LOS ANGELES (AP) - Many cats are tail talkers. If those tails start to twitch and wag, watch out for fangs and claws, warns cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy.
If you try to pet a cat when its tail is wagging and get bitten, 'You had it coming,' says Galaxy, who helps solve behavior problems, both human and feline, on his Animal Planet TV show, 'My Cat From Hell.'
When a cat's angry enough to wag its tail or the fur on its back stands up, its ears flatten and eyes dilate, the owner needs to figure out what's wrong, he says.
Galaxy figures cats and owners equally share the blame for relationships gone wrong, but when it comes to changing behavior, cats are the easier students - by a wide margin.
His house call kit is a guitar case loaded with cat toys and treats. But there's no magic wand in the box, he says. It takes time and hard work. 'You get what you give.'
Galaxy, 46, has an usual job - and he's an unusual guy. He's 6-foot-5, bald, wears specs and ear hoops, sports a long goatee, prefers bowling shirts and sneakers, has tattoo 'sleeves' and has started tats on his legs so that he'll one day have a 'full suit.'
He plays the guitar, has a degree in acting and has been addicted to drugs, alcohol and food. He's also written an autobiography, 'Cat Daddy.'
Galaxy was working at an animal shelter in Colorado more than 15 years ago when a man walked in with a cat in a cardboard box. The cat, named Benny, had been hit by a car and was 'unbondable,' the man said. Benny and Galaxy spent the next 13 years bonding and developing what Galaxy calls 'cat mojo.'
He had a practice with a holistic vet before moving to Los Angeles in 2007 and opening a private consulting firm. He was at a pet adoption fair when he met the friend of a friend who introduced him to reality TV producer Adam Greener ('Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition'). 'My Cat From Hell' began airing in spring 2011. In each episode, viewers witness owners struggling to find domestic harmony with their cats.
Emilie Bandy and Mike Petriello are fans of Galaxy's show. For seven months, they tried to turn their New York City apartment into a peaceful place for their cats, Olive and Pepper, but Olive attacked Pepper every chance she got. They went to the vet, gave Olive doses of Prozac, searched for answers online and in bookstores, slept in separate rooms so they could each care for one cat, and put planning for their September wedding on hold.
'We were genuinely afraid for the cats' lives if we left them together,' Bandy said.
When they learned Galaxy was filming season three of 'My Cat From Hell' in Manhattan, they made a video and submitted it. Their problem with Olive and Pepper became the summer's first episode. In it, Galaxy:
- Gives Olive a food dish with a middle bump so she has to eat around it, ensuring that Pepper finishes and leaves first.
- Shows the couple how to build trees and platforms where Pepper can escape if Olive starts to attack. 'Build a vertical world,' Galaxy says.
- Tells them to stop running every time Olive whines, scratches or throws a temper tantrum. 'Don't positively reinforce bad behavior,' he says.
It's been three months since the last catfight. Bandy and Petriello are back in the same bedroom, wedding planning is again in full swing, and the couple spends hours each day playing with both cats in the same room.
The cats may never be fast friends, but they are coexisting - and Pepper's confidence is growing.
Karen 'Doc' Halligan of Los Angeles calls Galaxy 'fabulous,' but acknowledges that he's playing to a tough crowd.
'People do not understand the need to train cats and that they need socialization just as much as dogs. Since they have not been domesticated that long, people just think they are independent and don't need it,' says the veterinarian, author, TV consultant and director of veterinary services for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles.
Besides the show and his consulting work, Galaxy sells his own line of essence oils and is a board member for Stray Cat Alliance and FixNation in Los Angeles and Neighborhood Cats in New York.
Early on, there were a handful of cases that stumped him, but Galaxy believed then that psychotropic drugs were inappropriate for pets. He's changed his mind.
'Why not use holistic, homeopathic measures? Why not use empathic measures? Why not use traditional Western measures? Why not use acupuncture and Prozac on the same cat?' he asked.
Cats have an attention span of about 3 seconds, so Galaxy believes punishment is pointless. 'Count to 10, clean up, forgive and move on,' he says. Air in a motion-detecting can is great for disciplining cats the instant they misbehave, he says.
Despite cats' short attention span, there is nothing wrong with their memory, he says. Most cats can be taught almost anything, he says, but he doesn't believe a cat should be taught to walk on a leash or jump through hoops just to satisfy an owner. Most cats will feel the same way, he says, but some will enjoy the lessons and the activities.
Galaxy's tattoos include 15 cats (Benny will be on his leg) but he also has three real ones, along with a blind dog.
Does he think cats will one day become doglike and gather in parks, take obedience classes, share play dates and go surfing?
'I totally hope not,' he says. 'I love cats for who they are. I want everyone to embrace what I call the raw cat.'
___
Online:
http://www.jacksongalaxy.com
http://animal.discovery.com/
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Dolphins sponge up culture: study
Bottlenose dolphins that have learnt to use sea sponges as hunting tools form cliques with others that do the same -- the first evidence of animal grouping based on mutual interest, a study said Tuesday.
The finding may represent the first known proof of cultural behaviour in the animal kingdom, US-based researchers wrote in a paper in Nature Communications.
They studied a group of bottlenose dolphins at Australia's Shark Bay, some of whom had learnt the skill of 'sponging' -- slipping a sponge on their beaks as protection against sharp rocks while scouring the ocean floor for prey.
Based on 22 years of observations, the team found that the 'spongers' forged closer ties with other spongers than with dolphins that had not acquired the hunting technique.
'Like humans who preferentially associate with others who share their subculture, tool-using dolphins prefer others like themselves, strongly suggesting that sponge tool-use is a cultural behaviour,' wrote the researchers from Georgetown University in Washington.
Sponging is a solitary activity.
'Dolphins don't sponge together but can identify who sponges and who doesn't,' study author Janet Mann told AFP.
'Spongers spend a lot of time hunting, tend to be solitary, but clearly go out of their way when they can to meet up. You could think of them as workaholic dolphins that prefer to meet up with the other workaholics.'
The study forms part of an ongoing scientific quest for proof of animal culture -- loosely defined as a form of social learning that differentiates between groups.
The first spongers were discovered among Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay in the mid-1980s, and scientists believe they may have been using this hunting technique for centuries.
Normally, when some members of an animal group develop tool-use, the rest learn it too, as with chimpanzees using sticks to fish termites out of their nests or elephants swatting flies with tree branches.
But in the case of the Shark Bay dolphins, only the calves of sponger females become spongers themselves, and the practice remains limited to a small subset -- less than five percent of the 3,000-odd population, and mainly females.
No other example of sub-culture has ever been shown outside of humans, said the study.
'This was the first study to show that a non-human animal groups on the basis of ... behaviour even though they don't engage in the behaviour together,' said Mann.
'This is more similar to how we think of human culture.'
Their intelligence and communication skills make dolphins popular subjects for such research.
This article is brought to you by MATCHMAKING.
The finding may represent the first known proof of cultural behaviour in the animal kingdom, US-based researchers wrote in a paper in Nature Communications.
They studied a group of bottlenose dolphins at Australia's Shark Bay, some of whom had learnt the skill of 'sponging' -- slipping a sponge on their beaks as protection against sharp rocks while scouring the ocean floor for prey.
Based on 22 years of observations, the team found that the 'spongers' forged closer ties with other spongers than with dolphins that had not acquired the hunting technique.
'Like humans who preferentially associate with others who share their subculture, tool-using dolphins prefer others like themselves, strongly suggesting that sponge tool-use is a cultural behaviour,' wrote the researchers from Georgetown University in Washington.
Sponging is a solitary activity.
'Dolphins don't sponge together but can identify who sponges and who doesn't,' study author Janet Mann told AFP.
'Spongers spend a lot of time hunting, tend to be solitary, but clearly go out of their way when they can to meet up. You could think of them as workaholic dolphins that prefer to meet up with the other workaholics.'
The study forms part of an ongoing scientific quest for proof of animal culture -- loosely defined as a form of social learning that differentiates between groups.
The first spongers were discovered among Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay in the mid-1980s, and scientists believe they may have been using this hunting technique for centuries.
Normally, when some members of an animal group develop tool-use, the rest learn it too, as with chimpanzees using sticks to fish termites out of their nests or elephants swatting flies with tree branches.
But in the case of the Shark Bay dolphins, only the calves of sponger females become spongers themselves, and the practice remains limited to a small subset -- less than five percent of the 3,000-odd population, and mainly females.
No other example of sub-culture has ever been shown outside of humans, said the study.
'This was the first study to show that a non-human animal groups on the basis of ... behaviour even though they don't engage in the behaviour together,' said Mann.
'This is more similar to how we think of human culture.'
Their intelligence and communication skills make dolphins popular subjects for such research.
This article is brought to you by MATCHMAKING.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Giant panda delivers sixth cub at San Diego Zoo, breaks record
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The most prolific giant panda in captivity outside of China, Bai Yun, has proved her mettle yet again with the delivery of her sixth live cub at the San Diego Zoo - an unnamed baby panda that weighed about 4 ounces (113 grams) at birth.
Bai Yun, who gave birth on Sunday, was the first giant panda born in captivity in China, where giant pandas are an endangered species.
The 20-year-old panda's pregnancy was considered high risk because of her age, according to zoo spokeswoman Christina Simmons. Bai Yun, whose name means White Cloud, is on long-term loan to the zoo from China.
Since 1999, Bai Yun has delivered three female and two male cubs, all but one fathered by her companion, Gao Gao. The sex of the new cub will not be known for several months, Simmons said.
The baby was born around 2:10 p.m. PDT (1710 EDT) Sunday, after about three hours of labor - longer than normal for Bai Yun, Simmons said.
'When they heard the cry from the baby, the veterinary staff was relieved for the mom and delighted for the baby,' Simmons said. 'It is about the size of a stick of butter and pandas are born hairless and pink.'
Bai Yun and the new cub are in seclusion during what zookeepers call 'a critical bonding period.' As long as everything appears to be going well, zoo veterinarians leave the mom and cub alone, Simmons said.
'Panda moms and cubs go into their dens and the babies stay there for a long time,' Simmons said. 'We don't expect the baby to emerge before December.'
The zoo does have a closed-circuit camera in the den, and people can watch the activity on the San Diego Zoo Panda Cam, http://www.sandiegozoo.org/pandacam/index.html.
The cub's father, Gao Gao, is not spending time with Bai Yun, Simmons said.
'Gao Gao is not particularly aware of what's going on,' she explained. Pandas are normally solitary animals - they only associate with other adult pandas for breeding.'
The birth of the cub brings San Diego Zoo panda count to four: the parents, a 3-year-old son named Yun Zi and the new cub. That's more than any zoo in the world outside China, Simmons said. Four of Bai Yun's other cubs were later sent on to China.
'We work very closely with the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in China, and our good fortune has a lot to do with our intense collaboration with them,' Simmons said.
(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Lisa Shumaker)
This news article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIPS ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
Bai Yun, who gave birth on Sunday, was the first giant panda born in captivity in China, where giant pandas are an endangered species.
The 20-year-old panda's pregnancy was considered high risk because of her age, according to zoo spokeswoman Christina Simmons. Bai Yun, whose name means White Cloud, is on long-term loan to the zoo from China.
Since 1999, Bai Yun has delivered three female and two male cubs, all but one fathered by her companion, Gao Gao. The sex of the new cub will not be known for several months, Simmons said.
The baby was born around 2:10 p.m. PDT (1710 EDT) Sunday, after about three hours of labor - longer than normal for Bai Yun, Simmons said.
'When they heard the cry from the baby, the veterinary staff was relieved for the mom and delighted for the baby,' Simmons said. 'It is about the size of a stick of butter and pandas are born hairless and pink.'
Bai Yun and the new cub are in seclusion during what zookeepers call 'a critical bonding period.' As long as everything appears to be going well, zoo veterinarians leave the mom and cub alone, Simmons said.
'Panda moms and cubs go into their dens and the babies stay there for a long time,' Simmons said. 'We don't expect the baby to emerge before December.'
The zoo does have a closed-circuit camera in the den, and people can watch the activity on the San Diego Zoo Panda Cam, http://www.sandiegozoo.org/pandacam/index.html.
The cub's father, Gao Gao, is not spending time with Bai Yun, Simmons said.
'Gao Gao is not particularly aware of what's going on,' she explained. Pandas are normally solitary animals - they only associate with other adult pandas for breeding.'
The birth of the cub brings San Diego Zoo panda count to four: the parents, a 3-year-old son named Yun Zi and the new cub. That's more than any zoo in the world outside China, Simmons said. Four of Bai Yun's other cubs were later sent on to China.
'We work very closely with the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in China, and our good fortune has a lot to do with our intense collaboration with them,' Simmons said.
(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Lisa Shumaker)
This news article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIPS ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Interpol wildlife operation results mark Global Tiger Day
Interpol marked Global Tiger Day Sunday by announcing the results of an operation to help save the endangered species that saw 40 arrests and the seizure of big cat skins and other body parts.
Operation Prey, conducted across Bhutan, China, India and Nepal, has also so far led to the seizure of other wildlife goods such as rhino horns, ivory and sea horses as well as protected flora, the global policing body said.
'The range of goods recovered during an operation primarily aimed at tiger protection again shows that criminals will target any animal and any plant to make a profit,' Interpol's David Higgins said in a statement.
Interpol's Environmental Crime Programme coordinated Operation Prey, which involved police, customs, environmental agencies, narcotics bureaux, forest protection authorities, and prosecutors.
The operation was conducted under the umbrella of Project Predator, an initiative created by France-based Interpol that covers the 13 countries in Asia where wild tigers can still be found.
This news article is brought to you by DATING AND RELATIONSHIP ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
Operation Prey, conducted across Bhutan, China, India and Nepal, has also so far led to the seizure of other wildlife goods such as rhino horns, ivory and sea horses as well as protected flora, the global policing body said.
'The range of goods recovered during an operation primarily aimed at tiger protection again shows that criminals will target any animal and any plant to make a profit,' Interpol's David Higgins said in a statement.
Interpol's Environmental Crime Programme coordinated Operation Prey, which involved police, customs, environmental agencies, narcotics bureaux, forest protection authorities, and prosecutors.
The operation was conducted under the umbrella of Project Predator, an initiative created by France-based Interpol that covers the 13 countries in Asia where wild tigers can still be found.
This news article is brought to you by DATING AND RELATIONSHIP ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
Katie Holmes & Suri Feed Giraffes At The Zoo
Katie Holmes and little Suri are continuing to make the most out of their New York summer!
