NC animal rescue group wants your old bra to help save injured turtles

Exposing the Big Game

https://www.kwqc.com/content/news/NC-animal-rescue-group-wants-your-old-bra-to-help-save-injured-turtles-511955062.html?fbclid=IwAR3yfAfaoAJOapkAmXtvIy6v0WV6S0l5lm_gnHDOs2pgjUtPs6L-VV7CW7Y

By Amanda Foster  |

Updated: Fri 11:32 AM, Jun 28, 2019

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – It sounds bizarre, but it’s also true. The clips on the backs of bras can save a turtle.

It sounds bizarre, but it’s also true. The clips on the backs of bras can save a turtle. (Carolina Waterfowl Rescue)

“It acts like a little fixator, it’s the eyelets that we need,” Keenan Freitas at the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue says.

The group, you could say, is after your unused unmentionables. These are the same people who spend most of their time among a team of injured turtles.

“80 percent of them are hit by cars,” Freitas says. “The other five percent are hit by boats, the remaining are environmental.”

When these sometimes shattered shells come in, they’re not in good shape, and in the summer, there are quite a bit more of them.

“It’s when it…

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Sign the Petition: All Convicted Animal Abusers To Be Placed On A National Animal Abuse Register

change.org
PROTECT ALL WILDLIFE started this petition to Michael Gove

Abuse against animals is increasing dramatically and very rarely are offenders, when found guilty, barred from keeping or being involved with animals. I ask that it becomes law that an Animal Abuse Register is brought into place and that all offenders are placed on this register.

Many studies reveal that children who torture or kill animals are likely to show violence towards people when they grow up. Re-classifying animal abuse will aid law enforcement and the FBI in quantifying and reporting incidents of animal abuse. https://www.change.org/p/michael-gove-all-convicted-animal-abusers-to-be-placed-on-a-national-animal-abuse-register?recruiter=353339232&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=share_petition

Please show your support for a National Animal Abuse Register by signing this petition. If you are a UK citizen you can also ask your MP to support this initiative by contacting them at https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps

Understanding The Links: Child abuse, animal abuse and domestic violence ~ https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/understanding-links-child-abuse-animal-abuse-domestic-violence.pdf

Iconic desert-adapted elephant ‘Voortrekker’ killed by trophy hunter in Namibia – Africa Geographic

africageographic.com

Voortrekker the desert-adapted elephant before his tusks snapped off © Ingrid Mandt

In yet another blow to big elephant genes, the iconic desert-adapted elephant bull known by millions of fans worldwide as ‘Voortrekker’ was killed by a trophy hunter after being declared a ‘problem-animal’ by Namibian authorities. The surgical removal of Africa’s big-gene animals by trophy hunters continues, and Namibia’s desert-adapted elephants now rely on a small population of mature bulls after two were killed in 2016.

In their announcement on Facebook, Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) said “the elephant bull concerned was put down after it was declared a problem. The animal alongside others have been destroying properties and infrastructure in the area of Omatjete.” On the issue of whether this bull was the legendary Voortrekker, MET responded to Facebook questions by refusing to name the hunted elephant. Several conservation charities have confirmed that the bull in question is indeed Voortrekker. ‘Voortrekker’ is Afrikaans for ‘pioneer’.

MET spokesperson Romeo Muyunda Lee advised that the price paid was N$120,000 (+/- US$ 8,500), but it is unclear at this stage whether this was the total price paid or the portion paid to communities.

A study published in Ecology and Evolution in 2016 found not only that the Namibian desert-adapted elephants were different from their savannah cousins, but that their adaptations are also not genetically transferred to the next generation, rather through the passing on of knowledge by mature individuals. Morphological differences, like the adapted elephants’ thinner bodies and wider feet, also distinguish them from typical savannah elephants.

Voortrekker the desert-adapted elephant before his tusks snapped off © Ingrid Mandt

WAS THE WRONG ELEPHANT KILLED?

A Facebook post, written by Informante reporter Niël Terblanché, asks whether it was in fact Voortrekker who was causing problems for inhabitants of the Omatjete area.

Terblanché reports that an urgent letter addressed to MET official Christoph Munwela by management of conservancies neighbouring the Ohungo Conservancy in the area of Omatjete to prevent the killing of Voortrekker, suggests that a flagrant error was made when the hunting license was issued. The letter points out that Voortrekker is in fact not part of the herd that has been bothering the community of the Ohungu Conservancy in the area of Omatjete.

MET responded publically that “The communities who objected to the hunt were not affected by the elephants as the elephants were mainly causing problems in the Omatjete area.”

Prior to the hunt, the management committees of the Otjimboyo, Sorris Sorris and Tsiseb conservancies asked Munwela for a meeting to discuss ways to avoid the killing of Voortrekker, one of the oldest living bull elephants in Namibia. Their letter said: “Our people are in general accepting of the elephants’ presence and want them to remain in the area … it is our belief that the shooting of elephants does not solve the problem. In fact, this only makes it worse. We want to keep our communities safe and to do this we need to ensure that our elephants are calm and relaxed when entering villages. It is our belief that the shooting of elephants or scaring them off with gunshots, screaming or chasing them off results in aggressive animals and this cannot be tolerated.”

ELEPHANT DAMAGE

MET published photographs that they feel illustrates damage caused to property and infrastructure by Voortrekker, to justify the issue of the hunting license. Some of the images appear to show poorly neglected fences and other infrastructure, but some easily-replaced water pipes and tanks do appear to reflect damage.

Damage to infrastructure by Voortrekker the desert-adapted elephant, as per MET © MET

VOORTREKKER WAS PREVIOUSLY SAVED FROM TROPHY HUNTERS

In 2008 Voortrekker fans donated US$12 000 to MET in an effort to save him from professional hunters who had their eyes on his trophy tusks. At the time, six hunting permits were issued and only Voortrekker was saved from trophy hunter guns – the remaining five elephants were killed.

