August 10, 2009
Cloud and the wild horses of Montana’s Pryor Mountains are world famous but fame it appears is not going to protect the herd from a drastic government round up planned to begin September 1st in their spectacular wilderness home.
There are currently only 190 wild horses (one year and older) living in the Pryor Mountains. The BLM plans to remove 70 of them, plus foals. According to the foremost equine geneticist, Dr. Gus Cothran, 150-200 adult horses are needed in the herd to ensure their genetic diversity, which is vital to their long term survival.
These 70 horses would be placed in jeopardy. Any horses over 10 years of age can be bought directly by killer buyers and transported over the Northern border to Canadian slaughterhouses or south into Mexico. Younger horses not adopted would be put into government holding with 33,000 others that the BLM has removed from the wild and has proposed killing because they can no longer afford to feed them.
BLM cites poor range condition as the reason to remove the horses but abundant snow and rain for the past two and a half years has produced wonderful range conditions according to all who have visited Cloud and his herd. The Agency is not listening to anyone. They want this herd gutted. Nearly all the mares returned to the range would be given an experimental two-year infertility drug, PZP-22.
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Chile confirms swine flu in turkeys
By Federico Quilodran
Associated Press
POSTED: 12:54 p.m. EDT, Aug 21, 2009
SANTIAGO, CHILE: Chile said today that tests show swine flu has jumped to birds, opening a new chapter in the global epidemic.
A top United Nations animal health expert said the infected turkeys have suffered only mild effects, easing concern about a potentially dangerous development. Chile's turkey meat remains safe to eat, the expert said.
Chile's health ministry said it ordered a quarantine today for two turkey farms outside the port city of Valparaiso after genetic tests confirmed sick birds were afflicted with the same virus that has caused a pandemic among humans.
So far, the virus — a mixture of human, pig and bird genes — has proven to be very contagious but no more deadly than common seasonal flu. However, virus experts fear a more dangerous and easily transmitted strain could emerge if it combines again with avian flu, which is far more deadly but tougher to pass along.
The farms' owner, Sopraval SA, alerted the agriculture ministry after egg production dropped at the farms this month. After initial tests on four samples, further genetic testing confirmed a match with the subtype A/H1N1 2009, the agriculture and health ministries announced.
''What the turkeys have is the human virus — there is no mutation at all,'' Deputy Health Minister Jeannette Vega told Chile's Radio Cooperativa today.
The Health Ministry said it ordered a complete quarantine today and alerted the U.N.'s World Health Organization. The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, meanwhile was working closely with Chilean government scientists, said Dr. Juan Lubroth, the head of infectious diseases for FAO in Rome.
Chile is sending some samples outside the country for more genetic sequencing to confirm that it matches the pandemic strain, Lubroth said. ''As a scientist, I want to touch, smell, feel, taste it'' before agreeing that it's a match, he said.
There are some encouraging signs that this particular outbreak remains mild. Egg production and water consumption among the birds dropped — prompting the company to take action — but the birds aren't terribly sick, let alone dying in large numbers, Lubroth said.
''My understanding is that with the ones that were sick, it was a very mild disease,'' Lubroth said. ''It's significant in that we don't need to recommend any drastic measures, as far as culling the population of turkeys. Let them go through their illness and recover — 7 to 10 days — and if they are sound and healthy, they could enter the food chain.''
Sopraval veterinarian Andrea Campos said that won't happen because the outbreak has been limited to birds raised to lay eggs, not those being fattened for meat.
''In all of the birds raised to be fattened to produce meat, we have not found any illness. This is an illness entirely limited within a reproductive group,'' Campos said.
Lubroth praised the company and the Chilean ministries for the actions they've taken.
''If it were highly virulent then we would recommend stronger measures,'' Lubroth added.
Chile, meanwhile, is acting to contain the outbreak by limiting the turkeys' contact with people and wildlife, Lubroth said. But given the mildness of this particular outbreak, he said ''I don't see that there is going to be a large risk from what we know today of this type of transmission occurring.''
