EXCLUSIVE: HOW IVORY FROM 11,000 ELEPHANTS HAS DISAPPEARED INTO CHINA'S BLACK MARKET.

As the country this week seeks legal elephant ivory trade status, EIA has revealed how 110 tonnes of ivory - equivalent to the tusks of 11,000 elephants – has gone missing from its government controlled ivory stockpiles.

Ivory & furs on sale in full view of law enforcement patrol in Linxia, China. © EIA - click to zoom image
Ivory & furs on sale in full view of law enforcement patrol in Linxia, China. © EIA

The ivory's embarrassing disappearance is revealed in a confidential, unpublished Chinese government document, obtained EIA.

EIA is releasing details of the document today on the eve of China's attempt to win approval to resume international ivory trade from the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. (CITES)

In a publication entitled; "China, Ivory Trade and the Future of Africa's elephants" EIA quotes from the secret document, written by a senior Chinese government official, which states that:

• "We have not been able to account for the [ivory] shortfall through the sale of legal ivory by the selected selling sites in the country. This suggests a large amount of illegal sale of the ivory stockpile has taken place".

• *Some of the commercial sales units never kept any records of their ivory stockpile.”

• “The markets in numerous cities that deal with ivory have for years been dealing commercially with ivory products that did not come from approved/registered sources”.

• “The relevant [Government] department instigated an investigation” into the missing ivory.

"China’s secret document on the missing 110 tonnes of ivory confirms the extent of its massive illegal ivory trade and underlines why it must not be allowed to legally trade ivory. It is already the world’s largest importer of illegal ivory which is already fueling poaching across Africa, wiping out elephant populations. Chinese nationals have been implicated in illegal ivory trade in 23 African nations.” said Allan Thornton, Chairman of the Environmental Investigation Agency.

EIA will argue at the Geneva CITES meeting starting Monday that the missing ivory confirms China's lack of control over its ivory trade, providing clear grounds to refuse the country's request to trade legally in ivory for the first time since the 1989 international ivory ban was passed. EIA will argue to CITES member nations voting on China's request that allowing China to import ivory legally will further stimulate elephant poaching, ivory smuggling and illegal trade.

For further information, contact:
Allan Thornton (44) 207 354 7960 during office hours

Mobile +1 202 361 6941

Six bears killed in Florence area

FLORENCE, Ore. (AP) - Six problem bears have been killed in the Florence and Yachats area in one of the worst years for bear damage on the Oregon coast.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says four bears were public safety risks, partly because people fed them. That causes bears to lose their fear of humans.


A poor berry crop also is a factor.

One hungry bear broke through a kitchen window, and two were killed when they tried to break into a pen where a goat was killed last week.

All the bears were repeatedly seen in the daytime and did not show wariness of people.

Wildlife biologists say attacks are rare, but they urge coastal visitors and residents to avoid feeding bears because those bears are the most likely to attack.



©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Cruel act prompts dog fears

A West Dubbo man fears for the safety of his pregnant dog following a sadistic attack on his neighbour’s blue heeler.

The man requested anonymity fearing reprisals from the unknown person responsible for harming 13-year-old ‘Patch’.

“I’ve known Patch and her owner Heidi Dodds for 10 years,’’ he said.

“It is incomprehensible that anyone could commit such a monstrous act on an animal.’’

Patch was due to give birth to a litter of puppies this week. Instead she was euthanased when emergency surgery at a Dubbo veterinary clinic revealed a 21cm toothbrush holder had been forced through her cervix, rupturing her uterus and killing her puppies.

Police and the RSPCA have launched an investigation into the attack, described as one of the most shocking animal cruelty cases ever reported in the western region.

The West Dubbo man hopes the perpetrator is caught soon and fears for the safety of animals and

children in his neighbourhood.

“My dog, ‘Shilo’, is the daughter of Patch and Heidi’s other dog ‘Bruiser’ is her father,” he said.

“I picked her out of the litter because she had such a pretty face. Shilo is about to have her own puppies and I am keeping a very watchful eye. I have genuine fears about another attack.

“The perpetrator needs to be caught and jailed for a long time.’’

Group Holds Drill For People, Pet Rescue-Drill To Prepare Volunteers In Disaster Emergency

Reported By Tom Randles

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A major aid organization is working in Tennessee to make sure pets are safe when disaster strikes.

As if taking a cue from the dog, Kerri Burns barked instructions during a drill to volunteers. The drill, staged by American Humane, is to prepare volunteers for any natural or man-made chaos that leaves people and pets vulnerable.

"Water's important. It's hot outside. Work from the ground up. Take care of the animals and the people," Burns said to the volunteers.

"Please, take your pet with you. Take their medication, a crate, leash, water, food -- just like you'd prepare your family to leave for at least 72 hours," Burns said.

Animals welfare volunteers from across the state learned during the drill to think fast, improvise and deal with all sorts of challenges.

Getting pet supplies to those in need is only part of what they do. A giant truck has everything needed to help people and animals in the worst conditions.

"It has a washer and drier, a kitchen, and they can actually perform surgeries. They have a complete surgical unit," Burns said.

American Humane was founded in 1877 and has been helping protect children and animals ever since.

During the recent floods in Iowa, the nonprofit group rescued almost 70 pigs. The organization has saved thousands of other animals in other disasters.

Take Action for Polar Bears and Lower Gas Prices

Oil speculators are driving up the price of gas and fueling calls for destructive drilling in wildlife habitat that polar bears and other animals need to survive.

Weak oversight and accountability in the oil markets allows wealthy investors from around the world to drive up the price we pay for gas, fueling calls for destructive drilling off our coasts and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Before the end of July, Congress is expected to consider bipartisan legislation to curb harmful speculative investment in the oil markets and provide needed relief to Americans hit by high gas prices.

Please fill out the form below to urge your Senators and Representative to pass legislation to address high gas prices and protect our polar bears and other wildlife from the oil speculators and Big Oil’s disastrous drilling plans.

Personalized messages are most effective. Please be sure to include:

* Why protecting America's coasts and wild places is important to you.
* Any personal education, experience or expertise that informs your opinion on protecting wildlife from harmful drilling

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Oil firm pitching in to help polar bears with day at the beach

By Patrick McNamee
Special Correspondent
Article Launched: 07/11/2008 01:00:00 AM EDT

WESTPORT - A Westport-based oil company is joining forces with a conservation group to save the polar bear and curb global warming.

