A new relationship with animals, nature and each other.

Archive for ‘September, 2010’

  • Introducing the Whale Sanctuary Project

    This blog is taking a break for the next few months so that I can devote my energies to the Whale Sanctuary Project. Here's why.

  • Is the Sloth Sanctuary a Zoo?

    The Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica was the first of its kind for these wonderfully engaging animals, and it was a model for others that followed. But questions have arisen. And…

  • Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary

    Tafi Atome looks like a typical forest in Ghana. The monkeys have been revered in this village for two centuries. But being “sacred” is no guarantee of survival.

  • The Great Irony of Animal “Rights”

    The great irony of the animal rights movement is there is still only one species that has any rights at all: humans. But the Nonhuman Rights Project is setting out to change that.

  • Why Mass Extinction Is Part of Human Nature

    Why would a supposedly “intelligent” species behave in a way that’s bringing about a mass extinction – one that will likely take us down along with so many other animals?

    Longest Tongue…Most Balloons…

    Anastasia goes bananas over balloons. She can pop 100 in 45 seconds, which pops her right into the Guinness Book of World Records — along with Puggy, who has the longest tongue.

    Animal Antibiotic Alert

    Now, after decades of debate, the Food and Drug Administration is poised to stop factory farms from routinely pumping antibiotics into animals. Doctors are worried that this is making us sick and, worse, resistant to antibiotics.

    Playing Possum in NYC

    City officials brought in possums to combat rats. What they got: plenty of both. Trying to outwit Mother Nature several years ago, city officials introduced opossums into…

    Italian Town Bans Donkey Race

    Cruel tradition denounced by minister of tourism. Dozens of “palios” – horse and donkey races around town squares – have been being held in Italian towns…

    Rescuing the Hermit Crabs

    Ranger Leanne Sarco loves all creatures great and small. By Barbara R. Saunders Team Gulf & The Hermit Rescue Project from Eugenio A. Salazar on Vimeo.…

    My Visit to the Dolphins at SeaWorld

    The dolphin show was a cross between a Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil extravaganza, a Disney on Ice performance, and a dolphin show.
    SeaWorld claims that it does much to educate people, especially children, about the animals in its shows and the benefits of its parks to conservation. But there was no factual information provided during the performance at all. Some factoids were provided before the show started. These were pre-recorded by children, and went along the lines of “Hi, I’m Suzie. I’m 10 years old. Did you know that SeaWorld’s dolphins can weigh up to 500 pounds? That’s more than two professional football players!”
    It was very difficult to hear these pronouncements over the noise of the crowd. As far as I could tell, most people were not even aware of them.

    dolphins2-sidenav

    Dolphins & People Part Two of three: The Big Business of Dolphins (See also Part One: The Smartest of Us All?) The Business of Dolphins How…

    The Drive Hunts

    This is from Part Two of “The Big Business of Dolphins” in our feature “Dolphins and Us.”