The virus has infected at least 12,000 people in Chile and is responsible for 128 confirmed deaths.
Associated Press
POSTED: 12:54 p.m. EDT, Aug 21, 2009
SANTIAGO, CHILE: Chile said today that tests show swine flu has jumped to birds, opening a new chapter in the global epidemic.
A top United Nations animal health expert said the infected turkeys have suffered only mild effects, easing concern about a potentially dangerous development. Chile's turkey meat remains safe to eat, the expert said.
Chile's health ministry said it ordered a quarantine today for two turkey farms outside the port city of Valparaiso after genetic tests confirmed sick birds were afflicted with the same virus that has caused a pandemic among humans.
So far, the virus — a mixture of human, pig and bird genes — has proven to be very contagious but no more deadly than common seasonal flu. However, virus experts fear a more dangerous and easily transmitted strain could emerge if it combines again with avian flu, which is far more deadly but tougher to pass along.
The farms' owner, Sopraval SA, alerted the agriculture ministry after egg production dropped at the farms this month. After initial tests on four samples, further genetic testing confirmed a match with the subtype A/H1N1 2009, the agriculture and health ministries announced.
''What the turkeys have is the human virus — there is no mutation at all,'' Deputy Health Minister Jeannette Vega told Chile's Radio Cooperativa today.
The Health Ministry said it ordered a complete quarantine today and alerted the U.N.'s World Health Organization. The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, meanwhile was working closely with Chilean government scientists, said Dr. Juan Lubroth, the head of infectious diseases for FAO in Rome.
Chile is sending some samples outside the country for more genetic sequencing to confirm that it matches the pandemic strain, Lubroth said. ''As a scientist, I want to touch, smell, feel, taste it'' before agreeing that it's a match, he said.
There are some encouraging signs that this particular outbreak remains mild. Egg production and water consumption among the birds dropped — prompting the company to take action — but the birds aren't terribly sick, let alone dying in large numbers, Lubroth said.
''My understanding is that with the ones that were sick, it was a very mild disease,'' Lubroth said. ''It's significant in that we don't need to recommend any drastic measures, as far as culling the population of turkeys. Let them go through their illness and recover — 7 to 10 days — and if they are sound and healthy, they could enter the food chain.''
Sopraval veterinarian Andrea Campos said that won't happen because the outbreak has been limited to birds raised to lay eggs, not those being fattened for meat.
''In all of the birds raised to be fattened to produce meat, we have not found any illness. This is an illness entirely limited within a reproductive group,'' Campos said.
Lubroth praised the company and the Chilean ministries for the actions they've taken.
''If it were highly virulent then we would recommend stronger measures,'' Lubroth added.
Chile, meanwhile, is acting to contain the outbreak by limiting the turkeys' contact with people and wildlife, Lubroth said. But given the mildness of this particular outbreak, he said ''I don't see that there is going to be a large risk from what we know today of this type of transmission occurring.''
The virus has infected at least 12,000 people in Chile and is responsible for 128 confirmed deaths.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Pesky Camels Will Be Shot From Helicopters
Thousands of camels will be shot from helicopters and turned into burgers in a bid to halt their trail of havoc across Australia.
Marksmen plan to gun the animals down amid concern the thirsty dromedaries are barging into people's homes and ripping up their bathrooms looking for water.
Government officials plan to wipe out 650,000 of the feral population in the remote Outback area of the country.
The creatures were first introduced to Australia in the 1840s to help explorers travel through the Australian desert.
There are now about one million camels roaming the country.
They compete with sheep and cattle for food, trample vegetation and invade remote settlements in search of water.
On a number of occasions they have scared residents - tearing apart bathrooms and ripping up water pipes.
Last month, the federal government set aside £9.5m for the cull.
Besides sending in sharpshooters in helicopters and on foot, officials are planning to turn many of the creatures into camel burgers and other treats.
Glenn Edwards, who is working on drafting the government's camel reduction program, said the camel population needs to be slashed by two-thirds to reduce catastrophic damage.
But some remain opposed to a mass slaughter.
