News
The number of news found: 30.
01/31/2013 NIH RETIRING 86% OF RESEARCH CHIMPS
In a move that would nearly put an end to government research on chimpanzees as soon as this March, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is proposing to retire all but 50 of the remaining 360 chimpanzees currently being used for federally funded research. The panel has recommended phasing out all current biomedical research grants involving research chimps, banning chimpanzee breeding, and retiring the chimps to sanctuaries such as Chimp Haven - the only sanctuary that receives government funding to care for government owned chimps.
01/31/2013 CHIPOTLE TESTING TOFU OPTION
Chipotle Mexican Grill, a fast-food chain that prides itself on using natural ingredients, has announced that they're rolling out a shredded tofu option in San Francisco next month. Called "Sofritas," the tofu will be braised with tomatoes, chipotle sauce, and poblano peppers. Ironically, the move to embrace tofu as a meat-free option comes as Chipotle and other fast food restaurants struggle to deal with the rising costs associated with meat production. Should San Francisco embrace tofu, expect the chain to roll out the option to some of its additional 1,200 locations around the U.S.
01/30/2013 HUMAN BRANDING IN GREAT BRITAIN
Becky Folkard is a vegan and a successful senior manager at a wealth management company. On March 21, in broad daylight on a London street, she will take hold of a specially-designed branding iron and made scalding hot by a blowtorch. Wearing a mask over her face and the over-sized apron of a slaughterhouse worker, she will then press the brand for several seconds into the bare chest of a man she met only recently over the internet. He will be permanently scarred with the number on the iron – 269. The public branding will be a protest against animal cruelty in the dairy industry, and those volunteering to be marked with the number 269 are acting in solidarity with the first such demonstration that took place in Tel Aviv, Israel, in October. The number refers to the ear tag on a male calf filmed on a dairy farm being readied to be sold for veal or leather. Similar demonstrations are planned in Leeds, Washington DC, Hamburg, Buenos Aires, Melbourne and Prague. Becky discovered the 269 protest via the internet. One of the first to be branded in Israel was Sacha Boojor, and his protest went viral.
01/29/2013 INDIA'S ELECTRICITY COMPANIES URGED TO PROSECUTE POACHERS
Electrocution of wildlife as a means of poaching is a growing problem in India and one state, Maharashtra, has called on its electricity distribution company to join the fight against poachers by taking criminal action against those who mis-use the electricity distribution network. While most of the poachers use electricity to target herbivores for their own use or to sell the meat inevitably more iconic species such as tigers and elephants are caught in the traps and killed. With an increase in poaching happening around its national parks and wildlife reserves Maharashtra State authorities are calling on the state distribution company to take action under the Electricity Act. In order to encourage the distribution company to undertake the prosecutions the forestry officlals have stated that they will deny permits for work on power lines in wildlife reserves and national parks if the electricity company fails to take action.
01/29/2013 IRAN RENEWS PLAN TO SEND MONKEY INTO SPACE
Capsule carrying a monkey to be launched by mid-February, Iran's Space Organization chief says Iran will try again to send a live monkey into space after a previous attempt failed in 2011. "The final tests for launching the capsule, carrying a monkey, have been completed," Iran's Space Organization chief Hamid Fazeli said in remarks reported by the Mehr news agency. Fazeli said the launch would take place during a 10-day period starting January 31, which marks the 34th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution. Iran has already sent small animals into space - a rat, turtles and worms - but its previous attempt to send a live monkey into space failed in 2011, which was announced without explanation. Fazeli said the monkey project would help Iran "implement the preparations of sending a man into space," which officials say is scheduled for 2020.
01/28/2013 SPERM WHALES ADOPT DEFORMED BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN
In the world of unlikely animal alliances, it seems a group of sperm whales in the eastern Atlantic Ocean have temporarily adopted a dolphin with a spinal deformation. Berlin-based scientists Alexander Wilson and Jens Krause spotted the unlikely friends near the Azores Islands, an archipelago about 900 miles off the coast of Portugal. According to a recent report in Science Magazine, two behavioral ecologists witnessed a bottlenose dolphin nuzzling and rubbing up against a group that included several whale calves. Over an eight day period, the ecologists said that the whales seemed to tolerate and even reciprocate the dolphin's affection. Scientists knew they were observing the same dolphin because of its visible spinal deformation. Although the dolphin appeared to be otherwise healthy, this probable birth defect could have rendered him unacceptable in or unable to keep up with his dolphin group, and thus in search of a new crew.
