“What matters is what comes out at the back”, said Helmut Kohl—> German Chancellor until 1998.
We remember his wise words in today’s Corona times
Regards and good night, Venus
Category: General News
Ravens are considered to be particularly intelligent: They learn quickly and use tools purposefully. One reason the birds are so smart could be because of their long childhood.
Because some corvids stay with their parents for a very long time – and have so much time to learn even complex things in a protective setting.
Cognitive scientists from the German University of Osnabrück and the Max Planck Society have now investigated how clever they actually are.
They compared the physical and social skills of ravens with those of chimpanzees and orangutans.
It was shown that the tested ravens already had a comparable cognitive performance as great apes at the age of four months.
The study was published in the journal “Scientific Reports”.
The scientists wanted to find out, for example, whether ravens know where to find food. To do this, they hid treats in a cup that was hidden between other cups and moved back and forth like a shell game. The ravens pointed with their beak at the correct cup and pecked at it.
Further tests in development
A total of eight ravens at the age of four, eight, twelve, and 16 months were tested in various task areas, in which, for example, spatial understanding and social behavior such as communication were tested. They mastered tests to understand quantities, cause-effect chains, social learning, and communication just as well as chimpanzees and orangutans!
WAV Comment: We are really pleased to be able to give to Harmony Fund every month – and it is great to see the donations being put to such great use as shown in the video. We would encourage everyone to give to HF if possible, to make the world for animals a better place – and to fill their bellies !
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Those of you who have walked with us on this journey for the past 11 years know that Harmony Fund is a small charity doing BIG things. We throw our arms around underdog animal rescue squads all over the planet, creating circles of care to deliver food, shelter and veterinary care to thousands of animals each month. We recently brought food in for all the dogs, cats and horses at the beautiful Fundatia Sky rescue center in Romania…and it was breathtaking.
Two 18 wheeler trucks drove all the way from Germany to Romania, more than 1,000 miles, with 40 tons of kibble and canned food for hundreds of dogs and cats at Fundatia Sky shelter. This food will also be shared with many homeless animals in the community. Pet food is much less expensive in Germany and a higher quality and quanity of food can be bought here, making this the most efficient option.
But that’s not all. Another 40 tons of locally sourced hay was then brought in for the horses, and they started eating right off the lorries long before the men could unload the bales.
Watch the video on our website
To give or donate, please click on:
Season of Giving to the Animals | Harmony Fund
Thanks
Mark – WAV.
That’s how we always want to see animals 
!!
Happy in freedom, as subjects of the most beautiful feelings.
Animals are our equal partners on this planet.
Nothing more and nothing less
regards and good night, Venus
WAV (Mark) Comment:
The issue of unwanted male calves from the dairy industry has been an issue here in the UK for decades; probably even longer. Female cows have to be in calf in order to produce milk. When they give birth the female calves are kept to re supply older or less productive females in the heard; who go off for slaughter. For male calves; they are simply an un wanted ‘by product’ of the dairy business. When they are born, if it is a male; it is not uncommon for them to be shot in the head immediately by the farmer.
The UK banned the use of veal crates back in 1992; it was a big victory for the AR movement. Veal crates were individual pens without enough room for the calves to turn round, lie down properly, or groom themselves. They were; and still are, barbaric devices – living coffins for the animals put into them.
Sadly, whilst bleating on about how wonderful it was that crates were banned; the UK government refused to stop young male calves from being exported to mainland Europe to be put into the crates; the very things that were banned because of cruelty in the UK.
In the past, here in the UK, unwanted male calves were exported live to places such as the Netherlands where they were incarcerated into veal crates for 6 months and then taken out and sent for slaughter. In the older days; calves in the crates never got the iron they needed; they became anaemic over the months; and with no bedding in the crates but only a wooden slatted floor, the calves would become desperately deficient of iron in their little bodies.