According to Johannes Haasbroek of Elephant Human Relations Aid, in the period since then, “the hunting outfitters and their sick clients conspired to get this gentle giant declared a problem to justify a hunt”. He went on to say: “We remember Voortrekker as an incredibly gentle, peaceful and magnificent elephant. His presence has often calmed other inexperienced elephants around him. He was known locally as the ‘Old Man’, that was always welcome because he never caused any problems or induced fear.”

Voortrekker the desert-adapted elephant after his tusks snapped off. This photo was taken 7 weeks before his death © Aschi Widmer

VOORTREKKER’S STORY

According to respected safari guide Alan McSmith, Voortrekker was a pioneer elephant for the desert-adapted elephant population in the Ugab and Huab rivers region. This giant elephant was one of the first to venture back to the region after populations were decimated during the turbulent warfare years in southern Africa. A small group of these uniquely desert-adapted elephants took refuge during the war in the remote and desolate gorges of Kaokaland in the north.

Says McSmith: “Voortrekker, one of the bulls to trek north during the conflict years, returned home in the early 2000’s, commencing a relay of south-bound expeditions, penetrating deeper and deeper into the dry and uncertain landscape before commencing with an epic traverse through to the relative bounty of the Ugab River. It was a marathon across arid plains and ancient craters that would ultimately redefine what we know of elephant endurance, intuition and behaviour. Just how he navigated, or knew where to find water, is anyone’s guess. For over two successive summer seasons he returned north to Kaokaland, returning each time to the Ugab with a small family unit in tow. An elephant patriarch. These elephants are still resident in the region and have formed the nucleus of three distinct breeding herds, making the Ugab/Huab Rivers perhaps the most viable desert elephant habitats in the world. Voortrekker continues as the Godfather, a true legend of the Ugab. His ancestral knowledge has been passed down to a new generation of desert dwellers. What a legacy! For me, all of this addresses one of the most crucial fallacies of elephant conservation, trophy hunting, and the notion of sustainable consumption: that older bulls have no value to an elephant community and can be hunted under the banner of ecological benefit.”

A Facebook page has been set up to ‘actively pursue the truth behind the killing of Voortrekker, the Iconic Desert Elephant, and then decide on appropriate action’

https://africageographic.com/blog/iconic-desert-adapted-elephant-voortrekker-killed-by-trophy-hunter-in-namibia/

Mama Bear and Cubs Enjoying a Sunday Afternoon

12-year-old boy makes stylish bow ties for shelter dogs and cats to help them find a home

Animal shelters often encounter the issue of cramped space due to the number of cats and dogs that are rescued and surrendered but never find a forever home, one boy from New Jersey is aware of this problem, so he decided to do something about it. Despite his young age Darius Brown has found a way to use his talents for the betterment of animal lives. To help our furry companions get adopted faster, he creates handmade bow ties for shelter cats and dogs to get the attention of possible owners.

Continue reading here and watch the video, donate to the GoFundMe…

https://mypositiveoutlooks.com/kid-makes-shelter-cats-and-dogs-stylish-bow-ties/

Digital Exclusive: Dr. Patrick Moore TEARS APART The Green New Deal | Huckabee

Historic hot spells in Churchill, Polar Bear Capital of the World, in late June/early July

polarbearscience

Amid reports of a late June heat wave in Europe this year, I thought I would check out the temperature in Churchill, Manitoba – where sea ice off the coast has been rather slow to melt this year with no reports yet of polar bears onshore. It turns out that Churchill has fairly often seen very hot weather (around 90F/30C) for a few days at this time of year but 2019 has certainly not been one of them. Temperatures in Churchill on 28 June this year were about 40 degress F below previous highs (more than 15 degrees C) according to online Environment Canada weather comparison reports that go back to 1943 (although their records for Churchill go back to 1929).

High for 28 June 2019: 44.4 F/7.1 C

Hottest year, late June: 90.0 F/32.2 C on 29 June 1984 [also 87.8 F/30.6 C on 26 June…

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Quintana Roo prohibits bullfights, cockfights, sets rules for owning pets

Published on Friday, June 28, 2019

The Quintana Roo Congress has passed a new animal protection law that bans both bullfighting and cockfights in the state.

The Congress said in a statement that the Animal Protection and Welfare Law incorporates proposals made by the public and prohibits acts that involve suffering or harm to animals such as bullfighting and cockfights.

The law also establishes new regulations for the breeding, rearing, sale and exhibition of animals as well as for the capture of lost or abandoned animals.

In addition, it limits the number of animals that can be kept in shelters and establishes requirements for owning a pet.

Quintana Roo becomes the fourth state to outlaw bullfighting after Sonora, Guerrero and Coahuila, and the second to prohibit cockfights after Veracruz.

In contrast, bullfighting is considered intangible cultural heritage in the states of Aguascalientes, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Querétaro, Tlaxcala and Zacatecas.

Several states, including Puebla, México and Tlaxcala, have also afforded the same status to cockfighting.

In Mexico City, lawmakers have presented several bills that sought to ban bullfighting but as yet none has been approved.

Most recently, Morena party lawmaker Leticia Varela argued that the blood sport must be outlawed because Mexico City already guarantees dignified treatment for all living beings.

“We’re obliged to comply with what the supreme law of the country’s capital establishes,” she said.

The deputy’s proposal was referred to Congress committees for analysis.

The environment committee of the lower house of the federal Congress is also examining the issue and planning to present a bill to ban bullfighting.

“Although some people think that bullfighting is tradition and culture, it can’t be considered in that way because it doesn’t cultivate the spirit or the intellectual faculties of those who practice it, and for those who attend [the fights], even less so,” said federal deputy Pilar Lozano.

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/quintana-roo-prohibits-bullfights-cockfights/?fbclid=IwAR1hOrmIHZvxR2A63_cJWF8-vn-vsk4PrhT2bEaR2n2Yrd68tYvNU_yvLLA

Source: Infobae (sp)

Breaking! Golden Eagle Chicks Found In Southern California Mountains For The 1st Time In 30 Years – World Animal News

By WAN –
June 27, 2019
Photos By National Park Service
A pair of golden eagle chicks, a fully protected species in the state of California, have been found in a nest in a remote area of Southern California.
As per the National Park Service (NPS), the last time a nest was confirmed in this remote area of Southern California was in the late 1980s.

