Animals and animalrights in the media worldwide

Bijzondere boeken over bijzondere honden....

2009-12-01T08:58:00.006+01:00

Do You Love a Good Story With a Happy Ending?

01-12-2009 Happy Tails Books, USA

We do!
Happy Tails Books collects thought-provoking stories from people who have participated in dog rescue or dog adoption, and compiles them into books that educate and entertain readers!

Our "Lost Souls: FOUND!" series of books raises awareness about dog rescue efforts and provides a source of funding for dog rescue groups. Please join us in our efforts to end animal cruelty.

Share a story about your own adopted dog or pick up a book about your favorite breed. We would greatly appreciate it if you could hang a flier at your local dog park, dog daycare, groomer, etc. Do you work with an animal rescue group? Become a Rescue Partner to get free, targeted exposure for your group!

By the end of November, we’ll have completed “Lost Souls: Found!” books on Boston Terriers, Golden Retrievers, Dachshunds, Labradors, and Pit Bulls. We have also published a very special memoir of a Hollywood Studio Wrangler who has worked on set with adopted dogs entitled “Hollywood Barks!”.

These thought-provoking books are a great gift for dog lovers or for that person that might need to be educated about rescue.
More information and book previews can be found at http://happytailsbooks.com/media.htm. Since you are overseas we cannot ship directly to anyone who might be interested in a book, but they are available on Amazon.com.

(Bron: email received by me on Dec. 1st from Kyla Duffy, Editor, Happy Tails Books, http://happytailsbooks.com/)

Dierenbeschermingsorganisatie in Zuid-Afrika plaatst vraagtekens bij inzegenen voetbalstadions WK 2010 door slachten van koeien

2009-11-30T22:48:00.005+01:00

Animal group concerned by 2010 slaughter plan

30-11-2009 The Independent Online, South Africa

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) has written to the world soccer body, Fifa, about plans to slaughter cattle at each of the World Cup stadiums. "We've sent out a blanket letter... to anybody we feel has a role to play," the NSPCA's farm animal unit manager Del Jones said on Monday.

The NSPCA was reacting to media reports about a proposal to slaughter cattle to bless the stadiums where matches will be held during the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

It was not yet clear who would be involved in the decision-making process, Jones said in a statement.

In its letter, the NSPCA pointed out that people in South Africa and abroad were increasingly pressurising it about the issue, and it asked to be included in the decision-making process. It wanted to be involved as soon as possible and not just two weeks beforehand, she said.

"It is appreciated that the issue is sensitive from many angles. We strongly urge that the NSPCA is brought in as a role player and we ask for this necessary step to be taken," it wrote.

The NSPCA said preventing cruelty to animals was its duty and mandate.
"This is and will remain our unequivocal stance... Protecting animals includes transportation, holding conditions as well as method of slaughter."

Jones said the letter was sent on Thursday and Friday. The NSPCA had yet to receive a response.

She said the NSPCA met with South African Football Association (Safa) president Kirsten Nematandani two or three weeks ago to discuss the planned slaughter.

On Monday, Nematandani said he had advised the NSPCA to contact all the parties involved well in advance. There was little Safa could do as it was not directly involved, he said, adding that the stadiums fell under the ambit of the World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC).

The LOC could not be reached for comment on Monday, with all officials in Cape Town for the final draw.

The slaughter proposal was reportedly made in October by the Makhonya Royal Trust's chairperson Zolani Mkiva, who said the soccer tournament needed to be blessed in true African style.
"We must have a cultural ceremony of some sort, where we are going to slaughter a beast... We sacrifice the cow for this great achievement and we call on our ancestors to bless, to grace, to ensure that all goes well," he told Reuters.

It was all about "calling for the divinity to prevail for a fantastic atmosphere". The trust had written to the LOC proposing traditional ceremonies at the 10 stadiums where matches will be held.
"We believe that from the start we've got to do things in accordance with our own traditions," he said.

Mkiva told the Cape Argus that in slaughtering the cattle "we would be inviting our African ancestors to be with us throughout the soccer event".

According to The Citizen, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka has given the proposal his full backing.
"I will take the matter up with the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa," he told a gathering of traditional leaders at Freedom Park on Sunday.
"As a member of the 2010 ministerial committee, I will also lobby the world governing body, Fifa.
"The World Cup will be on the African continent and we will make sure that African values and cultures are felt by the visitors," he said.

The NSPCA said it did not oppose the slaughter of cattle, but was concerned about the method in which it was done.

Earlier this year, the NSPCA helped the organisers of President Jacob Zuma's inauguration celebrations to slaughter 20 cows in a way which ensured they did not suffer and that there was no risk to people. This was not the first time it had been involved in a traditional ceremony, Jones said at the time.

The NSPCA had attended the Zion Christian Church's annual pilgrimage at Moria, in Limpopo, over Easter; the Steve Biko commemoration ceremony and the cleansing ceremony at the former apartheid death-squad farm, Vlakplaas.

Jones said on Monday that the NSPCA usually pre-stunned the animals to be slaughtered and that it was this method that was used for the presidential party.
"We are quite happy to pre-stun," she said.

After an animal's throat was cut, it could stay conscious for between 60 and 90 seconds.
"That is when they start prodding and pulling. If it is stunned, it bleeds to death totally unconscious, which is what we call for."

This prevented any undue stress being placed on the animal. The NSPCA acknowledged in some cultures it was necessary for the animal to cry out, or bellow, to indicate the ancestors were happy with the sacrifice.

In these instances, a spear was usually placed on the animal and used to scratch it, causing the animal to bellow, at which point the NSPCA could stun the animal.

In the case of Jewish and Muslim animal slaughter rituals, the NSPCA post-stunned animals immediately after their throats had been cut.

"It doesn't sound a lot, but if it's 90 seconds, then it means quite a lot to the animal," Jones said. - Sapa

(Bron: http://www.iol.co.za/)

Twee dagen na offering dieren tijdens Eid in Dhaka (Bangladesh) afvoeren verstopt met dierlijke restanten - Overal in stad bloed en botten

2009-11-30T19:14:00.006+01:00

Stink spreads from animal wastes

30-11-2009 Staff Reporter, The New Nation, Bangladesh

Stinky smell is still spreading from the municipal waste scattered in different nook and corner of the city streets despite the passage of two days following the Eid day.

Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) which made a commitment to the city dwellers that its conservancy employees would clear the streets immediate after sacrifice of animals, has failed to fulfil its commitment.

