Demonstrators paint the road outside the Russian embassy in London with the colours of the Ukrainian flag, in a show of solidarity with the country as the world marks one year since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine.
We understand that the paint used was non toxic and could easily be washed off any vehicle.
4 protesters were arrested.
Animal Rights Groups Urge Suspension of Traditional Bullfighting
Groups like the Korean Animal Welfare Association on Monday held a press conference in front of the National Assembly, urging politicians to remove exceptions for bullfighting in the Animal Protection Act.
“Cows are herbivores that do not fight in the wild. It amounts to animal abuse if humans force them to fight for mere amusement,” the groups said.
The Animal Protection Act stipulates in Article 8 that inflicting an injury upon an animal for gambling, advertising, amusement or entertainment amounts to animal abuse.
There is an exception, however, in cases specified by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, such as folk games, exempting bullfights held in 11 provinces located across the country from punishment.
Image Credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
Animal Rights Groups Urge Suspension of Traditional Bullfighting | Be Korea-savvy (koreabizwire.com)
Regards Mark
Further update 2030hrs GMT
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We’ve received a call from the Forest Protection Department in Vietnam alerting us to five bears who need rescuing immediately.
Will you join our Bear Rescue Team and help bring them home to safety?
Between these five bears there has been over 100 years of torturous bile extraction, without a second of freedom.
Right now, that’s all we know about them.
Two decades of abuse will have taken an enormous toll on their minds and bodies. It’s crucial we reach them as soon as possible. Please, will you help?
Welcoming these bears home to our sanctuary in Tam Dao, Vietnam means we’re now at full capacity. But you must know, this will not stand in the way of us rescuing them. Nothing will.
Please will you donate today? Your gift could help rescue five desperate bears and prepare our second sanctuary for the arrival of the hundreds more still waiting.
Donate via this link:
And I promise, with you by our side, nothing will stop us from saving more bears who desperately need us. Will you send an urgent donation today and help bring them home? We can’t do this vital work without you.
Every single second counts for the bears waiting to be saved from these terrible farms.
I’m beyond grateful for your support and dedication to the bears. Thank you for ensuring that no bear is left behind.
Jill Robinson MBE, Dr med vet hc, Hon LLD
Founder and CEO
PS I’ll be joining the team on the rescue so I promise to keep you updated as much as I can but in the meantime, it would mean the world if you could donate to these precious bears.
Donate via this link:
Regards Mark
Feral cattle terrorising hikers to be taken out by helicopter gunmen (msn.com)
Feral cattle terrorising hikers to be taken out by helicopter gunmen
Snipers in helicopters will this week shoot down up to 150 feral cattle that have terrorised hikers in New Mexico.
The US National Forest is stepping in amid complaints from environmentalists that the beasts are wreaking havoc in the Gila National Forest, a 2.7million acre wilderness in the southwest of the US.
A helicopter carrying a shooter will fly over the forest, with the operation due to start on Thursday.
The herd’s territory is close to wilderness trails popular with hikers and the lack of a mobile phone signal in the wilderness means it would be difficult to summon help if somebody was injured in a stampede.
Hikers have reported being charged by wild bulls, which can weigh up to 2,000 pounds (907kg), officials said.
The Forest Service service said the cattle also posed a “significant” danger to natural resources.
“This has been a difficult decision, but the lethal removal of feral cattle from the Gila Wilderness is necessary to protect public safety, threatened and endangered species habitats, water quality, and the natural character of the Gila Wilderness,” said Camille Howes, Gila National Forest Supervisor.
“The feral cattle in the Gila Wilderness have been aggressive towards wilderness visitors, graze year-round, and trample stream banks and springs, causing erosion and sedimentation. This action will help restore the wilderness character of the Gila Wilderness enjoyed by visitors from across the country.”
An array of federally protected animals have been under threat from the cattle, including narrow-headed garter snake, Gila trout, loach minnow, spikedace, Mexican spotted owl, southwest willow flycatcher, and Mexican grey wolf.
Environmental groups had complained that the cattle were damaging streams and rivers.
“They are part of a herd of at least 150 that’s ripping up this monument and scaring the heck out of folks who cross paths with them,” Terry Anderson, a board member of the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep told the LA Times
“They also can transmit disease to native bighorn sheep. So, they need to be removed — and I’m all for lethal removal. They don’t belong here.”
Jack Thompson, desert regional director of the adjacent Whitewater Preserve added: “It’s Jurassic Park just a two-hour drive east of downtown Los Angeles.”
According to the US Department of Agriculture, the problems date back to the 1970s when cattle were abandoned by a rancher.