01/28/2013 THOUSAND CATS SAVED FROM CHINESE DINING TABLE
Animal lovers come to the rescue of more than 1,000 cats found starving, thirsty and cramped in cages on the back of a crashed lorry in China. The cats were destined for the restaurants of Guangdong until the road accident in Changsha, Hunan province delayed the journey by 24 hours and enabled the 50 locals to rescue them. They were nursed with food, water and milk before being packed off to Changsha Small Animal Protection Association for treatment. Cats in China can spend up to two months squeezed 25 at a time inside cages which measure just 2ft by 3ft. Many die before they reach their final destination. Such cruelty is becoming increasingly commonplace in China, where are up to four million cats are year are killed.
01/26/2013 PAUL MCCARTNEY RECORDS SONG TO PROMOTE VEGETARIAN FOOD
To launch a new range of chilled meat-free foods from Linda McCartney Foods, the company has kicked off a #LoveLinda campaign that includes a fantastic new television commercial with new music by Paul McCartney. Legendary singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, a vegetarian since the early 80's and close friend of the late McCartney, provides the voice-over narration for the new commercial. It airs in the UK starting January 28, 2013.
01/24/2013 HIGH RANKING POLICE BEHIND TANZANIAN POACHING GANG
The Tanzanian authorities released details of the breaking up of a dangerous poaching gang following the arrest of two police officers who were transporting elephant tusks. It appears that high ranking police officers are organizing the poaching of endangered wildlife in the country. The allegations include senior police officers contracting out poaching to gangs originating from DR Congo and Burundi to kill animals in Tanzania's national parks. The two original police officers were arrested in Kagera region with 17 pieces of elephant tusk. Following interrogation they have revealed that some high ranking police officers from the Mara region have been contracting Burundi, DR Congo nationals and some locals to carry out poaching in national parks. It is reported that well placed police officers at regional and district levels have established a sophisticated network that conducts poaching activities.
01/24/2013 DOLPHIN TANGLED IN FISHING LINE APPROACHES DIVERS FOR HELP
Earlier this month, while on an nighttime swim with manta rays off the coast of Hawaii, a group of divers were surprised to see a single Bottlenose dolphin approach and linger among them, though it appeared unable to swim normally. Only after the dolphin continued to circle near around him so insistently did diving instructor Keller Laros begin to realize the animal wasn't merely being curious - it was actually asking them for help. The dolphin's movements were restricted because it had become entangled in fishing line and a hook was lodged in its pectoral fin. Incredibly, the wild dolphin then appears to readily comply with Laros's efforts to help, positioning its body to make his work easier, seeming to give full trust in the terrestrial stranger. Thankfully, Laros was able to remove the line and hook from the dolphin, very likely saving the animal's life.
01/23/2013 HORSE MEAT DNA FOUND IN TESCO AND ALDI BURGERS
Traces of horse meat have been found in beef burgers sold in supermarkets including Tesco, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said. Inspectors from the FSAI analysed 27 beef burger products with best-before dates from last June to March 2014 and found that 37 per cent tested positive for horse DNA and 85 per cent for pig DNA. Tesco, which said that the burgers were sold both in the UK and Ireland, has withdrawn all of its own-branded burgers "as a precautinary measure."
01/23/2013 PETA TO OBAMA: STOP HUNTING JUSTIFICATION IN GUN CONTROL DEBATE
As President Barack Obama prepared to release his blueprint for addressing gun violence in the wake of last month's killings of 26 children and educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School, PETA has sent him a letter, copying Vice President Joe Biden, with a simple request: Stop pointing to hunting as an example of "responsible" gun ownership. As PETA explained in our letter, hunting is cruel to the animals who die agonizing and, in many cases, prolonged deaths as well as detrimental to children, who should never be encouraged to hurt or kill animals, since it hardens them to the suffering of others.
