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

    Israel Bans Declawing Cats

    Israel’s parliament has made it a criminal offense to declaw cats unless the the procedure is medically necessary or if a person can prove they would have a medical problem if scratched.

    World’s Largest Insect – Eats Carrots

    The giant weta can weigh nearly three ounces … more than a sparrow … more than three mice. This one is the largest ever recorded. She was pregnant (which explains the extra size), and was found on New Zealand’s Little Barrier Island

    The Real da Vinci Code: Animals

    A graphic designer says he has uncovered a Mona Lisa mystery. He says that hidden in the painting are various animals, placed there by Leonardo because of his concern for animal protection.

    Dog Shoots Duck Hunter

    Bad luck or bad karma? Either way, the ducks at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge were safe from being shot last Sunday when the dog put a stop to the plans by shooting one of the hunters.

    First Night Out

    Hyenas are nocturnal animals and the pups are born and raised in burrows – so daytime pictures are rare. But wildlife photographer Rajesh Pardeshi captured the moment a mother hyena brought her pups above ground in Ahmednagar, India.

    ‘Look Where I’m Pointing’

    We humans point at things with our fingers, or by motioning with our head and eyes. Other apes do much the same thing. Now we know that raven do it, too. In their case, they point with their beaks.

    Leonardo da Vinci – Animal Protector

    He ate no animals – instead he bought them to set them free. He deplored vivisection. And while other scientists were experimenting on live animals, cutting them up to see how they “worked”, he was drawing their anatomy in greater precision than anyone had ever done before.

    When Your Cat Is Stuck in a Tree

    Most cats, he says, will eventually come down themselves. And since they went up the tree to get away, they’re unlikely to come down when you call them, and will likely just go up higher when someone tries to climb up to them.

    Conception to Birth – the Video

    Alexander Tsiaras is an artist and technologist. His work explores the unseen human body, developing visualization software that enables him to “paint” the human anatomy.

    Bye Bye, Birdie

    Two young eagles put up a healthy fight as Dawn Keller, founder of Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation, takes them from their crates and releases them into Starved Rock Nature Reserve in Illinois.