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The number of news found: 31.

12/31/2012 ANNE HATHAWAY REQUIRED CUSTOM-MADE VEGAN SHOES FOR HER LES MISERABLES CHARACTER

When filming the Golden Globe-nominated flick Les Misérables, Anne Hathaway made sure all of her character's shoes were vegan-friendly. "We had to find very specific shoemakers to create lace-up boots and ankle boots," costume designer Paco Delgado told Footwear News. "We also did flats that were much more sophisticated." While it's a stretch to say leather-free footwear was of much importance to Hathaway's Fantine character, it's clear the matter is very much a priority for the actress, who also stepped out in Casadei red satin vegan platform pumps for a recent appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. And while her fancy footwear may be a little extreme for most, there's no doubt that cruelty-free is always chic.

12/29/2012 KFC SUPPLIER CHICKEN FARMS UNDER INVESTIGATION

The action came after China Central Television reported that several Shandong chicken farms feed chicken antibiotics and hormones every day to reduce their death rate and shorten their growing period. The report also said some chickens were fed antibiotics two days before slaughter. Regulations stipulate that chickens must not be given antibiotics in the week before slaughter so that it will not remain in their systems. Two such farms in Gaomi and Pingdu sold their chickens to a slaughterhouse in Pingdu, which belongs to Liuhe Group, the company that provided chicken to the China division of Yum Brands in Shanghai, which owns the KFC fast-food chain. The logistics center of Yum then delivered the chicken to its fast-food stores, including KFCs, the report said. The owner of the farm in Gaomi told CCTV that the chickens have always been in inferior health because they have to reach full growth in about 40 days. The chickens are fed large doses of antibiotics all the time because cutting it off would kill them immediately.

12/28/2012 IAN SOMERHALDER CHANNELS ECO-AGENT IN "TIME FRAMED"

Ian Somerhalder looks to be channeling a very sexy James Bond-esque character all while protecting the environment in his new film "Time Framed." The movie, which is actually six short films, gives Somerhalder the chance to step away from his vampire roots and get into character as the gun-for-hire secret operative Agent Black. From the trailer you get to see glimpses of Somerhalder kicking ass, looking gorgeous and trying to stop the best eco-invention of the century from falling into the wrong hands. Another great element of the series is all proceeds go directly to the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, which benefits the planet and its creatures immensely thanks to the actor.

12/27/2012 BIOLOGIST HAS DISCOVERED A TINY SPIDER WITH A DEADLY CLEVER GAME

A biologist working in the Peruvian rainforest has stumbled upon the first evidence of a tiny spider with a deadly clever game: constructing its own decoy. "It looked so spiderlike, with eight legs. The spitting image of a spider," Phil Torres told the Toronto Star of his discovery. While Torres, a specialist in entomology, had never seen a species like it, he's not ready to declare a new biological discovery until science can verify his finding. "It may just be a very evolved spider that can follow rules." Torres, who has worked with the research centre for a year and a half, will return to the rainforest in January from his home base in Los Angeles to collect a sample for entomologists to examine and determine whether this is a new species with a highly evolved idea of self-defence. 

12/24/2012 FOIE GRAS TAKEN OFF THE MENU IN HOUSE OF LORDS

Peers will no longer be able to enjoy foie gras in the comfort of the House of Lords after it was taken off the menu following a campaign by an animal rights group. The traditional French delicacy is controversial because it is produced by force-feeding geese or ducks with grain for up to a month before they are slaughtered for their swollen livers. A number of members of the chamber, as well as MPs, backed a call for the ban by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It is no longer served in the Commons. But until recently, members of the Lords and their guests could enjoy a range of starters in the elegant Barry Room including quail and foie gras at £7.50. Foie gras was being served in a pre-Christmas menu at the Lords but the House is currently in recess and food will not be served again until January. 

12/24/2012 POPULATION STUDY REVEALS FEWER THAN 70 CHEETAHS REMAINING IN IRAN

Acording to the latest population surveys in Iran, the cheetah population in Iran does not exceed 70 individuals. There has been some recent controversy in Iran about the cheetah population of Iran, and it has been extensively discussed in the media. On the basis of recent camera trapping efforts ongoing since last winter by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) in collaboration with Iranian Department of Environment (DoE), Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) and Panthera, the most robust conclusion for the population is fewer than 70. Formerly, it was believed that 70 to 100 cheetahs existed in the country. The question that remains to be answered is if the population has decreased or if it was a small population which was suspected to be larger.

