A decade ago, there were at least a dozen chimpanzees working in Hollywood. Now there are none.
And it’s all thanks to campaigns like PETA’s to get live great apes out of entertainment—and to the dedication of animal rights activists.
There are officially no more chimpanzees in Hollywood!
Last year, notorious exhibitor Steve Martin’s Working Wildlifedumped the last chimpanzees forced to appear in commercials and other Hollywood productions, including Eli and Susie, at Wildlife Waystation, a now-defunct pseudo-sanctuary near Los Angeles. The pair were considered useless to the industry after they’d grown too large.
Eli at Lincoln Park Zoo
On June 26, Lincoln Park Zoo (LPZ) announced that it had welcomed Eli (pictured above) and Susie (pictured below) as permanent lifetime residents.
Susie at Lincoln Park Zoo
There, the pair will receive the highest-quality care and have the opportunity to integrate into a larger social group of chimpanzees. They’ll live in an enriching habitat that provides for their species-specific needs and receive excellent veterinary care.
PETA campaigned against productions that used Eli and Susie, too, and scored multiple victories for the duo and other exploited chimpanzees.
In 2015, after we sent a letter to MasterChef Junior’s judge and executive producer, Gordon Ramsay,explaining that chimpanzee “actors” are removed from their highly protective mothers shortly after birth, Ramsay agreed to pull footage featuring Eli from upcoming episodes of the hit cooking show.
In 2016,GEICO’s ad agency signed our Great Ape Humane Pledge, agreeing to leave great apes out of its advertising.
I am taking some time out today to show you something which is very special to me. As some of you may know; I do Bonsai trees for a hobby; and everything / anything to do with horticulture and plants holds a special place for me.
Being English; I want to give you a few links to the Royal Botanic Gardens which are in West London. Boy are they special. The ‘other’ pert of Kew is called ‘Wakehurst Place’ and is located in Sussex (county) which is a just outside of London. Wakehurst is home to the world famous ‘Millennium Seed Bank’ which collects and stores seeds for as many of the worlds plants as possible – in case they ever become extinct in the wild; they can then be germinated at the seed bank.
After 18 months in development, Carnation releases a new oat- and rice-based vegan condensed milk made especially for use in pie, fudge, and cheesecake.
In September, dairy brand Carnation will release a vegan version of its condensed milk at supermarket chain Ocado in the United Kingdom.
The new product will retail for slightly more than its animal-based counterpart and was created to be used in baking for “an extra fudgy flavour and texture to banoffee pie, fudge, brownies, and cheesecake.”
Carnation parent company Nestlé developed the new vegan condensed milk, made with oat and rice flour, over the course of 18 months. “It has been a challenge for vegans to find suitable alternatives to make dairy or caramel-based sweets treats or desserts, without having to compromise on taste, texture, or appearance,” Vittoria Simms, Nestlé Marketing Lead for Dairy Brands UK, told The Grocer.
The new vegan Carnation condensed milk will also be available at Tesco and Morrisons supermarkets in October.
Please do NOT give your support to this abuse below by doing dairy: there are now dozens of vegan cruelty free milk alternatives.
It is a disgusting, dirty, animal abusing business – been there and got the T shirt. Read more at:
Former powerlifter and bodybuilder C.T Fletcher has promoted the plant-based lifestyle to his 2.1 million Instagram followers.
The three-time World Bench Press Champion, and three-time World Strict Curl Champion, claims he used to eat ‘four big macs and four strawberry shakes’ every day for more than 20 years. He has now ditched animal products
Fletcher has posted several photos and videos of his plant-based meals, including vegan protein shakes, banana and peanut butter snacks, and meatless burgers.
‘I’m trying to be healthy’
“Seems like right around midnight some s**t hit my ass and I just turn into a ‘snack hound’… Especially since we [have] been in lockdown,” Fletcher wrote on Instagram.
“I used to eat anything I could get my fat f***ing fingers on. But I’m plant-based now and I’m trying to be healthy as I possibly can these days.”
‘No meat for me’
In another post, the athlete is pictured cooking meat-free patties from Trifecta – a vegan meal delivery service in the U.S.
He wrote: “I still eat four burgers for lunch, but these days the burgers are made from pea and rice protein and wrapped in lettuce. No meat for me.”
He is PRO live animal exports; and with his position at the EU, we would go as far as to say he (Illegally for his position) promoted Irish farming – something any Commissioner of the EU should NOT be allowed to do.