The adorable mother and daughter pair's latest Big Apple adventure included a trip to the Bronx Zoo in New York City on Saturday.
PLAY IT NOW: Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes: An Arranged Marriage?
Katie, 33, clad in a black and white striped sleeveless shirt and jeans, was photographed smiling and feeding the zoo's giraffes.
The proud mom also snapped photos of 6-year-old Suri feeding leaved branches to the giraffes with her iPhone.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Katie Holmes Steps Out After Leaving Tom Cruise
On Friday evening, the newly-single Katie was photographed out sans Suri for a dinner with her lawyer, Jonathan Wolfe, and his wife at the NoMad Hotel in Manhattan's Gramercy neighborhood.
Click HERE to see the photo!
--Erin O'Sullivan
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Adorable Suri Cruise!
Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This news article is brought to you by GAMING NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
The adorable mother and daughter pair's latest Big Apple adventure included a trip to the Bronx Zoo in New York City on Saturday.
PLAY IT NOW: Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes: An Arranged Marriage?
Katie, 33, clad in a black and white striped sleeveless shirt and jeans, was photographed smiling and feeding the zoo's giraffes.
The proud mom also snapped photos of 6-year-old Suri feeding leaved branches to the giraffes with her iPhone.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Katie Holmes Steps Out After Leaving Tom Cruise
On Friday evening, the newly-single Katie was photographed out sans Suri for a dinner with her lawyer, Jonathan Wolfe, and his wife at the NoMad Hotel in Manhattan's Gramercy neighborhood.
Click HERE to see the photo!
--Erin O'Sullivan
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Adorable Suri Cruise!
Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This news article is brought to you by GAMING NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Gorilla accidentally hangs himself at Prague zoo
A gorilla accidentally hanged himself on Friday at the Prague zoo, five years after gaining the spotlight when his birth was broadcast live on the internet.
Tatu died in the morning while playing in a rope structure in the gorilla wing, the zoo director said.
'This is the most tragic event that has happened at the Prague zoo since a flood damaged a large section in August 2002,' director Miroslav Bobek said in a statement.
Zoo employees could only attempt to resuscitate the great ape after they managed to chase off other gorillas from Tatu with a water pump.
'It's mainly the female Kamba, the oldest member of the herd, who stubbornly refused to quit Tatu,' Bobek said.
The zoo has spearheaded projects to protect the endangered species, such as by raising money for the Dja gorilla reserve in Cameroon. It hosts a gorilla news website that accepts donations.
Tragedy struck the zoo in 2002 when unprecedented floods hit the Czech capital and the zoo, located by the Vltava river, killing several animals including a gorilla named Pong.
This news article is brought to you by TAXES BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Tatu died in the morning while playing in a rope structure in the gorilla wing, the zoo director said.
'This is the most tragic event that has happened at the Prague zoo since a flood damaged a large section in August 2002,' director Miroslav Bobek said in a statement.
Zoo employees could only attempt to resuscitate the great ape after they managed to chase off other gorillas from Tatu with a water pump.
'It's mainly the female Kamba, the oldest member of the herd, who stubbornly refused to quit Tatu,' Bobek said.
The zoo has spearheaded projects to protect the endangered species, such as by raising money for the Dja gorilla reserve in Cameroon. It hosts a gorilla news website that accepts donations.
Tragedy struck the zoo in 2002 when unprecedented floods hit the Czech capital and the zoo, located by the Vltava river, killing several animals including a gorilla named Pong.
This news article is brought to you by TAXES BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Nothing to Sneeze At: Cats Worse Than Dogs for Allergies
If you have pet allergies, chances are it is Fluffy rather than Fido that's making you sneeze. While an estimated 10 percent of people are allergic to household pets, cat allergies are twice as common as dog allergies, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Among children, about one in seven between ages 6 and 19 prove to be allergic to cats.
Contrary to popular belief, it's not cat fur that causes those itchy, watery eyes. Most people with cat allergies react to a protein found on cat skin called Fel d 1.
The reason that cat allergies are more common has to do with the size and shape of the protein molecule, rather than how much dander the animal sheds, according to Mark Larché, an immunology professor at McMaster University in Ontario.
The protein enters the air on bits of cat hair and skin, and it is so small and light - it's about one-tenth the size of a dust allergen - that it can stay airborne for hours. 'Dog allergens don't stay airborne the same way cat allergens do. The particle size is just right to breathe deep into your lungs,' Larché said.
The Fel d 1 protein is also incredibly sticky, readily glomming onto human skin and clothes and remaining there, making it ubiquitous in the environment. It has been found in places where there are no cats - classrooms, doctors' offices, even the Arctic, Larché said.
While there are no truly hypoallergenic cat breeds - all cats produce the protein, which experts surmise may have something do with pheromone signaling - some cats make more of it than others.
'Male cats, especially unneutered males, produce more Fel d 1 than female cats. Testosterone increases glandular secretions,' said Dr. Andrew Kim, an allergist at the Allergy and Asthma Centers of Fredricksburg and Fairfax, in Virginia.
If you have cat allergies, there are steps you can take to reduce them. Avoiding contact with cats is one option, though not always a popular choice. Even after a cat is taken out of a house, allergen levels may remain high for up to six months, Kim said.
Limiting a cat's access to the bedrooms of allergic people, using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, bathing the cat and removing allergen-trapping carpeting may also help.
For those who can't avoid cat dander, allergy shots may be an option. Small injections of the allergen can help build immune system tolerance over time. 'It takes about six months of weekly injections of increasing potency to reach a maintenance level, followed by three to five years of monthly injections, for the therapy to reach full effectiveness,' said Dr. Jackie Eghrari-Sabet, an allergist and founder of Family Allergy and Asthma Care in Gaithersburg, Md.
A less burdensome fix for cat allergies may be on the horizon. Phase 3 clinical trials are set to begin this fall for a cat allergy vaccine that Larché helped develop. Early tests have shown the vaccine to be safe and effective without some of the side effects of allergy shots, such as skin reactions and difficulty breathing. Larché receives research funding from pharmaceutical companies Adiga Life Sciences and Circassia.
Follow MyHealthNewsDaily on Twitter @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
This news article is brought to you by ANIMALS AND PETS - where latest news are our top priority.
Among children, about one in seven between ages 6 and 19 prove to be allergic to cats.
Contrary to popular belief, it's not cat fur that causes those itchy, watery eyes. Most people with cat allergies react to a protein found on cat skin called Fel d 1.
The reason that cat allergies are more common has to do with the size and shape of the protein molecule, rather than how much dander the animal sheds, according to Mark Larché, an immunology professor at McMaster University in Ontario.
The protein enters the air on bits of cat hair and skin, and it is so small and light - it's about one-tenth the size of a dust allergen - that it can stay airborne for hours. 'Dog allergens don't stay airborne the same way cat allergens do. The particle size is just right to breathe deep into your lungs,' Larché said.
The Fel d 1 protein is also incredibly sticky, readily glomming onto human skin and clothes and remaining there, making it ubiquitous in the environment. It has been found in places where there are no cats - classrooms, doctors' offices, even the Arctic, Larché said.
While there are no truly hypoallergenic cat breeds - all cats produce the protein, which experts surmise may have something do with pheromone signaling - some cats make more of it than others.
'Male cats, especially unneutered males, produce more Fel d 1 than female cats. Testosterone increases glandular secretions,' said Dr. Andrew Kim, an allergist at the Allergy and Asthma Centers of Fredricksburg and Fairfax, in Virginia.
If you have cat allergies, there are steps you can take to reduce them. Avoiding contact with cats is one option, though not always a popular choice. Even after a cat is taken out of a house, allergen levels may remain high for up to six months, Kim said.
Limiting a cat's access to the bedrooms of allergic people, using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, bathing the cat and removing allergen-trapping carpeting may also help.
For those who can't avoid cat dander, allergy shots may be an option. Small injections of the allergen can help build immune system tolerance over time. 'It takes about six months of weekly injections of increasing potency to reach a maintenance level, followed by three to five years of monthly injections, for the therapy to reach full effectiveness,' said Dr. Jackie Eghrari-Sabet, an allergist and founder of Family Allergy and Asthma Care in Gaithersburg, Md.
A less burdensome fix for cat allergies may be on the horizon. Phase 3 clinical trials are set to begin this fall for a cat allergy vaccine that Larché helped develop. Early tests have shown the vaccine to be safe and effective without some of the side effects of allergy shots, such as skin reactions and difficulty breathing. Larché receives research funding from pharmaceutical companies Adiga Life Sciences and Circassia.
Follow MyHealthNewsDaily on Twitter @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
- 8 Strange Signs You're Having an Allergic Reaction
- 9 Weirdest Allergies
- The 50 Worst US Cities for Allergies
This news article is brought to you by ANIMALS AND PETS - where latest news are our top priority.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Zoo's Cheetah Cubs to Be Named After Fastest U.S. Sprinters
When the runners take their mark for the 100-meter dash at the Olympic Games in London this month there will be more at stake than just a gold medal, at least for the Americans in the field.
On the line will be the names of a pair of cheetah cubs who just made their debut at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Zoo officials have announced that they will name the cubs, born April 23, after the fastest American male and female athletes in the 100-meter dash race. That means at least one cub will be named Justin (Gatlin), Tyler (Gay) or Ryan (Bailey) and one will be named Allyson (Felix), Carmelita (Jeter) or Tianna (Madison.)
The fact that the cubs will receive a medal-worthy name goes along with their story of survival. The two were born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., last April by an emergency C-section after their mother's labor ceased. The mother, who lost two other cubs during the delivery, then abandoned her surviving cubs.
The pair was transferred to the National Zoo in May and have been hand-raised by zoo staff ever since. On Tuesday, the now three-month-old cubs were placed in their public enclosure at the zoo for the world to see the progress they've made.
Beginning Saturday, the public will be able to view the cubs for two hours per day, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Also Read
This article is brought to you by DATING SERVICE.
Most blogged artists: Bat For Lashes, Freelance Whales
"Laura", the first release from October album The Haunted Man, makes Bat For Lashes the highest new entry on The Hype Machine's most blogged artists chart for July 25.
"It will probably remind you of old Cat Power where the emotion (read: it's sooo depressing) is so extreme your heart might ache for hours afterwards," enthuses music blog RCRD LBL.
"Khan's biggest talent lies in creating heartbreaking ballads," explains All Things Go. "The accompanying video is even more evocative, pairing a wide-eyed Khan with an aging drag queen. It is rare that a video both literally and successfully illustrates its track, but Khan seems to have mastered that skill as well. Is there anything she can't do?"
Freelance Whales is another act returning with news of an October album release, Diluvia, and the free single "Locked Out" indicates something of the band's new direction.
Expectant listeners can look forward to "the band's refreshed sound through its expanded incorporation of electronics, along with the theme of outward excursions," writes Earmilk.
The Hype Machine's most blogged artists on July 25 at 9:00 am GMT:
01. Two Door Cinema Club (no change)
02. Bat For Lashes (re-entry)
03. Sbtrkt (+2)
04. Flying Lotus Feat. Earl Sweatshirt & Captain Murphy (+4)
05. The XX (+3)
06. Menomena (no change)
07. Stars (no change)
08. Tyler, The Creator X Toro Y Moi (+1)
09. Rick Ross (+1)
10. Freelance Whales (new entry)
http://hypem.com
Launched in 2005, The Hype Machine aggregates information from more than 1,000 music blogs worldwide. Known for identifying up-and-coming artists, the site enables music fans to easily find out what music is hot in the blogosphere and to instantly hear and buy mp3s.
Listen to "Laura": http://youtu.be/UznHTBZIa8E
This news article is brought to you by TAXES BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
"It will probably remind you of old Cat Power where the emotion (read: it's sooo depressing) is so extreme your heart might ache for hours afterwards," enthuses music blog RCRD LBL.
"Khan's biggest talent lies in creating heartbreaking ballads," explains All Things Go. "The accompanying video is even more evocative, pairing a wide-eyed Khan with an aging drag queen. It is rare that a video both literally and successfully illustrates its track, but Khan seems to have mastered that skill as well. Is there anything she can't do?"
Freelance Whales is another act returning with news of an October album release, Diluvia, and the free single "Locked Out" indicates something of the band's new direction.
Expectant listeners can look forward to "the band's refreshed sound through its expanded incorporation of electronics, along with the theme of outward excursions," writes Earmilk.
The Hype Machine's most blogged artists on July 25 at 9:00 am GMT:
01. Two Door Cinema Club (no change)
02. Bat For Lashes (re-entry)
03. Sbtrkt (+2)
04. Flying Lotus Feat. Earl Sweatshirt & Captain Murphy (+4)
05. The XX (+3)
06. Menomena (no change)
07. Stars (no change)
08. Tyler, The Creator X Toro Y Moi (+1)
09. Rick Ross (+1)
10. Freelance Whales (new entry)
http://hypem.com
Launched in 2005, The Hype Machine aggregates information from more than 1,000 music blogs worldwide. Known for identifying up-and-coming artists, the site enables music fans to easily find out what music is hot in the blogosphere and to instantly hear and buy mp3s.
Listen to "Laura": http://youtu.be/UznHTBZIa8E
This news article is brought to you by TAXES BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Charities help pets when foreclosure victims can't
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Carla Waller believes in promises. She was married for 37 years, held one job for 35 and never adopted a pet she didn't keep for life. Until now.
Waller and her husband Dennis moved to Las Vegas in 2006 and put $100,000 down on a $330,000 home. They adopted Jake, a 3-year-old, lean, shy Cocker spaniel. They both sold furniture on commission and thought they were set for retirement and beyond.
Dennis was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2008 and died in 2009. Carla stayed home to care for him, but returned to work to make ends meet. She adopted Marilyn Monroe, a schnauzer-collie, to keep Jake company. A friend added Jewels the cat to the mix.
The recession stripped her home of a third of its value. Then health problems left her unable to work.
Foreclosure is just around the corner, said Waller, 67. "I know I'm a couple of months out. I can't do it anymore. I don't have the income," she said. "I'm done. There is nothing I can do now."
The hardest call she had to make was to Foreclosed Upon Pets, Inc., to arrange for homes for Jake, Marilyn and Jewels so she can move in with relatives.
"I am very depressed about it and very concerned about where they go because I took them for life and life is not what it should be," she said.
Waller's story is all too familiar to Everett Croxson, who founded Las Vegas-based FUPI (rhymes with puppy) in 2008.
Croxson, 59, a retired business consultant, was guided by hometown headlines.
- Nevada had the worst foreclosure rate nationally for 62 months until March.
- Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 11.6 percent.
- The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas runs the highest volume single-facility shelter in the country. It takes in close to 50,000 animals a year. Nearly two-thirds have to be euthanized.
In 2009, Croxson bought a five-bedroom home to use as a transition house for the pets. FUPI placed 348 pets that year.
In 2010, it was nearly 500; in 2011, 570; and this year it will be more than 600, Croxson said.
FUPI also works with the unemployed and those too ill or old to handle their pets, but about 30 percent of their pets are foreclosures, Croxson said.
"Real estate agents or cleaning crews call all the time. Maybe they have found a couple of cats in a closet of a foreclosed home," he said.
In Arizona, which bumped Nevada from the top of the foreclosure rankings in March, the Lost Our Home Pet Foundation in Phoenix does similar work. Founded in 2008, it also relies primarily on fosters although it did open a small shelter in April.
There are about 40 animals in the shelter and 220 in foster care. More than 2,000 have been placed in four years, said founder-executive director Jodi Polanski.
As a mortgage loan officer, Polanski heard story after story, so she started the rescue in her spare time. There was too much work, so she became full-time director and now she and two employees work with 120 volunteers and fosters.
Lost Our Home runs a food bank and a temporary care program for dogs belonging to homeless entering shelters. The dogs are kept for 90 days so owners can get back on their feet.
In Arizona's Maricopa County, foreclosed homeowners have turned into renters. "Landlords can be pickier and not allow pets or they can require large pet deposits," Polanski said, forcing people to give up some or all of their animals. The problem will exist until people can qualify for home loans again, she said.
"The economy is looking better in a lot of places, but it's not better for the animals right now," Polanski added.
There is no charge to a person relinquishing an animal, but adopters pay $150 per animal at FUPI, $75 for cats and $195 for dogs at Lost Our Home. A vet's exam, sterilization, shots and a microchip are included.
Polanski said the worst part of her job is turning pets away. "We do have limitations. We have a waiting list. It breaks our hearts every day when there are pets we can't help," she said.
A few weeks ago, FUPI rescued two Shih Tzus from an elderly woman who was being transferred to a home for dementia patients. Their fur was so matted with feces, dirt and food, they had to be shaved.
"She loved her dogs, she just didn't know the state they were in," Croxson said.
In addition to its own placements, FUPI sends between eight and 14 Animal Foundation dogs to Canada each week, where a pet store chain houses and places them.
"It's absolutely helpful to our organization to have rescues like FUPI," said Carly Scholten, Animal Foundation's director of operations.
In addition to a website and weekly adoption events, Croxson is taking part in county meetings designed to find ways to place more animals, and he does a weekly radio show to recruit volunteers and talk about pets.
For Croxson, the worst part of helping is the loss, guilt and remorse he sees when owners say goodbye to their pets.
He works hard to find homes he believes would please them.
Waller told him Jake needs someone by his side, day and night. "He's an old person's dog, though he's great with kids. His favorite thing to do is lie at your side."
No matter what, she said, "I hope my puppies are loved as much as I love them."
___
Online:
- http://www.forecloseduponpets.org
- http://www.lostourhome.org
- http://www.animalfoundation.com
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
Waller and her husband Dennis moved to Las Vegas in 2006 and put $100,000 down on a $330,000 home. They adopted Jake, a 3-year-old, lean, shy Cocker spaniel. They both sold furniture on commission and thought they were set for retirement and beyond.
Dennis was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2008 and died in 2009. Carla stayed home to care for him, but returned to work to make ends meet. She adopted Marilyn Monroe, a schnauzer-collie, to keep Jake company. A friend added Jewels the cat to the mix.
The recession stripped her home of a third of its value. Then health problems left her unable to work.
Foreclosure is just around the corner, said Waller, 67. "I know I'm a couple of months out. I can't do it anymore. I don't have the income," she said. "I'm done. There is nothing I can do now."
The hardest call she had to make was to Foreclosed Upon Pets, Inc., to arrange for homes for Jake, Marilyn and Jewels so she can move in with relatives.
"I am very depressed about it and very concerned about where they go because I took them for life and life is not what it should be," she said.
Waller's story is all too familiar to Everett Croxson, who founded Las Vegas-based FUPI (rhymes with puppy) in 2008.
Croxson, 59, a retired business consultant, was guided by hometown headlines.
- Nevada had the worst foreclosure rate nationally for 62 months until March.
- Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 11.6 percent.
- The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas runs the highest volume single-facility shelter in the country. It takes in close to 50,000 animals a year. Nearly two-thirds have to be euthanized.
In 2009, Croxson bought a five-bedroom home to use as a transition house for the pets. FUPI placed 348 pets that year.
In 2010, it was nearly 500; in 2011, 570; and this year it will be more than 600, Croxson said.
FUPI also works with the unemployed and those too ill or old to handle their pets, but about 30 percent of their pets are foreclosures, Croxson said.
"Real estate agents or cleaning crews call all the time. Maybe they have found a couple of cats in a closet of a foreclosed home," he said.
In Arizona, which bumped Nevada from the top of the foreclosure rankings in March, the Lost Our Home Pet Foundation in Phoenix does similar work. Founded in 2008, it also relies primarily on fosters although it did open a small shelter in April.
There are about 40 animals in the shelter and 220 in foster care. More than 2,000 have been placed in four years, said founder-executive director Jodi Polanski.
As a mortgage loan officer, Polanski heard story after story, so she started the rescue in her spare time. There was too much work, so she became full-time director and now she and two employees work with 120 volunteers and fosters.
Lost Our Home runs a food bank and a temporary care program for dogs belonging to homeless entering shelters. The dogs are kept for 90 days so owners can get back on their feet.
In Arizona's Maricopa County, foreclosed homeowners have turned into renters. "Landlords can be pickier and not allow pets or they can require large pet deposits," Polanski said, forcing people to give up some or all of their animals. The problem will exist until people can qualify for home loans again, she said.
"The economy is looking better in a lot of places, but it's not better for the animals right now," Polanski added.
There is no charge to a person relinquishing an animal, but adopters pay $150 per animal at FUPI, $75 for cats and $195 for dogs at Lost Our Home. A vet's exam, sterilization, shots and a microchip are included.
Polanski said the worst part of her job is turning pets away. "We do have limitations. We have a waiting list. It breaks our hearts every day when there are pets we can't help," she said.
A few weeks ago, FUPI rescued two Shih Tzus from an elderly woman who was being transferred to a home for dementia patients. Their fur was so matted with feces, dirt and food, they had to be shaved.
"She loved her dogs, she just didn't know the state they were in," Croxson said.
In addition to its own placements, FUPI sends between eight and 14 Animal Foundation dogs to Canada each week, where a pet store chain houses and places them.
"It's absolutely helpful to our organization to have rescues like FUPI," said Carly Scholten, Animal Foundation's director of operations.
In addition to a website and weekly adoption events, Croxson is taking part in county meetings designed to find ways to place more animals, and he does a weekly radio show to recruit volunteers and talk about pets.
For Croxson, the worst part of helping is the loss, guilt and remorse he sees when owners say goodbye to their pets.
He works hard to find homes he believes would please them.
Waller told him Jake needs someone by his side, day and night. "He's an old person's dog, though he's great with kids. His favorite thing to do is lie at your side."
No matter what, she said, "I hope my puppies are loved as much as I love them."
___
Online:
- http://www.forecloseduponpets.org
- http://www.lostourhome.org
- http://www.animalfoundation.com
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
Charities help pets when foreclosure victims can't
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Carla Waller believes in promises. She was married for 37 years, held one job for 35 and never adopted a pet she didn't keep for life. Until now.
Waller and her husband Dennis moved to Las Vegas in 2006 and put $100,000 down on a $330,000 home. They adopted Jake, a 3-year-old, lean, shy Cocker spaniel. They both sold furniture on commission and thought they were set for retirement and beyond.
Dennis was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2008 and died in 2009. Carla stayed home to care for him, but returned to work to make ends meet. She adopted Marilyn Monroe, a schnauzer-collie, to keep Jake company. A friend added Jewels the cat to the mix.
The recession stripped her home of a third of its value. Then health problems left her unable to work.
Foreclosure is just around the corner, said Waller, 67. "I know I'm a couple of months out. I can't do it anymore. I don't have the income," she said. "I'm done. There is nothing I can do now."
The hardest call she had to make was to Foreclosed Upon Pets, Inc., to arrange for homes for Jake, Marilyn and Jewels so she can move in with relatives.
"I am very depressed about it and very concerned about where they go because I took them for life and life is not what it should be," she said.
Waller's story is all too familiar to Everett Croxson, who founded Las Vegas-based FUPI (rhymes with puppy) in 2008.
Croxson, 59, a retired business consultant, was guided by hometown headlines.
- Nevada had the worst foreclosure rate nationally for 62 months until March.
- Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 11.6 percent.
- The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas runs the highest volume single-facility shelter in the country. It takes in close to 50,000 animals a year. Nearly two-thirds have to be euthanized.
In 2009, Croxson bought a five-bedroom home to use as a transition house for the pets. FUPI placed 348 pets that year.
In 2010, it was nearly 500; in 2011, 570; and this year it will be more than 600, Croxson said.
FUPI also works with the unemployed and those too ill or old to handle their pets, but about 30 percent of their pets are foreclosures, Croxson said.
"Real estate agents or cleaning crews call all the time. Maybe they have found a couple of cats in a closet of a foreclosed home," he said.
In Arizona, which bumped Nevada from the top of the foreclosure rankings in March, the Lost Our Home Pet Foundation in Phoenix does similar work. Founded in 2008, it also relies primarily on fosters although it did open a small shelter in April.
There are about 40 animals in the shelter and 220 in foster care. More than 2,000 have been placed in four years, said founder-executive director Jodi Polanski.
As a mortgage loan officer, Polanski heard story after story, so she started the rescue in her spare time. There was too much work, so she became full-time director and now she and two employees work with 120 volunteers and fosters.
Lost Our Home runs a food bank and a temporary care program for dogs belonging to homeless entering shelters. The dogs are kept for 90 days so owners can get back on their feet.
In Arizona's Maricopa County, foreclosed homeowners have turned into renters. "Landlords can be pickier and not allow pets or they can require large pet deposits," Polanski said, forcing people to give up some or all of their animals. The problem will exist until people can qualify for home loans again, she said.
"The economy is looking better in a lot of places, but it's not better for the animals right now," Polanski added.
There is no charge to a person relinquishing an animal, but adopters pay $150 per animal at FUPI, $75 for cats and $195 for dogs at Lost Our Home. A vet's exam, sterilization, shots and a microchip are included.
Polanski said the worst part of her job is turning pets away. "We do have limitations. We have a waiting list. It breaks our hearts every day when there are pets we can't help," she said.
A few weeks ago, FUPI rescued two Shih Tzus from an elderly woman who was being transferred to a home for dementia patients. Their fur was so matted with feces, dirt and food, they had to be shaved.
"She loved her dogs, she just didn't know the state they were in," Croxson said.
In addition to its own placements, FUPI sends between eight and 14 Animal Foundation dogs to Canada each week, where a pet store chain houses and places them.
"It's absolutely helpful to our organization to have rescues like FUPI," said Carly Scholten, Animal Foundation's director of operations.
In addition to a website and weekly adoption events, Croxson is taking part in county meetings designed to find ways to place more animals, and he does a weekly radio show to recruit volunteers and talk about pets.
For Croxson, the worst part of helping is the loss, guilt and remorse he sees when owners say goodbye to their pets.
He works hard to find homes he believes would please them.
Waller told him Jake needs someone by his side, day and night. "He's an old person's dog, though he's great with kids. His favorite thing to do is lie at your side."
No matter what, she said, "I hope my puppies are loved as much as I love them."
___
Online:
- http://www.forecloseduponpets.org
- http://www.lostourhome.org
- http://www.animalfoundation.com
This article is brought to you by DATE.
Waller and her husband Dennis moved to Las Vegas in 2006 and put $100,000 down on a $330,000 home. They adopted Jake, a 3-year-old, lean, shy Cocker spaniel. They both sold furniture on commission and thought they were set for retirement and beyond.
Dennis was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2008 and died in 2009. Carla stayed home to care for him, but returned to work to make ends meet. She adopted Marilyn Monroe, a schnauzer-collie, to keep Jake company. A friend added Jewels the cat to the mix.
The recession stripped her home of a third of its value. Then health problems left her unable to work.
Foreclosure is just around the corner, said Waller, 67. "I know I'm a couple of months out. I can't do it anymore. I don't have the income," she said. "I'm done. There is nothing I can do now."
The hardest call she had to make was to Foreclosed Upon Pets, Inc., to arrange for homes for Jake, Marilyn and Jewels so she can move in with relatives.
"I am very depressed about it and very concerned about where they go because I took them for life and life is not what it should be," she said.
Waller's story is all too familiar to Everett Croxson, who founded Las Vegas-based FUPI (rhymes with puppy) in 2008.
Croxson, 59, a retired business consultant, was guided by hometown headlines.
- Nevada had the worst foreclosure rate nationally for 62 months until March.
- Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 11.6 percent.
- The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas runs the highest volume single-facility shelter in the country. It takes in close to 50,000 animals a year. Nearly two-thirds have to be euthanized.
In 2009, Croxson bought a five-bedroom home to use as a transition house for the pets. FUPI placed 348 pets that year.
In 2010, it was nearly 500; in 2011, 570; and this year it will be more than 600, Croxson said.
FUPI also works with the unemployed and those too ill or old to handle their pets, but about 30 percent of their pets are foreclosures, Croxson said.
"Real estate agents or cleaning crews call all the time. Maybe they have found a couple of cats in a closet of a foreclosed home," he said.
In Arizona, which bumped Nevada from the top of the foreclosure rankings in March, the Lost Our Home Pet Foundation in Phoenix does similar work. Founded in 2008, it also relies primarily on fosters although it did open a small shelter in April.
There are about 40 animals in the shelter and 220 in foster care. More than 2,000 have been placed in four years, said founder-executive director Jodi Polanski.
As a mortgage loan officer, Polanski heard story after story, so she started the rescue in her spare time. There was too much work, so she became full-time director and now she and two employees work with 120 volunteers and fosters.
Lost Our Home runs a food bank and a temporary care program for dogs belonging to homeless entering shelters. The dogs are kept for 90 days so owners can get back on their feet.
In Arizona's Maricopa County, foreclosed homeowners have turned into renters. "Landlords can be pickier and not allow pets or they can require large pet deposits," Polanski said, forcing people to give up some or all of their animals. The problem will exist until people can qualify for home loans again, she said.
