AR-NEWS Digest 542

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) (US) Moose Hunt Survives Challenge
     by allen schubert 
  2) (US) Activist Gets Service Sentence
     by allen schubert 
  3) (US) Pfiesteria Warns of Broader Threat, Congress Told
     by allen schubert 
  4) Subscription Options--Admin Note
     by Allen Schubert 
  5) [Fwd: Leg Hold Trap Legislation Passes Third Reading (CA)]
     by Barry Kent MacKay 
  6) (US) Poultry Industry Urges Md. to Delay Restrictions on
  Animal Waste
     by allen schubert 
  7) Bullfightin ring in Donostia/ Plaga de Braus a Donostia/ Plaza de
 Toros en Donostia
     by Jordi Ninerola 
  8) Ringling Bros 
     by Jean Colison 
  9) Chicago Tribune Fur Farm Raid Article
     by MINKLIB@aol.com
 10) (US) Oklahoma's Whooping Crane Flyover
     by JanaWilson@aol.com
 11) Campaign Against Pantene Unveiled at P&G Shareholder's Meeting
     by In Defense of Animals 
 12) The Animal Dealers
     by Patrick Nolan 
 13) Marineland NZ news article correction
     by "Deidre" 
 14) Reward Offered for Conviction and Arrest of Pigeon Killer
     by In Defense of Animals 
 15) [WA] Emerald Break Downs - Race Track Drug Use
     by bchorush@paws.org (pawsinfo)
 16) Pottsville, PA: Update on Dawn Ratcliffe/Hunger Strike
     by Michael Markarian 
 17) Re: AR-NEWS digest 541
     by HAR013089@aol.com
 18) PeTA and HLS
     by "sa338@blues.uab.es" 
 19) More bullfighting in Spain
     by "sa338@blues.uab.es" 
 20) [WA] Church of the Earth/Vancouver Aquarium Event
     by bchorush@paws.org (pawsinfo)
 21) [CA] Industry and conservationists create Canadian Yellowstone
     by David J Knowles 
 22) [CA] Province column on Finna
     by David J Knowles 
 23) [NZ] Volunteers help stranded whales return to sea
     by David J Knowles 
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 08:21:17 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Moose Hunt Survives Challenge
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971010082114.006c2c50@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN web page:
---------------------------------
Vermont State News
Reuters
10-OCT-97
Moose Hunt Survives Challenge

(BURLINGTON) -- Vermont's Moose are still fair game. A federal judge in
Burlington has upheld the limited moose- hunting season against a challenge
by animal rights activists. Anti-hunting groups... including the Fund for
Animals and Green Mountain Animal Defenders... claim the moose hunt is
illegal because an environmental assessment was NOT conducted before it
received federal funding. But the judge says the four-day moose season that
begins October 18th does NOT require an assessment... and moose hunting
would occur even without federal funding. 
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 08:23:43 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Activist Gets Service Sentence
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971010082341.006e4c40@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN web page:
-------------------------------------
California State News
Reuters
10-OCT-97

Activist Gets Service Sentence

(ORANGE COUNTY) -- An Orange County judge finds a compromise for an animal
rights activist who said she'd rather go to jail than do her assigned
community service. Gina Lynn wanted to make a statement by going to jail.
She was sentenced to the time after chaining herself to a dolphin tank at
Knotts Berry Farm. Lynn objected to doing service at a church homeless
shelter because she's an atheist. But rather than jail, the judge said Lynn
could choose the charity of her choice. 
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 08:30:45 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Pfiesteria Warns of Broader Threat, Congress Told
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971010083042.006e38c8@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
--------------------------------
Pfiesteria Warns of Broader Threat, Congress Told
Reuters
10-OCT-97

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent WASHINGTON, Oct 9 (Reuter)
- The outbreak of Pfiesteria that killed millions of fish and panicked some
consumers last month was just a warning signal of greater trouble,
scientists told Congress on Thursday. 

They said recent East Coast pfiesteria outbreaks were a symptom of a
growing problem from harmful waterborne organisms and that pollution was
almost certainly to blame. 

``This microbe is one of a larger set of potentially harmful species that
are apparently increasing in abundance and intensity in coastal waters,
both here and abroad,'' said Terry Garcia, acting assistant secretary of
commerce for oceans and atmosphere at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. 

He told the House Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and
Oceans that outbreaks of various organisms were costing big money. 

``These harmful algal blooms -- including red tides in the Gulf of Mexico
and the

Southeast, brown tides in New York and Texas, and shellfish poisonings in
the Gulf of
Maine, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska -- impact nearly every coastal
state and have been responsible for an estimated $1 billion in economic
losses over the past two decades,'' he said. 

Robert Perciasepe, assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency's water office, agreed. ``Marine biotoxins and harmful algae
represent a significant and expanding threat to human health, marine
mammals and fisheries resources throughout the United States,'' he said. 

Perciasepe said strong evidence suggested pollution was to blame. ``We see
three significant sources: human waste from septic systems or sewage
treatment plants; agricultural runoff from fertilizer or animal waste; and
air deposition from sources such as utilities and vehicles.'' 

Garcia said a national research strategy was focusing on identifying the
pfiesteria toxins, finding how they worked so blooms could be predicted,
and developing rapid response strategies and education. 

He said a draft plan would be ready for government review later this month. 

Members of the panel urged funding of their work. ``It is my hope that
funding for critically needed research and testing will come as a result of
today's hearings,'' said North Carolina Democrat Rep. Eva Clayton. 

``What we need to do is make sure that all of the increased funding does
not get focused only on the immediate problems of pfiesteria, but is
directed to address the problem of harmful marine algal blooms in
general,'' added Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young, chairman of the
Committee on Resources. 