The alliance, led by home heating oil provider Gault Inc., is hosting Polar Bear Empathy Day from 1 to 3 p.m. tomorrow at the town's Compo Beach. Visitors are encouraged to wear their winter jackets to understand the polar bears' plight.

Oil company President Sam Gault joined with Polar Bears International to raise awareness of the now threatened animal.

"Myself and some employees heard a story about a young girl who asked her parents to turn the thermostat down 1 degree to help preserve the polar bears' habitat, and it really struck a chord with everyone," said Gault, a Westport resident. "Once we saw they made the (threatened) list, we knew we wanted to get involved and started the day."

Polar bears were placed on the threatened list on May 15, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It estimates there are 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears worldwide.

Empathy Day is intended to raise awareness of what polar bears are going through because of temperature increases connected with global warming, Gault said.

In addition to visitors wearing jackets that will be donated to charity, there will be an ice sculptor on hand to create a polar bear and "chalk talk" educational sessions for kids. Polar Pete, the event mascot, also will be there.

Polar Bears International, which has scientists that look for conservation solutions

through research and education, was impressed with Gault Inc.'s stance on the subject.

"They're concerned not only for the community, but for the world," group President Robert Buchanan said. "We're looking to inspire, inform and empower people to make a difference and show individuals that they can make a difference by changing some basic things they do every day."

Buchanan, a resident of Soldotna, Alaska, said that what's going on in the Arctic is far more dramatic than anyone knows. Ice the size of California has already melted, even though it is not yet the melting season, he said.

Local officials said hosting the event was an easy decision.

"If you wait for someone else to begin, it's never going to happen," said Stuart McCarthy, director of Westport's Parks and Recreation Department. "We've already tackled issues like recycling and public spacing, which weren't easy, but we're going to take on the challenges."

The sessions with kids will focus on energy conservation, something Gault said he and his company are taking a greater interest in.

"What it comes down to is, less is more, if we can educate and have homeowners use less oil and electricity, it will be good for them and bring loyalty back to the company," he said. "We want to show how potentially efficient people can be from their windows to appliances and lack of insulation, we want to help with anything that relates to energy."

- Special Correspondent Patrick McNamee can be reached at patrick.mcnamee@scni.com or at 750-5345.

FBI Agent Indicted in Shooting Death of Neighbor’s Dog

Lovett Leslie Ledger indicted for shooting dead of neighbor's dog Sassy was just a 3 lb Chihuahua, walking on Estes Road near Lorena in TX when her life was cut short by an FBI sniper with a pellet gun. Jason Davis had the hard task of telling his 8 yr old daughter that her little dog would not becoming home.

Cyndi Mitchell, who lives across the street from FBI agent, Lovett Leslie Ledger, told authorities that she witnessed Ledger shoot the dog in front of her house with a pellet rifle on Feb. 29.

Mitchell has said that her dogs were barking and she went to the door and saw Sassy walking on Estes Road in front of her house.

The dog lurched to one side upon being shot, then rolled into a yard where she died, she has said.

“I’ve never heard a noise like that from an animal,” Mitchell said, describing it as “a screaming sound.”

As neighbors gathered around the fallen dog, Ledger took the pellet gun, turned and walked inside his house with one of his children.

Initially when confronted by authorities about the crime, Ledger lied but changed his story when witnesses came forward.

Yesterday a McLennan County grand jury indicted 39-year-old Lovett Leslie Ledger Jr. for cruelty to animals, a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in a state jail and a $10,000 fine.

Ledger, a sniper and member of the FBI SWAT team, remains on active duty during criminal and FBI internal investigation.

“The FBI continues to cooperate with the ongoing judicial process involving Agent Ledger and the internal FBI review of Agent Ledger’s actions also is still ongoing,” Erik Vasys, an FBI spokesman in San Antonio, said, declining additional comment.

A police reports states that Ledger told witnesses that he shot the dog with a pump BB-pellet gun and must have pumped the gun too much.

There were no reasons given why Ledger shot the little dog but he did spend 25 minute testifying before the grand jury yesterday. Shortly thereafter the indictment was handed down. If convicted of felony animal cruelty, Ledgers’s career with the FBI would be at an end.

Puppy Killer Gets Prison!

Michael Ray Howard, convicted of killing 13 puppies by tying them in a plastic bag and tossing them in a dumpster, among other crimes, has been sentenced to prison.

In December a bag containing 14 puppies was found in a dumpster outside a Salt Lake City, UT, Hancock Fabric store. Only one one of the puppies survived and has since been adopted by Rita Woodward, an employee of Hancock Fabrics and one of the women who found the puppies.

He was charged with 14 counts of animal cruelty and one third-degree felony. Initially, Howard pleaded not guilty even though he did admit he stuffed the tiny, 3-5 week old Jack Russell mix puppies, in a heavy trash bag to suffocate, left them outside overnight and the next day figuring he’d accomplished killing them all, threw the bag of puppies in a Riverdale dumpster. He changed his plea to guilty the following day.

Howard, also convicted of illegal possession of a controlled substance and an admitted methamphetamine user/addict was sentenced to serve to serve 13 years in prison for the class A misdemeanor counts of aggravated animal cruelty, six months in prison for a class B misdemeanor animal cruelty charge, and up to five years in prison for the drug charge. All sentence will run together which in reality means about a 5 year sentence and probably even less time will actually be served.

Prosecutors said the crime was committed with “extreme depravity” and noted it was a touchstone for the passage of Henry’s Law, which increased the penalty for extreme cases of animal cruelty to a felony. That bill was passed by the Legislature earlier this year.

It’s gratifying to see someone who acted with such wanton disregard for life to actually get a prison sentence for his heartless cruelty. I applaud Judge Roger Dutson for taking this crime seriously.

What dismays me is the comments from people that are with the news story about this. So many people whining and griping about the sentence being too harsh and the usual ‘it’s only puppies, not people’, stuff like that. When are people going to realize that when anyone acts with this wanton disregard for life, even animal life, it takes little to nothing for this to carry over to violence and abuse against people.

This is a proven fact!! It’s not a hypothesis. That’s just one of the reasons that people strive so hard to get animal abuse laws toughened for abusers. People who kill, main and abuse animals need to be taken very seriously and their crimes need to be punished harshly. Get real people! The nest time it could be your pet…. or child… when good old Michael Ray Howard gets hopped up on drugs. Think about that!

