AR-NEWS Digest 602

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) (UK)CJD (NEW VARIANT), DE-BONING OF BEEF - UK
     by bunny 
  2) NPR Endorses Animals as Toys for Holidays
     by Pat Fish 
  3) Calif. Seals Starving to Death (US)
     by Pat Fish 
  4) CHAI wins battle to import ambulances to Israel duty-free
     by 0 <74754.654@compuserve.com>
  5) p.s. to announcement of success re animal ambulances for Israel
     by 0 <74754.654@compuserve.com>
  6) bow hunting letters (fwd)
     by Jean Colison 
  7) King Royal -- Reuters story
     by Tereiman 
  8) Fwd: legislation to helping save the wild tiger from extinction
     by SMatthes 
  9) Fwd: legislation to helping save the wild tiger from extincti
     by SMatthes 
 10) foie gras
     by Tereiman 
 11) Neiman Marcus Action - Dallas
     by BanFurNow 
 12) anti-fur activist kicked in stomach (VA)
     by NOVENA ANN 
 13) Rock Doves maimed or killed in explosions for movie scene
     by Dave 
 14) (Aust)RABBIT POPULATION CONTROL 
     by bunny 
 15) Fruit fly eradication program begins in Southern California
     by Vegetarian Resource Center 
 16) Flamingo escapee captured, returned to zoo, mutilated
     by Vegetarian Resource Center 
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 13:31:45 +0800
From: bunny 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (UK)CJD (NEW VARIANT), DE-BONING OF BEEF - UK
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19971213132505.2d27bd64@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

News Sources 7th December UK

Butchers across Britain reported soaring demand for beef-on-the-bone today
despite fears that it may be linked with CJD. Customers were undeterred
from stocking up for Christmas, despite Agriculture Minister Jack
Cunningham's announcement that it was intended to make sale of bone-in beef
illegal on December 16, after a consultation period ending on December 12.
Joe Collier, owner of Eastwoods Butchers in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, was
quoted as saying, "Most people think the whole thing is ludicrous, and are
very angry about it, and say they want to go on eating beef on the bone.
We had extra beef ribs in yesterday from Scotland.  We've got one set left
which I'm taking to a charity event tonight, to demonstrate cutting and
cooking, and we could have sold it over and over again.  We've had 15 phone
calls during the day reserving beef-on-the-bone.  It's part of the British
heritage, people think of roast beef as ribs of beef.  I don't think the
ban will be allowed to happen, I think sheer public pressure will stop it."
 Gordon Hepburn, national chairman of the Guild of Q Butchers, from
Mountnessing, Essex, was quoted as saying, "We've got orders next week for
oxtails and ribs - people want beef-on-the-bone, they're quite happy to
take them for Christmas.  This is happening for no apparent reason, there's
no logic to it.  If he's saying the bone is not right, I would suggest the
rest of the animal ought to be condemned as well. 
========================================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148

email>  rabbit@wantree.com.au

http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)

     /`\   /`\
    (/\ \-/ /\)
       )6 6(
     >{= Y =}<
      /'-^-'\
     (_)   (_)
      |  .  |
      |     |}
 jgs  \_/^\_/








Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 06:03:13 +0000 (GMT)
From: Pat Fish 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: NPR Endorses Animals as Toys for Holidays
Message-ID: 
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

Dec. 12 1997

Today's "Talk of the Nation: Science Friday" featured animal-unfriendly
holiday gift ideas, including: 
 
* Carolina Scientific science kits for kids 12 and up - ones available for
  genetics with fruitflys.

* "Surf Frogs" kit - watch leopard frogs grow up! (Frog in a bowl with
  a surfboard and sun-umbrella.)
 
* Robodog robotics kit.
 
* Biosphere from Paragon Inc - sealed glass ball with plants and animals
  inside.