The chicks, a 12-week-old male and female, were located several weeks ago when a consultant conducting bird surveys on private property identified the golden eagle pair and notified park biologists. NPS biologists working with biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey and Bloom Biological Inc., confirmed the nest location and activity and tagged them in early May.
Each chick received two bands; one colored and one numbered. The bands are part of the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory to help scientists monitor the status, trends and ecology of resident and migratory bird populations. Biologists also took blood from the chicks for genetic testing.
Loss of habitat for nesting and hunting has reduced their range in much of the state, according to Katy Delaney, an ecologist with the National Park Service.
Delaney is worried about these majestic raptors.
“Humans are the greatest threat to golden eagles,” Delaney said in a statement. “In the past, they were trapped and shot throughout their range, and today, they are vulnerable to habitat loss. Like their mammalian carnivore counterparts, they can die from eating poisoned prey, as well as from lead poisoning, electrocution on power lines and collisions with wind turbines.”
“We haven’t seen them in so many years, though they could have been around and staying away from people.” continued Delaney. “We just went through a huge fire and drought, and we are also not going to experience a decrease in urban development. We not only have mountain lions here, but we have golden eagles, as well.”
Although the chicks recently left the nest, their parents are not total empty nesters, yet. For the next several months, they will continue to rely on the more experienced birds until they learn to successfully hunt on their own, which may be around late fall.
These birds of prey typically feed on rabbits and squirrels, but also take a diverse array of prey species from small birds and snakes, up to mule deer fawns and coyote pups. Carrion is also an important component of their diet. In the case of this family, western gulls were the prey item of choice at the time of banding. There were seven gull wings found in the nest located in a large cave.
Interestingly, golden eagles are thought to form strong pair bonds and exhibit high mate and territory fidelity, meaning they will likely stay with the same partner and return to the same nest each breeding season. Some Southern California adult golden eagles remain on or close to their nest territory throughout the year while others move great distances several counties away. After gaining independence, young eagles generally disperse out of their parents breeding territory traveling between 20 to 1,200 miles away, but usually return when they are four to five years of age to establish their own area for nesting.
The golden eagle, one of the largest birds in North America, is a cousin of the bald eagle. Sightings are extremely rare and both are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Biologists believe the population may be declining in the United States, especially in California.
The golden eagle is one of 11 raptors, birds that hunt and feed on other animals. The most common raptor in the mountains is the western screech owl but red-tailed hawks are seen more often. Dark-colored red-tailed hawks are often mistaken for golden eagles by inexperienced observers.
According to the Chumash Indians, golden eagles had a deep historical connection to Boney Mountain but the last known confirmed nesting there occurred in the early 1800s.
You can help all animals by choosing compassion on your plate. #GoVeg

https://worldanimalnews.com/breaking-golden-eagle-chicks-found-in-the-santa-monica-mountains-for-the-1st-time-in-30-years/

Help us continue to bring you the latest breaking animal news from around the world and consider making a Donation!

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TAGS: Animal News,Animal Protection,Animal Welfare,California,Golden Eagles,Santa Monica

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  Contact us: contact@worldanimalnews.com
  © Copyright 2018 – WorldAnimalNews.com

Riverbanks Zoo In South Carolina Is Closing Their Elephant Exhibit Which Landed On In Defense of Animals’ “Worst Zoo” List – World Animal News

By Karen Lane –
June 27, 2019

In Defense of Animals has welcomed the recent announcement by Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina, that it will be closing its elephant exhibit.
In 2017, the facility was placed on In Defense of Animals’ annual list of the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants In North America, following the death of two elephants within six months of each other. Petunia was euthanized at age 44 in December of 2016 after she was found in her exhibit unable to stand. A second elephant, 37-year-old Penny, died at the zoo in May 2017.
Two remaining elephants at Riverbanks Zoo, Belle and Robin, will be sent to a new location which has reportedly not yet been determined. In Defense of Animals is calling for the elephants to be retired to a sanctuary.
“We are overjoyed that Riverbanks Zoo and Garden has finally acknowledged that its elephant exhibit is not suitable for remaining elephants Belle and Robin,” Marilyn Kroplick M.D., President of In Defense of Animals, said in a statement. “When two relatively young elephants die within six months of each other, there is clearly a problem. Riverbanks Zoo is making the right decision to close its elephant exhibit, and we urge the Zoo to send Belle and Robin to an accredited sanctuary where they can enjoy peace, privacy and a more natural environment than zoos can provide.”
“This is a victory for elephants and for members of the public who have become aware that captive facilities are no place for wild animals,” stated Laura Bridgeman, Director of In Defense of Animals’ elephant campaign.

https://worldanimalnews.com/riverbanks-zoo-in-south-carolina-is-closing-the-elephant-exhibit-that-landed-it-on-in-defense-of-animals-worst-zoo-list-in-2017/

You can help all animals by choosing compassion on your plate. #GoVeg

Help us continue to bring you the latest breaking animal news from around the world and consider making a Donation!

Please share our articles, follow us on social media, and sign up for our newsletter! Go Plant-Based!

“One Person CAN Make A Difference”

TAGS:Animal News,Animal Protection,Animal Welfare,,ElephantsSouth Carolina zoo

• World Animal News Partner – World Animal News
  World Animal News brings you the latest breaking news in animal welfare from around the globe.
  Contact us: contact@worldanimalnews.com
  © Copyright 2018 – WorldAnimalNews.com

Shut Down The Yashima Aquarium

Guardians Of Life

We are sharing this petition for our friends.

The New Yashima Aquarium is mistreating the animals they currently have in their possession. As you can see from the disturbing photo, they treat their dolphins like surfboards whilst dawning on Power Ranger costumes. They also keep their animals in small tanks as well as performance pools. There is also video evidence on the petition of a dolphin smashing their head against the glass tank.