Most of the city drains have become choked up with the waste of sacrificial animals. Even roads and streets of the posh residential areas were not properly taken care of by the employees of the conservancy department.

Some people were seen passing through some of the roads putting handkerchief on their nose.

Stench coming out from the temporary cattle markets of the city as those places did not get due attention of DCC employees. Dried blood of animals and bones of sacrificed animals were lying scattered in different areas.

DCC waste disposal lorries were, however, seen busy in disposal of municipal waste from some VIP areas . The attention of conservancy employees, as it appears , remains focussed on certain areas where VIPs live ignoring vast parts of city areas. It is time to give due attention to all areas so that municipal waste does not spread germs of diseases, it is felt.

(Bron: http://nation.ittefaq.com/)
(Bron foto: http://robbie.reismee.nl/fotos/9269/dhaka-eid-mubarak/144093/)

Nieuwe Schotse wet bedreigt zwangere zeehonden - Ook tijdens broedseizoen mogen dieren worden afgeschoten

2009-11-30T19:00:00.007+01:00

Scottish bill threatens pregnant seals

A new marine bill allows for the shooting of seals during breeding season. This callous policy would damage Scotland's reputation.

30-11-2009 Terry Nutkins, The Guardian, UK

I have spent all my life living close to the sea. I am extremely lucky to be able to see seals and many other marine mammals on a regular basis. Seals are fascinating creatures – beautiful and intelligent.

Here in the UK we are privileged to have internationally important populations of both grey and harbour seals. About 90% of these seals are in Scottish waters, so their fate is determined by laws made by their guardians, the Scottish parliament and Scottish government.

Yet many people are unaware that thousands of seals are shot every year around our coast. They are shot by fish farmers, commercial fishermen and anglers. Their crime for their death sentence? They eat fish.

The seas are the natural home of marine animals such as seals. What we human beings have to remember is that the seas belong to them. We don't have the right to enter their world and brutally kill them simply because they are behaving naturally. We must share and manage the seas in a responsible way to create a sustainable relationship for humans as well as marine life.

A new Scottish marine bill is being produced – shockingly, the new law may allow seals to be shot during their breeding seasons.

When a heavily pregnant seal is killed, her unborn pup will also die. Dependent pups may take days or even weeks to starve to death if they lose their mother to a bullet. This would be a truly inhumane and callous way to treat any animal. I have written to the Scottish parliament's environment and rural affairs committee asking it to amend the current draft bill.

I personally do not believe that the law should allow any seals to be killed. Opinion polls have shown that most people have the same view. However, if any seals are to be killed this must only ever be done as a very last resort and in the most humane manner. It can never be acceptable to allow these animals to be killed during their breeding seasons. They must be protected at this time, like many other mammals.

This is a crucial week for the fate of our seals. For the sake of Scotland's reputation as a forward-thinking compassionate country, I hope that the politicians take the ethical choice and prevent baby seals from being orphaned and left to starve to death on our beaches.

I agree with what Gandhi said: that the greatness of a nation, and its moral progress, can be measured by the way its animals are treated. Surely these magnificent animals deserve to be treated with compassion and respect. Please help Advocates for Animals's campaign to protect seals at http://www.onekind.org.uk/.

The planet has never been more threatened by a self-destructive species known as humankind. If we do not learn now how to live in harmony with all the creatures on it, we will lose them forever.

(Bron: http://www.guardian.co.uk/)
(Bron foto top: Guardian / Bron foto below: http://e-activist.com/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=75&ea.campaign.id=3479)

Politiehond in Minneapolis (VS) valt dood van dak autodealer tijdens onderzoek naar mogelijke inbraak

2009-11-30T18:51:00.003+01:00

Minneapolis police dog dies in fall from roof

30-11-2009 By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune, Minneapolis, USA

A Minneapolis police dog fell to its death Monday morning from the roof of a business where a possible burglary was unfolding, authorities said.

Chase, who had been on the force since 2007, was atop the former Downtown Jaguar auto dealership at about 8:15 a.m. with officer Eric Lukes, said police spokesman Sgt. Bill Palmer.

The dog fell three stories to the ground, Palmer said. Chase was taken to the University of Minnesota for medical treatment but could not be saved, the spokesman said.

"The MPD family is saddened by this loss and by what it means to Officer Lukes and his immediate family," said Police Chief Tim Dolan. "The service that the canines provide is invaluable to safeguarding the lives of our officers, and the loss of a canine partner is very hard on the family of the officer who raise these animals as their own."

Three burglary suspects were apprehended at the scene, police said.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

(Bron: http://www.startribune.com/)

Hond schiet twee jagers bij Perth (Schotland) tijdens ganzenjacht het ziekenhuis in....

2009-11-30T17:18:00.002+01:00

Shooters hurt in freak accident

30-11-2009 By Kirsten Johnson and Alan Richardson, The Courier, Scotland, UK

A PAIR of hunters were being treated in hospital after a freak accident at the weekend left them with serious gunshot wounds. The men, both 57, had been shooting geese near Perth when a gun was accidentally discharged at their legs on Saturday morning. They were rushed to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee after a trauma team treated their horrific injuries at the scene.

Initial reports suggested the men were blasted when one of their dogs trod on a shotgun left lying on the ground but police later said this was not the case.

The pair had been part of a larger organised party, not thought to be from the local area, who had begun their hunting trip at Dalreoch, just off the A9 by Dunning, early in the morning.
Police confirmed the shooting was an accident.

Two ambulances and the local trauma team raced to the site—beside Marshall’s Machinery on the B9141—to help the wounded men after being alerted shortly after 9.30am.
An ambulance service spokesman confirmed one of the men was treated for a serious lower leg trauma and hand injury.
The second man also suffered a lower leg injury. Both were conscious throughout and neither man’s injuries were life- threatening.

Police removed weapons in cases from the scene but would make no comment.

The remaining members of the party did not elaborate on what had happened.
It is understood they arranged their outing through the landowner, who is happy for such events to go ahead.

One local man said geese shooting is a popular pastime in the rural Strathearn area at this time of year and shooting parties from across Britain converge on estates and farms to bag the birds as they graze during their winter journey south.

He said, “Generally they will use 12 bores but they will have a heavy load because geese are relatively difficult to bring down.
“If you were to use the same sort of shot as for pheasants or rabbits, all you would do would be injure them and they would fly off and die somewhere else.”

“Put it this way, I wouldn’t want to be close by when one of them goes off. If the shot is heavy enough to go through a goose, you can be sure it will do damage whatever it hits, especially at close range.
“I didn’t see the incident happen or get involved at all afterwards, but I saw all the emergency vehicles and it was pretty clear it was serious.”