Among the guests suggesting and or selling these "toys" were:

      Priscilla Wrubel               Linda Semmler
Founder, The Nature Company       E.Coast Regional Mngr, Store of Knowledge
     San Fransisco, CA               Pittsburgh, PA 
http://www.natureco.com              http://www.storeofknowledge.com

Please email the "Science Friday" show with your comments:

producer@sciencefriday.com, ceo@sciencentral.com, scifri@npr.org
http://www.sciencefriday.com

Below is a letter I sent, which will help explain things.

Dear SciFri Staffer,

 I always listen to your program, and am especially interested in the shows
that deal with ethics and science.  I feel that ethics are fundamentally
related to issues ranging from global warming, ozone depletion to the recent
show on the proliferation of bio-weapons.  How we treat the natural world,
is a reflection of our ethics, or lack of them.  I immensely enjoy your
segments on environmental issues and the problems facing us. 

  However today's show on holiday gift ideas, in my opinion, contained
counter-productive suggestions.  I feel many of the suggested gifts may in
fact, teach the next generation to devalue the natural world. For example: 
 
* Robodog robotics kit

  Do we really want to reinforce DeCartes' attitude that animals are but
  clockworks?  Certainly we can see humans' disregard for endangered species
  as being related to attitudes towards individual animals. And toys
  like this, while well-intentioned, may encourage children to see
  living things as mere automatons.


* Carolina Scientific science kits for kids 12 and up - ones available for
  genetics with fruitflys

  Maybe I'm biased, but do we really want people forming their ethical
  positions on genetics when they are still but children?

  
* "Surf Frogs" kit - watch leopard frogs grow up!

  Haven't leopard frogs had enough?  Their natural numbers are said to be
  dwindling, and "toys" like these, more often than not, amuse, rather than
  inspire an awe for the process we call life.  I speak from personal
  experience on this one.  Contrary to what has been said, animals should
  never be given to kids to "teach responsibility".  They should only be
  given after a child has demonstrated maturity and responsibility, and
  even then, only after a great deal of careful deliberation. 


* Biosphere from Paragon Inc - sealed glass ball with plants and animals
  inside

  This is a nasty little item.  If BioSphereII failed, what hope can there
  be for a child-- or the plants and animals inside a sealed glass ball?
  At least one of your guests mentioned that these "toys" usually wind up
  dead very quickly. 

In closing, I hope you will pass my comments on to Ms. Wrubel and Ms.
Semmler.


Regards,
Pat Fish
Computer Professionals for Earth and Animals

PS  Also of concern were endorsments of Kodak digital cameras, Hewlett
Packard printers, Microsoft and IBM scrolling mice, the Yamaha MIDI
keyboard, Windows CE devices, and Apple Newton.  All of these companies have
poor track records on ecology and animals (as well as other things). 




Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 06:18:15 +0000 (GMT)
From: Pat Fish 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Calif. Seals Starving to Death (US)
Message-ID: 
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

   Watch Earth Matters 3PM EAST Sunday on CNN
   
                       S P E C I A L El Niño Returns
                   El Niño takes toll on seals and sea lions
                                       
  Dying animals present dilemma for animal activists
  
     December 11, 1997
     Web posted at: 1:19 p.m. EST (1819 GMT)
     
     LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Starving seals and sea lions are waddling
     ashore along California's coast, their skin sagging off their gaunt
     bodies like oversized coats. Already, thousands have died since
     summer.
     
     Warmer water from this year's El Niño weather pattern has driven
     away fish and squid the mammals eat to survive, forcing them to
     leave their island habitats for the mainland to find food.
     
     On islands from San Francisco to San Diego, beaches are littered
     with carcasses of California sea lions and northern fur seals. Sea
     gulls pick at some bodies. Others lay dying, barely moving.
     
     Seal Samaritans are rescuing some of the emaciated animals as they
     flounder on beaches and nursing them back to health. But
     researchers say it's part of the natural cycle of life and are
     making no effort to save the seals.
     