Please take the time to sign and share this important petition.

Shutdown Yashima Aquarium

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Protect the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo and the Endangered Species Act

Natural History Wanderings

The deadline to tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service not to roll back protections for the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo is next Wednesday, June 26. More than 16,000 Audubon supporters have already sent comments—will you join them?  It’s quick and easy to send your own comments through our Action Center.

Read more at  National Audubon Society

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Animal brains, like humans, sync up with one another

firepaw.org

So it turns out that like humans, animals’ brains sync up with one another during social interactions. This, according to new research examining the neural activity of Egyptian fruit bats and mice engaging within their respective social groups.

We already know from prior research there is synchronization of neural activity in humans’ brains during social activities such as conversation when one person picks up social cues from the other and modulates his or her own behavior based on those cues. Now there is evidence the same thing occurs with nonhuman animals–especially with animals that are highly social by nature like bats and mice.

The synced-up bat study overview

Researchers monitored the bats for sessions of about 100 minutes each as they engaged in a wide range of natural social interactions, such as grooming, mating, and fighting. The bats were filmed with high-speed cameras, and their specific behaviors and interactions were carefully characterized.

As this was happening, the scientists were using a technology called wireless electrophysiology to simultaneously record the brain activity in the bats’ frontal cortices across a wide range of neural signals, ranging from brain oscillations to individual neurons and local neural populations. They saw that the brains of different bats became highly correlated and that this correlation was most pronounced in the high-frequency range of brain oscillations. Furthermore, the correlation between the brains of individual bats extended across multiple timescales of social interactions, ranging from seconds to hours. Remarkably, by looking at the level of correlation, they could predict whether the bats would initiate social interactions or not.

The in-sync mice study overview

Researchers used a device called a miniaturized microendoscope to monitor the brain activities of mice during social situations. These tiny devices, which weigh only two grams, are fitted on the mice and allow the researchers to monitor the activity of hundreds of neurons at the same time in both animals. They saw that mice also exhibit interbrain correlations in natural social interactions where animals freely interact with each other. Moreover, the access to thousands of individual neurons gave them an unprecedented view of both animals’ decision-making processes and revealed that interbrain correlation emerges from different sets of neurons that encode one’s own behavior and behavior of the social partner.

Social interactions are often nested within the context of a dominance hierarchy. By imaging two mice in a competitive social interaction, they discovered that behavior of the dominant animal drives synchrony more strongly than behavior of the subordinate animal. Remarkably, they also found that the level of correlation between two brains predicts how mice will respond to each other’s behavior as well as the dominance relationships that develop between them.

https://firepaw.org/2019/06/25/animal-brains-like-humans-sync-up-with-one-another/

overview

Journal Reference: Wujie Zhang, Michael M. Yartsev. Correlated Neural Activity across the Brains of Socially Interacting Bats. Cell, 2019;

Study DOI: https://firepaw.org/2019/06/25/animal-brains-like-humans-sync-up-with-one-another//j.cell.2019.05.023

.

Journal Reference: Lyle Kingsbury, Shan Huang, Jun Wang, Ken Gu, Peyman Golshani, Ye Emily Wu, Weizhe Hong. Correlated Neural Activity and Encoding of Behavior across Brains of Socially Interacting Animals. Cell, 2019;

Study DOI: https://firepaw.org/2019/06/25/animal-brains-like-humans-sync-up-with-one-another//j.cell.2019.05.022

Poachers’ Poison Kills 530 Endangered Vultures in Botswana

(Photo by Hoberman Collection/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Meilan Solly

smithsonian.com
June 24, 2019 12:45PM

More than 500 endangered vultures died in northern Botswana after feasting on elephant carcasses laced with poison, the country’s government announced last week. Conservationists say that poachers targeted the birds—two tawny eagles and 537 vultures comprising five different species—because their scavenging activities, particularly circling carrion, can alert authorities to hunters’ presence.

“Vultures are sentinels to poached animals, so they’re directly being targeted,” Kerri Wolter, CEO and founder of conservation charity VulPro, tells The New York Times’ Kimon de Greef.

According to the government statement, the dead include 468 white-backed vultures, 28 hooded vultures, 17 white-headed vultures, 14 lappet-faced vultures and 10 cape vultures. (White-backed vultures in particular were once common across Africa but they’re now among the most threatened of the continent’s vulture species, with mere thousands remaining in the wild.) Per the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, all of these species are endangered or critically endangered.

As the Telegraph’s Catrina Stewart notes, it’s likely that the ramifications of this event will extend far beyond the initial death count. Given the fact that it is currently vulture breeding season, many of the deceased were new parents; now, they leave behind orphaned youngsters ill-equipped to survive on their own.

“[Since] vultures are late maturing and slow breeders, the magnitude of losing just under 600 vultures in one week is incomprehensible,” Wolter says to BBC News’ Alastair Leithead. “The species cannot withstand these losses and it is impossible to recover the disappearance of these individuals and breeding pairs in our lifetime.”

While vultures may pose an obstacle to poachers, the African Wildlife Federation explains that they are essential for maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Ella Hurworth of CNN further writes that the scavengers help keep the environment clean and minimize the spread of contagious disease. In India, where vultures have “all but disappeared,” according to De Greef of The New York Times, rat and feral dog populations have skyrocketed, leading to an increased likelihood of severe disease outbreaks.

As De Greef reports, the birds were found in a wildlife management area near the border of Botswana and Zimbabwe. Although the mass killing isn’t the first of its kind—in 2013, some 400 to 600 vultures died after dining on a poisoned carcass in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, and between 2012 and 2014, researchers catalogued 2,044 poaching-related vulture deaths in seven African countries—it is the first to be widely reported in lieu of Botswana’s recent decision to lift its five-year suspension of elephant hunting.

