Director of ACRES Wildlife Crime Unit.
Key findings of the investigation
include:
* The demand for tiger parts and the amount of tiger parts being stocked by the shops appeared to be higher over the Chinese New Year period in this year of the tiger, as reported by a shopkeeper.
* At 52 shops, the alleged tiger parts were openly on sale.
* 28 shopkeepers mentioned that an order for more tiger parts could be placed with them, and the delivery time ranged from one week to three months or more.
* 7 shopkeepers recognised that tigers are protected animals, that it is illegal to sell tiger parts, and that tiger parts are customs-controlled items.
* The alleged tiger parts were claimed to originate from Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Lao and Cambodia.
“The
investigation findings showed the presence of an illegal trade in alleged tiger
parts in Singaporeand that
there is an immediate need for continued serious efforts to curb this illegal
trade. The investigation
findings and footage have been submitted to the AVAand we look
forward to working closely with the AVA”
said Mr. Louis Ng, Executive Director of ACRES.
“As long as there is demand, there will be
supply. Legislation alone is insufficient to bring a complete halt to the
illegal trading of endangered species and their parts. We must do more public
education and awareness so demands for them can be curbed and supply will then
terminate”
said Dr. Lim Wee
Kiak,Member
of Parliament for SembawangGRC.
Contact:
Louis
Ng (ACRES Executive Director)
Email: louis@acres.org.sg
· Photographs
and video footage of the investigation are available on
request.
· In 2003, ACRES, in collaboration with The New
Paper, conducted undercover investigations into the illegal trade in tiger parts
in Singapore. The
investigations revealed that alleged tiger parts, including tiger bones, tiger
paws and tiger penises, were on sale at Traditional Chinese Medicine stores in Chinatown.
· Between 2008
and 2009, ACRES received 3 tip-offs regarding the sale of alleged tiger parts in Singapore. ACRES
investigations confirmed alleged tiger parts being sold as lucky charms in all
three cases. Enforcement action by the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority
followed.
· ACRES
is a local animal protection charity and Institution of Public Character aimed
at fostering respect and compassion for all animals. It currently has more than
18,000 individuals on its supporter database.
1. Chris R.
Shepherd and Nolan Magnus, 2004. Nowhere to hide: The trade in Sumatran tiger. A
TRAFFIC South-east
Asiareport.
Friday, December 4, 2009
'Rampant' Rhino Poaching on the Rise
'Rampant' Rhino Poaching on the Rise
GENEVA, Switzerland, December 1, 2009 (ENS) - Rhino poaching in both Africa and Asia is increasing, finds a report issued today by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC. The trade is being driven by Asian demand for rhinocerus horns and the report documents killing by sophisticated poachers, who now are using veterinary drugs, poison, crossbows and high caliber weapons to kill rhinos.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2009/2009-12-01-02.asp
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Ted Turner gets OK for Yellowstone bison on ranch
BILLINGS, Mont. — Seventy-four bison from Yellowstone National Park would go to billionaire Ted Turner's private ranch under a plan given preliminary approval Wednesday by the head of Montana's wildlife agency.
The bison have been held in federal quarantine for the past several years to make sure they don't have the animal disease brucellosis.
Turner offered to hold them for five years — the duration of the quarantine program — in exchange for keeping 90 percent of their offspring. That could amount to about 190 animals to offset his costs.
Officials hope to eventually use the bison to establish new herds on public lands. But conservationists see the move as privatizing Montana wildlife
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the quarantine in Corwin Springs, Mont., also opposes the move.
Bison, or buffalo, once numbered in the millions across North America but were driven to near extinction.
Turner Enterprises general manager Russell Miller said Ted Turner stepped in after Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer asked if he would consider submitting a proposal for the animals.
Full article:http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hIanYFbx1XqnoT-IzyVWnmzEi6GgD9CBHAN01
The bison have been held in federal quarantine for the past several years to make sure they don't have the animal disease brucellosis.
Turner offered to hold them for five years — the duration of the quarantine program — in exchange for keeping 90 percent of their offspring. That could amount to about 190 animals to offset his costs.
Officials hope to eventually use the bison to establish new herds on public lands. But conservationists see the move as privatizing Montana wildlife
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the quarantine in Corwin Springs, Mont., also opposes the move.
Bison, or buffalo, once numbered in the millions across North America but were driven to near extinction.
Turner Enterprises general manager Russell Miller said Ted Turner stepped in after Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer asked if he would consider submitting a proposal for the animals.
Full article:http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hIanYFbx1XqnoT-IzyVWnmzEi6GgD9CBHAN01
Friday, November 27, 2009
EI FOREST VICTORY -- PRESS/SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE
EI FOREST VICTORY -- PRESS/SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE
Key Indian Elephant Corridor and Habitat Successfully Protected
Ecological Internet's Earth Action Network again demonstrates its ability to successfully internationalize strong, local environmental sustainability protest -- please support EI's continued success now during crucial fund-raiser at http://www.climateark.org/shared/donate/
November 26, 2009
By Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet (EI)
http://www.ecoearth.info/newsdesk/
CONTACT: Dr. Glen Barry, glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org
After prolonged protest by Ecological Internet, Rainforest Rescue and other partners, the Indian government has decided against locating a Neutrino Observatory (INO), an underground experimental physics project, in prime Indian elephant and other endangered animal and plant habitat. Indian officials in a new report have decided the Neutrino Observatory would gravely impact the Mudumulai Tiger Reserve, an important corridor for Indian elephants and other wildlife, and will be moved to a more suitable site. Priya Davidar of Pondicherry University in Pondicherry, India, noted "This is a rare victory for conservation (in India)."
Ecological Internet spearheaded and provided the Internet protest platform for a loose coalition of environmentalists and conservation biologists working to block the project. Some 9,000 global Ecological Internet action network participants from 96 countries sent nearly 100,000 protest emails over the past 9 months [1]. This international action supported on-the-ground organizing by others including the Rainforest Information Centre and noted environmentalists including John Seed, Priya Davida and Ingmar Lee of Canada (who initially proposed the campaign).
The area contains one of the largest contiguous forests in Asia and sustains India's largest wild populations of Asian Elephants and Bengal Tigers. The government's report confirmed our allegations that the site "is in close proximity to the core/critical tiger habitats of Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger reserves. It is also an elephant corridor, facilitating elephant movement from the Western Ghats to the Eastern Ghats and vice-versa." Nilgiri contains over a fifth of the India's vertebrates and flowering plants, 15% of its butterflies, and numerous endangered species.
"Ecological Internet has again demonstrated the importance of ecologically aware global citizens joining together to protest on the Internet in support of local conservation protests. We are very pleased to have been filling this role in the global movement for ecological sustainability for ten years, and hope to continue doing so should our current end-of-year fund-raiser be successful", notes Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet's President. "With continued support through alert participation at http://www.climateark.org/shared/alerts/
-- and tax-deductible donations at http://www.climateark.org/shared/donate/
-- we envision even more ecologically sufficient policy success in the future."
**************************
[1] The long-running alert entitled "Critical Elephant Corridor in India to be Severed" can be found at:
http://forests.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=india_elephants
Ecological Internet provides the world's largest and most used forest, climate and environment portals at http://forests.org , http://www.climateark.org/
and http://www.ecoearth.info/
Dr. Glen Barry is a leading global spokesperson on behalf of environmental sustainability policy. He frequently conducts interviews on the latest climate, forest and water policy developments and can be reached at: glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org
Key Indian Elephant Corridor and Habitat Successfully Protected
Ecological Internet's Earth Action Network again demonstrates its ability to successfully internationalize strong, local environmental sustainability protest -- please support EI's continued success now during crucial fund-raiser at http://www.climateark.org/shared/donate/
November 26, 2009
By Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet (EI)
http://www.ecoearth.info/newsdesk/
CONTACT: Dr. Glen Barry, glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org
After prolonged protest by Ecological Internet, Rainforest Rescue and other partners, the Indian government has decided against locating a Neutrino Observatory (INO), an underground experimental physics project, in prime Indian elephant and other endangered animal and plant habitat. Indian officials in a new report have decided the Neutrino Observatory would gravely impact the Mudumulai Tiger Reserve, an important corridor for Indian elephants and other wildlife, and will be moved to a more suitable site. Priya Davidar of Pondicherry University in Pondicherry, India, noted "This is a rare victory for conservation (in India)."
Ecological Internet spearheaded and provided the Internet protest platform for a loose coalition of environmentalists and conservation biologists working to block the project. Some 9,000 global Ecological Internet action network participants from 96 countries sent nearly 100,000 protest emails over the past 9 months [1]. This international action supported on-the-ground organizing by others including the Rainforest Information Centre and noted environmentalists including John Seed, Priya Davida and Ingmar Lee of Canada (who initially proposed the campaign).
The area contains one of the largest contiguous forests in Asia and sustains India's largest wild populations of Asian Elephants and Bengal Tigers. The government's report confirmed our allegations that the site "is in close proximity to the core/critical tiger habitats of Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger reserves. It is also an elephant corridor, facilitating elephant movement from the Western Ghats to the Eastern Ghats and vice-versa." Nilgiri contains over a fifth of the India's vertebrates and flowering plants, 15% of its butterflies, and numerous endangered species.
"Ecological Internet has again demonstrated the importance of ecologically aware global citizens joining together to protest on the Internet in support of local conservation protests. We are very pleased to have been filling this role in the global movement for ecological sustainability for ten years, and hope to continue doing so should our current end-of-year fund-raiser be successful", notes Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet's President. "With continued support through alert participation at http://www.climateark.org/shared/alerts/
-- and tax-deductible donations at http://www.climateark.org/shared/donate/
-- we envision even more ecologically sufficient policy success in the future."