12/22/2012 MINING COMPANY DESTROYS JAGUAR HABITAT

At the end of 2011, the first jaguar to be seen in the United States during the past three years was spotted in Arizona. Unfortunately, the Rosemont Copper Project is planning to destroy 4,500 acres of land in the Santa Rita mountain range just north of the Mexican Border. With this in the works, jaguars will not have the opportunity to flourish in the United States and the recognized endangered species will further be put in harm's way. 

12/22/2012 FIN WHALES THRIVING OFF ITALIAN COAST

A new study undertaken by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, ISPRA shows that frequency of occurrence of Fin whales in the central Tyrrhenian sea has increased by 300% over 20 years. From 1989 to 1992 dedicated cetacean surveys along a trans regional fixed-transect in the central Tyrrhenian sea were carried out twice a week, using passengers ferries as a research observation platform. Despite the environmental changes and the viral epidemic that affected some cetaceans in the area during the two monitoring programs, distribution, relative abundance and group size were largely unaffected for all species except the Fin whales. The most common sighted species were striped dolphin, Fin whale and common bottlenose dolphin. Reasons behind the increase of animal in the investigated area could be linked to high levels of Chlorophyll and increase maritime traffic in the Pelagos Sanctuary.

12/21/2012 THE NETHERLANDS BANS FUR PRODUCTION BY 2024

On Dec 18, 2012  the Senate voted for a ban on breeding mink for fur. A big and long awaited victory for Dutch animal welfare organizations, because it is a clear signal that animal fur fashion is no longer accepted. The ban will take effect in 2024, meaning by then no more fur farms in the Netherlands. The international animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS welcomes the ban and hopes other countries and fashion brands to follow. With six million minks killed annually, Netherlands is the third largest producer of mink fur in the world, after Denmark and China. The political debate on a ban on mink farms has been running since 1999. A bill to ban mink farms in 2018 was adopted by the House, but did not get a majority  in the Senate. The main argument against the ban concerned the financial implications for mink breeders.

12/21/2012 MASSIVE AFRICAN IVORY SEIZURE IN MALAYSIA

Royal Malaysian Customs have made their largest ever seizure of ivory in transit through the country, finding 1,500 pieces of tusks hidden in wooden crates purpose-built to look like stacks of sawn timber. The ivory, stashed in ten crates which were divided between two containers, were shipped from the port of Lomé in Togo and were headed to China, the Selangor State Customs Director Dato' Azis Yacub said. The shipment also transited through Algeciras in Spain before it headed for West Port in Port Kelang, one of Peninsular Malaysia's busiest container terminals. 

12/20/2012 70 BEAGLES RESCUED FROM TESTS

In a landmark move, 70 beagles who were imported from China by Advinus Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical laboratory in Bangalore, have been released to People For Animals and Blue Cross Chennai following a rigorous campaign for their release by PETA India and these groups. The dogs have been removed from quarantine and handed over to animal protection groups with the permission of the Ministry of Environment & Forests and through efforts made internally in government by MP Maneka Gandhi. 

12/20/2012 PROJECT SEEKS TO MAP AND REDUCE OCEAN NOISE POLLUTION

Today the ocean depths have become a noisy place. The causes are human: the sonar blasts of military exercises, the booms from air guns used in oil and gas exploration, and the whine from fleets of commercial ships that relentlessly crisscross the global seas. Marine experts say the rising clamor is particularly dangerous to whales, which depend on their acute hearing to locate food and one another. To fight the din, the federal government is completing the first phase of what could become one of the world's largest efforts to curb the noise pollution and return the sprawling ecosystem to a quieter state. The project, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, seeks to document human-made noises in the ocean and transform the results into the world's first large sound maps. The project's goal is to better understand the cacophony's nature and its impact on sea mammals as a way to build the case for reductions. 

12/19/2012 GOOGLE CASH BUYS DRONES TO WATCH ENDANGERED SPECIES

Drones could soon be helping protect rhinos, tigers and elephants in Africa and Asia, thanks to cash from Google. Controlled via a tablet computer, the small autonomous aircraft will photograph poachers and track animals via smart radio tags. The World Wildlife Fund added the $5m (£3.1m) grant would also fund software that could map where poachers strike. And it was developing a mobile DNA sampling kit to match body parts with animals.The WWF said poaching and trafficking of body parts was having a devastating effect on the wild populations of some species, setting back decades long conservation efforts. The past 12 months have seen a significant rise in attacks on some animals, such as rhinos. In five years the number of rhinos killed in South Africa has risen from 13 to 588, according to statistics from Traffic, which monitors the trade in endangered animal parts. Google gave the WWF the cash as part of its Global Impact Award program.