``It is not effective to throw money at individual outbreaks.'' 

The proposed Pfiesteria Research Act of 1997 would direct the EPA, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies to
establish a research program for eradicating pfiesteria and other
water-borne toxins. 

Two amendments would apprppriate $10 million to help. JoAnn Burkholder, the
North Carolina State University biologist who named Pfiesteria piscicida,
said she and other scientists were trying to identify the poisons produced
by the creatures and the conditions that caused them to become toxic in the
first place. 

But she said a panic during which supermarkets cleared Chesapeake seafood
off the shelves last month, costing Maryland's fishing industry an
estimated $15 million to $20 million, was unnecessary. 

``The fish in almost the entirety of the Chesapeake Bay were very safe, at
least from pfiesteria-related problems,'' she said. 
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 08:53:10 -0400
From: Allen Schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Subscription Options--Admin Note
Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19971010085310.00690f9c@envirolink.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

...routine post

To unsubscribe, send e-mail to:  listproc@envirolink.org

In text of message:  unsubscribe ar-news
--------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some items of general information (found in the "welcome letter"
sent when people subscribe--but often lose!)...included:  how to post and
how to change your subscription status (useful if you are going on
vacation--either by "unsubscribe" or "postpone").
---------------------------------------------------------------

To post messages to the list, send mail to ar-news@envirolink.org
POSTING

To post a *news-related item* (no discussions), send your message to:

     ar-news@envirolink.org

Appropriate postings to AR-News include: posting a news item, requesting
information on some event, or responding to a request for information. 
Discussions on AR-News will NOT be allowed and we ask that any
commentary either be taken to AR-Views or to private E-mail. 
------------------------------------------

***General Subscription Information***
ALL THE FOLLOWING SHOULD NOT be sent to ar-news !!!
(send them to listproc@envirolink.org)
For all commands, use a blank Subject line.
---------------------------------------------------

To request a digest version, send mail to listproc@envirolink.org
with the following single line:

     set ar-news mail digest

To switch back to immediate mail, and to get copies of *your* postings
also, send the following command:

     set ar-news mail ack

or the following to not get your own postings:

     set ar-news mail noack

To see how you are set up ***(and to see if you are still subscribed!)***, use

     set ar-news

To temporarily stop mailings, use:

     set ar-news mail postpone

To re-enable it, use ack, noack, or digest as above.

To unsubscribe, use:

     unsubscribe ar-news

or:

     signoff ar-news

If you have to subscribe again, use:

     subscribe ar-news first_name last_name   (use false name if you want!)

If you have problems, please contact:

     Allen Schubert
     ar-admin@envirolink.org
     

Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 08:56:39 -0700
From: Barry Kent MacKay 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Cc: cfoxapi@aol.com
Subject: [Fwd: Leg Hold Trap Legislation Passes Third Reading (CA)]
Message-ID: <343E5037.40CD@sympatico.ca>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: message/rfc822
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Disposition: inline

Message-ID: <343E4BEC.6BC5@sympatico.ca>
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 08:38:20 -0700
From: Barry Kent MacKay 
Reply-To: mimus@sympatico.ca
X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01C-SYMPA  (Win16; I)
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
CC: CFoxAPI@aol.com, onlineapi
Subject: Leg Hold Trap Legislation Passes Third Reading (CA)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

For Immediate Release
10 October 1997

Queen's Park [capital of Ontario] - Last night, minutes before midnight,
Dan Newman, Member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of
Scarborough Centre carried passage of Private Bill Pr78 in second and
third readings through the Legislature of Ontario.

"This is a wonderful victory for my constituents and for our community
in Scarborough," said Newman, following passage of the bill.  "My
community and I have been working hard for the past ten months to ensure
the passage of this bill.  Now we have readched our goal."

Bill Pr78, which will soon receive Royal Assent, will allow the City of
Scarborough to outlaw the use of leg hold traps within the boundaries of
the City.

"The passage of this bill truly shows that community action can result
in real and meaningful changes in our communities," said Newman, who sat
in the legislature yesterday from 10:00am until Midnight to ensure
passage of the bill before the House recessed until November 17th.

"Today has been one of my proudest moments since Scarborough Centre
residents sent me to Queen's Park," said Newman.  "And I look forward to
continuing to work with residents in order to build a safer, stronger
and more prosperous community."

-30-

A word of explanation for non-Canadians:  Scarborough is one (largest
and most "natural habitat remaining, including the Rouge Valley, which
is a national park) of the cities that make up Metropolitan Toronto. 
Next  January all of the cities and one borough that currently
constitute Metro will be amalgamated into one "megacity".  Thus there
was urgency to get this legislation passed.  It must receive "royal
assent", which is a formality, so that the current City of Scarborough
can proclaim the bylaw (ordinance) before amalgamation.  

No one knows what will happen AFTER amalgamation, which each former city
having its own bylaws, some of them contradicting each other, but the
more cities banning leg hold traps, the greater the possibility that the
ban will be enacted city-wide by the newly formed megacity.  Meanwhile
we are working to elect animal-friendly politicians (NDP) to the new
megacity council.  Jack Layton and Peter Tabuns would both support
anti-leg hold trap legislation (it was Peter Tabuns who successfully
introduced a by-law that prohibited performing circus animals in the
City of Toronto, which was later shot down on the grounds (questionable)
that the City needed the province's permission (enabling legislation) to
pass such a bylaw.  Newman's Private Bill Pr78 is exactly that kind of
enabling legislation that will allow Scarborough to ban the leg hold
trap.)