     "Yeah, it's hard to see these pups dying, but it's just a blip on
     the long-term population," said Bob DeLong, a marine biology expert
     with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Seattle, a branch of
     the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
     
  Harder to find food
  
     Mother seals have been forced to dive deeper and travel farther for
     food, exhausting more energy and spending more time away from their
     pups. The milk they use to feed their young becomes undernourished,
     as do the pups that drink it. Sometimes the mothers have little or
     no milk to give.
     
     That has led to death.
     
     Of 2,000 northern fur seals born at one research facility on San
     Miguel Island since July, 1,500 died by October 1, DeLong said.
     
     More will die.
     
     Among 23,000 California sea lions born on the island since July,
     1,200 died by September, DeLong said. Their death rate is expected
     to accelerate during the so-called weaning period, when pups become
     accustomed to hunting for their own food.
     
     Experts point out that the populations of both species have soared
     since 1972. DeLong said the sea lion population since then has
     increased by 5 percent, with between 85,000 to 180,000 breeding on
     the Channel Islands, 50 miles off the Ventura County coast.
     
     The northern fur seal population has jumped 20 percent over the
     same time. One million live in U.S. waters, including 11,000 on San
     Miguel.
     
     "Even when major El Niños occur, like (in 1983) ... they did not
     arrest the growth of the population," DeLong said.
     
     The mounting carcasses are troubling.
     
  Mortality rate three times the norm
  
     Sleepy sea lions
     Three malnourished sea lion pups snooze after a feeding 
     
     On the seals' offshore breeding areas, such as San Miguel and
     others in the Channel Islands chain, the mortality rate will be at
     least 66 percent -- three times the norm in the first year after
     birth, DeLong said.
     
     The lucky ones venture away looking for food and wash up on
     California beaches to be saved by environmental groups.
     
     "We get animals sick and starving even when it's not El Niño," said
     wildlife biologist Joe Cordaro, who coordinates a statewide network
     that rescues stranded sea life from beaches for the fisheries
     service.
     
     "These are animals that aren't as fit," he said. "It's something we
     have to go through periodically. But nobody likes to see sick and
     starving animals dying in front of you."
     
     Last year, 1,400 sea lions and seals became stranded on the
     California coast. During the last El Niño, in 1992, 2,600 washed
     ashore. Only 8 percent of those were alive.
     
     In the last massive El Niño, in 1982, 2,200 were beached, Cordaro
     said.
     
     The mounting death toll creates a dilemma for animal activists: How
     much should they interfere with natural selection?
     
     The 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits people from going
     to natural habitats such as San Miguel and plucking a dying pup off
     the beach.
     
     "We don't want people going there, rescuing one animal and scaring
     away and perhaps harming 50 or 60 animals that are healthy,"
     Cordaro said. "You'll be separating mothers from pups. It's just
     not a good situation."
     
     Instead, rescuers stand waiting for strays to appear on beaches.
     
     The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, for example, has rescued 27
     northern fur seals since September 30 on beaches between San Luis
     Obispo and Mendocino counties. In a normal year for that area,
     fewer than five become stranded, center spokeswoman Susan Andres
     said.
     
     Biologists believe more sea lions and seals will become stranded on
     California beaches by spring, when pups mature to adults and become
     strong enough to leave and look for food on their own.
     
     Even if some activists wanted to ignore federal law to try to
     rescue some sea lions or seals, chartering a boat to one of the
     islands and feeding all the starving animals would be too
     expensive. Besides, Andres said, the animals are often picky eaters
     and do not eat dead fish.
     
     "It's a natural habitat out there," Cordaro said. "This happens
     every day."
     
     Copyright 1997   The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
     material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or
     redistributed.
   