"The economy is looking better in a lot of places, but it's not better for the animals right now," Polanski added.
There is no charge to a person relinquishing an animal, but adopters pay $150 per animal at FUPI, $75 for cats and $195 for dogs at Lost Our Home. A vet's exam, sterilization, shots and a microchip are included.
Polanski said the worst part of her job is turning pets away. "We do have limitations. We have a waiting list. It breaks our hearts every day when there are pets we can't help," she said.
A few weeks ago, FUPI rescued two Shih Tzus from an elderly woman who was being transferred to a home for dementia patients. Their fur was so matted with feces, dirt and food, they had to be shaved.
"She loved her dogs, she just didn't know the state they were in," Croxson said.
In addition to its own placements, FUPI sends between eight and 14 Animal Foundation dogs to Canada each week, where a pet store chain houses and places them.
"It's absolutely helpful to our organization to have rescues like FUPI," said Carly Scholten, Animal Foundation's director of operations.
In addition to a website and weekly adoption events, Croxson is taking part in county meetings designed to find ways to place more animals, and he does a weekly radio show to recruit volunteers and talk about pets.
For Croxson, the worst part of helping is the loss, guilt and remorse he sees when owners say goodbye to their pets.
He works hard to find homes he believes would please them.
Waller told him Jake needs someone by his side, day and night. "He's an old person's dog, though he's great with kids. His favorite thing to do is lie at your side."
No matter what, she said, "I hope my puppies are loved as much as I love them."
___
Online:
- http://www.forecloseduponpets.org
- http://www.lostourhome.org
- http://www.animalfoundation.com
This article is brought to you by DATE.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Asia fuels record elephant, rhino killings: WWF
Releasing a report rating countries' efforts at stopping the trade in endangered species, WWF said elephant poaching was at crisis levels in central Africa while the survival of rhinos was under grave threat in South Africa.
In parts of Asia, rhino horns are highly prized for their use in traditional medicines -- some believe they can cure cancer -- while elephants' ivory has for centuries been regarded as a precious decoration.
Global efforts to stem the trade have been under way for years, but China, Thailand and Vietnam are allowing black markets in various endangered species to flourish by failing to adequately police key areas, according to WWF.
It said Vietnam was one of the countries of most concern, giving it a worst-possible 'red' score for failing to stem the trade in rhino horns as well as tiger parts.
'It is time for Vietnam to face the fact that its illegal consumption of rhino horn is driving the widespread poaching of endangered rhinos in Africa,' said WWF's global species programme manager, Elizabeth McLellan.
'It must crack down on the illegal rhino horn trade.'
WWF said Vietnam was the top destination for rhino horns illegally imported from South Africa.
It described South Africa as the 'epicentre' in an African rhino poaching crisis, despite strong government efforts there that began in 2009 to stop the killings.
A record 448 rhinos were poached in South Africa in 2011, and this year could be even worse with 262 already lost from January to June, according to WWF.
The wildlife group accused the Vietnamese government of doing very little to stop rhino horns from being imported, describing penalties in Vietnam for buying them as not nearly strong enough to act as a deterrent.
It also said Vietnamese diplomats had been arrested or implicated in South Africa for trying to buy rhino horns.
WWF said Chinese authorities should be recognised for their strong and effective efforts to stop the rhino horn trade within their borders.
But it accused China and Thailand of being among the worst culprits in allowing the illegal trade of elephant tusks.
'Tens of thousands of African elephants are being killed by poachers each year for their tusks, and China and Thailand are top destinations for illegal African ivory,' WWF said.
WWF urged China to improve its enforcement procedures and warn Chinese nationals they would face severe penalties if they were caught illegally importing ivory from Africa.
WWF said China banned using rhino horn for traditional medicines in 1993, and authorities had followed through with periodic crackdowns that were effective in stopping it being sold in pharmacies.
China has also made genuine efforts overall to stop the illegal trade of endangered species' parts, but elephants' ivory remained a big problem because of the huge demand in the world's most populous country, it said.
In Thailand, WWF said the main problem was a unique law that allowed the legal trade in ivory from domesticated elephants.
In reality, this was a 'legal loophole' that allowed indistinguishable illegal African ivory to be sold openly in upscale boutiques, it said.
The conservation group said there were some bright spots around the world, with India and Nepal receiving a best-possible 'green' score for their efforts to stem the trade in elephants, rhinos and tigers.
WWF said significant efforts had been made globally to save tigers following a summit in Russia two years ago that attracted leaders from the 13 countries with wild populations of the endangered animal.
Still, it warned more than 200 tiger carcasses were being detected each year on the global black market.
'With as few as 3,200 tigers remaining in the wild, every tiger poaching death is a major concern,' it said.
This news article is brought to you by WOMEN'S BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
In parts of Asia, rhino horns are highly prized for their use in traditional medicines -- some believe they can cure cancer -- while elephants' ivory has for centuries been regarded as a precious decoration.
Global efforts to stem the trade have been under way for years, but China, Thailand and Vietnam are allowing black markets in various endangered species to flourish by failing to adequately police key areas, according to WWF.
It said Vietnam was one of the countries of most concern, giving it a worst-possible 'red' score for failing to stem the trade in rhino horns as well as tiger parts.
'It is time for Vietnam to face the fact that its illegal consumption of rhino horn is driving the widespread poaching of endangered rhinos in Africa,' said WWF's global species programme manager, Elizabeth McLellan.
'It must crack down on the illegal rhino horn trade.'
WWF said Vietnam was the top destination for rhino horns illegally imported from South Africa.
It described South Africa as the 'epicentre' in an African rhino poaching crisis, despite strong government efforts there that began in 2009 to stop the killings.
A record 448 rhinos were poached in South Africa in 2011, and this year could be even worse with 262 already lost from January to June, according to WWF.
The wildlife group accused the Vietnamese government of doing very little to stop rhino horns from being imported, describing penalties in Vietnam for buying them as not nearly strong enough to act as a deterrent.
It also said Vietnamese diplomats had been arrested or implicated in South Africa for trying to buy rhino horns.
WWF said Chinese authorities should be recognised for their strong and effective efforts to stop the rhino horn trade within their borders.
But it accused China and Thailand of being among the worst culprits in allowing the illegal trade of elephant tusks.
'Tens of thousands of African elephants are being killed by poachers each year for their tusks, and China and Thailand are top destinations for illegal African ivory,' WWF said.
WWF urged China to improve its enforcement procedures and warn Chinese nationals they would face severe penalties if they were caught illegally importing ivory from Africa.
WWF said China banned using rhino horn for traditional medicines in 1993, and authorities had followed through with periodic crackdowns that were effective in stopping it being sold in pharmacies.
China has also made genuine efforts overall to stop the illegal trade of endangered species' parts, but elephants' ivory remained a big problem because of the huge demand in the world's most populous country, it said.
In Thailand, WWF said the main problem was a unique law that allowed the legal trade in ivory from domesticated elephants.
In reality, this was a 'legal loophole' that allowed indistinguishable illegal African ivory to be sold openly in upscale boutiques, it said.
The conservation group said there were some bright spots around the world, with India and Nepal receiving a best-possible 'green' score for their efforts to stem the trade in elephants, rhinos and tigers.
WWF said significant efforts had been made globally to save tigers following a summit in Russia two years ago that attracted leaders from the 13 countries with wild populations of the endangered animal.
Still, it warned more than 200 tiger carcasses were being detected each year on the global black market.
'With as few as 3,200 tigers remaining in the wild, every tiger poaching death is a major concern,' it said.
This news article is brought to you by WOMEN'S BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Many Countries Failing to Prevent Illegal Wildlife Trade: WWF Report
A conservation group, the World Wildlife Fund, has put together a report card ranking 23 nations' compliance with an international treaty regulating the trade in wild animals.
The report card focuses on three species sought after on the international black market: elephants, tigers and rhinoceroses, and evaluates how well certain countries have held up their commitments as part of the treaty.
'These are just three species, and they are probably the three most talked about, so they are a kind of bellwether for wider problems,' said Colman O Criodain, wildlife trade specialist with the WWF.
The report looks at countries where these animals originate and must travel through, as well as the countries where they arrive for sale. There were some bright spots: India and Nepal received green marks for all three species, showing they had made progress toward complying with the treaty and enforcing policies to prevent the illegal trade.
Many countries, however, received red marks indicating they are failing to uphold their commitments under the treaty.
There have already been consequences for animals. In the last decade, the western black rhino went extinct and the Indochinese Javan rhinoceros was eradicated from Vietnam. Poaching played a crucial role, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Other subspecies of these large, plant-eating creatures are driven by demand for their horns. In Vietnam, demand for rhino horn has boomed thanks to rumors it has healing and aphrodisiac properties, O Criodain said. [Up and Away! Photos of Rhinos in Flight]
The report calls out Vietnam, which WWF says is the top destination for South African rhino horn, saying Vietnam's penalties for participating in the illegal trade are weak and legal measures are insufficient to curtail illegal trade on the Internet. 'Despite numerous seizures elsewhere implicating (Viet Nam), there has been no recorded seizure of rhino horn in the country since 2008,' reads a statement issued by WWF.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, a treaty signed by 175 nations, makes nearly all commercial trade in rhino horns, elephant ivory, tiger parts and other species threatened with extinction illegal. In addition, signatories committed to regulating trade within their borders.
WWF ranked nations' compliance with the treaty - evaluating whether or not the nation had adopted policies that supported the treaty - and the nations' enforcement of those policies.
A nation could have good laws on the books but fail to enforce them. For instance, China has laws tightly controlling the sale of elephant ivory. However, it does not have a strong record of enforcing them, O Criodain said.
The report card is not comprehensive; rather it is a snapshot that focuses on certain countries that face the highest levels of illegal trade in these three species. Countries from which a particular species has been eradicated, such as Central Africa which has lost all of its rhinos, escaped an evaluation, O Criodain noted.
The evaluation is based on government announcements reported in media, CITES documentation and information collected by Traffic, a wildlife trade monitoring network that is a joint program of the WWF and IUCN.
Follow Wynne Parry on Twitter @Wynne_Parry or LiveScience @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
This news article is brought to you by ECONOMY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
The report card focuses on three species sought after on the international black market: elephants, tigers and rhinoceroses, and evaluates how well certain countries have held up their commitments as part of the treaty.
'These are just three species, and they are probably the three most talked about, so they are a kind of bellwether for wider problems,' said Colman O Criodain, wildlife trade specialist with the WWF.
The report looks at countries where these animals originate and must travel through, as well as the countries where they arrive for sale. There were some bright spots: India and Nepal received green marks for all three species, showing they had made progress toward complying with the treaty and enforcing policies to prevent the illegal trade.
Many countries, however, received red marks indicating they are failing to uphold their commitments under the treaty.
There have already been consequences for animals. In the last decade, the western black rhino went extinct and the Indochinese Javan rhinoceros was eradicated from Vietnam. Poaching played a crucial role, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Other subspecies of these large, plant-eating creatures are driven by demand for their horns. In Vietnam, demand for rhino horn has boomed thanks to rumors it has healing and aphrodisiac properties, O Criodain said. [Up and Away! Photos of Rhinos in Flight]
The report calls out Vietnam, which WWF says is the top destination for South African rhino horn, saying Vietnam's penalties for participating in the illegal trade are weak and legal measures are insufficient to curtail illegal trade on the Internet. 'Despite numerous seizures elsewhere implicating (Viet Nam), there has been no recorded seizure of rhino horn in the country since 2008,' reads a statement issued by WWF.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, a treaty signed by 175 nations, makes nearly all commercial trade in rhino horns, elephant ivory, tiger parts and other species threatened with extinction illegal. In addition, signatories committed to regulating trade within their borders.
WWF ranked nations' compliance with the treaty - evaluating whether or not the nation had adopted policies that supported the treaty - and the nations' enforcement of those policies.
A nation could have good laws on the books but fail to enforce them. For instance, China has laws tightly controlling the sale of elephant ivory. However, it does not have a strong record of enforcing them, O Criodain said.
The report card is not comprehensive; rather it is a snapshot that focuses on certain countries that face the highest levels of illegal trade in these three species. Countries from which a particular species has been eradicated, such as Central Africa which has lost all of its rhinos, escaped an evaluation, O Criodain noted.
The evaluation is based on government announcements reported in media, CITES documentation and information collected by Traffic, a wildlife trade monitoring network that is a joint program of the WWF and IUCN.
Follow Wynne Parry on Twitter @Wynne_Parry or LiveScience @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
- Bounds of Biodiversity: Photos of Wildlife At Risk
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This news article is brought to you by ECONOMY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Friday, July 20, 2012
After decades, Cuban crocodiles born at DC zoo
WASHINGTON (AP) - Two endangered Cuban crocodiles have hatched at the National Zoo in Washington.
The hatchings are considered genetically valuable because their mother, Dorothy, was caught in the wild. Dorothy is thought to be 55 years old and zookeepers figured she had stopped laying eggs years ago.
But when they discovered she had laid eggs, they took great care to incubate them for months. Only two of the eggs hatched successfully, the first Cuban crocs to do so at the zoo in nearly 25 years.
Scientists believe there are fewer than 6,000 Cuban crocs remaining in the wild in two small areas of Cuba.
U.S. zoos are trying to expand the population, though births are rare. There have been a handful of hatchings in Florida and Kentucky zoos.
This article is brought to you by ONLINE DATING.
The hatchings are considered genetically valuable because their mother, Dorothy, was caught in the wild. Dorothy is thought to be 55 years old and zookeepers figured she had stopped laying eggs years ago.
But when they discovered she had laid eggs, they took great care to incubate them for months. Only two of the eggs hatched successfully, the first Cuban crocs to do so at the zoo in nearly 25 years.
Scientists believe there are fewer than 6,000 Cuban crocs remaining in the wild in two small areas of Cuba.
U.S. zoos are trying to expand the population, though births are rare. There have been a handful of hatchings in Florida and Kentucky zoos.
This article is brought to you by ONLINE DATING.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Twitter index: UST Tigers, 'Free & Single'
Microbloggers are buzzing about a victory for the UST Tigers and the latest single from Super Junior on Thursday, July 19.
Filipino varsity basketball team the UST (University of Santo Thomas) Growling Tigers are causing a buzz on Twitter after ending their 12-game losing streak against defending champions, the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, on July 19 in a very close 71-70 victory.