01/22/2013 AUSTRALIAN HEAT WAVE COULD LEAD TO MASS DIE-OFFS OF BIRDS
As the heat wave in Australia continues, many birds may no longer be able to take the heat and large numbers could die as a result, researchers at the Universities of Cape Town and Pretoria warn. Over the last few days, people are beginning to report finding dead birds in their backyards on Twitter. Conditions are likely worsening as the heat wave wears on. An international research team, led by researchers at the Percy FitzPatrick Instutute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town, are investigating how heat waves affect the physiology and behaviour of birds. They are on high alert for reports of impacts of the current Australian heat wave as such events will be valuable for predicting how climate change will affect birds.
01/22/2013 WORRIED RUSSIAN REGION TARGETS WOLVES IN BIG THREE-MONTH HUNT
Worried about attacks by wolves that are devouring reindeer in increasing numbers, the leader of Russia's vast Sakha Republic issued a decree initiating a three-month hunt targeting the wolves. The goal is to bring the wolf population of the India-sized region also known as Yakutia down from more than 3,500 to the "optimal number" of about 500.
01/21/2013 ZAMBIA BANS HUNTING OF ENDANGERED LIONS, LEOPARDS
Zambia has banned the hunting of lions and other endangered wild cats such as leopards because it sees more value in game viewing tourism than blood sport, the country's tourism minister said on Thursday. Sylvia Masebo told Reuters big cat numbers were also too low to have a sustainable hunting industry. The estimated $3 million that Zambia earned from safari hunting of all its wild animals annually was too little to merit the continued depletion of Zambia's wildlife, she said. The leopard population for the sprawling southern African country is not known while lion numbers are not believed to exceed around 4,500. Estimates for Africa's lion population vary from around 20,000 to 30,000, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and is falling in the face of numerous threats including conflict with livestock farmers and loss of prey and habitat.
01/18/2013 UNITED AIRLINES STOPS ALL SHIPMENTS OF PRIMATES TO LABORATORIES
United Airlines will no longer transport primates for use in experiments anywhere in the world! In order to ensure that animal experimenters get the message loud and clear, United even posted the new policy on its website, and it leaves no one in doubt: The airline "do[es] not book, accept or transport primates to or from medical research facilities." United's compassionate stance means that there isn't a single commercial airline based in North America that is willing to transport primates to a cruel death in laboratories. United's new policy means that only four major international airlines remain in the world that are willing to shuttle primates off to years of torment in exchange for a few dollars in revenue: Air France, China Eastern Airlines, Philippine Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines.
01/17/2013 THE SEX SECRET VEGANS KNOW
Want to boost your sexual stamina? Just cut out meat, fish, and dairy from your diet. According this eye-popping video from PETA, you'll be a total stud in the sack if you go vegan. Junky diets typically lead to heart disease. And men often fail to remember that heart disease doesn't just affect your ticker - it impacts the blood flow to other areas of the body too, says Lindsay Rajt, Associate Director of Campaigns for PETA. But if you're eating the right foods, you can avoid that plaque from building up in your arteries, Rajt says. Make sure your daily diet always consists of sex-savvy foods - starting with oatmeal and other whole grains, spinach and other leafy greens, grapefruit, oranges, and peaches.
01/16/2013 PAUL WATSON RESIGNS AS HEAD OF SEA SHEPHERD OVER U.S. COURT ORDER
Captail Paul Watson, the head of an anti-whaling organization has resigned in order to comply with a U.S. court order. Paul Watson issued a statement saying he has stepped down as leader of Sea Shepherd. Watson says his decision was based on an injunction issued in the U.S. last month that barred the organization from being within 450 metres of Japanese whaling vessels. Watson, who holds dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship, says he was personally named in the injunction and must step down in order to avoid criminal charges. The Toronto-born anti-whaling crusader says he has resigned all positions with the organization, which has chapters in the U.S. and Australia. He says campaigns against Japanese fleets will continue under the leadership of former Australian senator Bob Brown.
01/15/2013 HSI COMMENDS TAIWAN FOR HISTORIC BAN ON TRADE IN MARINE MAMMAL PRODUCTS
Humane Society International/Canada commends Taiwan for passing a landmark ban on trade in marine mammal products, including seal skins, but exempting products of traditional indigenous hunts. The Taiwanese Legislative Yuan passed the legislation with unanimous support following a multi-year campaign by Taiwanese animal protection group EAST in collaboration with HSI. Canada's commercial seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth. With the United States, European Union, Russia and Croatia prohibiting trade in seal products, the Canadian sealing industry has sought to develop alternate markets in Asia, sparking protests in mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan.