What do commissioner do?
Commissioners are given a portfolio which is their area of responsibility. It is up to the President of the Commission to decide which commissioner will be responsible for each policy area/portfolio and to change these responsibilities (if necessary) during the Commission’s term of office. Commissioners act independently in the interests of the EU. They do not represent the interests of their own Member State.
‘Sending animals to war zones’: Irish cattle export to Libya may breach laws
Next week’s planned shipment of 2,000 bulls could contravene EU welfare regulations, campaigners say
Animal welfare groups have warned that an upcoming shipment of young bulls from Ireland to Libya could contravene live export laws.
The shipment, which is expected to consist of 2,000 bulls, would be the fourth this year from Ireland. It is set to leave on Wednesday next week from the port of Cork in south-west Ireland. Previous shipments of livestock have arrived in the Libyan port of Misrata.
The news comes as a European parliament committee of inquiry, announced last month, begins to look into alleged failures to enforce EU rules on protecting transported animals across the EU and beyond, and “to act upon the evidence that EU rules on moving live animals across the EU and to third countries are being seriously and systematically infringed”.
NGOs objected to live animal exports to Libya in a recent letter to the European commission and EU agriculture council. The country has been in chaos since the Arab spring uprisings and a Nato bombing campaign that toppled its leader, Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011.
Animals have died on previous shipments to Libya from Ireland, a voyage of about nine days. Caroline Rowley, founder of Irish welfare organisation Ethical Farming Ireland, said she believed the Libya shipments breached several regulations including (EC) No 1/2005, which covers the protection of animals during transport and related operations, the European communities (protection of animals during transport) regulations 2006 and Ireland’s 2013. Animal Health and Welfare Act. All say animals must not be treated or transported in a way likely to cause injury or unnecessary suffering.
“Sending livestock on a long sea journey, where there will be illness, injuries and fatalities, to a country in a state of chaos and lawlessness is unacceptable,” Rowley said.
The treaty states that “since animals are sentient beings” full regard must be paid to their welfare requirements “while respecting the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of the member states”.
“The EU should not be sending animals to war zones, it would be impossible to guarantee even the most basic level of protection there. This cannot happen for humans, and it is certain that for animals it would be even worse,” Kikou said.
Ireland has exported a reported 5,647 cattle to Libya this year, up from 4,211 in the same period last year. The total for 2019 was 13,122 animals.
The Irish government says live export within the EU and beyond is a “vital component” of its livestock industry, increasing competition and boosting animal prices. The latest available figures show live exports earned the country more than €458m (£417m) in 2019.
Responding to the claims its live exports to Libya breached regulations, Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said in an email it was “satisfied that exports are not in contravention of Article 13 and that journeys certified for export are done in compliance with EU legislation” and in “full compliance with the legislative requirements of EU Regulation No 1 of 2005”.
The DAFM email added that the mortality rate over the three previous shipments to Libya this year was 0.19% and said the date of the upcoming shipment had already been delayed to “late next week dependant on several factors including weather conditions”.
The U.S. Navy recently applied for exemption under the Marine Mammal Protection Act for the “incidental take” of marine mammals, in order to carry out training and testing activities in the Pacific Northwest. If approved, such activities would directly impact the endangered Southern Resident killer whales while traveling through or foraging in the Navy’s area of operations.
What does take mean under the Endangered Species Act and what is incidental take?
‘Take’ as defined under the ESA means “to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.” Incidental take is an unintentional, but not unexpected, taking. When a species is listed as endangered, take prohibitions are automatically extended to it under ESA Section 9. When a species is listed as threatened, NOAA Fisheries must issue protective regulations in order to extend any take prohibitions to the species under ESA Section 4(d). Source: NOAA Fisheries.
Donald Trump’s appointee is about to allow the U.S. Navy to kill over 50 orcas. This comes at a time that orca numbers have been historically low and is being decided by the same person who helped President Trump falsely alter a hurricane forecast with a sharpie to save face.
Target: Dr. Neil Jacobs, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Agency Executive, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Goal: Reject Navy proposal to ‘take’ up to 51 whales in Puget Sound.
The United States Navy just applied for permission to potentially kill up to 51 orcas in the Puget Sound. They applied for an exemption to the Marine Mammal Protection Act in the form of something called an ‘incidental take.’ To ‘incidentally take’ an animal essentially means an expected accident in which the animal is injured, hunted, harassed, or killed. This means that the Navy is asking permission to do activities, such as conducting training exercises, that they normally wouldn’t be allowed to do because it would adversely affect the orca population.