                                      
  Related stories:
  
     * Marine mammals face food shortages due to El Niño - October 12,
       1997
     * El Niño brings tropical fish to Pacific coast - September 9, 1997
     * Scientists enlist sea lions for underwater surveillance - August
       5, 1996
     * PCB's are endangering San Francisco seals - October 22, 1995
       

Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 05:18:24 -0500
From: 0 <74754.654@compuserve.com>
To: Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com
Subject: CHAI wins battle to import ambulances to Israel duty-free
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Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 05:28:11 -0500
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To: Blind.Copy.Receiver@compuserve.com
Subject: p.s. to announcement of success re animal ambulances for Israel
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Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 08:47:01 -0500 (EST)
From: Jean Colison 
To: Ar-news 
Subject: bow hunting letters (fwd)
Message-ID: 
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
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Saturday, December 13, 1997; Page A21 

A Celebration of Cruelty 

First your paper publishes a laudatory article on the joys of fox 
hunting [Style, Nov. 15], to be followed soon after by a reverent 
article on the joys of deer hunting [Style, Dec. 4]. What's next, a 
breathless review of the joys of pulling wings off flies?
Hunting in the late 20th century United States, otherwise known as 
killing animals for pleasure, should not be celebrated in the features 
section of a national newspaper. Instead, it should be included among 
the hard-news articles dealing with war, murder and other sad examples 
of mankind's capacity for senseless violence.
-- Michael Gurwitz

I would like to respond to Phil McCombs's Dec. 4 article, "The Deer 
Hunter: A Love Story." I could not believe what I was reading -- how 
dare you celebrate the giddiness and delight such men derive from the 
act of killing? Your reporter admiringly relates the remorse and 
compassion of a man who kills with bow and arrow because it "heightens 
[his] excitement"; whose justification for killing is, "I experience 
good feelings." Does your reporter seriously consider the possibility of 
killing as an expression of love?
An environmental biologist quoted in the article has the audacity to 
argue that such killing is not a moral issue at all, because the urge to 
kill is itself an instinct. Since when is determinism vs. free will not 
a moral issue?
I was deeply offended by such outrageous moral idiocy, and I hope this 
is merely an anomaly that got through your editors, and not a trend in 
the quality of your writing.
-- Paul A. Raspa

In his paean to "The Deer Hunter," Phil McCombs perpetuates standard 
myths about hunting.
McCombs falsely indicates that bow hunters can kill deer cleanly by 
shooting them in the heart or lungs. For a deer struck in the chest with 
an arrow, death is rarely rapid and never instant. To kill quickly, the 
arrow must penetrate the heart or sever a major blood vessel. At best, 
the deer dies from blood loss. Before losing consciousness, the deer 
suffers excruciating, often prolonged, pain. After a heart-lung shot, 
bow hunters generally wait 30 to 45 minutes before tracking, to allow 
time for the wounded deer to die. After a belly shot, they wait six to 
12 hours. Deer who escape with lesser wounds commonly die over days or 
weeks, from painful blood poisoning or bacterial infection. As reported 
in "wildlife management" journals, at least half of the deer shot with 
arrows go unretrieved.
According to profiled hunter Timothy Forster, people who intentionally 
kill deer somehow aren't killers. Rather than confront his guilt, he 
pretends that the definition of a killer -- "one who kills" -- doesn't 
apply when the victim is nonhuman.
Hunters "love" the animals they gladly destroy, McCombs contends. Since 
when does love mean "desire to kill"? Forster's language reveals 
hunters' true sentiments. "I whacked one!" he exults after shooting a 
doe.
Because humans don't need to eat flesh, hunting lacks a moral defense. 
Hunters deny wrongdoing by claiming that "instinct" compels them to 
hunt.
McCombs's article purveys the sick and harmful view that personal 
integrity develops through aggression. Moral individuals make every 
effort to avoid harming innocent beings of any species. Hunting, which 
needlessly causes suffering and death, epitomizes evil.
-- Joan Dunayer 

©Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company 

Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 10:49:41 EST
From: Tereiman 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, GarrisonMJ@aol.com
Subject: King Royal -- Reuters story
Message-ID: <45ff7163.3492af0f@aol.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit

Circus Loses License Over Elephant's Death

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Reuters) - A traveling circus whose elephant was found dead
inside a trailer in New Mexico has had its license revoked and was ordered by
a federal judge to pay a $200,000 fine, officials said Friday. 