But this was fine for the veal producers of Europe as it made ‘white veal’ which is a common type of meat. Because of the export and treatment of young male calves in the crates; the British public have repulsed the business and ‘veal’ has always had a bad name in the UK because of the exports and the crates. Not many Brits eat veal – it has a bad name in the UK – simple as that !
Read more from CIWF, London – https://www.ciwf.org.uk/farm-animals/cows/veal-calves/#start
I did a lot of protesting about the export of veal calves at English ports; and checked out places in the Netherlands with John when we took the CIWF intensive farming truck and roadshow there.
John is no longer with us – England: Another Terrible Loss – John Callaghan. – World Animals Voice
Here is a photo (above) I took at Dover of young British male calves being exported to Europe. You can see their tongues wrapped around the trailer bars where they are wanting to suckle; as they have been separated from their mums.
At some time; I cannot remember exactly when, (but it was cold and windy – hence clothing) we took a veal crate to Dover and put someone pretending to be our Prime Minister; then John Major MP; into the crate. The calf within was liberated and John Major was stuck in there for him to get a ‘taste’ of what he was doing to the calves. I am shaking John Major warmly by the throat in this picture at Dover – the place of so many young calf exports over the years. The lady near me is Barb; a hunt sab even though she was in her 70’s !
So; moving on to this article from the great ‘Guardian’ newspaper from London; it is great news that there will now be legislation coming in which will stop ‘unwanted’ male calves from being shot after birth. But; I still have a major gripe with the dairy industry and the way females are treated as mere ‘milk machines’. I will be glad when the whole dairy industry has to close down; and we can celebrate with a glass of alternative plant based ‘milk’.
When you campaign for improvements in animal rights and welfare; steps are taken small rather than in huge strides. I guess this is one small step for the better; but we still need to put our attention into the female cows used in the dairy business also.
Regards Mark
Guardian Article:
The end of dairy’s ‘dirty secret’?
Farms have a year to stop killing male calves
Supermarket support and rising use of sexed semen expected to help UK farmers meet new welfare rules by the end of 2021
WAV Comment – The brilliant ‘Guardian’ – London:
Dairy farmers have until the end of next year to prove they are no longer killing male calves on-farm under new rules which will apply to nearly all UK farms from January, the Guardian has learned.
The number of male calves being killed straight after birth, known as the “dirty secret” among farmers, has prompted outrage from animal welfare groups and many within the farming sector.
A Guardian investigation in 2018 estimated that 95,000 were being killed every year within a few days of birth. The lack of viable markets for bull calves and public apathy towards consuming British rosé veal had meant it was sometimes cheaper to kill calves rather than rear them.
However, a rise in the use of sexed semen, which dramatically reduces the number of male calves born, and new retailer policies to help farmers find markets for their calves is leading to a fall in animals being killed.
Around 60,000 male calves are now killed on-farm every year, according to industry estimates, which is around 15% of the bull calves born on dairy farms. But this figure is expected to drop significantly with new rules restricting the killing of calves coming into force from next year.
All farms covered by the Red Tractor standards (the scheme applies to 95% of milk produced in the UK) will have to have written breeding and management policies in place and maintain data on all births and deaths, according to new rules due to be announced imminently.
The new standards state farms will be banned from the “routine euthanasia of calves”.
The rules come into force on 1 January, but a spokesperson for Red Tractor told the Guardian this week that farmers would have until the end of next year to meet the standards.
A steady increase in the use of sexed semen since the early 1990s has recently seen sales jumping from 18% in 2017 to more than 50% of total semen sales in 2020. Industry figures expect it to completely replace conventional semen within five years.
“It’s been a gamechanger,” said Andrew Suddes, a farm consultant for Promar. “Farmers are able to produce heifer [female] calves more easily. You can now produce the replacement heifers that you need with sexed semen, and use beef semen on the rest [of the cows] to produce calves that can be better kept and reared for beef.”
Although sexed semen increases costs for farmers, it can reduce the proportion of male calves being born to less than 10%.