12/19/2012 NAVY LAYS OFF DOLPHINS, REPLACES WITH ROBOTS

Since 1960, the U.S. Navy has been training bottle-nosed dolphins for mine detection. In an effort to keep our ports safe, dolphins are taught to locate underwater mines so humans can retrieve them. The mammals have been deployed in the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, as well as the Iraq War. However, it looks as though these dolphins may soon enjoy early retirements? With advancements in technology, the Navy plans to gradually phase out these dolphins and, for the next five years, replace them with 12-foot torpedo-shaped robots, or sea drones-unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). However, Navy officials say they are not yet ready to totally replace sea mammals with drones. 

12/18/2012 6,000 RESTAURANTS BOYCOTT SEAL SLAUGHTER

The Canadian Government allows hunters to club or shoot baby seals and skin them for their fur in order to meet its increasing demand. And within the past five years, Canada's commercial seal hunt has killed nearly one million seals - 97 percent of which were younger than three months old. The Humane Society of the United States has made it their mission to end this mass slaughter and is encouraging consumers, chefs, and restaurants to join the Protect Seals Boycott. As of November, over 6,000 establishments have taken a stand to refuse the use of Canadian imported seafood, including Iron Chefs Cat Cora and Mario Batali as well as celebrities such as Kesha and Paul McCartney. Consumers can also participate in the boycott by becoming aware of which restaurants have signed the Protect Seals Pledge.

12/18/2012 SOUTH KOREA DROPS WHALING PLANS

South Korea has walked away from its plans to resume whaling. After drawing international criticism in July following its announcement that it was considering the resumption of whaling for "scientific research," Seoul has opted not to submit notice of plans for a whale hunt to the International Whaling Commission by a Dec 3 deadline. At an IWC meeting in Panama, the South Korean government said that in order to study whale populations properly it might have to harpoon some of the mammals, an argument used by neighboring Japan for its own ongoing whaling activity. South Korea, which has had a moratorium on commercial whaling since 1986, argued that whale populations had recovered and that whales were depleting fish stocks. Environmental groups disagreed. Lee Se-oh, an official in charge of whaling at the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said the government would continue to use only non-lethal means to study whales, such as installing location tracers on them.

12/17/2012 ACCLAIMED MUGARITZ RESTAURANT FINED OVER FOIE GRAS

One of the world's top restaurants, Mugaritz, has been fined after animal rights campaigners targeted it for serving foie gras from force-fed ducks who were slowly bled to death after having corn rammed down their throats to bloat their livers. But Andoni Luis Aduriz said he was proud to pay the fine for buying from an unlicensed source as a way of showing support to local farmers who produce the best quality foie gras on smallholdings that cannot obtain licences. Sources at the restaurant said Aduriz bought his foie gras from Momotegi, a smallholder farm that used similar methods to those of larger producers with licences – and that the livers were tested by a private laboratory used by Mugaritz. But campaigners said Momotegi broke laws and inflicted cruel deaths on the animals. Aduriz denounced a wave of threats against himself and Momotegi's owner, Olga Posse, whose smallholding is close to the restaurant. Foie gras production is being targeted by animal rights campaigners around the globe. 

12/17/2012 AFRICA'S LION POPULATION PLUMMETS BY TWO THIRDS IN 50 YEARS

Africa's lions are running out of habitat and some populations, especially those in West Africa, are running toward extinction. Using new satellite data, a research team at Duke University found that about 75 percent of Africa's savannahs were fragmented by farmers and other development in the last 50 years.

12/15/2012 US DEMAND FOR MEAT TO DROP DRAMATICALLY IN 2013

A growing number of sources indicates that there has been a steady decline in US meat consumption in the last several years. In fact, according to a recent report from the United States Department of Agriculture, Americans are expected to eat approximately half a billion fewer chickens and about 400,000 fewer cows in 2013 than they did in 2006. At the same time, Americans are expected to eat about 12 million fewer pigs next year, compared to peak consumption in 2007, and about 22 million fewer turkeys since a peak in 2008. But what is driving this dramatic drop in meat consumption? The answer may lie in a recent blog post on Counting Animals, which sought to analyze American demand for meat - the extent to which people want to buy meat as distinct from the actual amount of meat that people eat. While a more detailed explanation of the math is available on Counting Animals, the bottom line is that the reason Americans are expected to eat fewer animals is because more and more Americans simply don't want to eat as much meat. 