Department of Agriculture Judge Victor Palmer ruled Thursday that the Texas-
based King Royal Circus abused three elephants and eight llamas and
permanently barred it from exhibiting animals in the future. 

It was believed to be the largest fine ever imposed in an animal abuse case in
the United States and the circus claimed it was unfair. 

``We thought that evidence was available which showed this was simply an
accident. These sanctions and the revocation of the license is not an
appropriate remedy,'' attorney Ron Koch said, adding that the circus would
appeal the ruling. 

Albuquerque police discovered the animals crammed in a poorly ventilated
trailer last August. One elephant, an 8-year-old African elephant named
Heather, had died. 

The case provoked a nationwide outcry from animals rights activists who
appealed to the federal government to intervene. 

``This was no accident,'' said Lisa Jennings of The Animal Protection of New
Mexico, Inc. 

``This is the way they do business, and it's the way a lot of circuses do
business. The less money and the less care they put into the animals, the more
money they make, and that's the bottom line,'' Jennings said. 

Palmer said in his ruling that the circus's violations were ''severe and
directly affected the health and wellbeing of the animals,'' and ``were part
of a long-term failure to provide adequate care.'' 

The city of Albuquerque took away the circus's other two elephants and eight
llamas after the incident and is holding them at a city park. Koch said the
circus planned to sue the city to regain custody of the animals. 

Reuters/Variety 

REUTERS@ 

17:57 12-12-97
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 11:15:34 EST
From: SMatthes 
To: 
Subject: Fwd: legislation to helping save the wild tiger from extinction
Message-ID: 
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-type: multipart/mixed;
     boundary="part0_882029734_boundary"

From: SMatthes 
Return-path: 
To: bob_graham@graham.senate.gov
Subject: Re: legislation to helping save the wild tiger from extinction
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 11:10:08 EST
Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com)
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
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Dear Senator Graham:

As a co-sponsor of Senate Bill S-995 "The Captive Exotic Animal Protection Act
of 1997" it was hoped that you would be able to enlighten the people of
Florida as to what needs to be done to get this bill out of the Senate
Judiciary Committee (or whatever committee it is now languishing in) and onto
the floor for a vote.  However, it would appear that we are getting the
standard "should the full Senate consider legislation regarding this issue you
will have our views in mind" response to our request for your assistance.
This is not acceptable.  Until prompt and positive legislative action is
accomplished at the national level this suffering and killing of wild and/or
exotic animals will continue not only in Florida but throughout the nation.
Once again, what has to be done to get this legislation moving?  Action must
be taken quickly.  Each day animals are dying because nothing is being done on
Senate Bill S-995.
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 11:18:23 EST
From: SMatthes 
To: 
Subject: Fwd: legislation to helping save the wild tiger from extincti
Message-ID: 
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Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 11:39:00 -0500
Message-ID: <00345DB0.1946@graham.senate.gov>
From: bob_graham@graham.senate.gov (bob graham)
Subject: Re: legislation to helping save the wild tiger from extincti
To: smatthes 
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Dear Friend:

Thank you for contacting my office through the Internet.  Please
accept this response as acknowledgment that your message has been
received by my office and that your comments have been noted.

Florida constituents who have included a home or business mailing
address with their message will receive a letter via U.S. Mail.
This response will address the concerns raised in your
e-mail, and will be sent as soon as possible.  Please be sure to
include comments along with your postal address, because we cannot
respond to postal addresses alone.

Again, thank you for sending an on-line communication to my office.
Please be assured that I will have your views in mind should the
full Senate consider legislation regarding the issues you raised.

With kind regards,
Bob Graham
United States Senator
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 10:58:50 EST
From: Tereiman 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: foie gras
Message-ID: 
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit

Ducks Surpass Geese in French Foie Gras Market

Reuters
11-DEC-97

PARIS, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Ducks have waddled past geese as the source of 
foie gras, the gourmet liver treat traditionally consumed in France at 
Christmas time, the government reported on Thursday. 

