All pics: Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation
More than 100 live animals found in women’s luggage
Two women have been arrested after trying to smuggle 109 live animals out of Thailand in their luggage.
Officers discovered 35 turtles, 50 chameleons, 20 snakes, two white porcupines and two armadillos in their bags.
The pair were trying to board a Thai Airways flight to India, and suspicions were raised following what was meant to be a routine X-ray inspection.
Officers discovered 35 turtles, 50 chameleons, 20 snakes, two white porcupines and two armadillos in their bags.
The pair were trying to board a Thai Airways flight to India, and suspicions were raised following what was meant to be a routine X-ray inspection.
Both have been arrested and charged with violations of Thailand’s Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act, Customs Act, and Animal Epidemic Act.
The incident happened at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Monday.
According to Traffic, a non-governmental organisation that monitors the trade of wild animals, such incidents are a “serious and growing” problem.
“It comprises the fourth-largest illegal trade worldwide after arms, drugs and human trafficking, and frequently links with other forms of serious crime such as fraud, money laundering, and corruption,” a March 2022 report warned.
Common motivations for wildlife smuggling include their use for food, traditional medicines, artefacts, fashion and exotic pets.
Between 2011 and 2020, Traffic’s research claims more than 70,000 wild animals – including their body parts or derivatives – were discovered at Indian airports.
And Chennai International Airport, where the arrested pair were travelling, had the highest number of wildlife seizure incidents in the country.
While Henry Hamilton-Smythe minor (8) was playing croquet with Cynthia Jane De Blaise-William (9), sweet-smiling Cynthia raised her mallet high and gracefully removed Henry’s head.
Two weeks later, in Henry’s nursery, she discovered his treasured musical box.
Eagerly she opened it and as “Old King Cole” began to play, a small spirit- figure appeared. Henry had returned – but not for long, for as he stood in the room his body began ageing rapidly, leaving a child’s mind inside.
A lifetime’s desires surged through him. Unfortunately the attempt to persuade Cynthia Jane to fulfill his romantic desire led his nurse to the nursery to investigate the noise. Instinctively Nanny hurled the musical box at the bearded child, destroying both.
Yesterday, the Home Office (UK) published the statistics of the number of animal experiments conducted in Britain in 2021. As usual these were shocking: there is no need for Britain to continue animal experiments –better, safer and kinder methods are available. It is very difficult to get access to laboratories due to high levels of secrecy in this cruel industry, and so the use of animation is a good way to give an insight into what happens to millions of animals each year.
Check out our brand-new animated film, for your quick and colourful guide to animal testing in Great Britain. The film explains about animal experiments – and the numerous non-animal methods, all of which are far more reliable than using animals. It is not gruesome or gory – and has lots of useful facts and figures! We hope that it will inspire people: You can take action by sharing our film with your friends!
This month is ‘plastic-free July’, a chance for us to reconsider our plastic consumption, which as we all know, is harming the planet, animals and marine life. With the sea change in public concern about climate change (sorry, couldn’t resist) there is some hope that we can start to repair the damage caused by our plastic habits, but we need to change those behaviours which caused it in the first place!
It’s also down to big companies to take seriously their responsibilities: You can help by starting up the conversation with local newspapers, TV and radio stations, about how supermarkets, restaurants, businesses, and delivery companies should be reducing their use of plastic.
Get Shopping !
When you make a purchase from our wonderful Animal Aid shop you are also helping to fund our campaigns to protect animals.
We have a great range of plastic-free toiletries, cosmetics, sweet treats and gifts ideas – and we use biodegradable packing chips made from vegetable starch, instead of single-use plastic! Get shopping here
World Chocolate Day
On the 7th July it’s World Chocolate Day, so why not stock up on a few vegan goodies? Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the ‘Conscious’ chocolatiers, a vegetarian hoping to make the switch to vegan, or you’re just looking for gift ideas, browse our delicious chocolate range today! A few favourites from our team include Vego, Love Raw and Booja Booja!
Check your poo – it could just save your life. Bowelbabe.
The 40-year-old podcast host campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of bowel cancer and was recently honoured with a damehood by Prince William for her remarkable fundraising efforts.