**************************
[1] The long-running alert entitled "Critical Elephant Corridor in India to be Severed" can be found at:
http://forests.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=india_elephants
Ecological Internet provides the world's largest and most used forest, climate and environment portals at http://forests.org , http://www.climateark.org/
and http://www.ecoearth.info/
Dr. Glen Barry is a leading global spokesperson on behalf of environmental sustainability policy. He frequently conducts interviews on the latest climate, forest and water policy developments and can be reached at: glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Lawsuit Filed to Halt Huge Wild Horse Roundup
Washington, DC - In Defense of Animals (IDA) and ecologist Craig
Downer today filed suit, in the federal U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia, to stop the Bureau of Land Management's proposed
massive roundup and removal of more than 2,700 wild horses from public
lands in Nevada. The roundup, slated to begin in early December, will
take virtually every wild horse living in the Calico Complex Herd
Management Area in northwestern Nevada. It is by far the largest of
any wild horse roundup planned by the BLM for Fiscal Year 2010.
"This suit aims to halt the inherent cruelty of the BLM's wild horse
roundups, which traumatize, injure and kill horses, subvert the will
of Congress and are entirely illegal," said William Spriggs, Esq., a
partner at Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney and lead counsel on the law
suit. The firm is representing IDA and Mr. Downer on a pro bono basis.
The suit alleges that the BLM plan to utilize helicopters to
indiscriminately chase as many as 2,738 of the estimated 3,095 Calico
horses into holding pens violates the Wild Free Roaming Horse and
Burro Act, passed unanimously in 1971. The Act designated America's
wild horses and burros as "living symbols of the historic and pioneer
spirit of the West," specifying they "shall be protected from capture,
branding, harassment, or death … [and that] to accomplish this they
are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral
part of the natural system of public lands.”
"Americans strongly support protecting wild horses on their natural
ranges in the West." Mr. Spriggs continued. "We hope to stop the cruel
roundups and mass stockpiling of wild horses and burros in government
holding facilities while the Obama Administration crafts a new policy
that protects these animals and upholds the will of Congress and the
public’s desire to preserve this important part of our national
heritage."
Since 1971, the BLM has removed over 270,000 horses from their Western
home ranges and taken away nearly 20 million acres of wild horse
habitat on public lands that were protected by Congress as being
"necessary to sustain an existing herd or herds of wild horses and
burros ... and ... is devoted principally ... to their welfare." The
policy is based on the unsupportable claim that Western ranges cannot
sustain wild horses and burros. These animals comprise a tiny fraction
of animals grazing the range. An estimated 8 million livestock, but
only 37,000 horses and burros, graze on public lands.
Thirty-two thousand wild horses who have been removed from the range
are already held in government holding facilities, and the BLM intends
to round up 12,000 more horses in FY 2010.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
HELP BAN LIVE COYOTE/FOX BAIT DOG TRAINING IN INDIANA
YOUR VOICE NEEDED!
On
November 17th, the Indiana Natural Resources Commission will consider several formal
petitions to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red
foxes for "penning" purposes and as live bait in the wild.
Current
loopholes in Indiana´s wildlife regulations allow the capture and killing
of coyotes and red foxes by dogs in the wild. Moreover, no rule or law exists
prohibiting the trapping and selling of coyotes and foxes in state or across
state lines to "penning" facilities where these wild canines are
then used to "train" hunting dogs in "running pens;"
this practice is allowed for five months of the year during the furbearer
trapping season. Operators of the running pens often charge a fee for
individuals to "train" their hunting dogs on the captive coyotes
and foxes. This practice - commonly referred to as
"´penning" - violates the concept of "fair
chase" and runs counter to fundamental concepts of wildlife management.
Project
Coyote and the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) strongly support a ban on these
practices. We have garnered the support of many prominent scientists, wildlife
biologists, veterinarians, and attorneys who have joined us in urging the
Commission to ban these practices (see Project
Coyote and AWI´s sign-on letter to the Commission). Moreover, the
Indiana Department of Natural Resources (INDNR) has acknowledged that there are
ecological, ethical, and disease/health related issues associated
with penning.
PLEASE
VOICE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THESE PETITIONS! You do not need to be an Indiana
resident to voice your opinion but you do need to clearly state your city,
state, and country of residence for your comment to be officially considered
(see INDNR´s rules
about commenting). Please write a letter to the Commission urging them to
support these formal petitions to move forward with the formal rulemaking
process to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes
for "penning" purposes and as live bait in the wild. LETTERS MUST
BE RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 17TH!
If you
live in Indiana, please consider attending and testifying at the Commission
hearing on November 17th where they will decide whether to move forward to
preliminarily adopt these petitions and move forward with formal rulemaking
procedures. We need a good showing at this hearing! Details:
Date: November 17
Time: 10am (EST)
Place: Fort Benjamin Harrison - The Garrison (Fort Harrison State Park)
6002 North Post Road., Indianapolis, Indiana
More info: www.in.gov./nrc/2354.htm
Letters
should be addressed as follows:
Indiana
Natural Resources Commission
Indiana Government Center North
100 N. Senate Ave., Rm. N501
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2200
Sent via
email: jkane@nrc.in.gov
RE:
Support for proposed rules to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of
coyotes and red foxes for "penning" purposes and as live bait in
the wild
Dear
Commission members:
As a
concerned citizen who values wildlife, I strongly support the proposed rules to
prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes for
"penning" purposes and as live bait in the wild. I strongly urge
you to move forward with the formal rulemaking process to end these brutal
practices.
POINTS
TO INCLUDE IN YOUR LETTER(please personalize your letter and use your own words
as this will have a much greater impact):
* ETHICALLY INDEFENSIBLE: Capturing, transporting, marketing, and penning wild animals for dog training is inherently cruel and should be banned for this reason alone. Pitting domestic canines against their wild cousins is ethically indefensible. Legislators have had the wisdom to ban dog and cock-fighting - largely on ethical grounds - and "penning" parallels these abhorrent practices. Penned wild coyotes and foxes are often mutilated in a cruel and unconscionable way- as acknowledged by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
* ECOLOGICALLY RECKLESS:Transporti ng and marketing wild coyotes and foxes for penning purposes is ecologically reckless. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources explicitly stated these concerns acknowledging that trade and transportation of wildlife is one of the primary contributors to disease transmission and historically has led to the spread of rabies and other diseases dangerous to wildlife, domestic animals and people.
* COUNTER TO SOUND SCIENTIFIC WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT:Coyote and fox penning is not an effective method of coyote and fox control as acknowledged by numerous and prominent scientists and wildlife biologists. There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that penning operations somehow help reduce coyote/fox populations on a state-wide level or mitigate negative encounters with coyotes or foxes. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has acknowledged that there are ecological, ethical, and disease and health related issues associated with penning. Moreover, the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies passed a resolution in 2008 urging the adoption of state-by-state regulations prohibiting the importation or interstate movement of foxes and coyotes for the purpose of stocking coursing pens or for release and pursuit by hounds outside of coursing pens.
For these
reasons, I urge you to support the proposed rules to prohibit the taking,
killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes for "penning"
purposes and as live bait in the wild.
Thank you
for your consideration of my comments. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
**FIRST & LAST NAME**
**FULL ADDRESS & COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE**
************ ******
Please
also tell the Indiana tourist authority why this ecologically reckless and
ethically indefensible practice will affect your plans to visit Indiana:
www.in.gov/visitindiana/contactUs.aspx
To view
video clips and photos of this practice see the following links (WARNING:
disturbing and graphic content):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9c0KaLjKrI
coyoteinfo.typepad. com
www.trainingnottorture.org
news.mync.com/site/news/video/6057/ Fox_and_Coyote_ Hunt_Ban
www.youtube.com/user/wildlifepenning
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNVMu8jSYD8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mom_wMCNshw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gd94TA58Ag
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbb_nKIy_ i4&feature= rec-LGOUT- exp_fresh+ div-HM
THANK
YOU FOR WRITING AND MAKING YOUR VOICE HEARD! FEEL FREE TO FORWARD AND SHARE
THIS ACTION ALERT WITH OTHERS!
MORE
INFORMATION: www.ProjectCoyote.org
____________ _________ _
Camilla
H. Fox
Founding Director, Project Coyote
Wildlife Consultant
P.O. Box 5007
Larkspur, CA 94977
cfox@projectcoyote.org
415.945.3232 (o)
Fostering educated coexistence between humans and coyotes
A project of Earth Island Institute
visit
us online: www.ProjectCoyote.org
make
a tax-deductible donation:
https://www.earthislandprojects.org/projectCoyote/donate.html
On
November 17th, the Indiana Natural Resources Commission will consider several formal
petitions to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red
foxes for "penning" purposes and as live bait in the wild.
Current
loopholes in Indiana´s wildlife regulations allow the capture and killing
of coyotes and red foxes by dogs in the wild. Moreover, no rule or law exists
prohibiting the trapping and selling of coyotes and foxes in state or across
state lines to "penning" facilities where these wild canines are
then used to "train" hunting dogs in "running pens;"
this practice is allowed for five months of the year during the furbearer
trapping season. Operators of the running pens often charge a fee for
individuals to "train" their hunting dogs on the captive coyotes
and foxes. This practice - commonly referred to as
"´penning" - violates the concept of "fair
chase" and runs counter to fundamental concepts of wildlife management.
Project
Coyote and the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) strongly support a ban on these
practices. We have garnered the support of many prominent scientists, wildlife
biologists, veterinarians, and attorneys who have joined us in urging the
Commission to ban these practices (see Project
Coyote and AWI´s sign-on letter to the Commission). Moreover, the
Indiana Department of Natural Resources (INDNR) has acknowledged that there are
ecological, ethical, and disease/health related issues associated
with penning.