Puppy Brutally Beaten at Border - Caught on Tape

Now what kind of a person would brutally beat, strangle, punch and throw an innocent and defenseless little puppy like this little girl here? Just another of this world’s sickos…
Puppy Brutally Beaten at Border - Caught on Tape - http://petloverstips.com/ForTheLoveoftheDog

Costa trip for seized alligator

An alligator seized in the Borders by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is to be taken to a wildlife park on the Costa del Sol.

The animal - named Alice - was found in a raid on premises in Galashiels along with a Western Diamondback rattlesnake.

It is alleged they were both being kept without a licence, required under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.

A report is being prepared for the procurator fiscal regarding the raid in which the animals were recovered.

After they were found earlier this year the alligator and rattlesnake were taken to the Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow Airport near London where specialist staff have been caring for them.

Alice, a five-and-a-half feet long spectacled caiman alligator, has now found a new permanent home in southern Spain.

British Airways are flying her out on Tuesday in a specially-constructed wooden crate to The Crocodile Park in Torremolinos.

The park already boasts 300 crocodiles of 12 different species.

Extremely grateful

Spectacled caiman alligators are normally found in central and southern America so it is hoped Alice will appreciate the warmer climes.

However, the rattlesnake is expected to be housed in a specialist zoo in Britain.

Doreen Graham, spokeswoman for the SSPCA, said: "As a charity we are extremely grateful to British Airways for flying the alligator out to Spain.

"She will be accompanied on her journey by two officers from the SSPCA to ensure she settles well into her new home."

Medtronic, PETA agree on care of test animals

The group said the company will extend protections to animals in medical testing abroad.

By JANET MOORE, Star Tribune

Last update: July 8, 2008 - 10:09 PM

The animal rights group PETA -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals -- said Tuesday it has reached an agreement with Medtronic Inc. ensuring that the Fridley-based medical technology company will take steps to improve the lives of animals used in medical experiments.

In addition, a PETA spokeswoman said Medtronic has pledged to extend animal welfare protections if animals are used in foreign contract laboratories.

In return, PETA has withdrawn a shareholder resolution calling on Medtronic to halt outsourcing animal experiments to China and other countries with inadequate animal-protection laws. Medtronic's annual meeting is Aug. 21.

"Typically what we do in these situations is formally address shareholders at companies' annual meetings and protest outside," said Holly Beal, a spokeswoman for Norfolk, Va.-based PETA.

However, Beal said Medtronic was willing to meet with the group twice yearly to discuss animal welfare issues and address the issue of foreign laboratories that test medical devices.

Medical technology companies often test experimental devices on animals before they are used on humans in clinical trials.

Medtronic spokeswoman Marybeth Thorsgaard declined to comment on the PETA agreement Tuesday.

However, rules guiding animal research are posted on the company's website, www.medtronic.com. The company said it will only use the smallest, most-reasonable number of animals in research, design studies to avoid unnecessary tests on animals, and explore alternatives to animal research.

Beal said PETA is especially concerned about U.S. companies that outsource animal testing to laboratories in China, where animal protection laws and regulations are lax.

Janet Moore • 612-673-7752

Remains of 40 dead animals found

The remains of about 40 wild animals and birds have been found in a field in west Cumbria.

The discovery was made on Tuesday night at Camper Lonning at Flimby Brow, near Maryport. The carcasses included geese, pheasants, rabbits, stoats and hares.

It is believed the remains were dumped in the field sometime over the last two to three days.

Cumbria Police have appealed for witnesses or anyone with information to contact them.

Elk may be culled to battle disease threat-Critics say the proposal to control brucellosis goes too far

	A herd of elk grazes in the meadows of Yellowstone National Park with Wyoming's Mount Holmes, left, and Mount Dome in the background. View related photos
Kevork Djansezian / AP file

updated 6:33 p.m. ET July 6, 2008

BILLINGS, Mont. - Federal officials are considering a tentative proposal that calls for capturing or killing infected elk in Yellowstone National Park to eliminate a serious livestock disease carried by animals in the area.

Government agencies have killed more than 6,000 wild bison leaving Yellowstone over the last two decades in an attempt to contain brucellosis, which causes pregnant cattle to abort their young.

Cattle in parts of Wyoming and Montana where bison haven't roamed for decades are being infected, and livestock officials in both states are now targeting elk as the cause.

"We've got way too many elk," said John Scully, a rancher living in Montana's Madison Valley. "Clearly with so many elk, the risk rises. We need to reduce their numbers."

One goal is to eliminate the disease
A tentative proposal, drafted by federal officials, sets a goal of eliminating the disease — not just controlling it in bison and in elk.

Livestock officials say infected elk herds around Yellowstone must be culled — an explosive proposition for a prized big game species that has thrived under the protection of a dedicated constituency of hunting groups. Nevertheless, pressure is mounting to kill or capture more of the animals.

Outfitters and hunters are digging in against the prospect of killing elk, concerned that too much culling could shrink herds. They contend wildlife managers should focus on vaccinating cattle or eradicating the disease in bison.

"I will fight that tooth and nail. As a sportsman, those wildlife are a public resource," said Bill O'Connell of the Gallatin Wildlife Association.

An estimated 95,000 elk populate the greater Yellowstone area in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Experts estimate only a small percentage carry brucellosis.

There is no effective brucellosis vaccine for wildlife, and cattle vaccines are only 60 to 70 percent effective. Humans are susceptible to the disease, but cases are rare and usually limited to those who work with infected cattle.

Eradicated everywhere else in the nation, brucellosis surfaced seven times in the Yellowstone area this decade, including twice since mid-June. With the recent cases, Montana ranchers near Yellowstone face severe restrictions on out-of-state cattle sales, and Wyoming ranchers could face a similar fate if another cow in the state tests positive for brucellosis in the next two years.

For bison, the strategy to prevent transmissions has been brutally straightforward. When deep snows prompt large numbers of the animals to migrate outside Yellowstone, they are rounded up and sent to slaughter or herded back into the park.

Millions already spent on disease control effort
An estimated $19 million has been spent on those efforts since 2002. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer said the recent brucellosis infections exposed the program as a failure.

"Managing a disease means more than chasing buffalo back into the park," Schweitzer said.