Cheers,

Barry



Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 09:18:07 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Poultry Industry Urges Md. to Delay Restrictions on
  Animal Waste
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971010091805.006974c4@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from WashingtonPost.com:
---------------------------------------------
Poultry Industry Urges Md. to Delay Restrictions on Animal Waste

By Peter S. Goodman and Richard Tapscott
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, October 10, 1997; Page B05
The Washington Post 

Poultry industry representatives denounced assertions yesterday that their
business is to blame for outbreaks of a toxic microbe on several Chesapeake
Bay tributaries, urging a Maryland commission to put off action against
their trade until research clearly identifies a culprit.

At the same time, industry officials called on Maryland officials to work
cooperatively to find uses for chicken waste other than spreading it on
fields as fertilizer so it won't wash into waterways. Officials spoke in
Chestertown, Md., at a meeting of the panel created by Gov. Parris N.
Glendening (D) to find solutions to the Pfiesteria piscicida problem. The
toxic microbe is blamed for killing as many as 30,000 fish and sickening
people who had contact with three Maryland waterways where it bloomed.

Above all, the industry pressed the state not to impose restrictions on
animal waste -- the course favored by many environmentalists who want
mandatory controls on the use of manure as fertilizer.

"The imposition of mandatory programs could have the immediate effect of
putting Delmarva poultry producers at a competitive disadvantage to those
of other areas of the country," said Kenny Bounds, second vice president of
the Delmarva Poultry Industry, a trade group that represents about 2,800
poultry producers in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

The commission keyed in on the search for alternative uses for chicken
waste, pressing for details on a state program that shares costs with
farmers who compost their dead chickens. Chicken waste can be composted as
well.

Although scientists have yet to identify what triggered the pfiesteria
outbreaks, some believe that high concentrations of nutrients such as
nitrogen and phosphorus played a role. Most of the nutrients reaching
pfiesteria-stricken rivers come from farm runoff, state and federal
officials have said.

Yesterday, industry officials urged the commission not to recommend new and
potentially onerous farming regulations without clear evidence that they
will solve the pfiesteria problem.

Kay Richardson, president of the Delmarva Poultry Industry, noted that
several state and federal studies of pfiesteria are underway.

"Maryland should wait until some of these research efforts are completed
before making any policy changes," she said.

Rita R. Colwell, a molecular biologist and president of the University of
Maryland Biotechnology Institute, cautioned that scientists have yet to
identify the trigger for any of the dozen or so toxic microbes in
pfiesteria's scientific family.

"I think it's premature to make a conclusion that any one factor is
contributing to its presence and its toxic reaction," Colwell told the
commission.

Meanwhile, in Washington, several scientists suggested to a congressional
subcommittee that pfiesteria is merely the latest symptom of an old
problem: too many nutrients in the water. The scientists asked Congress to
finance further research into the increasing frequency and intensity of
coastal blooms of algae, which may be related to pfiesteria attacks on fish
in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.

Terry D. Garcia, acting assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere at
the U.S. Department of Commerce, said the local pfiesteria outbreaks should
be seen in the broader national context of other algal blooms, which result
in so-called red tides off Florida and California and have cost the seafood
industry $1 billion in lost revenue in the last two decades.

Congress already has set aside $11 million for research, and several
members of the House subcommittee on fisheries conservation, wildlife and
oceans agreed that more should be done.

Yesterday in Virginia, state health officials added an eighth person to the
group a state medical team is examining for signs of pfiesteria poisoning.
The department said the new case was reported to its hot line this week.

Staff writer Eric L. Wee contributed to this report. 
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 14:53:16 +0100
From: Jordi Ninerola 
To: Sandy , Alicate ,
        Carles Viqas , Emma Palanca ,
        Nuri Querol , AR News 
Cc: adda@lix.intercom.es
Subject: Bullfightin ring in Donostia/ Plaga de Braus a Donostia/ Plaza de
 Toros en Donostia
Message-ID: <9710101611.AA25177@blues.uab.es>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII

In my web about antibullfighting exist information, in catalan, about the
new bullfighting ring in Donostia, and the adress and tel/fax of Eguzki.

A la meva p`gina web hi ha informacis sobre la nova plaga de braus que
volen construor a Donosti, aixm com l'adrega i el tel/fax d'Eguzki.

En mi p`gina web hay informacisn en catalan acerca de la nueva plaza de
toros que quieren construir en Donostia, a4i como la direccisn i el tel/fax
de Eguzki.


Jordi Niqerola i Maymm
http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/vines/6506
SA385@blues.uab.es
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 10:23:25 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jean Colison 
To: Ar-news 
Subject: Ringling Bros 
Message-ID: 
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII




                         Circus Touts No Continental Rift

                         By Bill McAllister
                         Washington Post Staff Writer
                         Thursday, October 9, 1997; Page A21
                         The Washington Post

                         It takes more than raw red meat and animal
                         trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams to stock the
                         circus with wild animals.

                         Northern Virginia-based Feld Entertainment
                         Inc., owner of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum &
                         Bailey Circus, is lobbying Congress to pass an
                         Asian Elephant Conservation Act. Although Feld
                         lobbyist Joan Galvin says the company has no
                         direct stake in the outcome of the legislation,
                         she does note that Asian elephants are the ones
                         that are used in the circus. Not African
                         elephants.

                         "They already have an African Elephant
                         Conservation Act. We felt a little equity was
                         due Asian elephants," said Galvin.

                         It's quite a change from her old Capitol Hill
                         job, watching defense and other legislative
                         issues for then-Rep. Andy Ireland (R-Fla.). "I
                         went from one circus to another," Galvin likes
                         to laugh.