PLEASE
VOICE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THESE PETITIONS! You do not need to be an Indiana
resident to voice your opinion but you do need to clearly state your city,
state, and country of residence for your comment to be officially considered
(see INDNR´s rules
about commenting). Please write a letter to the Commission urging them to
support these formal petitions to move forward with the formal rulemaking
process to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes
for "penning" purposes and as live bait in the wild. LETTERS MUST
BE RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 17TH!
If you
live in Indiana, please consider attending and testifying at the Commission
hearing on November 17th where they will decide whether to move forward to
preliminarily adopt these petitions and move forward with formal rulemaking
procedures. We need a good showing at this hearing! Details:
Date: November 17
Time: 10am (EST)
Place: Fort Benjamin Harrison - The Garrison (Fort Harrison State Park)
6002 North Post Road., Indianapolis, Indiana
More info: www.in.gov./nrc/2354.htm
Letters
should be addressed as follows:
Indiana
Natural Resources Commission
Indiana Government Center North
100 N. Senate Ave., Rm. N501
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2200
Sent via
email: jkane@nrc.in.gov
RE:
Support for proposed rules to prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of
coyotes and red foxes for "penning" purposes and as live bait in
the wild
Dear
Commission members:
As a
concerned citizen who values wildlife, I strongly support the proposed rules to
prohibit the taking, killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes for
"penning" purposes and as live bait in the wild. I strongly urge
you to move forward with the formal rulemaking process to end these brutal
practices.
POINTS
TO INCLUDE IN YOUR LETTER(please personalize your letter and use your own words
as this will have a much greater impact):
* ETHICALLY INDEFENSIBLE: Capturing, transporting, marketing, and penning wild animals for dog training is inherently cruel and should be banned for this reason alone. Pitting domestic canines against their wild cousins is ethically indefensible. Legislators have had the wisdom to ban dog and cock-fighting - largely on ethical grounds - and "penning" parallels these abhorrent practices. Penned wild coyotes and foxes are often mutilated in a cruel and unconscionable way- as acknowledged by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
* ECOLOGICALLY RECKLESS:Transporti ng and marketing wild coyotes and foxes for penning purposes is ecologically reckless. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources explicitly stated these concerns acknowledging that trade and transportation of wildlife is one of the primary contributors to disease transmission and historically has led to the spread of rabies and other diseases dangerous to wildlife, domestic animals and people.
* COUNTER TO SOUND SCIENTIFIC WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT:Coyote and fox penning is not an effective method of coyote and fox control as acknowledged by numerous and prominent scientists and wildlife biologists. There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that penning operations somehow help reduce coyote/fox populations on a state-wide level or mitigate negative encounters with coyotes or foxes. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has acknowledged that there are ecological, ethical, and disease and health related issues associated with penning. Moreover, the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies passed a resolution in 2008 urging the adoption of state-by-state regulations prohibiting the importation or interstate movement of foxes and coyotes for the purpose of stocking coursing pens or for release and pursuit by hounds outside of coursing pens.
For these
reasons, I urge you to support the proposed rules to prohibit the taking,
killing and harassment of coyotes and red foxes for "penning"
purposes and as live bait in the wild.
Thank you
for your consideration of my comments. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
**FIRST & LAST NAME**
**FULL ADDRESS & COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE**
************ ******
Please
also tell the Indiana tourist authority why this ecologically reckless and
ethically indefensible practice will affect your plans to visit Indiana:
www.in.gov/visitindiana/contactUs.aspx
To view
video clips and photos of this practice see the following links (WARNING:
disturbing and graphic content):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9c0KaLjKrI
coyoteinfo.typepad. com
www.trainingnottorture.org
news.mync.com/site/news/video/6057/ Fox_and_Coyote_ Hunt_Ban
www.youtube.com/user/wildlifepenning
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNVMu8jSYD8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mom_wMCNshw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gd94TA58Ag
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbb_nKIy_ i4&feature= rec-LGOUT- exp_fresh+ div-HM
THANK
YOU FOR WRITING AND MAKING YOUR VOICE HEARD! FEEL FREE TO FORWARD AND SHARE
THIS ACTION ALERT WITH OTHERS!
MORE
INFORMATION: www.ProjectCoyote.org
____________ _________ _
Camilla
H. Fox
Founding Director, Project Coyote
Wildlife Consultant
P.O. Box 5007
Larkspur, CA 94977
cfox@projectcoyote.org
415.945.3232 (o)
Fostering educated coexistence between humans and coyotes
A project of Earth Island Institute
visit
us online: www.ProjectCoyote.org
make
a tax-deductible donation:
https://www.earthislandprojects.org/projectCoyote/donate.html
Friday, November 6, 2009
Bear death prompts formation of animal rights group
The Ojai Wildlife League is criticizing Fish and Game officials foreuthanizing a wild bear last month, as the head game warden defendshis role in killing the 400-pound animal...There’s a sense of guilt, responsibility even, that hangs in the airunderneath a tree in the 200 block of Aliso Street in Ojai. Theflowers and candles littering the ground resemble the site of anaccident scene, or a grave. On a cactus leaf laid out, the words“Forgive Us” are scrawled. Residents are paying their respects for the death of a veryunconventional member of the community, writing poetry, sculpting artand holding ceremonial events, humanizing an animal they may haveattacked, rather than befriended, under different circumstances. But it’s the formation of a special group that’s thrust the OjaiValley into the spotlight this month, a group whose members are takingan active role in criticizing state game wardens in what they say wascruelty for euthanizing a 400-pound bear that posed no apparent threatafter climbing up the tree in Downtown Ojai on Oct. 10. “As an organization, we don’t have an answer at this point. We knowhow tragic this was,” says Chris Nottoli, a charter member of thenewly formed Ojai Wildlife League. “This bear died unnecessarily.” -- full story:http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/bear_death_prompts_formation_of_animal_rights_group/7374/
WWF Confronted for Rainforest "Greenwashing" of "Sustainable" Palm Oil
EI PRESS/SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE
WWF Confronted for Rainforest "Greenwashing" of "Sustainable" Palm Oil
November 6, 2009
From Rainforest Rescue, Biofuelwatch and
Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet (EI)
http://www.ecoearth.info/newsdesk/
Open letter to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palmoil and to WWF against “greenwashing” of the Palmoil business
An Open Letter signed by more than 80 organizations from 31 countries was delivered yesterday to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) co-initiator of the initiative. In the letter, they are urged to end the “greenwashing” and certification of palm oil plantations as being “sustainable”.
According to the Open Letter, palm oil companies certified by the RSPO are directly responsible for much social and environmental damage: dislocation of local populations’ livelihoods, destruction of rainforests and peat lands, pollution of soils and water, and contribution to global warming. These are the reasons why “palm oil monoculture[s] are not and can never be sustainable and ‘certification’ serves as a means of perpetuating and expanding this destructive industry”.
The letter also points out that the certification delivered by the RSPO is insufficient and highly unreliable: the standards which the RSPO refers to would not exclude social and environmental prejudices and the certification are based solely on self-assessments by the companies involved. The real goal of the RSPO certification is not to protect people or the environment, but “to legitimise an expansion in the demand for palm oil”, and to serve “to ‘greenwash’ the disastrous social and environmental impacts of the palm oil industry”. For example Unilever, the world’s first palm oil consumer company, is doing exactly this: it is using RSPO certification “as a way of portraying itself as a ‘responsible’ company, ignoring the real impacts of palm oil.”
The authors of the Open Letter are also concerned about “the role played by WWF in promoting the RSPO and using it to support endless growth in the demand for palm oil.” The fact that WWF contributed to the foundation of the RSPO and still lobbies for it worldwide is being used by the palm oil industry to legitimise its expansion and to obtain subsidies for example from the EU which decided to keep its 10% agrofuel target by 2020. The consequence of the involvement of the environmental organization WWF is the “speeding up of indiscriminate palm oil expansion in even more countries”.
Therefore, the Open Letter reiterates the call made in an “International Declaration Against the 'Greenwashing' of Palm Oil by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)” last year, and demands the end of promotion and support from the NGOs for the RSPO; a reduction in the demand for palm oil by the North; an end to the subsidies coming from northern governments; the protection of human rights and biodiversity and the reparation of damages.
Links
The open letter can be found below and on the Internet at:
http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/news.php?id=1445
The International Declaration Against the 'Greenwashing' of Palm Oil by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) can be found at:
http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/docs/17-11-2008-ENGLISH-RSPOInternational-Declaration.pdf
More information about palm oil greenwashing: http://www.wrm.org.uy/
\
Contacts:
English: Almuth Ernsting, Biofuelwatch, Info@biofuelwatch.org.uk
, Tel. +44-1224-324797
Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet, glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org
Spanish: Guadalupe Rodríguez, Salva la Selva, guadalupe@regenwald.org, Tel: +49 (0)30- 51736879
(Also see www.rainforest-rescue.org/news.php?id=1445
. For German, Indonesian, Italian and Spanish versions, please email unsustainablepalmoil@gmail.com
)
*****
2-11-2009
Open Letter to RSPO and WWF
Palm oil monocultures will never be sustainable
One year ago, the "International Declaration Against the `Greenwashing' of Palm Oil by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil" was published, signed by over 250 organisations worldwide (http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/news.php?id=1070). Since then, the RSPO has continued to certify palm oil produced by companies which are directly responsible for violating the rights of local communities, for the ongoing destruction of rainforests and peatlands and other abuses against people, the environment and climate. Even worse, palm oil suppliers are being granted `interim' RSPO certification based solely on self-assessments.
Destructive oil palm plantations have been certified in Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and the same greenwashing exercise has started in Colombia, Thailand and Ghana.
