Dirty pool: (Part II of a two-part investigative series)

December 1, 1994 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, December 1994:

VANCOUVER, KANSAS CITY,

CHICAGO––Propaganda wins converts to

causes by reducing issues to good against evil,

forcing observers to take sides. Propaganda is

among the most effective tools of warfare;

but like warfare itself, it exacts a high price

from those who use it. Much as the dead

from either side don’t “win” a war, propagan-

dists for any cause often find themselves

obliged to wage wars they can’t afford simply

because they chose to use exaggerated

rhetoric in trying to win a simple reform. The

nature of propaganda is that in making broad

accusations of bad faith by the opponent, it

cuts off communication, making enmity out

of disagreement and mendacity out of misun-

derstanding.

Performing animals

November 1, 1994 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 1994:

The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus is reportedly close to

purchasing a 200-acre site northeast of Polk City, Florida, as a retirement colony for 50

elephants and possibly several lions and tigers who were retired from performing with the

retirement of longtime trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams in 1991. Ringling already owns a

35-acre animal retirement site elsewhere in Levy County. In other Ringling news, the

circus is splitting two new touring units off from the two that visit 95 U.S. cities a

year––one to tour South America, the other to tour Asia. The new units will be the first

Ringling shows to perform under tents since 1956, when the U.S. units turned to indoor

arenas.

The 1,100-mile Iditarod sled dog race lost yet another major sponsor on

September 25 when Timberland, a primary backer since 1987, announced it would cease

annual funding of about $390,000 because the association didn’t “translate well” to many

customers. Iams pulled out on September 13.

Dirty pool (Part I of a two-part investigative series)

November 1, 1994 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 1994:

ORLANDO, NEW YORK CITY,

MYSTIC––Activists don’t believe anything

they hear from the “aquaprison industry.”

Oceanarium people don’t trust activists to

know truth when they see it. And small won-

der on either side, given the pitch of the pro-

paganda for and against keeping marine mam-

mals in captivity.

This debate differs from the equally

bitter conflicts over hunting, trapping, meat-

eating, and the use of animals in biomedical

research. Knowingly or not, the antagonists

in the oceanarium debate express smilar

visions of what oceanariums should be––and

issue many of the same criticisms of what

they are. They agree that saving marine

mammals is among the urgent moral and eco-

logical priorities of our time. Their only sub-

stantive disagreements concern the morality

of capturing marine mammals from the wild,

a practice now largely but not totally history,

and the ethics of putting them on display.

Performing animals

October 1, 1994 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 1994:

California governor Pete Wilson on August 29 signed a bill banning the inten-

tional tripping of horses in entertainment, a standard feature of charreada rodeo.

“Tripping and roping a horse is no different than what is done to steers and calves in Anglo

rodeos,” objected Los Angeles assemblyman Richard Polanco. “I agree,” responded Eric

Mills of Action for Animals. “Perhaps he would carry a bill to outlaw calf roping next year?”

Iams Co., the second-biggest sponsor of the 1,100-mile Iditarod dog sled race,

announced on September 13 that it will discontinue involvement after the 1995 race because

the organizers have not addressed their concerns about dog safety during the event.

Thailand on August 29 formed a working group to fight cruelty to animals at

tourist attractions. Included are representatives of the Royal Forestry Department, the

Tourist Police, the Tourism Authority, and conservation groups.

Where are the Ocean World dolphins?

October 1, 1994 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 1994:

Twelve dolphins from the

defunct Ocean World marine park in Fort

Lauderdale were flown to the St.

Anthony’s Key dolphin swim facility in

Honduras on September 15 in an expedit-

ed deal that raised the suspicion of release

advocates––especially after former Ocean

World dolphin trainer and longtime critic

of the facility Russ Rector said September

18 that an Ocean World staffer had told

him six dolphins were never unloaded at

St. Anthony’s, but instead were flown on

to the Isla Mujares resort near Cancun,

Mexico, where visitors may swim with

either dolphins or sea turtles.

MARINE LIFE

October 1, 1994 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 1994:

Earth Island Institute and

Public Citizen on September 14 sued

the Commerce Department, alleging

non-enforcement of the requirement

that Gulf of Mexico shrimpers use tur-

tle excluders to keep endangered sea

turtles from getting caught in their

nets. The Commerce Dept. says the

excluders cut shrimp catches by 5%;

the Texas Shrimp Association says it’s

more like 20%. Irate shrimpers are

blamed for killing more than 270 tur-

tles whose mutilated remains have

been found since March. The National

Marine Fisheries Service has posted a

$10,000 reward for information bring-

ing the arrest of the culprits.

Music Reviews

September 1, 1994 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, September 1994:

Animal Tracks, written and recorded by

Dwayne Robertson; distributed by The Spayed

Club (POB 1145, Frazer, PA 19355). $9.00.

The first song of the four-song cassette Animal

Tracks could be a popular hit were it to enter the main-

stream. “Friends for Life” is reminiscent of a railroad bal-

lad with touches of the classic “Mr. Bojangles.” It tells the

true story of a loyal dog, Shep, who waits for his master

by the railroad tracks for six years. Every day he meets

the train, and every day he is disappointed, for his master

was dead when put aboard.

The other three songs are considerably less art-

ful, but carry important messages. They are, however,

too sad for me to enjoy. Thus I question their application.

Perhaps they could be useful as part of a humane society

program, but my experience is that people turn away from

messages that are depressing or overly preachy.

I’d market “Friends for Life” as a single, or put it

on a tape with more appealing songs if I were serious

about reaching the general public.

––Kim Bartlett

Circuses & spectacles

September 1, 1994 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, September 1994:

Cesar, a runaway circus sea lion, was

recaptured on July 22 while napping on a parked

car, ending a four-day chase in Lake Maggiore,

Switzerland, during which activists demanded that

he be allowed to live in the lake. Cesar’s brother

Otto escaped with him, but was caught earlier––and

recaught after escaping again.

The Atlantic City SPCA said August 9

that it was satisfied with improvements the Great

Moscow Circus had made to animal holding condi-

tions at the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel, and would not

file cruelty charges. An exercise cage for the bears,

built at the insistence of Eileen Liska of the

Michigan Humane Society during the Moscow

Circus tour of 1988-1989, was reclaimed from stor-

age in Canada, and was to travel with the circus

throughout the rest of the current tour. The Taj

Mahal shows were continuously picketed by the

New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance.

Free Willy––or breed him? MORE AT RISK THAN MONEY IN OCEANARIUMS

September 1, 1994 Dylan Forest Leave a comment

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, September 1994:

A surfacing fin whale probably didn’t inspire the

Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C.––but she might

have. She rises from the trench between waves like a glisten-

ing black wall, low at first, easing up out of the water until

her fin breaks the horizon and she looms for a moment as big

in life as in symbol. Then she spouts, arches her back, and

slides out of sight. Her broad tail never breaks the surface.

Just 15 seconds with a wild whale, after a 330-mile

drive and a three-hour cruise, can unforgetably confirm the

mystique of whales. Add to that half an hour of observing the

dolphins who often surf the wakes of whale-watching vessels,

and it’s no surprise that whale-watching draws 1.5 million

people per year in New England alone, pumping $317 million

into the local economy. Globally, says the British-based

Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, whale-watching is

now worth more than whale-killing ever was––perhaps even

in Japan, the leading market worldwide for whale meat.

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