                         After Ireland, whose district included the
                         circus's winter home, joined Feld Entertainment
                         as senior vice president for government
                         relations upon leaving the Hill in 1992, he
                         recruited Galvin for Feld.

                         Actually, it is not that difficult a stretch
                         from defense to circus issues. Said Galvin:
                         "They say that Hannibal did use elephants when
                         he invaded Italy."

                           © Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company


Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 10:52:54 -0400 (EDT)
From: MINKLIB@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Chicago Tribune Fur Farm Raid Article
Message-ID: <971010105058_912593238@emout17.mail.aol.com>

RAID ON MINK FARM HAS FUR
FLYING
By Jean Latz Griffin and Joseph Sjostrom, Tribune Staff
Writers. Free-lancer Steve Stanek contributed to this report
Web-posted Friday, October 10, 1997; 6:01 a.m. CDT
The escalating war over the ethics of America's fur industry appears to
have come to Illinois, and it may cost Larry Frye his 22-year-old
McHenry County business.> About 5,000 of Frye's prize mink
escaped after vandals cut through chicken wire and opened pen
doors early Sunday morning at the Frye Fur Farm in
unincorporated Crystal Lake.
And although all but 500 of the mink have been rounded up with
the help of other mink farmers from as far away as Sheboygan,
Wis., industry experts say Frye's losses could reach $800,000
because the vandals also stole all the farm's pedigree records.
It was a cruel twist on the crime, but was in line with the
published threats by some animal-rights activists to hurt fur
farmers financially. Without the pedigree records, Frye cannot
verify the lineage and quality of his mink. Some are of such
high quality that a single pelt can sell for $1,000.
"I don't know if we'll be able to go on," Frye said. "It takes
years to breed in the best qualities. I'm sure I'm going to lose
breeder sales for at least the next three years. I recently sold
four males for $10,000. Now I'll be lucky to get $100 for an
animal."
FBI officials said they are investigating the break-in as an act
of domestic terrorism.
While denying any involvement in the vandalism, national and
local leaders of animal-rights groups praised the action.
"Wow, all right. Good for them," said Michael Durschmid Jr., a
member of the Chicago Animal Rights Coalition, who will
appear in court Tuesday on disorderly conduct charges filed
against him while he was protesting what he said was cruel
treatment of animals at a Lake County rodeo in 1996.
"I very much support people who release animals to be free,"
Durschmid said. "Animals don't want to live for a year in little
cages and then be executed any more than you or I would."
J.P. Goodwin, executive director of the Dallas-based Coalition
to Abolish the Fur Trade, said there have been 36 "liberation
incidents," in the United States and Canada since the first one
his group recorded in mid-1995. The total now includes the
incident at Frye Fur Farm.
"We support any sort of action like this as long as nobody gets
hurt," Goodwin said. "It's become common for the pedigree
papers to be taken."
Until about a month ago, when intruders broke into a mink farm
in unincorporated Downers Grove and released minks, Illinois
has been spared the worst of anti-fur activists' guerrilla tactics.
Red paint splattered on fur stores on Michigan Avenue was
about the extent of the protests.
But elsewhere in the United States and Canada, the picture has
been different.
The day before the Frye incident, a mink farm in Idaho lost
several thousand mink to vandals. That farm's breeding records
also were destroyed, according to Bob Buckler, a spokesman
for Fur Commission USA, a trade association based in St. Paul.
The raids have driven Utah ranchers to sleep in their pick-up
trucks with loaded shotguns, hire security guards and install
alarms.
In a June raid that fur industry officials called the largest case
of "eco-terrorism" of its kind, about 10,000 mink were released
from their cages at a fur ranch near Portland, Ore. Of those,
2,000 baby mink and 400 adult females were found dead.
In July, two teenage animal-rights activists released 40 mink
near Cleveland, spraying, "Free the animals," and, "Fur is
dead," on buildings at the fur farm.
Animal-rights activists in Massachusetts were ordered in July
to pay $3,100 for the damage they caused during one of three
raids on a mink farm in the Berkshire Mountains in 1996.
And in March, five Michigan residents were arrested for
allegedly releasing 1,500 mink from a fur farm in Ontario.
The anti-fur war is gearing up just when people are becoming
more accepting of some of the animal-rights agenda. A 1996
Associated Press poll showed that 59 percent of Americans
believe that killing animals for fur is always wrong, up from 46
percent in a 1989 ABC News poll that contained a similarly
worded question.
But in recent months, the fur industry has made a comeback.
Last spring, one of the fashion models who once posed nude for
an ad that proclaimed, "I'd rather go naked than wear fur,"
wore a sable-lined coat in a fashion show.
And the Fur Information Council of America reported that
recent fur sales were up.
In the meantime, Frye and his sons, Robert and Steven, will try
to rebuild.
"Theirs is the finest dark mink in the world, bar none," said
Robert Meltzer, executive vice president at Evans Inc., one of
Chicago's leading furriers.
"We've bought from them for a long time, and we bought a
large quantity of their best-quality fur this year. We're actually
promoting it by name this year, because we think that highly of
it."
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 11:20:15 -0400 (EDT)
From: JanaWilson@aol.com
To: Ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Oklahoma's Whooping Crane Flyover
Message-ID: <971010111914_-1261693029@emout13.mail.aol.com>


A/w local Okla. City news:

