This is just crazy.
The Paris Criminal Brigade is working flat out to trace those who may have contaminated liquid used for contact lenses, as revealed last Friday [31 August]. The Animal Rights Group claimed it had carried out such action on Bite Back, an Internet site based in the United States.
Here is a link to Bite Back.
I suspect this is a hoax. It's too easy to get them to recall products without actually having to go to the trouble of tampering. Either way, I hope these people get caught. And if this is the direction ALF and these people are going, I hope they don't whine about being lumped in with groups like Al-Queda.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Cattle Face Exctinction in Uganda
Authorities say that Uganda's Anokle cows are being replaced by Holstein-Friesians, which produce more milk.
There is a tendency in Uganda to replace the low-yielding indigenous cattle with cross-breeds and exotic cattle.
This is contained in a report by scientists from the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which was presented at an international conference in Interlaken, Switzerland, on Monday.
But scientists have expressed concern about what they call a 'livestock meltdown', not only in Uganda but also in other developing countries.
"There is a livestock meltdown underway across Africa, Asia and Latin America," Carlos Sere of the International Livestock Research Institute told the 300 participants at the conference.
"Valuable breeds are disappearing at an alarming rate. In many cases we will not even know the true value of an existing breed until it is already gone. This is why we need to act now to conserve what is left by putting them in gene banks."
Here is what they look like (very distinctive).
There is a tendency in Uganda to replace the low-yielding indigenous cattle with cross-breeds and exotic cattle.
This is contained in a report by scientists from the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which was presented at an international conference in Interlaken, Switzerland, on Monday.
But scientists have expressed concern about what they call a 'livestock meltdown', not only in Uganda but also in other developing countries.
"There is a livestock meltdown underway across Africa, Asia and Latin America," Carlos Sere of the International Livestock Research Institute told the 300 participants at the conference.
"Valuable breeds are disappearing at an alarming rate. In many cases we will not even know the true value of an existing breed until it is already gone. This is why we need to act now to conserve what is left by putting them in gene banks."
Here is what they look like (very distinctive).
Poaching Turtles in the Phillipines
Poaching these giant leatherback turtles is a huge problem there.
Officials of Tawi-tawi province fear that Turtle Island, a protected area and home to giant leatherback turtles, is on the verge of devastation due to foreign and local exploitation.
"I don't know why…In fact, we have a memorandum of agreement with the World Wildlife [Fund], yet foreign and even local poachers could still penetrate the island and slaughter our turtles," Tawi-tawi Governor Sadikul Sahali told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net.
Another agreement has also been reached between officials of Tawi-tawi and the Malaysian government for the protection and preservation of the turtles.
On September 1, Sahali said, Taiwanese poachers slaughtered more than a thousand turtles.
Officials of Tawi-tawi province fear that Turtle Island, a protected area and home to giant leatherback turtles, is on the verge of devastation due to foreign and local exploitation.
"I don't know why…In fact, we have a memorandum of agreement with the World Wildlife [Fund], yet foreign and even local poachers could still penetrate the island and slaughter our turtles," Tawi-tawi Governor Sadikul Sahali told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net.
Another agreement has also been reached between officials of Tawi-tawi and the Malaysian government for the protection and preservation of the turtles.
On September 1, Sahali said, Taiwanese poachers slaughtered more than a thousand turtles.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Whoopi Goldberg Calls This Culture? Disgusting.
There are lots of nasty things that one can attribute to culture: beating your wife, forcing black people to drink from different drinking fountains, even throwing widows on the funeral pyre. I fail to understand why Whoopi Goldberg could be so boneheaded in using this as a defense for Michael Vick."It seemed like a light went off in his head when he realized that this was something the entire country really didn't appreciated, didn't like," Goldberg said, referring to Vick's guilty plea.
Really? That light must have gone off after he lied about it Remember, he denied all knowledge of what went on in that house, and blamed it on his relatives. Is that part of his culture too?
Take a good look at the dog in the picture. It's not from the Vick case, but it may as well have been. That is what this so-called "culture" does to these animals.
The Great Ethiopian Dog Slaughter
In honor of the Coptic millennium, authorities in Addas Ababa are slaughtering all the stray dogs they can get their hands on.
This will be followed with a concert by the Black Eyed Peas...
This will be followed with a concert by the Black Eyed Peas...
More Bad News For Mountain Gorillas in the Congo
This is just depressing.
Highly endangered mountain gorillas in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo faced fresh dangers Monday after renegade troops overran their habitat, forcing rangers to flee, conservationists warned.