Camel exporter Paddy McHugh, who runs camel catching operations throughout Australia, said a cull would be ineffective.
"What happens in 15 years when the numbers come back again? Do we waste another £9.5m," McHugh said.
But Tony Peacock, CEO of the University of Canberra's Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Center, said: "To be shot from a helicopter is actually quite humane, even though that sounds brutal."
"If I was a camel, I'd prefer to just get it in the head."
Marksmen plan to gun the animals down amid concern the thirsty dromedaries are barging into people's homes and ripping up their bathrooms looking for water.
Government officials plan to wipe out 650,000 of the feral population in the remote Outback area of the country.
The creatures were first introduced to Australia in the 1840s to help explorers travel through the Australian desert.
There are now about one million camels roaming the country.
They compete with sheep and cattle for food, trample vegetation and invade remote settlements in search of water.
On a number of occasions they have scared residents - tearing apart bathrooms and ripping up water pipes.
Last month, the federal government set aside £9.5m for the cull.
Besides sending in sharpshooters in helicopters and on foot, officials are planning to turn many of the creatures into camel burgers and other treats.
Glenn Edwards, who is working on drafting the government's camel reduction program, said the camel population needs to be slashed by two-thirds to reduce catastrophic damage.
But some remain opposed to a mass slaughter.
Camel exporter Paddy McHugh, who runs camel catching operations throughout Australia, said a cull would be ineffective.
"What happens in 15 years when the numbers come back again? Do we waste another £9.5m," McHugh said.
But Tony Peacock, CEO of the University of Canberra's Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Center, said: "To be shot from a helicopter is actually quite humane, even though that sounds brutal."
"If I was a camel, I'd prefer to just get it in the head."
Friday, 14 August 2009
Man is constantly betraying his best friend
350 dogs seized in dogfighting raids in 5 states By CHERYL WITTENAUER ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER ST. LOUIS -- As many as 350 dogs were seized and about 30 people arrested during raids in five states Wednesday that animal welfare groups are calling the largest simultaneous raid of dog fighting operations in the
U.S. After 36,000 Dogs Killed, A New Animal Rights Law In China, after problems with rabies in stray dogs, dog beating teams patrolled the streets, killing an estimated 36,000 dogs -- including some pets. Animal rights advocates hope that a new law will put an end to this form of animal cruelty. Read more… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/07/watch-after-36000-dogs-ki_n_227064.html
U.S. After 36,000 Dogs Killed, A New Animal Rights Law In China, after problems with rabies in stray dogs, dog beating teams patrolled the streets, killing an estimated 36,000 dogs -- including some pets. Animal rights advocates hope that a new law will put an end to this form of animal cruelty. Read more… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/07/watch-after-36000-dogs-ki_n_227064.html
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Monday, 10 August 2009
Canisius adds animal behavior major
Monday, August 3, 2009,
Canisius College will offer a degree in animal behavior, ecology and conservation starting this fall.
The program will be based on lectures and hands-on learning experiences in required and elective courses. It will be directed by biology professor Michael Noonan.
Students will learn about the science of animal behavior, with an understanding in the "ethical and moral considerations" of animal behavior disciplines, the college says.
"It is for students who want to thoroughly understand the facts and theoretical underpinning of animal behavior and who also want to use that understanding to promote animal welfare and wildlife conservation," Noon said in a statement.
The program is part of the college's Institute for the Study of Human-Animal Relationships, one of three institutes established by Canisius officials in the past 12 months.
Canisius College will offer a degree in animal behavior, ecology and conservation starting this fall.
The program will be based on lectures and hands-on learning experiences in required and elective courses. It will be directed by biology professor Michael Noonan.
Students will learn about the science of animal behavior, with an understanding in the "ethical and moral considerations" of animal behavior disciplines, the college says.
"It is for students who want to thoroughly understand the facts and theoretical underpinning of animal behavior and who also want to use that understanding to promote animal welfare and wildlife conservation," Noon said in a statement.
The program is part of the college's Institute for the Study of Human-Animal Relationships, one of three institutes established by Canisius officials in the past 12 months.