The reversal, which has been criticized by conservationists but lauded by locals who say wild elephants are wreaking havoc on their livelihoods, could pave the way for increased poaching activity in the region. Previously, Rachael Bale points out for National Geographic, Botswana “appeared to have largely escaped the recent ivory poaching crisis,” but in 2017 and 2018, according to the Telegraph’s Stewart, poachers reportedly killed around 400 of the country’s elephants.

If elephant poaching becomes more prevalent in Botswana, vultures will pay part of the price, falling prey to poison left by illegal ivory hunters hoping to evade detection. For now, however, authorities are focusing on decontaminating the area where the birds were found and sending samples of the animals’ carcasses for laboratory analysis.

“The public in the vicinity … is [requested] to report any wildlife mortalities which may be spotted in their areas,” the government statement concludes. “The Department is concerned with the habit of some individuals who deliberately poison animals, as this is dangerous and harmful to the environment. Furthermore, the public is encouraged to desist from engaging in such illegal acts and report any suspicious activities which may suggest environmental poisoning to the nearest wildlife office or the police.”

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/poachers-poison-kills-530-endangered-vultures-botswana-180972477/

Senior moments

bluebird of bitterness

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Something’s Wrong on My Site

You may have received some post coming from our world that I did not post, hopefully you have only received two and I put them in the trash!

I have contacted WordPress and hopefully the problem will be straightened out….

Sorry for that intrusion and inconvenience…

I hope you enjoy your Sunday

 

Need more room in your closet drawers or suitcase then you need to watch this

 If you only watch to learn how to fold sheets, especially the #$@%& fitted sheets to make more room in your linen closet this is worth watching!

‘Bring Your Dog To Work Day’ aims to raise money for charity on June 21

mypositiveoutlooks.com
Farah R. | Positive Outlooks

If you’ve always wanted to bring your dog to work, it’s your chance to do on Bring Your Dog To Work Day this Friday, June 21! Aside from a whole lot of fun for dogs and their parents, this event is dedicated to raising money to help several animal charities.

Also known as Take Your Dog To Work Day, the annual holiday allows pet-owners to bring their dog with them to the office – that is, if their company allows it. So don’t get too excited, okay? Make sure that bringing your pooch to work is legal and boss-approved!

This year marks the 21st year that the holiday is celebrated in the US and the 4th year in the UK. The event occurs annually on the first Friday after US Father’s Day and aims to support dog lovers and their pets through fundraising.

In the US, the holiday was commenced by Pet Sitters International in 1999. PSI is a database for professional pet sitters and dog walkers where people can search for available pet sitters. Their objective for starting BYDTWD was for people without dogs to see the bond that their co-workers have with theirs, so as to encourage them to adopt one of their own.

The charity initiative supports the well-being of dogs without homes and the welfare of dogs around the world.

In the UK, several animal charities benefit from the funds raised such as All Dogs Matter, an organization that rescues and finds homes for more than 400 dogs in London every year. Another is Animal Asia, an international charity that aims to stop the practice of bear bile farming, as well as the improvement of the welfare of dogs in China and Vietnam.

In the US, participants are called to donate animal charities of their choice.

Aside from helping animals, bringing your dog with you to work is scientifically proved to be good for you too. According to studies, the presence of pets in the workplace can help reduce a person’s stress level.

Employees who take their pooch with them to work reported increased levels of job satisfaction and had a more positive perception of their employer.

“Not only are there proven benefits to having pets at work, like lowered blood pressure, lessened anxiety and increased physical activity, but it also helps attract and retain employees, especially among millennial workers,” said Chanda Leary-Coutu, director of consumer experience for Wellness Natural Pet Food.

If your company does participate in the holiday, there are a few key things to remember. First, confirm that your workplace is a dog-friendly space – meaning, there should be no exposed wires or any dangerous appliances that they can chew on.

Remember to bring a water bowl, snacks, toys, and any other necessities for your dog to ensure that his office experience will be comfortable. Be mindful as well of your pup’s bathroom needs – you wouldn’t want to stink up the whole office, wouldn’t you?

To commemorate the event, make sure to take photos of your new “co-workers” this Friday! If you are from the UK, you may even win a dog-themed gift from event sponsors if you donate and upload a picture of your dog at work to the Dog with a Job Hall of Fame.

https://mypositiveoutlooks.com/bring-your-dog-to-work-day-is-happening/

Sign the Petition: Shut Down the Abuse of Animal Cruelty to Cows at Fair Oaks Farm

 

change.org

Kai Marten started this petition to Coca-Cola and 1 other

On June 4, 2019, a video was released exposing Fair Oaks Farm, in Indiana, for their animal abuse and cruelty. The video showed calfs being separated from their mothers, being thrown into trucks, being stepped on, being hit, and other forms of cruelty. The lack of respect show to these animals is unacceptable.

Everyone sees Fair Oaks as a family friendly place to be. It is an animal killing place for profit by big corporations. I urge Coca Cola to stop funding this place.

Fair Oaks kills cows everyday. They show the proper way to milk a cow everyday in the showrooms. However, they fail to show the extreme abuse from the handlers to the cows. The lack of dignity from these employees is unacceptable. This is not just one or two bad workers, it’s all of the cow handlers.

Coca Cola has the power to shut down this operation. I urge you to sign this petition to stop this abuse and give these innocent animals liberation.��✨

https://www.change.org/p/shut-down-the-abuse-and-animal-cruelty-to-cows-by-fair-oaks-farm

Sign Petition: Togo’s Evala Festival Forces Teenage Boys to Gorge on Dog Meat

thepetitionsite.com

by: Pet Dog Meat Group
recipient: President of Togo Faure Gnassingbé

Each year thousands of teenage boys in Togo, Africa, go into isolation for a full week, to gorge on dog meat for a full seven days. The teenagers then reappear and spend the following week, the first week of July, gorging on even more dog meat, as they compete in ‘traditional initiation’ wrestling competitions known as Evala, in Togo, Africa.