He said the hunting parties leave with only a few birds as the commercial sale of wild geese is illegal.

Police yesterday confirmed that a 46-year-old-man, who was part of the group, has been charged in connection with the matter.
A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in Perth.

(Bron: http://www.thecourier.co.uk/)

1015 Mensen tekenen in stad Groningen zaterdag burgerinitiatief ADC voor einde katten- en hondenexperimenten

2009-11-30T15:35:00.012+01:00

'Stop gruwelijke hersenexperimenten op katten'

Groningers tekenen massaal voor een verbod

30-11-2009 St. Anti Dierproeven Coalitie

Om 11.00 uur stonden dierenvrienden van de Anti Dierproeven Coalitie zaterdag in de Waagstraat in Groningen. We waren druk bezig met het opzetten van een tent, die ons zou beschermen tegen de regen. Helaas begon het steeds harder te regenen en toen vervolgens de wind onder de tent kwam, die met kunst en vliegwerk net niet wegvloog, besloten we om alle spullen, inmiddels in de stromende regen, weer in te pakken.

Het was 12.00 uur geworden en versterkingen waren gearriveerd. Een kop koffie bij de aardige mensen van het newscafe om weer op krachten te komen en om een plan B af te spreken. We zijn de Anti Dierproeven Coalitie en opgeven staat niet in ons woordenboek! Met een clipboard en een pen in de hand spraken we zoveel mogelijk voorbijgangers aan om te tekenen. Een stuk moeilijker aangezien mensen bij het zien van een clipboard direct associaties krijgen met opdringerige ledenwervers. Toch haalden we een groot aantal handtekeningen binnen.

Het klaarde op, een vrijwilligster stapte in een kattenpak en hield een groot bord boven haar hoofd met daarop de tekst 'zet je handtekening tegen dierproeven,' daarachter vrijwilligers met 2 clipboards in de handen om alle mensen te kunnen voorzien van handtekeningenlijsten. Mensen stopten massaal en stonden zelfs te wachten in de kou om te tekenen tegen dierproeven.

Plan B was een succes en leverde het burgerinitiatief 1015 handtekeningen op. Al 25.745 mensen hebben het burgerinitiatief ondertekend voor een verbod op honden- en kattenexperimenten.

Vrijdag 18 december organiseert de Anti Dierproeven Coalitie een wake bij het proefdiercentrum in Groningen tegen de gruwelijke hersenexperimenten op katten.

Voor meer informatie klik hier.

Handtekeningenlijsten kun je hier downloaden. We verwachten in mei 2010 de benodigde 40.000 handtekeningen binnen te hebben.

(Bron: http://www.stopdierproeven.org/)
(Bron foto's: St. Anti Dierproeven Coalitie)

42-Jarige inwoner Zwijndrecht schopt zijn poedel dood - Man mogelijk onder invloed van drugs

2009-11-30T14:02:00.002+01:00

Man schopt poedel dood

30-11-2009 De Telegraaf

ZWIJNDRECHT - Een 42-jarige man uit Zwijndrecht heeft in de nacht van zondag op maandag zijn poedel doodgeschopt.

Volgens de politie was de man vermoedelijk onder de invloed van verdovende middelen. Zijn vriendin belde de politie, die de man aanhield in zijn woning aan de Doctor Boutensstraat.

(Bron: http://www.telegraaf.nl/)

1200 Karpers uit riviertje Seto bij Hida (Japan) gevist en naar meer verhuisd - Door waterstijging dreigden vissen op droge te belanden

2009-11-30T13:50:00.003+01:00

Tijdelijke verhuizing voor Japanse karpers

30-11-2009 NOS

Zo'n 1200 karpers in het Japanse stadje Hida zijn verhuisd van een riviertje naar een meer in de buurt. Het waterpeil in de Seto stijgt en met de strenge winter in aantocht is er voor een veiliger plek gekozen.

Het water stijgt onder meer doordat de sneeuw in Hida in het riviertje wordt geveegd. De karpers lopen daardoor de kans op het droge te belanden.

Zeventien vrijwilligers hielpen mee met de verhuizing van de karpers. Volgend jaar mei worden ze weer teruggezet in de Seto.

(Bron: http://www.nos.nl)

Vermoedelijk deel jonge reuzenhaai aangespoeld op strand Ameland - Kop en staart ontbreken door wegrotting

2009-11-30T13:38:00.005+01:00

Reuzenhaai aangespoeld op Ameland

30-11-2009 NOS

Op het strand van Ameland is het kadaver van een jonge reuzenhaai aangespoeld. Het dier is al een week of vijf dood.

Oorspronkelijk was hij drie meter lang, maar doordat de kop en de staart zijn weggerot, is er nog maar twee meter over.

Kraakbeen
"Het is een in verregaande staat van ontbinding verkerend kadaver, waar je eigenlijk geen haai meer in kan herkennen", zegt Drirk Visser van Rijkswaterstaat.
"Maar aan de hand van zijn nek- en staartwervels kwamen we tot de conclusie dat het waarschijnlijk om een reuzenhaai gaat."

Atlantisch Oceaan
Een reuzenhaai kan tien meter worden. De laatste keer dat er een reuzenhaai aanspoelde op de Nederlandse kust was in 2004 bij Petten.

Reuzenhaaien komen normaal gesproken alleen voor in de Atlantische Oceaan.

(Bron: http://www.nos.nl/)
(Bron foto: NOS)

In oost Afrika 1700 kilo ivoor door Interpol in beslag genomen tijdens grootse operatie in zes landen - Ook huiden van luipaard, krokodil en slang

2009-11-30T13:33:00.004+01:00

Nearly 2 tons of ivory seized in eastern Africa

30-11-2009 The Associated Press

NAIROBI, Kenya — Interpol says African wildlife authorities have seized nearly 3,800 pounds (1,700 kilograms) of illegal elephant ivory in a six-nation operation.
Interpol's east Africa chief Awad Dahia says leopard, crocodile and snake skins were also seized in the three-month long operation. Dahia says the operation involved wildlife authorities, police and customs departments of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

The Kenya Wildlife Service says it has arrested 65 people during the operation.

The elephant populations of many African countries were being decimated until a global ban on the ivory trade was implemented in 1989. Since then the elephant population of Kenya, for example, has grown to 35,000 this year from 16,000 in 1989.

