SeaWorld Back on Trial
SeaWorld is back in court today to defend itself against charges of “willful” neglect by OSHA in the death of killer whale trainer Dawn Brancheau by orca Tilikum.
-
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
How to Start on a Plant-Based Diet
Just start simply, maybe just one day a week. Like on Thursday just have granola and soy milk for breakfast, a tofu sandwich for lunch and spaghetti for dinner just to show yourself that you can make it for one day without animal products. Then make it two days, then three days. Instead of having meat three times a day, make it one meal a day.
Bunny Rescue Is No Hare-Brained Plan!
It’s a last-minute rescue for more some 2,000 rabbits who were due to be put down in Canmore, Canada, about 50 miles west of Calgary.
All Penguins, All Weekend!
Penguin lovers will enjoy the Penguin Palooza on Nat Geo Wild this weekend. It’s wall-to-wall penguins from noon to 11 pm ET/PT on Saturday and Sunday Nov. 12 and 13.
Michael Vick and the Silence of the Dogs
“Announcers never mention “the dog thing” when Michael Vick is on the field, ever, even in passing, even by way of background,” Tom Junod writes in Esquire magazine.
Circus Owners Charged with Cruelty
Remember Annie the elephant, who was freed from a U.K. circus last April? The owners of the circus have now been charged with animal cruelty.
When a Humane Organization Sounds like a Tin Pot Dictator
This paranoid view of the grassroots wasn’t coming from some Middle East dictatorship in response to the Arab Spring. It was coming from the ASPCA in response to successful local no-kill programs.
How Do You Define a Person?
While a pair of cells may be deemed to be a person, a 40-year-old elephant or orca, who carries the wisdom and culture of her community, is no more considered a person than is a computer or a pile of garbage.
NYPD ‘Officer’ Meets Occupy Wall Street ‘Civilian’
A passerby writes that “I saw this on my walk back to the office from lunch. It was a nice contrast to the perception everyone has of the NYPD in the area due to the Occupy Wall Street camp nearby.”
New Home for a Dog and Her Seeing-Eye Dog
“This is the happy ending we were all hoping for and everyone is delighted for Lily and Maddison,” said Louise Campbell, manager of the Dogs Trust shelter. “The Williams family were the perfect match, and we know they’ll give the dogs all the love and fuss they so deserve.”
McRibs Are Made of Fibs
H.S.U.S. has filed a legal complaint against Smithfield Foods, citing an undercover operation in which it uncovered gestation crates that cause mother pigs to suffer “from open pressure sores and other ulcers and wounds” and “abscesses sometimes formed from simple scratches due to ever-present bacteria.”
Living Nature’s Way
We humans are amazing in our ability to adapt, including to adapt to unnatural and bizarre environments. Today, rather than eating real food, we mostly eat food-like substances in colorful packages and boxes.
Tarra the Elephant Still Mourns Loss of Her Friend
Eight years ago, when the stray mutt was first spotted on the grounds of the sanctuary, she attached herself to Tarra, one of the elephants.
Pets Get Vets at Occupy Wall Street
Family pets were among the first to lose their homes when the housing crisis struck, so it’s good to know that four-leggeds who are hanging out with their families at the ongoing Occupy Wall Street protest are getting free health care.
Rhinos Fly to Safety
looks scary, but for the 19 endangered rhinos, it was just a snooze. The black rhinos were lifted by their ankles over the South African landscape to protect them from poachers.
Feral Kittens Reunite
Feral cat caregiver Sherman Mohler took this video of one of her charges as she returned the kitty to her colony mates after taking her to the vet to be spayed.
Whale Culture is Real
They have the biggest brains on Earth. Their clans have thousands of members, covering thousands of miles. And a new study shows that, yes, they have cultures that are passed down from generation to generation, just like humans.
Startling Starling Murmuration
Toward the end of fall, typically at sunset, huge flocks of starlings take to the skies to check out who’s who, what’s what, and where the best food is likely to be tomorrow.
The One-Step Key to Good Health
Dr. Michael Klaper says that while medicine is a complex, subtle and beautiful art, primary care medicine today needs to be, more than anything, about diet and lifestyle.
Circuses Take a Hit in Congress
Watch out, Ringling Brothers and others. Congressman Jim Moran is nipping at your heels. And veteran animal protector Bob Barker was by his side on Tuesday, along with Jorja Fox, to introduce a bill that would stop the use of exotic animals in traveling circuses.