More than 10,000 tonnes of foie gras -- the fat-laden liver from 
force-fed birds -- came from ducks last year compared to about 540 
tonnes from geese, the Agriculture Ministry said. 

This year, it added, even more would come from ducks because they grew 
faster, needed little cage space and could be force-fed by hydraulic or 
pneumatic machines. 

Most of the farms raising geese to produce foie gras use traditional 
methods, bringing them up in the farmyard and stuffing whole grains down 
their throats on an individual basis. 

Little foie gras is consumed outside France. A few dozen tonnes are 
exported to Japan, but the United States, a market for other French 
gourmet items, bans imports on the grounds that the force-feeding 
process constitutes cruelty towards animals. 

In France, foie gras is particularly strongly linked to the Christmas 
and New Year's holidays. Six of every 10 geese slaughtered in France 
last year were killed in December, the ministry said. 

To a knowledgeable taster, foie gras from a duck has a better flavour 
but foie gras from a goose has a higher fat content and is thus even 
more unctuous. 

The typical way to consume foie gras is spread on a thin slice of toast, 
accompanied by an impeccable sweet white wine. 
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 11:25:33 EST
From: BanFurNow 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Neiman Marcus Action - Dallas
Message-ID: 
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:  Lydia Nichols - 214-342-8144
     December 13, 1997               Animal Liberation of Texas




ANTI-FUR ACTIVISTS RELEASE PLANS TO TORCH EFFIGY IN DEFIANCE OF 
NEIMAN MARCUS



     Dallas - Anti-fur activists from Animal Liberation of Texas (A.L.T.)
announced plans to torch an effigy of a Neiman Marcus credit card in  defiance
of selling fur.  Arrests are likely. The demonstration will begin at 11:45
a.m. on Saturday, December 13, 1997 at the downtown Neiman Marcus store.
     
Activists claim that this Neiman Marcus demonstration is one in a series of
actions against the upscale department store for contributing to the suffering
and killing of fur bearing animals in the fur industry.

“Neiman Marcus does not want consumers to know that animals are gassed, anally
electrocuted, and even have their necks broken so they can fill their stores
will furs and fur trimmed coats”, stated Lydia Nichols, spokesperson for
A.L.T.  Ms. Nichols went on to say “We will continue our campaign against
Neiman Marcus despite their violent intimidation tactics until they stop
selling fur”.

Sixty anti-fur activists protested in front of Neiman's on November 28, 1997,
what they call Fur Free Friday.  Five activists locked together and blocked
the front entrance of the store  while fellow supporters chanted and carried
posters.  

The action escalated when the police attempted to move the chained activists
to the other side of the building away from the crowd.  Police arrested five
activists that were standing on the sidewalk, several injuries were reported.
The five activists that were locked together were removed and arrested for
obstruction of a passageway.  All ten activists were held and released on the
same day.



# # #

Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 14:36:52 EST
From: NOVENA ANN 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: anti-fur activist kicked in stomach (VA)
Message-ID: 
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit

At a recent anti-fur protest a RARN activist was kicked 
in the stomach by a patron of Alan Furs. The man then 
went into the fur store while another activist called the cops.
The employees at the fur store let the man escape out a back 
alley before the cops arrived. The police officer that
arrived stated to the activist that "you got what you deserve".
The activist was unharmed. No one took a picture of the man so 
he will probably not pay for his crime. We'd like to use this incident 
to state the importance of always having a video camera with
you to demos. It is obvious that the pro-fur people are getting
violent so we need to be careful and watch each others backs.


Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 17:54:14 -0700
From: Dave 
To: Wildlife-Rehab-Discussion@envirolink.org
Subject: Rock Doves maimed or killed in explosions for movie scene
Message-ID: <34932E33.53161CE7@goodnet.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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The Makers of the Movie "No Code of Conduct" Are Paying to Treat a Flock
of Pigeons*

               AP
               09-DEC-97

PHOENIX (AP) The makers of the movie "No Code of Conduct" are paying to
treat a flock of pigeons maimed by explosions set off during the
filming.