One of the world's rarest birds is about to make its bi-annual journey
thru Okla.  This gives birdwatchers the photo opportunity of a lifetime.
Only about 360 endangered whooping cranes exist, and an estimated
170 of them are expected to travel thru Okla. during the next couple
of weeks.
Mark Howery, natural resources biologist for the Okla. Wildlife Dept.,
said "The whooping crane is an amazing success story.  From the
16 birds alive in 1940, their numbers have increased gradually to more
than 350.  We've also had more confimed reports of whooping cranes
stopping in Okla. in the past three years."
"The cranes make their way from southern Canada thru the Great
Plains states to Arkansas National Wildlife in Texas, normally arriving
at their Gulf Coast destination by late Oct," a/w Howery.  The entire
trip may take 50 days or more.
"Whooping cranes migrate during the day in groups of one to five
birds, sometimes joining sandhill cranes for part of the migration.
At night they will roost in shallow water in lakes, ponds and along
rivers.  After daybreak, they fly or walk to feeding areas, starting the
migration again after the air warms enuf to provide thermal updrafts.
"Adult whoopers can be identified by their white plummage, black
wingtips and red forehead.  In flight, the birds' long neck is held straight
forward, and its thin black legs extend beyond the tail.  An adult's
wingspan can be more than six feet, and it can stand as tall as five
feet.  Juveniles have white and rusty-brown body feathers and black
wing tip," a/w Howery.
Several other birds are often misidentified as whooping cranes,
Howery said.  Sandhill cranes are primarily gray with dark gray wing
feathers while snow geese are white with black wingtips.
"If anyone spots a whooping crane, we hope they will immediately
contact us," Howery said.  "However, we caution anyone against
disturbing the birds by coming too close.  Not only is it against
state and federal law, but more importantly, the birds might injure
themselves by attempting to flee from someone."
People should call 405-521-4616 if they think they have seen a
whooping crane.  Callers should also report the time and location
of the sighting and the no of cranes seen.

                                                            For the Animals,

                                                            Jana, OKC
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 10:07:54 -0700
From: In Defense of Animals 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Campaign Against Pantene Unveiled at P&G Shareholder's Meeting
Message-ID: 
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



   News Release



     Date:  October 10, 1997Contact: lauren
Sullivan
     415/388-9641 x 29

INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST PANTENE SHAMPOO UNVEILED AT P&G
SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING

DRAMATIC DISPLAY TO SYMBOLIZE CRUELTY OF COMPANY'S ANIMAL TESTING
POLICY

Cincinnati, OH . . . Animal rights activists with "bloody hair" and a
giant-size Pantene shampoo bottle will demonstrate outside the Procter &
Gamble (P&G) headquarters on Broadway between 5th & 6th streets at 10:30
a.m., Tuesday, October 14 during the company's annual shareholders'
meeting.  The demonstration is one of more than a dozen that will take
place in conjunction with the shareholders' meeting.  The event launches
the international campaign against the shampoo Pantene - renamed Paintene
by activists -- a P&G product and one of the world's top-selling shampoos.
The protest will also feature an "International Wall of Compassion," a
collage of photographs of activists from the many countries that have
joined the effort.

"This demonstration marks the expansion of the international boycott
against P&G products," said lauren Sullivan, National Campaign Coordinator
for In Defense of Animals (IDA), which is organizing the protest.  "We will
continue to target new products and to recruit more and more consumers
worldwide until Procter & Gamble ends its cruel and unnecessary animal
testing policy."

"For hares so tortured they shriek," a play on Pantene's advertising
slogan, is the theme of the boycott's new focus.   Among the countries that
have joined the global campaign against P&G are Australia, South Africa,
Brazil, Canada, England, Finland, France, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy,
Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden and Wales.  Protests in the U.S. will
take place in Anaheim, CA; Sacramento,  CA; Middletown, CT; Pensacola, FL;
Chicago, IL; Amherst, MA; Concord, MA; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA;
Dallas, TX; and Green Bay, WI.

"Scores of animal protection groups in the U.S. and abroad are educating
thousands of people in communities around the globe about the suffering P&G
unnecessarily inflicts upon animals," said Sullivan, the coordinator of the
worldwide, anti-P&G campaign.

According to Sullivan, P&G uses thousands of rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs,
mice and rats each year in tests of cosmetics and household products.
These tests are not required by law.  Concern about P&G's treatment of
animals has heightened recently with the release of undercover video
footage showing the abusive treatment of monkeys used in tests of a P&G
product at a contract laboratory in New Jersey.

IDA, a national, California-based animal advocacy organization, launched
its boycott of P&G products in 1989.  IDA has helped to organize more than
100 demonstrations against the company so far this year.
- end -

IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS - 131 CAMINO ALTO - SUITE E - MILL VALLEY, CA 94941 -
415/388-9641


Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 15:07:37 -0400
From: Patrick Nolan 
To: cites-l@wcmc.org.uk, primate-talk ,
        ar-news , ar-views 
Subject: The Animal Dealers
Message-ID: <343E7CF9.ADAC424C@animalwelfare.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

AWI Releases Expose of Cruelty in the Animal Trade

    The Animal Welfare Institute has published a new book, The Animal
Dealers: Evidence of Abuse of Animals in the Commercial Trade,
1952-1997.
     Painstakingly researched and incontrovertibly well-documented, the
book details shocking cruelty, callousness and crime in the animal
business. It examines the trade in exotic primates, birds and reptiles,
as well as the trade in random source dogs and cats for use in
experiments and tests.
     The Animal Dealers is a testament both to how far we've come and
how far we have to go; it offers a 45-year historical perspective on the
animal trade as well as a poignantly up-to-date contemporary view.

     The sections on random source (Class B) dealers who sell to
laboratories are especially timely -- there is legislation now pending
in Congress that would prohibit Class B dealers from selling cats and
dogs to research facilities.  The possibility that a lost or stolen
companion could end up in a research laboratory is a frightening one to
any pet owner.
     Further, the atrocious conditions in which animals are kept by many
random source dealers -- entailing serious and repeated violations of
the Animal Welfare Act -- are documented in detail in The Animal
Dealers, relying heavily on reports from Department of Agriculture
inspectors. The filthy conditions, rough handling, inadequate veterinary
care, and flagrant abuse described in the book do not make easy reading,
but it is critical that the public, the Congress, and research
institutions know how these animals are treated.

