AR-NEWS Digest 410

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Side Effects
     by Andrew Gach 
  2) Preventative medicine
     by Andrew Gach 
  3) Vitamins help asthma sufferers
     by Andrew Gach 
  4) (NZ) Fish piracy threat to marine treaty
     by Vadivu Govind 
  5) (HK) Second food handler struck down with suspected cholera
     by Vadivu Govind 
  6) Asia faces eco-crisis warns bank
     by Vadivu Govind 
  7) USDA, Swine Practitioners, and Pork Producers Kick Off Joint Disease Study
     by "radioactive" 
  8) RFI: Nu Skin International
     by kpoisson@juno.com (Kawika Poisson)
  9) (US) Frog dissection, or slimy crime?
     by allen schubert 
 10) [CA] Butcher fined for bear poaching
     by David J Knowles 
 11) [UK] Six-inch nail is driven into horse
     by David J Knowles 
 12) Trappers Oppose Lynx Protection
     by MINKLIB@aol.com
 13) Park Service Sued for Bison Carnage and Winter Use Policies
     by Mike Markarian 
 14) (US) RFI: Exotic fenced animal hunt (Michigan)
     by allen schubert 
 15) (BR) Circus Lion Mauls Boy
     by allen schubert 
 16) HSPCA needs your voice today!
     by Houston SPCA 
 17) (MY) Deer farms to draw tourists
     by Vadivu Govind 
 18) (MY) Group against hunting jungle fowl
     by Vadivu Govind 
 19) (MY) New frontier in turtle conservation
     by Vadivu Govind 
 20) (IN) Vandalur Zoo attracts summer crowd 
     by Vadivu Govind 
 21) McLibel verdict date to be end of June (apparently)
     by allen schubert 
 22) The Ape Army
     by 
 23) Can NonhumanAnimals be Rational ?
     by Vegetarian Resource Center 
 24) (US) Second condor killed at Vermilion Cliffs 
     by allen schubert 
 25) (NO) Norway Whalers Sue Their Government 
     by allen schubert 
 26) Urgent--meeting tonight re deer kill at Cuyahoga Valley Nat'l Rec. Area
     by LMANHEIM@aol.com
 27) Re: Eating live monkey brains (results)
     by Inge Skog 
 28) (US) USDA Inspectors Found Overworked 
     by allen schubert 
 29) UPC Action Alert: Preacher Preying on Animal Activists
     by Franklin Wade 
 30) UPC Action Alert: Whole Foods Market Selling Emus and Ostriches
     by Franklin Wade 
 31) URGENT: May 21 vote on Dolphin Death Bill
     by "Christine M. Wolf" 
 32) UPC Action Alert: Protest Dropping Guinea Fowl from an Airplane
     by Franklin Wade 
 33) Rally for Paul Watson at Netherlands Embassy
     by Mike Markarian 
 34) Bear Advocates File Brief in Baiting Case
     by Mike Markarian 
 35) (US) Groups Urge Protection of Trout
     by allen schubert 
 36) Baboon Ends Up in Monkey Mill
     by Debbie Leahy 
 37) FREEDOM FOR BIRDS (AUSTRALIA)
     by Coral Hull 
 38) NJ Pet Theft Legislation
     by Suzanne Roy 
 39) Fwd: Vegan film
     by Nichen@aol.com
 40) (Fwd) Web site for Wild Horses info (Aotearoa/New Zealand) (fw
     by "Karen Bevis" 
 41) Re: Mink Farmers Lie to Discredit the ALF
     by BKMACKAY@aol.com
 42) Admin Note-Re: Mink Farmers Lie to Discredit the ALF
     by allen schubert 
 43) (BE) EU Ministers Back Beef Hormone Ban
     by allen schubert 
 44) (US) APHIS Press Release National Animal Damage Control
  Advisory Committee Members 
     by allen schubert 
 45) (US) U.S. Pressure on Whaling Sought
     by allen schubert 
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 21:01:08 -0700
From: Andrew Gach 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Side Effects
Message-ID: <33812204.745A@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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Merck stops two highest-dose drug studies

1997 Reuter Information Service 

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. (May 19, 1997 11:55 a.m. EDT) - Merck & Co.
Inc. announced Monday it had halted two highest-dose studies of a new
cholesterol-lowering medication because of side effects.

It said the tests involved the 160 mg formulation of the drug Zocor.

However, the company, which already markets a 40 mg version, said it
intended to seek seek FDA approval for a medium-dosage tablet by Aug. 1.

Merck said trials of 80 mg tablets with 1,000 patients worldwide showed
a good safety profile and the dose was more effective than the 40 mg
version now on the market.

Merck said it was discontinuing studies with a 160 mg dose of Zocor
involving about 400 patients because three patients during the past two
weeks had developed rhabdomyolysis, a rare skeletal muscle fiber injury
that results in pain and weakness.

"The incidence of this side effect appeared to have been about 1
percent," the company said. But the trials were halted, it added,
because patients had required hospitalization.

=============================================================

The fact that side effects requiring hospitalization only occurred at
the 160 mg level offers no reassurance that the 40 mg and 80 mg doses
are safe -- only that the effects may take longer to show up.

Andy
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 21:09:32 -0700
From: Andrew Gach 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Preventative medicine
Message-ID: <338123FC.6057@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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Scientists expect to locate prostate cancer gene soon

The Associated Press 

DENVER (May 19, 1997 09:19 a.m. EDT) -- Scientists are closing in on a
gene that causes about one-third of all inherited prostate cancer, and
they may find it within a few months.

Researchers already know the rough location of this gene, called HPC1,
and they are racing to be the first to pinpoint it.

"People are working day and night on this. It will be very soon," Dr.
Olufunmilayo I. Olopade of the University of Chicago said Sunday.

At least three research teams are competing to locate HPC1, including
one involving scientists from Johns Hopkins University and Sweden.

Dr. Henrik Gronberg of Umea University in Sweden, a member of the Johns
Hopkins collaboration, said scientists know which chromosome carries the
gene, and they have narrowed down its location to a stretch of between 3
million and 5 million bits of information out of the 3 billion pieces of
genetic data in the entire human library of DNA.

"We expect it will be found within the next couple of months to a year,"
he said.

Gronberg updated the research at a meeting of the American Society of
Clinical Oncology.

An estimated 334,500 American men will learn they have prostate cancer
this year, and about 41,800 will die from it. Prostate cancer is just
behind breast cancer as a cancer killer.

Tracking down the genes that are involved in the major cancer killers
has become an important quest in cancer research. Sometimes cancer runs
in families, and experts believe that deciphering the genes
responsible for this will help them understand the roots of the more
common non-inherited cancers, as well, so they can craft more precise
treatments.

In 1994 and 1995, scientists isolated two genes, dubbed BRCA1 and BRCA2,
that are important causes of breast and ovarian cancer that runs in
families, especially when victims get the diseases before menopause.

Already, screening tests are available to tell women whether they carry
these genes, so they can be checked more frequently for cancer or even
have their breasts or ovaries removed while still healthy.

The discovery of HPC1 should help doctors screen and treat men who come
from families where prostate cancer is common, as well as improve
understanding of the genetic flaws that trigger the disease.

Experts estimate that between 5 percent and 10 percent of all prostate
cancer results from an inborn genetic flaw that is passed through the
generations. And they think that HPC1 accounts for about 30 percent of
these inherited cases. A few other genes probably account for the rest.

Already, preliminary evidence exists that men with HPC1 get a more
aggressive form of cancer than do those whose prostate cancer is not
inherited.

Gronberg said about 40 percent of the cancers detected in men in these
cancer families has already spread by the time it is detected, compared
with about 30 percent of prostate cancer overall.

The gene appears to be especially important in triggering cancer at
relatively young ages. He said studies on 91 cancer families suggest
that it's responsible for about half of all inherited cases that
strike before age 65.

=================================================================

When they came up with genes held responsible for an increased risk of
breast cancer, some "high-risk" women had their breasts removed as a
"preventative" measure.  I suppose, men said to have prostate cancer
genes will be advised to have radical prostatectomy.  

Is this is the health establishment's idea of preventative medicine?

Andy
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 21:40:27 -0700
From: Andrew Gach 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Vitamins help asthma sufferers
Message-ID: <33812B3B.132E@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Asthmatics helped by vitamins

Reuter Information Service 

SAN FRANCISCO (May 20, 1997 00:19 a.m. EDT) - Taking an anti-oxidant
vitamin supplement may help you breathe easier about your health -- and
scientists now say it may also help you to just breathe easier. New
research suggests that people with asthma become less sensitive to air
pollution when they take daily supplements of vitamins E and C.

The study was conducted by Dr. Carol Trenga at the University of
Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine in Seattle.
She will formally present the results Tuesday at the American Lung
Association/American Thoracic Society's International Conference here.

Trenga's research involved 17 asthmatics who took daily supplements of
vitamins E and C for five weeks and then took a daily placebo regimen
for another five weeks. At the end of each five-week period, the
patients were exposed to air containing two common pollutants, ozone and
sulfur dioxide, while exercising on a treadmill. The patients were shown
to have an easier time breathing after taking the vitamin regimen.

"Our results show that a comination of antioxidant vitamins can benefit
peple with asthma who are sensitive to air pollutants," Trenga said.

But for this regimen to work, she added, asthmatics would have to take
both vitamins E and C.  Combined, they appear to help protect the lungs
from pollutants. The research suggests a new benefit for anti-oxidants,
which are most widely used as a preventive measure against cancer.
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 13:12:23 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, veg-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (NZ) Fish piracy threat to marine treaty
Message-ID: <199705200512.NAA01141@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


                   
>South China Morning Post
  Tuesday  May 20  1997
     Fish piracy threat to marine treaty
     AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE in Christchurch

     The lure of big profits from a newly discovered Southern Ocean fish
stock is
     threatening an environmental convention set up to protect Antarctica's
marine life, says New Zealand Associate Foreign Minister Simon Upton.

     Addressing 260 delegates attending the 21st Antarctic Treaty
Consultative Meeting, Mr Upton said fishing piracy of the valuable
Patagonian toothfish might be only "the tip of the exploitation iceberg".

     Toothfish, marketed in Japan as mero can fetch between US$5,000
(HK$38,650) and US$7,000 per tonne. The fish stock was only recently
revealed when the United States declassified satellite photos originally
taken to help its submarines hide in the cold waters.

     A fleet of mainly reflagged European boats has headed south to exploit
the species, and France has already arrested a number of boats in its
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Kerguelen Island.

     There are fears the illegal fleet, now estimated to be up to 70 boats
strong, is
     plundering the Australian EEZ around Heard Island, knowing that at
4,000 kilometres  southwest of Perth, it is effectively beyond the range of
Australian patrols.

     Antarctic Treaty officials have described pirate fishing of the fish
stocks in Antarctic   seas as a blatant challenge to the credibility of the
1982 Convention on the
     Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

     The Tasmanian-based subordinate body of the Antarctic Treaty is
supposed to control  fishing in biologically rich Antarctic and
sub-Antarctic waters, south of the convergence of Southern Ocean currents.

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 13:12:31 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, veg-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (HK) Second food handler struck down with suspected cholera
Message-ID: <199705200512.NAA02531@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>Hong Kong Standard
20 May 97
Second food handler struck down with suspected cholera
By Ella Lee 


ANOTHER food handler at a Tuen Mun Chinese restaurant named as the third
source of the ongoing cholera outbreak was admitted to Princess Margaret
Hospital on Monday with suspected cholera. 

The Department of Health on Monday referred the man, 38, to the hospital's
infectious diseases ward. 

A male chef from the same restaurant was admitted to hospital on Saturday. A
boy, 6, who had eaten in the restaurant was earlier diagnosed with the disease. 

There have been 13 confirmed cases; seven have been discharged. 

A further five are suspected cases, including the second restaurant worker
and a man, 29, transferred from Pok Oi Hospital. 

For the first time in 30 years, the Department of Health shut a restaurant _
the New Guangdong Restaurant _ on Saturday and ordered it to improve its
hygiene during a three-day closure. 

The restaurant will remain closed on Tuesday as the full results of cholera
tests of food and water samples are still unavailable. 

The Regional Services Department earlier admitted negligence for its poor
monitoring of the two licensed food factories, in Yuen Long and Tuen Mun,
where fried chicken and duck feet were contaminated by excrement from
well-water. 

Training of health inspectors is included in the agenda of the
inter-departmental taskforce reviewing hygiene control in Hong Kong. 

Chairman of the 600-strong Hong Kong Public Health Inspectors' Association
Peter Ku Yuen-ching said on Monday the union did not see any evidence of
negligence. ``But if the public has a general suspicion that our colleagues
have done something improper, it is embarrassing to the whole profession,''
he said. 

There are about 800 health inspectors at the Urban Services, Regional
Services and Health departments. 

Mr Ku urged a review of the licensing system as it allowed food premises to
be exempted from having proper water supply and sewage systems. 



Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 13:12:37 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, veg-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Asia faces eco-crisis warns bank
Message-ID: <199705200512.NAA01164@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>Hong Kong Standard
20 May 97

Asia faces eco-crisis warns bank

ASIA faces a nightmare future of chronic pollution, urban filth and
overpopulation unless governments overhaul their outmoded environmental
policies, the Asian Development Bank has warned. 

``Without conscious shifts in environmental policy most of Asia will become
dirtier, noisier, more eroded, less forested and less biologically
diverse,'' said a report timed to coincide with the bank's 30th anniversary
and released at the bank's general meeting in Fukuoka, Japan. 

But the bank warns the required reforms mean a level of investment too huge
to be absorbed by the public purse. 

``Asia will pay even more dearly for environment negligence in the future
than it has in the past,'' it said. 

The bank says US$245 billion (HK$1.91 trillion) will have to be spent every
year on the environment in 2025 compared to US$38 billion in 1995. 

``If such an enormous investment requirement were to be funded wholly by the
public sector, this would pose intolerable fiscal burdens,'' the report says. 

In order to cope, the methods of the market economy must be adopted along
with new anti-pollution laws and restrictions on pollutants, the report says. 

And it advocates the privatisation of state concerns _ particularly in the
electricity industry. 

Certain outmoded subsidies should also be abolished _ for example, water
subsidies which are direct contributors to wasting water, and also
contribute to the salination of the earth. And subsidies on fertilisers and
pesticides also increase pollution, says the report, the result of an
extensive study. 

Governments in the region are often guilty of retaining responsibility for a
number of tasks, like waste collection or water purification, which are more
efficiently carried out by the private sector, the bank says. 

Pollution already exacts a high economic price _ between 1 and 9 per cent of
gross domestic product in Asia, according to estimates. 

It also has long-term consequences which cannot be easily translated into
figures _ for example for the health of people living in the Asian region. 

Overpopulation and population growth do not themselves trigger an automatic
decline in the quality of the environment but are a deadly combination when
they go hand in hand with poverty. 

Asian countries are often asked to live up to the environmental protection
policies of rich countries _but they do not have the money to carry them
out, the bank says. 

The region already faces staggering environmental problems, including 13 of
the world's 15 most polluted cities, the report says. 

Rivers are nearly four times as clogged with pollution as they were in the
late 1970s, while at the same time rivers outside Asia have improved. 

And deforestation projects are eating up 1 per cent of the region's forests
every year and between70 and 90 per cent of the region's original animal
life has already disappeared. 

And the earth is becoming barren and parched by erosion and salination._ AFP 


Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 01:57:24 -0400
From: "radioactive" 
To: "Animal Rights" 
Subject: USDA, Swine Practitioners, and Pork Producers Kick Off Joint Disease Study
Message-ID: <199705200558.BAA18284@mail.mia.bellsouth.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
     charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

USDA, SWINE PRACTITIONERS, AND PORK PRODUCERS KICK OFF JOINT
DISEASE STUDY

     WASHINGTON, May 19, 1997--The U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, in cooperation with
representatives of the swine industry, will begin a pilot investigation of
the epidemiology of acute porcine reproductive and respiratory
syndrome in the United States.

     Throughout 1996, swine producers in several states reported an
increasing number of swine herds that were experiencing severe
reproductive losses with instances of high sow mortality.  An initial
USDA investigation suggested that the clinical signs and laboratory
findings in affected swine herds were consistent with PRRS as it was
initially described in the United States in 1989.  However, the need to
better understand the clinical observations called for additional studies.

     The National Pork Producers Council and the American Association of
Swine Practitioners are working with APHIS, a part of USDA's marketing
and regulatory programs mission area, to implement a collaborative study
of the epidemiology of acute PRRS.  The goals of the study are to better
characterize the role of the disease-causing agent and to identify
management practices that put swine farms at risk for acute PRRS.

     This is the first joint effort by these groups in responding to an
animal health issue and may serve as a model for future cooperative
studies.

     The study will involve two parts, including investigating current
outbreaks of acute PRRS and studying herds that were previously
affected.

     Swine producers experiencing high levels of abortion or preweaning
piglet mortality should contact their veterinarian for possible inclusion
in
the study.

                                #
                               
NOTE: USDA news releases, program announcements, and media
advisories are available on the Internet.  Access the APHIS Home Page
by pointing your Web browser to
http://www.aphis.usda.gov and clicking on "APHIS Press Releases." 
Also, anyone with an e-mail address can sign up to receive APHIS press
releases automatically.  Send an e-mail message to
majordomo@info.aphis.usda.gov
and leave the subject blank.  In the message, type
subscribe press_releases     


Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 02:53:13 EDT
From: kpoisson@juno.com (Kawika Poisson)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: RFI: Nu Skin International
Message-ID: <19970520.015246.4823.1.kpoisson@juno.com>

Hello, list!
     (Please respond via private email.)  I recently learned of a company
named Nu Skin International which sells cosmetics, nutritional
supplements, foods & beverages.  Allen & all, this is not an
advertisement.  I'm just wondering if anyone here has used or bought any
of their merchandise & what you think of it.  Some of their products
include skin cream (new Skin), facial wrinkle cream (Dramatic Effects),
cosmetics (New Color) & supplements such as Over-Drive & Life Pak within
their Interior Design Nutritionals division,  officially licensed with
the US Olympic Team.  I asked a Blue Diamond Executive tonight at a
seminar if the company tests on animals & he instantly told me no.  In
fact, he claims NSI is a member of PeTA.  Does anyone know if this is
true?  He didn't know if the company was listed in PeTA's Shopping Guide
for Caring Consumers, but I'm glad to report they are listed there (as a
mail order business in Utah), albeit not vegan.  I looked on the back of
a sample of their hand cream at the meeting & saw various animal-derived
ingredients listed, including but not limited to cholecalciferol, better
known as Vitamin D3, usually derived from bones, egg yolks & livers. 
Please tell me what you all think of their products for those of you
familiar with them.  Thanks.

Aloha,
Kawika
--------- End forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 03:09:14 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Frog dissection, or slimy crime?
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520030911.006caf64@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN web page:
------------------------------
                     Frog dissection, or slimy crime?

                     May 19, 1997
                     Web posted at: 11:00 p.m. EDT (0300 GMT)
                                            
                     From Correspondent Anne McDermott

                     LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Seventh-grade sleuths are
                     trying to solve a host of apparent slayings.

                     There's the case of D. Slimyskin -- he bought it
                     with bullets. Then there's Jo Toadness,
                     electrocuted in the living room. D. Frog turned up
                     his toes in the tub, while T. Tadpolian was found
                     dead in a bed.

                     First the budding criminalists identify the
                     victims, all frogs. The students collect
                     fingerprints and clues. The little frog victims
                     even have toe -- make that web -- tags.

                      The cause of K.C. Amphibious' death
                            appears obvious. "It looks like he was
                     stabbed once outside and four times inside --
                     vicious," one girl observes to her lab partners.

                     Then it's time for the autopsies. That part will
                     be familiar to anyone who survived biology
                     dissection. Science teacher Christine Karlberg
                     decided plain old frog dissecting can be
                     forgettable, so she's making it more memorable
                     with murder.

                     "They want the bloodiest, most violent scene
                     possible in most cases," Karlberg says of her
                     students.

                     But some observers, including a member of the
                     group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals,
                     say it's sick.

                     "What are we trying to do, are we  
                     trying to make Jeffrey Dahmer's
                     out of our children?" Alex Pachecco asks
                     rhetorically.

                     But some of the children say it's making future
                     investigators.

                     "I want to be a deputy coroner," says one boy as
                     he peered through lab glasses.

                     Meantime, who was responsible for these seeming
                     serial murders?

                      [barbie] It's not clear, but most of the
                               furniture and props appear to belong to
                     one particular woman widely known as Barbie.

                     But wait, she may have an alibi: She said she was
                     out with Ken that night.


Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 01:42:42 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] Butcher fined for bear poaching
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970520014307.3857676c@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>From The Province - Sunday, May 18th, 1997

Laidlaw butcher Eric Isaacson has been fined $10,000 for bear poaching.

Isaacson pleaded guilty to three charges under the Provincial Wildlife ACt,
including trafficking in bear paws, bear genitalia and bear gall bladders.

The butcher was busted after an 18-month investigation.

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 01:42:44 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Six-inch nail is driven into horse
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970520014308.27bfff28@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


>From The Electronic Telegraph - Tuesday, May 20th, 1997

Six-inch nail is driven into horse
By Michael Fleet 


A HORSE owner who went to turn out her 25-year-old former hunter into its
paddock discovered a six-inch nail driven into its chin.

The horse, Master Lexion, had to be anaesthetised before the nail could be
removed by a veterinary surgeon. The owner, Angela Sales, 30, a personnel
officer, said she could not believe what had happened to her horse, which
she stabled near Hailsham, East Sussex.

She said: "I screamed for my mother to get a vet after I saw the nail
hanging out of his mouth. It was such a wicked thing to do. I don't think
there are any words to describe someone who carries out such an act on an
innocent animal. Lexi is so soft. He wouldn't hurt anyone. It must have been
agony for him because every time he went for a drink the nail would have
caught on the trough."

The incident, on Sunday, happened two miles from where another horse has
twice been attacked. Hovis, a 20-year-old gelding, was cut under the rib
cage in the first attack and was later slashed on a shoulder with an axe.

Sussex police are investigating both incidents but are not linking them to a
series of horse attacks in southern England three years ago.Those prompted
Hampshire police to set up Operation Mountbatten in the hunt for the "horse
ripper". Arrests were made but no one was charged. Police concluded that a
number of people may have been involved.

The investigation led police to several people who had an unnatural interest
in horses and a number of men were warned about their behaviour.

© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 10:35:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: MINKLIB@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Trappers Oppose Lynx Protection
Message-ID: <970520103501_148066512@emout13.mail.aol.com>

As was posted here a while back, the courts have ruled that the US Fish and
Wildlife Service errored when they chose not to list the lynx population in
the lower 48 states as endangered.  It was said that the USFWS had 60 days to
reevaluate the present status of lynx, and provide some form of protection.

Montanna is the only one of the lower 48 states that allows for the fur
trapping of lynx.  Though estimates put the number of lynx in this state at
150-400, trappers are still allowed to kill this animal in large numbers to
supply the fur trade.

Now that the lynx is close to getting the protection it deserves, the
trappers are throwing a fit.  In the newest issue of the Trapper and Predator
Caller a columnist named Parker Dozhier claims that there are just as many
lynx around now as 300 years ago.  Parker obviously has trouble with basic
math as the lynx is extinct in many states which it was abundant in 300 years
ago.   Lynx only exist in 4 of the lower 48 states, and in those states they
number 150 or less, with the exception of Montanna.

Parker then goes on to rant about managing wildlife with political purposes.
 The ironic thing is that managing wildlife with political goals in mind is
exactly what Parker would have us do.  He has a political motive and that is
preservation of the fur trade, and the rampant killing of animals for human
vanity.  Even when the science shows that the lynx cannot sustain continued
habitat destruction and fur trapping, he weighs in and makes politically
biased claims.

Fur trade PR hacks have always claimed that they were concerned about
endangered species, but the facts prove otherwise.  Recently the National
Trappers Association wanted to delist the otter and bobcat from section 2 of
CITES so that they wouldn't have to go to the trouble of tagging the pelts,
so as to keep up with the body count.  Now the trappers want the lynx to
remain open to trapping even when it has been proven that this animal needs
complete protection today!

Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade
PO Box 822411
Dallas, TX 75382

Membership is $15 a year.
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 07:22:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mike Markarian 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, seac+announce@ecosys.drdr.virginia.edu,
        en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: Park Service Sued for Bison Carnage and Winter Use Policies
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970520102613.29f796c2@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, May 20, 1997

CONTACT: D.J. Schubert or Howard Crystal (Meyer and Glitzenstein), 202-588-5206
         Michael Markarian (The Fund for Animals), 301-585-2591
         Jasper Carlton (Biodiversity Legal Foundation), 303-442-3037

PARK SERVICE SUED FOR BISON CARNAGE AND OTHER ADVERSE WINTER USE
POLICIES

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Led by The Fund for Animals, a coalition of
environmental organizations and Montana and Wyoming residents today filed
suit in federal court against Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt and
other government officials for violating several federal laws in permitting
winter use activities in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

The lawsuit alleges that the National Park Service has never properly
evaluated the substantial adverse impacts caused by winter use, particularly
snowmobile use and snowmobile trail grooming, in violation of the National
Environmental Policy Act. In addition, the National Park Service and U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service have failed to assess the impacts of winter use on
the threatened grizzly bear and the endangered gray wolf as required by the
Endangered Species Act.