01/14/2013 BILLIONAIRE SPACE ENTREPRENEUR WANTS VEGETARIAN-ONLY COLONY ON MARS
A US billionaire and co-founder of PayPal, Elon Musk, has made plans to build a settlement for 80,000 people on Mars when technology makes it possible for man to live there – as long as the inhabitants are vegetarians. Musk is a considered one of America's most respected private space entrepreneurs and was in charge of creating SpaceX, a space transport company that produced the Falcon 9 rocket that delivers NASA cargo to the International Space Station. Musk, who is worth about $2 billion, revealed his tactics in a speech at the Royal Aeronautical Society. At a cost of $500,000, vegetarians could choose to travel to the faraway settlement, although Musk did not clarify whether payments could be made using PayPal.
01/12/2013 KFC ANIMAL RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER ABANDONES PROTEST AFTER BEING PELTED WITH CHICKEN WINGS
An animal rights campaigner was forced to abandon a protest outside KFC when he was punched, rugby tackled and pelted with poultry after dressing up as a giant chicken to highlight his cause. Olly Tyler, 16, arrived for a two-day protest outside his local KFC outlet dressed in a bespoke £600 chicken costume. He had planned to wave a placard outside the outlets for two days in a bid to deter customers but within hours he was forced to abandon the campaign after diners began hurling sachets of sauce, chicken wings and nuggets at him. The final straw came when one diner punched him in the head and two men jumped from their car and rugby tackled him to the ground. The teenager, who has won an award for his work from PETA, decided to protest outside KFC after reading an article claiming the factory hens are kept in horrific conditions. He stood outside the restaurant on Spitfire Retail Park on October 12 last year and spent seven hours receiving a "positive reaction" from passers-by.
01/11/2013 POACHERS KILL 11 ELEPHANTS IN WORST KENYAN ATTACK
Poachers killed a family of 11 elephants in the biggest single mass shooting of the animals on record in Kenya. A gang of about 10 attackers hacked off the elephants' tusks in Tsavo East National Park on Saturday, officials said - the latest sign of a resurgence of mostly Asian demand for ivory jewelry and ornaments. "(It) shows the great lengths these criminal cartels are ready to go to get ivory. It's really tragic," Kenya Wildlife Service spokesman Paul Udo told Reuters via Twitter. He said it was the worst single incident of its kind recorded in the East African country. Elephant poaching in Kenya declined sharply after 1989 when the government banned trade in ivory. But there has been a rise in the illegal practice in recent years. The Kenya Wildlife Service said foot, dog and aerial units were hunting a gang.
01/10/2013 INDIA MAY BAN TESTING COSMETICS ON ANIMALS
India in a landmark move is planning to impose a blanket ban on testing cosmetics on animals. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BSI) is revising the standard IS 4011 the method of safety testing for cosmetics. Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr G N Singh told TOI that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) is examining the feasibility of banning animal testing of cosmetics. Dr Singh met MP and animal activist Maneka Gandhi last week to discuss the legislation. Dr Singh said, "Several developed countries have put in rules that ban testing cosmetics on animals. We are thoroughly examining them. We don't want to be cruel to animals. If other countries don't allow it, we will also ban animal testing of cosmetics. The decision will follow a through examination and a strong scientific examination."
01/09/2013 DOG ESCAPES AND TRAVELS MILES TO SITE OF GUARDIAN'S FUNERAL
Dogs possess a keen ability to track a scent. But some events are unexplainable - suggesting that what happened was not from a scent, but a sense. A kind of "sixth sense." That's what Omaha professionals and others are saying about a 21-pound Schnauzer-Poodle mix named Elvis who ran out of a house and traveled miles on his own - and was spotted days later across the street from the church where his owner's funeral had been held. How the pooch got to that exact location has amazed everyone who has heard about it.