This year has been a devastating year for orca. The Salish Sea, which is legally considered the orca’s ‘core critical habitat,’ saw historically low numbers of orca returning in the spring. The prey that the orca feeds on is also in significant decline. The Washington Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Task Force has recommended that steps be put in place to reduce noise in the Salish Sea where the orca live because adding sound pollution to hunting and breeding grounds affects the animal’s ability to communicate, hunt, and evade danger.
There are only 80 orcas left in the Puget Sound. Killing even one of these animals would have devastating consequences for the remainder of the population. The Navy’s proposed plan could kill more than half of the orca remaining in these northern waters. These animals are a fundamental and treasured part of the ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest. Please sign this petition today, rejecting the Navy’s application to kill these magnificent creatures.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Dr. Jacobs,
The United States Navy has applied for permission to ‘take’ up to 51 orcas in the Pacific Northwest. This is an unacceptable proposal. With only 80 orcas left in the Puget sound, this proposal has the potential to devastate the remainder of the population. Reducing the orca population that significantly could make it almost impossible for this treasured creature to survive.
The Washington Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Task Force has advised against any added noise within the orcas’ habitat. Noise pollution in the water adversely affects the whales’ ability to communicate, hunt, and evade danger. Orca populations are already dwindling at a frightening pace. Do not speed up the destruction of these incredible creatures. Please deny the US Navy’s proposal to encroach on these vital waters.
Footwear Giant To Launch Vegan Leather Sneakers Made From Wine Waste
The plant-based sneakers also feature mesh made from recycled PET bottles and an algae-based EVA sole.
Mercer Amsterdam is to launch vegan leather sneakers made from Italian wine waste as part of its upcoming Spring Summer ’21 collection.
Dubbed the ‘W3RD Wine Pack’ – the sneaker range also features mesh made from recycled PET bottles and an algae-based EVA sole
Vegea
The company has collaborated with Vegea – who recently partnered with Swiss fashion giant H&M to launch a range of handbags and shoes.
Vegea creates a ‘soft’ and recyclable vegan leather using the skins, stalks, and seeds of grapes left over from the winemaking process.
‘A game-changer’
In a statement sent to Plant Based News, Founder of the fashion brand Pim Mercer said: “For me, it is important for us to try and change the high-end sneaker industry- it doesn’t need to be all-leather all the time.
“The best experience for me is when someone says ‘I love this sneaker’ without knowing the backstory. This goes to show that sustainable, vegan, and plant-based footwear can be as nice and luxurious as real leather – and that is a game-changer in a mostly all-leather and plastic industry.”
Coronavirus: Vietnam bans wildlife trade over pandemic risk
Vietnam has banned the import of wildlife and wildlife products to reduce the risk of new pandemics.
The move also bans wildlife markets for such items, including online sales.
Vietnam has previously been accused of turning a blind eye to the sale of products such as pangolin scales and rhino horns often used in traditional medicine.
The origins of the current Covid-19 pandemic are thought to lie in the wildlife trade, with the disease emerging in bats and jumping to people via another, as yet unidentified, species, which could include rats, civets and pangolins.
“The prime minister orders the suspension of imports of wildlife – dead or alive – their eggs… parts or derivatives,” said the order released on Thursday on the Vietnamese government website.
“All citizens, especially officials… must not participate in illegal poaching, buying, selling, transporting… of illegal wildlife.”
The country will also “resolutely eliminate market and trading sites which trade wildlife illegally”, the order said.
Conservationists welcomed the move.
“Vietnam is to be congratulated for recognising that Covid-19 and other pandemics are linked to the wildlife trade,” said Steven Galster, chairman of the anti-trafficking group Freeland.
“This trade must be banned as a matter of international and public health security,” he added.
However, one group said the ban did not go far enough.
“The wildlife consumption ban mentioned in the directive is insufficient as some uses of wildlife such as medicinal use or wild animals being kept as pets are not covered,” said Nguyen Van Thai, director of Save Vietnam’s Wildlife.
In February, a dozen conservation groups sent a joint letter urging the government to “identify and close markets and other locations where illegal wildlife is on sale”, Reuters news agency reports.
Eli at Lincoln Park Zoo
Susie at Lincoln Park Zoo
World Animals Voice 