“Having been born in the wild and never domesticated, they are extremely hard to catch and survive in the rough backcountry that is difficult to access,” it said in a memo.
Not everyone was so enthusiastic about the cull on social media.
Marina Bolotnikova, a journalist and campaigner against factory farming wrote on Twitter: “Feral cows should be celebrated as refugees from the meat industry and given sanctuary, not gunned down from the sky.”
Ranchers have also condemned the move as cruel and were opposed to leaving the carcases to rot.
The New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association has voiced doubts about the tactics. Tom Paterson, chair of the association’s wildlife committee, called for a solution which did not require the cattle to be shot.
“Our society should be better than this. We can be more creative and do it a better way where you’re not wasting an economic resource,” he said. However, the service said the culling was “the most efficient and humane” way to carry out the cull.
Feral cattle are not unique to the Gila National Forest.
Regards Mark
Regards Mark
London transport: Puppy rescued from busy railway by man in middle of train driving lesson
A lucky puppy was rescued from the tracks of a busy London railway by a trainee driver who was in the middle of a train driving lesson. Stefan Hug, from East London, who only started learning to drive a train in January, was dramatically forced to stop a Southern service from Beckenham Junction to London Bridge on Wednesday morning when he saw the small black puppy running alongside the train.
Stefan, 32, who was accompanied by his driving instructor Kevin Timmins, said dogs are a rare sight on the railway track but the skills he learned in the classroom quickly “kicked in” as he completed his first rescue mission on the job. He said: “I think because you talk about it so many times the procedure just kicks in and you just know you need to bring the train to a stand, take a deep breath and think logically the next thing to do.”
He added: “Of course, that was contacting the signaller to get permission and authorisation to do anything before we step outside and try to retrieve the puppy.”
The trainee and his teacher quickly rescued the puppy from the tracks who was thankfully uninjured. They brought her on to a nearby platform and fed her ham.
Stefan was pictured cradling the small puppy in his arms, while safely stood on the railway platform. Recalling the incident he said: “We had just left South Bermondsey. That was our last stop before London Bridge.
Driving instructor Kevin, 54, from Kent, was pictured standing next to his mentee stroking the puppy after the rescue. He said: “We have an area next to the running rail called the cess, which is the area between the running tracks and the railway boundaries. It was running in that area, which is where we first spotted the puppy.”
Kevin praised the trainee for his composure throughout the incident. He said: “Stefan alerted me that he’d seen a puppy running next to the front of the train. He immediately put it into the correct braking procedure to bring the train to a stand. It was really good to see Stefan do those procedures correctly, and I’m really proud of him.”
He added that he hopes that the incident serves as a reminder to dog owners to keep their pets safe on railway platforms. He said: “It just reinforces the point of making sure if people have dogs on the platforms, they should be on the leash all the time and to keep pets near to you.
“It’s so easy for dogs to run off and run on the rails and it’s very hard to get them back. It does put a lot of people in danger and it’s a big operation to get them off the tracks.
“Hopefully, this is a good wake-up call to keep all of your animals close to you on leashes whilst you’re on railway property.”
Authorities are now searching for the puppy’s owner.
Regards Mark
London transport: Puppy rescued from busy railway by man in middle of train driving lesson (msn.com)
Dear Mark,
Thank you for helping us expand our spay-neuter work to ensure happy lives for even more street dogs.
Work is underway at our Sterilization Center where we are refurbishing our Operating room and expanding our Pre and Post-Op room to accommodate a higher volume of surgeries each day.
At the start of this year, Animal Aid signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Udaipur Municipal Corporation giving Animal Aid the sole charge of running a city-wide CNVR (Capture, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return) program, ensuring humane treatment of the dogs and a scientific approach to managing the stray dog population. Animal Aid has also been given the charge of responding to reports of dog-biting and negative complaints about dogs, where we will work to educate the community, prevent cruelty to animals and do targeted spay and neuter in areas less welcoming of street dogs. This milestone will mean thousands more animals will receive the help they deserve, and it wouldn’t have been possible without your generous support!
This month we will be conducting a dog-population census which will help us set our monthly sterilization targets. Stay tuned!
Thank you so much–your help has made this exciting expansion possible.
We received a call on our helpline about a dog who had been hit by a vehicle and was severely injured. From a distance we could see the enormous wound on his shoulder with muscles and skin ruptured and hanging from his leg. His pain must have been horrible.
Just click on ‘Watch on YouTube’ to view video:
We rushed him back to Animal Aid to prepare him for surgery to repair the wound and
stabilize him with fluids, antibiotics and painkillers. After surgery the remaining danger was infection, but luckily thanks to his general vitality, daily wound care and medicine, he started to heal beautifully.
