And Obama STILL Wants Offshore Oil Driling?

What a mess.

And it looks like BP has some answering to do.

By the way, this mess is threatening the Breton National Wildlife Refuge at crucial breeding time.

Young Lowland Gorillas Released into Nature Reserve

The UN airlifted these guys into the nature reserve so they can coalesce into a group that can survive when released back into the wild. This action is to prevent them from being eaten or poached in the meantime. (Sounds like these guys were orphaned as a result of bushmeat and illegal trafficking activities.)

Frankly, with the rate these poor animals are being decimated, I wonder sometimes if they SHOULD be released back into the wild. Wouldn't they be safer in the reserve?

US Retailers Investigate Mulesing in Australia

Sounds like they may roll over on the issue. I don't know, but I'm just not convinced the Australians are that committed to phasing out this practice. I'm just going by equivalent examples in the US. Big industry never wants to change anything that "works."

It's just too "hard."

Apple Rejects Idiotic Seal Clubbing Game

Designed by, who else, a Canadian! One who can't understand what all the fuss is about. It's just like all that clubbing you usually see in cartoons.

Idiot. Thanks to Apple for not accepting this game onto their app store.

PETA Testimony to US Congress On Marine Animal Captivity

Here is a link to PETA's testimony submitted to the US Congress regarding marine animals in captivity. There was a hearing held this past Tuesday.

Congressional Hearing on Marine Animal Captivity

The hearing was held today (Tuesday.)

Chimpanzees Mourn Their Dead?

A couple of studies imply that chimpanzees may mourn their dead. I believe they do. I believe that great apes do have that capacity. I've read of the mountain gorillas in Virunga grieving over the loss of a silverback. Heck, even my cats visibly missed old Charlotte who died last August.

If you jump to the comments at the bottom, people took issue with the implication at the end of the article that Jane Goodall would somehow question this grieving behavior. This is because they quote some guy from the USC Jane Goodall Research Center who throws doubt on the premise. Commenters state that Jane Goodall herself witnessed mourning with the Gombe chimps.

I'm sure many will dismiss these studies regardless. It makes it even harder to subject chimps to experiments if you keep discovering these human similarities.

Charles River Labs Continues Expanding

Charles River Labs, a company which develops drugs and conducts contract animal testing, has an atrocious animal rights record, although they deny it of course. They recently moved into China two years ago where they established a toxicology and drug-testing facility in Shanghai. Now, they are continuing their plans to grow into a significant drug research company by acquiring WuXi AppTec Co, a Chinese pharmaceutical contractor.

I'm not surprised Charles River wants to move into China. The USDA here may be sadly wanting in its animal welfare oversight, but it is heaven compared to the vaccuum in China. Lord only knows what horrors researchers can commit over there with no accountability.

Hammie!

Happy Monday!

Nice Story for the Week

A six-year donates his life savings to help sick sea turtles at the Florida Aquarium. It was only $53.50 (the kid's only six!), but I hope it's the first step to a long life of love and compassion for all living things.

Unintended Consequences for US Ban on Horse Slaughter

Unfortunately, a record number of horses are now going to Canadian and Mexican slaughterhouses, where there is no USDA control over animal welfare conditions.

I don't support the slaughter of any animal, but if an animal will die anyway, don't we want the best possible conditions? I understand what animal activists are trying to accomplish, but every time I read one of these stories, I wonder if this ban was the right thing.

I just don't know.

This article also talks about my least favorite bastard chef Gordon Ramsey and the aftermath of his comments to eat horse. He's such a douchebag.

Congressional Hearing on Sea World Incident

So, remember the incident in which an orca whale attacked and killed its trainer at Sea World? Now there's going to be a Congressional hearing this week about it. I sincerely hope this leads to a change in law regarding animals in captivity. At a minimum, they should stop the captivity of orca whales.

We'll see. It may just be more Congressional hot air.

University of Utah Cited by Dept. of Agriculture

They received citations for animal welfare infractions, although apparently few of these infractions overlap with PETA claims from an undercover investigation.

The Salt Lake Tribune claims the infractions are only minor (interesting how different publications will provide different spins).

You decide.

From the Deseret News...

A kitten died from dehydration as a result of too much medication, individual primates were neglected for days at a time, mice and Guinea pig cages were found to be overcrowded, and calves may have been exposed to painful situations for too long, but University of Utah officials maintain that none of the most recent animal-testing violations, released Wednesday by the United States Department of Agriculture, were intentional.

Thousands Offered for Primate Freedom

An animal rights activist has offered $30,000 to anyone who facilitates the freeing of primates, or the end of vivisection, at the University of Kansas, a place cited for numerous animal welfare violations. He does not condone violent or illegal acts.

Good luck.

Garbage Found in Dead Whale

It looks like the garbage didn't kill it, but still....just plain gross and unacceptable.

From the Seattle Times....

A gray whale that died after stranding on a West Seattle beach had a large amount of trash in its stomach, ranging from a pair of sweatpants to a golf ball, said biologists who examined the animal.

Scientists with the Cascadia Research Collective said the examination did not immediately determine why the 37-foot near-adult male died, but it was found to be in better nutritional condition than other gray whales that died recently. Starvation was not considered a major contributor to its death.