(Bron: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hCmqIkZOZ32MqxiM0ItMcW62TjDwD9C9R2DO0)

12-Jarig meisje door krokodil gedood tijdens zwemmen in Lake Kariba, Sinazongwe (Zambia)

2009-11-30T13:26:00.004+01:00

12 year old killed by crocodile

30-11-2009 The Lusaka Times, Zambia

A 12 year old girl has been killed by a crocodile on Lake Kariba in Sinazongwe district in Southern Province.

Nangombe ward councilor Robson Sialukowa confirmed in an interview with ZANIS that Anita Simalugwe of Kaduku Village in Chief Sinazongwe area was killed while she was swimming in Lake Kariba.

Mr. Sialukowa said the girl who was in grade one at Nangombe Middle Basic School was found dead when the parents ran to the Lake to rescue her. He said there were a lot of crocodiles in Lake Kariba and urged the Zambia Wild Life Authority to crop the reptiles that have continued killing people in Sinazongwe.

In September a 21 year old woman of Izenga Village near Chief Sinazongwe’s palace was also killed by a crocodile while she was washing vegetables at the shores of Lake Kariba.

The ward councillor has also warned parents to avoid letting their children swim in Lake Kariba.

(Bron: http://www.lusakatimes.com/)

Mensen laten hanen over de hele wereld met elkaar vechten - Er gaat veel geld om in deze 'sport' - Beelden uit de VS, India en Thailand

2009-11-30T12:07:00.001+01:00

Komst apenfokkerij van Bioculture Ltd (Mauritius) voor proefdierindustrie verdeelt Guayama op Puerto Rico

2009-11-30T11:37:00.008+01:00

Plan to breed lab monkeys splits Puerto Rican town

30-11-2009 By JILL LASTER, The Associated Press

GUAYAMA, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico has such a bad history with research monkeys running amok, some residents are stunned that its territorial government has approved a plan to import and breed thousands of primates for sale to U.S. researchers.

In this July 29, 2008 file photo, rhesus macaque monkeys groom one another on Cayo Santiago, known as Monkey Island, off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. The 37-acre island is a behavioral research and breeding colony for the monkeys, some of which are sold to laboratories. Puerto Rico has a long history with imported research monkeys, some of which escape, reproduce and run amok, thus some local Puerto Ricans are surprised that the local government has embraced a new plan to import thousands of primates to a different facility than the one pictured, and breed them for sale to U.S. researchers. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)

Bioculture Ltd., with facilities at 19 sites around the world, has secured permits to begin operating next summer in Guayama, a small, depressed mountain district in southeastern Puerto Rico. They want to turn the Caribbean territory into a major supplier of primates, much to the dismay of islanders already dealing with a plague of patas monkeys — descendants of lab escapees that run though backyards, stop traffic and destroy crops.

The company, based in the African island nation of Mauritius, says the operation will employ at least 50 people and buy fruit from local farmers, an important consideration on an island where unemployment is nearly 16 percent.

"This will help many people in the community," said Olga Colon, a local school principal who has collected 300 signatures in support of the facility. She said Bioculture has pledged to buy supplies for her school.

In this Dec. 4, 2008 file photo, a non-native monkey stares out from his cage at a ranger station used for animal control in the Cambalache Forest in Puerto Rico.

(AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)

But the project is opposed by everyone from Guayama Mayor Glorimari Jaime to Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro, who says it's unethical to breed monkeys for research, and renowned primatologist Jane Goodall.

In this Nov. 4, 2009 photo, renowned primatologist Jane Goodall speaks at the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

"We know now that monkeys have minds, personalities, and, above all, they have feelings," Goodall said during a recent visit to Puerto Rico. "What we do for monkeys in medical research — if you were a monkey, it would be torture."

Local residents have filed a lawsuit supported by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that says Bioculture failed to submit a full environmental impact statement or hold public hearings.

They say Bioculture allegedly paid fees for a $2 million project, when the project costs $12 million. The company denies the allegations.

A judge could decide as early Monday whether to order an injunction to halt construction. Either side could appeal the ruling to the state Court of Appeals.

Bioculture's facility, the first in a U.S. jurisdiction, plans to start with 1,000 Crab-eating Macaques, natives of Southeast Asia, and eventually hold up to 3,000.

Puerto Rico has long struggled to control hundreds of patas monkeys, descendants of primates that escaped in recent decades from research projects and now thrive in the lush tropical environment.

In this Dec. 4, 2008 file photo, a non-native monkey in a cage reaches for a slice of potato at a ranger station used for animal control in the Cambalache Forest in Puerto Rico. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)

No labs want the patas monkeys because they're no longer right for research, and many are diseased. There isn't much demand from zoos, either. So rangers from the island's Department of Natural Resources trap and kill them.

Wilson Nazario Torres fears the people of Guayama will suffer like those in his hometown, Lajas, which has been overrun by patas monkeys. The three that live in his back yard are so used to humans, he can't scare them away.

"If this project was offered in any state in the United States, they wouldn't allow it," said Roberto Cintron, a 46-year-old resident of Carmen, a Guayama neighborhood close to the facility site. "So they come to an isolated community, a neglected community, and offer jobs, and people buy it."

Bioculture Vice President Moses Mark Bushmitz said some groups are just trying to stir up panic. It happens at all new facilities.

The Guayama facility is one of many already inside the United States, he said, where about 70,000 research monkeys were used in 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The company assures people in Carmen and all of the Guayama district that its monkeys can't escape multiple levels of security.
"You have monkeys in MIT, you have monkeys in Harvard," Bushmitz said. "So why isn't it an issue if the monkey will escape in Harvard, but it is an issue if a monkey will escape in Carmen?"

Bushmitz called the protesters a small minority.
"This area was neglected for so many years," he said. "The people here have no chance. The young guys have no work."

But Carla Cappalli, a spokeswoman for the local PETA chapter, says opponents will keep fighting, no matter what the judge rules.
"This is going to be a long case," she said. "We're going to fight this to the end."

(Bron & foto's: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jHMx0jjch8RpdLLovXvzMdq4e0UAD9C9MP001)

Ondanks protesten dierenvrienden houdt Bali vast aan quota 1000 schildpadden jaarlijks voor religieuze en ceremoniële doeleinden

2009-11-30T11:31:00.003+01:00

Bali's governor proposes a 1,000 turtle quota

despite protests

30-11-2009 Ni Komang Erviani, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Indonesia

Despite protests from animal lovers, Governor Made Mangku Pastika admits the Bali administration has proposed to the Ministry of Forestry regarding a plan to utilize a quota of 1,000 turtles per year for various religious and ceremonial purposes.

