A new relationship with animals, nature and each other.

Posts by Michael Mountain

  • 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?

    Is the Stock Market a Global Ponzi Scheme?
    Sacred Activism in the Service of Animals
    Of Humans and Persons

    Foie Gras Ban Upheld

    California legislators will not repeal the ban on foie gras that takes effect July 1st. About 100 chefs had signed a petition Monday to keep the…

    Watch Cheetah Cub Live Cam

    Last week, Salome the Cheetah gave birth to two cubs at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre in South Africa. The center focuses on the conservation of…

    Candid GorillaCam

    The camera had been placed along the path by members of the Wildlife Conservation Society, which is looking to save this highly endangered species (250 of them remaining) from extinction.

    Shanthi and the Harmonica

    Many people have been enchanted by this video of Shanthi, a 36-year-old elephant at the National Zoo, playing the harmonica. "Fantastic" and "Awesome" are some of…

    What’s Up with the Genesis Awards?

    Two big no-no’s at this year’s Genesis Awards. The HSUS needs a whole new selection committee, plus it should have raised holy hell and walked away from the relationship with Animal Planet.

    Parakeet Tells Police His Address

    First he told the police the names of the city and the district where he lived. And then, when that information was not good enough to get him home, he gave them the precise street and house number.

    Bob Barker to Chimps: “Come On Down!”

    Last year, he donated $380,000 for a new habitat at Chimp Haven. And last week, the irrepressible Bob Barker flew down to the sanctuary in Louisiana to cut the ribbon — or rather to pick up the microphone and call out to five newly arrived chimpanzees: “Come on down!”

    Cole Circus Pays to Settle Abuse Lawsuit

    Cole Brothers Circus has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Agriculture $15,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging abuse of the animals. Allegations against the circus included that elephant handlers has repeatedly struck an elephant with an ankus — a hook or goad used in elephant training — during performances, according to a USDA report.

    Perpetual Ocean

    This remarkable video of our living ocean planet shows how ocean currents flowed around the world during the period from June 2005 through December 2007. The…

    One Thing You Can Do

    Most climate scientists and environmental organizations continue to skip over the one critical thing that any and all of us can do to save ourselves, the other animals and the Earth from the devastation that climate change is beginning to wreak. But the fact is there’s one simple thing that we can all do about it. And the more of us do it, the more it can turn this whole thing around while there’s still time.

    The Killing Agency

    They call it Wildlife Services. But the last thing on Earth that this branch of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture is serving is wildlife.

    “Mom, There’s a Fox in My Bed!”

    Alexander West was stunned to see the baby fox snuggled in his duvet in his bedroom on the second floor of his home in Hemel Hempstead, Herts. The youngster had left the back door of the townhouse open when he ran outside to play and the female fox had crept inside and made herself at home.