Deborah raised more than £6.8 million for Cancer Research UK through her Bowelbabe fund on Just Giving after announcing she was receiving end of life care in May.
A Florida man has been accused of cropping his dogs’ ears while they were fully awake and posting videos of the “procedures” to Facebook.
Ear cropping is already a form of unnecessary mutilation for purely selfish and aesthetic purposes that does not benefit dogs in any way. But by not administering anesthetic before trimming the dogs ears, this person was clearly engaging in textbook animal abuse.
Imagine going in for surgery and being completely awake with no numbing medication used on you — it would be absolutely horrifying, and one of the most painful things you ever experienced. That’s exactly what happened to these innocent dogs.
While this is an obviously egregious case of animal abuse, we can all help protect dogs by pledging to never mutilate them in this way.
At least four people have reportedly been killed and hundreds injured after a stand collapsed during a bullfight in Colombia.
It happened in the municipality of El Espinal in the central region of the country at about 1pm local time on Sunday during a local festival.
Among the dead were two women, a man and an 18-month-old baby.
Footage has emerged of a wooden stand crowded with spectators collapsing at the stadium.
Mayor Juan Carlos Tamayo said 800 spectators were seated in the sections that collapsed.
The stand was seen toppling forward into the ring, where people were participating in a bull-running event, which is tied to the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul.
According to Major Luis Fernando Velez, director of civil defence in the province, no one remained trapped in the wreckage.
He told local media that several people were missing but have since been found.
“The emergency has been overcome at the site of the incident. More or less 70 people were injured,” Mr Velez said.
Injured people were taken to the nearby cities of Ibague and Maelgar in ambulances.
Mr Velez said El Espinal’s hospital was overwhelmed, adding he didn’t know what the stand was made from but it appeared to be wooden boards.
Current President Iván Duque wrote on Twitter: “We lament the terrible tragedy registered in El Espinal, Tolima, during the festivals of San Pedro and San Juan, with the collapse of the stands during a Corralejo.
“We will call for an investigation.”
President-elect Gustavo Petro urged officials to ban such events.
The cultural festival is observed every year on 29 June and the event is the feast day that honours Saints Peter and Paul, who were apostles of Jesus Christ and Christian martyrs.
After humans mistook Rocky the baby coyote for an abandoned puppy, they captured him in nature and sent him to an animal shelter in Tennessee before he’d even opened his eyes.
From there, he was sent to the Forest Preserves of Cook County and relegated—all alone—to a small, bleak corncrib cage at the River Trail Nature Center in Northbrook, Illinois. With a constant view of the forest around him, Rocky now presses his snout against the bars that imprison him.
In nature, coyotes live in packs. Studies done in Cook County show that coyote packs roam territories averaging more than 4 square miles. But at the River Trail Nature Center, Rocky languishes alone and has been observed pacing in apparent distress. This blatant disregard for his needs threatens his health, but sadly, it’s business as usual for the self-proclaimed “nature center.”
Eagles, owls, and hawks are also confined to small, barren cages there, including a kestrel and a screech owl who are kept in 4-foot-by-4-foot boxes with no room to fly and no access to sunlight, fresh air, or foliage.
But there’s hope for Rocky! The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado—which is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries—has offered to relocate him to an expansive naturalistic habitat where he could roam with other coyotes.
Keeping Rocky confined as an “educational” prop for human entertainment, when he could and should be roaming as a member of a pack, is an egregious form of speciesism—discrimination based solely on species.
Please urge Cook County officials and the River Trail Nature Center to give Rocky a chance to live at an accredited sanctuary!
Around 8/6/22 we wrote to our (UK) Member of Parliament (MP) expressing our concerns over the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and animal welfare issues. We had serious concerns over the UK animal standards being lowered down to Australian levels by this deal, especially with Australia still undertaking the mulesing of sheep, using up to 16 times as many antibiotics on Australian farms compared to those being used in the UK, and of course, the continuation of live animal exports from Australia to the Middle East.
You can read our letter of concern by clicking here:
We now have a letter returned to us dated 22/6/22 from Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP; the UK Minister of State for Trade Policy at the Department for International Trade.