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Report: California must adapt to changing climate
By SAMANTHA YOUNG, AP
Even if the world is successful in cutting carbon emissions in the future, California needs to start preparing for rising sea levels, hotter weather and other effects of climate change, a new state report recommends.
It encourages local communities to rethink future development in low-lying coastal areas, reinforce levees that protect flood-prone areas and conserve already strapped water supplies.
"We still have to adapt, no matter what we do, because of the nature of the greenhouse gases," said Tony Brunello, deputy secretary for climate change and energy at the California Natural Resources Agency, who helped prepare the report. "Those gases are still going to be in the atmosphere for the next 100 years."
The draft report to be released Monday by the California Natural Resources Agency provides the state's first comprehensive plan to work with local governments, universities and residents to deal with a changing climate. A final plan is expected to be released in the fall after the public weighs in.
The report was compiled after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed agencies in November to devise a state climate strategy. It comes three years after the Republican governor signed California's landmark global warming law requiring the state to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
Most countries have focused on cutting greenhouse gases in the future, but researchers say those efforts will take decades to have an effect while the planet continues to warm. States have only recently begun to look at what steps they must take to minimize the damage expected from sea level rise, storm surges, droughts and water shortages because of the climate changes.
Over the last century in California, the sea level has risen by 7 inches, average temperatures have increased, spring snowmelt occurs earlier in the year, and there are hotter days and fewer cold nights.
The report warns that rising temperatures over the next few decades will lead to more heat waves, wildfires, droughts and floods.
"We have to deal with those unavoidable impacts," said Suzanne Moser, a research associate at the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California Santa Cruz. "We can't pretend they are not going to happen and we have to prepare for that."
To minimize the potential damage from climate change, the report recommends that cities and counties offer incentives to encourage property owners in high-risk areas to relocate and limit future development in places that might be affected by flooding, coastal erosion and sea level rise. State agencies also should not plan, permit, develop or build any structure that might require protection in the future.
The report suggests the state partner with local governments and private landowners to create large reserves that protect wildlife threatened by warmer weather. Similarly, wetlands and fish corridors should be established to protect salmon and other fragile fish.
The report says farmers should be encouraged to be more efficient when watering their crops, and investments should be made to improve crop resistance to hotter temperatures.
Even if the world is successful in cutting carbon emissions in the future, California needs to start preparing for rising sea levels, hotter weather and other effects of climate change, a new state report recommends.
It encourages local communities to rethink future development in low-lying coastal areas, reinforce levees that protect flood-prone areas and conserve already strapped water supplies.
"We still have to adapt, no matter what we do, because of the nature of the greenhouse gases," said Tony Brunello, deputy secretary for climate change and energy at the California Natural Resources Agency, who helped prepare the report. "Those gases are still going to be in the atmosphere for the next 100 years."
The draft report to be released Monday by the California Natural Resources Agency provides the state's first comprehensive plan to work with local governments, universities and residents to deal with a changing climate. A final plan is expected to be released in the fall after the public weighs in.
The report was compiled after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed agencies in November to devise a state climate strategy. It comes three years after the Republican governor signed California's landmark global warming law requiring the state to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
Most countries have focused on cutting greenhouse gases in the future, but researchers say those efforts will take decades to have an effect while the planet continues to warm. States have only recently begun to look at what steps they must take to minimize the damage expected from sea level rise, storm surges, droughts and water shortages because of the climate changes.
Over the last century in California, the sea level has risen by 7 inches, average temperatures have increased, spring snowmelt occurs earlier in the year, and there are hotter days and fewer cold nights.
The report warns that rising temperatures over the next few decades will lead to more heat waves, wildfires, droughts and floods.
"We have to deal with those unavoidable impacts," said Suzanne Moser, a research associate at the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California Santa Cruz. "We can't pretend they are not going to happen and we have to prepare for that."
To minimize the potential damage from climate change, the report recommends that cities and counties offer incentives to encourage property owners in high-risk areas to relocate and limit future development in places that might be affected by flooding, coastal erosion and sea level rise. State agencies also should not plan, permit, develop or build any structure that might require protection in the future.