The two week annual ritual is performed by each teenage young man for three years. As the Evala wrestling practice spreads across more locations, so does the mass number of brutal slaughtering of dogs for dog meat, seen as the wrestler’s secret weapon for success.

Each competitor desires the attributes which dogs posses: loyalty, courage, intelligence, endurance, cunning, faithfulness and so on. It is falsely believed eating dog meat will transfer the dog’s attributes to the consumer, giving the consumer supernatural powers over their opponent. Dogs are eaten because they are considered to be cunning, enduring, courageous, smart and faithful. These are qualities required for wrestlers to defeat their opponents during the fights.

The number of dogs slaughtered for the Evala festival each year is unknown. We do know thousands of young men from numerous different tribes compete against each other, so the number of dogs killed would be staggering.

The young Kabye man does not become a fully fledged member of his community unless he completes the three year initiation ritual. To refuse participation in initiation ceremonies means being driven out by your family, elders and the entire community at large.

Rabies is a serious problem across Africa and while we do not know how many people have died of rabies in connection to Evala, we do know the dogs are not health checked prior to slaughter or consumption. Togolese people falsely believe rabies can be cured by grinding up a dog’s head and placing it in the wound.

Fight Dog Meat is calling for the Evala festival to ban the slaughter of dogs and consumption of dog meat, and embrace the window of opportunity to become a professional event, guaranteeing the survival of the wrestling performance of athleticism.

Rabies is a serious problem in Togo and the Evala festival is placing local people and tourists in jeopardy by continuing to slaughter and consume dogs and cats which receive no health checks. The slaughtering and eating of dogs and cats in Togo must be done away with and banned.

YOU CAN HELP US FIGHT FOR DOGS AND CATS IN THE MEAT TRADE BY JOINING US AT: FACEBOOK: FIGHT DOG MEAT and WEBSITE: WWW.FIGHTDOGMEAT.COM

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The Evala initiation ceremony is gaining larger numbers of international tourists each July, as spectators marvel at the wrestlers performance. The mass killing of dogs and gorging on dog meat by teenage competitors a week prior to the festival, followed by a second week of eating dog meat, has been relatively unknown up until now.

As news of thousands of young men gorging on dog meat for two weeks, prior and during the festival, public outrage will overcome many people who may otherwise have visited your event, as tourists. Similarly, seeing teenage wrestlers smeared in the fat of freshly slaughtered dogs, to make their skin slippery in an effort to avoid competitors from holding them, will also cause outrage on the public stage.

Togo is playing Russian roulette with people’s lives by continuing to slaughter and consume dogs which receives no health checks prior to slaughter or consumption. It is a false belief to say that grinding up the head of a dog and placing it in the wound will cure rabies. It will not cure rabies!

Fight Dog Meat is calling for the Evala festival to ban the slaughter of dogs and consumption of dog meat, and embrace the window of opportunity to become a professional event, guaranteeing the survival of the wrestling performance of athleticism.

The slaughtering and eating of dogs and cats in Togo must be done away with and banned.

Sign Petition

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/942/070/302/africa-evala-dog-eating-festival-stop-dog-meat-abuse/

 

Feinstein Calls for Enhanced Safety Reviews at All California Horse Racing Tracks

feinstein.senate.gov
Feinstein Calls for Enhanced Safety Reviews at All California Horse Racing Tracks
2-3 minutes

Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) this week sent letters to California Governor Gavin Newsom and the owners of the Del Mar and Los Alamitos horse racing tracks urging an expansion of the enhanced safety review the governor implemented at Santa Anita Park.

“The extra layer of review you established to examine each horse’s medical records and racing history is a prudent step to ensure racehorse safety. I urge you to implement it at racetracks throughout California for the remainder of the year,” Senator Feinstein wrote.

Full text of letter to Governor Newsom is below.

June 18, 2019

The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor Newsom,

I write in support of your agreement with The Stronach Group to require an enhanced safety review of horses before they race at Santa Anita Park. While this policy is currently limited to Santa Anita, I ask that you extend the protocol to all horse races and tracks in California for the remainder of 2019.

The 29 fatalities experienced at Santa Anita this year have brought into focus the danger horses face when competing at a high level. Statistics show that most horses who suffer a fatal injury while racing are found to have had a preexisting condition that may have contributed to their breakdown. We should pursue any reasonable measures to detect those preexisting conditions and prevent horses from racing when they are at-risk of catastrophic injury.

The extra layer of review you established to examine each horse’s medical records and racing history is a prudent step to ensure racehorse safety. I urge you to implement it at racetracks throughout California for the remainder of the year.

Sincerely,

Dianne Feinstein
United State Senator

https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=AD64E56D-F1F4-49FF-94AD-120D744E8269

Stingray Found Dead With Stomach Containing a Book, a Camera, a Bottle, and a Packet of Cigarettes – WORLD OF BUZZ

 

Published June 16, 2019By Alief Esmail

There is no more denying the fact that we are fully responsible for all the bad things happening to our animal friends. More and more animals are suffering as a direct result of our own ignorance. The war against plastic is happening at full force but we need to do even more before its too late.

Another sad reminder has surfaced recently, where the carcass of a stingray was found dead and after further investigation, its stomach was found to contain full of random objects which might have been thrown by irresponsible individuals. Here are some of the pictures shared by 5 Minutes Beach Clean Up on Instagram.

From the pictures shared, it can be clearly seen that the stingray died from swallowing a pack of cigarettes, a book, an empty bottle and lastly a digital camera!

Poor stingray!

Although the location of the incident happened cannot be determined, the book has what appears to be Mandarin hanzi printed on it. In any case, this is a grim reminder for all of us.

Stingray Found Dead With Stomach Containing A Book, A Camera And A Bottle. – WORLD OF BUZZ 5

We only have one Earth and every living creature on this planet has a vital role. What is the point of being the most powerful creatures on earth, if we only use that power to destroy everything we touch?

Most of us have already started to do something in order to save the environment but we need to step it up! Let’s do this for our future ok?!