I am publishing the letter below for everyone to read if they wish.
Minister Penny Mordaunt (MP)
Today is the 24/6; and I need to inform people that yesterday, the 23rd; the British government led by Boris Johnson, suffered 2 defeats in by elections in the South West of England and also in the North.
We at WAV are non politically biased; we just fight for the better treatment and welfare of living, sentient beings. These defeats though cannot simply be dismissed as a mid term ‘thing’ that happens in politics; many see this as something deeper, possibly a reflection of a government in crisis which is doing little and expecting the ‘normal working man (and woman)’ to pick up the tab.
Animal welfare deals included in the UK – Australia FTA are a concern to us here in the UK. Australia has lower standards, the UK has better. We are keen to read in Penny’s letter that things are still moving on to deliver the (UK) Governments Manifesto commitment to end the live export of live animals for both further fattening and slaughter. We are pleased to announce that despite the Bill not reaching law yet; live animals have not been exported to any degree (when compared to the past) for many months now. The Bill is working its way through both houses of Parliament in order to become law; and as we have campaigned against this sick business for nearly 35 years, we want to see action now !
The second page of Penny’s letter declares that the UK government has “secured ground breaking provisions on animal welfare with Australia, including the first stand alone animal welfare chapter in any signed FTA”. We welcome the comprehensive partnership with Australia to progress and improve animal welfare standards. These include a joint working group who will meet regularly to provide a forum to support cooperation on animal welfare issues between the UK and Australia, which includes best practices.
A ‘mulesed’ sheep in Australia.
Time to stop this abuse Australia.
We also welcome and support the UK governments and Australian efforts to stop the use of sow stalls, which were banned in the UK in 1999, 23 years ago !, and the commitments for bilateral cooperation which will see this practice also being stopped in Australia.
I will leave you to read the response to us from Penny, outing the UK government approach to animal welfare ‘move forwards’ with Australia. If we can make more efforts to stop live exports, the mulesing of live sheep, get the pigs out of sow stalls, and make differences for caged animals in Australia, then we may be on the road to further progress.
Finally, the massive government defeats in the UK yesterday sent a clear message to government that the common man and woman are not happy; and that things need to change, or else we change you by electing a different government.
So, get on and pass the (UK) animal welfare legislation to give animals a voice.
In today’s episode of headlines you just couldn’t make up we introduce a hero captain and his meerkat cargo.
Skipper Tom Sexton stripped to his boxers to rescue a meerkat called Boris confused itself for a Lemming and jumped 30ft off the side of the boat.
Luckily Boris survived the jump from the Gry Maritha when it arrived in port at Penzance, Cornwall.
His escape bid was not alone – his travelling companion Doris had managed to escape their cat cage and made a bid for freedom.
She was caught, but Boris made his bid for freedom.
They were both on their way to Axe Valley Zoo in Axminster, Devon, after being transported from the Isles of Scilly.
Tom, 33, said: ‘I think the owner originally had four of them in a sort of little petting zoo at his council house.
‘Two of them were in this cat carrier style box but managed to figure out how to break out while we were sailing.
‘The two of them were just running around the deck, but there were all kinds of cars and crates they kept hiding under so we decided to leave it until we got into port.
‘Eventually after mooring we all got out brooms and gloves and the five of us started running around the deck trying to catch them.
‘We managed to get the first one, but the second one jumped overboard. I was actually pretty impressed at how good a swimmer he was, but he seemed to be in a bit of trouble.
‘I decided I’d jump in and grab him so I stripped off down to my boxers and put on some gloves to go get him, I knew they could be quite nippy.
‘I was surprised how easy it was to get him though. We then put him back in his box and hoisted him back onto the deck.’
Above – Founding family Erika, Claire and Jim, and the Animal Aid Unlimited team.
Hi all;
This arrived from Erika and the crew at AAU earlier in the week, but did not arrive through the usual inbox route. This has happened a few times now, and we are getting our computer people in next week to see if we can sort this, plus some other issues.
Apologies to Erika and the team for getting this out late.
