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

    Bird Flu Is Back

    Three weeks ago, the U.N. warned that avian flu is back on the rise after a five-year decline. A new strain of the H5N1 virus had appeared in China and Vietnam, prompting the alarm.

    Crows Can Use Mirrors to Find Food

    Would you be able to find something if you could only look at it through a mirror? Crows can. This puts them among a small group of species, including humans, dolphins, chimpanzees, elephants and magpies, who have been shown to be able to process mirror information.

    Fury over Fur on TV Show Down Under

    Animal protection groups across Australia are outraged over the latest episode of a TV competition featuring models wearing over-the-top fashions. In the “tribal-themed” show, contestants showed up wearing fur hats, coats and wraps.

    Wounded Grizzly Fights Back

    A hunter who shot a grizzly bear in the forests of Montana was himself killed by the enraged, wounded animal. Steve Stevenson tried to distract the bear from attacking his younger hunting partner by shouting and shooting at the animal the younger man had shot.

    Oceans of Trash

    September is “Debris Month of Action” and scuba divers are collecting data and sending it to Project AWARE to help scientists understand how much trash there is in oceans.

    SeaWorld Goes on Trial

    Monday, 19 months after killer whale Tilikum dragged his trainer to her death, SeaWorld Orlando will be in court to fight charges of having committed “willful” safety violations.