Some of the blasts were intended to scare the birds and send them flying
out of harm's way. Other explosions were part of the action-adventure
movie, which stars Charlie Sheen and his father, Martin Sheen.

During one filming session last week, as many as 50 pigeons were killed.
Several others were left with charred feathers, burned beaks and eyes
seared shut.

To make amends, Toddler Productions of Los Angeles plans to pay for the
feeding and medical care of the injured birds, said Michelle Marx,
spokeswoman for the production company.

*Note:  We were the primary investigators/rescuers and reported this to
the media.  I will fill you in on the details, later.

Dave Roth
Urban Wildlife Society
Phoenix

Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 09:18:04 +0800
From: bunny 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (Aust)RABBIT POPULATION CONTROL 
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19971214091123.2377f1e2@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

NB I believe "sterilization" here refers to "Viral vectored
immuno-contraception" which may not be as safe as it seems for
(a) the viruses them selves may hurt the target species in some way or may
evolve to do so AND
(b) the viruses carrying the immuno-contraception may jump species
(including into humans perhaps)
Research into viral vectored immunocontraception into foxes, rabbits and mice
has been occurring in Australia for several years.

RABBIT POPULATION CONTROL - AUSTRALIA
*************************************

Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 13:31:00 -0500


Sterilization could be the next weapon in the war against rabbits in
Australia, the chief of South Australia's calicivirus program said today.
Ron Sinclair, the SA calicivirus release coordinator said the CSIRO
[Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization] was already
working on ways of spreading a protein to rabbits to make them sterile.  

According to the article, there are reports that rabbits had already grown
immune to the calicivirus [that causes rabbit hemorrhagic disease, i.e.,
rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), which the Australians call rabbit
calicivirus and the disease rabbit calicivirus disease or RCD].  It was
hoped the protein would be spread in the same way as RHDV -- via insects.  

Sinclair said three years' research had already been done but it would take
about another 10 years before it [sterilization protein] could be properly
developed.  He said even if a sterilization program was developed, the onus
would be on farmers to do more, rather than rely solely on biological
control to destroy rabbits which caused millions of dollars damage to
farming areas. [Further, he said that controls such as RCD and myxomatosis
would never get rid of the last rabbit, adding farmers needed to rip up
warrens to maximize the impact of the disease.  He was quoted as saying,
"If you just think a biological control agent is going to get rid of your
rabbit problem, you're fooling yourself."  

The article said that recent reports had suggested rabbit numbers were at
20 per cent of pre-RCD levels in some parts of the Northern Territory where
warrens had not been ripped up.  But Sinclair said the warrens were crucial
to rabbit breeding and protection from predators.  

He also said the day would come when rabbits became immune to RCD but there
was no suggestion it had already happened.  

However, it has been discovered the virus was harder to spread in humid and
tropical areas of the country because the weather often kept insects less
active.  
========================================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148

email>  rabbit@wantree.com.au

http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)

     /`\   /`\
    (/\ \-/ /\)
       )6 6(
     >{= Y =}<
      /'-^-'\
     (_)   (_)
      |  .  |
      |     |}
 jgs  \_/^\_/








Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 20:55:27 -0500
From: Vegetarian Resource Center 
To: AR-News@Envirolink.Org
Subject: Fruit fly eradication program begins in Southern California
Message-ID: <199712140203.VAA14755@mail-out-1.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

SACRAMENTO, DEC 12 (Reuters) - Agriculture officials began setting traps
Friday in a 10-square-mile area of North Hollywood after two Oriental fruit
flies were found this week, the California Department of Food and Agriculture
(CDFA) said. 

Oscar Hidalgo, a spokesman for the department, said two male Oriental fruit
flies were discovered Wednesday. Officials will continue to set traps for
several weeks and the entire eradication program should last about eight
weeks, he said. 

