The importance of humane education

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

The importance of humane education by Wu Tianyu

Among the few nations which have almost every type of
ecosystem, from tropical rainforest to desert to steppe, China has
great natural bioversity, including such species unique to China as
giant pandas, 19 varieties of pheasant, three golden monkeys,
Przewalski’s Horse, Przewalski’s gazelle, wild yaks, and Tibetan
antelope.
China also breeds 1 billion pigs, 10 billion chickens, and
200 million cattle each year-more than any other nation.
In addition, China breeds more wildlife in captivity than
any other nation.
Even by the lowest recent estimates, Chinese people also
keep more pets than any other nation: two to seven times more pet
dogs, and more pet cats than dogs.
Yet our wildlife, our farm animals, and even our pets are
often badly treated. Lacking animal welfare legislation, China is in
this sense behind more than 110 other nations. Animals suffer from
low status in China because the national education system does
nothing to promote animal welfare.
When we understand the relationship between humans and
animals, it is clear that treating animals with compassion is
essential to fostering human virtue.
The more civilized a society, the wider is its scope of
care. The moral shortcomings of a nation cannot be overcome through
economic development and scientific advances. This requires
enlightenment and education. Therefore, it is essential to integrate
humane education into the Chinese educational system. China has more
students than any other nation. This means that China has huge
potential to promote humane values through education, from
kindergarten to university. When humane education is a part of most
people’s education, most people will recognize the importance of
treating animals in an ethical manner, and will support legislation
prohibiting cruelty.

Wu Tianyu founded Animal Rescue Beijing in 1987, and
established the China University Union for the Protection of Animals
in 2009. CUUPA, now including 110 chapters at 110 universities in
six provinces, advocates the integration of humane education into
the Chinese curriculum, and promotes the passage of animal welfare
legislation in China.

Animal welfare is Chinese tradition, says prof

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

CHENGDU–Legislating on behalf of animals is not a break with
Chinese culture and tradition, but rather a rediscovery of ancient
Chinese values, Central Institute of Socialism professor Mang Ping
recently told an ActAsia forum on promoting animal welfare
legislation.
“In Chinese history there is a long tradition of protecting
animals, but we forget about the past. We have the same sympathy
and mercy as the West towards animals,” Mang Ping declared,
according to notes taken by Animals Asia Foundation founder Jill
Robinson.

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Good winter for bison

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

WEST YELLOWSTONE–Montana hunters killed only one bison who
roamed out of Yellowstone National Park during the winter of
2009-2010, after killing only one the previous winter. The state
issued 144 bison tags to members of the Nez Perce tribe, and 144 to
other Montana hunters.
During the harsh winters of 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 more than
1,000 bison were either shot or trucked to slaughter after testing
positive as potential carriers of brucellosis, feared by the Montana
cattle industry, but few bison left Yellowstone during the mild past
two winters.

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Retired cavalry general rides to the rescue of Animal Birth Control programs

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:
CHENNAI, AHMEDABAD– Responding to alleged corruption that
has in recent years crippled the Indian national Animal Birth Control
program, Animal Welfare Board of India chair Rammehar Kharb warned
the cities of Ahmedabad and Ludhiana against employing unauthorized
ABC providers.
“You are requested to cancel your ABC contract awarded to
Animal Shelter & Hospital at Ahmedabad Foundation, which is not
recognized or registered with AWBI,” Kharb wrote to the Ahmedabad
Municipal Corporation, “failing which AWBI will be constrained to
initiate action in the matter.”

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Interest in the Chinese draft bill around Pacific Rim

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

TAIPEI, SEOUL– The Chinese draft animal welfare bill
attracted keen interest elsewhere around the Pacific Rim, especially
as a potential precedent for strengthening the animal welfare laws of
some of China’s major Asian trading partners.
Business news media discussed whether the introduction of a
Chinese animal welfare act will lead to international regulation of
animal welfare comparable to the regulation of commerce in endangered
species. Most pundits appeared to agree that whatever animal welfare
legislation China enacts will become the default standard for Asia,
and that no nation will prosper in trade if it has lower standards.

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China reportedly bans bullfights

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

“China has decided not to allow bullfights,” International
Movement Against Bullfights coordinator Maria Lopes e-mailed to
supporters on Feb-ruary 7, 2010, citing “several Spanish newspapers
published today.” The Spanish newspapers reported that a plan by
matador Manolo Sanchez to build a 7,000-seat bull ring in the Beijing
suburb of Huairou had been scuttled.
The Spanish accounts were not immediately confirmed by
Chinese media, but the Beijing Global Times on January 27, 2010
reported about Chinese opposition to repeated attempts to introduce
Spanish-style bullfighting to China.

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Buddhist monk & U.S. teen sparked the Taiwan animal cause

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:
TAIPEI–Horror stories about Taiwan animal shelters still
surface, despite the progress of recent years, long after an
international hue-and-cry brought the 1998 passage of the first
Taiwanese humane law.
The law forbade dog-eating, rare in Taiwan even then, and
addressed individual acts of abuse and neglect, but focused on
animal control practices.
Taiwan animal advocates are still struggling to ensure that
the law is observed, and to win improvements.

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Taipei animal rescuers tap Pacific Rim rivalry

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

TAIPEI, TAIWAN–Taipei is not a city that likes to be seen
as trailing economic rival Hong Kong in anything–and that tends to
help animals.
The almost equal heights of the tallest building in Taipei
and the three tallest in Hong Kong attest to the intensity of the
civic sibling rivalry. The three tallest Hong Kong office towers are
actually slightly higher, but the Taiwan tower has six more stories.
Now fundraising to build a state-of-the-art Taipei animal
adoption center is gettiing underway with quiet descriptions to
affluent and influential people of what Hong Kong did ten years ago.
The adoption center may be built by Animals Taiwan, or by a
coalition of organizations, perhaps with government help. The
details have yet to be negotiated. But there is agreement among the
Taiwan animal care and advocacy community that the time to do it is
now.

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Bob Barker also funds SHARK anti-pigeon shoot campaign

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2010:

 

HOLLYWOOD–Donating $5 million to the Sea Shepherd
Conservation Society and $1 million to Showing Animals Respect &
Kindness, former television game show host Bob Barker, 86, in
January 2010 outfitted two of the most confrontational of animal
advocacy groups for campaigns against two of the most ruthless
opponents.
Named in Barker’s honor, the former Norwegian whaler Bob
Barker on January 6, 2010 joined the Sea Shepherd vessels Steve
Irwin and Ady Gil in pursuit of the Japanese whaling fleet off
Antarctica.

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