Under Pressure, Texas Moves to Stop Ocelot Traffic Deaths

strange behaviors

(Photo: Ana Cotta)

A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece for Takepart about the only U.S. population of the endangered ocelot suffering from roadkills because of poor planning on Texas State Highway 100.  Among other things, I asked readers to phone or email to let the Texas Department of Transportation know how they felt about that.

Now TexDot, as it’s known, says it’s going to fix the problem.  It’s not clear whether this is a smokescreen or the beginning of a genuine improvement.  I’ll keep an on it to see what really happens, and whether it happens soon enough to make a difference.  Meanwhile, here’s the report from ValleyCentral.com

Funding has been secured for four ocelot crossings on Highway 100 between Laguna Vista and Los Fresnos.

After four of the endangered cats were killed on the busy road and years of meetings with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife…

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Two Talking Wolves Tour

Wolves and Writing

Wolves don’t live in a world unto themselves. They, like all species, exist in an interactive and pulsating place, one that is increasingly influenced by humans and their influence. Good or bad, a significant part of human influence has to do with finances. Money talks, and it speaks both for and against wolves, depending on the source. We hear a lot about prominent groups that use their wealth to kill wolves. But Ted Turner, who has a net worth of 2.2 billion and owns over 2 million acres of land, is using his money to help them.

I learned about Turner’s far-reaching philanthropy last evening at Southern Oregon University in Ashland. The lecture I attended was the first in a Pacific Northwest tour entitled, “Two Talking Wolves” featuring writer Todd Wilkinson, who just released the paperback version of his book,  Last Stand, Ted Turner’s Quest to Save a Troubled Planet,

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Life

A Dose A Day

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Good News! That Adorable Dog in the Sink Doesn’t Have Ebola

Urgent: Exotic Animals Could Be Euthanized This Week

Vegan Lynx

Sign the petition here.

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Can Organic Agriculture Really Reverse Climate Change?

Emilio Cogliani

by guest blogger “Coach” Mark Smallwood, Rodale Institute executive director

Over the past 14 days, I have been on a walk–a walk that, I hope, will change the way that we look at climate change.

Each day I walk 10 miles on a journey from the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, to Washington, DC. Along the way, I have had the honor of meeting with farmers, local public officials, community members, students, and activists. Every person I meet has been affected by the impacts of climate change, from the disastrous hailstorm that occurred in Reading, PA, in May to the local fisherman concerned that atrazine was found in spawning beds of smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River. Climate change affects us all, and the impacts and destruction caused by catastrophic weather events are more noticeable with each passing year.

Along the way, I continue to tell people that climate…

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A Little North of Jupiter, There Is a Real-Life Planet of the Apes

Emilio Cogliani

The air is filled with hoots, pants, grunts, blown kisses and screeches. They fight over territory, joust for dominance in the group and grieve when one of their beloved passes away. Is this some weird reality TV show? No, this is Save the Chimps, the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary in a former orange grove in Fort Pierce.

Healthy, beautiful and often hilarious, this sanctuary is a place where a chimp can be a chimp.

Recently, I was lucky enough to tour Save the Chimps on Member Day with my husband, Jon, and sister, Emily. A city of over 250 chimps, the gargantuan sanctuary spans 150 acres. The property has 12 islands of three acres each, where chimps can roam in the grass, bask in the sun and are sheltered when needed from storms. In fact, during hurricanes, a staff person from Save the Chimps will

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WATCH: Serene film highlights Olympic National Park’s stunning sights

Global Climate Change, the Sun/Earth Connection — and beyond!

These itty bitty creatures fight global warming from the bottom of the sea

These itty bitty creatures fight global warming from the bottom of the sea.

Serious about saving the bees? Time to rethink agriculture

Serious about saving the bees? Time to rethink agriculture.

Mumbai joins the largest Global March ever for animals

Art, animals, and the earth

By Team Thane SPCA

Mumbai united with lakhs of people in 137 cities across the globe demanding action by  individuals, peoples, governments to end the vile trade in body parts of endangered species like elephants and rhinos.

The largest March for Animals of its kind ever, across the globe, the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos (GMFER) on 4^th October 2014 aimed at raising awareness about the near – extinction status of elephants and rhinos and asking every government to play their part too, by increasing penalties for bribery, corruption and trafficking offenses, and by shutting down all retail outlets and ivory carving factories.

Elephants, Rhinos and such other large animals are “Keepers of our Forests”. Losing them would mean losing our forests, our rivers and an incredible ecological system. Illegal poaching these animals are increasingly being linked to funding of organised crime and armed militia groups, fuels conflict and poses environmental, development and security challenges. Our cultural need to…

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Lake Co Pound Director Kills 147 animals in 9 Days, Gets Fired

YesBiscuit!

Last year, Jacquelyn Johnston was a clinic supervisor at the Miami Dade pound.  She killed animals for convenience in spite of the fact that the county commission had unanimously passed a no kill resolution after voters overwhelmingly demanded it.  In an e-mail to rescuers last summer, Johnston described some of the pets she was going to kill unless rescuers saved them with just a few hours notice:

“Sweet big boy, now has URI’’ — upper respiratory infection.

“Nervous and shy, but warms up if you spend time with her.’’

“Older pet but would make a great senior retiree…’’

“Adopter never showed up, super sweet, already spayed, 35-40 lbs.’’

“This is the one who came in from a caring homeless man, conformed pittie’’ — pit bull terrier, illegal in Miami-Dade

“Has ticks that we are treating. Needs out by tomorrow, no more time.’’

“Just a puppy and been here too…

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Warning: Chocolate may contain an Ebola surprise — price spike

SAVED: Husband, firefighters can’t find source of mystery meowing in woman’s car – but workers at Les Schwab could!

The U.S. Supreme Court Upholds a California Ban on Foie Gras

Tips From The Redneck Book Of Manners.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – Bowmanville Zoo Exotic Cats Get A Reprieve From Declawing

heatherclemenceau

Written by:  Heather Clemenceau

Captive tigers and lions, among other zoo animals, are often exploited for gimmicky photoshoots and photo-ops. The Bowmanville Zoos star tiger Jonas (who was featured in the movie Life of Pi) would go home with the zoo staff and play with their dogs – of course he couldn’t do this unless he was declawed. He passed away in 2011 as a result of a birth defect, and Limba the asian elephant was euthanized at the zoo in December 2013.

Now the focus has shifted onto the youngest exotic cats, who were born in the summer, as a replacement revenue stream for Jonas and Limba. In the past, all of the exotic cats at the Zoo had been declawed, to make them “safe” to interact with the public and the Zoo staff. But after an announcement about the inevitable declaw for the young exotic cats was…

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