In terms of sheer numbers, the Yellowstone region's 25 elk herds dwarf the three herds of bison. And unlike bison, which move in groups, elk move freely over the region's numerous mountain ranges, often alone or in small numbers.

Since late 2006, federal officials and the governors of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana have been trying to negotiate a regional brucellosis plan that would deal with different species. But prospects for an agreement remain uncertain given the states' divergent approaches to wildlife.

Wyoming's use of artificial feedgrounds, for example, remains a sticking point among the states. Researchers say the feedgrounds concentrate elk herds and foster the spread of disease.

But Wyoming officials say the elimination of the feedgrounds could make the brucellosis problem worse, if hungry elk scattered into areas where cattle range. Near Pinedale, Wyo., the state has begun capturing elk and slaughtering any that show signs of the disease.

In Montana, state officials hope to increase elk hunting near Yellowstone and expand a testing program to gauge which herds are badly infected.

Zimbabwe: Hungry Zanu PF Militias Poach Wildlife to Survive

Kholwani Nyathi

An environmental catastrophe is looming in most wildlife protected areas in Matabeleland North due to an upsurge in poaching activities by Zanu PF militias camped at bases throughout the province, it has been learnt.

This has prompted warnings by a prominent conservationist that cases of poaching, which skyrocketed following the chaotic land reform programme, will result in most wildlife species becoming extinct if left unchecked.

A number of Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (NPWMA) officials speaking on condition of anonymity raised alarm last week saying the illegal hunting of game had gone out of hand.

They said elephants and buffaloes at conservancies, national parks and Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources Programme (CAMPFIRE) areas were the most affected.

"Each ward has a base of not less than 10 people who have been camped there since sometime in April and these people have been feeding on game meat," said a senior ZNPWMA official. "In areas like Lupane, at least an elephant and a buffalo are killed every week and here we are not talking about the small game."

War veterans and Zanu PF youths set up bases soon after President Robert Mugabe lost the first round of the presidential election to Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.

The ruling party militias have been accused of extorting food from hungry villagers. In some areas young girls were reportedly recruited to cook food extorted from companies at the bases.

There are reports that the bases have not been dismantled even after President Mugabe won the 27 June one-man presidential election run-off as Tsvangirai pulled out citing mounting violence against his supporters.

"There is a serious danger of over-hunting, especially in the Gwayi Conservancy, where new farmers are being forced to regularly send game meat to the bases," said another source.

"Although the hunting season is on, the quantities of meat being demanded by these people are just too much to be sustained by the low number of hunting quotas that have been issued this season."

Some new farmers in the Gwayi Conservancy complained that they were no longer able to supply their workers game meat, which they usually get from trophy hunters during the hunting season.

"If you fail to comply with their demands you become an enemy of the ruling party," complained a farmer who requested anonymity. "This is forcing some of our colleagues to over-hunt and it is not good for the environment, something needs to be done to stop this."

Johnny Rodrigues, a prominent environmentalist and chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Taskforce said recent research showed that the problem was country-wide, with elephants being the most hunted.

"If it goes on like this within a year Zimbabwe will run out of wildlife," he said. "Poaching levels have actually doubled in the last few months and we have been to the ground to see for ourselves the extent of these problems."

NPWMA spokesman, Edward Mbewe, could not be reached for comment on the latest developments.

Gorilla Poaching -- National Geographic

Sea Shepherd News - Whale Killers Jailed

he Man with the Big Gun is going to jail!

Whale killer Wayne Johnson received a five month sentence from the United States Federal Court in Tacoma, Washington for his part in the cruel killing of a Gray whale in August of 2007.

Whale killer Andy Noel received three months and the other three accomplices Frankie Gonzales, Theron Parker, and William Secor received two years of probation and 150 hours of community service.

Convicted Whale Killer Wayne Johnson with His Big Gun

“The killing of that whale last year was illegal, inhumane, and a blatant act of contempt against the Marine Mammal Protection Act,” said Captain Paul Watson. “Wayne Johnson has boasted for years that he and his fellow whalers are above the laws of the United States. This week he discovered that the whales are indeed protected in American waters from the desires of men with big guns like himself. He wanted to be a trophy hunter and now he is a convicted felon – a cheap and sadistic killer, and he is going to jail – the best place for him. And more importantly the court has ordered that he will not be able to participate in a whale hunt should the Makah Tribe ever receive legal permission to resume whaling activities in American waters.”

These five men were supposedly trained in the traditional practice of whaling. Instead they displayed a degree of gross incompetence that made a mockery of the traditions of their own people. They were unable to kill the whale, they wounded it, and then lost a gun overboard and then were unable to finish the job causing the whale to suffer for over ten hours before finally dying.

The U.S. Coast Guard were alerted when the shooting began and intervened to arrest the whalers. The killing of whales is a violation of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act and it is a violation of the international regulations of the International Whaling Commission.

Wayne Johnson has argued that killing a whale is a part of Makah culture. However according to Makah elder Dottie Chamblin, weaving baskets and learning the Makah language is part of the culture whereas blowing a whale away with a .50 calibre anti-tank gun is not. Wayne Johnson does not speak the language, he does not participate in traditional ceremonies nor has he undertaken the traditional sacrifices required of traditional whalers.

He was just a macho wannabe male with a big gun with an anger management problem.

And now he is in jail.

Sea Shepherd News-The Great Canadian White Lie

he following article from the Vancouver Sun appeared today in response to international protests against the slaughter of baby seals in Canada.

The Canadian government and media regularly criticize the movement to end the seal hunt for using celebrities to get the message across yet the media usually only reports on the seal hunt only when a celebrity is involved as illustrated in the story below.

The lie that the Canadian media keeps perpetuating is that the anti-sealing movement focuses on baby seals when according to the Canadian government, baby seals have not been killed for years.

The fact is that over 90% of the seals killed are in fact baby seals. Canada did ban the whitecoat hunt (i.e. seals under two weeks of age) and now insists that seals over two weeks old are adults.

The government complains that there are few images shown of non-whitecoat seals being killed and that all the images of whitecoats being clubbed are misleading. Yet it is illegal to take photos or to film the seal hunt so many hunt opponents have no choice but to use older images of whitecoats being killed. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society uses images of seals being killed that are over two weeks of age but to do so meant we had to break the so called “Seal Protection regulations” to do so.

