A dozen horses were found emaciated and suffering from starvation and dehydration on a veterinarian’s property, according to reports. Numerous dead horses and other animals were also recovered, say police. Demand that this veterinarian face the maximum punishment and is barred from ever possessing or working with animals again if found guilty.
Daily Archives: February 6, 2016
Enter Defenders’ of Wildlife 7th Annual Photo Contest
Defenders of Wildlife
Photo Contest
DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE’S 7TH ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST
You could win prizes worth up to $1,000 and see your photo in Defenders’ publications, websites and calendars.
One of Defenders of Wildlife’s main focuses is the protection and restoration of North America’s imperiled wildlife and wild North American landscapes. That is also the focus of our annual photo contest. To be eligible for judging in the 2016 contest, photographs submitted in the wildlife category must feature either imperiled North American wildlife (species that are state or federally listed as endangered, threatened or as candidates for listing) or wild North American landscapes. We are especially interested in images of the 25 key species and 15 focal landscapes that we have identified as priorities for our work.
Share your best photos of imperiled wild animals (images of captive wildlife are not acceptable) and wild landscapes with us, and you could win a $1,000 grand-prize gift certificate to B&H Photo Video or other prizes. Even if you don’t win, there is a chance you will see your photos on Defenders web pages, in our quarterly magazine, and in our calendar, annual report and other publications.
You can submit up to six images total in the categories of imperiled wildlife and wild lands. The deadline is Monday, February 8, 2016. Winners will be announced in mid-March 2016, and winning photos will be published in the summer 2016 issue of Defenders.
Table of Contents
Official Contest Rules
How to Enter
Eligibility and Judging
Deadlines
Prizes
Frequently Asked Questions
More Questions?
Rules
Defenders of Wildlife is pleased to announce its seventh annual photography contest and invites all photographers to enter. The grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 gift certificate to B&H Photo Video, the largest independent photo and video equipment retailer in the United States, courtesy of Defenders of Wildlife.
Please read the following rules, terms and conditions before submitting any photos.
The Defenders of Wildlife photography contest (the “contest”) is open to everyone at least 18 years of age, except employees and board members of Defenders of Wildlife and their immediate families.
YOUR RIGHTS: You will retain the copyright and all other rights to photographs you submit except for those rights specifically listed below:
You are granting Defenders of Wildlife a non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license to publish the photographs you enter in Defenders’ editorial, educational, and promotional print and digital materials, in our promotional and educational posts to social media, and for all other lawful uses in furtherance of Defender’s mission. All published photographs will be credited with a copyright notice in the following form: “© Photographer’s Name.”
Your photo may be cropped, silhouetted, faded or overprinted with other graphic elements. You also grant Defenders of Wildlife the right to use your name in connection with the photograph as well as in promotions and other publications associated with the contest. At Defenders of Wildlife, we have the utmost respect for photography. If you are concerned about how your photograph will be reproduced, please contact us.
WHAT TO ENTER: The contest has two categories: wild lands and imperiled wildlife. We are looking for outstanding photographs of wild habitat and imperiled species that highlight the beauty and wonder of life in North America.
To be eligible for judging in the contest, photos must be of wild North American landscapes and wildlife that is state or federally listed as endangered, threatened or a candidate for listing. We are particularly interested in images of our 25 key species and 15 focal landscapes.
Images entered in the wildlife category must be of wild animals in the wild. Photos of captive animals taken at zoos or commercial game farms are not acceptable.
Photographs should accurately reflect the reality of the subject matter and the scene as it naturally appeared. Slight digital adjustments of color, contrast and exposure are allowed, as is cropping. However, photos that have been heavily digitally altered and/or digital composites, as determined by the judges, will be disqualified.
If people appear in any of your photographs, you must be able to provide model releases to Defenders of Wildlife.
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How to Enter
All entries must be submitted electronically as JPEG files using our web-based entry form. Entries can be submitted starting on Monday, January 18, 2016. Deadline for submitting entries is 11:59 p.m. PST on Monday, February 8, 2016.
You may enter as many as six photographs to our contest using the entry form. The six photos may be any combination of imperiled wildlife and wild lands in North America. The photographs must be uploaded one at a time.
All entries must be high-resolution JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg) files. We suggest using a camera that can take photos between six megapixels and 18 megapixels to achieve maximum resolution.
You must fill out all of the boxes for your entry to be accepted. You need to enter your personal information only once, but you must provide a title and description for each photo you enter. Personal information will be kept private and viewable only by Defenders of Wildlife photo contest staff except as noted in the YOUR RIGHTS section above.
In the description field please identify the subject or species of your photograph, the location it was taken and any additional information that you think will be helpful in understanding the photograph. (Remember, any animal featured must be wild, not captive).
NOTE: Please refer to the “YOUR RIGHTS” section above to review the rights you are granting Defenders of Wildlife by entering our contest.
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Eligibility and Judging
Entries may originate from film or digital files but must be submitted electronically as JPEGs.
Photographs will be judged anonymously on the following criteria: artistic value, content, composition, originality and technical expertise. A team of photography experts will judge the contest. This is a skill-based contest, and chance plays no part in the determination of the winners.
The team will select 10 finalists, divided into the two categories: imperiled wildlife and wild lands of North America. The prize winners will come from this group. The finalists will then be posted online for voting by visitors to our website. The voting by our visitors will determine the grand prize winner as well as the first, second and third prize winners for each category.