12/14/2012 DANGEROUS BACTERIA FOUND IN LARGE PERCENTAGE OF US PORK

According to ABC News, a new study released by Consumer Reports found that the majority of pork products it investigated in US grocery stores were contaminated with the dangerous bacteria yersinia, a food-borne pathogen largely unknown to most consumers. The bacteria, which infects over 100,000 people each year, was discovered in almost 70% of the nearly 200 pork products tested, including pork chops and ground pork. Yersinia poisoning can lead to fevers, cramps, and bloody diarrhea that can last up to three weeks. The study also found other harmful bacteria in the meat samples, including salmonella, listeria, and enterococcus - a pathogen linked to urinary tract infections. The good news is that it is easy to safeguard your health and prevent needless cruelty to animals by simply transitioning to a compassionate vegan diet. 

12/13/2012 ENCLOSURE OPENS AT ZARNESTI BEAR SANCTUARY IN ROMANIA

Twenty years after building the world's first bear sanctuary, together with local partner Asociatia Milioane De Prieteni (AMP) WSPA opened the final enclosure at the Zarnesti Bear Sanctuary last month in the Carpathian Mountains, Romania. Now the largest bear sanctuary in Europe, the Sanctuary will provide a home for the last twenty-five bears left in illegal captivity in Romania, which we plan to rescue over the next few years.

12/12/2012 269 BRANDING EVENT IN ARGENTINA

As part of the International Animal Rights Day (Dec 10), Ánima activists will hold a performance that symbolizes the subjugation and appropriation that is done of all animals: a flesh branding. Event will take place on Thursday, Dec 13, at 6:30 P.M. on Republic Square, facing the Obelisk, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Organizer of this event is Ánima – ethic for animal rights. This act is performed internationally in solidarity for all the victims of the animal exploitation in cooperation with 269life and in the style of the Israeli branding event, that was held on Oct 2 of this year in Tel-Aviv.

12/12/2012 MOUNTAIN GORILLA POPULATION GROWS

The total world population of mountain gorillas has risen to 880, according to census data released by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The number of mountain gorillas has increased from the 2010 estimate of 786 after a count in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The critically endangered animals live only in two locations, Bwindi and the Virunga Massif area, which spans parts of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Rwanda.

12/11/2012 AMERICAN SAMOA ENDS SHARK FIN TRADE AND SHARK FISHING IN COASTAL WATERS

American Samoa, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean, implemented a series of measures to protect sharks within its waters. Shark fishing is now banned in its territorial waters, and the sale, possession, and distribution of fins and other shark parts, is prohibited. "Sharks have been an important part of our ocean, reef and cultural environments," said Gov. Togiola T.A. Tulafono. "Their disappearance would be devastating to the environment and our Samoan culture. An ocean without sharks is completely inconceivable to me. (...) American Samoa is committed to playing a serious role in ensuring that these wonderful animals survive for our future." American Samoa is the final U.S. territory in the Pacific to forbid the trade of shark fins. The Northern Mariana Islands and Guam banned the practice in 2011. Hawaii also prohibited the trade of shark fins, in 2010.

12/10/2012 WOMAN SAVES DROWNING BABY BIRD WHILE MAN SHOUTS & LAUGHS FROM RIVERBANK

Donna Boden of the UK was recently enjoying an afternoon at a pub near the river when she noticed that a baby bird had fallen into the water and could not get out. Watching the fledgling thrash and struggle, Donna knew she had only one course of action. She readied herself to travel across the muddy water to help the bird near the opposite bank and little did she know, she was about to become a victim herself. Beautiful footage of Donna's bravery captured by a bystander is sullied by the monstrous cackles and taunts of a man who harassed Donna throughout the rescue. He roars with laughter as Donna tries to swim rather than walk because the broken glass on the river's bottom is a danger to her feet. And when Donna finally reaches the grass again, there is a long pause and Donna pleads for someone to take the bird from her hands. Sadly, no one helps her pull herself back out of the deep water despite the fact that she is cold and exhausted.