The lies that the Canadian government keeps promoting and the Canadian media keep supporting are:

1. That the sealers only kill adult seals. Not true. More than 90% of the seals killed are under 3 months of age.
2. That the seal hunt is an economic necessity for many Canadian families. Not true. The seal slaughter is subsidized by the Canadian government and costs tax-payers more than it brings in meaning that if sealers were paid by the government to not kill seals than the taxpayers would actually be saving money.
3. That the seals are destroying the cod fish. Not true. The cod fishery collapsed in 1992 because of the incompetence of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the greed of the fishing industry.
4. That the seal hunt is well managed and humane. Not true. The quotas are always ignored. The killing of seals has been documented a thousand times over to illustrate the excessive cruelty involved.
5. That the seal hunt is part of the culture of the indigenous people of Canada. Not true. No part of the annual quota set for the East coast seal hunt is taken by First Nations people. The white sealers take 325,000 seals and the Inuit in the far north take only 10,000 separate from that number. The commercial kill is actually hurting the indigenous cultures.
6. That all the opponents of the seal slaughter are rich and are exploiting the sealers to raise money. Not true. We wish it were but we don’t profit from the seal killing. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society spends more money on opposing sealing than we bring in from donations specifically for opposing sealing.
7. That opponents of the seal hunt are city people who do not appreciate the way of life of fishing communities. Not true. Captain Paul Watson was raised in an East coast Canadian fishing community and it was his witnessing of a seal being killed at age 10 that put him on the road to a lifelong crusade to end sealing.

All of this propaganda will be mute in a few months after the European Parliament passes a bill to ban all seal products into Europe. Without a market for seal products in the United States and Europe the bottom should drop out of the industry and the price of seal products will drop to a level that will make the annual killing orgy unprofitable. A few sadistic rednecks will still go to the ice to kill baby seals for kicks but with demand lowered, the sealing industry will be dead.

One thing that should make the Canadian government and the sealers happy is that the hunt opponents like ourselves won’t be asking for money anymore to oppose sealing. And that will make us happy also.

---

McCartney urges EU ban on seal products

Peter O'Neil, Europe Correspondent, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, July 01, 2008

PARIS - Pop legend Paul McCartney, who once called the seal hunt a "stain" on Canada's image, urged demonstrators gathering in Brussels Tuesday to complete their fight for a European seal products import ban.

The ex-Beatle said an EU ban could successfully shut down the international sealing industry.

"Stopping the import of seal fur into the European Union could really put an end to this brutality once and for all," he said in a video message played at the event. "Please ask the EU to ban this terrible trade today."

Barbara Helfferich, spokeswoman for European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimos, said Tuesday the proposed ban will be introduced later this month.

Organizers of Tuesday's demonstration said the event wasn't timed to coincide with Canada Day, even though the hunts in Canada and Namibia are the prime targets of the powerful and well-financed anti-seal hunt movement.

The demonstrators, joined by EU parliamentarians, "held a minute's silence in honour of the millions of seals that have been killed in the last few decades, and blew whistles to show their disapproval with the hunt," according to a news release from the Eurogroup for Animals coalition.

McCartney and Heather Mills, his wife at the time, visited Canada in 2006 to pose with fluffy white baby seals and called on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to end the "heartbreaking" hunt that has left a "stain" on the Canadian character.

Other celebrities who have fought the seal hunt include Mick Jagger, Martin Sheen and Brigitte Bardot. They often pose with the baby seals even though Canada has had a ban on whitecoat hunting for more than two decades.

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Sea Shepherd documents seals being killed March 31, 2008

Happy Anniversary Shirley

Endangered Animals 100 Times Worse Off than Previously Believed

Scientists create a new system for modeling risk and discover that some species may be far more endangered than ever imagined

By Molika Ashford Posted 07.03.2008 at 2:45 pm 6 Comments

In Even Deeper Water?: Photo by Joel Garlich-Miller, USFWS

Adding insult to injury, many species that are already solidly facing extinction might actually be 100 times more endangered than previously thought, scientists say. A new mathematical model, developed by ecologists at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of California, produces extinction risks that are orders of magnitude higher than conservation biologists estimated in compilations like the IUCN red-list.

Older risk models may not work well enough, a letter, published in Nature by Boulder ecologist Brett Melbourne, reports. Traditional models rely on two main factors: The number of random events affecting individuals within a species, and the impact of things like temperature and weather changes on a species. But when Melbourne and colleagues added sex variations and physical variations between individuals into their model, risk went up a hundredfold.

Melbourne and colleagues made their new model by observing beetles in the lab. Natural populations, they argue, have even more individual variation than lab animals—a compelling reason, the authors say, to re-evaluate what endangered really means.

Operation "Red Card to France!"

Opération "Carton Rouge à la France !" Operation "Red Card to France!"
EURO EXPÉRIMENTATION ANIMALE 2008 EURO 2008 ANIMAL TESTING
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Du 5 avril au 6 septembre One Voice organise l’opération « Carton rouge à la France ! » pour protester contre l’utilisation massive qui est faite des animaux dans les laboratoires. From April 5 to 6 September One Voice organizes Operation Red Card to France! "To protest against the massive use that is made of animals in laboratories. Participez à la cyberaction ! Join the cyberaction!