We are deeply concerned that RSPO certification is being used to legitimise an expansion in the demand for palm oil and thus in oil palm plantation, and it serves to greenwash the disastrous social and environmental impacts of the palm oil industry. The RSPO standards do not exclude clear cutting of many natural forests, the destruction of other important ecosystems, nor plantings on peat. The RSPO certifies plantations which impact on the livelihoods of local communities and their environments. The problems are exacerbated by the in-built conflict of interest in the system under which a company wanting to be certified commissions another company to carry our the assessment.
We also concerned about the role played by WWF in promoting the RSPO and using it to support endless growth in the demand for palm oil. WWF initiated the founding of the RSPO, continues to lobby worldwide for it, and combines this with their support for the agrofuel industry, including palm oil.
WWF's involvement is being used by agrofuel companies to justify building more refineries and more palm oil power stations in Europe. The promise of `sustainable palm oil', backed by WWF, was one important factor behind the EU's decision to go ahead with a 10% agrofuel target by 2020, and the RSPO will be used to allow palm oil to become eligible for EU agrofuel subsidies and other support. This is speeding up indiscriminate palm oil expansion in even more countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Cameroon, DR Congo, Republic of Congo, Uganda and Tanzania.
Unilever, with 1.6 million tonnes per year the biggest palm oil consumer in the world, uses a `commitment' to use RSPO palm oil in future as a way of portraying itself as a `responsible' company, ignoring the real impacts of palm oil. Wilmar International has applied for RSPO certificates in Indonesia, even though evidence of their involvement in illegal land-grabbing, fire-raising and rainforest and peatland destruction has led to the World Bank having suspended funding for palm oil. That hard-won suspension is now at risk of being lost because of false promises by the RSPO.
In Colombia, palm oil company Daabon, an RSPO member, succeeded in being portrayed in European media as a `responsible' company, despite the fact that they had illegally evicted small farmers from their land, felled trees and contaminated the Caribbean Sea with palm oil spills. In South-east Asia, IOI has had plantations certified, despite being responsible for the illegal destruction of peatlands and rainforests in Kalimantan, destroying the livelihood of indigenous peoples. Their customer Neste Oil has gained an interim RSPO certificate on this basis and is using this to promote biofuels for aviation, while building the world's biggest palm oil biofuel refinery.
Palm oil monocultures for food production, cosmetic and chemical industries and agrofuels are a major cause of deforestation and climate change, they destroy the livelihoods of millions of small farmers, indigenous peoples and other communities. They require agro-chemicals which poison workers and communities, soil, water and wildlife, they deplete freshwater and soils. Palm oil monocultures are not and can never be sustainable and `certification' serves as a means of perpetuating and expanding this destructive industry.
We therefore reiterate the call made in the International Declaration last year and demand
+ An end to all agrofuel targets, subsidies and incentives, particularly in Europe and the US;
+ Major reductions in the demand for vegetable oil and energy in the North;
+ The cancellation of trade relations between companies purchasing palm oil and suppliers destroying forests and peatlands as they are responsible for or benefit from violating Human Rights;
+ Land reform to devolve land to local communities, guarantee food sovereignty and restore biodiverse agriculture and ecosystems;
+ Resolution of land conflicts, protection of human rights, reparation for damages;
+ Restoring all remaining peatlands which have been drained for oil palms as far as this is still possible in order to mitigate global warming.
NGOs should not lend legitimacy to the RSPO and WWF must stop promoting the RSPO palm oil supporting agrofuels;
Governments in Europe and the US must reduce the demand for palm oil by stopping the policies which have created the artificial agrofuel market and ending agrofuel use.
NOTES:
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a private organisation or `stakeholder forum', which has created an `independent' label for certification of `sustainable' palm oil. Among the members of the RSPO are 80 palm oil plantation companies and federations, 8 banks and finance companies, 51 consumer good manufacturers, 23 retailers, 118 processors and traders and 21 NGOs.
Signatures:
Acción Ecológica – Ecuador
Action Populaire Contre la Mondialisation, Geneva, Switzerland
Afosci, Paraguay
Afrika-Europa Netwerk, Netherlands
Agencia de los Pueblos En Pie, Ecuador
Alert aginst the Green Desert Network, Brazil
Alotau Environment Ltd, Papua New Guinea
Amigos de la Tierra Buenos Aires, Argentina
A SEED Europe, Netherlands
Asociacion de Solidaridad con Colombia "ASOC-KATÍO", Spain
ASOCONSUMO, Colombia
Asolatino Berna, Swiss
Attac, Spain
Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe, Germany
BI "Kein Strom aus Palmöl !" - Germany
Biofuelwatch, UK
Bismarck Ramu Group - Madang, Papua New Guinea
Centre for Orangutan Protection, Indonesia
CETRI - Centro tricontinental, Belgica
Centro de Acogida para imigrantes y de Promocion Cultural "E. Balducci", Italia
Centro de Documentación en Derechos Humanos "Segundo Montes Mozo S. J." (CSMM), Equador
CENTRO DE MUJERES " AMELIA BRUHN", CHILE
Centro Ecologista Renacer, Argentina
Climat et Justice Sociale, Genève
CODDEFFAGOLF, Honduras
COECOCEIBA-AT Costa Rica
Colectivo de Colombianos Refugiados en Asturias, Spain
Colectivo Rosa Luxemburgo, Chiapas, México
Colectivo Sur Cacarica, Spain
Comité Cerezo, México
Comité Oscar Romero de Madrid, Spain
Comité Oscar Romero de Vigo, Spain
Comunidad cristiana Mártires de Uganda, Spain
Cooperativa de Artesanas Jolom Mayaetik, Chiapas, México
Coordinadora Nacional de Organizaciones Campesinas (CNOC), Guatemala
Corporate Europe Observatory, Bruselas, Bélgica
Cristianos de Base, España
DWK Panama e.V. , Germany
Ecological Internet, U.S. and Papua New Guinea
Ecological Society of the Philippines
Ecologistas en Acción, Spain
Ecoportal.Net, Argentina
Envirocare, Tanzania
FASE /Espirito Santo, Brazil
FASE Bahia, Brazil
Federación de Comités de Solidaridad con África Negra, Spain
FEDICAMP – Esteli, Nicaragua
FOBOMADE Bolivia
Forschungs- und Dokumentationszentrum Chile-Lateinamerika e.V. FDCL, Germany
Freunde der Naturvölker e.V./FdN (fPcN), Germany
Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Delphine, Germany
Grupo de Trabajo Suiza Colombia, Basilea/Berna
Guildford and Waverley Friends of the Earth Group, England
Kinal Antsetik, A. C., Chiapas, México
KoBra, Germany
Labour, Health and Human Rights DEvelopment Centre, Nigeria
Latin American Network against Monoculture Tree Plantations RECOMA
"La pluma", Equipo de "Los Pueblos en Pie, grupo Francia
Maderas del Pueblo del Sureste, Chiapas, Mexico
Mandacaru, Germany
Mangrove Action Project MAP, USA
Munlochy Vigil, Scotland
Nacional de Organizaciones Campesinas CNOC, Guatemala
Network for ecofarming in Africa NECOFA, Kenya
Network of Alternatives against Impunity and Market Globalisation, International
North East Peoples Allinace, North East India
Observatorio Latinoamericano de Conflictos Ambientales, Chile
Osservatorio Informativo sulla Americhe, Italy
Otros Mundos, Mexico
Pacific Indigenous Peoples Environment Coalition PIPEC, New Zeland
Plataforma de Solidaridad con Chiapas de Madrid, Spain
Programa de Defensa de Derechos Indígenas – Perú
Programa Universitario México Nación Multicultural PUMC-UNAM of Oaxaca, México
REDES – FOE, Uruguay
Regenwald-Institut e.V., Germany
Robin Wood, Germany
Salva la Selva/Rettet den Regenwald, Germany
Save Our Borneo, Indonesia
SAVIA, Guatemala
Secretariado de Centroamerica, Zentral America Secretariat, Switzerland
Servicios Jurídicos y Sociales SERJUS, Guatemala
Sobrevivencia, Amigos de la Tierra Paraguay
Sociedad Colombiana de Automovilistas, Colombia
Socio-Ecológica LaFuerza, Guatemala
South Durban Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), Southafrica
SPI (Indonesian Peasant Union), Indonesia
Toxicsoy.org, Netherlands
UmweltHaus am Schüberg, Germany
Union paysanne du Québec, Canadá
Vegetarierbund Deutschland VEBU, Germany
Watch Indonesia!, Germany
World Rainforest Movement, Uruguay
XXI Solidario, Spain
Youth, governance and evironmental programme Y-GEP, Kenya
Private persons:
François Houtart, Prof. emeritus of the Catholic University of Louvain, UNESCO prize 2009, Belgium
Elvira Lussana, Prof. Faculty of Economics University of Perugia-Italy
Monique Munting, Belgium
Pedro Tostado Sánchez, Cristianos de Base, España
DISCUSS RELEASE:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2009/11/wwf_confronted_for_rainforest.asp
WWF Confronted for Rainforest "Greenwashing" of "Sustainable" Palm Oil
November 6, 2009
From Rainforest Rescue, Biofuelwatch and
Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet (EI)
http://www.ecoearth.info/newsdesk/
Open letter to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palmoil and to WWF against “greenwashing” of the Palmoil business
An Open Letter signed by more than 80 organizations from 31 countries was delivered yesterday to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) co-initiator of the initiative. In the letter, they are urged to end the “greenwashing” and certification of palm oil plantations as being “sustainable”.
According to the Open Letter, palm oil companies certified by the RSPO are directly responsible for much social and environmental damage: dislocation of local populations’ livelihoods, destruction of rainforests and peat lands, pollution of soils and water, and contribution to global warming. These are the reasons why “palm oil monoculture[s] are not and can never be sustainable and ‘certification’ serves as a means of perpetuating and expanding this destructive industry”.