If ever an animal seemed to say “thank you for saving me” it’s beautiful Eshan. Meet him now!
Help save an animal with so much more life to live – Please donate today.
But suddenly she bloomed!
A little puppy had been injured and was laying motionless in the street when we found her. As our rescuers approached, they thought these might be her final breaths. But her eyes were wide open as they lifted her, and she whimpered. Her family of dogs and humans gathered around as we carried her to the ambulance. Some of them may have thought they were saying a final goodbye, but they would have been wrong.
In the hospital we discovered no fractures, although her condition was poor for the first few days because she couldn’t eat and would barely move. We suspected a spinal injury which needs carefully monitored quiet and rest.
But by Day 6, she decided she’d had quite enough quiet and rest, and her eager standing and eating proclaimed her intention to live! From forlorn and hovering on the edge of death to active! Alert! Playful and oh so alive. Meet Lilac now!
For animals when they need us most…. Please donate today
Call yourself “Sweetheart”
Founding family Erika, Claire and Jim, and the Animal Aid Unlimited team.that saves a precious life.
100% of the proceeds go to our street animal rescues
Shop now – Animal Aid Unlimited Shop
| We thank you deeply for all you do, are, and inspire for animals. |
Founding family Erika, Claire and Jim, and the Animal Aid Unlimited team.
Regards Mark
Not much, but …. please watch the video (link below)
Volunteers in Turkey Try to Save Animals Trapped in Rubble After Devastating Earthquake
Volunteers from Turkey’s Animal Rights Federation are working to save animals trapped under the rubble or abandoned in apartment buildings after a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the country last week. Footage from AP.
Click here to see the video footage:
Volunteers in Turkey Try to Save Animals Trapped in Rubble After Devastating Earthquake (yahoo.com)
Regards Mark
Animal rights group blasts Pope, Krajewski for circus outing with elephants
ROME – As the saying goes, “no good deed goes unpunished.” It’s a sentiment with which Pope Francis and his top official for charitable activity, Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, may have a special sensitivity right now.
Thinking he was doing something nice for the poor, Krajewski took them to the circus over the weekend and now finds himself facing a protest from an animal rights group, which believes such spectacles amount to human beings subjecting animals to “painful constraints” for our own amusement.
On Saturday, Krajewski organized an outing for more than 200 poor and marginalized persons at Rome, taking them to a performance of the Rony Roller circus, a famed spectacle in the Eternal City that features musical performances, clowns, trapeze artists, animal tamers, and jugglers. The invitation was extended in the name of Pope Francis.
The guest list for Saturday’s performance included refugees, homeless persons, inmates, families with children from Ukraine, Syria, Congo and Sudan, as well squatters from various occupied buildings in Rome, all accompanied by a number of volunteers, including Missionaries of Charity sisters of Mother Teresa.
Cardinal Konrad Krajewski lies on stage while an elephant climbs over him during a Fab. 11 performance of Rony Roller Circus in Rome. (Credit: Screen capture.)
The event was part of an ongoing effort by Krajewski to offer not just material aid to the poor, but also opportunities for relaxation and amusement. Over the summers, for instance, he’s used a van to transport small groups of homeless persons from the area around the Vatican to a nearby beach, offering them an afternoon of surf and pizza.
During Saturday’s performance, one highlight came when Krajewski volunteered to stretch out on a stage and allow an elephant to climb over him, the idea being to demonstrate how well-trained the massive pachyderm actually is.
“Making participation in this show possible is a way to give a few hours of serenity to those who face a hard life, and who need help to find hope,” Krajewski said in advance.
Less than 24 hours afterwards, Francis and Krajewski found themselves facing a complaint from the “International Organization for the Protection of Animals,” a non-governmental organization founded in Italy in 1981 which has long objected to the use of animals in circus performances.
“I’m sorry that the pope somehow is sponsoring a circus with animals,” said Massimo Comparotto, the organization’s president, in a statement on Sunday.
“The pontiff often has expressed the importance of a greater respect for nature, above all in the encyclical Laudato si’ of 2015,” Comparotto said. “This choice seems contradictory to his so-called ‘ecological magisterium.’”
“Behind the exercises of the circus performances can be hidden deprivation, mistreatment and suffering for the animals, who live in captivity, behind bars, with limited space available and constantly under stress,” he said.
“They’re animals forced into a life that’s against nature,” Comparotto said.