A number of retailers have already banned the killing of male dairy calves or their export overseas from farms in their supply chains. Retailers including Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Morrisons now have calf schemes in place to help ensure rearing dairy bull calves is economically viable for farmers.
In the case of Morrisons, farmers are required to rear the calves to a certain weight until 15–40 days of age, at which point they will be bought by a beef-rearing company. The retailer also committed to buying calves born on farms under bovine tuberculosis restrictions, which leave farmers with few markets to sell to.
Animal Outlook Demands Investigation of Bravo Packing
DECEMBER 11, 2020 ANIMALS, INVESTIGATIONS, NEWS LEAVE A COMMENT
Pet food maker Bravo Packing has long, sordid past of filthy conditions, contaminated products
Animal Outlook’s legal team filed a complaint with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDH) regarding Bravo Packing. Bravo Packing (not affiliated with Bravo Pet Foods) produces and distributes food for dogs and exotic animals. The company has a long history of troubling animal abuse allegations and food safety concerns. Yet it has failed to resolve dangerous contamination issues despite complaints, FDA warnings and at least one recall.
Past violations include exotic animal food made from horses that was contaminated with the euthanasia drug Pentobarbital as well as repeated instances of Salmonella contamination in the plant’s Performance Dog Diet food. Government inspection reports cite egregious violations of food safety protocol, threatening the health and welfare of thousands of people and animals exposed to Bravo’s tainted products.
Evidence of Salmonella
In October 2020, Animal Outlook obtained a sample of Performance Dog Diet food from one of Bravo’s distributors in California. A laboratory test revealed evidence of Salmonella. This makes four times in as many years that Bravo products intended for animal food were found to contain dangerous contamination.
In addition to food safety issues like those discovered at Bravo Packing, many consumers are unaware that farmed animals suffer immeasurably within the loosely regulated pet food industry. One study found the DNA of eight different species of animals present in a selection of commercial pet foods, including cows, pigs, chickens, goats, sheep, geese and turkeys. Many of these animals—often sick, injured, or unable to walk—were deemed unfit for human consumption and their bodies, including “blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, and stomach and rumen contents” make their way into pet food.
For years, Bravo has used the bodies of horses and cows to produce food in filthy, squalid conditions with utter disregard for the safety of humans and animals alike. Animal Outlook’s complaint urges the FDA and the NJDH to penalize Bravo to the fullest extent of the law, including criminal charges, fines and a permanent suspension of operations. The agencies must act swiftly to protect consumers and their cherished animal family members from Bravo’s reckless disregard for health and safety.
Animal Outlook Demands Investigation of Bravo Packing | Animal Outlook
As part of our 25th anniversary celebration, all donations made will be matched by a group of generous donors. Your donation today to support our legal team and brave investigators will have double the impact in helping animals. Please visit animaloutlook.org/celebrate25.
Hi all;
Just to let you know that I am doing fine putting together a response to the UK government (Defra) consultation which we hope will see the end of live animal exports. There is a great deal of contribution to be made, as I personally have over 30 years involvement with live animal transport – it is one of my top hates. But it is going very well and things are on track for an early finish – maybe by the end of this year.
Check out the issue more at About Us. | Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
I am still trying to get posts for this site completed also; but at the moment the consultation is the main thing. It is a massive opportunity to make a huge difference and it has to be fully taken.
The consultation is open until the end of January 20121. I am posting below our links to this, which include a link if you wish to take part. From what we can find out, the consultation is also open to non UK residents.
Here are the links:
UK: Live Exports (Ban) Consultation. – World Animals Voice
Fingers crossed for a ban during 2021.
Regards Mark
Wildlife pictures of the week from the brilliant ‘The Guardian’, London:
WAV Comment – well done and big thanks to all the crews at West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service – they did a brilliant job !
Huge farm fire in Sussex: animals rescued from blaze
Animals have been rescued by firefighters from a blaze at a farm in Sussex.
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said they were called at 9.30am last night (December 10) to a farm in Five Oaks Road, Slinfold, near Horsham, West Sussex, to reports of a barn fire.