Impacts associated with winter use activities, particularly snowmobiling,
include impacts to the behavior, distribution, movements, and habitat use of
many wildlife species. For example, Dr. Mary Meagher, Yellowstone's bison
expert, has stated that the groomed snowmobile trails are the largest factor
contributing to bison movements outside of the park where nearly 1,100 were
killed this past winter. In addition, impacts to air quality, predators,
threatened and endangered species, and other park users have escalated due
to the uncontrolled use of the parks in winter.

"Secretary Babbitt has decried the slaughter of Yellowstone bison, yet his
own agency is actually aiding and abetting that slaughter by grooming the
trails that bison use to walk to their deaths," says D.J. Schubert, wildlife
biologist for the public interest law firm Meyer and Glitzenstein, which is
representing The Fund for Animals and other plaintiffs in the case.

The suit asks the court to require the Park Service to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement on its winter use program, and in the
interim, to prohibit snowmobile trail grooming in Yellowstone and Grand
Teton to prevent further environmental impacts to animals and ecology.
 
"There should be international outrage that the Park Service is illegally
permitting the destructive use of two of the world's premier parks to
accommodate the recreational interests of the few," says Jasper Carlton,
director of the Biodiversity Legal Foundation, a co-plaintiff in the case.

# # #

====================

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ON THE FUND FOR ANIMALS, ET AL. V. BABBITT,
ET AL.
AND WINTER USE IN YELLOWSTONE AND GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARKS

PLAINTIFFS: The Fund for Animals, Biodiversity Legal Foundation, Bison
Advocacy Project, Predator Project, Ecology Center, Dr. Bill Willars, John
Lilburn, Phillip Knight, Richard Meis, and Walt Farmer.

DEFENDANTS: Bruce Babbitt (Secretary of the Interior), Denis Galvin (Acting
Deputy Director of the National Park Service), Jack Neckels (Superintendent
of Grand Teton National Park), Mike Finley (Superintendent of Yellowstone
National Park), and John Rogers (Acting Director of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service).

SUMMARY OF LEGAL CLAIMS: Defendants have violated the: National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by failing to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental impacts of winter use
in Yellowstone (YNP) and Grand Teton (GTNP) National Parks; Endangered
Species Act by failing to assess properly the impacts of winter use,
particularly snowmobile use and snowmobile trail grooming, on imperiled
species such as the grizzly bear and gray wolf; National Park Service
Organic Act (NPSOA) by failing to evaluate whether trail grooming and other
winter use activities violate the purpose of the National Park system and of
YNP and GTNP; and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) by failing to
provide for public notice and comment on decision to groom trails.

SUMMARY OF REQUESTED RELIEF: The court is asked to declare that the NPS has
violated NEPA, ESA, NPSOA, YNP and GTNP Acts, the APA, and its own
regulations by permitting uncontrolled and destructive winter use of YNP and
GTNP. The court is asked to direct the NPS to comply with the ESA by
engaging in formal Section 7 consultation regarding the impacts of winter
use activities on threatened and endangered species, comply with NEPA by
preparing an EIS evaluating the environmental impacts of winter use in the
parks, and enjoin the grooming of snowmobile trails pending completion of
the EIS and compliance with the ESA and APA.

SUMMARY OF IMPACTS: Winter use in YNP and GTNP has grown exponentially since
the 1960s, when virtually no winter use was recorded, to the mid-1990s, when
over 300,000 visitors annually recreate in the parks. Since the late 1970s,
the popularity of the parks for snowmobiling has increased substantially
with over 70,000 snowmobiles entering the parks during the winter of 1996-97.

The National Park Service (NPS) has facilitated winter and snowmobile use of
these parks by grooming snowmobile trails, providing and expanding on
overnight accommodations, and constructing warming huts, fueling stations,
and other facilities needed to serve the expanding number of winter users.

Such increased winter use activities have not come without a cost. The
environmental impacts associated with winter use, particularly snowmobile
use and the grooming of snowmobile trails, have resulted in substantial
changes to the ecology of the parks and their wildlife.

Such impacts include changes in the population dynamics, distribution,
movements, and habitat use of park ungulates who have learned to use the
groomed trails as energy efficient travel routes.  The energy savings
associated with using these routes corresponds to a decrease in winter
mortality, increase in survival, and an increase in productivity in these
species. As a result, some species, like bison and elk, are maintained at
population sizes which have not resulted in overgrazing impacts but which,
nonetheless, are inconsistent with the so-called natural regulation mandate
of the National Park Service.

Of the park species affected by these changes, none have suffered more than
the bison. Their use of the groomed trail system has facilitated their
movements both within and outside of YNP.  Unfortunately, due to abominable
bison management policies adopted by Montana and the NPS most bison who
emigrate near or across YNP boundaries are killed. Nearly 1,100 bison were
killed this winter alone.  It is indisputable that if YNP did not groom
snowmobile trails or permit snowmobile use, this winter's bison carnage
would have never occurred. Indeed, Dr. Mary Meagher, YNP's bison expert, has
determined that the groomed trails are the largest factor contributing to
bison movements outside of the park.

The groomed trails also may have altered predator/prey interactions in the
parks. The trails likely provide predators with access to prey populations
which they otherwise may not be able to gain due to snow depth. In addition,
the amount of snowmobile use in Yellowstone may be displacing gray wolves
from critical winter habitat. Studies in Canada have shown that above a
certain level of human winter use, which was much less than that experienced
in Yellowstone, wolves will abandon habitat. Grizzly bear access to critical
winter-killed carrion upon den emergence is also reduced due to ungulate use
of the groomed trail system. Not only have the groomed trails reduced the
proportion of winter-killed carrion, but many of the animals that die do so
near the road system. Studies in Yellowstone have shown that grizzlies avoid
carrion when near roads and developments.

Snowmobile use in the parks has also affected air quality. Snowmobiles are
highly polluting machines emitting substantially more carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbon, and nitrous oxides than an automobile. Preliminary air quality
studies in Yellowstone have revealed that on certain days pollutant levels
in Yellowstone exceed federal and state standards.  Indeed, on some days,
carbon monoxide levels in YNP have been worse than anywhere else in the
country. This pollution, along with the noise and sheer numbers of
snowmobiles using the parks daily has diminished the recreational experience
of other park users.

In response to the slaughter of bison this past winter, Secretary Babbitt,
in February, called upon Montana's Governor Racicot to seek a resolution to
this issue to prevent a repeat of this winter's tragedy. The preparation of
an Environmental Impact Statements on winter use in YNP and GTNP in concert
with a prohibition on the grooming of snowmobile trails while the EIS is
being prepared is the first step towards such a resolution.  

An EIS will provide the NPS the opportunity to comprehensively evaluate the
environmental impacts of all winter use activities, including snowmobiling
and trail grooming, while also permitting the public to participate in the
decision-making process. In the interim, to reduce further environmental
impacts and to prevent the irretrievable commitment of NPS resources, trail
grooming must be prohibited. While such a prohibition may not prevent all
bison from leaving the park, it will reduce the number and pace of bison
emigrating from YNP.  

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 10:35:35 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) RFI: Exotic fenced animal hunt (Michigan)
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520103533.006987f8@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Request for information (and help) from private e-mail.  Send responses to
at Lynette:  dick lausen 
------------------------------------------------------------------
I live in West Michigan,
the township is Claybanks in Oceana County, approximately 30 miles north
of Muskegon. What I need to know is how to go about stopping these
people. Their are no township ordinances restricting this type of
business at this time. They are planning to put it on a 40 acre parcel
that abutes many homes, and from what I have heard so far, plan to let
their "customers" use high powered rifles to "bag" their enclosed game.
The DNR stated that the only thing that is protected are the species of
animals from this area, deer, wild turkey, etc. There is nothing that
would require the animals to be inspected, and not sure what type(s)of
animals they will all be stocking. We are appalled at the thought of
this particular business, the animal does not stand a chance. Neighbors
live close here and are uneasy of the thought of bullets flying through
the air. We are also concerned of the type of diseases that could be
brought in.  
Would like to speak with someone that could tell us in a step by step
plan, what we need to do to stop them.
Thanks so much.
Lynette

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 11:20:45 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (BR) Circus Lion Mauls Boy
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520112042.006c320c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
------------------------------
05/19/1997 20:11 EST 
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- A lion cub displayed on top of a car to
advertise a
 circus escaped and mauled a 4-year-old boy to death in the northeastern
city of
 Tiangua, police said Monday. 

 The cub escaped Sunday afternoon when its rope leash broke. An animal handler
 with the Dallas Circus had been leading the animal by the leash on top of
the car,
 Ceara state policeman Alessandre Mesquita said. 

 The lion ran into a video rental store where children were playing video
games.
 Several children were able to run away, but the animal cornered Jose
Vincius Silva in
 the store and bit him on the head. 

 The boy died at the hospital in Tiangua, 180 miles west of Fortaleza. The
lion was
 handed over to federal environmental protection agents. 
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 10:35:14 -0700
From: Houston SPCA 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: HSPCA needs your voice today!
Message-ID: <3381E0D2.58AB@neosoft.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

This is a repeated posting of the original notice from 5-16. The 
Commisioners's meeting on this matter is today, 5-20 at 1:45pm.
Your voice is needed NOW.

AA (Houston, TX) Harris Co. Animal Control sells pets for medical
            research 

The Houston SPCA desperately needs you to call the Harris County
Commissioners at 713-755-5000 and tell them you oppose the sale of pets
from Harris County Animal Control to medical research laboratories.
Tell the Commissioners that animal shelters should be the last humane
refuge for stray, abandoned, or unwanted pets. Pets should be given a
chance at life in new adoptive homes.
Tell the commissioners that they are betraying the public's trust by
selling pets for research, and you oppose this barbaric, primitive
practice.
Please attend the Harris County Commissioners court meeting on Tuesday,
May 20, 1:45 pm at 1001 Preston. All you need to do is stand up, state
your name and address, and tell the commissioners you oppose the sale of
pets to medical research labs.
Further details can be found at http://www.neosoft.com/~hspca/news.htm
Thank you for caring
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 23:53:58 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (MY) Deer farms to draw tourists
Message-ID: <199705201553.XAA31940@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


The Star
                   Tuesday, May 20, 1997 

                   Deer farms to draw tourists

                   PEKAN: Deer farms managed by orang asli in oil palm
plantations may be
                   introduced as a tourist attraction. 

                   National Unity and Social Development Minister Datin
Paduka Zaleha
                   Ismail said that chalets would be built to enable
tourists to have a closer
                   look at the deer habitats and the orang asli culture. 

                   Zaleha said the project which would be jointly managed by
the orang asli
                   Affairs Department, Veterinary Services Department,
National Park and
                   Wildlife Department and Universiti Putra Malaysia was
being studied by
the ministry. 

                   "However, the pilot project in Kampong Runchang will
determine whether
                   it will succeed," Zaleha told reporters after the launch
of a deer farm in an
                   oil palm plantation yesterday. 

                   She added that once the pilot project succeeded, the
programme would be
                   implemented in at least 16 orang asli settlements. 

                   Twenty-seven deer are being reared in oil palm estates in
Kampong
                   Runchang, Paloh Hinai, here. More than 200 orang asli
have been tending
                   the farms since last year. 



Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 23:55:01 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (MY) Group against hunting jungle fowl
Message-ID: <199705201555.XAA27115@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


The Star
20 May 97

Open season on jungle fowl not
                   advisable, says group

                   PENANG: Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is concerned over the
                   Malacca Wildlife Department's move to issue hunting
licences to 100
                   shotgun permit holders to shoot jungle fowl. 

                   Its president S.M. Mohd Idris said SAM was disturbed by
the decision of
                   the department to issue the licences. 

                   "The issuance (of licences) to renew hunters' interest
and to sharpen their
                   shooting skill is shocking and uncalled for," he said. 

He said the blasting of gentle, defenceless jungle birds or any other wildlife
                   was a violent act. 

                   He added that there was no guarantee that hunters would
not in the
                   process hunt or shoot other animals instead of sticking
to the rules. 

                   He also said that shooting damaged the environment. 


Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 23:57:32 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (MY) New frontier in turtle conservation
Message-ID: <199705201557.XAA31313@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

   

The Star
 Tuesday, May 20, 1997

              New frontier in turtle conservation

                   Story by Tan Cheng Li; Picture by K.K. Ng

                   THE nearly full moon lit up the beach ever so slightly,
                   but it was enough to illuminate the area. Instead of
                   garbage, patterned trails ran down the sandy beach - an
                   indication that turtles had come ashore to seek their
                   nesting spot for the night.

                   "You are lucky. The turtles know there are special
                   visitors tonight, that's why they've all come ashore,"
                   says ranger Jufri Nasri in jest.

                   On a serious note, however, he explains that the weather
                   is just right for the turtles to land. It had rained the
                   previous night, so the beach is cool and inviting.

                   We trail one turtle track to a rounded shape crouched
                   under a shrub. The giant creature had already ploughed a
                   hole in the sand, and is now silently depositing its
                   cache of eggs in the pit. Jufri immediately goes to
                   work, scooping the eggs into a pail.