01/08/2013 FARMERS IN SWITZERLAND ROUTINELY EATING CATS AND DOGS WITH THEIR MEALS
It is a practice more usually associated with Far Eastern countries such as China and Vietnam. But a report by a newspaper in Switzerland has revealed that dog and cat meat is still part of meals in the Alpine nation. The Tages Anzeiger said farmers in the Appenzell and St. Gallen areas in particular slaughter the creatures to eat themselves or to pass on to friends. The favourite type of meat comes from a dog that is related to the beefy Rottweiler. "There's nothing odd about it," a farmer told the paper. "Meat is meat. Construction workers in particular like eating it." According to the report, people ate the meat as "mostbröckli" - usually a form of beef or ham that is marinated, but this one made from dog or cat. While not taking place on a commercial scale, the practice horrifies animal rights activists in Switzerland where the eating of such creatures is not forbidden by law, as it is in nearby Germany.
01/07/2013 SALE OF ANIMAL-TESTED PRODUCTS BECOMES ILLEGAL IN ISRAEL
The sale and import of cosmetics and cleaning materials tested on animals is illegal in Israel as of January 1, 2013, under a law passed in 2010. The Health Ministry said it would crack down on importers who violate the law, but did not offer specifics. "This law is a genuine revolution in the field of animal rights in Israel," said MK Eitan Cabel (Labor), who heads the Knesset caucus for animal rights. "We came a long way in the last Knesset regarding attitude changes in this matter." In practice, animal-tested products that are already on store shelves will not be removed by year's end, but importers will be required to get permits from the Health Ministry for every cosmetic or cleaning product they import.
01/05/2013 CHICKEN SAVED A COUPLE FROM THEIR BURNING HOME
A Wisconsin pet chicken who saved a family from their burning home is being called hero. An Alma Center, Wisconsin couple was asleep in their home early morning when a fire broke out. Smoke alarms weren't working. But sensing something was wrong, the fearless chicken began to make noises that woke the couple and allowed for them to escape the burning home. "I've heard animals waking people up but not a chicken," neighbor Brad Krueger told WEAU.com. "[My neighbor] said she heard the commotion of the chicken and all that stuff," Krueger added. "We were halfway into town and you could look into town and all you could see was an orange glow," said Jeff Gaede, the Fire Chief in Alma Center. Krueger said he adopted the chicken after rescuing from dogs who would chase the chicken around his property.
01/04/2013 PIG FARMERS FLOUT BAN ON CRUEL CAGES
Farmers across Europe have ignored an EU ban on "pig cages," meaning UK families will continue to eat pork, ham and bacon from cruel factory farms. British farmers stopped using the cages or sow stalls in 1999 because they were so small the huge animals did not even have enough room to turn around. The EU finally agreed to outlaw the system across member states from January 1, 2013, but it has emerged that thousands across the continent have failed to meet the deadline. Some 60 per cent of all pig meat sold in the high street and through restaurants is imported, suggesting at least some will be from illegal foreign factory farms.
01/03/2013 MEXICO CITY ORDERS PRISON IN ANIMAL CRUELTY CASES
Mexico City lawmakers have approved prison terms for animal cruelty , previously considered a civil offense sanctioned with fines and detentions. The capital's legislative assembly unanimously agreed that people who intentionally abuse and cause animals harm will face up to two years in prison and pay up to $500. If the animal is killed, they can face up to four years in prison and a $2,000 fine. Antonio Padierna, president of the assembly's law enforcement and justice committee, said that if animals are killed for food, the death must be quick and not cause pain. The lawmakers agreed current administrative laws weren't doing enough to end animal cruelty. In Mexico City, animals are sometimes killed by being burned, beaten or shot.
01/02/2013 UK GOVERNMENT OPPOSES JAPAN'S "SCIENTIFIC" WHALING
As the first Japanese whaling boats set sail to the Antarctic, Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon expressed the UK's continued opposition over Japan's plans to kill endangered whales. Japan is legally bound by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium, but carries out large-scale whaling by exploiting a loophole which permits "scientific whaling" under the guise of research. Making clear the UK's opposition, Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon said: "Japan's slaughter of whales, supposedly in the name of science is cruel and scientifically unnecessary. We urge Japan to stop this needless killing. There is absolutely no justification for continued whaling and we will continue to oppose whaling at every possible opportunity." The UK has continuously expressed its concern over Japan's commercial whaling, and is against all forms of whaling except very limited subsistence whaling by indigenous people.
The number of news found: 30.
