Flanders lifts hunting ban on Belgian wolves’ land as cubs grow
Friday, 28 August 2020
Hunting will again be allowed in areas populated by wolves in Flanders after regional authorities announced that a ban imposed to protect newborn wolf cubs will not be renewed.
Flemish Environment Minister Zouhal Demir said that a blanket hunting ban will no longer be necessary as the cubs have grown up.
“The wolves are now also able to move to other resting areas in their habitat, which is quite extensive,” Demir told HLN.Related News:
The hunting ban had been imposed in March, when a wolf called Noëlla was reported to have given birth to three cubs and was put in place until 31 August.
Demir moved to imposed the hunting ban to protect the wolf and her litter after another wolf named Naya and her newborn cubs were presumably killed by poachers.
Naya’s death sparked outrage with residents and animal conservation groups since it jeopardised their much-celebrated return of wild wolves into Belgian forests.
A thousand-euro reward for any tips leading to the presumed poachers was set up by conservation groups as well as an anonymous Belgian entrepreneur.
Despite the lifting of the ban, other measures to protect the wolves will remain in place, including regular checks by forest rangers and inspectors with the Flemish Agency for Nature and Forests.
Additionally, intensive monitoring with tracking technology and wildlife cameras will also be employed to ensure the animals are safe, while authorities will continue providing support to small livestock farmers active in the area.
Call on Gov. Inslee to End WDFW’s Assault on Wolves
Last fall, Washington Governor Jay Inslee instructed the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to better support co-existence between Washington’s livestock industry and the recovering population of endangered gray wolves. In his letter, Governor Inslee instructed WDFW to “make changes in the gray wolf recovery program to further increase the reliance on non-lethal methods, and to significantly reduce the need for lethal removal of this species… The status quo of annual lethal removal is simply unacceptable.”
Two weeks ago, WDFW gunned down the last two known survivors of the Wedge wolf family in response to predation on cattle grazing primarily on public lands. Today, the agency is out hunting for up to two wolves from the Leadpoint pack.
WDFW has killed four state-endangered wolves since receiving Gov. Inslee’s letter, and 34 wolves since 2012, when wolves had just begun to return to Washington after their extermination in the 1930s by livestock interests and government eradication programs.
This full-page advertisement paid for by Predator Defense appears in today’s Seattle Times. Consider amplifying its message by contacting Governor Inslee today!
It’s almost been a year since Governor Inslee instructed WDFW to change the way it manages wolves. The agency cannot continue to ignore this instruction. To change the status quo, Governor Inslee must act now.
Please take action by respectfully calling on Governor Jay Inslee to end WDFW’s assault on wolves.
Emergency: Stop the Senseless Killing of Washington’s Wolves
On August 17, 2020, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind confirmed killing the last two known remaining members of the Wedge wolf pack (an adult male and an adult female) in response to cattle depredations, primarily on public lands.
Although peer-reviewed research demonstrates that killing wolves is an ineffective solution to deter predation on cows and can even result in increased attacks, WDFW gunned down an adult female wolf on July 27, and as science predicted, livestock attacks continued after her death.
Killing is not the answer.
Yet WDFW has resorted to killing wolves living in this same spot rugged forest land for years. In fact, they killed the original Wedge pack in 2012 for the very same reason. The original Wedge pack was accused of preying on livestock in the Colville National Forest eight years ago and, under Washington’s wolf management plan, the state opted to issue kill orders in an attempt to protect the livestock. The state killed the entire family of state endangered wolves.
In the eight years since the original Wedge pack was destroyed, not much has changed. Livestock owners still graze their cows on rugged, forested public lands that are better suited for native ungulates, and WDFW is still killing wolves to benefit the profit margins of private businesses. In fact, at least 26 of the 34 state-endangered wolves that have been killed since 2012 were shot on behalf of the same livestock operator.
While it’s too late to protect the other 34 endangered wolves WDFW has gunned down since 2012, other Washington wolves still need our help.
Please take action to respectfully call on WDFW Director Kelly Susewind and Washington Governor Jay Inslee to immediately end their assault on Washington’s wolves.
For several years ago, since 2012., swiss animal welfare organizations –Tierschutzbund Zürich (TSB) and Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF)-have been targeting the conditions in an Australian export slaughterhouse called Meramist, where horse meat is “produced” for Europe. The pictures are shocking!
Now politicians are called upon to act.
New investigations in Australia show the poor conditions during transport, at auctions, assembly centers, and the EU-approved abattoir Meramist.
Horses are transported over long distances in cattle trucks which are completely inappropriate for them. They are brutally mistreated with sticks and electric shocks. Feed, weather protection, and veterinary care are insufficient or completely lacking.
A large number of horses are not stunned correctly and are bolted up to five times. Some horses still show signs of consciousness when being hoisted and bled out.
The investigations, carried out over a period of more than two years, clearly show that these are not individual cases – this is systematic torture.
The European importers, among them the Belgian company Multimeatand the Swiss import association VPI, have long claimed to have animal welfare issues in overseas slaughterhouses under control with manuals and audits. How much more evidence do they need?
Furthermore, Australian horsemeat poses a health risk for European consumers. More than 50% of the slaughtered horses are former racehorses, called “wastage” in Australia, and the risk of drug residues in their meat is particularly high.