The pest is established in Southeast Asia and most Pacific islands, where it
severely limits agricultural production. 

Hidalgo said the species attacks more than 230 different kinds of crops. In
California its victims can include stone fruits, citrus, avocados and
vegetables like avocados and tomatoes. 

Hidalgo said this marks the third time in four months that the Oriental fruit
fly has been detected in California. Similar eradication procedures began in
September, when the pest was detected in Pasadena and again in the area around
Lennox. 

Under the current procedure, teams deploy around 600 bait stations per square
mile. The bait stations include a chemical that serves as a powerful
attractant to the male fruit fly but also include an insecticide that kills
the fly when it lands on the station. 

The treatment has proven to be 100 percent successful in the past. 

18:47 12-12-97

©1997   Maynard S Clark    Vegetarian Resource Center    info@vegetarian.org 
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 20:59:49 -0500
From: Vegetarian Resource Center 
To: AR-News@Envirolink.Org
Subject: Flamingo escapee captured, returned to zoo, mutilated
Message-ID: <199712140204.VAA14801@mail-out-1.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

.c The Associated Press  

Pinky the wayward flamingo might be home for the holidays after all, if she
can wriggle through a stream of red tape that would daunt the most determined
immigrant. But her flying days are just about over. 

Pinky is the fearless flamingo who escaped from her Litchfield, Conn., bird
sanctuary during September clipping season, spent a few glorious weeks of
freedom with a family of swans on the Connecticut River and then soared again.

She flew north this time, arriving in Ottawa with a spectacular splash, then
settling in with a flock of geese. The Canadian capital has been in a frenzy
of exotic bird-watching ever since. 

Pinky has captured the hearts of Canadians and others who followed her
exploits on the World Wide Web. 

The 3-pound Chilean flamingo with the gorgeous pink wings has been front-page
news and the big story on Ottawa television and, until a few days ago, she
eluded would-be rescuers. 

Now Canadian authorities have given the OK for her to be returned to the
United States, perhaps as soon as next week. 

Safely ensconced at the Wild Bird Care Center in Nepean, a suburb of Ottawa,
Pinky has her own room and dines on shrimp and bird pellets. She is the only
flamingo the center has ever had. 

But she was tired and hungry when she was caught Wednesday. 

Hundreds of volunteers had tramped across a frozen lake trying to rescue her.
They used nets and spotlights, plastic flamingos and camouflaged canoes, even
the sound of other flamingos. 

None of that worked. Finally, they spotted the hungry bird again - and hacked
a patch out of the ice so she could feed. And Pinky surrendered. 

She's been getting the royal treatment befitting a media celebrity. Pinky must
board a jet to bring her home, and her flight has been paid for by The Ottawa
Citizen newspaper. A Plexiglas bird cage has been commissioned so that she can
see on her journey home. 

Canadian authorities have given her the all-clear to go. 

But sailing across the border on the wing is one thing. Crossing back into the
United States - even for a bird - involves miles of red tape. Health
certificates, immigration inspections, border checks, shots. 

Mike Bean, who runs the private bird sanctuary in Litchfield, is hoping the
paperwork can be completed next week in time for a holiday reunion between
Pinky - also called Eilish - and her pining mate, Maurice, sometimes called
Fred. 

``She has had an incredible adventure and she's become a very famous bird,''
Bean said. ``We just want her home safe and sound.'' 

Back at the bird sanctuary, Pinky will join the other six members of her
flamingo family and spend the winter relaxing in a toasty greenhouse. 

But the homecoming will prove a mixed blessing for the flighty flamingo. 

As soon as Pinky gets settled, her wings won't be just clipped, they'll be
pinioned, meaning the last bony section of the wing will be cut off completely
to slow her down. 

Pinky, the runaway flamingo, will never fly again. 

AP-NY-12-13-97 0540EST

©1997   Maynard S Clark    Vegetarian Resource Center    info@vegetarian.org 


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