Forces loyal to cashiered general Laurent Nkunda, a powerful local leader, attacked Jomba and Bikenge patrol posts in Virunga National Park, Wildlife Direct said in a statement.
His troops looted weapons, ammunition and communication equipment, four days after a wildlife ranger was killed in another attack on a patrol post north of Rushuru, it added.
A third patrol post in Bukima was being evacuated pending an imminent attack, leaving the rare primates exposed to massacres that have already claimed several gorillas this year alone.
Highly endangered mountain gorillas in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo faced fresh dangers Monday after renegade troops overran their habitat, forcing rangers to flee, conservationists warned.
Forces loyal to cashiered general Laurent Nkunda, a powerful local leader, attacked Jomba and Bikenge patrol posts in Virunga National Park, Wildlife Direct said in a statement.
His troops looted weapons, ammunition and communication equipment, four days after a wildlife ranger was killed in another attack on a patrol post north of Rushuru, it added.
A third patrol post in Bukima was being evacuated pending an imminent attack, leaving the rare primates exposed to massacres that have already claimed several gorillas this year alone.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Photo Blogging: Bullfighting in the Azores
This is a picture I took of bullfighting in the Azores. Unlike the type in the ring, they release a bull in a village street (Santo Antonio on the island of Sao Jorge in this case), and 5 or 6 guys hold the bull with a rope. Then any intrepid (or crazy) person will try to get as close as possible to show how brave they are. Even though the bull is at the end of a rope, it's a long one, and people do get hit by the bull. Everyone else is standing around as close as they dare. Think of a very controlled form of the running of the bulls.
I was behind a low wall when this picture was taken. Usually when the bull heads towards the crowd, they scatter like a school of fish on the approach of a shark (and those bulls can leap over low walls). I don't like bullfighting, but if you are in the crowd when the bull comes running, it's a pretty exciting group dynamic.
And if you find yourself in that situation just remember: you don't have to outrun the bull, you just have to outrun the guy standing next to you...
China Makes Animal Immunization Mandatory. Still Struggles With Dog Doo.
This article in the China Daily is about how the Chinese government calls for mandatory vaccinations of poultry and livestock. Good idea I suppose. They further said that the law was to include pets. OK, not a bad move.
What I found interesting is that fairly high up in the article they had this:
Lawmakers during the session this week proposed that the law should include more detailed and systematic stipulations on pets as pets, especially dogs, have caused "a string of social problems", such as dogs excrement, loud barking, growing number of abandoned and stray dogs, and more attacks on human beings by dogs.
Statistics show Beijing alone sees more than 703,800 dogs have been registered, and the total number of dogs including those unregistered might be bigger.
More than 90,000 people in Beijing were injured by cats and dogs in the first six months of this year, up almost 34 percent from the same period last year, according to statistics.
Then the article goes back to talking about immunizing pigs etc.
The above paragraphs have nothing to do with immunizing livestock or pets (loud barking?). But, it's something I've seen before in Chinese press articles. It makes me wonder if there won't be some sort of draconian measures to crack down on this "string of social problems". And with the Olympics less then a year away, I wonder what sort of extreme measures they might take to make sure nobody steps in dog doo...
What I found interesting is that fairly high up in the article they had this:
Lawmakers during the session this week proposed that the law should include more detailed and systematic stipulations on pets as pets, especially dogs, have caused "a string of social problems", such as dogs excrement, loud barking, growing number of abandoned and stray dogs, and more attacks on human beings by dogs.
Statistics show Beijing alone sees more than 703,800 dogs have been registered, and the total number of dogs including those unregistered might be bigger.
More than 90,000 people in Beijing were injured by cats and dogs in the first six months of this year, up almost 34 percent from the same period last year, according to statistics.
Then the article goes back to talking about immunizing pigs etc.
The above paragraphs have nothing to do with immunizing livestock or pets (loud barking?). But, it's something I've seen before in Chinese press articles. It makes me wonder if there won't be some sort of draconian measures to crack down on this "string of social problems". And with the Olympics less then a year away, I wonder what sort of extreme measures they might take to make sure nobody steps in dog doo...
Pakastani Zoo Sells Dead Animal Parts
I don't like this, as I think it only helps make poaching an attractive option.
But, Europe does it too.
I'm not sure what they do hear in the US.
But, Europe does it too.
I'm not sure what they do hear in the US.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
I found a treasure on Sandy Beach my self
Alaskan Sandy Beaches are not always short of wildlife.