12/07/2012 INDIA'S ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS CLAIM VICTORY OVER "DANCING BEARS"

India's animal rights community is claiming victory after forcing the government to intervene and force the retirement of poorly fed and cruel practices in the treatment of bears forced to dance on the country's streets. According to activists, the "dancing bears" tradition of forcing sloth bears to dance for entertainment dates back to the 13th century, but in recent times has become increasingly cruel. Cubs would be purchased on the black market for as little as $22 and then forced to have heated iron rods placed into their sensitive snouts. The animals would then have their teeth and claws removed, then a "trainer" would put a rope through the snout and go to the streets, forcing the animal to move in order to earn a few rupees daily.

12/06/2012 EU PARLIAMENT VOTES FOR STRONGER SHARK FINNING BAN

After years of debate, the European Parliament has voted to close major loopholes in the European Union's ban on shark finning, the practice of slicing off a shark's fins and discarding the body at sea. Supported by hundreds of members of Parliament and thousands of EU residents, the vote is a major milestone in global shark protection.

12/05/2012 ISRAEL TO BECOME FIRST NATION TO BAN HORSE-DRAWN VEHICLES FROM STREETS AND HIGHWAYS

Israel will become the first country to ban horse-drawn carts from city streets and highways once the Knesset Finance Committee approves the Ministry of Transportation's new regulations that were suggested to it by Hakol Chai (Everything Lives), the Israeli sister charity of the U.S.-based Concern for Helping Animals in Israel (CHAI). CHAI is part of the International Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages. Organizations and individuals who are members of the coalition have been working in many countries to end this outmoded and cruel practice, but Israel will be the first to impose a nationwide ban. International animal protection organizations sent congratulatory letters to Transportation Minister Israel Katz in honor of Horses Without Carriages International Day, December 1, praising his decision to adopt Hakol Chai's suggested regulations and expressing gratitude for his forward step that demonstrates positive and humane leadership.

12/04/2012 DOLPHIN BOUND FOR MARINE LIFE PARKS DIES

One of the 25 dolphins destined for Resorts World Sentosa's (RWS) newly-opened Marine Life Park died on its way to Singapore - the third of the wild-caught dolphins acquired by the resort to die, sparking outrage among animal lovers. A Marine Life Park spokesman said the male dolphin, named Wen Wen, died suddenly less than an hour before landing during the three-hour flight from the Philippines. The park had been left with 25 dolphins after two died of a bacterial infection in a holding area in Langkawi, Malaysia, in 2010. The 25 dolphins were training in the Philippines until earlier this week, when the first group of 14 dolphins was flown to Singapore.

12/03/2012 VOLUNTEERS CELEBRATE SAVING 500 CATS FROM MEAT TRADE

Volunteers in China are weary but grateful as they provide care for 500 cats rescued rescued from the meat trade. These cats were saved by chance when a police officer pulled the vehicle over in the city of Xuzhou after noticing it had out-of-town license plates. Office Sun, who had been doing routine inspections along the roadway, began investigating when he heard crying coming from the back of a large agricultural vehicle. The driver told him that he was carrying rabbits, but when the office inspected the burlap bags in the back of the truck, he found hundreds of cats struggling for air and severely dehydrated. A long standoff ensued as word went out to local animal rescue volunteers who began negotiating for the release of the cats. Although they had no legal standing to seize the animals, they refused to let the vehicle continue on. Haggling for custody of the cats stretched well into evening before the driver finally agreed to accept the equivalent of $800 for the cats. Xuzhou Animal Rescuer Centre now has 1,000 animals in their shelter after this mass intervention.

12/01/2012 POLISH COURT NIXES RITUAL SLAUGHTER

A top court in Poland said Tuesday that the ritual slaughter of animals by religious groups, including Jews and Muslims, violates the country's constitution and animal protection laws. The ruling puts it in conflict with European Union rules that allow the practice on the grounds of religious freedom. In a victory for animal rights activists, the Constitutional Tribunal said regulations allowing for animals to have their throats cut and then bleed to death without previously being stunned are against Polish law. It also said that in issuing regulations that allow for such practices, the agriculture minister exceeded his powers and violated the constitution. The ruling sets the stage for more discussion when an EU law goes into effect Jan 1 allowing the practice and setting common standards among members. It gives animal rights supporters fuel for debate next year on whether Poland must comply with EU laws and to what extent.

The number of news found: 31.

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