- -- La tournée de mobilisation "Carton Rouge" The tour mobilization "Red Card" Samedi 5 avril à Nantes - Place du Change - 14 heures (Confirmé) Saturday, April 5 Nantes - Place of Change - 14 hours (Confirmed) Samedi 12 avril à Orléans - Place du Martroi - 14 heures (Confirmé) Saturday, April 12 in Orleans - Place du Martroi - 14 hours (Confirmed) Samedi 26 avril à Montpellier - Place Paul Bec - 14 heures (Confirmé) Saturday, April 26 in Montpellier - Place Paul Bec - 14 hours (Confirmed) Samedi 17 mai à Lyon- Place Saint Jean - 14 heures (Confirmé) Saturday, May 17 in Lyon Place Saint-Jean - 14 hours (Confirmed) Samedi 14 juin à Lille - Place des Buisses Saturday, June 14 in Lille - Place des Buisses (place de la sortie du Métro arrêt "Gare Lille Flandres") - 14 heures (Confirmé) (instead of leaving the Metro stop "Gare Lille Flandres") - 14 hours (Confirmed) Samedi 28 juin à Strasbourg - Place Kleber - 14 heures (Confirmé) Saturday, June 28 in Strasbourg - Place Kleber - 14 hours (Confirmed) Marche de protestation le samedi 6 septembre à Paris - 14 heures Protest march Saturday, September 6 in Paris - 14 hours Le rendez-vous pour chaque action ainsi que pour la marche à Paris sera confirmé ici une semaine avant chaque date prévue et pour chaque ville. The rendezvous for each action and for the march in Paris will be confirmed here one week before each scheduled date and for each city. France - Portugal : le Portugal affiche une longueur d’avance France - Portugal: Portugal has an edge Tandis que la France affiche le triste record européen de 2 325 298 animaux utilisés dans les laboratoires en 2005, soit 19, 19 % de plus qu’en 2002, l’association portugaise Animal vient de présenter au Parlement le « Manifesto Animal ». While France shows the sad record European 2 325 298 animals used in laboratories in 2005, 19, 19% more than in 2002, the Portuguese Animal Association has just presented to Parliament the "Manifesto Animal." Parmi ses propositions : l’abolition de l’expérimentation animale. Among its proposals: the abolition of animal experimentation. Une action franco-portugaise A Franco-Portuguese Pour protester contre l’utilisation massive et grandissante des animaux dans les laboratoires français, One Voice vous propose d’envoyer un carton rouge au président de l’Assemblée nationale. In protest against the massive and growing use of animals in laboratories french, One Voice offers to send a red card to the president of the National Assembly. Et pour manifester votre soutien au Manifesto Animal, vous pourrez envoyer votre carton vert de l’espoir au président du parlement du Portugal. And to show your support of the Manifesto Animal, you can send your card Green Hope to Speaker of Parliament of Portugal. De son côté, Animal mobilise également le public portugais pour envoyer des cartons rouges à la France. Meanwhile, Animal also mobilizes the public to send Portuguese red cards to France. C’est le moment de lancer tous ensemble un défi à la France ! It's time to start all a challenge to France! Ne manquez pas ce moment ! Do not miss this moment! Une tournée de mobilisation A tour mobilization D’avril à septembre, One Voice organise à travers la France une tournée de mobilisation. From April to September, One Voice organizes throughout France toured mobilization. Un théâtre-tract sur le thème du « Carton Rouge » sera animé par ses volontaires et des militants. A theatre-tract on the theme of "Red Card" will be moderated by its volunteers and activists. À cette occasion, des cartons rouges et verts seront diffusés au public. On this occasion, green and red cards will be distributed to the public. Des ballons de l’espoir « pour des méthodes substitutives ». The balloons of hope "for alternative methods." Lors de cette tournée, le public sera invité à venir apposer son « autographe » sur un ballon de football. During this tour, the public will be invited to affix his autograph on a football. Ces « ballons de l’espoir » sont destinés à être déposés à l’Assemblée nationale le dernier jour de l’action. These "balloons of hope" are intended to be tabled in the National Assembly on the last day of action. Une marche de protestation jusqu’à l’Assemblée nationale A protest march to the National Assembly À l’issue de sa tournée à travers la France, One Voice organise le 6 septembre, à Paris, une grande marche de protestation. At the end of his tour through France, One Voice organizes September 6 in Paris, a large protest march. Celle-ci se dirigera vers l’Assemblée Nationale où vous déposerez, avec Muriel Arnal, les ballons de l’espoir. It is heading towards the National Assembly where you deposit, with Muriel Arnal, balloons of hope. Les cartons rouges et verts seront disponibles au 02 51 83 18 10, à partir du 24 mars. The green and red cards will be available 02 51 83 18 10, from 24 March.

First whooping cranes of the "Class of 2008" arrive at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge

June 2008. 7 whooping crane chicks have arrived at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin to begin preparation for their autumn migration behind ultralight aircraft.

The seven chicks are members of the "Class of 2008", which will be the eighth flock of endangered juvenile whooping cranes to take part in a reintroduction project conducted by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), a coalition of public and private organizations. Thanks to the efforts of WCEP's members, there are now 72 wild, migrating cranes in eastern North America.

Microlight training
The chicks arrived from Patuxent Wildlife Research Center where the birds hatched and learned to follow ultralight aircraft on the ground. Following a veterinarian checkup that showed that all of the birds were healthy, they were shipped to Necedah NWR in large crates. A quick check by veterinarians upon arrival showed that the birds were ready for their new home on Necedah NWR. Two more cohorts of chicks will be shipped from Patuxent to Necedah NWR shortly.

Social training
A field team from Operation Migration and the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center will spend the summer strengthening the social cohesion of the flock and teaching them to fly behind the ultralights. This fall, Operation Migration will use ultralights to guide the young cranes on their first southward migration to Florida, the cranes' winter home.

Hand reared birds
In addition to the ultralight-led birds, biologists from the International Crane Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are rearing whooping crane chicks that will be released this fall into the company of older birds, from whom the young birds will learn the migration route from Necedah NWR to Florida. This is the fourth year WCEP has used this Direct Autumn Release method, which supplements the success of the ultralight migrations.

2001 - First microlight migration
In 2001, the first whooping crane chicks were led south behind ultralight aircraft from Necedah NWR to Chassahowitzka NWR. Each subsequent year, WCEP biologists and pilots have conditioned and guided additional groups of juvenile cranes to Chassahowitzka NWR. Once led south, the cranes are able to migrate on their own, without assistance, in following years.

The whooping crane chicks that take part in the reintroduction project are hatched at the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Md., and the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wis. Chicks are raised under a strict isolation protocol and to ensure the birds remain wild, handlers adhere to a no-talking rule and wear costumes designed to mask the human form.

New classes of cranes are brought to Necedah NWR each June to begin a summer of conditioning behind the ultralights to prepare them for their fall migration. Operation Migration's pilots lead the birds on gradually longer training flights at the refuge throughout the summer until the young cranes are deemed ready to follow the aircraft along the migration route.

In the spring and fall, project staff from the International Crane Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service track and monitor the released cranes in an effort to learn as much as possible about their unassisted journeys and the habitat choices they make both along the way and on their summering and wintering grounds.

Most graduated classes of whooping cranes spend the summer in central Wisconsin, where they use areas on or near the Necedah NWR, as well as other public and private lands.