The letter also points out that the certification delivered by the RSPO is insufficient and highly unreliable: the standards which the RSPO refers to would not exclude social and environmental prejudices and the certification are based solely on self-assessments by the companies involved. The real goal of the RSPO certification is not to protect people or the environment, but “to legitimise an expansion in the demand for palm oil”, and to serve “to ‘greenwash’ the disastrous social and environmental impacts of the palm oil industry”. For example Unilever, the world’s first palm oil consumer company, is doing exactly this: it is using RSPO certification “as a way of portraying itself as a ‘responsible’ company, ignoring the real impacts of palm oil.”
The authors of the Open Letter are also concerned about “the role played by WWF in promoting the RSPO and using it to support endless growth in the demand for palm oil.” The fact that WWF contributed to the foundation of the RSPO and still lobbies for it worldwide is being used by the palm oil industry to legitimise its expansion and to obtain subsidies for example from the EU which decided to keep its 10% agrofuel target by 2020. The consequence of the involvement of the environmental organization WWF is the “speeding up of indiscriminate palm oil expansion in even more countries”.
Therefore, the Open Letter reiterates the call made in an “International Declaration Against the 'Greenwashing' of Palm Oil by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)” last year, and demands the end of promotion and support from the NGOs for the RSPO; a reduction in the demand for palm oil by the North; an end to the subsidies coming from northern governments; the protection of human rights and biodiversity and the reparation of damages.
Links
The open letter can be found below and on the Internet at:
http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/news.php?id=1445
The International Declaration Against the 'Greenwashing' of Palm Oil by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) can be found at:
http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/docs/17-11-2008-ENGLISH-RSPOInternational-Declaration.pdf
More information about palm oil greenwashing: http://www.wrm.org.uy/
\
Contacts:
English: Almuth Ernsting, Biofuelwatch, Info@biofuelwatch.org.uk
, Tel. +44-1224-324797
Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet, glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org
Spanish: Guadalupe Rodríguez, Salva la Selva, guadalupe@regenwald.org, Tel: +49 (0)30- 51736879
(Also see www.rainforest-rescue.org/news.php?id=1445
. For German, Indonesian, Italian and Spanish versions, please email unsustainablepalmoil@gmail.com
)
*****
2-11-2009
Open Letter to RSPO and WWF
Palm oil monocultures will never be sustainable
One year ago, the "International Declaration Against the `Greenwashing' of Palm Oil by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil" was published, signed by over 250 organisations worldwide (http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/news.php?id=1070). Since then, the RSPO has continued to certify palm oil produced by companies which are directly responsible for violating the rights of local communities, for the ongoing destruction of rainforests and peatlands and other abuses against people, the environment and climate. Even worse, palm oil suppliers are being granted `interim' RSPO certification based solely on self-assessments.
Destructive oil palm plantations have been certified in Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and the same greenwashing exercise has started in Colombia, Thailand and Ghana.
We are deeply concerned that RSPO certification is being used to legitimise an expansion in the demand for palm oil and thus in oil palm plantation, and it serves to greenwash the disastrous social and environmental impacts of the palm oil industry. The RSPO standards do not exclude clear cutting of many natural forests, the destruction of other important ecosystems, nor plantings on peat. The RSPO certifies plantations which impact on the livelihoods of local communities and their environments. The problems are exacerbated by the in-built conflict of interest in the system under which a company wanting to be certified commissions another company to carry our the assessment.
We also concerned about the role played by WWF in promoting the RSPO and using it to support endless growth in the demand for palm oil. WWF initiated the founding of the RSPO, continues to lobby worldwide for it, and combines this with their support for the agrofuel industry, including palm oil.
WWF's involvement is being used by agrofuel companies to justify building more refineries and more palm oil power stations in Europe. The promise of `sustainable palm oil', backed by WWF, was one important factor behind the EU's decision to go ahead with a 10% agrofuel target by 2020, and the RSPO will be used to allow palm oil to become eligible for EU agrofuel subsidies and other support. This is speeding up indiscriminate palm oil expansion in even more countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Cameroon, DR Congo, Republic of Congo, Uganda and Tanzania.
Unilever, with 1.6 million tonnes per year the biggest palm oil consumer in the world, uses a `commitment' to use RSPO palm oil in future as a way of portraying itself as a `responsible' company, ignoring the real impacts of palm oil. Wilmar International has applied for RSPO certificates in Indonesia, even though evidence of their involvement in illegal land-grabbing, fire-raising and rainforest and peatland destruction has led to the World Bank having suspended funding for palm oil. That hard-won suspension is now at risk of being lost because of false promises by the RSPO.
In Colombia, palm oil company Daabon, an RSPO member, succeeded in being portrayed in European media as a `responsible' company, despite the fact that they had illegally evicted small farmers from their land, felled trees and contaminated the Caribbean Sea with palm oil spills. In South-east Asia, IOI has had plantations certified, despite being responsible for the illegal destruction of peatlands and rainforests in Kalimantan, destroying the livelihood of indigenous peoples. Their customer Neste Oil has gained an interim RSPO certificate on this basis and is using this to promote biofuels for aviation, while building the world's biggest palm oil biofuel refinery.
Palm oil monocultures for food production, cosmetic and chemical industries and agrofuels are a major cause of deforestation and climate change, they destroy the livelihoods of millions of small farmers, indigenous peoples and other communities. They require agro-chemicals which poison workers and communities, soil, water and wildlife, they deplete freshwater and soils. Palm oil monocultures are not and can never be sustainable and `certification' serves as a means of perpetuating and expanding this destructive industry.
We therefore reiterate the call made in the International Declaration last year and demand
+ An end to all agrofuel targets, subsidies and incentives, particularly in Europe and the US;
+ Major reductions in the demand for vegetable oil and energy in the North;
+ The cancellation of trade relations between companies purchasing palm oil and suppliers destroying forests and peatlands as they are responsible for or benefit from violating Human Rights;
+ Land reform to devolve land to local communities, guarantee food sovereignty and restore biodiverse agriculture and ecosystems;
+ Resolution of land conflicts, protection of human rights, reparation for damages;
+ Restoring all remaining peatlands which have been drained for oil palms as far as this is still possible in order to mitigate global warming.
NGOs should not lend legitimacy to the RSPO and WWF must stop promoting the RSPO palm oil supporting agrofuels;
Governments in Europe and the US must reduce the demand for palm oil by stopping the policies which have created the artificial agrofuel market and ending agrofuel use.
NOTES:
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a private organisation or `stakeholder forum', which has created an `independent' label for certification of `sustainable' palm oil. Among the members of the RSPO are 80 palm oil plantation companies and federations, 8 banks and finance companies, 51 consumer good manufacturers, 23 retailers, 118 processors and traders and 21 NGOs.
Signatures:
Acción Ecológica – Ecuador
Action Populaire Contre la Mondialisation, Geneva, Switzerland
Afosci, Paraguay
Afrika-Europa Netwerk, Netherlands
Agencia de los Pueblos En Pie, Ecuador
Alert aginst the Green Desert Network, Brazil
Alotau Environment Ltd, Papua New Guinea
Amigos de la Tierra Buenos Aires, Argentina
A SEED Europe, Netherlands
Asociacion de Solidaridad con Colombia "ASOC-KATÍO", Spain
ASOCONSUMO, Colombia
Asolatino Berna, Swiss
Attac, Spain
Berggorilla & Regenwald Direkthilfe, Germany
BI "Kein Strom aus Palmöl !" - Germany
Biofuelwatch, UK
Bismarck Ramu Group - Madang, Papua New Guinea
Centre for Orangutan Protection, Indonesia
CETRI - Centro tricontinental, Belgica
Centro de Acogida para imigrantes y de Promocion Cultural "E. Balducci", Italia
Centro de Documentación en Derechos Humanos "Segundo Montes Mozo S. J." (CSMM), Equador
CENTRO DE MUJERES " AMELIA BRUHN", CHILE
Centro Ecologista Renacer, Argentina
Climat et Justice Sociale, Genève
CODDEFFAGOLF, Honduras
COECOCEIBA-AT Costa Rica
Colectivo de Colombianos Refugiados en Asturias, Spain
Colectivo Rosa Luxemburgo, Chiapas, México
Colectivo Sur Cacarica, Spain
Comité Cerezo, México
Comité Oscar Romero de Madrid, Spain
Comité Oscar Romero de Vigo, Spain
Comunidad cristiana Mártires de Uganda, Spain
Cooperativa de Artesanas Jolom Mayaetik, Chiapas, México
Coordinadora Nacional de Organizaciones Campesinas (CNOC), Guatemala
Corporate Europe Observatory, Bruselas, Bélgica
Cristianos de Base, España
DWK Panama e.V. , Germany
Ecological Internet, U.S. and Papua New Guinea
Ecological Society of the Philippines
Ecologistas en Acción, Spain
Ecoportal.Net, Argentina
Envirocare, Tanzania
FASE /Espirito Santo, Brazil
FASE Bahia, Brazil
Federación de Comités de Solidaridad con África Negra, Spain
FEDICAMP – Esteli, Nicaragua
FOBOMADE Bolivia
Forschungs- und Dokumentationszentrum Chile-Lateinamerika e.V. FDCL, Germany
Freunde der Naturvölker e.V./FdN (fPcN), Germany
Gesellschaft zur Rettung der Delphine, Germany
Grupo de Trabajo Suiza Colombia, Basilea/Berna
Guildford and Waverley Friends of the Earth Group, England
Kinal Antsetik, A. C., Chiapas, México
KoBra, Germany
Labour, Health and Human Rights DEvelopment Centre, Nigeria
Latin American Network against Monoculture Tree Plantations RECOMA
"La pluma", Equipo de "Los Pueblos en Pie, grupo Francia
Maderas del Pueblo del Sureste, Chiapas, Mexico
Mandacaru, Germany
Mangrove Action Project MAP, USA
Munlochy Vigil, Scotland
Nacional de Organizaciones Campesinas CNOC, Guatemala
Network for ecofarming in Africa NECOFA, Kenya
Network of Alternatives against Impunity and Market Globalisation, International
North East Peoples Allinace, North East India
Observatorio Latinoamericano de Conflictos Ambientales, Chile
Osservatorio Informativo sulla Americhe, Italy
Otros Mundos, Mexico
Pacific Indigenous Peoples Environment Coalition PIPEC, New Zeland
Plataforma de Solidaridad con Chiapas de Madrid, Spain
Programa de Defensa de Derechos Indígenas – Perú
Programa Universitario México Nación Multicultural PUMC-UNAM of Oaxaca, México
REDES – FOE, Uruguay
Regenwald-Institut e.V., Germany
Robin Wood, Germany
Salva la Selva/Rettet den Regenwald, Germany
Save Our Borneo, Indonesia
SAVIA, Guatemala
Secretariado de Centroamerica, Zentral America Secretariat, Switzerland
Servicios Jurídicos y Sociales SERJUS, Guatemala
Sobrevivencia, Amigos de la Tierra Paraguay
Sociedad Colombiana de Automovilistas, Colombia
Socio-Ecológica LaFuerza, Guatemala
South Durban Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), Southafrica
SPI (Indonesian Peasant Union), Indonesia
Toxicsoy.org, Netherlands
UmweltHaus am Schüberg, Germany
Union paysanne du Québec, Canadá
Vegetarierbund Deutschland VEBU, Germany
Watch Indonesia!, Germany
World Rainforest Movement, Uruguay
XXI Solidario, Spain
Youth, governance and evironmental programme Y-GEP, Kenya
Private persons:
François Houtart, Prof. emeritus of the Catholic University of Louvain, UNESCO prize 2009, Belgium
Elvira Lussana, Prof. Faculty of Economics University of Perugia-Italy
Monique Munting, Belgium
Pedro Tostado Sánchez, Cristianos de Base, España
DISCUSS RELEASE:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2009/11/wwf_confronted_for_rainforest.asp
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Wildlife crime soaring in Britain, driving some species close to extinction
Wildlife crime is soaring in Britain, driving some species such as the hen harrier close to extinction, wildlife experts have warned.