British vets launch battle to stop lobsters being boiled alive after scientific evidence finds the creatures DO feel pain and chefs are urged to stun them before they are killed
Vets demand that boiling lobsters should be outlawed on animal cruelty grounds
Researchers have found that the shellfish do experience trauma and are sentient
British Veterinary Association call for chefs to stun lobsters before cooking them
Celebrity chef Giorgio Locatelli uses the ‘humane’ electronic stunning devices
The British Veterinary Association is, for the first time, lending its weight to calls to protect lobsters and crabs, given the latest scientific evidence shows that shellfish are sentient.
The body, which represents more than 18,000 vets, wants it to become compulsory for chefs to stun the creatures before they are killed and cooked.
Many leading kitchens already use electronic stunning devices, which they say improves the taste since crustaceans release unpleasant hormones when stressed.
Switzerland was the first country to impose a ban on cooking crustaceans alive in 2018, and Norway, New Zealand, Austria and parts of Australia have since followed suit.
Maisie Tomlinson of Crustacean Compassion said: ‘We call ourselves a nation of animal lovers but crabs and lobsters are Britain’s forgotten animals. What happens to them at slaughter is cruel and unacceptable. Unless these animals have been electronically stunned, it can take up to three minutes for a crab to die in boiling water and even longer for a lobster.’
The vets’ association is also calling for protections for octopus and squid, as well as fish caught on commercial trawlers.
Some fish, including cod and haddock, suffocate if caught in the middle of the net while those still alive and stored on ice can take up to two hours to die.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed that the UK slaughter welfare standards – already ‘some of the highest in the world’ – were under review.
Loggerhead turtles are certainly among the most wandering sea creatures.
Immediately after hatching, they begin their long journey through the ocean. Investigations from Florida showed that the turtles use the earth’s magnetic fields to orientate themselves on their journey of up to ten years.
These loggerhead sea turtles swim thousands of kilometers through the North Atlantic, float in the North Atlantic currents, only to one day return to the beach on which they were born.
WAV Comment – I (Mark) have campaigned against the export of live farm animals now for around 30 years. In the past I have campaigned a lot with Phil L (see Comment in article). At the end of 2020 the UK should be free from the shuackles of the EU – taking back control; which will then allow us (as a nation) to stop live animal exports – something we have not been able to do all the time a member state of the EU. I just hope other EU membvber states follow the UK in getting out of this dinosaur which ignores all the evidence as far as live animal transport is concerned.
Did you know rabbit teeth never stop growing?Or that rabbits can jump up to ten feet?As well as being social and sensitive animals, rabbits are incredibly fascinating.We’ve rounded up eleven fun facts about rabbits that you definitely didn’t know!
1. Rabbits are escape animals
Rabbits are always on the lookout. This is particularly evident from the fact that they are very cautious and behave more fearfully. For example, when rabbits are fooled by a human, they often become numb or try to free themselves by jumping uncontrollably.
2. Rabbits move as much as cats
Rabbits have the same urge to move around like cats. They need a lot of space and love to exercise in the fresh air.
3. Rabbits digest twice
Rabbits eat a special part of their excrement called appendix feces. This enables them to digest the food that is difficult to digest, such as crude fiber.
4. Rabbits are group animals
In the wild, rabbits live in large groups and have distinctive social behavior. Like us humans, they need conspecifics to be happy.
5. Rabbits defend their territory
Rabbits are very territorial and even defend their territory in a fighting manner if necessary.
6. Rabbit teeth will grow for a lifetime
Rabbit teeth never stop growing. The animals, therefore, wear off their teeth, for example by gnawing on branches. If they do not do this, the teeth may be misaligned.
7. Rabbits warn their conspecifics with knocking noises
Rabbits signal anger, discomfort, excitement, or fear by quickly so-called drumming with their hind legs on the ground. This also warns group members. The knock is usually followed by a quick sprint at high speed in order to outrun the possible enemy and hide in a shelter.
Animal testing: Germany refuses to adapt to EU requirements – take action now!
Infringement proceedings are currently underway against Germany because EU requirements for the protection of animals in test laboratories have not yet been sufficiently implemented.
Eight years late, the federal government is now submitting completely inadequate draft laws, which, however, continue to ignore important animal welfare requirements. Call on the responsible minister to remedy the deficiencies!
Brussels / Stuttgart, August 16, 2018 – breaches of contract: The EU Commission, based in Brussels, has informed six European countries about inadequacies in the national legislation on the protection of animals in the test laboratories.
Each member state had to implement the EU directive “for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes”in its laws by 2012.
However, around eight years later, the Commission still found numerous shortcomings in the national laws of Estonia,Germany, Portugal,Romania,Slovakia, and Spain.
PETAGermany, together with PETA UK, has asked the responsible ministries to no longer allow experiments on animals and is starting an online petition.
8 years too late: BMEL(German Ministry of Food and Agriculture) presents draft laws! That is also inadequate!
In the summer of 2018, the EU Commission reprimanded those six EU countries for failing to implement various legislation on the protection of animals in test laboratories – including Germany.
Up until November 10, 2012, each EU member state had the task of implementing the “Directive 2010/63 / EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes” in its national legislation.
Now, almost eight years (!)after the deadline was exceeded, and with EU infringement proceedings on the back of its neck, the federal government is submitting corresponding drafts.
“Among other things, the German law allows that despite the requirements of the EU Animal Experiments Directive, no appropriate inspections are carried out in test laboratories,” said Dr. Christopher Faßbender, ecotoxicologist and research assistant at PETA Germany. “In addition, the wording of the German legislation does not sufficiently specify the requirements for the expertise of the staff in such facilities and the presence of veterinarians.”
These are still more than inadequate and sometimes keep back doors open so that we can continue as before.
World Animals Voice 