Obituaries [March 2011]

March 1, 2011 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011:

“I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do
lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones.”
–William Shakespeare
Dick King-Smith, 88, died in his sleep on January 4, 2011
at his home near Bath, England. Smith turned to writing after World
War II military service, 20 years of farming, stints selling
firefighting equipment and working in a shoe factory, and finally
teaching, after he completed a degree in education at Bristol
University at age 53 in 1975. King-Smith’s first of more than 100
books, The Fox Busters, appeared in 1978. Concerning three
chickens who repeatedly foil the efforts of foxes to eat them, The
Fox Busters inspired a 26-episode Cosgrove Hall animated TV series of
the same name, aired in 1999-2000. King-Smith’s books, mostly
about talking animals, sold more than 15 million copies in all. The

Obituaries

Five alleged animal fighters die in 10 days

March 1, 2011 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011:
DETROIT, YAZOO, DELANO–Five alleged animal fighters
died in three separate incidents during the last 10 days of January
2011.
Detroit police responding to calls about gunshots and an
anonymous call saying that bodies could be found at a particular
address on the night of January 21 found the remains of three young
men after removing 11 pit bull terriers to gain access to the
building.

Talk of dogs in Bahrain amid demos & shooting

March 1, 2011 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011:
MANAMA– Thousands of opponents of the regime of King Hamad
bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain reoccupied central Manama on February
20, 2011 after troops were withdrawn, following gunfire that left
at least five protesters dead and 25 missing.
Amid the demonstrations, which began on Valentine’s Day,
“Residents across Bahrain have come out in force with suggestions on
how to tackle the increasing number of stray dogs plaguing the
country,” reported Basma Mohammed of Gulf News. “Dozens of e-mails
have been sent to Central Municipal Council chair Abdulrazzaq Al
Hattab following his appeal,” on February 8, “for ideas to find a
solution to the problem. The animals have been accused of attacking
cattle and leaving many residents too afraid to leave their homes at
night.”

Guinness delists elephant polo

March 1, 2011 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011:
LONDON–Guinness World Records Ltd. on January 24, 2011 wrote to
PETA that it will no longer recognize elephant polo in the annual
Guinness Book of World Records. “The decision was based on expert
counsel which advised that the activities related to elephant polo
could be potentially harmful to the animals,” said Guinness editor
Craig Glenday.

Equine illness kills big cats in Iran–feral cats blamed

March 1, 2011 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011:

TEHRAN–A Russian/Iranian zoo animal exchange reportedly
promoted by Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin came to grief, the
Iranian National News Agency and the Russian ITAR-TASS agency
disclosed in January 2011, after an Amur tiger sent from the
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Zoo in Russia to the Eram Zoo in Tehran died from
the bacterial disease glanders. Fourteen African lions were later
euthanized after also becoming infected.
Russian natural resources minister Yury Trutneve and Iranian
counterpart Mohammad Javad Mohammadizadeh brokered the deal in early
2010. In April 2010 a Russian aircraft flew a pregnant female Amur
tiger and a male to Tehran, picked up a pair of Persian leopards,
and returned to Moscow.

Canada Revenue Agency moves to muzzle animal charities

March 1, 2011 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011:

OTTAWA–The Canada Revenue Agency on February 5, 2011
published new regulations governing animal charities which would
revoke the nonprofit status of any who oppose vivisection, hunting,
trapping, the fur trade, seal-clubbing, animal agriculture, and
any other legal use of animals.
“Under common law, an activity or purpose is only charitable
when it provides a benefit to humans,” the Canada Revenue Agency
regulations assert. “As far back as the 19th century, the courts
have stated that promoting the welfare of animals ‘has for its
object, not merely the protection of the animals themselves, but the
advancement of morals and education among [people].’ To be
charitable, the benefit to humans must always take precedence over
any benefit to animals. If a purpose or activity that promotes the
welfare of animals harms humans, or has a real potential to cause
significant harm to humans, it is likely not charitable.”

Agribiz trying to learn to use Twitter

March 1, 2011 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011:
Having formed the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance in
November 2010 to try to counter bad publicity, agribusiness fronts
including the National Corn Growers Association and National Pork
Producers Council are still trying to figure out what to do and how
to do it, reported Michael J. Crumb of Associated Press on January
31, 2011.
“The groups have been alarmed by such things as the release
of videos that show male chicks being put into grinders, egg-laying
hens in battery cages, and the mistreatment of hogs in large
confinement operations,” Crumb wrote. “The alliance has yet to
develop an action plan, but leaders said it will likely use social
media such as Twitter and a public relations campaign.”
Responded Humane Society of the U.S. factory farming campaign
manager Paul Shapiro, “It doesn’t matter what media they use.
Defending practices most Americans consider indefensible is not a
smart strategy.”

Thai “tiger temple” defamation case fails to silence Wiek of Wildlife Friends

March 1, 2011 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011:
BANGKOK–A year after the notorious Thai “tiger temple” sued
Wildlife Friends founder Edwin Wiek and representatives of the
Bangkok Post for defamation, Wiek is still speaking out about how
the temple keeps the tigers it exhibits and the case appears to be
dead.
Located in Kanchanaburi, about two hours by tourist bus from
Bangkok, the Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno Forest Monastery
claims it “started in 1999,” with “a sick baby tiger, orphaned by
poachers,” and expanded to house other tiger orphans.”

Montana governor reprieves Yellowstone bison, signs death warrant for wolves

March 1, 2011 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2011:
BOZEMAN–U.S. District Court Judge Charles Lovell on February
13, 2011 appeared to have doomed 525 bison who were to have been
trucked to slaughter after wandering outside Yellowstone National
Park, rejecting a Buffalo Field Campaign application for an
emergency injunction against the killing. A day later, however,
Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer issued an executive order
prohibiting the transport of wild bison through Montana for 90 days.
The order means the bison and any others captured by the
National Park Service after leaving Yellowstone will have to be held
in corrals at Stephens Creek, northwest of Gardiner, until spring.

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