"We proposed the quota for ceremonial uses. We never proposed the *slaughter' of turtles to cook lawar *a traditional Balinese dish of mixed meats - either pork, turtle, chicken and fish with vegetables and spices*," the governor pointed out.

The proposal is based on the number of customary villages in Bali, which is around 1,000. Each village holds a grand ceremony at least once a year.
"We have made an accurate calculation of each village's turtle needs," he said.

Pastika went further, saying a proposal was made to prevent people from committing illegal turtle poaching. Balinese Hindu people strongly believe turtles to be sacred animals and some large-scale ceremonies require the use of turtles.

However, in addition to ritual purposes turtle meat in the past was widely consumed, pushing Bali's turtle population to the brink of extinction.

Turtles are protected under the 1990 Conservation of Biodiversity and its Ecosystem Law.
Illegal turtle traders can face up to five years in jail and a Rp 100 million (US$10,000) fine.

Previously, an expert from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia strongly opposed the governor's plan to ask for a turtle quota.

Program coordinator of WWF Indonesia Creusa Hitipeuw stressed the proposal would open the turtle trade for the sake of ceremonies.
"This will affect Bali's tourist industry," he said.

Bali was for a long time seen as a notorious haven for the illegal trade of turtles.
Thousands of turtles were shipped and slaughtered for human consumptions.
"We can reach an agreement on the use of turtles in various religious activities," Hitipeuw said.

According to data from the Turtle Conservation and Education Center, Bali only needs 80 turtles a year for religious purposes, far less than the 1,000 turtles proposed by Pastika.

Data from Pro Fauna, an environmental NGO, revealed shocking statistics. Prior to 1999, the turtle trade in Bali reached 27,000 to 30,000 per year. After 1999, the number of turtles traded in Bali declined to 2,000 per year.

This year, Bali has traded 500 turtles from Lombok, Sulawesi, Maluku and Sumatra, WWF recorded.

(Bron: http://www.thejakartapost.com/)

Bedreigde Kemp's ridley schildpadden en soepschildpad spoelen aan op strand Cape Cod, Massachusetts (VS) - Koude zeewater drijft dieren naar strand

2009-11-30T10:54:00.005+01:00

Endangered turtles wash ashore

30-11-2009 CAPE COD TIMES, Massachusetts, USA

SOUTH WELLFLEET — Beach patrols Saturday night turned up another half-dozen turtles, washed up on the sand, immobilized by the cold water and wind. With the wind still blowing onshore at 30 mph and water temperature in Cape Cod Bay finally dipping below 50 degrees, Massachusetts Audubon Society volunteers and staff walked bay beaches from Eastham to Dennis and found five "cold-stunned" Kemp's ridley turtles and one green sea turtle.

Turtles become "cold-stunned" when the water temperatures drop, causing their body metabolism to slow to the point where they can no longer swim. They then come to the surface so that they can breathe and float to shore. While most of the sea turtles that visit the Cape in warmer months have already headed south, some stragglers inevitably stay behind, continuing to feed while waters remain warm.

Kemp's ridleys are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. They can grow to where the shell measures two feet in length and they weigh 75 to 100 pounds. The green sea turtle is also listed as an endangered species and can attain four feet in shell length and weigh nearly 900 pounds.

Including the reptiles found Saturday night, a total of 29 turtles have been discovered on beaches from Sandwich to Provincetown since October.

(Bron: http://www.capecodonline.com/)

Wordt Nederland ooit bont-vrij?

2009-11-30T10:37:00.005+01:00

Consument wil bont, dierenactivisten eisen

fokverbod

30-11-2009 door Saskia van Reenen, Wereldomroep

In de Nederlandse etalages hangen deze winter jassen met een bontkraag en ook laarzen zijn versierd met een bontrandje. Soms is het nep, vaak is het echt. Dan is de vacht van een konijn, vos, chinchilla of nerts in een kledingstuk verwerkt. Consumenten kiezen weer voor bont. Ondertussen neemt de weerstand tegen het fokken van nertsen voor de bontindustrie toe.

De Eerste Kamer beslist dit najaar of ze een wetsvoorstel van het parlement aanneemt dat de pelsdierhouderij verbiedt. Maar of Nederland daarmee bontvrij wordt?

In de jaren tachtig werden deftige dames die een bontjas droegen, honend nagekeken of door actievoerders met scharen belaagd. De geschiedenis herhaalt zich. De bontjas van oma is van zolder gehaald en met rode verf besmeurd door dierenactivisten van de groep 'Respect voor Dieren'.

Ze protesteren tegen de terugkeer van bont in het straatbeeld. En scanderen de leus: 'Dieren hebben rechten bont is moord'.

Vossenkraagje
Met spandoeken en luidsprekers waaruit het geluid van piepende nertsen klinkt, stellen de demonstranten zich op voor een winkel waar bont te koop is. "Ik zie in deze winkel vossenkraagjes en konijnenvoeringen hangen. Als je blaast, veert het op en je ziet er witte dierenhuid onder zitten. Een teken dat het echt bont is", zegt Nina Kroos woordvoerder van Respect voor Dieren.

Kroos betreurt de terugkeer van bont op straat en op de catwalks. Ze zegt: "Voor weinig geld koop je tegenwoordig al een jas met een bontkraag. Bont is niet meer alleen betaalbaar voor rijke vrouwen".

Ook Claudia Linssen van Bont voor Dieren constateert dat jongeren die van glitter en glamour houden - de zogenaamde blingbling-generatie - bewust voor bont kiest. Deze tieners en twintigers weten niets van de acties die dertig jaar geleden werden gevoerd tegen het doodknuppelen van jonge zeehonden voor hun bontvacht. Toch merkt Linssen op dat de meeste consumenten onwetend zijn en denken dat ze nepbont kopen. Het verschil is soms lastig te zien, daarom adviseert Bont voor Dieren een test te doen. "Als je er een vlammetje onderhoudt en het stinkt naar plastic, dan is het nep. Verschroeit het bont dan is er een dier voor gedood, legt Linssen uit.

Verbod
Bont ligt niet alleen in de Nederlandse winkelschappen, ons land is ook de derde producent ter wereld van nertsenbont. Nederland telt anno 2009 zo'n honderdzeventig pelsdierhouderijen waar miljoenen nertsen voor hun harige vacht worden gefokt.