Also read: 40kg of Plastic Waste Found in Stomach of Whale That Died From Starvation

Stingray Found Dead With Stomach Containing A Book, A Camera And A Bottle.

https://www.worldofbuzz.com/stingray-found-dead-stomach-containing-book-camera-bottle-packet-cigarettes/?fbclid=IwAR35dzJHuuuCHO6XWUPbqmDqjSywLVb5XAna8CBpBi-kPxySfuzzLqtUG3I

About That Russian Oligarch Linked To Trump And Kremlin Inner Circle With Stasi Ties And Alleged Mafia Ties – Deripaska

Mining Awareness +

Navalny (25 min) video link. Watch it asap in case Youtube removes it under Russian pressure: http://youtu.be/RQZr2NgKPiU

Oleg Deripaska is President of Rusal. Former German Stasi agent, friend-associate of Putin (from KGB days in Germany) Matthias Warnig, is Chairman of the Board of Rusal, as well as Managing Director of Nord Stream 2. En+ Group controls Rusal. Deripaska is President and Director of En+ Group. Nat Rothschild is Chairman of the Board of En+ Group.

The most recent Navalny corruption video, which is now banned in Russia, is about an important Russian official hanging out on Deripaska’s yacht. Russia is demanding that Youtube remove the video.

Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has represented Deripaska as a lobbyist in the past, and had business interests with him. Although Deripaska has sued Manafort in the past, and currently, lawsuits can act as a channel for money-laundering.

This isn’t the first scandal involving…

View original post 1,153 more words

World Animal News

In a historic move last week, #Israel’s Prime Minister @IsraeliPM @Netanyahu appointed #vegan activist @TalGilboa as his personal #animalrights advisor.🙏

🌍👉 @WorldAnimalNews @Peace_4_Animals pic.twitter.com/4KwOl1x631

— World Animal News (@WorldAnimalNews) June 17, 2019

Poachers die in high speed chase – The Chronicle

chronicle.co.zw
Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter

TWO suspected rhino poachers in Beitbridge died on admission to the Bulawayo United Hospitals (UBH) after they were involved in an accident while being pursued by police and game rangers during a dramatic high speed chase.

The incident occurred last Wednesday at Bubye Valley Conservancy on the outskirts of Beitbridge.

This emerged when two other suspects James Mauto (41) of Zaka in Masvingo and Celestino Shate (35) of Soshangane Flats in Bulawayo appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate, Mr Langton Mukwengi, facing charges of unlawful hunting of a specially protected animal in violation of the Parks and Wildlife Act. They were remanded in custody to June 28.

Prosecuting, Mr Guwanda said on June 12 this year, Mauto and Shate who were in the company of their deceased accomplices, Godfrey Makechemu and Charles Runye, were allegedly spotted by game rangers inside Bubye Valley Conservancy in Mazunga, Beitbridge.

The quartet, which was allegedly illegally hunting for rhinoceros, took to their heels with the game rangers hot in pursuit.

Their footprints indicated that they were tracking fresh rhino spoors at the conservancy.

“Acting on a tip off, a police mobile unit saw the suspected poachers coming out of Bubye Valley Conservancy and heading towards a nearby Jopembe village and pursued them,” said Mr Guwanda.

The court heard that as the police and the game rangers were making a follow up, they spotted the accused persons jumping into their car, a Toyota Wish and speeding off.

While in the process of fleeing from the pursuing police officers and game rangers, the car hit a stray goat resulting in the driver losing control of the vehicle and it veered off the road and overturned.

When police arrived at the scene, they found the four injured suspects inside the wreckage.

A search was conducted leading to the recovery of a telescopic sight rifle.

On being quizzed the suspects failed to give a satisfactory response leading to their arrest.

The accused persons were taken to Beitbridge District Hospital.

Makechemu and Runye were further transferred to UBH where they died upon admission.

https://www.chronicle.co.zw/poachers-die-in-high-speed-chase/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

—@mashnets

Lost and starving polar bear seen scavenging in Russian city

dailymail.co.uk

By Will Stewart In Russia For Mailonline 09:07 18 Jun 2019, updated 09:44 18 Jun 2019

Lost and starving polar bear was spotted wandering in amongst traffic in Russia
Motorists in the nickel mining city of Norilsk watched as the beast dodged cars
Bear thought to have walked nearly 1,000 miles from Russian Arctic Ocean shore
Animal appeared too weak to attack humans and was seen scavenging for food

A starving polar bear has wandered into an industrial city in Russia after ‘walking almost 1,000 miles in the wrong direction’.

The lost beast headed south and inland from shore of the Arctic Ocean, far from its natural feeding habitat.

Motorists in the nickel mining city of Norilsk watched in amazement as the bear crossed busy roads.

The bear was scavenging for food and appeared too weak to attack people who were watching the wild animal – but local officials have warned of the threat to human life.

Locals said it is the first time a wild polar bear has been spotted in the city since the 1970s.

The animal is believed to have made a lonely trek of at least 950 miles crossing Arctic islands and frozen sea to reach Norilsk, according to reports.
The emaciated polar bear was seen on the streets of Norilsk dodging in and out of traffic and the animal scavenged for food
It is thought the polar bear walked nearly 1,000 miles from the Russian Arctic shore south to the mining city of Norilsk

Irina Yarinskaya, a photographer of Zapolyarnaya Pravda newspaper, snapped the bear dodging cars in the city’s traffic.

She told local media: ‘He is seriously hunger-bitten, he is hardly able to blink and keep his eyes open, almost unable to walk.

‘He was lying for a long time, having a rest, then he crossed the road and entered the industrial zone.

‘He went towards the gravel and sand factory. Then he crossed one more road and headed to a dump.’

Earlier, the same bear was spotted at Talnakh on the outskirts of Norilsk.

The animal has become a star attraction in a barren area normally populated by brown not polar bears, reported The Siberian Times.
The lost and starving wild animal appeared too weak to attack humans but was being monitored by the authorities as it still posed a threat to life
During the bear’s long walk it was pictured by residents of Norilsk and at one point was seen lying on the ground in the industrial city’s outskirts
The polar bear reportedly walked around 950 miles south from the Arctic shore to Norilsk

The bear had the ‘wrong compass settings’, and walked across the Taymyr Peninsula to reach the Soviet-era nickel city which is normally closed to foreign visitors.

