Wildlife/FreeLiving Animals
How Many Endangered Species Do You Know Nothing About?
Published May 15, 2009 @ 06:56AM PT
Did you know today is Endangered Species Day? I didn't realize until yesterday either--I'm so embarrassed! But it is. And I'm loving this blog post from Julia and Danielle of the National Wildlife Federation on the topic of which endangered animal species humans tend to care about and which we tend not to even know about, even in our own backyards--and how that needs to change. Also check out the Endangered Species Coalition's page on Endangered Species Day, including "10 Easy things you can do at home to protect endangered species." (But I'll note that if you have to choose between attending an event put on by--and supporting--a wildlife refuge, wildlife organization, or wildlife rehabilitation center and one put on by a zoo, I recommend you go the former route.)
As for me, I'm learning today about animals endangered in Missouri and Illinois, including the Ozark Hellbender, the Hine's Emerald Dragonfly, the Ozark Big-Eared Bat, the Illinois Cave Amphipod, the Pallid Sturgeon, the Iowa Pleistocene Snail, the Piping Plover, and the Topeka Shiner.
-More info on finding out what species are endangered in your area after the jump-
For a Calmer Response to the Obama Polar Bear News...
Published May 08, 2009 @ 01:13PM PT
...than what I wrote this morning, see Edward Humes's post on the issue at the Stop Global Warming blog. He went the level-headed route (where's the fun in that?), waited for the official announcement, and wrote out a thoughtful summary. He also quotes the Center for Biological Diversity statement, which wasn't up yet either when I wrote my post or when I updated it to link to the Defenders of Wildlife and National Wildlife Federation statements. And who, Edward reports, does agree with the Salazar/Obama decision? Sarah Palin. Nice. That pretty much says it all, doesn't it?
Edit: My apologies for first writing that the post over at the global warming blog was written by Emily. I assumed and didn't pay attention to the byline.
Breaking: Obama and Salazar to Sell Out Polar Bears, Bush-Style
Published May 08, 2009 @ 09:24AM PT
Update: See the statements from Defenders of Wildlife and the National Wildlife Federation.
It's taking all the restraint I have right now not to say what I really want to say about and to President Barack Obama and Secretary of the Interior Sleazear Salazar.
At least with Bush and his administration, we knew what we were getting. We knew he didn't give a damn about animals. We knew he and his appointees would always put corporate and agribusiness interests ahead of animals.
Obama was supposed to be different. What-the-hell-ever. This administration's decision to throw polar bears to the wolves of corporate America and to throw the wolves to the ranchers and hunters is an outrage.
The shelter dogs. The gray wolves. The polar bears. Whom are you going to sell out next, fellas?
AP: Obama Sticks with Bush-Era Polar Bear Rule
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Interior Department is letting stand a Bush administration regulation that limits protection of polar bears from global warming, three people familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will announce on Friday that he will not rescind the Bush rule, although Congress gave him authority to do so. . . .
Worst Case for Wolves--And How You May Be Playing a Part
Published May 04, 2009 @ 12:24PM PT
From the NRDC Switchboard today:
The piece that struck me the most was one in which the US Fish and Wildlife Service accuses NRDC of lying about the possible consequences of delisting wolves in the region. To be fair, the Service's wolf recovery coordinator, Ed Bangs, didn't actually use the word "lying" to describe our claims - I believe his words were "flat out spinning a bunch of horse pucky," but you get the point.
You see, there are currently somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,600 wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains. The US Fish and Wildlife Service will tell you that upon delisting the states have committed to maintaining around a thousand of those wolves (a number, by the way, that we believe is inadequate to ensure longterm survival). We, on the other hand, would tell you that rather than being protected by the state plans those same thousand wolves are actually in danger of being exterminated. Now read on.
Yes, read on. But while we're expressing our outrage at the citizens itching to pull the triggers and the politicians who are allowing it, let's not forget, friends--why is everyone so eager to shoot and kill wolves? For the benefit of ranchers--and by extension, the benefit of those who eat and wear animals and what comes from them. The killing of wildlife, the further endangerment of endangered species, the destruction and pollution of habitat, the eating and wearing of animals (from the flesh of a cow to the wool of a sheep): it is all connected.
How Much Ranchers Really Care About Their Animals
Published April 17, 2009 @ 02:04PM PT
If ranchers really cared about their animals first and foremost--if the well-being, safety, and, ultimately, "humane" slaughter of the animals they raise to kill were their priority, and they felt true affection and concern for them, which is the PR line animal ag pushes--don't you think that when asked about wolves killing their penned-in lambs, they might express at least some sadness for the lambs they claim to care about? Not in the recent rare case of wolves killing lambs in Oregon.
From the AP article:
"It's all right to have the animal be here," Jacobs said from his ranch. "But if every time you went to work in the morning, somebody stopped you and took your lunch pail and you couldn't say nothing about it, it would get old after awhile." . . .