                                  Three metres away under the safety of
another shrub, the
                   heaving and huffing of another turtle as it digs its
                   hole is audible. I scrutinise the beach and make out
                   several rounded shapes heading up the beach - more
                   turtles are landing.

                   In fact, on that night on Pulau Selingaan - one of three
                   islands which make up the Turtle Islands Marine Park,
                   40km north of Sandakan, Sabah - a total of 26 green
                   turtles struggled ashore to lay their eggs. This is by
                   no means a record; as many as 40 have come ashore in the
                   past.

                   The Turtle Islands, which also include Pulau Gulisaan
                   and Pulau Bakkungan Kecil, have been managed as a marine
                   park by Sabah Parks since 1977. With a fully protected
                   status, turtles - especially the greens and hawksbills -
                   nest in hordes unmatched by any other site in Malaysia.

                   The Sabahan effort is being heralded as a success story
                   in marine turtle conservation, more so now that the only
                   grey speck marring this otherwise spotless picture has
                   been dusted away.

                   And what is this grey speck? For years, turtle
                   preservationists have pointed out that what Sabah was
                   trying hard to conserve, the Philippines was exploiting
                   without control. This is because another group of turtle
                   nesting islands lie just beyond the boundary in the Sulu
                   Sea separating Malaysia from the Philippines.

                   Being highly migratory animals with no recognition of
                   man-made borders, turtles have been found to nest on
                   islands on both sides of the boundary. Thus efforts by
                   one country to protect the turtles can come to nought if
                   the other does not do likewise.

                   And for a long time, this was the case. While the eggs
                   in Sabah's islands were totally protected, Filipino
                   villagers continued to slaughter the turtles for their
                   meat and harvest the eggs on their islands.

                   Realising that protection of turtles meant protection of
                   all the islands, Malaysia and Philippines last year
                   agreed on the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area
                   (TIHPA), under which complementary management plans are
                   being drawn up for the three Malaysian and six
                   Philippine islands.

                   Believed to be the first trans-frontier marine turtle
                   sanctuary in the world, the efforts of both countries
                   were acknowledged when they were jointly awarded the
                   1996 International Paul Getty Conservation Award by the
                   US-based Paul Getty Foundation, with a cash prize of
                   RM125,000.

                   Sabah Parks marine research officer Muhamad Saini
                   Suliansa lists the reasons for conserving Turtle
                   Islands: They are significant turtle nesting sites for
                   both countries. They are the only major nesting area for
                   green turtles in South-East Asia, one of 16 such sites
                   in the world. Pulau Gulisaan supports the largest
                   breeding population of hawksbill turtle in Malaysia -
                   with over 600 nestings annually.

                   Ensuring total protection

                   One reason why conservation efforts have worked well in
                   Turtle Islands is because Sabah Parks has full control,
                   says Saini. In a milestone move in 1972, the state
                   bought over the three islands from private owners for
                   RM89,000.

                   The islands were then turned into a game and bird
                   sanctuary, and a national park five years later. "This
                   effectively ended the era of egg-harvesting. Rangers are
                   now posted on all three islands to collect the eggs for
                   hatcheries," says Saini.

                   In the six Filipino islands of Taganak, Bakkungan Besar,
                   Baguan, Boan, Lihiman and Langaan, however, it is a
                   different story.

                   "Enforcement is difficult as they are the furthermost
                   islands in the Philippines Archipelago. So far are they
                   that the islanders actually sold the turtle eggs to
                   Malaysians," says Saini.

                   Fortunately, conservation efforts spearheaded by the
                   Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines have changed
                   this scenario. In 1982, Baguan was turned into a turtle
                   sanctuary under the Philippines Marine Turtle
                   Conservation Project. This island alone accounts for 65
                   per cent of egg production within the group.

                   The islands are in the process of being declared a
                   national marine park, says Joel Palma, project manager
                   in WWF Philippines.

                   "Because of the pressure of a poor fishing community
                   which still regard egg collection as a traditional
                   source of livelihood, the activity is allowed to
                   continue. But it is regulated."

                   Thirty-five per cent of the eggs can still be harvested,
                   says Palma. Each year, 156 permits are issued for this
                   purpose. Since there are 419 families on the islands,
                   each may get to collect the eggs only once in three
                   years.

                   "Prior to 1982, egg collection was unregulated but we
                   are now able to conserve 65 per cent of the total eggs
                   in the area," says Palma.

                   Scientists believe the group of islands to be a single,
                   well-defined turtle rookery, and the nesting turtles to
                   come from the same stock. Genetic research is being
                   undertaken to confirm this.

                   "Since we are talking about a single population, we need
                   a common plan to manage the area as a single unit,"
                   explains Palma, who has worked on turtle conservation
                   for the past 12 years.

                   In fact, the six islands on the Philippines side was
                   handed over to them by Borneo only in 1948.

                   Palma says the essence of Tihpa is to co-ordinate and
                   complement both countries' turtle conservation and
                   management programme.

                   Towards this end, a trans-frontier management authority
                   called the Malaysia-Philippines joint management
                   committee (JMC) was formed early this month. A sub-group
                   of the JMC will meet in July to consider a joint turtle
                   resource management programme to further protect the
                   turtle habitat.

                   Both countries will also standardise and integrate
                   research and monitoring procedures. These will centre
                   around the turtle population and distribution, their
                   migration pattern, tagging of turtles, DNA analysis, and
                   the determination of sex ratio in hatchery operations.

                   Involving the people

                   While Sabah Parks adopts a "hands-off" approach in
                   managing its Turtle Islands, the Filipino approach is
                   exactly the opposite. For one, it has to take into
                   consideration the presence of islanders.

                   "With limited land resources, the main source of
                   existence for villagers is the marine habitat. So
                   conservation of that habitat is crucial," says Palma.

                   To alleviate the pressure on the marine ecosystem, WWF
                   Philippines and the Department of Natural Resources have
                   undertaken a project to help the people establish
                   alternative livelihoods.

                   The approach is participatory, explains Palma. "The
                   capacity of the people is developed so that they
                   themselves decide on alternative livelihoods.

                   "We try to develop the people rather than a project, so
                   the people can take care of themselves even after the
                   project."

                   The villagers are trained in, among others, leadership
                   and organisational skills, environment protection and
                   gender development.

                   Palma says the Philippines hope the local community can
                   emulate the ecotourism now operated on Pulau Selingan by
                   Sabah Parks.

                   The only island among the three opened for tourism,
                   Pulau Selingaan showcases how conservation and economics
                   can go hand in hand as long as there is stringent
                   control.

                   Sabah Parks limit visitors to 28 each night and there
                   are house-rules: no night strolls on the beach, no loud
                   noise, no bright lights and no photography of nesting
                   turtles. And each night, only one nesting turtle is
                   selected for viewing.

                   All tour guides undergo an annual course on turtle
                   conservation. Flout the rules and you will be barred
                   from the island, as in the case of the tour operator
                   caught stealing hatchlings a few years ago.

                   On the island, activity is minimal during the day.
                   Visitors can swim, snorkel or just soak in the sun. When
                   dusk settles, however, the atmosphere is charged with
                   excitement.

                   Joining the rangers on their patrol around the island, I
                   observed how the walkie-talkie sets crackled with
                   reports of turtle landings. Sometimes, the rangers
                   exchange news with their Filipino counterparts who have
                   also been equipped with similar communication sets.

                   The rangers work in shifts: from 8pm to 1am and 1am to
                   6am. On nights when landings are numerous, they work at
                   a feverish pace: remove eggs from the nests, tabulate
                   the numbers, measure the turtle and tag it, transfer the
                   eggs to the safety of the hatchery, and then head back
                   to other nests.

                   And while new eggs are being deposited in the hatchery,
                   new hatchlings are popping up from earlier nests. To
                   give them an edge in survival, these will be released
                   into the sea that night or morning itself, under the
                   veil of darkness to elude predators.

                   Reason for optimism

                   Have projects in both countries rejuvenated the
                   dwindling numbers of green and hawksbill turtles?

                   "It is hard to say. We still cannot establish the turtle
                   population as they are highly migratory and their
                   reproductive behaviour is difficult to predict. We still
                   need time to study the nesting population," says Palma.

                   There is reason for optimism, though. Cases of turtle
                   landings have risen after a severe drop in the 60s.
                   Annual nesting data is also consistent, prompting both
                   Saini and Palma to conclude that the turtle population
                   may be stabilising.

                   Adds Saini: "The figures are very promising. But we
                   cannot say yet that the population has gone up. For the
                   eggs hatched in 1977 and 1982 (when egg collection was
                   regulated), recruits will start nesting only in 30 to 50
                   years' time. So it will be at least 2010 before they
                   return here to nest."

                   Provided the hatchlings survive, that is. Faced with
                   predators, destruction of habitat, contamination of food
                   sources, strangling by nets and slaughtering by man and
                   boat propellers, scientists estimate that less than one
                   per cent of hatchlings will live to be a nesting adult.

                   On a starry night at Pulau Selingaan, excited tourists
                   gleefully line the beach for the finale of their Turtle
                   Islands experience - the release of hatchlings into the
                   sea.

                   One lucky chap gets the honour. As he gently tips a
                   bucket on the sand about three metres from the water
                   edge, baby turtles tumble out in a flurry of flailing
                   flippers.

                   As the visitors cheer them on, the hatchlings dash to
                   the water with sheer determination. Some are thrown back
                   by the wave but they struggle on, knowing that they must
                   make it to sea, but perhaps not knowing if they will
                   ever return to Turtle Islands, as full-grown nesting
                   turtles to continue the legacy.

Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 00:03:27 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (IN) Vandalur Zoo attracts summer crowd 
Message-ID: <199705201603.AAA15209@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>The Hindu
20 May 97
Vandalur Zoo attracts summer crowd 
               Date: 20-05-1997 :: Pg: 03 ::
               Col: d 
               By Our Staff Reporter 
               CHENNAI, May 19. 

               Reeling under the unusually high
               summer temperature, the
               residents of the city have rediscovered a cool corner on the
outskirts of                 the metro: the Arignar Anna Zoological Park,
Vandalur. 

               Compared to the previous years, the number of visitors to the
park rose
               substantially in the last 15 days. In the first two weeks of
this month,
               74,526 persons visited the park as against 47,224 during the
same period
               last year, an increase of nearly 58 per cent. On an average,
nearly 5,000
               persons came to the park while on last Sunday, it rose to
8,000. ``It is nice
               to see people coming all the way from the city to ward off
the summer
               heat,'' said a senior official of the Park. 

               Majority of the visitors come in big groups. On most days,
children
               outnumber the adults. In 1995, 52,514 persons visited the park. 

               Unlike the usual visitors, majority of the summer crowd seem
to take
               refuge in the shade of trees while the children hang around
the nearby
               enclosures. Others take a long walk into the interiors to see
the wild
               inhabitants held in captivity. 

               Facilities for drinking water have been provided at every
hundred metre
               distance, Mr. S. Ramanathan, Director of the Park, said on
Monday. With
               limited availability of potable water in the area, the
visitors find the
               arrangement quite convenient. 

               However, absence of proper eateries inside the park continues
to be a
               sore point. Many visitors from other parts of the State and
outside
               complained that they had a tough time scouting for food. Most
of them
               were taken by surprise by the absence of any outlet of
eatables at a place
               receiving thousands of people everyday. 

               Mr. Kandeswaran, an employee of a nationalised bank in
Vailankanni and
               a regular visitor, said there was no control over the
``lovebirds'' entering
               the park. Earlier, lovers used to be denied entry on the
grounds that they
               would create nuisance to the serious animal and bird lovers,
mainly
               children, he said. 

               Spread over 510 hectares, the Park is one of the largest of
its kind in the
               country. Besides the usual attractions, it houses many an
endangered
               species like Sangai deer, Pygmy Hippo, Lion tailed Macaque.
The reptile
               enclosures have crocodiles, python and monitor lizard among
the usual
               fare. 

               Along with the number of visitors, the disturbance to the
animals, a
               punishable offence, also has risen, a Park employee said.
Many visitors
               attempt to feed them and throw stones into their cages.
``Though the
               increase in the number of people is a welcome sign in terms
of revenue, it
               should not be allowed to affect the delicate environment,''
adds an avid
               animal-lover. 


          

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 12:53:28 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: McLibel verdict date to be end of June (apparently)
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520125325.006c6b84@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from McSpotlight:
---------------------------------
News just in ...
according to the Press Officer at the Lord Chancellor's Dept 

(1)  The verdict will be at the end of June.

(2)  Justice Bell will produce a summary of his Judgment 
     which he will read out, lasting approx 1 hour 
     [presumably, hard copies of this will be available].

(3)  The full version of the Judgment will be issued on disk 
     to the press [and McSpotlight?] - it will be several 
     hundred pages long - [not sure if hard copies available].