      The trade in exotic animals continues to grow, and they are too
often traded without regard either to their individual welfare or to
their conservation; many are on the brink of extinction owing largely to
cruel, destructive, and often illegal trade.

     "This book should be a catalyst for future change," said Dr. Dale
Schwindaman, retired Deputy Administrator for Regulatory Enforcement &
Animal Care, USDA.  "Read it and resolve to make a difference."

      The book is available for $8 from the Animal Welfare Institute, PO
Box 3650, Washington DC 20007; phone (202) 337-2332; email
awi@animalwelfare.com.

Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 09:00:59 +0000
From: "Deidre" 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Marineland NZ news article correction
Message-ID: <199710101956.IAA23720@nickkean.ihug.co.nz>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT

 In a news article I posted about the Marinealnd NZ trial where four
activists locked down at Marineland I acidentally typed in my age as
16 and I'm 26 - one small correction but I felt it was important!

Deidre
-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: 2.6.3ia
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=uAjI
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 13:47:56 -0700
From: In Defense of Animals 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Reward Offered for Conviction and Arrest of Pigeon Killer
Message-ID: 
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 1997
Contact: Mary Hoffman
601-435-8012

REWARD OFFERED FOR CONVICTION AND ARREST OF PIGEON KILLER

In an effort to halt the shooting and poisoning of pigeons in DíIberville,
In Defense of Animals (IDA) has posted a $2,500.00 reward for the arrest
and convictions of the person or persons responsible.

IDA, a nationwide animal protection organization with offices in Biloxi and
Grenada, MS, was notified of the attrocities by Mr. & Mrs. Benny Stepro of
Octave Street in DíIberville The Stepros reported finding approximately 10
pigeons that had been shot and at least 10 others that had been poisoned.
One dead pigeon was found stapled to a telephone pole.  Another pigeon was
seen frantically drinking water from a birdbath.  The bird then fell
backward, dead.  Another bird, picked up by a Stepro neighbor was in spasms
and died before help could be obtained for it.  Mr. & Mrs. Stepro called
the animal control officer for Harrison County, who in his report, cited
cruelty to animals.  It is not known who is committing these acts against
the birds.

DíIberville has animal creulty ordinances, including one that states
specifically that it is unlawful to poison ANY animal in that City.  It is
also unlawful to discharge firearms within the city limits.

IDA posted the reward in the hope that someone will come forward and name
the person responsible.  It is further hoped that the posting of the reward
will act as a deterrent to anyone harming wildlife.  There are ethical and
humane alternatives for situations in which the birds might be too
prevalent.


     ###



Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 15:13:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: bchorush@paws.org (pawsinfo)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [WA] Emerald Break Downs - Race Track Drug Use
Message-ID: <199710102213.PAA04962@k2.brigadoon.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


Progressive Animal Welfare Society
October 8, 1997
For Immediate Release
Contact:  Mitchell Fox 425-787-2500, ext. 810

Emerald Break Downs
Grim Statistics Emerge from the Auburn Track’s 1997 Season
     A PAWS analysis of the 1997 racing season at Emerald Downs in Auburn found
that an inordinate number of horses did not finish their race, or “broke
down,” as it is commonly referred.  Track insiders cite several factors that
contributed to horse injuries during this year’s season, which concluded
September 28. The most prominent factors include:
· The use and abuse of butazolidine (“bute”) to ease pain
· Improper administration of Lasix to stem pulmonary hemorrhaging;
· The presence of these medications in immature two year olds
· The reliance on stronger medications in response to pressure to fill race
slots
· A race track surface considered to be inconsistent.
     The attached PAWS report compares Emerald Downs results with statistics
from tracks in states where “bute” is more rigidly regulated. The findings
are startling.  More horses broke down at Emerald Downs than at four major
east coast race tracks combined.
     Other concerns raised in the PAWS report:  Emerald Downs has no standards
for euthanization; many more horses than those officially reported suffer
devastating injuries and are trucked off the track for slaughter; track
management does not employ detention stalls to ensure a drugged horse’s
safety and to thwart tampering; and steroids are used to spur appetite in
sore horses who then suffer steroidal side effects.
     The report goes on to identify horses who broke down during the 1997
season, listing their riders, owners and trainers.  It also lists horses
that ran without drugs.  An amazing 99% of horses raced at Emerald Downs ran
with the assistance of drugs.
     “‘Bute‘ abuse at Emerald Downs appears to be a runaway problem,” said
Mitchell Fox, Director of Animal Advocacy at PAWS.  “We urge the track and
the racing commission to voluntarily reform their drug policies for the
safety of the horses.”
     Emerald Downs is already addressing some of PAWS’ concerns. Emerald Downs
Vice President Jack Hodge told PAWS the track is spending “thousands and
thousands and thousands” of dollars to identify problems with the racing
surface. And Emerald Downs President Ron Crockett told the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer and the Seattle Times that the track is likely to request
from the Washington Horse Racing Commission a shorter season for 1998.
End

Bob Chorush  Web Administrator, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
15305 44th Ave West (P.O. Box 1037)Lynnwood, WA 98046 (425) 787-2500 ext
862, (425) 742-5711 fax
email bchorush@paws.org      http://www.paws.org

Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 15:18:38 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Markarian 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, ar-wire@waste.org
Subject: Pottsville, PA: Update on Dawn Ratcliffe/Hunger Strike
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19971010190505.38378442@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Dawn Ratcliffe, on her eighth day of a hunger strike in Schuylkill County
Prison, had a "mental health hearing" today that lasted two and a half
hours. No decision was made at the hearing, but it is clear that prison
officials want to institutionalize Dawn so that they can force-feed her.