When crews arrived, the blaze had spread to several buildings, and firefighters spent hours battling the flames.
Six fire engines and two water carriers attended the blaze.
With Christmas around the corner, the animals to be saved reportedly included turkeys, pigs and cows. A fire service spokesman said firefighters rescued livestock and moved them to safety in unaffected buildings.
No people needed to be rescued.
It is currently unknown if any animals perished in the fire.
Police and the ambulance service were on scene as part of the routine response to this size incident.
At around 2am today (December 11) the majority of crews left the scene with one fire engine remaining.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, the fire service said.
Huge farm fire in Sussex: animals rescued from blaze | Eastbourne Herald
The effects of Corona do not stop at sled dogs
Risk areas, quarantine regulations, closed borders: The Corona crisis hits the tourism industry very hard.
In addition to the obvious fellow sufferers such as restaurants, hotels, or transport companies, there are also some victims (!!!) of the crisis that no one has on their radar.
These include, for example, the providers of sled dog rides in Lapland (!!!)- and their animals. The situation on-site is so bad that some dogs even have to be euthanized or shot – because they can no longer be cared for.
The boom in dog sledding tours through Lapland
The boom in dog sledding has been great in recent years.
You can hardly imagine anything more beautiful: Just escape everyday life around the Christmas holidays and enjoy the snow-covered valleys and forests of Lapland.
And all on a sled, pulled by cute huskies and best of all with Santa Claus as a “musher” – the one who steers the sled.
Not all sled dogs are fine
Because this type of tour is becoming more and more popular, a real industry has sprung up around sledding.
According to “YLE”, the public broadcaster in Finland, around 5,000 to 7,000 dogs are used each season. But according to a report by “CNN”, the boom became a problem even before Corona – not only in Finland but in all of Scandinavia.
The local providers were no longer able to meet the demand – more and more providers, including from abroad, pushed onto the market. And with the price war, the exploitation of animals began more and more. Often flown in from southern Europe, many dogs struggle with health problems and poor holding conditions.
While the local dog farmers would have to adhere to strict requirements and the dogs could lead a good life there, seasonal suppliers could be less monitored by the authorities, according to the report.
“Sometimes the dogs are even put to sleep out of desperation and shot” (!!!)
Due to the corona pandemic, Christmas tourism in Lapland has now collapsed almost completely. But thousands of trained dogs want to be moved – and above all to be fed. Many dog owners are on the verge of desperation.
The situation is so dire that some are not sure whether they can continue to care for their animals.
Hundreds of donations and tons of dog food for sled dogs in Finland
In the meantime, some companies and private individuals have come together to collect donations for the sled dogs.
As reported by the Finnish radio, several tons of dog food have also been donated to Lapland – by some dog food companies.
Dog sled driver Aki Holck does not want to accept donations (!!!)
The man, who has been offering dog sledding tours for 30 years, told YLE that he would like people to buy vouchers for his tours.
“I don’t want to take the dogs out of their familiar environment. These animals have their own territory and need their pack and regular carers,” says Holck. Even if the situation is currently difficult: He does not want to give up and hopes that even more tourists will come to Lapland next winter.
And I mean...In Finnish Lapland, there are an estimated 65 to 70 dog sledding companies with 5,000 to 7,000 dogs who are mainly used for sled safaris.
The turnover of dog sled companies is around ten million per year.
The dog begins to work around the age of one year and its services often last up to ten years.
For years the husky owners have exploited their animals to entertain “nature lovers” with Santa Claus on husky paws.
Now they moan, the money stays away!
Every small company puts something aside for the bad times.
But in bad times, exploiters have no mercy on their slaves.
Now they are killing their most loyal servants, they were just a means of transport
And the owners play the victims of the Corona, of course!
What an outrageous, exploitative gang are these dog sledding businessmen!
Please clarify all of your friends, acquaintances, relatives about this business.
No tours with huskies, nowhere in the world.
My best regards to all, Venus
World Animals Voice 