The statement said the organization has no problem with circuses with human performers, such as jugglers, clowns and acrobats, who, the statement said, “display human talent and not the painful constraints of sentient beings forced by humans to put on a show with the force of heavy training.”
At the same time, Comparotto complained that Pope Francis in the past has suggested that human life is more important than other animals.
“In 2016, he affirmed that facing an injured animal, one feels pity, not mercy,” Comparotto said. “Often he’s put love for animals in opposition to love for children, as if love were something limited, which can be exhausted.”
“He receives and blesses circus performers in the Vatican who keep animals in captivity and force them into the role of clowns,” Comparotto said. “In sum, this is a pope not exactly on the side of the animals.”
“Those who feel that life is sacred love all life, beyond species,” Comparotto said.
Over the years, circus performers have been frequent guests at Vatican events. During the Great Jubilee year of 2000 under Pope John Paul II, a special day for circus performers and traveling shows was among the last events on the jubilee calendar.
Pope Francis has also hosted circus performers in the Vatican, welcoming some 6,000 of them during the Jubilee of Mercy in 2016. In the same year, he also sponsored a special performance of the Rony Roller for 2,000 poor and homeless persons, which opened with a song by a Spanish vocalist who had once been homeless himself.
Animal rights group blasts Pope, Krajewski for circus outing with elephants | Crux (cruxnow.com)
Regards Mark
Woman-led legal organisation fights for animal rights in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s wildlife landscape is gifted with 350 species of mammals, more than 500 birds, and 131 fish species all of which adorn its environment, yet due to the increasing number of poaching cases, the wildlife is seriously threatened.
According to the Africa Wildlife Foundation (AWF), elephants, rhinos and other iconic African wildlife may be gone within our lifetime.
According to a United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development report, despite 15 percent of the land being protected, biodiversity is still at risk. The UNDP 2021 report also stated that approximately 7,000 species of animals and plants are traded illegally.
“Wildlife crime is now rampant in most Southern African countries,” says Ever Chinoda International Animal Law Advocate and founder of Speak Out for Animals Trust (SOFA), an organisation of young passionate lawyers who are committed to combating wildlife crime, using the legal system.
The female-led SOFA is one of Zimbabwe’s leading animal conservation organisations that has for years been striving to promote Animal Law awareness in a bid to achieve protection of animals, raising awareness for the preservation and value of flora and fauna guided by the laws that protect them.
Mary – various sofa.jpeg© Mary Munde
“Our mission as Speak Out for Animals is to influence the human mindset and inspire behavioural change towards animal protection and preservation laws in Zimbabwe.
“Appreciation of Animal Law is not widespread in our country and in Africa, hence the work we do is pivotal in changing this narrative,” says Chinoda.
Founded in 2017, SOFA through case monitoring, legal awareness training, projects linked to animal law, educating students through student chapters and legal literature development has immensely contributed to sustainable protection and the better handling of wildlife crime cases in Zimbabwe.
“We conduct monitoring of animal (domestic and wildlife) cases in courts across Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces. This entails watching in brief and advising relevant stakeholders on gathering of evidence, proper drafting of the charge sheet, ensuring that the accused is brought before the court within 48 hours arguments with a goal to attain a befitting sentence, thus rendering justice for animals. For the past three years, we have assisted over a hundred cases,” she says.
“Currently in Zimbabwe, there is no law school that offers animal law as a course for study and to cover the gap, SOFA conducts animal law training for law students, practising lawyers, prosecutors and judicial officers to equip them with knowledge in animal law. We have also introduced wildlife law as a module at the University of Zimbabwe and the Great Zimbabwe University where I’m lecturing with the hope of catching future magistrates and prosecutors whilst they are still practising,” Chinoda said.
The law is an essential mechanism for protecting animals and many times loopholes in it are used against them. For years, SOFA has also been advocating for the reform of Zimbabwean wildlife laws to align them with international treaties to which the country is party to.
“Through our lobbying efforts, the wild dog was listed as a specially-protected animal for the first time through Statutory Instrument 71 and 72 of 2020. We have also successfully managed to lobby for the change of classification of the painted dog / wolf-dog from problem animal to endangered with the aid of organisations like Painted Dog Conservation.
“Going forward, we are aiming for the creation of an Environmental-Wildlife Court, a development we see as imperative if the conservation of flora and fauna in Zimbabwe is to be attainable,” she added.
This article is reproduced here as part of the African Conservation Journalism Programme, funded in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe by USAID’s VukaNow: Activity. Implemented by the international conservation organization Space for Giants, it aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate. Written articles from the Mozambican and Angolan cohorts are translated from Portuguese.
Regards Mark
Enjoy !
World Animals Voice 