Under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 it is a criminal offence for anyone to wilfully kill a badger
The number of wildlife crimes more than doubled in the last year, from 2,177 to 5,854, with badgers and rare birds among the most persecuted, according to the National Wildlife Crime Unit, a police-led, multi-agency unit which gathers intelligence on national wildlife crime.
Cases of cruelty to animals in their natural habitat are now being reported at a rate of 120 a week. Among them are badger bating, egg thefts, bird trapping, deer poaching, hare coursing and habitat destruction.
"There is an increase in wildlife crime in general. We are seeking to use wider policing powers, such as the Proceeds of Crime Act, to target criminals where it hurts them most – in their pocket," he said.
Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB's conservation director, added: "There is far too much wildlife crime going on in the countryside. The scale of it is unacceptable in the modern age.
"The hen harrier is pretty close to being extinct in England, in large part down to wildlife crime."
Northumbria is Britain's wildlife crime capital, with 525 reported cases between February and July this year. The county is also responsible for the highest number of wildlife shootings.
Humberside was the worst area for poaching, with 119 incidents, while Grampian saw the highest number of reports of wildlife being trapped or snared.
Tayside and Lancashire, along with Grampian, were worst for crimes against birds of prey - hen harriers are targeted partly because of their reputation for preying on game such as grouse. North Wales had the most cases of badger persecution and habitat destruction.
Bats in Gwent were the most tormented in the country, Lincolnshire had the most cases of hare coursing and infringements of the new fox hunting rules were most reported in Devon and Cornwall.
The NWCU figures did not include attacks on domestic or farm animals which, says the RSPCA, have also risen from 105,000 investigated in 2003 to 140,000 last year. Dog fighting has risen tenfold since 2004 to nearly 300 incidents last year, and airgun attacks on animals and sheep and cattle rustling are also on the increase.
One of the most worrying trends was the increase in cruelty to badgers, thought to be motivated in part by the belief they are responsible for spreading bovine tuberculosis.
Between February and July this year, the NWCU recorded 241 incidents of badger persecution - nearing the total for 2008, which was 280.
Badger baiters are now feared to be travelling all over the country to find them, motivated by payments of up to £1,000 for a live badger for a dog to be set on.
Conservations including the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts believe that police are failing to be consistent in their handling of offenders, meaning many feel they can act with impunity. A government review into how wildlife crime is tackled is under way and will report in spring next year. Full Article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6479165/Wildlife-crime-soaring-in-Britain-driving-some-species-close-to-extinction.html
Under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 it is a criminal offence for anyone to wilfully kill a badger
The number of wildlife crimes more than doubled in the last year, from 2,177 to 5,854, with badgers and rare birds among the most persecuted, according to the National Wildlife Crime Unit, a police-led, multi-agency unit which gathers intelligence on national wildlife crime.
Cases of cruelty to animals in their natural habitat are now being reported at a rate of 120 a week. Among them are badger bating, egg thefts, bird trapping, deer poaching, hare coursing and habitat destruction.
"There is an increase in wildlife crime in general. We are seeking to use wider policing powers, such as the Proceeds of Crime Act, to target criminals where it hurts them most – in their pocket," he said.
Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB's conservation director, added: "There is far too much wildlife crime going on in the countryside. The scale of it is unacceptable in the modern age.
"The hen harrier is pretty close to being extinct in England, in large part down to wildlife crime."
Northumbria is Britain's wildlife crime capital, with 525 reported cases between February and July this year. The county is also responsible for the highest number of wildlife shootings.
Humberside was the worst area for poaching, with 119 incidents, while Grampian saw the highest number of reports of wildlife being trapped or snared.
Tayside and Lancashire, along with Grampian, were worst for crimes against birds of prey - hen harriers are targeted partly because of their reputation for preying on game such as grouse. North Wales had the most cases of badger persecution and habitat destruction.
Bats in Gwent were the most tormented in the country, Lincolnshire had the most cases of hare coursing and infringements of the new fox hunting rules were most reported in Devon and Cornwall.
The NWCU figures did not include attacks on domestic or farm animals which, says the RSPCA, have also risen from 105,000 investigated in 2003 to 140,000 last year. Dog fighting has risen tenfold since 2004 to nearly 300 incidents last year, and airgun attacks on animals and sheep and cattle rustling are also on the increase.
One of the most worrying trends was the increase in cruelty to badgers, thought to be motivated in part by the belief they are responsible for spreading bovine tuberculosis.
Between February and July this year, the NWCU recorded 241 incidents of badger persecution - nearing the total for 2008, which was 280.
Badger baiters are now feared to be travelling all over the country to find them, motivated by payments of up to £1,000 for a live badger for a dog to be set on.
Conservations including the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts believe that police are failing to be consistent in their handling of offenders, meaning many feel they can act with impunity. A government review into how wildlife crime is tackled is under way and will report in spring next year. Full Article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6479165/Wildlife-crime-soaring-in-Britain-driving-some-species-close-to-extinction.html
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Do animals think and feel?
by Marc Bekoff
October 29, 2009, Pets
Grief in animals:
It's arrogant to think we're the only animals who mourn
We're not the only animals who mourn
There is no doubt that many animals experience rich and deep emotions. It's
not a matter of if emotions have evolved in animals but why they have
evolved as they have. We must never forget that our emotions are the gifts
of our ancestors, our animal kin. We have feelings and so do other animals.
Among the different emotions that animals display clearly and unambiguously
is grief. Many animals display profound grief at the loss or absence of a
close friend or loved one. Nobel laureate ethologist Konrad Lorenz writes:
"A greylag goose that has lost its partner shows all the symptoms that
[developmental psychologist] John Bowlby has described in young human
children in his famous book Infant Grief . . . the eyes sink deep into their
sockets, and the individual has an overall drooping experience, literally
letting the head hang . . ." Sea lion mothers, watching their babies being
eaten by killer whales, wail pitifully, anguishing their loss. Dolphins have
been seen struggling to save a dead infant and mourn afterward. Stories
about grief stricken companion animals abound;
Wild animals also grieve. Among the best examples are grieving rituals of
elephants in the wild observed by such renowned researchers as Iain
Douglas-Hamilton, Cynthia Moss and Joyce Poole. Captive elephants also
grieve; see also. To quote Joyce Poole: "As I watched Tonie´s vigil over her
dead newborn, I got my first very strong feeling that elephants grieve. I
will never forget the expression on her face, her eyes, her mouth, the way
she carried her ears, her head, and her body. Every part of her spelled
grief". Young elephants who saw their mothers being killed often wake up
screaming.
Cynthia Moss describes the actions of the members of an elephant family
above after a group member had been shot: "Teresia and Trista became frantic
and knelt down and tried to lift her up. They worked their tusks under her
back and under her head. At one point they succeeded in lifting her into a
sitting position but her body flopped back down. Her family tried everything
to rouse her, kicking and tusking her, and Tullulah even went off and
collected a trunkful of grass and tried to stuff it in her mouth."
Iain Douglas-Hamilton and his colleagues have shown that elephants extend
this compassion to nonrelatives, to those who aren't genetically related,
and at least one anecdote shows them extending it to humans. A news report
told of an elephant in northern Kenya that trampled a human mother and her
child and then stopped to bury them before disappearing in the bush.