(4)  The actual date of the verdict should be available on 6th June.
     [and we will let you know and soon as we know]

McSpotlight will bring you our summary of his judgement within 
an hour or it being given. A copy of his summary should be 
available shortly afterwards. The full judgement (of the judge) 
should be available on McSpotlight with 24 hours - depending on 
whether we get hard copy or a disk.


P.S. Don't forget our competition to win copies of the book 
     McLibel by John Vidal. Visit the site to enter.

P.P.S. If you are in the UK - have you Adopted-a-Store yet? 
       Details on McSpotlight.


Date: Tue, 20 May 97 09:58:08 -0000
From: 
To: "ar-news" 
Subject: The Ape Army
Message-ID: <199705201656.LAA18535@dfw-ix1.ix.netcom.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"



I am posting this on behalf of Rick Bogle in Oregon.

Rick is martialing a national protest against primate vivisection.

The plan is to conduct vigils in front of the natoin's primate research 
centers.  Rick is planning on these vigils to be attended by activists, 
but also by and army of stuffed toy monkeys.  He wants your presense and 
creativity.  Activist turnout is crucial to focus media attention on this 
issue.

Protests are as follows:

Oregon Regional Primate Research Center May 31-June 8
Washintgon Regional Primate Research Center July 4-July 13
New England Regional Primate Research Center August 2- August 10
Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center September 6- September 14
Tulane Regional Primate Research Center (New Orleans) October 4- October 
12
California Regional Primate Research Center (Davis, CA) November 1- 
November 9
Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center (Atlanta) December 6-?

For more info, contact the Liberation Collective
P.O. Box 9055
Portland, OR  97207
503/230-9990, fax 503/460-9017


from David Meyer
Last Chance for Animals
lcanimal@ix.netcom.com
http://www.lcanimal.org
8033 Sunset Blvd., #35
Los Angeles, CA  90046
310/271-6096 office, 310/271-1890 fax

Read the new book "In Your Face, from Actor to Animal Activist",
the true story of Last Chance for Animals founder, Chris DeRose
Details available at http://www.lcanimal.org

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 12:59:21 -0400
From: Vegetarian Resource Center 
To: AR-NEWS@envirolink.org
Subject: Can NonhumanAnimals be Rational ?
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520125308.01ae5700@pop.tiac.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

One workshop at this conference on Irrationality
sponsored by Australian National University will
be on "Can NonhumanAnimals be Rational ?"

Remember that Australia is where Dr. Peter Singer
teaches at Monash University
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: Workshop on Irrationality (fwd)

 Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 07:17:21 +0000
 From: ian.gold@baikal.anu.edu.au
 
 **************************************
 
 THE CENTRE FOR THE MIND, THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
 
 announces an interdisciplinary conference
 
 *IRRATIONALITY*
 
 July 19-21, 1997
 Australian Academy of Science
 Canberra Australia
 
 **************************************
 
 Keynote Address
 Richard Jeffrey, Philosophy (Princeton)
 "Preparing for the millennium: Are we right with Bayes?"
 
                 ***
 
 Gavin Andrews, Clinical Psychiatry (UNSW)
 "Cognitive therapy for irrational thinking in people with mental disorders"
 
 John Bigelow, Philosophy (Monash)
 "Who does my rationality benefit?"
 
 Ronda Green, Ecology (Griffith)
 "Can non-human animals be rational?"
 
 Colin Groves, Primatology (ANU)
 "The mosaic evolution of rationality"
 
 Panel Disucssion
 Jadran Mimica, Anthropology (Sydney)
 Don Gardner, Anthropology (ANU)
 "Magical conceptions of control"
 
 Paul Mullen, Forensic Psychiatry (Monash)
 "The mass killer: Projects and constructions of rationality"
 
 Brendan O'Sullivan, Psychiatry/Brain Imaging, RPA
 "The neurobiological basis for irrationality: The results of PET studies in
 schizophrenia"
 
 Mike Smithson, Psychology (ANU)
 "Rationality under ignorance"
 
 Neil Thomason, Philosophy (Melbourne)
 "A proposed cure for the irrationality that is so damaging the social
sciences"
 
 Yanis Varoufakis, Economics (Sydney)
 "Irrationality and the economist's audacity"
 
 Max Wallace, Sociology (CCE, ANU)
 "The conversion experience"
 
 John Watson, Neuropsychology/Brain Imaging (Sydney/RPA)
 "Brain imaging studies of blindsight and visual illusions"
 
                 ***
 
 Concluding Remarks
 Phillip Pettit, Philosophy (ANU)
 
 **************************************
 
 The cost of the workshop is as follows:
 
 $75 (workshop)
 $100 (workshop and workshop dinner)
 $25 (workshop: students/concessions/unemployed)
 $50 (workshop and workshop dinner: students/concessions/unemployed)
 
 To register for the conference, or for further information, please contact:
 
 Philip Gerrans or Ian Gold
 Centre for the Mind
 The Australian National University
 Canberra ACT 
 0200 Australia
 
 Telephone: +61-6 249 4061
 Facsimile: +61-6 249 5184
 ian.gold@mind.anu.edu.au
 philip.gerrans@mind.anu.edu.au
 http://www.anu.edu.au/mind
 
 Registration forms can also be obtained on the web at
 http://www.anu.edu.au/mind/registration.html
 **************************************

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 13:54:54 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Second condor killed at Vermilion Cliffs 
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520135451.006fcc6c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from Mercury Center web page:
---------------------------------------------
Posted at 9:04 a.m. PDT Tuesday, May 20, 1997      

Second condor killed at Vermilion Cliffs            

VERMILION CLIFFS, Ariz. (AP) -- A second California
condor released in the Grand Canyon transplant
program was killed after it flew into a
high-tension power line.

The condor, called No. 51, was found dead on
Sunday. Its tail-mounted radio transmitter and a
few feathers were found beneath the power lines,
and the dead bird was found about a half-mile south
of the power line.

The condor was among six released in December. That
release marked the first time the birds have flown
in Arizona since 1924. Four others were released
last week.

One of the original six birds, No. 42, was killed
in December in an encounter with a golden eagle.

The state Game and Fish Department said that No. 51
was not immediately killed by the power line, but
struggled away to a rocky outcrop before it moved
to a sandy area and died.

Scientists found large fresh mammal tracks near the
rocky area and suspect the mammal flushed the
condor out, causing it additional stress.

There were no apparent wounds on the bird, but
there was swelling at the side of its neck. The
condor was sent to San Diego for a necropsy.

Biologists from the Peregrine Fund are managing the
condor release for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. They could not immediately be reached for
comment this morning.

The birds are equipped with transmitters and tags
on their 9-foot wings that allow their flights to
be tracked by a field crew based at the Vermillion
Cliffs, about 30 miles north of the Grand Canyon.

For now, workers are leaving carcasses near the
cliffs. The scavengers eventually will learn to
find carrion for themselves. The field crews also
are moving the carcasses farther and farther away
from the Vermilion Cliffs, to which the birds have
been returning, and towards the Grand Canyon.

Humans shot, poached and poisoned California
condors until only nine birds remained in the wild
in 1985.

Captive breeding has increased the condor
population to about 120. The first condors were
released in the coastal mountains of central
California in 1992.

The government hopes to establish wild populations
in both California and Arizona, with a population
of 150 birds at each site.

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 15:28:03 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (NO) Norway Whalers Sue Their Government 
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520152801.006d7960@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
-----------------------------
 05/20/1997 14:16 EST 

 Norway Whalers Sue Their Government 

 By DOUG MELLGREN 
 Associated Press Writer 

 OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Already facing death threats, sabotage and protests from
 outsiders, Norway's whale hunters picked a fight at home Tuesday by suing the
 government over a five-year gap in the hunt. 

 Norway resumed its controversial whale hunts in 1993 after a grudging
five-year
 break. The renewed commercial hunt brought furious protests, boycott
threats and
 attacks on whaling boats. 

 Despite the government's heavy spending in defense of the unpopular hunts,
the
 whalers claim the state owes them millions for giving in to pressure in
the past. 

 Twenty-eight whalers and four whale meat processing companies sued the
 government for 60 million kroner ($8.5 million) in losses during the years
the
 commercial hunt was banned. They were appealing a loss in a lower court on
the
 claim. 

 The whalers claim there was no reason for the ban, since Norway is not
bound by a
 1986 commercial whaling prohibition imposed by the International Whaling
 Commission. Commission rules allow members to reject its decisions, making
 Norway's hunt legal. 

 Norway says minke whales are plentiful, and should be hunted to protect
fish stocks
 and provide income for coastal villages. 

 But if the minke, the smallest of the baleen whales at about 30 feet were
never
 endangered, then there was no reason to stop the hunt after the 1987
season, the
 whalers argued in Oslo district court on Tuesday. 

 ``Despite a stated political goal to allow whaling as long ecologically
responsible --
 which it was -- the state stopped the hunts,'' the whalers's attorney
Kristian Herslov
 said in court. 

 ``Why? Because the threat from the United States of a trade boycott was
too much,''
 Herslov said. He said the government must pay compensation for illegally
banning
 the hunt. 

 Norway does not admit that boycott threats from the United States and other
 countries forced it to call off the hunt after the 1987 season. It said it
was taking a
 break to reassess the stocks. 

 This year's hunt started on May 2, with a government-set limit of 580
minke whales,
 an increase of one-third from 1996. 
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 15:34:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: LMANHEIM@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Urgent--meeting tonight re deer kill at Cuyahoga Valley Nat'l Rec. Area
Message-ID: <970520153434_-1766872369@emout11.mail.aol.com>

Just found out that there is to be a meeting by the Cleveland Metropolitan
Park District (Cleveland Metroparks) TONIGHT, at 6:30, at which they will
present their "deer management plan"  for the Cuyahoga Valley National
Recreation Area (CVNRA).  It is essential that animal advocates be there to
both monitor and present input when necessary.  The meeting will take place
at the Sleepy Hollow Golf Course in Brecksville, Ohio.  It's on Brecksville
Road, South of Route 82.  I'm told that anyone in the area can direct people
to the golf course, and I apologize that my directions are not more specific
than this.

David Sickles, formerly of Network for Ohio Animal Action (NOAA) is working
on a campaign to prevent any killing of deer in the CVNRA.  However, he is
out of town and unable to attend tonight's meeting, which we just learned
about 15 minutes ago.

We would appreciate if someone could attend and either tape the meeting or
take careful notes on what is said there.  If this is possible, please
contact us before or soon after the meeting at:

717-945-5312.

Thank you.
Lynn Manheim
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 21:39:12 +0200
From: Inge Skog 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Re: Eating live monkey brains (results)
Message-ID: 
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Recently, I asked (on several mailing lists) for reliable information on
the alleged eating of live monkey brain, and I've got a number of
responses. The comforting result: *none* of these responses could point to
any other evidence that this had ever happened than the 'Faces of
death'-video. For those who don't know: "Faces of death" is a
sensationalist compilation of footage picturing  people and animal dying,
including 'surgery on dog at UCLA laboratory for cancer research'.

This video contains what many experienced as a documentation of how two
people were served a live monkey who was strapped underneath a table, his
head sticking out from a hole in the tabletop.

Now, even if only one single monkey was tortured by having the top of his
scull removed with a saw, that would hardy be 'comforting'. But, although I
haven't seen the movie, I am pretty sure that this torture never took
place.

On the 'Urban myths' website, this movie is examined in some detail
(http://liquefy.isca.uiowa.edu/info/urban.legends/faces.of.death.review;
http://www.urbanlegends.com/movies/faces_of_death_review.html ). The
alleged dinner takes place in the restaurant 'Al-Ahram', where the two
tourists will have an 'unusual dining adventure'.

Judging from the detailed descriptions of the short movie (at 22'42",
23'10", 23'31" and 23'45"), the whole thing is most probably a fake. It is
certainly not a documentary. The waiter carries a monkey to the table, and
a monkey seems to be fastened to the table, and that's bad enough. But the
movie is obviously a good example of how you can be led to believe that you
have seen actions that are actually never shown. Most of the time you don't
actually see the head (but in your memory you believe that you have). A
couple of quick shots show the hammer touching the monkey's head, not
hitting hard. And, at a closer inspection, what is cut open looks like a
fake monkey head made from rubber.

There are a few more details in the description that strengten my
conviction that no monkey was tortured to death during the shooting. But
there are two additional facts that should be pointed out. First, according
to the description, the monkey was served to tourists at an ordinary
restaurant. If live monkey brain was offered to tourists anywhere in the
world, many people would probably have been very upset and raised a hell of
an outcry about it. Strange, then, that nobody on the lists have ever heard
about this. - Second, the name of the restaurant was 'Al-Ahram', an Arab
name. Maybe the anonymous 'Dr Gross', who is said to have collected the
films as part of his research into the nature of death (!!), can't
distinguish between East Asian languages and Arab. Anyway, 'Al-Ahram',
being the name of the famous Egypt newspaper, may have been chosen merely
because it had an oriental, exotic ring.