Sandy and gravely beaches support less diversity of animals than rocky beaches. But they are not necessarily "boring," contrary to the opinion of one of my friends. And small children find numerous treasures, including special stones, eagle feathers, stranded sea-stars, and cockleshells.
Sandy and gravely beaches support less diversity of animals than rocky beaches. But they are not necessarily "boring," contrary to the opinion of one of my friends. And small children find numerous treasures, including special stones, eagle feathers, stranded sea-stars, and cockleshells.
Attention Shutterbugs
I noticed in todays Sunday Newspaper Magazine that is a wildlife photography contest. I an going to participate in this one and I also noticed online that there were several other photography contests having to do with wildlife and/or animals. I would encourage all of our readers to participate in such a contest in their area. I noticed that there was one in Florida and another one elsewhere. Some offered great prizes but the greatest prize is getting out in Nature and communing with our furry and feathery critters that we love.
Cats are Comforting the ill.
Since I am a retired/disabled RN it is nice to see that The Powers That Be have seen fit to send in animals to do my bidding
The two therapists do their rounds in fur coats.Sometimes, they'll stop and doze in a chair next to a patient's bedside. Or they will sit in their laps — and purr.Diesel and Charlie Girl, two Maine coon purebreds, are among the nation's few registered and trained therapy cats. They practice a special breed of medicine at a Fort Lauderdale hospital and a Miami veterans' nursing home, where residents have been known to forgo scheduled activities to get a dose of feline companionship. The pair still stops traffic in the corridors, even though they've been making regular rounds for almost two years
The two therapists do their rounds in fur coats.Sometimes, they'll stop and doze in a chair next to a patient's bedside. Or they will sit in their laps — and purr.Diesel and Charlie Girl, two Maine coon purebreds, are among the nation's few registered and trained therapy cats. They practice a special breed of medicine at a Fort Lauderdale hospital and a Miami veterans' nursing home, where residents have been known to forgo scheduled activities to get a dose of feline companionship. The pair still stops traffic in the corridors, even though they've been making regular rounds for almost two years
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Another Wildlife/River Viewing: this time closer to home
Port Angeles Washington Penninsula along the Hoh River.
Hikers can find great treks along Olympic National Park rivers, such as the Hoh River Trail southwest of Forks.The long drive is well worth the time to see the moss-covered trees, wildlife and free-flowing river.The extensive damage suffered by the park during the fall and winter is readily apparent as you drive over the one-lane bridge across the road washout.You’ll also notice it as you hike through the freshly chainsawed gaps in the trees that have fallen across the trail.Check in at the visitor center for a map, sundown times and the latest weather, trail and wildlife conditions plus a backcountry permit if you plan to camp.The trail begins on a path that winds behind the visitor center. The first thing you encounter is a sign warning of a wasp’s nest and advising you to move quickly until you reach the next sign.
Hikers can find great treks along Olympic National Park rivers, such as the Hoh River Trail southwest of Forks.The long drive is well worth the time to see the moss-covered trees, wildlife and free-flowing river.The extensive damage suffered by the park during the fall and winter is readily apparent as you drive over the one-lane bridge across the road washout.You’ll also notice it as you hike through the freshly chainsawed gaps in the trees that have fallen across the trail.Check in at the visitor center for a map, sundown times and the latest weather, trail and wildlife conditions plus a backcountry permit if you plan to camp.The trail begins on a path that winds behind the visitor center. The first thing you encounter is a sign warning of a wasp’s nest and advising you to move quickly until you reach the next sign.
Hey You Guys Down in Missouri Sounds Like Great Fun!
A Cool Place to Learn About Wildlife!
If you have a canoe and an interest in learning more about the Missouri River, the Missouri River Communities Network (MRCN) has an event for you.The MRCN will host the Big Muddy Wildlife Float Sept. 29. The 16-mile float will take participants from Franklin Island Conservation Area near Boonville to Katfish Katie’s campground downriver from Rocheport. The event is part recreation, part education and part public service.MRCN Community Resource Specialist Brad Hargrave called the event "a unique opportunity to take a wildlife-themed, guided canoe trip on the Missouri River."
If you have a canoe and an interest in learning more about the Missouri River, the Missouri River Communities Network (MRCN) has an event for you.The MRCN will host the Big Muddy Wildlife Float Sept. 29. The 16-mile float will take participants from Franklin Island Conservation Area near Boonville to Katfish Katie’s campground downriver from Rocheport. The event is part recreation, part education and part public service.MRCN Community Resource Specialist Brad Hargrave called the event "a unique opportunity to take a wildlife-themed, guided canoe trip on the Missouri River."
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