South Korean group Super Junior is once again causing a buzz after the group won the Champion Song award on South Korean TV show Show Champion for the second week in a row with its single 'Sexy, Free & Single.'
Twitter users are also talking about 15 things girls hate and working their way through 100 confessions.
Listen to 'Sexy, Free & Single' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJZObc0nlyg
The top 10 most talked about topics on Twitter on July 19 at 10:15 AM GMT are:
01. #100Confessions
02. #appenascopertoi1D
03. #15ThingsGirlsHate
04. Omar Suleiman
05. Adamdir Aslanlar
06. Publio Cordon
07. Melegimizdir Onlar Disi Aslanlar
08. Morning Zayn
09. Congrats UST
10. Free & Single
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITES.
Filipino varsity basketball team the UST (University of Santo Thomas) Growling Tigers are causing a buzz on Twitter after ending their 12-game losing streak against defending champions, the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, on July 19 in a very close 71-70 victory.
South Korean group Super Junior is once again causing a buzz after the group won the Champion Song award on South Korean TV show Show Champion for the second week in a row with its single 'Sexy, Free & Single.'
Twitter users are also talking about 15 things girls hate and working their way through 100 confessions.
Listen to 'Sexy, Free & Single' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJZObc0nlyg
The top 10 most talked about topics on Twitter on July 19 at 10:15 AM GMT are:
01. #100Confessions
02. #appenascopertoi1D
03. #15ThingsGirlsHate
04. Omar Suleiman
05. Adamdir Aslanlar
06. Publio Cordon
07. Melegimizdir Onlar Disi Aslanlar
08. Morning Zayn
09. Congrats UST
10. Free & Single
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITES.
Bodies of 14 rare Sumatran tigers seized in Indonesia
Indonesian police seized 14 preserved bodies of critically-endangered Sumatran tigers in a raid on a house near Jakarta, a spokesman said Thursday.
A man identified as F.R. was arrested Tuesday in a suburban area of Depok suspected of his involvement in the illegal wildlife trade, national police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar told AFP.
'We confiscated whole preserved bodies of 14 tigers, a lion, three leopards, a clouded leopard, three bears and a tapir and a tiger head,' he said, adding that investigations were ongoing.
'We believe he is connected to a network of rare animal traders. But we have not established yet if the animals are for the domestic or international market,' he said.
The suspect could face up to five years' jail and fines of 100 million rupiah ($11,000) for violating natural resources conservation laws.
Poachers often sell tiger body parts to the lucrative traditional Chinese medicine market.
There are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. Several die each year as a result of traps, poaching or other human actions.
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
A man identified as F.R. was arrested Tuesday in a suburban area of Depok suspected of his involvement in the illegal wildlife trade, national police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar told AFP.
'We confiscated whole preserved bodies of 14 tigers, a lion, three leopards, a clouded leopard, three bears and a tapir and a tiger head,' he said, adding that investigations were ongoing.
'We believe he is connected to a network of rare animal traders. But we have not established yet if the animals are for the domestic or international market,' he said.
The suspect could face up to five years' jail and fines of 100 million rupiah ($11,000) for violating natural resources conservation laws.
Poachers often sell tiger body parts to the lucrative traditional Chinese medicine market.
There are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. Several die each year as a result of traps, poaching or other human actions.
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
'Sleeping Dogs' crime game annouces Hollywood-caliber cast
Ever wondered where video games get their voice actors from? Sleeping Dogs, a game of triad infiltration set in Hong Kong, can boast Hollywood-caliber actors, many of whom are themselves bicultural Asian American.
The game aims to fuse Eastern and Western influence, so it's fitting that much of its cast has Asian and American connections either through family or work, as its latest trailer relates.
Main character Detective Wei Shen is voiced by Will Yun Lee, a Korean American who played the diamond-studded Col. Tan-Sun Moon in Bond flick Die Another Day, while Oscar-nominated and Emmy award-winning Brit Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton, Batman Begins) provides the vocal talent for Shen's handler, Superintendent Pendrew.
Shen, having worked his way into the powerful Triad network, meets old playground pal Jackie Mah -- co-incidentally, Mah's Chinese Canadian voice actor Edison Chen rose to fame as an undercover Triad member in the Infernal Affairs trilogy.
Lucy Liu of Charlie's Angels and Kill Bill also stars, as does Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man's Gwen Stacy), and players can expect to encounter both Kelly Hu (X2: X-Men United) and Lindsay Price (Beverly Hills 90210) among others.
Sleeping Dogs is to launch during the week of August 14, fortuitous timing considering the general lack of new open world go-anywhere action games until Borderlands 2 expands franchise horizons late September and Assassin's Creed III swoops in at the end of October.
Saints Row 4 is not due until the end of 2013, and a late 2012/early 2013 date for Grand Theft Auto V remains unconfirmed.
Sleeping Dogs 'Behind the Scenes: Voice-Over Talent' - youtu.be/vYXOANLzuJw
Official website: sleepingdogs.net
This news article is brought to you by MOVIE GOSSIP NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
The game aims to fuse Eastern and Western influence, so it's fitting that much of its cast has Asian and American connections either through family or work, as its latest trailer relates.
Main character Detective Wei Shen is voiced by Will Yun Lee, a Korean American who played the diamond-studded Col. Tan-Sun Moon in Bond flick Die Another Day, while Oscar-nominated and Emmy award-winning Brit Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton, Batman Begins) provides the vocal talent for Shen's handler, Superintendent Pendrew.
Shen, having worked his way into the powerful Triad network, meets old playground pal Jackie Mah -- co-incidentally, Mah's Chinese Canadian voice actor Edison Chen rose to fame as an undercover Triad member in the Infernal Affairs trilogy.
Lucy Liu of Charlie's Angels and Kill Bill also stars, as does Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man's Gwen Stacy), and players can expect to encounter both Kelly Hu (X2: X-Men United) and Lindsay Price (Beverly Hills 90210) among others.
Sleeping Dogs is to launch during the week of August 14, fortuitous timing considering the general lack of new open world go-anywhere action games until Borderlands 2 expands franchise horizons late September and Assassin's Creed III swoops in at the end of October.
Saints Row 4 is not due until the end of 2013, and a late 2012/early 2013 date for Grand Theft Auto V remains unconfirmed.
Sleeping Dogs 'Behind the Scenes: Voice-Over Talent' - youtu.be/vYXOANLzuJw
Official website: sleepingdogs.net
This news article is brought to you by MOVIE GOSSIP NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
3 Canadian elephants are flying to California
LOS ANGELES (AP) - For elephants to fly, you have to do more than load trunks on a plane.
Pat Derby, co-founder of the Performing Animal Welfare Society, has been working for two years to get three 10,000-pound elephants in the air. The elephants are scheduled to take off on Aug. 2 in what could be a million-dollar move.
The African elephants, Iringa, 42, Toka, 41, and Thika, 31, are being retired from the Toronto Zoo and moved to PAWS' 2,300-acre sanctuary in San Andreas.
To get the elephants ready to fly, the animals had to undergo crate and noise training. A Russian cargo jet and two fleets of trucks had to be rented; pilots, drivers and crews hired; crates built and fitted for each elephant; hydraulic gates reinstalled at the sanctuary; and barn space cleared.
The amount of red tape rivaled only the green involved, but former game show host and animal activist Bob Barker is paying the bill, expected to be between $750,000 and $1 million.
Zookeepers have been teaching the animals to walk in and out of their travel crates, finished in January. 'We rattle the crates and make all kinds of sounds so they are used to noise,' Derby said, because 'there are no test flights.'
Iringa and Toka do have past plane experience - they were flown to Toronto from Mozambique 37 years ago. Would an elephant forget?
'It would be the way we remember some gut feelings,' Joyce Poole, an elephant behaviorist and co-founder of ElephantVoices, said in a phone interview from Norway. 'They are used to going in and out of cages and being in small confined spaces. Otherwise, getting back into a truck could bring back some scary feelings. Obviously, they were captured and taken from their families and had some pretty terrifying experiences, but they've been captive for a long time. I think they'll be fine with it.'
The elephants fit snugly in their crates and will be tethered so they don't get hurt if they hit ruts in the road or turbulence in the air, Derby said. The Russian cargo plane is bigger than a C-17 so will fit all three elephants easily, along with keepers from Toronto and crews from PAWS.
There may not be on-board movies for the pachyderms, but there will be carrots and other treats in case they get the munchies.
Poole said an elephant's ears will also probably pop just like a human's on takeoff and descent.
Anti-anxiety pills would be dangerous, Derby said. 'You want them to have full capacity and be fully aware of everything that's going on. It's not a good idea to tranquilize any animal because they can flop around and get sleepy and go down. They need to be awake and conscious and able to shift their weight and behave normally.'
What if they get bored? 'The experience itself will stimulate them,' Derby said. 'They will be talking to each other and it probably will be the equivalent of us wondering, 'Where are we going?' and 'What is this?'' she said.
Traveling together will also help, she said. 'They make sounds we can't even hear, low rumbles and sonic sounds. They will be talking to one another through the whole flight, I am sure,' Derby said. There could even be some trumpeting.
'Trumpets are like exclamation points,' Poole said. There are trumpets for play, socializing and alarm. 'The one you are most likely to hear is the social trumpet, given in the context of greetings or when groups come together,' she said.
The elephants will be in their crates when they leave the Toronto Zoo on trucks, during the flight and during the truck trip from San Francisco to San Andreas, 125 miles northeast. That could be a 10-hour trip.
A truck trip would have cost less but would have taken over 40 hours without stops or traffic. Barker said he would rather spend the extra money than make the elephants spend that much time confined in their crates.
At the sanctuary, they will meet their new companions Lulu, 47, Maggie and Mara, both 28, from zoos in San Francisco, Alaska and San Jose, respectively.
'You have to provide them with the opportunity to socialize, as well as the ability to retreat if frightened,' Derby said.
There are also three female Asian elephants and two Asian bulls at PAWS but the Africans and Asians are separated, as are the 26 tigers, six bears and five lions at the preserve. Derby has seen video of the Toronto elephants and thinks the group of six will get along.
'They appear to be sweet, lovely, tractable elephants and I'm just excited to get them integrated into our group so they can have a wonderful social life. Our three girls have missed being in a larger group,' she said.
It's hard to know how long retirement will last. Africans live to be 60 or 70 in the wild but in captivity, they don't survive well past 50, Derby said.
In the wild, 50-year-old female elephants are still having calves, but none of the animals at PAWS will ever be bred.
'To breed them in captivity is criminal,' Derby said.
'I'm sure in the zoo world, it's a big issue. Not in our world. It's very sad to see calves born in captivity and be doomed to a life of living in what is virtually a prison. No captive facility can really provide everything that an elephant needs. We provide a lot but we can't provide everything. We have huge habitats, but it's nothing like the size of their territory in the wild. It just doesn't compare,' she said.
___
Online:
- http://www.pawsweb.org
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITE.
Pat Derby, co-founder of the Performing Animal Welfare Society, has been working for two years to get three 10,000-pound elephants in the air. The elephants are scheduled to take off on Aug. 2 in what could be a million-dollar move.
The African elephants, Iringa, 42, Toka, 41, and Thika, 31, are being retired from the Toronto Zoo and moved to PAWS' 2,300-acre sanctuary in San Andreas.
To get the elephants ready to fly, the animals had to undergo crate and noise training. A Russian cargo jet and two fleets of trucks had to be rented; pilots, drivers and crews hired; crates built and fitted for each elephant; hydraulic gates reinstalled at the sanctuary; and barn space cleared.
The amount of red tape rivaled only the green involved, but former game show host and animal activist Bob Barker is paying the bill, expected to be between $750,000 and $1 million.
Zookeepers have been teaching the animals to walk in and out of their travel crates, finished in January. 'We rattle the crates and make all kinds of sounds so they are used to noise,' Derby said, because 'there are no test flights.'
Iringa and Toka do have past plane experience - they were flown to Toronto from Mozambique 37 years ago. Would an elephant forget?
'It would be the way we remember some gut feelings,' Joyce Poole, an elephant behaviorist and co-founder of ElephantVoices, said in a phone interview from Norway. 'They are used to going in and out of cages and being in small confined spaces. Otherwise, getting back into a truck could bring back some scary feelings. Obviously, they were captured and taken from their families and had some pretty terrifying experiences, but they've been captive for a long time. I think they'll be fine with it.'
The elephants fit snugly in their crates and will be tethered so they don't get hurt if they hit ruts in the road or turbulence in the air, Derby said. The Russian cargo plane is bigger than a C-17 so will fit all three elephants easily, along with keepers from Toronto and crews from PAWS.
There may not be on-board movies for the pachyderms, but there will be carrots and other treats in case they get the munchies.
Poole said an elephant's ears will also probably pop just like a human's on takeoff and descent.
Anti-anxiety pills would be dangerous, Derby said. 'You want them to have full capacity and be fully aware of everything that's going on. It's not a good idea to tranquilize any animal because they can flop around and get sleepy and go down. They need to be awake and conscious and able to shift their weight and behave normally.'
What if they get bored? 'The experience itself will stimulate them,' Derby said. 'They will be talking to each other and it probably will be the equivalent of us wondering, 'Where are we going?' and 'What is this?'' she said.
Traveling together will also help, she said. 'They make sounds we can't even hear, low rumbles and sonic sounds. They will be talking to one another through the whole flight, I am sure,' Derby said. There could even be some trumpeting.
'Trumpets are like exclamation points,' Poole said. There are trumpets for play, socializing and alarm. 'The one you are most likely to hear is the social trumpet, given in the context of greetings or when groups come together,' she said.
The elephants will be in their crates when they leave the Toronto Zoo on trucks, during the flight and during the truck trip from San Francisco to San Andreas, 125 miles northeast. That could be a 10-hour trip.
A truck trip would have cost less but would have taken over 40 hours without stops or traffic. Barker said he would rather spend the extra money than make the elephants spend that much time confined in their crates.
At the sanctuary, they will meet their new companions Lulu, 47, Maggie and Mara, both 28, from zoos in San Francisco, Alaska and San Jose, respectively.
'You have to provide them with the opportunity to socialize, as well as the ability to retreat if frightened,' Derby said.
There are also three female Asian elephants and two Asian bulls at PAWS but the Africans and Asians are separated, as are the 26 tigers, six bears and five lions at the preserve. Derby has seen video of the Toronto elephants and thinks the group of six will get along.
'They appear to be sweet, lovely, tractable elephants and I'm just excited to get them integrated into our group so they can have a wonderful social life. Our three girls have missed being in a larger group,' she said.