Inge

The Swedish Society for Research Without Animal Experiments
http://www.algonet.se/~stifud


Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 15:38:10 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) USDA Inspectors Found Overworked 
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520153807.006da0e8@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
---------------------------
 05/20/1997 14:47 EST 

 USDA Inspectors Found Overworked 

 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Overworked Agriculture Department inspectors sometimes
 are forced to take shortcuts that could permit foreign pests and diseases
to enter the
 United States, congressional auditors contend. 

 The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's 2,700 officials are
charged with
 regularly inspecting individuals and goods entering the United States at
172 ports of
 entry such as air and sea ports and border crossings. 

 But, a General Accounting Office study says, ``APHIS' inspection workload has
 increased dramatically since 1990 because of growth in imports and exports,
 increased travel and increased smuggling. 

 ``Furthermore, policy changes have exacerbated workload demands by increasing
 pressure to expedite the processing of passengers and cargo into the United
 States.'' 

 As a result, the potential for infestation is likely to increase, the GAO
said. 

 The GAO noted that to cope with increased inspections, APHIS has increased
its
 staff and attempted to improve the efficiency of its examinations and its
coordination
 with inspectors from the Customs Bureau and Immigration and Naturalization
 Service. 

 ``Despite these changes, inspectors at the ports we visited are struggling
to keep
 pace with increased workload,'' the GAO found. ``Heavy workloads have led to
 inspection shortcuts, which raise questions about the efficiency and overall
 effectiveness of these inspections.'' 

 The report said APHIS officials agreed to emphasize the need for
inspectors to
 adhere to minimum inspection standards, improve workload information to
permit
 better staffing decisions and allocate limited resources more toward ports
with the
 highest risks of pest and disease introduction. 
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 16:03:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: Franklin Wade 
To: Ar-News 
Subject: UPC Action Alert: Preacher Preying on Animal Activists
Message-ID: 
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

            ACTION ALERT FROM UNITED POULTRY CONCERNS
                          MAY 20, 1997

              PREACHER PREYING ON ANIMAL ACTIVISTS:
               DON'T GET SUCKERED BY A CON-ARTIST

     Background The Fall 1996 issue of PoultryPress described how
a First Baptist preacher, Rev. Michie Proctor of Hollywood
Florida, told the press his church was sending 250 emus to poor
families in the Caribbean and South America to be raised and
slaughtered for meat. Ironically, he complained that his church
was having trouble feeding the emus and looked to God or someone
to pick up "a food tab of $1,000 a week."
     UPC asked its members to urge Rev. Proctor politely to give
permanent sanctuary to the emus and to find compassionate, more
efficient ways to help poor people. 

     Current Situation:  In 1997 Rev. Proctor is sending a form
letter & "contract agreement" to animal activists who wrote to
him, telling them their "talk is cheap" unless they are willing
to pay a dollar a day to enable the church to give sanctuary to
what has now risen to 280 emus. Activists are asked to send
checks in quarterly installments of $90 each payable to the FIRST
BAPTIST CHURCH OF SOUTHWEST BROWARD designated For Emus.

     Problem Rev. Proctor tells the recipient of his letter that
while he disagrees with animal advocates "on how best to use the
birds," his church wants to be "good neighbors" and "good
citizens." Earlier he told the press that the "Bible is quite
clear that God has given man dominion" over the rest of life. His
original miserable "Christian mission" was for "poor people to
breed the emus, slaughter them for food, and sell feathers, hide
and oil for profit" (Sun-Sentinel Nov. 20, 1996).
     WHAT HAPPENED TO PROCTOR'S ORIGINAL PLAN? WHAT ABOUT ALL
THOSE POOR PEOPLE HE WAS SO EAGER TO "SAVE" BY SHIPPING AND
SLAUGHTERING EMUS? WHY HAS HIS PROJECT CHANGED? INDEED, WHY HAS
HE ADDED THIRTY MORE EMUS TO THE ORIGINAL 250 HE CLAIMED THE
CHURCH COULD HARDLY FEED?  

     Action United Poultry Concerns urges: Do not send money to
this First Baptist Church. Do not sign the "contract" that
accompanies Proctor's letter. UPC views Proctor as a scam-artist
preying on the concern of animal activists and trying to make
them feel guilty if they don't send money to "save the emus."
Proctor could dupe well-meaning activists to put well over
$100,000.00 into his hands and unwittingly support an emu
business on the sly. The church could be selling off emus and
getting new ones and activists would never know the truth or have
any control over what the church is actually doing with these
birds. It's quite possible Proctor's original scheme fell through
and he is stuck with birds he can't unload. Yet he now lists 30
more birds than before. Something is wrong here. Don't Give
Proctor Your Money.

_____________________________________________________________________
franklin@smart.net                                   Franklin D. Wade 
        United Poultry Concerns - www.envirolink.org/arrs/upc
        Compassion Over Killing - www.envirolink.org/arrs/cok        



Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 16:12:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: Franklin Wade 
To: Ar-News 
Subject: UPC Action Alert: Whole Foods Market Selling Emus and Ostriches
Message-ID: 
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

ACTION ALERT FROM UNITED POULTRY CONCERNS
May 20, 1997


PLEASE PROTEST TO WHOLE FOODS MARKET

     John Mackey, CEO
     Whole Foods Market, Inc.
     602 North Lamar, Suite 300
     Austin, TX 78703
     Ph: 512-477-4455; fax:1069
     E-mail to website: http://www.wholefoods.com

     Whole Foods is swallowing up major "healthfood" store chains
and is now testing the sale of ostrich and emu at many of the
stores they now own including Fresh Fields and Wild Oats. In
addition to the horrible cruelty to ostriches and emus including
lassoing, causing many to stop eating permanently as well as to
suffer a chest-muscle death from terror known as "capture
myopathy," these birds are not "low cholesterol." Their flesh has
the same 25 milligrams of cholesterol per oz. as chicken, pork,
beef, etc. and it occurs mainly in the lean muscle tissue. 

     Investors in ostriches and emus are now trying to dump their
birds on a market that doesn't want them. A rancher who thought
he'd get rich raising and slaughtering ostriches in New Mexico
discovered there's no market: "It's pretty hard to separate the
ostrich hype from reality" (Albuquerque Journal, May 12, 1997). 

     Tell Whole Food: Ostriches and emus are wild nomadic birds.
They are the oldest living birds on earth. You do not support
stores that profit from turning these magnificent birds into dead
meat. Tell them to remove the ostrich and the emu.

_____________________________________________________________________
franklin@smart.net                                   Franklin D. Wade 
        United Poultry Concerns - www.envirolink.org/arrs/upc
        Compassion Over Killing - www.envirolink.org/arrs/cok        


Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 12:25:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Christine M. Wolf" 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: URGENT: May 21 vote on Dolphin Death Bill
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19800310191243.1d2f2106@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

                          URGENT ACTION ALERT !

                 CONGRESS VOTING ON DOLPHIN DEATH BILL 
                             MAY 21 !


Efforts by the Mexican government, the Clinton administration, and five
so-called environmental groups have resulted in legislation that is
SCHEDULED FOR A VOTE ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 21 in the U.S. House of
Representatives.  H.R. 408, sponsored by Representative Wayne Gilchrest
(R-MD), would re-define "Dolphin Safe" to allow these sensitive creatures to
be chased and encircled in nets.  Cans of tuna would deceptively wear the
"Dolphin Safe" label, even though dolphins may have been severely injured
and harassed in the process of catching the tuna.  
 
  CALL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON AT 202-225-3121 (HOUSE SWITCHBOARD)
  ASK HIM OR HER TO OPPOSE H.R. 408 ! 

For further information or to find out who your elected officials are, call
Christine Wolf at The Fund for Animals (301-585-2591).  Thank you for your help!
******************************************************************
Christine Wolf, Director of Government Affairs
  The Fund for Animalsphone: 301-585-2591
  850 Sligo Ave., #300fax:   301-585-2595
  Silver Spring, MD 20910e-mail: ChrisW@fund.org

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."  (Margaret Mead)

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 16:14:06 -0400 (EDT)
From: Franklin Wade 
To: Ar-News 
Subject: UPC Action Alert: Protest Dropping Guinea Fowl from an Airplane
Message-ID: 
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

            ACTION ALERT FROM UNITED POULTRY CONCERNS
                          MAY 20, 1997

Protest Dropping Guinea Fowl from an Airplane. Please help us
stop this cruel plan now. There is still time to stop the
dropping of live guinea fowl with $100 vouchers strapped to their
legs from a flying airplane as part of the fifth annual National
Trail Days Celebration in Quitaque Texas on June 7. The birds
would be dropped and then chased down for the vouchers. 

     National Trail Days and the "guinea fowl drop" are sponsored
by the Quitaque Chamber of Commerce. However, United Poultry
Concerns has received a reliable assurance that not all members
of the Chamber of Commerce support the guinea fowl drop.

     Action Please mail or fax a short polite letter to:

     Mr. Roye Pigg, President
     Quitaque Chamber of Commerce
     PO Box 538
     Quitaque TX 79255
     fax: 806-455-1298

     Ask Mr. Pigg to cancel the plan to drop guinea fowl from a
plane. According to his own words, "People in this area take
great measures to insure the quality of the land and animals
(wild and domestic)." Urge that the Chamber of Congress sponsor
events that show respect for nature and animals as thus
professed. Birds are not suited to being dropped from a moving
aircraft no matter how well they fly. Guinea fowl are extremely
shy birds and are not great flyers. Being dropped straight down
from a height--in this case a moving height--is totally different
for a bird biologically than taking off from a branch or roof. So
is flying voluntarily vs. being forced to maneuver a completely
unnatural airborne situation. These birds could easily sustain
internal injuries in the course of being dropped followed by
being chased. At the very least the birds' hearts will be beating
wildly with fear. There is no justification for dropping a bird
or any other live animal from an aircraft as a form of
entertainment or celebration of the environment. Please send a
short letter urging that the guinea fowl drop be dropped.

United Poultry Concerns, Association of Veterinarians for Animal
The Humane Society of the United States, and People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals have joined together in this
protest. Please join us.

_____________________________________________________________________
franklin@smart.net                                   Franklin D. Wade 
        United Poultry Concerns - www.envirolink.org/arrs/upc
        Compassion Over Killing - www.envirolink.org/arrs/cok        



Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 11:48:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mike Markarian 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, seac+announce@ecosys.drdr.virginia.edu,
        en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: Rally for Paul Watson at Netherlands Embassy
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970520145211.5da75676@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, May 20, 1997

CONTACT: Michael Markarian
         301-585-2591 (office)
         800-507-3105 (pager)

WHALE ACTIVISTS GO DUTCH
Rally at Netherlands Embassy to Demand Release of Greenpeace Founder

WASHINGTON -- On Thursday, May 22, at 12:00 noon, members of The Fund for
Animals, Compassion Over Killing, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and
many other groups will rally at the Netherlands Embassy, 4200 Linnean Avenue
NW, to demand the release of Captain Paul Watson. Several costumed
"jailbirds" and "whales" may risk arrest by entering the Embassy.

Watson, co-founder of Greenpeace and current president of the Sea Shepherd
Conservation Society, has been imprisoned in the Netherlands since April 2,
and is awaiting a hearing to determine whether he will be extradited to
Norway. Norwegian officials want Watson to serve a sentence of 120 days in
jail imposed when he was tried "in absentia." The case involved the
scuttling of a Norwegian whaling ship at port in the Lofoten Islands in
1992. Norway has filed additional charges relating to a 1994 encounter
between the Sea Shepherd vessel, Whales Forever, and the Norwegian Coast
Guard ship, the Andenes. During this confrontation the Norwegian vessel
rammed the unarmed Whales Forever, on which at least ten journalists were
aboard.

Says Michael Markarian, director of campaigns for The Fund for Animals,
"Norwegian whalers are the true criminals, as they continuously violate the
international ban on commercial whaling. Captain Watson should be commended,
not imprisoned, for exposing these scofflaws."

Watson and The Fund for Animals' president Cleveland Amory sailed on the
first Sea Shepherd to the Magdalen Islands to stop the clubbing of baby
seals in 1979. Watson has since captained many other vessels such as the
Cleveland Amory and the Whales Forever, and has been the world's leading
opponent to Norway's whaling. He has received numerous death threats from
Norwegians, and it is feared that if he is extradited to Norway he will not
leave the country alive.

Adds Cleveland Amory, founder and president of The Fund for Animals, "We
call on the Netherlands to release Captain Watson, not to send a political
prisoner to his certain death."

DIRECTIONS TO THE NETHERLANDS EMBASSY:

* From downtown D.C. — Go north on Connecticut Avenue. Pass shops in
Cleveland Park. Turn right on Upton. See directions from Upton below.

* From Maryland (or 495) — Follow Connecticut Avenue south into D.C. Pass
Van Ness and Cleveland Park. Turn left on Upton. See directions from Upton
below.