Local police and emergency services are closely monitoring the bear – which poses a threat to residents.

But they are awaiting a decision from Moscow on whether to sedate the beast and return it to the Arctic shoreline – or move it to a zoo in Krasnoyarsk, the regional capital, come 950 miles further to the south.

Initially the local emergency services refused to believe there was a polar bear in the Talnakh district of the Arctic city which is some 350 miles inland.

Anatoly Nikolaychyuk, head of Taymyr department of state hunting control, said: ‘This is a unique and rare case.
The polar bear was seen wandering around industrial area of Norilsk and walking in busy roads looking for food
Norilsk is an industrial city in Krasnoyarsk Krai region above the Arctic Circle, east of the Yenisei River. It is what’s known as a ‘closed city’ as foreigners cannot visit and during the Soviet-era did not appear on maps, road signs or connect to public transport
Residents took videos and pictures of the emaciated polar bear as it made its long journey from its natural habitat over the Taymyr Peninsula

‘There are two options now – either to relocate him to the shore, or, perhaps, some zoo will take him.’

Local campaigners are demanding the bear is returned to its natural habitat.

Oleg Krashevsky – who specialises in tours to the remote Putorana Plateau – posted: ‘I don’t understand how the bear could have walked such distance, across Taymyr and not come across anyone.

‘He must have encountered many hunters. The same thing happened in 1970’s when a polar bear showed up at an explosives warehouse around the same place as this time.’

Polar bears are an endangered species in Russia’s Red Book.

The bear’s mammoth journey is believed to have started on islands deep in the Arctic either in Krasnoyarsk or Yakutia regions.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7153051/amp/Lost-starving-polar-bear-seen-scavenging-Russian-city-nearly-1-000-miles-natural-habitat.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed&__twitter_impression=true

“Co-Founder Alex Schulze Talks All Things 4ocean”

Reality of Greenland’s melting ice sheet shown in photo of sled dogs walking through water – CNN

In this photo taken on Thursday June 13, 2019 sled dogs make their way in Northwest Greenland with their paws in melted ice water.

Steffen Olsen, a scientist with the Danish meteorology institute, was on a routine mission in Northwest Greenland to retrieve oceanographic and weather monitoring tools place by his colleagues on sea ice when he ran into a problem.

He couldn’t see them — they usually flat white sea ice was covered in war, the result of flooding from Greenland’s ice sheet, the second largest on the planet.

The incredible photo he took, of sled dogs ankle deep in a wide expanse of white blue water, quickly went viral, destined to join pictures of starving polar bears, shrunken glaciers, stranded walruses and lakes turn bone-dry in the pantheon of evidence of our ongoing climate catastrophe.

As Olson said on Twitter, communities in Greenland–mainly indigenous — “rely on sea ice for transport, hunting and fishing.” They will be among the first affected by the melting of the ice sheet, but the repercussions will not remain limited to Greenland or even North America.

Continue reading here and watch video…

https://us.cnn.com/2019/06/17/health/greenland-ice-sheet-intl-hnk/index.html?no-st=1560855756

First sanctuary for rescued dolphins opens on Greek island of Lipsi | TornosNews.gr

tornosnews.gr

First sanctuary for rescued dolphins opens on Greek island of LipsiIts aim is to offer refuge to stranded, injured and formerly captive dolphins, which is part of the initiative to end the exploitation of dolphins in zoos all over the world

The world’s first permanent sanctuary for dolphins rescued from captivity was founded by the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, according to int.ert.gr.

The sanctuary is situated on a small, beautiful bay on the north side of the Lipsi island and its aim is to offer refuge to stranded, injured and formerly captive dolphins, which is part of the initiative to end the exploitation of dolphins in zoos all over the world.

“We decided to create the world’s first Marine Life Sanctuary in the Aegean, wishing to achieve a great goal, while at the same time honoring the Greek cultural heritage, as the first country to protect dolphins by law over 2500 years ago!” noted the Archipelagos Marine Protection Institute’s research director Anastasia Miliou.

The exploitation of dolphins for commercial gains and the entertainment of children and adults is being attacked by environmental organizations around the globe. However, the International Law prohibits the dolphins’ release in the open seas.

The Archipelagos Institute decided to offer a solution. After carrying out extensive studies, the institute elected Vroulia’s narrow gulf to create a sanctuary where formerly captive dolphins could be transported. Under surveillance and in a safe environment, the dolphins will be able to get back their hunter’s instinct so that later on they could be released into their natural environment.

“Today, there are 2,913 dolphins in captivity around the world. We want them to be released, because it is scientifically proven that they have a high degree of intelligence and they are suffering in captivity” Ms. Miliou explains, underlining that the Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary in Lipsi will serve as a prototype, with a view to develop others in every corner of the planet”.

https://www.tornosnews.gr/en/tornos/green-travel/35905-first-sanctuary-for-rescued-dolphins-opens-on-greek-island-of-lipsi.html

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Sbork

Petition: No to the puppy mills in China

sosvox.org

The animals live confined in small cages, surrounded by their own faeces and urine. These places are true dog factories where they give birth until they die, while living a horrible life. The animals suffer a horrible life and end up with mental illnesses that cause them to be constantly turning in their small cages, hitting each other.

Dogs are poorly fed, almost never leave their cages and when they do it is only to be used to impregnate or leave pregnant females, and when they do not serve them anymore, they are killed or abandoned because they are no longer profitable.

Do not condemn dogs to a life of agony, suffering and pain. It is our duty to do something to be respected and their lives saved.

And remember that these places exist because there are people who buy pets, so ADOPT, DON’T SHOP!

SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION

https://www.sosvox.org/en/petition/no-to-the-puppy-mills-in-china.html?fl