It's hard to know how long retirement will last. Africans live to be 60 or 70 in the wild but in captivity, they don't survive well past 50, Derby said.
In the wild, 50-year-old female elephants are still having calves, but none of the animals at PAWS will ever be bred.
'To breed them in captivity is criminal,' Derby said.
'I'm sure in the zoo world, it's a big issue. Not in our world. It's very sad to see calves born in captivity and be doomed to a life of living in what is virtually a prison. No captive facility can really provide everything that an elephant needs. We provide a lot but we can't provide everything. We have huge habitats, but it's nothing like the size of their territory in the wild. It just doesn't compare,' she said.
___
Online:
- http://www.pawsweb.org
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITE.
Wild birds 'smuggled through Solomon Islands'
More than 54,000 wild birds, including critically endangered species, were laundered through the Solomon islands into the global wildlife trade between 2000 and 2010, a wildlife group said Tuesday.
The birds, classified as 'captive-bred' to skirt wildlife trafficking laws and in the main not native to the islands, were exported mostly to Singapore and Malaysia from where they were sold to other parts of the world, TRAFFIC said in a report.
'Between 2000 and 2010, more than 54,000 birds, mainly parrots and cockatoos, were imported from the Solomon Islands and declared as captive-bred,' said the report, launched in Singapore.
'Yet local authorities confirmed to TRAFFIC that the Solomon Islands is not known to have substantial bird breeding facilities,' it added.
TRAFFIC said Singapore and Malaysia accounted for 93 percent of all birds imported from Solomon Islands between 2000 and 2010.
Malaysia however has suspended its bird imports and TRAFFIC is urging Singapore to do the same.
'Singapore should follow Malaysia's lead in suspending bird imports, not only from the Solomon Islands but anywhere else if there is a lack of clarity as to their legal origin,' said TRAFFIC's Southeast Asia deputy director Chris Shepherd.
The birds included vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered species such as the Yellow-crested Cockatoo, which cannot be traded under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, or CITES.
In addition, a majority of the birds were not native to the Solomon Islands but are found in Indonesia or Papua New Guinea.
The absence of records showing the Solomon Islands had imported the birds indicated that they had been caught in the wild, TRAFFIC said.
Shepherd said the smugglers were deceiving authorities to gain access to the global pet trade.
'Declaring exported birds as being captive-bred has all the hallmarks of a scam to get around international trade regulations,' he said in the report.
This news article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIPS ADVICE 201 - where latest news are our top priority.
The birds, classified as 'captive-bred' to skirt wildlife trafficking laws and in the main not native to the islands, were exported mostly to Singapore and Malaysia from where they were sold to other parts of the world, TRAFFIC said in a report.
'Between 2000 and 2010, more than 54,000 birds, mainly parrots and cockatoos, were imported from the Solomon Islands and declared as captive-bred,' said the report, launched in Singapore.
'Yet local authorities confirmed to TRAFFIC that the Solomon Islands is not known to have substantial bird breeding facilities,' it added.
TRAFFIC said Singapore and Malaysia accounted for 93 percent of all birds imported from Solomon Islands between 2000 and 2010.
Malaysia however has suspended its bird imports and TRAFFIC is urging Singapore to do the same.
'Singapore should follow Malaysia's lead in suspending bird imports, not only from the Solomon Islands but anywhere else if there is a lack of clarity as to their legal origin,' said TRAFFIC's Southeast Asia deputy director Chris Shepherd.
The birds included vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered species such as the Yellow-crested Cockatoo, which cannot be traded under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, or CITES.
In addition, a majority of the birds were not native to the Solomon Islands but are found in Indonesia or Papua New Guinea.
The absence of records showing the Solomon Islands had imported the birds indicated that they had been caught in the wild, TRAFFIC said.
Shepherd said the smugglers were deceiving authorities to gain access to the global pet trade.
'Declaring exported birds as being captive-bred has all the hallmarks of a scam to get around international trade regulations,' he said in the report.
This news article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIPS ADVICE 201 - where latest news are our top priority.
50,000 wild birds smuggled through Solomons: group
More than 54,000 wild birds, including critically endangered species, were laundered through the Solomon islands into the global wildlife trade between 2000 and 2010, a wildlife group said Tuesday.
The birds, classified as 'captive-bred' to skirt wildlife trafficking laws and in the main not native to the islands, were exported mostly to Singapore and Malaysia from where they were sold to other parts of the world, TRAFFIC said in a report.
'Between 2000 and 2010, more than 54,000 birds, mainly parrots and cockatoos, were imported from the Solomon Islands and declared as captive-bred,' said the report, launched in Singapore.
'Yet local authorities confirmed to TRAFFIC that the Solomon Islands is not known to have substantial bird breeding facilities,' it added.
TRAFFIC said Singapore and Malaysia accounted for 93 percent of all birds imported from Solomon Islands between 2000 and 2010.
Malaysia however has suspended its bird imports and TRAFFIC is urging Singapore to do the same.
'Singapore should follow Malaysia's lead in suspending bird imports, not only from the Solomon Islands but anywhere else if there is a lack of clarity as to their legal origin,' said TRAFFIC's Southeast Asia deputy director Chris Shepherd.
The birds included vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered species such as the Yellow-crested Cockatoo, which cannot be traded under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, or CITES.
In addition, a majority of the birds were not native to the Solomon Islands but are found in Indonesia or Papua New Guinea.
The absence of records showing the Solomon Islands had imported the birds indicated that they had been caught in the wild, TRAFFIC said.
Shepherd said the smugglers were deceiving authorities to gain access to the global pet trade.
'Declaring exported birds as being captive-bred has all the hallmarks of a scam to get around international trade regulations,' he said in the report.
This news article is brought to you by TECHNOLOGY NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
The birds, classified as 'captive-bred' to skirt wildlife trafficking laws and in the main not native to the islands, were exported mostly to Singapore and Malaysia from where they were sold to other parts of the world, TRAFFIC said in a report.
'Between 2000 and 2010, more than 54,000 birds, mainly parrots and cockatoos, were imported from the Solomon Islands and declared as captive-bred,' said the report, launched in Singapore.
'Yet local authorities confirmed to TRAFFIC that the Solomon Islands is not known to have substantial bird breeding facilities,' it added.
TRAFFIC said Singapore and Malaysia accounted for 93 percent of all birds imported from Solomon Islands between 2000 and 2010.
Malaysia however has suspended its bird imports and TRAFFIC is urging Singapore to do the same.
'Singapore should follow Malaysia's lead in suspending bird imports, not only from the Solomon Islands but anywhere else if there is a lack of clarity as to their legal origin,' said TRAFFIC's Southeast Asia deputy director Chris Shepherd.
The birds included vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered species such as the Yellow-crested Cockatoo, which cannot be traded under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, or CITES.
In addition, a majority of the birds were not native to the Solomon Islands but are found in Indonesia or Papua New Guinea.
The absence of records showing the Solomon Islands had imported the birds indicated that they had been caught in the wild, TRAFFIC said.
Shepherd said the smugglers were deceiving authorities to gain access to the global pet trade.
'Declaring exported birds as being captive-bred has all the hallmarks of a scam to get around international trade regulations,' he said in the report.
This news article is brought to you by TECHNOLOGY NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Monday, July 16, 2012
French food banks defend accepting bullfight meat
Food banks in southern France on Monday defended a decision to accept meat from bulls killed in local bullfights in the face of fierce attacks from animal-rights activists.
The meat, worth about 5,000 euros ($6,095), was donated by local slaughterhouses to food banks in the Vaucluse region from the remains of six bulls killed on Sunday in a bullfight in the town of Chateaurenard.
'Would it be reasonable to throw away and destroy this meat instead of donating it?' Maurice Lony, the head of France's federation of food banks, asked in a statement.
The donation sparked angry condemnations from animal-rights groups after it was reported in the local press.
France's FLAC anti-bullfighting federation urged the food banks to reject the meat, which its spokesman Thierry Hely said was the result of 'particularly revolting suffering'.
'For us this is an ethical problem.... This meat smells of barbarism,' he told AFP.
But Lony said it would have been unethical for the food banks to turn down the meat, which he said could be used in the equivalent of 10,000 meals.
'We recognise the rights of organisations and individuals to be indignant at the practice of bullfighting. But for our part we're indignant at the lack of proper food security experienced by nearly 23,000 people in Vaucluse,' he said.
Banned in the rest of the country, bullfighting is allowed in parts of southern France as a traditional activity, despite complaints from activists that the sport is a form of animal cruelty.
This article is brought to you by MATCHMAKING.
The meat, worth about 5,000 euros ($6,095), was donated by local slaughterhouses to food banks in the Vaucluse region from the remains of six bulls killed on Sunday in a bullfight in the town of Chateaurenard.
'Would it be reasonable to throw away and destroy this meat instead of donating it?' Maurice Lony, the head of France's federation of food banks, asked in a statement.
The donation sparked angry condemnations from animal-rights groups after it was reported in the local press.
France's FLAC anti-bullfighting federation urged the food banks to reject the meat, which its spokesman Thierry Hely said was the result of 'particularly revolting suffering'.
'For us this is an ethical problem.... This meat smells of barbarism,' he told AFP.
But Lony said it would have been unethical for the food banks to turn down the meat, which he said could be used in the equivalent of 10,000 meals.
'We recognise the rights of organisations and individuals to be indignant at the practice of bullfighting. But for our part we're indignant at the lack of proper food security experienced by nearly 23,000 people in Vaucluse,' he said.
Banned in the rest of the country, bullfighting is allowed in parts of southern France as a traditional activity, despite complaints from activists that the sport is a form of animal cruelty.
This article is brought to you by MATCHMAKING.
Endangered wild horses head to Mongolia
Four rare Przewalski's wild horses were headed for the Mongolian steppe from Prague on Monday as part of a project to reintroduce the critically endangered species to its ancient homeland.
Prague zoo runs a breeding programme and is charged with keeping the world genealogy book for the equines which have survived only in captivity since the last wild horse was seen in Mongolia in 1969.
The four mares, aged three to five, will be flown 18 hours in wooden boxes to Bulgan, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) northwest of the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator.
'The mares are more nervous than last year,' Prague zoo director Miroslav Bobek said, referring to another four horses sent to Mongolia in 2011.
From Bulgan, the horses will be taken by road to the Gobi B national protected park, where the population of the horses shrank to 49 from 150 during the severe winter of 2009-2010.
'They must be animals of an adequate age, with the correct genetic setup, in a good shape, and we also chose them by character to avoid taking mares susceptible to stress,' Bobek said.
Two mares sent last year have already given birth in the steppe.
'We'd like to continue with the transports to Mongolia... where we're trying to create sustainable conditions for both the horses and the people who live close to them,' said Bobek.
Characterised by thick necks, large heads and stocky girths, Przewalski's horses weigh between 250-350 kilograms (550-770 pounds) and stand about 1.2-1.3 metres (3.9-4.3 feet) tall at the withers.
With ancient cave paintings in Lascaux, France, featuring wild horses eerily resembling the Przewalski variety, the species is thought to have lived in Europe 20,000 years ago, but climate change chased the animals away to Asia.
Europeans only encountered the wild horses at the end of the 19th century when Russian explorer and geographer Nikolai Mikhailovich Przewalski discovered them in mountains bordering the Gobi desert.
In the 20th century, hunting brought Przewalski's horses to the verge of extinction.
This article is brought to you by DATING SERVICE.
Prague zoo runs a breeding programme and is charged with keeping the world genealogy book for the equines which have survived only in captivity since the last wild horse was seen in Mongolia in 1969.
The four mares, aged three to five, will be flown 18 hours in wooden boxes to Bulgan, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) northwest of the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator.
'The mares are more nervous than last year,' Prague zoo director Miroslav Bobek said, referring to another four horses sent to Mongolia in 2011.
From Bulgan, the horses will be taken by road to the Gobi B national protected park, where the population of the horses shrank to 49 from 150 during the severe winter of 2009-2010.
'They must be animals of an adequate age, with the correct genetic setup, in a good shape, and we also chose them by character to avoid taking mares susceptible to stress,' Bobek said.
Two mares sent last year have already given birth in the steppe.
'We'd like to continue with the transports to Mongolia... where we're trying to create sustainable conditions for both the horses and the people who live close to them,' said Bobek.
Characterised by thick necks, large heads and stocky girths, Przewalski's horses weigh between 250-350 kilograms (550-770 pounds) and stand about 1.2-1.3 metres (3.9-4.3 feet) tall at the withers.
With ancient cave paintings in Lascaux, France, featuring wild horses eerily resembling the Przewalski variety, the species is thought to have lived in Europe 20,000 years ago, but climate change chased the animals away to Asia.
Europeans only encountered the wild horses at the end of the 19th century when Russian explorer and geographer Nikolai Mikhailovich Przewalski discovered them in mountains bordering the Gobi desert.
In the 20th century, hunting brought Przewalski's horses to the verge of extinction.
This article is brought to you by DATING SERVICE.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Feds to reroute SF Bay ships to protect whales
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Scientists studying the carcass of a 47-foot fin whale that washed up on a beach in the Point Reyes National Seashore last month found the creature's spine and ribs severed, likely from the propeller of one of the huge cargo ships that sail those waters.
There have been many victims of such accidents in recent years as migrating blue, fin and humpback whales have been lured close to California's shore by plentiful krill, the shrimp-like organisms they eat. All three species are endangered.
Now, after a two-year effort spurred by the uptick in accidents, federal maritime officials have approved a plan to protect whales in and around San Francisco Bay. It includes rerouting shipping traffic and establishing better ways to track whale locations.
The changes crafted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shipping industry representatives, whale researchers and the Coast Guard will likely take effect next year, after a final review by the United Nations International Maritime Organization.
'In 2010 it really struck home when a female blue whale carrying a calf was found dead on the beach,' said Maria Brown, NOAA's superintendent for the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. 'And blue whales' numbers are so small - to lose a female and a new whale coming into the population really sent home the message that we needed to look at the whale strike issue.'
The shipping industry worked with federal authorities to establish new cargo lanes in one of the world's busiest ports.
'Nobody wants to hit a whale, just like anybody driving down the highway doesn't want to hit anything either,' said John Berge, vice president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, who worked on the plan. 'We want to do whatever can be done to mitigate the risk, but do it based on good science and good management strategies as opposed to saying, 'Let's just try this and see if it works.''
The plan includes establishing a real-time whale monitoring network that would use trained sailors aboard commercial vessels to report when and where they see whales. Once sighted, a warning would be sent to other ship captains, giving them the option to slow down or take a different route.
