Organizations

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 1999:

WISE-USE THREATS
The Smithsonian Institution, operators of the
National Zoo in Washington D.C., “backed out of a signing
reception [at the zoo] for my book Science Under Siege: The
Politicians’ War on Nature and Truth,” naturalist and author
Todd Wilkinson reported on March 19, “because the organizers
said my book was ‘too hot politically.’ The shorthand of this,”
Wilkinson continued, “is that it might anger certain lawmakers
who might affect funding for the institution. The book signing
was to have been held in conjunction with a speech by grizzly
bear biologist Dave Mattson, who is featured in one chapter.”
Forest Guardians chief canvasser Mike Cherin
found a pipe bomb in the Santa Fe-based group’s mailbox on
March 19, three months after an unknown party pumped shotgun
fire into the Santa Fe offices of Animal Protection of New
Mexico. The Santa Fe police bomb squad removed the explosive
and safely detonated it. After each incident, the organization
attacked reportedly received a drawing with an Albuquerque
postmark, showing the crosshairs of a gun sight over its name,
signed “MM,” which the New Mexico Department of Public
Safety tentatively believes may indicate the involvement of the
loosely organized Minute Man militia faction.

MERGER
The Free Willy Keiko Foundation and Jean-Michel
Cousteau Institute on March 16 announced a merger to form a
new organization called Ocean Futures. Backed by Seattle-area
telecommunications billionaire Craig O. McCaw, Ocean
Futures reportedly has hired the Swedish firm L.M. Ericsson to
create a World Wide Web site which will enable web surfers to
watch Keiko in his Icelandic sea pen. The site is also to “educate
web users about ocean pollution and other threats to the sea and
its inhabitants, to foster a conservation ethic, and to raise
money,” wrote Katy Muldoon of the Portland Oregonian.
ADVERTISING
Asked by Kathleen Chaplin of the Dallas-area lowcost
neutering project A h i m s a why wealthy national organizations
such as the American SPCA, Humane Society of the
U.S., and Doris Day Animal League don’t push neutering with
paid TV ads, instead of competing with other charities for everscarcer
free public service spots, ASPCA vice president Peter
Paris asserted on March 18 that they can’t afford paid TV time––
although small businesses operating on a fraction of the ASPCA,
HSUS, and DDAL budgets manage to dominate the late night
local airwaves. Advertising where she can afford to, Chaplin in
1997 put a paid pro-neutering message on a racing car.
DOWN UNDER
Millionaire South Australian conservationist John
Wamsley, credited with helping save several marsupial species
from extinction but notorious for his hatred of cats and other
non-native species, was in February accused of trying to bribe
political foes of his scheme to redevelop a defunct coal mine as a
wildlife sanctuary and tourist attraction. Wamsley allegedly
offered to support key politicians with paid advertising before
the March 27 elections, if they would drop their effort to add the
mine site to Greater Blue Mountains National Park.
New South Wales Green Party Member of
Parliament Ian Cohen meanwhile disgusted people who thought
being Green included respect for animals by giving political
opponents sardonic trophies made from dead cane toads.
As this went on, Animal Liberation NSW president
Mark Pearson asked the NSW State Electoral Commission to
deregister two candidates for the state legislature who ran as
members of the “Animal Liberation Party.” Unsuccessful,
Pearson appealed to the NSW Supreme Court and sought a
restraining order to keep the two candidates from using the
Animal Liberation name in fundraising.