Verge of extinction in 1940s
Whooping cranes were on the verge of extinction in the 1940s. Today, there are only about 530 birds in existence, 380 of them in the wild. Aside from the 72 Wisconsin-Florida birds, the only other migrating population of whooping cranes nests at the Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada and winters at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast.

This year the Wood Buffalo-Aransas flock reached a record size, as biologists counted 266 individuals on the Aransas wintering grounds.

A non-migrating flock of approximately 40 birds lives year-round in the central Florida Kissimmee region. The remaining 150 whooping cranes are in captivity in zoos and breeding facilities around North America.

Loud calls
Whooping cranes, named for their loud and penetrating unison calls, live and breed in wetland areas, where they feed on crabs, clams, frogs and aquatic plants. They are distinctive animals, standing five feet tall, with white bodies, black wing tips and red crowns on their heads.

WCEP asks anyone who encounters a whooping crane in the wild to please give them the respect and distance they need. Do not approach birds on foot within 200 yards; try to remain in your vehicle; do not approach in a vehicle within 100 yards. Also, please remain concealed and do not speak loudly enough that the birds can hear you. Finally, do not trespass on private property in an attempt to view whooping cranes.

Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership founding members are the International Crane Foundation, Operation Migration Inc., Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and National Wildlife Health Center, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, and the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team.

Tigers Disappear From Himalayan Refuge

ScienceDaily (July 2, 2008) — World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is alarmed by the dramatic decline of at least 30 percent in the Bengal tiger population of Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal, once a refuge that boasted among the highest densities of the endangered species in the Eastern Himalayas. The recent survey of April 2008 showed a population of between 6-14 tigers, down from 20-50 tigers in 2005.

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See also:

Plants & Animals

• Endangered Animals
• Wild Animals
• Animals

Earth & Climate

• Rainforests
• Environmental Policy
• Ecology

Reference

• Endangered species
• Tiger
• Carnivore
• Biodiversity hotspot

The Government of Nepal made a low-key announcement on July 1 based on the results of a long-term camera trap study conducted in large part by WWF. Officials identified poaching as perhaps the major cause of tigers disappearing from this protected area. Ironically, armed poachers have been photographed by the very equipment set up to capture tiger images.

“The loss of tigers in Suklaphanta is undoubtedly linked to the powerful global mafia that controls illegal wildlife trade,” said Jon Miceler, managing director of WWF’s Eastern Himalayas Program. “The evidence suggests that Nepal’s endangered tigers are increasingly vulnerable to this despicable trade that has already emptied several Indian tiger reserves—clearly, this is symptomatic of the larger tiger crisis in the region. We need a stronger, more sustained response to this issue in order to protect the future of tigers in the wild.”

Suklaphanta shares a porous international border with India, allowing for easy and untraceable transportation of wildlife contraband. Unlike poaching of other species like rhinos where only the horns are removed, virtually no evidence remains at a tiger poaching site because all its parts are in high demand for illegal wildlife trade.

In May, two tiger skins and nearly 70 pounds of tiger bones were seized from the border town of Dhangadi. Just last month, two separate raids recovered tiger bones being smuggled by local middlemen through the reserve.

“With only 4,000 tigers remaining in the wild, every tiger lost to poaching pushes this magnificent animal closer to extinction,” said Dr. Sybille Klenzendorf, director of WWF’s Species Conservation Program. “Tigers cannot be saved in small forest fragments when faced with a threat like illegal wildlife trade—this is a global problem that needs the concerted effort of governments, grassroots organizations and all concerned individuals.”

WWF is committed to working even more closely with local communities and various government bodies in Nepal and India to tackle illegal wildlife trade. Activities ranging from improved community-based anti-poaching operations to entrenched informant networks and better-equipped rapid response teams are being strengthened.

Most poached tigers end up in China and South East Asia where they are used in traditional Chinese medicine, prized as symbols of wealth and served as exotic food.

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Adapted from materials provided by World Wildlife Fund.

Write to the European Commission for a forests law

UPDATE EU Forests Law

Write to the European Commission if you haven't already.

Dear Friends,

In just 3 weeks the EU Commission will hold a vital vote on illegal timber. Over 65000 people have already written to urge the EU to ban illegal timber. We need you to join those 65000 people now in supporting a ban on illegal timber.

Right now we are outside the EU commission with a huge Amazon tree from an area devastated by illegal logging. We are upping the pressure on the EU in the run up to the vote and every letter of support really helps our campaign.

The European Commission has ignored the need for a new law for almost five years. Even now European Commission President José Manuel Barroso is being lobbied by companies who profit from illegal timber to reject legislation. We need European Commissioners to vote "YES" to stop illegal logging on July 23rd.

Please write to the European Commission

Tom, Eoin, Juliette, Dietlind, Judy and everyone from the forests campaign.

P.S. You can also click this link to share the illegal timber action page as a note with your facebook friends.

Save Whales -- Not Whaling

	Greenpeace

Although most of the world supports the protection of whales, a few countries still want to open the seas to widespread commercial whaling.

The goal of Humane Society International and The HSUS' Save Whales—Not Whaling campaign is to mobilize the public and governments around the world to protect whales.

This campaign educates the public and politicians about the threat that commercial whaling poses to whale species, the use of trade sanctions to force nations to cease their commercial and so-called scientific whaling activities, and the necessity of creating whale sanctuaries that provide safe havens for whales to breed, feed, and calve away from human predators.

Commercial whaling is neither humane nor sustainable and has no place in the 21st century. If whaling resumes, we will see the decline of many species and the possible extinction of other species. People interested in protecting the whales can help spread the word that the whales haven't been saved—yet.