"I just don't want 'em eating my paycheck."
From OregonLive.com:
"I guess I'm not really happy," Jacobs said about the loss of his lambs. "They tell me I can haze them (wolves), but I can't shoot them. My personal opinion is, if somebody is breaking into your house and stealing your money, you have the right to shoot."
Not a word--not a word--of concern for the lambs themselves. Just irritation at lost product and lost profit. But given how much it irks me when those who plan to kill animals for profit speak mournfully about the deaths of animals by means other than the profitable slaughterhouse, I should appreciate that at least this rancher is honest about what the animals he raises and kills are to him: money. (And for the record, the rancher isn't even losing money, not really; he'll be getting compensation from Defenders of Wildlife.)
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Photo by Flickr user mrsroadrunner2000
In the Blogs: Lenten Fish, Cruelty-Free Tattoos, Wet Nurses, and More
Published April 09, 2009 @ 03:20PM PT
I've fallen behind in my "Animals in the Blogs" and "Animals in the News" roundups, which I cannot do--there's too much happening out there not to do at least weekly roundups. The following are just from the last week or so, but there are several important and interesting posts here, so maybe plan to read just a few at a time (these would make good weekend reading). That said, some posts are rather short, so don't be too overwhelmed by the list.
A Streetcar Named Denial - The Conscious Carnivore from Doris at About.com: Here Doris provides some great analysis of an unfortunate article that I first stumbled upon because of a brief remark about it from Ryan at The Veg Blog. Also included in Doris's post is my favorite line of the day:
"Now going back to the care of the pigs, in what universe does taking good care of someone mean killing them when they are big enough to eat? Probably the same universe where legally blind witches are allowed to operate day care centers in their gingerbread houses." Exactly.- Lenten Fish Fridays from Suicide Food: Seems the memo about fish being animals (yes, it's true) still needs wider circulation. But Suicide Lenten Fish doesn't seem to mind.
- On the Renewed Debate Over Horse Slaughter from Animal Person: What is a horse's value? And why aren't we talking about fixing the problems leading to abandoned horses instead of addressing only the result?
- Sponsor Vegan Ian and Help the Gorillas! from Grumpy Vegan: Support a marathon participant; help the gorillas of the Virunga National Park.
- Just a Bunch of Normals from L.O.V.E.: What's "normal" in the animal rights movement isn't necessarily something to celebrate.
- Group Photo at the Local Family Farm from Reformed Fast Food Mascot:Love 'em, name 'em, pose 'em--kill & skin 'em?
- On Mares, Wet Nurses, and Shared Exploitations from easyVegan.info (and More Evidence That Horse Racing is Fucked from Jennie at That Vegan Girl): You don't have to be a female of the human species to be especially exploited because you're female. Humans demand "wet nurses" (and terrible associated cruelties) in the nonhuman world too.
- Ethical Animals from SuperWeed: I can't summarize this one in a pithy sentence or two. It's deep, and my brain is fried. So you'll just have to read it.
Vegan Ink: The Truth Behind Cruelty-Free Tattoos from VegDaily: If you're the cruelty-free type or you plan to get a tattoo celebrating your veganism, you should make sure the tattoo itself really is vegan.- Creating a Traditional Vegan Passover Seder from Compassionate Cooks: This doesn't really require an additional summary--it includes tips and thoughts on vegan seder, obviously.
- New Wild Orangutan Population Discovered from EcoWorldly: It's exciting that more Borneo orangutans have been located, but the species is still endangered, and with habitat disappearing quickly, they could still be extinct, along with the critically endangered Sumatran orangutans, before we know it.
- Texas Debates New Definition of Vicious Dog from Animal Law: "The state legislature is debating a measure that would greatly broaden the state's definition as to what constitutes 'vicious.'"
- Isle Royale Wolves’ Inbreeding Spells Caution for Northern Rockies Wolves from NRDC: Another example of why delisting the wolves is a damn bad idea.
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Hansel and Gretel witch illustration by Cedric Hohnstadt
Vegan tattoo photo by Flickr user sheila_blige
Hey, Obama, Don't Be Another Bush for the Wolves
Published April 03, 2009 @ 07:57AM PT
Defenders of Wildlife is still pushing hard against Secretary of the Interior Salazar's decision to delist wolves in Idaho and Montana (as well as in the western Great Lakes and parts of Oregon, Washington, and Utah).
When it was the Bush administration disregarding the interests of the wolves in favor of pleasing ranchers and hunters, I called out Bush himself in addition to his hand-selected appointees (e.g., Bush and Bangs vs. the Wolves--Again; Bush Administration and the Wolves: The Battle Continues), and so President Obama now gets the same treatment: You hand-picked Salazar, Mr. President, and you're his boss. Step up. Do the right thing. Prevent the killing.
-More, including Defenders of Wildlife video, after the jump-