* From Upton — Follow Upton for 3/4 mile. Upton curves to the left. At the
stop sign veer left onto Linnean Avenue. The Embassy is 1/4 mile on the left
(4200 Linnean Avenue).

# # #

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 11:47:40 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mike Markarian 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, seac+announce@ecosys.drdr.virginia.edu,
        en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: Bear Advocates File Brief in Baiting Case
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970520145148.5da74538@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

MEDIA ADVISORY: May 21, 1997

CONTACT: Mike Markarian, (301) 585-2591 (baiting questions)
         Eric Glitzenstein, (202) 588-5206 (legal questions)

BEAR ADVOCATES FILE BRIEF IN BAITING CASE

WASHINGTON -- Attorneys for The Fund for Animals have filed a comprehensive
65-page opening brief in their lawsuit over the Forest Service's national
policy allowing the use of bait to hunt black bears on national forests. The
lawsuit, which argues that the baiting policy violates federal law, is
scheduled for oral argument in the U.S. Court of Appeals on September 4, 1997.

Last August, the case was dismissed by District Judge Thomas Jackson. Rather
than confront the legal arguments directly, Judge Jackson speculated that
"Plaintiffs' long-range objective is to cause the Forest Service . . . to
abolish most if not all hunting activity on federal forest lands."

"The Forest Service has the legal authority and both the moral and
environmental responsibility to prohibit baiting on national forests," says
Eric Glitzenstein, attorney for The Fund for Animals. "Judge Jackson's
dismissal did not even begin to address the government's flagrant violations
of the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and
other federal laws."

In 1993, The Fund for Animals filed a suit against the Forest Service that
halted bear baiting on national forests in Wyoming. That prohibition was
lifted by the Forest Service's March 1995 national policy allowing bear
baiting on national forests in states where baiting is allowed. The Fund
filed suit again, alleging that the nationwide bear baiting policy violates
federal law.

Bear baiting involves the placement of food -- including pastries, rotten
meat, and even the carcasses of horses who have been walked into a forest
and killed -- in bear habitat to attract bears for trophy hunting. Once the
unsuspecting bear feeds on the bait pile, the hunter kills the bear at
point-blank range. Baiting has resulted in the over-killing of bears in
local areas along with impacts to threatened and endangered species such as
the gray wolf, grizzly bear, and fisher. Of the 27 states that allow bear
hunting, only nine (Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New
Hampshire, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) still allow bear baiting. Voters
approved ballot proposals to end bear baiting in Colorado in 1992, Oregon in
1994, and Washington in 1996.

"No one can defend littering public lands with piles of rotting meat and
jelly doughnuts, and then shooting a feeding bear at point-blank range,"
says Mike Markarian, director of campaigns for The Fund for Animals. "There
may be more so-called sport in shooting a caged bear at the zoo."

The 65-page opening brief is available to the media upon request.

# # #

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 16:40:16 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Groups Urge Protection of Trout
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520164014.006da554@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
-----------------------------
 05/20/1997 16:04 EST

 Groups Urge Protection of Trout

 By SCOTT SONNER
 Associated Press Writer

 WASHINGTON (AP) -- A trout species named after Lewis and Clark is on the
 brink of extinction because of logging and development that followed the
 19th century explorers into the Pacific Northwest, conservationists said
 Tuesday.

 Famed fly-fisherman Bud Lilly joined leaders of several environmental
 groups in urging Endangered Species Act protection for the westslope
 cutthroat trout, a popular, speckled sport fish with the scientific name
 Onchorhynchus clarki lewisi.

 ``The fish are near extinction,'' said Jeff Larmer, executive director of
 American Wildlands of Bozeman, Mont., one of several groups petitioning
 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the trout as a threatened
 species.

 Millions of westslope cutthroat populated the streams of the Northwest
 when William Clark and Meriwether Lewis first explored the region in the
 early 1800s.

 But the fish requires pure, cold, clean water, and today just thousands
 of the cutthroat are left, Larmer told a news conference at the
 headquarters of the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund.

 The cutthroat survives in fewer than 10 percent of the streams where it
 once thrived in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, Larmer
 said.

 ``Their drastic decline is telling us the watersheds of the Northern
 Rockies are hurting,'' he said.

 Lilly, who operated a fly-fishing shop at the west entrance of
 Yellowstone National Park for 35 years, said he once counted on catching
 a westslope cutthroat trout every time he went fishing.

 Now, catching a cutthroat is very unusual, Lilly said. ``I don't think
 it's too late, but we are at a crossroads.''

 The cutthroat is the fish celebrated in Norman Maclean's novel about a
 fly-fishing Montana family in the 1930s, ``A River Runs Through It.''

 The filmmakers who adapted the book for the screen in 1992 had to show
 close-ups of rainbow trout because no cutthroats could be found, said
 Lilly, who advised the filmmakers.

 The environmentalists are hoping preparations for the 200th anniversary
 of the Lewis & Clark Expedition in 2005 will draw attention to the plight
 of the fish, which was caught and logged by one of their guides in 1804.

 ``In Lewis and Clark's time, it was the most widespread and abundant of
 all the trout in the Northwest,'' said Larmer. ``Wouldn't it be awful if
 on that 200th anniversary there were no Lewis and Clark trout left?''

 Most of the cutthroat left are in cold, clear streams found on national
 forests and other public lands, primarily in formally designated
 wilderness and other roadless areas where logging and other development
 has not occurred, they said.

 That means private property owners are not likely to be affected by a
 formal listing under the act, the conservationists said.

 They said threatened status would still allow sports fishers to catch and
 release the cutthroat. Even that would be banned if the fish were
 declared endangered.

 Other petitioners are the Madison-Gallatin Chapter of Trout Unlimited,
 Bozeman, Mont.; the Montana Environmental Information Center, Helena,
 Mont.; Idaho Watersheds Project, Hailey, Idaho; Clearwater Biodiversity
 Project, Troy, Idaho; and Pacific Rivers Council, Eugene, Ore.

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 17:32:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: Debbie Leahy 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Baboon Ends Up in Monkey Mill
Message-ID: <01IJ3N1YV8TU9PP04R@delphi.com>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII


NEWS RELEASE - 20 May 1997

     CONFISCATED BABOON ENDS UP IN MONKEY MILL
BREEDER REFUSES TO RELINQUISH PRIMATE TO SANCTUARY

CHICAGO, IL - When news broke of the menagerie confiscated from the
home of Hope Shiluk in Chicago on April 29, Illinois Animal Action
(IAA), along with other animal protection organizations contacted
Chicago Animal Control (CAC) and offered to assist with placement
of the animals.
  
Monkey dealer Dana Savorelli of Kansas City, Missouri, heard a
baboon, named Alexander in news reports, was among the animals
removed by CAC.  Savorelli, misrepresenting himself as a sanctuary,
essentially showed up at the doorsteps of CAC promising to give
Alexander a good home for the rest of his life.  CAC failed to
conduct a thorough background check on Savorelli and gave him the
fifty-pound, 7-year-old primate.

IAA conducted an investigation and learned the ugly truth of
Savorelli's "sanctuary."  It is a commercial breeding establishment
that mass produces monkeys for resale to the exotic animal trade.
Alexander is to be used as a stud in the Savorelli monkey mill,
which has capacity for 100 primates.  The offspring of this primate
factory will likely end up neglected, traded from home to home,
kept in tiny cages at roadside zoos, abused for entertainment
purposes, or used as subjects in animal experiments.  No legitimate
sanctuary engages in the breeding, buying, and selling of animals. 

Savorelli is also inexperienced with primates--his USDA Class B
breeder's license was obtained barely a month ago and Alexander
appears to be only the second baboon he's acquired.  Savorelli runs
a full-page "Monkeys Wanted" advertisement in Animal Finders Guide,
a publication where exotic animals are bought and sold to
unscrupulous dealers.

IAA notified Savorelli that we expect him to surrender custody of
the baboon to a sanctuary and stated we are prepared to collect the
animal from his facility within 24 hours.  Savorelli refused in a
phone message left yesterday.

Says IAA president Debbie Leahy, "This baboon belongs in the
nurturing care of a responsible sanctuary, not in the hands of a
greedy dealer."

Monkeys should never be kept as pets.  They have special social
needs for their psychological well-being and require lots of space
and the companionship of conspecifics.  Many people purchase cute,
baby monkeys from the largely unregulated pet monkey industry, only
to discover they turn into aggressive, unmanageable adults with
sharp teeth, and may carry diseases transmissible to humans.

IAA is an all-volunteer, non-profit, animal rights organization
dedicated to promoting the humane and ethical treatment of animals.
---------------------------------------------
Illinois Animal Action, Inc.
P.O. Box 507, Warrenville, IL  60555
630/393-2935 
Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 08:14:44 -0700
From: Coral Hull 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: FREEDOM FOR BIRDS (AUSTRALIA)
Message-ID: <33831164.4B2B@envirolink.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

FREEDOM FOR BIRDS (AUSTRALIA) URGENT NEWS RELEASE - 20 May, 1997.
.......................................................................

Last week, an individual dedicated to saving caged birds, stole a
cockatoo called Clyde from a petshop in Caulfield South, Melbourne,
Australia. The theft was done in a non-violent way and the bird was
taken to the aviary of Ted Barda, the President of Freedom for Birds.

There, Clyde enjoyed nine days of rehabilitation and freedom after what
had been many years in a small cage, where the bird was unable to fly
and was used as a shop decoration by the owner. The media was involved
after the 'theft' and Channel 9 in Melbourne actually filmed Clyde in
her (sic!) new environment, which gave wonderful publicity to Freedom
for Birds and the plight of all caged birds in general. 

Ted Barda was interviewed and he articulated the plight of captive birds
in such a way as the thoroughly undermine the consensus in the general
public that all animal-welfare people are so-called 'crackpots'. Ted was
also interviewed live on Channel Nine's "Today" show.

There was enormous response to the 'heartwarming' story from Channel
Nine, which resulted in several birds being given over to Freedom for
Birds, by members of the public who had understood the torment of caged
birds by watching the news stories about Clyde.

However, the story doesn't end there. The CIA came to Ted's house this
morning and forced him to hand over Clyde. The process of caging Clyde
once more, took over an hour and was heartbreaking, because the cockatoo
had adjusted to her new freedom so happily. 

She was handed back to her former owner, Albert Cook, of Paramount Pets
in Caulfield South. Channel 9 presented the story tonight, Tuesday 20
May, as having a "happy ending" because the stolen bird had been
reunited with its owner (whose care for the bird is evidenced by the
fact that he didin't even know the bird's sex and kept her in the shop,
in the cage, even over weekends).

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! URGENT ACTION REQUIRED!!!! 

1. Call Albert Cook (+613 95235090) and tell him you don't think the
story has a "happy ending" at all: that you think it's cruel to keep
birds in cages, and that you would like to see the bird returned to the
aviary shown on television, where the cockatoo was obviously happy and
enjoying the company of its fellow creatures. Ask Albert Cook if he
intends keeping Clyde in a small cage once again - and if not, where
will he put her. Tell him you think it's cruel to imprison birds when
they've committed no crime.

2. Call Channel Nine in Melbourne (+613 94290201) and protest against
their so-called "happy ending" story - Tell them you think their obvious
siding with animal cruelty is outrageous, especially as Channel Nine
itself had shown the benefits Clyde had received from Freedom for Birds. 

3. If you know of anyone who has a large aviary and is willing to take
in
ex-caged birds, or if you are willing to help in any way, please write
to Freedom for Birds, PO BOX 172, Mt. Evelyn, Vicoria, 3796, Australia.
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 18:01:17 -0500 (CDT)
From: Suzanne Roy 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: NJ Pet Theft Legislation
Message-ID: <199705202301.SAA12482@dfw-ix13.ix.netcom.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

PRESS RELEASE

 Date:  May 20, 1997  Contacts:  Marshall Smith, 573/636-9291
          Laura Toller Gardner, 415/388-9641 x10

NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE URGED TO PASS BILL TO CURB PET THEFT

In Defense of Animals (IDA), a national animal advocacy organization, today
urged the New Jersey General Assembly to pass legislation that would make
the theft of family pets a criminal offense.  The bill (Assembly, 2252),
sponsored by Assemblyman George F. Geist, will be considered by the
legislature on Thursday.

"The theft of family pets is a national scandal that has gone unchecked for
far too long," said Marshall G. Smith, a former Senior Investigator for the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the agency charged with upholding the
federal Animal Welfare Act.  "We commend Assemblymember Geist for taking
this action to protect New Jersey communities from this tragic crime."

According to Smith, who is currently Director of Investigations for IDA,
state legislation is needed to compensate for a lack of federal enforcement
of the Animal Welfare Act and its anti-pet theft provisions.  Smith resigned
from the USDA earlier this year in protest of the agency's tolerance for law
breakers, particularly USDA-licensed Class B dealers who collect dogs and
cats from "random sources" for sale to research laboratories.  Although such
dealers are by law supposed to account for the source of every dog or cat
purchased and sold, Smith said that he had personally investigated federally
licensed dealers who violated federal law by acquiring hundreds of animals
for resale to research institutions without being able to document the
animals' origins.