Fund for Animals officials attended the hearing, and Dawn is in good shape
and good spirits. The prison has no basis for wanting to institutionalize or
force-feed Dawn. They did not even give her a physical examination, and
according to Dawn, the psychiatrist who "evaluated" her simply spent the
entire time debating with her about the merits of the Hegins pigeon shoot.

Please continue calling the jail at 717-628-1450 and telling them not to
institutionalize or force-feed Dawn.

Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 18:26:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: HAR013089@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Re: AR-NEWS digest 541
Message-ID: <971010182519_1858028480@emout08.mail.aol.com>

I am not sure if I should be sending this to this email address, if I am
wrong please forward this to the right address.
I just wanted to let all the animal rights folks know about this horrid place
in Texas.
It is a truck stop and they have LIVE TIGERS!!!!
They live in tiny cages with cement floors and it is horrid to treat these
wondrous beasts like this.
Something should be done to prevent anyone except legimate zoos from buying
exotic animals.
They did tell my husband they do take donations to keep the tigers.
But I think it is wrong.
This is the address 
Tiger Travel Plaza
Tiger Town in Texas
I-10 at Exit 87
Esperanza, TX 79839 
915-769-1300
Fax 915-769-1010

My husband is a truck driver and will boycot this place and I am going to fax
them to death.

Thank you 
Joan Harmon
 
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 00:28:05 +0100
From: "sa338@blues.uab.es" 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: PeTA and HLS
Message-ID: <343EBA05.5EE5@blues.uab.es>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: 8bit

This is Nuria from Barcelona.

I am sure that all of you know about the case of the Huntington Life
Science (the laboratory in which beagles were punched and cruelly treted
by the "scientists" and workers). PeTA started a campaing against this
terrible acts and, although HLS lost some important contracts like the
one with astra, now it is PeTA who has to go on trial!!!! Is PeTA guilty
of defending the ones who can't do it for themselves? What kind of
justice is that? Thanks for your concern,

Nuria

Nuria 's Homepage (of animal rights and scientific anti-vivisectionism)
http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/3787
******************************************************************************
*
"Llegara un dia en que los hombres,como yo , vean el asesinato de un
animal como ahora ven el de un hombre"
"A day will come in which men, as I do, will look upon animal murder the
same way they look today upon a man's murder"
Leonardo da Vinci
-- 
PO`!1 a
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 01:15:34 +0100
From: "sa338@blues.uab.es" 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: More bullfighting in Spain
Message-ID: <343EC526.640D@blues.uab.es>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: 8bit

This is Nuria from barcelona.

I am very ashamed to comunicate you the terrible new about the building
of a bullfighting ring in Donosti, Basque Country, Spain. The only one
political group that opposed the building was HB (which curiously has
been called terrorist, assassin, and so on)...who are the ones now
supporting murder and torture???????????????????????? Thanks for your
concern,

Nuria

Nuria 's Homepage (of animal rights and scientific anti-vivisectionism)
http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/3787
******************************************************************************
*
"Llegara un dia en que los hombres,como yo , vean el asesinato de un
animal como ahora ven el de un hombre"
"A day will come in which men, as I do, will look upon animal murder the
same way they look today upon a man's murder"
Leonardo da Vinci
PO`!1 a
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 18:04:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: bchorush@paws.org (pawsinfo)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [WA] Church of the Earth/Vancouver Aquarium Event
Message-ID: <199710110104.SAA03343@k2.brigadoon.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


The Church of the Earth will be making a pilgrimage to The Vancouver
Aquarium on Tuesday October 21. This is a "free day" at the aqurium, so no
money need be paid to visit the animals.

We will be travelling in a 15 passenger van leaving from Seattle (details on
times/pickups etc. will be provided. Approx departure 9am, return to Seattle
by 6pm). We will plan on being at the aquarium for the 12:30 show. Although
the Vancouver Aquarium announced that stopped doing "shows" several years
ago, VPA spokesman said that they are now calling their sessions shows again
so as not to confuse tourists.

For this event, we ask:

No signs.
No banners.
No message t-shirts.
No talking.
This is NOT a media event.

Our mission is to visit with and comfort animals who are being cruelly
deprived of their freedom. As you may know, Bjossa the female orca curently
at the Vancouver Aquarium, recently lost her long time companion Finna, who
died the morning of Oct 6.

The Vancouver Aquarium is planning a memorial service for Finna on Saturday,
Oct 18, so this "service" will be a counterpoint to their service. Finna is
currently at Westcoast Rendering. 

WE will enter the Vancouver Aquarium, go to the orca tank and maintain eye
contact with Bjossa. Please try to understand and feel what life is like for
her. If you can convey your understanding silently to her, please do so. 

This is not a demonstration. We are undertaking this visit solely for the
sake of the animals.

The Church of the Earth is a nonsectarian religious organization
incorporated in the state of Washington. We believe that there are no
hierarchies: men are not above women, people are not above other animals.
Each part of creation is perfectly suited to its role on the earth. You need
not be a member of the Church of the Earth to participate in this event.