In Ederveen ligt de pelsdierhouderij van de Federatie van Pelsdierhouders. Woordvoerder Wim Verhagen trekt plastic hoezen over zijn schoenen aan, voor hij de loodsen betreedt waar honderden nertsen twee aan twee in een kooi zitten. De voorgeschreven behuizing. Wie de regels overtreedt, kan op een fikse boete rekenen van het ministerie van Landbouw. De nertsen ogen tam en kalm. Volgens Claudia Linssen is het bedrijf in Ederveen een proefopstelling. Ze zegt: "Hier fokken ze de tamme soorten. Op andere bedrijven draaien de nertsen continu rondjes om hun as en verminken ze zichzelf." Wim Verhagen ontkent dit met klem.

Koolmonoxide
Bovenop de tralies van de kooien ligt eten, fijngemalen kip en vis. De nertsen ogen tam en rustig. Sommigen hebben een witte streep over de donkerbruine vacht.

Nertsenfokker Martijn Pijnenburg

De Brabander Martijn Pijnenburg is ook nertsenfokker, hij heeft vijfduizend moederdieren. Elk moederdier kan vijf tot zes jongen per jaar baren. "Als de wintervacht volgroeid is, dan is de pels goed om te gebruiken voor jassen of kragen. Ze worden dan dood gemaakt met koolmonoxide, dat is pijnloos. We hebben een box met valkleppen die langs de kooien rijdt en waar gas op staat. Eén voor éen halen we de nertsten uit hun kooi en na een halve minuut zijn ze dood.

Dierenactivisten strijden al jaren voor het verbieden van deze nertsenfarms. Hun lobby heeft succes, de Tweede Kamer heeft afgelopen zomer voor een wetsvoorstel gestemd dat het einde inluidt van de pelsdierhouderijen in Nederland. "De Kamer vindt het ethisch onaanvaardbaar dat dieren louter gedood worden voor een luxe modeartikel zoals een jas", licht Claudia Linssen toe.

Dit najaar buigt de Senaat zich over het nertsenfokverbod. Linssen verwacht dat de Eerste Kamer het oordeel van de Tweede Kamer volgt. "Het is al eerder gelukt, in de jaren negentig moesten bedrijven die vossen en chincilla's voor de bontindustrie fokten het veld ruimen", aldus Linssen.

Meer vraag
De nertsenfokkers zijn zeer verontwaardigd dat een verbod hen boven het hoofd hangt. Vooral omdat de vraag naar bont juist weer toeneemt. En ze daarom het aantal nertsen waarmee ze fokken hebben uitgebreid. "In Nederland zijn er tal van damesmodezaken die bont verkopen, omdat er blijkbaar een markt voor is. Een nertsenmuts of een kraag gaat 25 a 30 jaar mee, dat kun je van geen enkel synthetisch product zeggen. Nederlanders zijn zich bewuster van duurzaamheid en daar past bont uitstekend in. En de reden dat mensen voor echt kiezen, dat doet u zelf ook. Als je leren schoenen koopt, wil je ook dat het vocht gereguleerd wordt en je geen zweetvoeten krijgt," zegt Wim Verhagen fel.

De pelsdierhouders zijn ook boos dat in het wetsvoorstel met geen woord gerept wordt over een financiële compensatieregeling. Zij vrezen faillissement als de Eerste Kamer voor een verbod van hun sector stemt. Zij verwachten bovendien dat hun bedrijfstak overgenomen wordt door Oost-Europese landen, waar de regelgeving soepeler is. Ook zien ze bont niet uit de Nederlandse winkels verdwijnen ook al zijn de nertsenfarms verdwenen.

De dierenactivisten delen die mening. Voor een bontvrij Nederland, moet ook de handel aan banden gelegd worden. We zullen daarom actie blijven voeren om de import van bont te verbieden, zegt Claudia Linssen. De leus "Dieren hebben rechten, bont is moord" zal voorlopig op straat blijven rondzingen.

(Bron: http://www.rnw.nl/)
(Bron foto: Wereldomroep)

Nog steeds veel vraagtekens rond dood asherakat Shin Chan

2009-11-29T23:20:00.002+01:00

Raadsels rond reuzenkat

29-11-2009 door Lieke Jongbloed, De Telegraaf

EINDHOVEN - Ruim twee weken na de dood van de peperdure veelbesproken reuzenkat Shin-Chan is nog steeds niet duidelijk waaraan het dier in ballingschap is overleden.

Justitie, die de kat twee jaar geleden direct bij aankomst op Schiphol in beslag nam, liet weten dat de resultaten naar de doodsoorzaak nog zeker enige tijd op zich laten wachten. Het functioneel parket kan niet zeggen waarom het precies zo lang duurt. „We willen het zorgvuldig doen en daarom gaat daar tijd overheen”, is de enige uitleg die via een woordvoerster komt.

Doofpotgeval

De eigenaar die de bijzondere kat kocht bij het Amerikaanse Lifestylepets is wederom enorm teleurgesteld nu hij ook op dit onderzoek weer eindeloos lijkt te moeten wachten. „We hebben eerst twee jaar gewacht op allerlei juridische toestanden rond Shin Chan”, verzucht Jeffrey Borrenbergs. „En nu hij dood is, moeten we schijnbaar weer voor hoe weet hoe lang in onzekerheid zitten. Het lijkt een typisch doofpotgeval aan het worden.”

Jeffrey Borrenbergs liet twee jaar geleden vol trots weten de eigenaar te zijn geworden van een van de in Amerika speciaal gefokte asherakatten. De familie heeft het dier echter nooit in de armen kunnen sluiten. Deze kruising tussen de gewone huiskat, de Afrikaanse Serval en de Aziatische Luipaardkat weegt als hij volwassen is ongeveer 15 kg.

De Borrenbergs, al in het bezit van een hele reeks bijzondere en ook asielkatten telden maar liefst 27.000 euro neer voor het dier. Direct bij aankomst in ons land werd Shin Chan echter door de douane in beslag genomen. Sindsdien zat het dier, samen met twee soortgenoten die bestemd waren voor Rusland, op een geheim opvangadres.

Ruim twee weken geleden kregen ze per fax te horen dat Shin Chan plotseling was overleden. Justitie liet toen ook meteen weten het onderzoek rond de invoer niet te stoppen en er nog een rechtszaak zal dienen.