IDA, which operates a national stolen pet hotline (1800 STOLEN PET),
estimates that as many as two million family pets are stolen each year and
sold to research laboratories, puppy mills, dog fighting rings, and satanic
cults.  Dogs and cats are taken from backyards and neighborhood streets, IDA
explained, or are obtained fraudulently through "Free to A Good Home Ads."
According to IDA, New Jersey has historically been an area of high pet theft
activity because of its proximity to major research institutions in New
York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC.  

"This worthy legislation will empower the State of New Jersey to shut down
the unscrupulous criminals who prey on innocent family pets," said Smith.
"We urge all General Assembly members to take a stand for New Jersey
families and their companion animals by voting in favor of this important bill."

IDA has 70,000 members nationwide and is based in Mill Valley, CA. 
- end -

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 19:15:48 -0400 (EDT)
From: Nichen@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Fwd: Vegan film
Message-ID: <970520191543_-698244826@emout06.mail.aol.com>

I read this on a vegan list, and was wondering, does anybody know anything
about it?  Any Idea how to get ahold of somebody in the company who could
provide information?

Nix

<< I think that the vegan society in the UK mentioned that Fuji was
 experimenting with a gelatine-free film, and that if enough queries
 flooded the head office (addressed to the CEO), they would definitely
 press ahead with the project. Unfortunately, I never got their address or
 the man/woman's name. Perhaps it is something that we could take on as a
 contribution to animal welfare, and maybe those who have access to the
 media and the websites on the internet could start mentioning, and urge
 others to join in on? >>


---------------------
Forwarded message:
From:gail@OUP.CO.ZA (Gail Joslin)
 Sender:VEGAN-L@VM.TEMPLE.EDU (Vegan Discussion Group)
 Reply-to:gail@OUP.CO.ZA
  To:VEGAN-L@VM.TEMPLE.EDU
Date: 97-05-20 08:15:17 EDT

I think that the vegan society in the UK mentioned that Fuji was
experimenting with a gelatine-free film, and that if enough queries
flooded the head office (addressed to the CEO), they would definitely
press ahead with the project. Unfortunately, I never got their address or
the man/woman's name. Perhaps it is something that we could take on as a
contribution to animal welfare, and maybe those who have access to the
media and the websites on the internet could start mentioning, and urge
others to join in on?

Gail Joslin
Cape Town, S Africa

Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 09:20:35 +0000
From: "Karen Bevis" 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (Fwd) Web site for Wild Horses info (Aotearoa/New Zealand) (fw
Message-ID: <199705202319.AA07489@lucy.swin.edu.au>

Subject:       Web site for Wild Horses info (Aotearoa/New Zealand) 
(fwd) From:          poo@anarchy.wn.pl.net (Mark Eden)

Hi all,  a person in NZ has done a web site with background info on
the Kaimanawa Wild Horses and also updates as they happen. The
media are being real wankers about this. The only ones doing any
work is TV3 who sneaked into the farms today where the horses are
being held and filmed fifty horses breaking out of the fences and
injuring themselves. Lots of horses were badly hurt and it totally
destroyed the govts nice "humane roundup" image they have been
cultivating in the media. The horses are really scared and are
throwing themselves into fences trying to escape. All the other
media are going along with the Department of Conservations
propaganda and refuse to get off their bums and find out the truth..
Any way here is the address for more info

http://www.nzsail.co.nz/wildhorses/

Can people please spread the word internationally about this. 

 Help!

Mark 





Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 19:52:49 -0400 (EDT)
From: BKMACKAY@aol.com
To: MINKLIB@aol.com, ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Re: Mink Farmers Lie to Discredit the ALF
Message-ID: <970520195106_1357759307@emout07.mail.aol.com>

This posting is MOST disturbing.  I have spoken to one of the defence lawyers
who advised me that this description of what hapened in court is not
accurate.  This was the defendent's bail hearing, so the farmer was not
called upon to "prove" anything, on the contrary, he was called as the victim
to report what was, at that time, an estimate of his losses.  

At no time, in court anyway, did he start with one number of lost animals,
then waffle and lower it until ending up at 20.  He said that 1,500 were
released, he believed 400 died and approximately 75 were never recaptured.
 Of the ones recaptured, several were described as having boils and other
sores and these were expected to die.

Please note that the above is public information to the extent that it was
offered in the courtroom where it could be heard by the public or by
journalists, so mentioning it here does not prejudice the defendents (the
people who we surely want to get the fairest trial possible).  

It may be that J.P., has non-public information, but I dearly hope he
realizes that this is an active case, and that if he is going to imply that
the farmer gave inaccurate information he had better be sure he's right.  

As he does not quote actual testimony while implying that his information
comes from actual testimony, there is no way to know if he's correct...there
is no way to verify that the farmer committed purjury, a serious offense in
Canadian law (and a serious charge to make). 

As the farmer has launced civil action against the defendents, surely any
disclosure outside the realm of public information ought to be handled with
the utmost care for the sake of those defendents.  If the information IS
public, I would suggest it be directly quoted (not paraphrased) and
attributed as to source.  

Barry Kent MacKay

In a message dated 97-05-19 10:39:02 EDT, MINKLIB@aol.com writes:

 << Subj:Mink Farmers Lie to Discredit the ALF
  Date:97-05-19 10:39:02 EDT
  From:MINKLIB@aol.com
  Sender:owner-ar-news@envirolink.org
  Reply-to:MINKLIB@aol.com
  To:ar-news@envirolink.org
 
 If you subscribed to ar-news about 2 months ago you may have seen the posts
 about 5 animal rights activists that have been charged with breaking into a
 mink farm in Ont. and releasing 1,500 mink.  The fur trade was claiming that
 400 of the released mink had died as a result of being released.
 
 In court the fur farmer was ordered to verify this statistic under oath, and
 supply some sort of proof that any had died, such as a corpse.  At this
point
 the fur farmer lowered the death toll to 300, then 200, and eventually to
20!
  So 1,500 mink were released, 1,000 supposedly recovered, 480 free, and 20
 dead that would have been dead at the end of the year anyway.
 
 The point to all of this is that the fur trade has been lying after every
 mink farm raid, in an obvious attempt at discrediting the ALF, and other
 groups that have liberated fur farm animals.  This, however, was the only
 time a fur farmer has been put in a position where he had to verify the
 numbers.
 
 Sadly, many animal rights people have fallen for the fur trade propaganda
 hook, line, and sinker, and have repeated many of these lies about mink die
 offs.
 
 The message?  Look beyond the fur trade for any sort of reliable news.
 
 Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade
 
 
 
 ----------------------- Headers --------------------------------
 From owner-ar-news@envirolink.org  Mon May 19 10:38:00 1997
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 Reply-To: MINKLIB@aol.com
 Sender: owner-ar-news@envirolink.org
 Precedence: bulk
 From: MINKLIB@aol.com
 To: ar-news@envirolink.org
 Subject: Mink Farmers Lie to Discredit the ALF
 X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.0 -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
  >>

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 21:00:58 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Cc: BKMACKAY@aol.com
Subject: Admin Note-Re: Mink Farmers Lie to Discredit the ALF
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520210056.006e232c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

There are more appropriate forums for this discussion.  DO NOT post to
AR-News on this particular thread.

Please do not post commentary or personal opinions to AR-News.  Such posts
are not appropriate to AR-News.  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. 

Continued postings of inappropriate material may result in suspension of
the poster's subscription to AR-News.

Here is subscription info for AR-Views:

Send e-mail to:  listproc@envirolink.org

In text/body of e-mail:  subscribe ar-views firstname lastname

Also...here are some websites with info on internet resources for Veg and
AR interests:

The Global Directory (IVU)
http://www.veg.org/veg/Orgs/IVU/Internet/netguid1.html

World Guide to Vegetarianism--Internet
http://www.veg.org/veg/Guide/Internet/index.html

allen
listowner--AR-News
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 21:25:59 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (BE) EU Ministers Back Beef Hormone Ban
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520212557.006e389c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
------------------------------
 05/20/1997 20:50 EST

 EU Ministers Back Beef Hormone Ban

 BRUSSELS (AP) -- European Union farm ministers defended an EU ban on
 hormones in beef amid concerns that the World Trade Organization will
 rule the ban illegal, officials said.

 At a closed meeting Tuesday, ministers urged the EU's head office, the
 Commission, to file an appeal if WTO rules that the ban is illegal,
 according to EU officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

 A preliminary WTO report leaked two weeks ago concluded that the
 eight-year EU ban on hormone-treated beef is not scientifically
 justifiable.

 Both side have 30 days to file comments and then the WTO panel will issue
 its final ruling, which can then be appealed by the losing side to a WTO
 appeals panel.

 Some farm ministers pressed the Commission to react publicly to the
 report and to commit itself to fighting any ruling that the ban is
 illegal, one official said.

 But EU Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler said he would wait for the final
 WTO report before publicly voicing his objections, the official said.

 The EU ban, which covers growth hormones used in meat production, was
 imposed in 1989 because of concerns that they could endanger human
 health.

 If the WTO rules the ban illegal, the Commission would be obligated to
 lift the ban or to pay compensation to the U.S. cattle industry, which
 claims it loses $250 million a year because of the ban.

 France has said it would rather pay compensation than import
 hormone-treated beef.

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 21:28:18 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) APHIS Press Release National Animal Damage Control
  Advisory Committee Members 
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520212815.006df414@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from USDA:
--------------------
Ed Curlett          (301) 734-3256 ecurlett@aphis.usda.gov
Jerry Redding    (202) 720-6959 jredding@usda.gov


NATIONAL ANIMAL DAMAGE CONTROL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MEMBERS SELECTED

     WASHINGTON, May 20, 1997--The U.S. Department of Agriculture
announced the selection of new members to the National Animal Damage
Control Advisory Committee today.

     The purpose of the committee is to advise USDA on policies and
program issues necessary to control damage caused by depredating
wildlife.  The program protects America's agricultural, industrial, and
natural resources and helps safeguard public health and safety. 
Members serve two-year terms on the committee and are selected by
the secretary of Agriculture.

     "The committee provides the essential function of bringing together
the various competing interests involved in controlling wildlife damage,"
said Bobby R. Acord, deputy administrator for animal damage control
with the  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a part of USDA's
marketing and regulatory programs mission area.  Acord also serves as
the executive secretary of the committee.

     The duties of the committee involve advising USDA on overall policies
for the operation of the ADC program, issues associated with various
methods of control, changing practices in livestock and crop production
and the impact of depredating animals, the importance of wildlife
conservation, public health problems created by wildlife, and research
needed to improve control methods.

     Individuals selected to the committee represent a broad spectrum of
agricultural, environmental, conservation, academic, public health and
safety, and animal welfare concerns.

     The following individuals have been selected to serve on the
committee; Douglas Barbour, John Baucus, James Byford, Burton
Cardwell, Paul Eschenfelder, Hank Fischer, Thomas Franklin, Thomas
Freeze, Susan Hagood, Dwight Hardee, Mark Heckert, Russell Ives,
Austin Jones, Donald Lein, Cathy Liss, Steven Miller, Vance Neuberger,
Joe Pozzi, Margaret Soulen, and Arcadio Guerra.

                                #

NOTE: USDA news releases, program announcements, and media
advisories are available on the Internet.  Access the APHIS HOME Page
by pointing your Web browser to
http://www.aphis.usda.gov and clicking on "APHIS Press Releases." 
Also, anyone with an e-mail address can sign up to receive APHIS press
releases automatically.  Send an e-mail message to
majordomo@info.aphis.usda.gov
and leave the subject blank.  In the message, type
subscribe press_releases



Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 21:42:44 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) U.S. Pressure on Whaling Sought
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970520214242.006e7e30@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
-----------------------------
 05/20/1997 18:17 EST

 U.S. Pressure on Whaling Sought

 WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Republican lawmaker and four environmental and
 animal-protection groups urged the Clinton administration Tuesday to
 pressure Norway and Japan to stop hunting whales.

 Pennsylvania Rep. Curt Weldon described the killings as a ``practice from
 a bygone era that has no place in modern society.''

 President Clinton needs to use ``his bully pulpit to say we want this
 practice to stop,'' Weldon told reporters. ``We in the Republican Party
 have to join hands with the administration to show our opposition.''

 A nonbinding, worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling has been in
 effect since 1986. The ban permits a limited number of whales to be
 killed for scientific research.

 Japan has annually hunted whales under a government program that it says
 qualifies as scientific research. Norway resumed commercial whaling in
 1993 after a six-year hiatus and is allowed to do so because the country
 had objected to the moratorium originally.

 Environmentalists fear a return of large-scale, commercial whaling if
 some countries continue to flout the moratorium.

 Representatives of Greenpeace, the Humane Society of the United States,
 the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the World Wildlife Fund
 joined Weldon's call.


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