If you would like to reserve a seat in the van to Vancouver, please rsvp
asap to bchorush@paws.org



Bob Chorush  Web Administrator, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
15305 44th Ave West (P.O. Box 1037)Lynnwood, WA 98046 (425) 787-2500 ext
862, (425) 742-5711 fax
email bchorush@paws.org      http://www.paws.org

Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 20:09:37
From: David J Knowles 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] Industry and conservationists create Canadian Yellowstone
Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19971010200937.12677574@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


>From The Electronic Telegraph - Saturday, October 11th, 1997

Industry and conservationists create Canadian Yellowstone
By Charles Laurence in New York 

A HUGE wilderness area in British Columbia has been hailed as a  "Canadian
Yellowstone" after a deal between mining and logging companies, provincial
officials and environmental groups.

It involves the creation of a vast buffer zone around the 2.5 million acres
of the Rocky Mountains to be known as Muskwa-Kechika, after its two main
rivers. 

The wilderness in the Canadian Rockies to the south of the Yukon is a
spectacular combination of mountain peaks and Alpine valleys, thick with
bear, caribou and wolf. It is wilder than anything left in the United States.

But the significance of the deal lies in the buffer zone, another eight
million acres in which Indian tribes, oil companies, loggers and
environmentalists have all agreed to a controlled, balanced development plan. 

Prince Philip, the former head of the World Wildlife Fund, sent a message
of congratulation to the province's government, saying: "This is a triumph
of good sense."

Companies will be able to tap the vast reserves of natural gas in the
buffer zone, but only at a pace and in a way that does nothing to disrupt
the ecosystem. More than 1,000 jobs will be protected.

The idea is to link six existing British Columbia wilderness parks with the
remaining virgin territory. The buffer zone will protect the migration
routes of the wildlife, updating of the concept that produced America's
Yellowstone Park more than 100 years ago. The national
park is only part of a full ecosystem, with the result that this year's
winter led to the slaughter of half the buffalo herd as the animals left
the park along ancient routes in search of food.

"This is a decision on the scale of Yellowstone in terms of its
significance for conservation in North America," said Mary Granskou of the
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. "We have unprecedented co-operation
here to preserve wildlife values as a whole."

Oil and gas drilling will be banned in the "core area" of 2.5 million
acres, in exchange for limited, carefully planned exploitation in the
buffer zone.

Conservationists have called the scheme the North American Solution, and
now hope to stretch the core and buffer zone idea along the Rocky Mountains
from Yellowstone to the Yukon.

"This will preserve wildlife for all time. Wildlife does not recognise
boundaries, and the essential need is to enable species to move safely from
one protected area to the next," Ms Granskou said.

Canada expects an eventual tourist windfall from what should become the
best stretch of wildlife and wilderness in North America.

© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997. 

Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 19:54:49
From: David J Knowles 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] Province column on Finna
Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19971010195449.1ccfdfbe@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

The following appeared in The Province - Thursday, October 10th, 1997. It
was written by columnist Peter Clough.

Quit blubbering, it's just a whale

Am I the only one who's having a hard time getting emotional about the
death of Finna the killer whale?

I must be made of stone. According to Gloria Macarenko [anchor of CBC
Vancouver's Broadcast One evening news program], there's a 'wave of
sadness' across the province - andI'm not catching it.

Come on. It's an animal [italicized]

Live updates? Condolences? A memorial service?

As far as I'm concerned, Finna's natural life ended 17 years ago when he
was plucked from the waters off Iceland and relocated to a new home the
size of Jimmy Pattison's [a local milionaire businessman] jackuzzi.
His main purpose in life was to provide decent snapshots and video clips
for tourists who were probably  more concerned with dinner than ecology.

Not if you listen to Vancouver Aquarium director John Nightingale.
'Everyone of 9the aquarium's visitors) had a completely changed awareness
for having seen the living animal,' he says.

Kind of sounds like a man going through hoops.

Next up: killer whale politics and the complex negotiations to find a
companion for Bjossa - without actually taking one from the wild. It's all
a little desperate and , really, quite sad.

And that's an Aquafact.

Peter Clough can be contacted at: pcluff@pacpress.southam.ca


Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 20:14:34
From: David J Knowles 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [NZ] Volunteers help stranded whales return to sea
Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19971010201434.12676d16@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


>From The Electronic Telegraph - Saturday, October 11th, 1997

Volunteers help stranded whales return to sea

FORTY-eight pilot whales stranded on a remote New Zealand beach were
re-floated yesterday.

Some of the 400 volunteers who rescued the whales were still up to their
necks in water last night trying to prevent the pod from returning to
shore.The rescuers had flocked to the beach on the east side of the
Karikari Peninsula at the northern tip of Doubtless Bay on Wednesday after
more than 100 whales were reported stranded.

But they were unable to prevent the deaths of more than half of the pod.
Damp blankets, hoses and all types of containers were used to keep the
survivors moist overnight and the volunteers dug trenches under the whales
to keep them as submerged as possible.

Before high tide yesterday, several whales - mainly older females - were
re-floated with pontoons and taken offshore in the hope that they would
"call" the others out.

As the tide came in, the other whales were held stable by people in the
water and they finally swam towards the group offshore.

Boats were lined up as a barrier to the shore and a spotter aircraft made
several flights to ensure that none were left behind and that the pod did
not beach elsewhere.

Wanda Vivequin, a spokesman for New Zealand's Department of Conservation,
said the whales would socialise before they moved away. About half their
pod had died and they had had a lot of human handling, so it had been an
extremely stressful for them.

There are many theories on why whales become stranded, including physical
reasons, biological factors and navigational errors. 

© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997. 



ARRS Tools  |  News  |  Orgs  |  Search  |  Support  |  About the ARRS  |  Contact ARRS

THIS SITE UNDERWRITTEN IN PART BY:
Cyberian Outpost

The views and opinions expressed within this page are not necessarily those of the
EnviroLink Network nor the Underwriters. The views are those of the authors of the work.