Elephants don't show concern just for their own kin, or their own kind, but
rather elephants show a general concern for the plight of others.
Nonhuman primates also grieve the loss of others. Gana, a captive gorilla,
clearly grieved the loss of her infant and the image of her carrying her
dead baby was shown around the world. Jane Goodall observed Flint, a young
chimpanzee, withdraw from his group, stop eating, and die of a broken heart
after the death of his mother, Flo. Here is Goodall's description from her
book Through a Window:
"Never shall I forget watching as, three days after Flo's death, Flint
climbed slowly into a tall tree near the stream. He walked along one of the
branches, then stopped and stood motionless, staring down at an empty nest.
After about two minutes he turned away and, with the movements of an old
man, climbed down, walked a few steps, then lay, wide eyes staring ahead.
The nest was one which he and Flo had shared a short while before Flo died.
. . . in the presence of his big brother [Figan], [Flint] had seemed to
shake off a little of his depression. But then he suddenly left the group
and raced back to the place where Flo had died and there sank into ever
deeper depression. . . . Flint became increasingly lethargic, refused food
and, with his immune system thus weakened, fell sick. The last time I saw
him alive, he was hollow-eyed, gaunt and utterly depressed, huddled in the
vegetation close to where Flo had died. . . . the last short journey he
made, pausing to rest every few feet, was to the very place where Flo's body
had lain. There he stayed for several hours, sometimes staring and staring
into the water. He struggled on a little further, then curled up— and never
moved again."
Another story of grieving chimpanzees recently was reported in the Daily
Mail.
Gorillas are known to hold wakes for dead friends, something that some zoos
have formalized in a ceremony when one of their gorillas passes away. Donna
Fernandes, now president of the Buffalo Zoo, tells the story of being at
Boston's Franklin Park Zoo ten years ago during the wake for a female
gorilla, Babs, who had died of cancer. She describes seeing the gorilla's
longtime mate say good-bye: "He was howling and banging his chest,... and he
picked up a piece of her favorite food — celery — and put it in her hand and
tried to get her to wake up. I was weeping, it was so emotional." Later, the
scene at Babs's December funeral was similarly moving. As reported by local
news, gorilla family members "one by one ... filed into" the room where
"Babs's body lay," approaching their "beloved leader" and "gently sniffing
the body."
When Sylvia, a baboon, lost Sierra, her closest grooming partner and
daughter to a lion, she responded in a way that would be considered very
human-like: she looked to friends for support. Said Anne Engh, a researcher
in he University of Pennsylvania's Department of Biology. "With Sierra gone,
Sylvia experienced what could only really be described as depression,
corresponding with an increase in her glucocorticoid levels."
Jim and Jamie Dutcher describe the grief and mourning in a wolf pack after
the loss of the low-ranking omega female wolf, Motaki, to a mountain lion.
The pack lost their spirit and their playfulness. They no longer howled as a
group, but rather they "sang alone in a slow mournful cry." They were
depressed — tails and heads held low and walking softly and slowly — when
they came upon the place where Motaki was killed. They inspected the area
and pinned their ears back and dropped their tails, a gesture that usually
means submission. It took about six weeks for the pack to return to normal.
The Dutchers also tell of a wolf pack in Canada in which one pack member
died and the others wandered about in a figure eight as if searching for
her. They also howled long and mournfully. Foxes also have been observed
performing funeral rituals.
My friend Betsy Webb who lives in Homer, Alaska, told me a moving story
about grief in llamas. She wrote:
"Llamas are gregarious by nature, extremely perceptive, and forge deep bonds
with one another. In the pasture, our llamas often feed in the same area,
sleep next to each other, and stay close together when they face off an
unfamiliar animal or predator. On the trail, they become extremely agitated
if they lose sight of each other when one stops to rest and falls behind.
They vocalize quite a bit. My favorite is their delicate greeting call,
which sounds like a miniature bagpipe exhaling. When my family moved from
Colorado to Alaska, we brought our two Colorado llamas with us. As fate
would have it, we inherited two Alaska llamas with our new house and
grounds. Each twosome had spent their lives together. At first, the twosomes
were a bit standoffish, but in time, they became fast friends and a
foursome. Several years later, the oldest llama, Boone, died quite suddenly
at twenty-seven years old. One day, he laid down on his side, too weak to
get up. The next day, his life partner, Bridger, died in the same fashion,
next to him. It was early spring and the ground was still frozen, so we
hired a friend with a backhoe to prepare their grave just across the fence.
We carefully hoisted Boone and Bridger over the fence and into the ground,
then covered them. The other pair, Taffy and Pumpernickel, stood by and
watched the entire process quietly. For the next two days, stoic Taffy stood
across the fence from the grave and stared at the hole in the ground. She
barely moved from the spot. Excitable Pumpernickel stayed in his little barn
and wailed for two days. On the third day, they emerged from their grieving
and resumed their normal activities. Did Bridger surrender himself to death
following the loss of his lifelong buddy Boone? And Taffy and Pumpernickel,
both very distinct personalities, grieved in their own personal ways. For
me, the most moving memory of losing two llamas so close together was
experiencing the caring and harmonious llama death and grieving process."
Magpies also grieve the loss of other magpies; see also. I recently received
this story via email in response to the essays about my observations of
magpie grief. "I have a farm in Bolton, UK and we were overrun with Magpies.
The reaction from the magpies [to the corpse of another magpie] in the
vicinity was akin to a scene from the film 'The Birds', as they surrounded
the lifeless bird and tried to reawaken it with their beaks. When they
reached the conclusion that it was indeed dead, there was an outpouring of
loud cackling noises which reached quite a crescendo (there were around 20
of them); this was echoed by a similar sympathetic chorus from a nearby wood
and within a minute, from all surrounding areas giving the impression that
hundreds of magpies were being told of the death and simultaneously
expressing their grief. It was quite unnerving and I remained within the
safe confines of a barn until all was over."
Why do animals grieve and why do we see grief in different species of
animals? It's been suggested that grief reactions may allow for the
reshuffling of status relationships or the filling the reproductive vacancy
left by the deceased, or for fostering continuity of the group. Some
theorize that perhaps mourning strengthens social bonds among the survivors
who band together to pay their last respects. This may enhance group
cohesion at a time when it's likely to be weakened.
Grief itself is something of a mystery, for there doesn't seem to be any
obvious adaptive value to it in an evolutionary sense. It does not appear to
increase an individual's reproductive success. Whatever its value is, grief
is the price of commitment, that wellspring of both happiness and sorrow.
October 29, 2009, Pets
Grief in animals:
It's arrogant to think we're the only animals who mourn
We're not the only animals who mourn
There is no doubt that many animals experience rich and deep emotions. It's
not a matter of if emotions have evolved in animals but why they have
evolved as they have. We must never forget that our emotions are the gifts
of our ancestors, our animal kin. We have feelings and so do other animals.
Among the different emotions that animals display clearly and unambiguously
is grief. Many animals display profound grief at the loss or absence of a
close friend or loved one. Nobel laureate ethologist Konrad Lorenz writes:
"A greylag goose that has lost its partner shows all the symptoms that
[developmental psychologist] John Bowlby has described in young human
children in his famous book Infant Grief . . . the eyes sink deep into their
sockets, and the individual has an overall drooping experience, literally
letting the head hang . . ." Sea lion mothers, watching their babies being
eaten by killer whales, wail pitifully, anguishing their loss. Dolphins have
been seen struggling to save a dead infant and mourn afterward. Stories
about grief stricken companion animals abound;
Wild animals also grieve. Among the best examples are grieving rituals of
elephants in the wild observed by such renowned researchers as Iain
Douglas-Hamilton, Cynthia Moss and Joyce Poole. Captive elephants also
grieve; see also. To quote Joyce Poole: "As I watched Tonie´s vigil over her
dead newborn, I got my first very strong feeling that elephants grieve. I
will never forget the expression on her face, her eyes, her mouth, the way
she carried her ears, her head, and her body. Every part of her spelled
grief". Young elephants who saw their mothers being killed often wake up
screaming.
Cynthia Moss describes the actions of the members of an elephant family
above after a group member had been shot: "Teresia and Trista became frantic
and knelt down and tried to lift her up. They worked their tusks under her
back and under her head. At one point they succeeded in lifting her into a
sitting position but her body flopped back down. Her family tried everything
to rouse her, kicking and tusking her, and Tullulah even went off and
collected a trunkful of grass and tried to stuff it in her mouth."
Iain Douglas-Hamilton and his colleagues have shown that elephants extend
this compassion to nonrelatives, to those who aren't genetically related,
and at least one anecdote shows them extending it to humans. A news report
told of an elephant in northern Kenya that trampled a human mother and her
child and then stopped to bury them before disappearing in the bush.
Elephants don't show concern just for their own kin, or their own kind, but
rather elephants show a general concern for the plight of others.
Nonhuman primates also grieve the loss of others. Gana, a captive gorilla,
clearly grieved the loss of her infant and the image of her carrying her
dead baby was shown around the world. Jane Goodall observed Flint, a young
chimpanzee, withdraw from his group, stop eating, and die of a broken heart
after the death of his mother, Flo. Here is Goodall's description from her
book Through a Window:
"Never shall I forget watching as, three days after Flo's death, Flint
climbed slowly into a tall tree near the stream. He walked along one of the
branches, then stopped and stood motionless, staring down at an empty nest.
After about two minutes he turned away and, with the movements of an old
man, climbed down, walked a few steps, then lay, wide eyes staring ahead.
The nest was one which he and Flo had shared a short while before Flo died.