Live from IWC 2008

• IWC 60 Wrap-up (July 1, 2008)
• Day 4 Dispatch (June 26, 2008)
• Day 3 Dispatch (June 25, 2008)
• Day 2 Dispatch (June 24, 2008)
• Day 1 Dispatch (June 23, 2008)
• "Las ballenas tienen esperanza en Chile" (June 23, 2008)
• Whale of a Fight (blog) (June 23, 2008)
• Scientists Find Whales Innocent of Global Decline in Fisheries (press release) (June 23, 2008)
• The 2008 IWC Meeting: Santiago Speculation (June 19, 2008)

IWC Background Materials

• HSI Opening Statement [PDF]
• Who's Eating All the Fish? The Food Security Rationale for Culling Cetaceans Executive Summary/Spanish/Full Report [PDF] (June 23, 2008)
• Time to Refocus: A constructive vision for the evolution and future of the International Whaling Commission as a cetacean protection organisation English/Spanish [PDF] (June 23, 2008)
• View video (June 2008)

Recent News

• Iceland Resumes Whaling (May 20, 2008)
• HSI Delivers Court Papers to Japan (Feb. 1, 2008)
• Australian Court Orders Japan to Stop Whaling (Jan. 15, 2008)
• Judge Rules in Favor of Marine Life in Navy Sonar Case (Jan. 10, 2008)
• Japan Postpones Targeting Humpbacks until June 2008 IWC meeting (Dec. 21, 2007)
• HSI Australia Welcomes Government Action Over Whaling (Dec. 19, 2007)
• Companies Linked to Whaling; Conservationists Call for Action (Dec. 18, 2007)
• Members of Congress Urge President Bush to Condemn Japanese Whaling (Dec. 13, 2007)
• U.S. Senators Ask That Japan Reconsider Hunt [PDF] (Nov. 29, 2007)
• Japan Launches Colossal Whale Hunt in Defiance of Global Ban (Nov. 19, 2007)

Petland Store Caught Freezing Baby Animals Alive

PETA obtained video footage of employees' freezing baby mice and rats alive at a Petland store in Fairfax, Virginia. In the video, an employee takes live baby rats, or "pinkies," from their mother and places them in a freezer to die slow, painful deaths.

Latin America campaigns to prevent whale hunting in southern seas

antiago - Latin American countries agreed on Thursday to launch a diplomatic campaign to get the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to ban in 2009 the hunting of cetaceans in the southern hemisphere. The decision was adopted during the 60th IWC meeting, which is set to end Friday in Santiago, said Chilean delegate Ambassador Cristian Maqueira. At the Chilean capital, members of the IWC decided to launch negotiations with a view to reaching decisions on the future of whales at a meeting in Portugal in 2009. A 21-nation commission - including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand and Britain, on the side of conservationists, and Japan, Cameroon, Benin and Norway, on the pro-hunting side - has been charged with negotiations ahead of the 2009 meeting. This taskforce can tackle all issues that were not taken to a vote in Santiago, including a moratorium on commercial whale hunting, new rules for scientific whaling and administrative modernization at the IWC. The idea in Chile has been to avoid confrontation, given the lack of sufficient majorities on either side of the debate.
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Whale meeting makes "little progress"

Conservationists have expressed disappointment that last week's meeting on the world's whales made no progress in their protection.

Delegates from worldwide countries met in Chile throughout the week for the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said the meeting failed to address growing threats to whales and made little progress in addressing problems facing the function of the IWC.

The group claims that one of the main threats is increased whaling by Japan, Iceland and Norway.

"The commission is trying to chart a course for the future while ignoring ongoing whaling by just three member countries," said IFAW UK director Robbie Marsland.

"Whale conservation measures were put on ice at this meeting. If Japan, Norway and Iceland are serious about compromise, they should prove it by suspending their ongoing whaling."

The WWF has also expressed concern that progress in whale conservation could take too long for some threatened whale and dolphin species.

Dr Susan Lieberman, of WWF international species programme, said: "We regret that no resolution has yet been found on any issues of substance, while so-called 'scientific' whaling continues unabated."

But the WWF said one success of the meeting was the prioritisation of climate change as a significant threat to whales.

The IWC will hold a special workshop on climate change next year and several governments have made financial contributions to ensure this initiative is a success.

Next year's meeting will be held at Madeira, Portugal, from May 28th to June 26th.

"We call upon whaling countries to show flexibility, and on all governments to agree to move the IWC into a meaningful future for whale conservation," Dr Lieberman said.

"We also call upon governments to fully engage non-governmental organisations in all their deliberations in the coming year.

"The IWC is at a crossroads – the world is watching, and both the future of the IWC and the world's whales are in the balance."

Greenpeace protests against detention of activists in Japan

JAKARTA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Scores of Greenpeace activists staged rally outside the Japanese embassy in Jakarta on Monday, demanding the release of their two fellows being detained by the Japanese government.

Carrying banners containing words in Japanese and English languages asking for justice and stopping hunting whales, the activists stood in front of the embassy.

"Justice For Whales, Justice For Greenpeace," said the banners.

Representatives of the protesters were received by a senior official of the embassy.

"We ask for the release of both Greenpeace activists who are now being detained by the Japanese government without a clear reason," said Bustar Maitar, Greenpeace Forest campaigner of Southeast Asia after meeting with the official.

Both activists Junichi Sato, 31, and Toru Suzuki, 41, have been in custody since recent weeks.

In addition to the release, the group also demanded the Japanese government to terminate hunting whales, which they said could extinct the species.

Maitar said the Greenpeace had tried to reveal the scandal of hunting whales by the Japanese government.

"What have been done by the Greenpeace activists was to reveal the scandal of the whales huntings under the pretex of research by the Japanese government," he said.

Japan has long been criticized for killing whales.

Animals need protection too

There is something inherently evil about inhumane treatment of defenceless animals.

Man's inhumanity to man is one thing in that we as a species are much more capable of looking after ourselves than most animals are, especially smaller animals like domestic pets.

But when we use our physiological advantages to prey on these members of the animal kingdom, we are no better than the brutal psychopaths that prey on society.

In recent weeks there have been news reports of poison being left out in parks and urban areas known to be frequented by dogs and cats.

Then there was the absolutely sickening story of these small animals being eviscerated and, in some cases, decapitated. Good samaritans were coming across these animals and taking them to the nearest veterinarian or animal shelter to see if there was anything they could do to help.

Most of the time there wasn't. People that do this type of

thing are sick in the head, and in many cases are just graduating to similar treatment of their fellow homo sapiens. They are not only sick individuals, but in time they will be very dangerous to the rest of us if they are not apprehended and dealt with.

If you happen across an animal that has been obviously abused or tortured, we beseech you to do the right thing -and the humane thing - by making the animal as comfortable as possible and bringing it to the nearest medical professional for assistance.

If you happen to know who did this, you owe it to society in general to report them to the authorities. There are laws against this type of thing, and they must be upheld or we are no better than a bunch of cave men killing whatever doesn't cater to us. It is morally wrong, and for those with strong faith, it is also wrong in the eyes of God. They too are his creatures.