Captains now must rely on historical data on whale locations. That means ships may slow down unnecessarily in certain area, delaying delivery of goods.
Though voluntary, industry groups like the shipping association and the Chamber of Shipping America, which also took part in the study, believe shippers will support the concept because it could save them money.
'(The) cost of additional training of the bridge crew pales in comparison to the additional cost associated with lost time if you take ships that normally travel at 20 knots and slow them down to 10 knots over a 70 nautical mile vessel traffic lane,' said Kathy Metcalf, director of maritime affairs for the chamber.
If successful in San Francisco, the reporting network could become mandatory worldwide through the U.N.'s IMO. That's a goal of those involved in drafting the plan.
'The ships themselves are the most ideal whale sighting platforms to use, and are the lynchpin to the success of this program,' said John Calambokidis, an Olympia, Wash.-based scientist who has studied ship strikes off the West Coast for decades and who participated in the effort.
There are believed to be about 2,000 blue whales in the northeast Pacific, and about 10,000 worldwide. The largest animals on Earth, blue whales can grow up to 90 feet long, still a fraction of the size of cargo ships that can stretch 1,200 feet. There also are about 2,000 fin whales in the northeast Pacific, and about 2,500 humpbacks.
While fin and humpback whales have seen gains in population since the 1990s, the number of blues has declined or remained flat.
How many whales die from collisions each year isn't known because most accidents go undocumented and whales that are hit often sink. Whale researchers use population models that factor a species' reproductive rate and its natural mortality to come up with an estimate of how many are likely dying.
In 2010 there were just five confirmed fatal collisions recorded in the area outside San Francisco Bay. But the number of actual strikes of all whale species is likely 10 times higher, Calambokidis said.
PRBO Conservation Science, an environmental research group, conducts annual surveys of whales and other marine life in the sanctuaries around San Francisco Bay. Research director Jaime Jahncke said the number of blue and others whales is four to five times greater than in 2004, increasing the likelihood of ship strikes.
These surveys and other data were used to help map the new shipping lanes by showing vessel owners and federal officials where the whale grounds and shipping lanes were overlapping.
There currently are three shipping lanes coming in and out of San Francisco Bay.
The westbound shipping lane currently ends at the relatively shallow continental shelf, where ships disperse. The new westbound lane would extend three miles past the continental shelf, and contain traffic to a defined area over the whale feeding grounds. The new northbound lane would also be extended miles beyond the shelf, keeping vessels sailing in a straight line for a longer time, rather than allowing them to disperse where the whales congregate.
___
Online:
Whale mapping data: http://www.accessoceans.org
___
Reporter Jason Dearen can be reached on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/JHDearen
This news article is brought to you by SAVING MONEY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
There have been many victims of such accidents in recent years as migrating blue, fin and humpback whales have been lured close to California's shore by plentiful krill, the shrimp-like organisms they eat. All three species are endangered.
Now, after a two-year effort spurred by the uptick in accidents, federal maritime officials have approved a plan to protect whales in and around San Francisco Bay. It includes rerouting shipping traffic and establishing better ways to track whale locations.
The changes crafted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shipping industry representatives, whale researchers and the Coast Guard will likely take effect next year, after a final review by the United Nations International Maritime Organization.
'In 2010 it really struck home when a female blue whale carrying a calf was found dead on the beach,' said Maria Brown, NOAA's superintendent for the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. 'And blue whales' numbers are so small - to lose a female and a new whale coming into the population really sent home the message that we needed to look at the whale strike issue.'
The shipping industry worked with federal authorities to establish new cargo lanes in one of the world's busiest ports.
'Nobody wants to hit a whale, just like anybody driving down the highway doesn't want to hit anything either,' said John Berge, vice president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, who worked on the plan. 'We want to do whatever can be done to mitigate the risk, but do it based on good science and good management strategies as opposed to saying, 'Let's just try this and see if it works.''
The plan includes establishing a real-time whale monitoring network that would use trained sailors aboard commercial vessels to report when and where they see whales. Once sighted, a warning would be sent to other ship captains, giving them the option to slow down or take a different route.
Captains now must rely on historical data on whale locations. That means ships may slow down unnecessarily in certain area, delaying delivery of goods.
Though voluntary, industry groups like the shipping association and the Chamber of Shipping America, which also took part in the study, believe shippers will support the concept because it could save them money.
'(The) cost of additional training of the bridge crew pales in comparison to the additional cost associated with lost time if you take ships that normally travel at 20 knots and slow them down to 10 knots over a 70 nautical mile vessel traffic lane,' said Kathy Metcalf, director of maritime affairs for the chamber.
If successful in San Francisco, the reporting network could become mandatory worldwide through the U.N.'s IMO. That's a goal of those involved in drafting the plan.
'The ships themselves are the most ideal whale sighting platforms to use, and are the lynchpin to the success of this program,' said John Calambokidis, an Olympia, Wash.-based scientist who has studied ship strikes off the West Coast for decades and who participated in the effort.
There are believed to be about 2,000 blue whales in the northeast Pacific, and about 10,000 worldwide. The largest animals on Earth, blue whales can grow up to 90 feet long, still a fraction of the size of cargo ships that can stretch 1,200 feet. There also are about 2,000 fin whales in the northeast Pacific, and about 2,500 humpbacks.
While fin and humpback whales have seen gains in population since the 1990s, the number of blues has declined or remained flat.
How many whales die from collisions each year isn't known because most accidents go undocumented and whales that are hit often sink. Whale researchers use population models that factor a species' reproductive rate and its natural mortality to come up with an estimate of how many are likely dying.
In 2010 there were just five confirmed fatal collisions recorded in the area outside San Francisco Bay. But the number of actual strikes of all whale species is likely 10 times higher, Calambokidis said.
PRBO Conservation Science, an environmental research group, conducts annual surveys of whales and other marine life in the sanctuaries around San Francisco Bay. Research director Jaime Jahncke said the number of blue and others whales is four to five times greater than in 2004, increasing the likelihood of ship strikes.
These surveys and other data were used to help map the new shipping lanes by showing vessel owners and federal officials where the whale grounds and shipping lanes were overlapping.
There currently are three shipping lanes coming in and out of San Francisco Bay.
The westbound shipping lane currently ends at the relatively shallow continental shelf, where ships disperse. The new westbound lane would extend three miles past the continental shelf, and contain traffic to a defined area over the whale feeding grounds. The new northbound lane would also be extended miles beyond the shelf, keeping vessels sailing in a straight line for a longer time, rather than allowing them to disperse where the whales congregate.
___
Online:
Whale mapping data: http://www.accessoceans.org
___
Reporter Jason Dearen can be reached on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/JHDearen
This news article is brought to you by SAVING MONEY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
San Francisco restaurant defies California's foie gras ban
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Housed in a converted infantry barracks on a former U.S. Army base, the Presidio Social Club never attracted much attention from San Francisco's avid gourmets -- until Saturday night.
That's when foie gras lovers descended on the restaurant to have their first taste of the delicacy since California imposed a ban on July 1.
Animal rights activists fought for the law because they detest the way foie gras is made: farmers force-feed ducks or geese to fatten their livers. Some fans of traditional French cuisine find the ban just as hard to swallow.
The restaurant owner, Ray Tang, and its general manager, Maureen Donegan, reasoned that the restaurant can legally ignore state law because the Presidio, now managed mostly as a national park, has remained federal property even after being decommissioned by the Army. Businesses on federal property must adhere to federal regulations, which trump state ones, they say.
Tang and Donegan timed their event for Bastille Day -- the French national day -- hired a publicist and sent out a press release.
'There are a lot of people who are upset about not being able to do something they have a right to do, so we just decided to go ahead and do it,' Donegan told Reuters. 'The next step was to celebrate independence.'
By Saturday the drab clapboard building was on the map as never before, with diners claiming every one of its 117 seats, a dozen activists chanting outside and park service police -- some of them on horseback -- struggling to make sure the two groups didn't clash.
'Helpless ducks are force-fed,' the protesters chanted. 'Eat somewhere else instead.'
Dana Portnoy, 32, a resident of nearby Oakland and member of the Animal Protection and Rescue League, organized the demonstrators, who held banners and placards displaying photographs of brutalized birds.
'We're here to educate consumers that they care more about serving a cruel delicacy than abiding by the law,' she said.
Portnoy described horrific conditions in a foie gras facility she had visited: ducks too sick to stand up, asphyxiating on their own blood from feeding tube wounds, or choking on the corn they were forced to swallow.
Tang responds that the restaurant is getting its foie gras from a humane source in New York's Hudson Valley. 'Birds of that type naturally gorge themselves,' he said. 'I do not believe they suffer.'
The restaurant planned to continue serving foie gras, Donegan said.
QUESTION OF AUTHORITY
Portnoy rejects Tang's legal reasoning along with his ethics and has asked the federal agency managing the park, the Presidio Trust, to enforce the state ban.
The trust has yet to state its legal position. On Friday, Executive Director Craig Middleton issued a statement: 'I met with Mr. Tang on Wednesday and encouraged him to reconsider his decision' but did not say what would happen if Tang kept serving foie gras.
Enforcement of the foie gras law in San Francisco falls to the Animal Care and Control Department, and its director, Rebecca Katz, was unsure what authority she had in the Presidio.
'It's not an unusual question to raise,' Katz said, citing an ongoing dispute about dog leash laws in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
The state attorney general's office also withheld opinion. 'We have not looked into it,' spokeswoman Lynda Gledhill said.
Others have tried to work around the ban. Thirty miles away in Mountain View, California, Chez TJ restaurant was serving foie gras without listing it on the menu.
'It's given away by the chef as a complimentary gift at his discretion,' said General Manager Jessamine McLellan, noting that the law bans the sale and production -- but not the possession or consumption -- of foie gras.
Back at the Presidio Social Club -- which, contrary to its name, is a public restaurant with no membership -- diners figured they would enjoy their loophole as long as it lasted. Tang ordered enough foie gras for 560 two-ounce (57-gram)servings.
'It's stunning,' said Greg Pelling, 52, who was enjoying a $20 plate of foie gras sliders. 'The pineapple adds a slight acidity, and paired with the sauterne (wine), it's amazing.'
(Editing by Daniel Trotta and Eric Beech)
This article is brought to you by DATING.
That's when foie gras lovers descended on the restaurant to have their first taste of the delicacy since California imposed a ban on July 1.
Animal rights activists fought for the law because they detest the way foie gras is made: farmers force-feed ducks or geese to fatten their livers. Some fans of traditional French cuisine find the ban just as hard to swallow.
The restaurant owner, Ray Tang, and its general manager, Maureen Donegan, reasoned that the restaurant can legally ignore state law because the Presidio, now managed mostly as a national park, has remained federal property even after being decommissioned by the Army. Businesses on federal property must adhere to federal regulations, which trump state ones, they say.
Tang and Donegan timed their event for Bastille Day -- the French national day -- hired a publicist and sent out a press release.
'There are a lot of people who are upset about not being able to do something they have a right to do, so we just decided to go ahead and do it,' Donegan told Reuters. 'The next step was to celebrate independence.'
By Saturday the drab clapboard building was on the map as never before, with diners claiming every one of its 117 seats, a dozen activists chanting outside and park service police -- some of them on horseback -- struggling to make sure the two groups didn't clash.
'Helpless ducks are force-fed,' the protesters chanted. 'Eat somewhere else instead.'
Dana Portnoy, 32, a resident of nearby Oakland and member of the Animal Protection and Rescue League, organized the demonstrators, who held banners and placards displaying photographs of brutalized birds.
'We're here to educate consumers that they care more about serving a cruel delicacy than abiding by the law,' she said.
Portnoy described horrific conditions in a foie gras facility she had visited: ducks too sick to stand up, asphyxiating on their own blood from feeding tube wounds, or choking on the corn they were forced to swallow.
Tang responds that the restaurant is getting its foie gras from a humane source in New York's Hudson Valley. 'Birds of that type naturally gorge themselves,' he said. 'I do not believe they suffer.'
The restaurant planned to continue serving foie gras, Donegan said.
QUESTION OF AUTHORITY
Portnoy rejects Tang's legal reasoning along with his ethics and has asked the federal agency managing the park, the Presidio Trust, to enforce the state ban.
The trust has yet to state its legal position. On Friday, Executive Director Craig Middleton issued a statement: 'I met with Mr. Tang on Wednesday and encouraged him to reconsider his decision' but did not say what would happen if Tang kept serving foie gras.
Enforcement of the foie gras law in San Francisco falls to the Animal Care and Control Department, and its director, Rebecca Katz, was unsure what authority she had in the Presidio.
'It's not an unusual question to raise,' Katz said, citing an ongoing dispute about dog leash laws in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
The state attorney general's office also withheld opinion. 'We have not looked into it,' spokeswoman Lynda Gledhill said.
Others have tried to work around the ban. Thirty miles away in Mountain View, California, Chez TJ restaurant was serving foie gras without listing it on the menu.
'It's given away by the chef as a complimentary gift at his discretion,' said General Manager Jessamine McLellan, noting that the law bans the sale and production -- but not the possession or consumption -- of foie gras.
Back at the Presidio Social Club -- which, contrary to its name, is a public restaurant with no membership -- diners figured they would enjoy their loophole as long as it lasted. Tang ordered enough foie gras for 560 two-ounce (57-gram)servings.
'It's stunning,' said Greg Pelling, 52, who was enjoying a $20 plate of foie gras sliders. 'The pineapple adds a slight acidity, and paired with the sauterne (wine), it's amazing.'
(Editing by Daniel Trotta and Eric Beech)
This article is brought to you by DATING.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Philippines rescues sea turtles from poachers' net
Philippine authorities rescued 14 protected sea turtles that were caught in a net laid down by Chinese poachers, a navy commander said Saturday.
However one sea turtle was already dead when a joint team from the navy and the environment department arrived Friday in the remote area off the western island of Palawan, said Major Ferdinand Atos.
Atos, commander of naval forces in the area, said informants had told them that Chinese poachers planted the net a week ago in the coastal district of Balabac.
'They enter the waters of Balabac, riding in a speedboat and they plant their nets, using their contacts among the locals,' he told AFP.
The 200-metre (660-foot) net left by the poachers was removed and the 14 surviving sea turtles were set free, Atos said.
He said informants had told them that Chinese fishermen used their contacts to enter the area frequently and would bring their catch to Half-Moon Shoal, an outcrop in the Spratly islands claimed by both the Philippines and China.
The shoal has come under closer scrutiny after China announced that one of its naval frigates had run aground there.