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Deadlines
Entries can be submitted starting on January 18, 2016. Deadline for submitting entries is 11:59 p.m. PST on February 8, 2016. Winning photographs will be announced via an email from Defenders of Wildlife in March and featured on the Defenders of Wildlife website. Winning photographs will be featured in the summer issue of Defenders, our quarterly publication, which will arrive in homes mid-July 2016. Winning entrants may be contacted for an interview about their photo. Defenders of Wildlife reserves the right to adjust deadlines as needed due to circumstances beyond our control.
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Prizes
The grand prize winner, as determined by the visitors of our web site, will receive a $1,000 gift certificate to B&H Photo Video. The other prize winners will also receive gift certificates to B&H Photo Video: The first-prize winner in each category will receive a $750 gift certificate, the second prize winner in each category will receive a $250 gift certificate, and the third prize winner in each category will receive a $75 gift certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the size requirements for my photos?
To be eligible for the contest, photos submitted must be high-resolution JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg) files. If a photo does not meet this requirement, it will not be entered into the contest. We suggest using a camera that can take photos between six megapixels and 18 megapixels to achieve maximum resolution. Ideal width is 5,175 pixels.
Can I enter the contest if I was a finalist in last year’s contest?
Yes. We welcome your new entries to the contest.
Is the contest open to international participants?
Yes. Anyone who meets our eligibility requirements can enter. But remember that the pictures must be of imperiled wildlife and wild lands in North America.
Can I submit photos taken within national parks or wildlife refuges?
Yes. These wild lands are preserved to be just that: wild.
Do the wild lands and wildlife have to be within North America?
Yes. To be considered for the prizes, all wildlife and wild lands must be within North America.
What type of animals can be photographed?
Photos eligible for judging in the contest must be of North American species that are state or federally listed as endangered, threatened or candidate species. We are particularly interested in images of the 25 key species and 15 focal landscapes central to our work.
How do I know if the animal I have photographed is a state or federally listed species?
You can reference the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website for federally listed endangered, threatened and candidate species at http://www.fws.gov/endangered.
For species listed on the state level, visit the state fish and game department’s website. You can search for “[State] endangered species list”
My child is not 18, can she/he still enter?
No. Our contest is open to persons 18 years of age and older.
Can I mail photo prints to the Defenders headquarters for judging?
No. Defenders will only accept digital submissions via our online submission form.
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More Questions?
Questions and inquiries about contest rules can be e-mailed to photocontestquestions@defenders.org.
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Young Gorillas Spotted Dismantling Poachers Traps
les trust torontoHelping share Absolute Data from Toronto
2016/02/05
Young Gorillas Spotted Dismantling Poachers’ Traps For The First Time
by Arjun Walia, Collective Evolution
Not long after a poacher’s trap killed a young mountain gorilla in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, researchers actually witnessed a couple of four year old gorillas working together to take apart other traps in the area. Large gorillas are able to use their strength to do this, but the younger ones aren’t.
“This is absolutely the first time that we’ve seen juveniles doing that . . . I don’t know of any other reports in the world of juveniles destroying snares. We are the largest database and observer of wild gorillas . . . so I would be very surprised if somebody else has seen that.” – Veronica Vecellio from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Karisoke Research Centre in Rwanda
It’s sad to think that thousands of snares are set up in these areas, leaving many animals to be caught and left to die.
As Science Alert Points Out:
While adult gorillas are large and strong enough to extract themselves, young gorillas often are not, and if they don’t die from being stuck in the trap, they run a very real risk of dying from injuries sustained during their escape, such as dislocated bones and gangrenous cuts.
Here is the brief version of how the events unfolded from National Geographic:
On Tuesday tracker John Ndayambaje spotted a trap very close to the Kuryama gorilla clan. He moved in to deactivate the snare, but a silverback named Vubu grunted, cautioning Ndayambaje to stay away, Vecellio said.
Suddenly two juveniles—Rwema, a male; and Dukore, a female; both about four years old—ran toward the trap.
As Ndayambaje and a few tourists watched, Rwema jumped on the bent tree branch and broke it, while Dukore freed the noose.
The pair then spied another snare nearby—one the tracker himself had missed—and raced for it. Joined by a third gorilla, a teenager named Tetero, Rwema and Dukore destroyed that trap as well.
Humans have strayed far from the teachings of our ancestors. We once knew the importance of preserving and respecting all living things on this planet. Now, with the rise of today’s consumerist culture, we focus instead on acquiring material possessions, only to discard them and acquire even more, newer versions of these possessions. Worse still, much of what we purchase today has its roots in child labor and animal cruelty/suffering, and all of this is done for the sake of economic growth and globalization.
As a result, as studies have recently shown, the Earth has entered into a mass extinction phase. Vertebrates are disappearing at a rate 114 times faster than normal. These include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and there are several reasons for this decline. For example, an acre of land is cleared every second to graze animals and grow their food crops, resulting in the loss of over one hundred plant, animal, and insect species. Climate change, pollution, and deforestation seem to be the main culprits.
At the rate we are going, it seems unlikely that humans will be able to survive on this planet as close as one hundred years from now.
This entire experience, however, has served us in a way like no other. More and more people are starting to become aware of what is really happening on this planet and are starting to feel the urge to change. This is a good sign, and something that’s desperately needed at this time. I personally feel that our planet is actually shifting itself in the right direction, but it seems likely that it will be a challenging, if worthwhile, process for us all.
I joined the CE team in 2010 shortly after finishing university and have been grateful for the fact that I have been able to do this ever since 🙂 There are many things happening on the planet that don’t resonate with me, and I wanted to do what I could to play a role in creating change. It’s been great making changes in my own life and creating awareness and I look forward to more projects that move beyond awareness and into action and implementation. So stay tuned 🙂 arjun@collective-evolution.com
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