(Bron: http://www.telegraaf.nl/)

ADC demonstreert op vier locaties tegen experimenten op apen

2009-11-29T22:43:00.011+01:00

Actiedag tegen apenexperimenten

29-11-2009 St. Anti Dierproeven Coalitie

De Anti Dierproeven Coalitie protesteerde vrijdag 27 november op 4 plaatsen in Nederland tegen experimenten op apen. Zo'n 20 actievoerders protesteerden met megafoon, spandoeken en protestborden bij de laboratoria. Dat dit hard nodig is blijkt wel uit de cijfers. In 2008 werden er 495 apen gebruikt in experimenten. In de afgelopen 10 jaar zijn er zelfs 6420 apen opgeofferd voor de wetenschap.

Robert Molenaar van de Anti Dierproeven Coalitie: "Apen zijn zeer gevoelige en intelligente wezens die op geen enkele wijze gebruikt mogen worden in experimenten. Het bewustzijn van apen is zodanig ontwikkeld dat de dieren in constante stress zitten en beseffen dat zij in levensgevaar verkeren. Het is onethisch om onze naaste verwanten op te laten draaien voor menselijke problemen."

We begonnen in de stromende regen om acht uur s’morgens bij apenhandelaar Hartelust in Tilburg. Een geur van mest hing rond de loods.

Een trieste plek waar achter gesloten deuren apen lijden onder hun gevangenschap. De apen zijn afkomstig uit China waar ze onder erbarmelijke omstandigheden gefokt zijn in enorme apenfokkerijen. De campagne tegen Hartelust zal nooit stoppen zolang hij grof geld verdient (2000 euro per aapje!) over de ruggen van weerloze dieren.

Schering-Plough in Oss is zo’n afnemer van Hartelust. In 2008 werden nog ongeveer 100 apen gebruikt in experimenten. Molenaar: “We zijn niet tegen onderzoek en wetenschap, maar voor ethisch en mensspecifiek onderzoek.“ Vele voorbijgangers werd uitgelegd waar ADC voor staat.

Vele duimen gingen omhoog en de raampjes in de auto werden omlaag gedraaid om te luisteren. In het Brabants Dagblad verklaarde Schering-Plough dat ze ook naar een situatie toe wil waarin honden, varkens en apen niet meer gebruikt worden in experimenten. De Anti Dierproeven Coalitie is er de organisatie niet naar om dit voor kennisgeving aan te nemen. We willen dat Schering-Plough een voortrekkersrol neemt in het terugdringen van dierproeven en het ontwikkelen van dierproefvrije technieken. Recentelijk haalde Schering- Plough nog een winst van 633 miljoen dollar. Dat zou nog eens een mooi budget zijn om dierproeven te vervangen...

Klik hier voor berichtgeving in de lokale media.

Het volgende laboratorium dat we bezochten is het Erasmus Medisch Centrum. We stonden voor de hoofdingang en goed in het zicht van vele voorbijgangers. Opnieuw een laboratorium waar apen worden gebruikt in experimenten. De apen worden ziek gemaakt met vogelpestvirus (H5N1), metapneumovirus, (wildtype) mazelen, knokkelkoorts (dengue), SARS-virus of monkeypox.

De acties van de Anti Dierproeven Coalitie hebben een enorme impact. Dat bleek maar weer uit het feit dat een memo werd rondgestuurd binnen het Erasmus MC naar alle studenten en werknemers.
Het Erasmus MC beroept zich op de communicatie en openheid over dierproeven. Maar zelfs parlementslid Esther Ouwehand van de Partij voor de Dieren wordt geweigerd voor een rondleiding in de dierverblijven. Nog nooit hebben journalisten alle dieren mogen filmen in het proefdiercentrum, zo mochten de journalisten van Netwerk geen apen filmen en mochten enkel muizen gefilmd worden in het laboratorium!

We eindigden onze actiedag tegen apenexperimenten voor het grootste apenproefdiercentrum van Europa, het BPRC in Rijswijk.

Hier worden jaarlijks honderden apen ingezet in experimenten. Het BPRC doet al tientallen jaren onderzoek naar vaccins voor HIV en Malaria. Keer op keer worden vaccins afgewezen, omdat ze niet bleken te werken. Dat de vaccins niet werken is niet verwonderlijk. De rhesusapen in het BPRC worden bijv. ziek gemaakt met SIV, een andere ziekte dan HIV!

Toch blijft het BPRC krampachtig vasthouden aan verouderde technieken zoals het gebruik van dierproeven. Inmiddels staat er weer een nieuw hekwerk op het terrein van het BPRC om journalisten en dierenvrienden buiten te houden. Opnieuw mogen journalisten de dieren in het Freddy Mercury gebouw niet filmen. Openheid van zaken is niet meer dan een PR woord voor de sluwe vossen van de dierproefsector. Hoeveel hekwerken zijn er nodig om de grootste schande van onze samenleving verborgen te houden?

(Bron: http://www.stopdierproeven.org/)
(Bron foto's: eigen foto's Kraaijer)

Dierenactivisten Salt Lake Animal Advocacy Movement demonstreren bij nertsenfokker in Morgan, Utah (VS)

2009-11-29T09:15:00.004+01:00

Animal Rights Activists Protest at Mink Farms

28-11-2009 Maile Tua'one Staff Writer, Fox13Now, Utah, USA

MORGAN, Utah - Dozens of Animal Rights Protesters from the Salt Lake Animal Advocacy Movement descended on a Morgan Farmhouse to protest against mink farmers.

Mink Protest Organizer, Peter Young said, "These animals are skinned every year, and they're murdered simply to make a fur coat. So these people are making money off of blood."

The activists' protest has been in the works for months and they have filed lawsuits in federal court. The county tried to pass an ordinance to keep activists 1,000 feet away from fur farms.

A mink ranch owner, Stan Durrant said he fears for his mink's safety and spends nights at his farm worried someone might try to open his cages. "They have their rights to protest and we have our rights to farm," Durrant said.

FOX 13's Candice Gale reports.

(Bron: http://www.fox13now.com)

Bite Back op de stoep bij McGregor in Zeist - Kledingzaak verkoopt weer kleding met bont!

2009-11-28T21:16:00.006+01:00

McGregor verkoopt weer bont steun de actie

Bite Back

28-11-2009 IndyMedia

Bite Back - 28.11.2009 McGregor verkoopt weer bont .. steun Bite Back Bite Back in aktie McGregor is teruggekomen op hun bontvrije belofte uit 2007.

Waar wij zo hard voor gevochten hebben, is teniet gedaan. Terwijl Gaastra (van éénzelfde bedrijf) nog steeds bontvrij is, verklaart McGregor dat ze 'hun bontbeleid lichtelijk hebben aangepast'.

We kunnen die niet zo maar laten! Daarom voert Bite Back actie.