Sea turtles are protected under Philippine law and catching them is punishable by at least 12 years in jail.
Chinese fishermen poaching in Philippine waters have become an issue in recent months.
In April, Philippine authorities tried to arrest Chinese fishermen taking sea turtles and other protected species from Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
They were blocked by Chinese government ships, triggering a continuing standoff over the area which is claimed by both countries.
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
However one sea turtle was already dead when a joint team from the navy and the environment department arrived Friday in the remote area off the western island of Palawan, said Major Ferdinand Atos.
Atos, commander of naval forces in the area, said informants had told them that Chinese poachers planted the net a week ago in the coastal district of Balabac.
'They enter the waters of Balabac, riding in a speedboat and they plant their nets, using their contacts among the locals,' he told AFP.
The 200-metre (660-foot) net left by the poachers was removed and the 14 surviving sea turtles were set free, Atos said.
He said informants had told them that Chinese fishermen used their contacts to enter the area frequently and would bring their catch to Half-Moon Shoal, an outcrop in the Spratly islands claimed by both the Philippines and China.
The shoal has come under closer scrutiny after China announced that one of its naval frigates had run aground there.
Sea turtles are protected under Philippine law and catching them is punishable by at least 12 years in jail.
Chinese fishermen poaching in Philippine waters have become an issue in recent months.
In April, Philippine authorities tried to arrest Chinese fishermen taking sea turtles and other protected species from Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
They were blocked by Chinese government ships, triggering a continuing standoff over the area which is claimed by both countries.
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Lemurs Named World's Most Endangered Mammals
Of all the world's animals living on the verge of extinction, Madagascar's lemurs are teetering closest to the brink. A new assessment of these primates reveals they are probably the most endangered group of vertebrates on Earth, beating out all other mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and bony fish for the dismal distinction.
Ninety-one percent of the 103 known lemur species are threatened, conservationists concluded this week at a workshop of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission in Antanarivo, Madagascar's capital. Twenty-three of the species are now considered 'critically endangered,' 52 are 'endangered,' and 19 are 'vulnerable' on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species, compared to 10 percent, 21 percent and 17 percent, respectively, at the time of the previous assessment carried out in 2005.
'The results of our review workshop this week have been quite a shock as they show that Madagascar has, by far, the highest proportion of threatened species of any primate habitat region or any one country in the world. As a result, we now believe that lemurs are probably the most endangered of any group of vertebrates,' said the primatologist Christoph Schwitzer, head of research at Bristol Zoo Gardens in the United Kingdom and the IUCN advisor on Madagascar's primates, in a statement.
Along with lorises and bushbabies, lemurs belong to a group called prosimian primates, defined as all primates that are neither monkeys nor apes. Lemurs live in the wild only on Madagascar; their ancestors likely rafted to the island on clumps of vegetation and trees more than 60 million years ago.
Now, scientists attribute the rapid worsening of lemurs' status to destruction of their tropical forest habitat on Madagascar, where political turmoil has increased poverty and accelerated illegal logging. Hunting has also emerged as a more serious threat to the animals than in the past. As Madagascar's biodiversity is its main tourist attraction, the scientists noted that the loss of lemurs would only exacerbate the economic problems that are causing their demise. [See Photos of Madagascar's Quirky Lemurs]
A few of the most spectacular species labeled 'critically endangered' this week are the indri, the largest of the lemurs, a practitioner of life-long monogamy and a sacred species in Madagascar considered to be the ancient 'brother' of humans; Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, the world's smallest primate weighing in at just 30 grams; and the blue-eyed black lemur, the only primate species other than humans to have blue eyes. The northern sportive lemur may be rarest of all, with just 18 known individuals left.
One small piece of good news emerged during the otherwise grim workshop: A previously unknown species of mouse lemur has been discovered in the Marolambo area of eastern Madagascar. Its discoverers, Peter Kappeler and his team at the German Primate Center, have yet to formally describe or name it.
Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
This news article is brought to you by SELF-ESTEEM - where latest news are our top priority.
Ninety-one percent of the 103 known lemur species are threatened, conservationists concluded this week at a workshop of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission in Antanarivo, Madagascar's capital. Twenty-three of the species are now considered 'critically endangered,' 52 are 'endangered,' and 19 are 'vulnerable' on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species, compared to 10 percent, 21 percent and 17 percent, respectively, at the time of the previous assessment carried out in 2005.
'The results of our review workshop this week have been quite a shock as they show that Madagascar has, by far, the highest proportion of threatened species of any primate habitat region or any one country in the world. As a result, we now believe that lemurs are probably the most endangered of any group of vertebrates,' said the primatologist Christoph Schwitzer, head of research at Bristol Zoo Gardens in the United Kingdom and the IUCN advisor on Madagascar's primates, in a statement.
Along with lorises and bushbabies, lemurs belong to a group called prosimian primates, defined as all primates that are neither monkeys nor apes. Lemurs live in the wild only on Madagascar; their ancestors likely rafted to the island on clumps of vegetation and trees more than 60 million years ago.
Now, scientists attribute the rapid worsening of lemurs' status to destruction of their tropical forest habitat on Madagascar, where political turmoil has increased poverty and accelerated illegal logging. Hunting has also emerged as a more serious threat to the animals than in the past. As Madagascar's biodiversity is its main tourist attraction, the scientists noted that the loss of lemurs would only exacerbate the economic problems that are causing their demise. [See Photos of Madagascar's Quirky Lemurs]
A few of the most spectacular species labeled 'critically endangered' this week are the indri, the largest of the lemurs, a practitioner of life-long monogamy and a sacred species in Madagascar considered to be the ancient 'brother' of humans; Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, the world's smallest primate weighing in at just 30 grams; and the blue-eyed black lemur, the only primate species other than humans to have blue eyes. The northern sportive lemur may be rarest of all, with just 18 known individuals left.
One small piece of good news emerged during the otherwise grim workshop: A previously unknown species of mouse lemur has been discovered in the Marolambo area of eastern Madagascar. Its discoverers, Peter Kappeler and his team at the German Primate Center, have yet to formally describe or name it.
Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
- 10 Species Our Population Explosion Will Likely Kill Off
- Image Gallery: Cute Gelada Monkeys
- In Photos: The Wacky Animals of Madagascar
This news article is brought to you by SELF-ESTEEM - where latest news are our top priority.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Dogs from NY, Virginia wed at charity extravaganza
NEW YORK (AP) - We double-dog dare you to check this out.
Two dogs got married Thursday night at an extravaganza to benefit the Humane Society of New York.
Bride Baby Hope Diamond, a white Coton de Tulear with black-gray markings, was led down the aisle, resplendent in her canine couture gown.
Her poodle groom, a dapper dude named Chilly Pasternak from Richmond, Va., didn't seem too excited about the whole affair but, nevertheless, went along with the ceremony. Seven-year itch, anyone?
After they got hitched, the cuddly couple were presented with a Guinness World Record in the category of most expensive pet wedding at $158,187.26. The luxury goods and services that went into the wedding were all donated. Guests bought tickets for the Manhattan fundraiser.
Baby Hope was adopted by animal welfare activist Wendy Diamond after her beloved Maltese died of cancer last month. Lucky Diamond, a longtime champion of the underdog, was originally cast as the bride. The wedding instead served as a celebration of the life of the little Maltese.
Lucky herself held a Guinness Record: The animal most photographed with famous people. She posed with more than 300 celebrities, from 'Twilight' actress Kristen Stewart to hip-hop star Snoop Dogg.
No expense was spared for the black-tie gala, held at the Jumeirah Essex House Hotel at Central Park. The 'dream team' included a celebrity wedding planner, a 'lighting guru' with experience at major museums, and highly touted chefs for the reception, to name just a few.
Since the guests came from more than one species, a company co-owned by Ellen DeGeneres provided a pet food buffet.
'I am not the mother of the bride, since Baby Hope is 56 years old in dog years,' Diamond said on her website. 'Just call me the Maid of Honor!'
The wedding wasn't 100 percent highbrow. It was officiated by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
___
Associated Press photographer Tina Fineberg contributed to this report.
___
Online:
Wendy Diamond: http://www.animalfair.com
Humane Society of New York: http://humanesocietyny.org
This article is brought to you by SINGLES.
Two dogs got married Thursday night at an extravaganza to benefit the Humane Society of New York.
Bride Baby Hope Diamond, a white Coton de Tulear with black-gray markings, was led down the aisle, resplendent in her canine couture gown.
Her poodle groom, a dapper dude named Chilly Pasternak from Richmond, Va., didn't seem too excited about the whole affair but, nevertheless, went along with the ceremony. Seven-year itch, anyone?
After they got hitched, the cuddly couple were presented with a Guinness World Record in the category of most expensive pet wedding at $158,187.26. The luxury goods and services that went into the wedding were all donated. Guests bought tickets for the Manhattan fundraiser.
Baby Hope was adopted by animal welfare activist Wendy Diamond after her beloved Maltese died of cancer last month. Lucky Diamond, a longtime champion of the underdog, was originally cast as the bride. The wedding instead served as a celebration of the life of the little Maltese.
Lucky herself held a Guinness Record: The animal most photographed with famous people. She posed with more than 300 celebrities, from 'Twilight' actress Kristen Stewart to hip-hop star Snoop Dogg.
No expense was spared for the black-tie gala, held at the Jumeirah Essex House Hotel at Central Park. The 'dream team' included a celebrity wedding planner, a 'lighting guru' with experience at major museums, and highly touted chefs for the reception, to name just a few.
Since the guests came from more than one species, a company co-owned by Ellen DeGeneres provided a pet food buffet.
'I am not the mother of the bride, since Baby Hope is 56 years old in dog years,' Diamond said on her website. 'Just call me the Maid of Honor!'
The wedding wasn't 100 percent highbrow. It was officiated by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
___
Associated Press photographer Tina Fineberg contributed to this report.
___
Online:
Wendy Diamond: http://www.animalfair.com
Humane Society of New York: http://humanesocietyny.org
This article is brought to you by SINGLES.
2 dogs 'wed' at NYC charity extravaganza
NEW YORK (AP) - We double-dog dare you to check this out.
Two dogs 'got married' Thursday night at a Manhattan extravaganza to benefit the Humane Society of New York.
Bride Baby Hope Diamond, a white Coton Du Tulear with black-gray markings, was led down the aisle, resplendent in her canine couture gown.
Her poodle groom, a dapper dude named Chilly Pasternak from Richmond, Va., didn't seem too excited about the whole affair but, never-the-less, went along with the ceremony. Seven year itch, anyone?
After they got hitched, the cuddly couple were presented with a Guinness World Record in the category of most expensive pet wedding at $158,187.26. The luxury goods and services that went into the wedding were all donated. Guests bought tickets for the fundraiser.
Baby Hope was adopted by animal welfare activist Wendy Diamond after her beloved Maltese died of cancer last month. Lucky Diamond, a longtime champion of the underdog, was originally cast as the bride. The wedding instead served as a celebration of the life of the little Maltese.
Lucky herself held a Guinness Record: The animal most photographed with famous people. She posed with more than 300 celebrities, from 'Twilight' actress Kristen Stewart to hip-hop star Snoop Dogg.
No expense was spared for the black-tie gala, held at the Jumeirah Essex House Hotel at Central Park. The 'dream team' included a celebrity wedding planner, a 'lighting guru' with experience at major museums, and highly touted chefs for the reception, to name just a few.
Since the guests came from more than one species, a company co-owned by Ellen DeGeneres provided a pet food buffet.
'I am not the mother of the bride, since Baby Hope is 56 years old in dog years,' Diamond said on her website. 'Just call me the Maid of Honor!'
The wedding wasn't 100 percent highbrow. It was officiated by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
___
Associated Press photographer Tina Fineberg contributed to this report.
___
Online:
Wendy Diamond: www.animalfair.com
Humane Society of New York: http://humanesocietyny.org
This article is brought to you by SINGLES.
Two dogs 'got married' Thursday night at a Manhattan extravaganza to benefit the Humane Society of New York.
Bride Baby Hope Diamond, a white Coton Du Tulear with black-gray markings, was led down the aisle, resplendent in her canine couture gown.
Her poodle groom, a dapper dude named Chilly Pasternak from Richmond, Va., didn't seem too excited about the whole affair but, never-the-less, went along with the ceremony. Seven year itch, anyone?
After they got hitched, the cuddly couple were presented with a Guinness World Record in the category of most expensive pet wedding at $158,187.26. The luxury goods and services that went into the wedding were all donated. Guests bought tickets for the fundraiser.
Baby Hope was adopted by animal welfare activist Wendy Diamond after her beloved Maltese died of cancer last month. Lucky Diamond, a longtime champion of the underdog, was originally cast as the bride. The wedding instead served as a celebration of the life of the little Maltese.
Lucky herself held a Guinness Record: The animal most photographed with famous people. She posed with more than 300 celebrities, from 'Twilight' actress Kristen Stewart to hip-hop star Snoop Dogg.
No expense was spared for the black-tie gala, held at the Jumeirah Essex House Hotel at Central Park. The 'dream team' included a celebrity wedding planner, a 'lighting guru' with experience at major museums, and highly touted chefs for the reception, to name just a few.
Since the guests came from more than one species, a company co-owned by Ellen DeGeneres provided a pet food buffet.
'I am not the mother of the bride, since Baby Hope is 56 years old in dog years,' Diamond said on her website. 'Just call me the Maid of Honor!'
The wedding wasn't 100 percent highbrow. It was officiated by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
___
Associated Press photographer Tina Fineberg contributed to this report.
___
Online:
Wendy Diamond: www.animalfair.com
Humane Society of New York: http://humanesocietyny.org
This article is brought to you by SINGLES.
Air China faces email protest over Asia monkeys
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said Air China is one of only a few major air carriers that still transports primates from Asia 'to their deaths in some of the cruelest laboratories in the United States.'
Last year, 72 percent of the 18,000 primates imported into the United States for lab experiments came from China, Justin Goodman of PETA's laboratory investigations team told AFP.
Beijing-based Air China has been cited four times so far this year under US animal welfare laws over incidents in which lab-bound monkeys either ran away or suffered injuries resulting from hazardous enclosures, according to PETA.
'Some of the monkeys are bred in captivity on cramped, squalid factory farms, while others are stolen from their homes in the wild,' it said in a draft email that supporters can send off to Air China management.
'The traumatized monkeys are crammed into small wooden crates and transported in the dark and terrifying cargo holds of planes, often on passenger flights just below unsuspecting customers.'
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