The report suggests the state partner with local governments and private landowners to create large reserves that protect wildlife threatened by warmer weather. Similarly, wetlands and fish corridors should be established to protect salmon and other fragile fish.
The report says farmers should be encouraged to be more efficient when watering their crops, and investments should be made to improve crop resistance to hotter temperatures.
Thursday, 6 August 2009
British retail giant bans Aussie wool
A US-based animal rights group has stepped up its fight against defiant Australian farmers, recruiting British clothing giant Next Retail Ltd to join a boycott of Australian wool from mulesed sheep.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which has led the global campaign against Australian farmers who use the controversial mulesing technique on sheep, applauded Next's decision "to source wool from outside Australia or from Australian sources which guarantee that mulesing with shears or clips has ceased".
Next, with annual sales of $US5 billion ($A5.94 billion) a year, follows global retailers Hugo Boss, Adidas, Abercrombie & Fitch, Timberland, H&M, American Eagle, Liz Claiborne and Perry Ellis International in boycotting wool from Australian mulesed sheep.
Last month, Australian wool body Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and the NSW Farmers Association announced they were walking away from a 2010 deadline to phase out mulesing.
Next believes that the continuation of mulesing beyond the 2010 deadline previously self-imposed by the Australian sheep industry is unacceptable," Next announced in a statement.
PETA and Australian wool farmers have been locked in a battle for more than five years over mulesing.
Mulesing is a technique used by farmers where skin is removed from the rear end of the sheep to prevent maggot infestation that can lead to the animal's death.
PETA claims mulesing is cruel and has lobbied for more humane methods.
Clip mulesing, an alternative method supported by AWI, was rejected by PETA and some major retailers.
"For (autumn-winter 2009) production onwards Next has put in place a preference for non-mulesed, including non-clip-mulesed wool," Next announced.
"Due to the practice of mulesing, including clip-mulesing in Australia, this preference is leading us to source wool from outside Australia or from Australian sources which guarantee that mulesing with shears or clips has ceased."
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which has led the global campaign against Australian farmers who use the controversial mulesing technique on sheep, applauded Next's decision "to source wool from outside Australia or from Australian sources which guarantee that mulesing with shears or clips has ceased".
Next, with annual sales of $US5 billion ($A5.94 billion) a year, follows global retailers Hugo Boss, Adidas, Abercrombie & Fitch, Timberland, H&M, American Eagle, Liz Claiborne and Perry Ellis International in boycotting wool from Australian mulesed sheep.
Last month, Australian wool body Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and the NSW Farmers Association announced they were walking away from a 2010 deadline to phase out mulesing.
Next believes that the continuation of mulesing beyond the 2010 deadline previously self-imposed by the Australian sheep industry is unacceptable," Next announced in a statement.
PETA and Australian wool farmers have been locked in a battle for more than five years over mulesing.
Mulesing is a technique used by farmers where skin is removed from the rear end of the sheep to prevent maggot infestation that can lead to the animal's death.
PETA claims mulesing is cruel and has lobbied for more humane methods.
Clip mulesing, an alternative method supported by AWI, was rejected by PETA and some major retailers.
"For (autumn-winter 2009) production onwards Next has put in place a preference for non-mulesed, including non-clip-mulesed wool," Next announced.
"Due to the practice of mulesing, including clip-mulesing in Australia, this preference is leading us to source wool from outside Australia or from Australian sources which guarantee that mulesing with shears or clips has ceased."
Sunday, 2 August 2009
New law bans animals in the ring
La Paz - Bolivia has enacted what animal rights defenders are calling the world's first law that prohibits the use of animals in circuses.
A handful of other countries have banned the use of wild animals in circuses, but the Bolivian ban includes domestic animals as well.
The law, which states that the use of animals in circuses "constitutes an act of cruelty", took effect on July 1 and operators have a year to comply, according to the bill's sponsor, Representative Ximena Flores.
read more http://article.wn.com/view/2009/07/31/New_law_bans_animals_in_the_ring/
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