Come on folks, dig deep and after watching the videos, we hope you will consider making a donation to further help the team with future rescues, or additionally you can support (sponsor) one of the special need animals by using this link – https://www.animalaidunlimited.org/how-to-help/sponsor-an-animal/
As with all animal advocates, we give our condolences to the family of Mithu Bai and thank her for being special and giving so much of her time to helping those less fortunate.
Mark
Dear Mark,
Ourbeauty salon for sheephas experienced a little bump up of activity with temps soaring into the 40s C (100s F). We’re careful though to leave enough fur to protect from sunburn, and these sweethearts–Barbara, Cashew, Raisin, Bailey and Bertie each love their day in the spa.
One of our recent UK volunteers, Paul, remarked that although there are sheep in so many pastures in his country, they’re often shy; they’re not used to being lovingly touched, so they usually run from you if you try to pet them. But our gentle sheep believe that only good things come from human contact and they’ll often nudge and nuzzle their way in as close as they can. Thank you for the help that enables us to give permanent home to many species of angel!
Suri was stuck in tar, now she’s surrounded in love.
Little Suri was almost lost in hardened tar covering literally every inch of her body. Saving her precious life took 10 loving hands working for hours. We don’t know how long she’d been stuck in the tar, or how she made her way into the yard where the tar had been carelessly dumped in the dirt, but she was almost unconscious from exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke. Her tail was stuck to her thighs and herlegs were stuck together. All she could move were her eyes.
Our team went to work with vegetable oil and soap to loosen up the tar so that it could be washed off. It took hours of gentle massaging to soften the tar and frequent breaks had to be given to allow her to rest and drink water by syringe. When Suri was finally freed from the grip of the tar, she nearly jumped for joy. And so did we.
Sometimes it’s not medicine that does the trick. It’s hours of work, a pinch of luck, blended in love.
Sukie is blind and had been abandoned after a road accident. After we rescued her, and she recovered from her injuries, she was on her own amongst our 100 plus cows as the only horse in hospital. She was surrounded by animals and humans, but she was clearly lonely. Sukie desperately needed another horse, because horses need horses to talk to, to groom, to play with, to take comfort from in their shared language.
In a separate incident across the city, a horse lay dying from a suspected twisted intestine. But she wasn’t alone. Her dearest companion was a little red mare, who appeared out of the blue following the ambulance at full gallop, as we transported her critically ill friend to our hospital.
Back in the hospital, we did everythingp we could to help the suffering horse, but sadly she didn’t have the strength to make it. She passed away quietly within a few hours, with her friend by her side. Her friend circled and seemed to grieve. But then, she saw Sukie.
This video is a tribute to all friends.Belle was the answer to Sukie’s prayers. And Sukie must be the answer to Belle’s in turn.
Our rescue team must have gasped when they saw the sheer size of this street dog’s gaping neck wound. He couldn’t lift his head and he was nearly unconscious.
We rushed him to our hospital and began work to heal this complicated and horrible wound. At first, we weren’t sure he would have the strength to survive. But he wouldn’t give up hope, and neither would we.
After receiving oxygen,puppy bounces back in one day!
This sweetheart was hit by a car and neighbors found himcollapsed, bleeding from his nose.We were relieved to find no fractures but his breathing was labored and we worried he had internal injuries.
After receiving oxygen, soothed with rest and comfort and medicine, this littlelove-magnet has bounced back with adorable enthusiasm.
Thank you for being the reason why we can help when animals need it most.
In loving memory
We sorrowfully share with you that our loving member of staff,
animal caregiver Mithu Baipassed away on May 31st.
She had been a part of the Animal Aid family since 2016. We are deeply saddened, and grateful for the thousands of animals comforted by her loving spirit, and the staff and volunteers whose lives she brightened.
Her memory will be part of Animal Aid Unlimited forever.
New Hydraulic Lift Ambulance is a special gift for big cows and bulls
When a cow or bull needed rescue, it used to take 5-10 people to lift the usually panicking animal into the rescue vehicle, and the stress and risk of injury was high. Now we have 3 ambulances outfitted with hydraulic lifts, thanks to the generosity of several very special donors.
World Animals Voice 