. . . in the presence of his big brother [Figan], [Flint] had seemed to
shake off a little of his depression. But then he suddenly left the group
and raced back to the place where Flo had died and there sank into ever
deeper depression. . . . Flint became increasingly lethargic, refused food
and, with his immune system thus weakened, fell sick. The last time I saw
him alive, he was hollow-eyed, gaunt and utterly depressed, huddled in the
vegetation close to where Flo had died. . . . the last short journey he
made, pausing to rest every few feet, was to the very place where Flo's body
had lain. There he stayed for several hours, sometimes staring and staring
into the water. He struggled on a little further, then curled up— and never
moved again."
Another story of grieving chimpanzees recently was reported in the Daily
Mail.
Gorillas are known to hold wakes for dead friends, something that some zoos
have formalized in a ceremony when one of their gorillas passes away. Donna
Fernandes, now president of the Buffalo Zoo, tells the story of being at
Boston's Franklin Park Zoo ten years ago during the wake for a female
gorilla, Babs, who had died of cancer. She describes seeing the gorilla's
longtime mate say good-bye: "He was howling and banging his chest,... and he
picked up a piece of her favorite food — celery — and put it in her hand and
tried to get her to wake up. I was weeping, it was so emotional." Later, the
scene at Babs's December funeral was similarly moving. As reported by local
news, gorilla family members "one by one ... filed into" the room where
"Babs's body lay," approaching their "beloved leader" and "gently sniffing
the body."
When Sylvia, a baboon, lost Sierra, her closest grooming partner and
daughter to a lion, she responded in a way that would be considered very
human-like: she looked to friends for support. Said Anne Engh, a researcher
in he University of Pennsylvania's Department of Biology. "With Sierra gone,
Sylvia experienced what could only really be described as depression,
corresponding with an increase in her glucocorticoid levels."
Jim and Jamie Dutcher describe the grief and mourning in a wolf pack after
the loss of the low-ranking omega female wolf, Motaki, to a mountain lion.
The pack lost their spirit and their playfulness. They no longer howled as a
group, but rather they "sang alone in a slow mournful cry." They were
depressed — tails and heads held low and walking softly and slowly — when
they came upon the place where Motaki was killed. They inspected the area
and pinned their ears back and dropped their tails, a gesture that usually
means submission. It took about six weeks for the pack to return to normal.
The Dutchers also tell of a wolf pack in Canada in which one pack member
died and the others wandered about in a figure eight as if searching for
her. They also howled long and mournfully. Foxes also have been observed
performing funeral rituals.
My friend Betsy Webb who lives in Homer, Alaska, told me a moving story
about grief in llamas. She wrote:
"Llamas are gregarious by nature, extremely perceptive, and forge deep bonds
with one another. In the pasture, our llamas often feed in the same area,
sleep next to each other, and stay close together when they face off an
unfamiliar animal or predator. On the trail, they become extremely agitated
if they lose sight of each other when one stops to rest and falls behind.
They vocalize quite a bit. My favorite is their delicate greeting call,
which sounds like a miniature bagpipe exhaling. When my family moved from
Colorado to Alaska, we brought our two Colorado llamas with us. As fate
would have it, we inherited two Alaska llamas with our new house and
grounds. Each twosome had spent their lives together. At first, the twosomes
were a bit standoffish, but in time, they became fast friends and a
foursome. Several years later, the oldest llama, Boone, died quite suddenly
at twenty-seven years old. One day, he laid down on his side, too weak to
get up. The next day, his life partner, Bridger, died in the same fashion,
next to him. It was early spring and the ground was still frozen, so we
hired a friend with a backhoe to prepare their grave just across the fence.
We carefully hoisted Boone and Bridger over the fence and into the ground,
then covered them. The other pair, Taffy and Pumpernickel, stood by and
watched the entire process quietly. For the next two days, stoic Taffy stood
across the fence from the grave and stared at the hole in the ground. She
barely moved from the spot. Excitable Pumpernickel stayed in his little barn
and wailed for two days. On the third day, they emerged from their grieving
and resumed their normal activities. Did Bridger surrender himself to death
following the loss of his lifelong buddy Boone? And Taffy and Pumpernickel,
both very distinct personalities, grieved in their own personal ways. For
me, the most moving memory of losing two llamas so close together was
experiencing the caring and harmonious llama death and grieving process."
Magpies also grieve the loss of other magpies; see also. I recently received
this story via email in response to the essays about my observations of
magpie grief. "I have a farm in Bolton, UK and we were overrun with Magpies.
The reaction from the magpies [to the corpse of another magpie] in the
vicinity was akin to a scene from the film 'The Birds', as they surrounded
the lifeless bird and tried to reawaken it with their beaks. When they
reached the conclusion that it was indeed dead, there was an outpouring of
loud cackling noises which reached quite a crescendo (there were around 20
of them); this was echoed by a similar sympathetic chorus from a nearby wood
and within a minute, from all surrounding areas giving the impression that
hundreds of magpies were being told of the death and simultaneously
expressing their grief. It was quite unnerving and I remained within the
safe confines of a barn until all was over."
Why do animals grieve and why do we see grief in different species of
animals? It's been suggested that grief reactions may allow for the
reshuffling of status relationships or the filling the reproductive vacancy
left by the deceased, or for fostering continuity of the group. Some
theorize that perhaps mourning strengthens social bonds among the survivors
who band together to pay their last respects. This may enhance group
cohesion at a time when it's likely to be weakened.
Grief itself is something of a mystery, for there doesn't seem to be any
obvious adaptive value to it in an evolutionary sense. It does not appear to
increase an individual's reproductive success. Whatever its value is, grief
is the price of commitment, that wellspring of both happiness and sorrow.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Madagascar's Protected Rainforest Hardwoods Continue to be Selectively Logged
ACTION ALERT PLEASE SHARE WIDELY!
By Rainforest Rescue - http://www.rainforestrescue.org/
with Rainforest Portal http://www.rainforestportal.org/
- a project of Ecological Internet
October 28, 2009
Post-coup illegal log and wildlife trade continue to threaten Madagacar's biodiversity rich rainforest remnants, ecological sustainability and future potential for national advancement. This great nation's precious hardwoods deserve CITES protections, to ensure selective logging of any sort in its primary old forests ends.
TAKE ACTION HERE NOW:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=madagascar_landgrab
Loggers and wildlife traders continue to violate Madagascar's biodiversity rich rainforests including protected areas. In March of this year controversy surrounding leasing of agricultural land resulted in a military coup. In the chaos that ensued, armed gangs funded by Chinese traders entered Madagascar’s Marojejy and Masoala National Parks, two world-renowned World Heritage Sites, and logged rosewood, ebonies, and other valuable hardwoods. NGOs operating in Madagascar report continued armed, open and organized plundering of precious wood from several natural forests, including these parks.
MORE INFORMATION AND TAKE ACTION NOW:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=madagascar_landgrab
DISCUSS THIS ALERT:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2009/10/madagascars_endangered_rainfor.asp
By Rainforest Rescue - http://www.rainforestrescue.org/
with Rainforest Portal http://www.rainforestportal.org/
- a project of Ecological Internet
October 28, 2009
Post-coup illegal log and wildlife trade continue to threaten Madagacar's biodiversity rich rainforest remnants, ecological sustainability and future potential for national advancement. This great nation's precious hardwoods deserve CITES protections, to ensure selective logging of any sort in its primary old forests ends.
TAKE ACTION HERE NOW:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=madagascar_landgrab
Loggers and wildlife traders continue to violate Madagascar's biodiversity rich rainforests including protected areas. In March of this year controversy surrounding leasing of agricultural land resulted in a military coup. In the chaos that ensued, armed gangs funded by Chinese traders entered Madagascar’s Marojejy and Masoala National Parks, two world-renowned World Heritage Sites, and logged rosewood, ebonies, and other valuable hardwoods. NGOs operating in Madagascar report continued armed, open and organized plundering of precious wood from several natural forests, including these parks.
MORE INFORMATION AND TAKE ACTION NOW:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=madagascar_landgrab
DISCUSS THIS ALERT:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2009/10/madagascars_endangered_rainfor.asp
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
According to Times of india 66 tigers dead in 8 months
Tiger deaths continue at an alarming rate. Statistics collated from different parts of India by a prominent wildlife
NGO show thatbetween January 1 and August 19 this year, at least 66 tigers lost their lives.
23 died due to poaching. The list includes seizures of skins, bones, claws, skeletons, canines and paws by police and wildlife authorities during this period. The remaining 43 died of a variety of reasons such as infighting, old age, tiger-human conflict, accidents and disease, according to statistics provided by Wildlife Protection Society of India.
Read More
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/66-tigers-dead-in-8months/articleshow/4917094.cms
NGO show thatbetween January 1 and August 19 this year, at least 66 tigers lost their lives.
23 died due to poaching. The list includes seizures of skins, bones, claws, skeletons, canines and paws by police and wildlife authorities during this period. The remaining 43 died of a variety of reasons such as infighting, old age, tiger-human conflict, accidents and disease, according to statistics provided by Wildlife Protection Society of India.
Read More
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/66-tigers-dead-in-8months/articleshow/4917094.cms
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Save them from extinction-Norway-Petition to Sign!
Only 24-26 wolves remain in the Norwegian wilderness. Still they are hunted by the Norwegian authorities. 3 wolves were shot this summer, and 4 more are now allowed to be hunted. This means that the critically endangered wolf population will be reduced by more then a quarter!
In recent years only 3-6 annual breedings of brown bears have been registered in Norway. Still the authorities give licence to kill this endangered specie. Since January 2009, 17 bears have been shot dead
In recent years only 3-6 annual breedings of brown bears have been registered in Norway. Still the authorities give licence to kill this endangered specie. Since January 2009, 17 bears have been shot dead
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