Vandaag bezochten zon dertig activisten van Bite Back McGregor in Zeist. '

Help ons stuur een protest mail naar McGregor http://www.biteback.be/action/e_action_detail.php?actid=5521

Website: http://biteback.hyves.nl/

(Bron: http://www.indymedia.nl/)
(Bron foto's: IndyMedia)

Goederentrein rijdt in Chapramari Wild Life Sanctuary, Bengalen (India), een zeldzame gaur (rundersoort) dood

2009-11-28T20:53:00.004+01:00

Gaur dies after being hit by goods train

28-11-2009 Staff Reporter, The Hindu, India

KOLKATA: A gaur, listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IIUCN), was killed after a freight train hit it. The incident occurred at the spot where the tracks pass through the forests in north Bengal’s Chapramari Wild Life Sanctuary on Saturday.

The conversion of the track in this section, from a metre gauge to a broad gauge, is believed to have triggered a sharp rise in incidents of endangered animals being felled by speeding trains.

“The bison was killed on the spot as a goods train collided with it while it was attempting to cross the tracks,” Silwant Patel, chief conservator of forests (Wildlife), north Bengal told The Hindu over telephone.

On the rise

The killing of elephants, gaurs and other animals by speeding trains is a common occurrence and such incidents are on the rise, Mr. Patel said.

With the conversion four years ago, the speed of the trains has increased to as high as 110 kilometres per hour and the frequency gone up from six daily trains to about 28 trains every day, he said.

“The matter was taken up by Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh in a meeting with representatives of the Railway Board in September, where we asked them to implement the recommendations of an expert committee, but no action has been taken,” he said. The committee identified six segments of the track line, that add up to 42 kilometres, as the most vulnerable spots where trains should not run at speeds exceeding 25 kilometres per hour.

The problem has implications that are wider than incidents in which animals are being killed, which in itself is a serious matter, he said.

“It is being observed that elephants are avoiding the region where the railway line runs through and migrating towards the southern fringes of the forests of north Bengal where there are denser pockets of human habitation.”

The incidents of man-animal conflict have increased over the last year and there may also have been a change in the migration routes of elephants, he said.

(Bron: http://www.hindu.com/)
(Bron foto: http://yathin.livejournal.com/tag/bandipur)

Wat heeft vier kalfjes bij boerderij Colorado (VS) gedood? - Huid afgestroopt, organen en tong verwijderd - Geen spoor dader(s): mens, dier, alien?

2009-11-28T17:34:00.008+01:00

Bizarre calf mutilations found on Colorado ranch

Four calves were found dead in a pasture just north of the New Mexico state line in recent weeks.

28-11-2009 ABC Local, USA

SAN LUIS, Colo. (AP) - A creepy string of calf mutilations in southern Colorado has a rancher and sheriff's officials mystified.

Four calves were found dead in a pasture just north of the New Mexico state line in recent weeks. The dead calves had their skins peeled back and organs cleared from the rib cage. One calf had its tongue removed.

But rancher Manuel Sanchez has found no signs of human attackers, such as footprints or ATV tracks. And there are no signs of an animal attack by a coyote or mountain lion. Usually predators leave pools of blood or drag marks from carrying away the livestock.

Two officers from the Costilla County Sheriff's Office have investigated the mutilations but say they don't know what's killing the calves.

"There's nothing really to go by," said Sanchez, who's ranched for nearly 50 years. "I can't figure it out."

A spokesman for the sheriff's office told The Pueblo Chieftain that investigators doubt a person butchered the calves because there is no blood at the scene.
"I've butchered a cow before and I know what kind of a mess it leaves," Sgt. James Chavez said.

Some in the area believe the mutilations are the work of aliens. An area UFO chaser, Chuck Zukowski of Colorado Springs, has been to the Costilla County pasture to investigate.

He told the paper there have been other unexplained calf mutilations in the area, including three in March. One of the other calves, found dead on a ranch near Trinidad, had its ears removed, Zukowski said.

"We're trying as much as we can to find a pattern," said Zukowski, who runs a UFO Web site called ufonut.com.

Sanchez said he has sold off his 32 remaining calves out of fear more would be mutilated. He hasn't decided how he'll manage the remaining 40 animals in his herd.

"It's a big loss for a small rancher," he said.

(Bron: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg)

Gewonde koala's in zuidoost Queensland (Australië) kunnen gered worden door betere terugplaatsing in natuur - In 10 jaar tijd 25.000 koala's gedood

2009-11-28T17:18:00.007+01:00

Moves could save koalas in southeast Queensland

29-11-2009 By Paul Weston, The Courier Mail, Australia

THE State Government-enforced practice of returning injured koalas to where they were found - even near busy roads - is under fire from green groups and researchers. Carers say more koalas than ever are being killed by vehicles and the carnage could result in their extinction in the state's southeast.

New research on the Gold Coast could hold the key to saving the much-loved animals, according to environmentalists.

Gold Coast City Council has begun relocating a handful of koalas at Coomera – part of a colony of more than 100 under threat from a housing development – to Canungra in the hinterland as part of a $20 million pilot program.
Researchers are using radio transmitters to determine if the koalas stay in their new home before moving the other animals.

The current practice for carers, enforced by the State's Nature Conservation Act, is to return injured koalas to their "home range" despite the increasing threat of road traffic or dogs.

Wildlife Australia carer Karen Scott hopes the study will lead to a change in laws that force carers to return injured koalas to within 5km of where they were rescued.
"I think there needs to be a bit of give and take in the legislation. Maybe 10km is a better limit, where they can establish a home range and not get hit by a car or attacked by a dog," she said.

Green groups such as the Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council and Australia Koala Foundation, following a briefing by council officers in the past week, welcomed the project, but fear governments will be too slow to act.

Australian Koala Foundation chief executive officer Deborah Tabart said the future of the species was "on the edge" in southeast Queensland, where 25,000 deaths had been recorded in the past 10 years.

She acknowledged the new research could help prevent their extinction within a decade.
"You can't protect them from the dangers . . . and they put them back in the same war zone."

Currumbin Valley resident Steve Barnes, who has saved several koalas after they were hit on busy roads, believes they should be relocated to safe bushland.
"It's crazy putting them back where they have been hit."

(Bron: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail)
(Bron foto: Courier Mail)

Calls for change of certain animal trap in the US - Owls trapped in animal traps in Moosup, Connecticut

2009-11-28T17:11:00.001+01:00

There are calls for change to a certain kind of animal trap after an owl was found in one in Moosup.