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AR-NEWS Digest 599
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) monkey culture
by Jean Colison
2) Fur Trappers Newsgroup
by MINKLIB
3) Re: Writer seeking assistance
by Michael Markarian
4) Copley Beagle Campaign
by "Dave Shepherdson"
5) NH Alert: Democracy Thrown to the Wolves
by Michael Markarian
6) [UK] EU considers ban on some lamb cuts
by David J Knowles
7) Fw: Chantek (fwd)
by "bhgazette"
8) (US) Slain hunter's mother urges safety courses, tougher
penalties
by Michael Markarian
9) Miss Wisconsin flaunts a fur
by Elisa Bob
10) Leadership Trainings for Students (US-New England)
by Karin Zupko
11) Federal Court Halts National Park Deer Slaughter
by Michael Markarian
12) (UK) HLS Planning Application Fails
by Chris Wright
13) Buddhists Practice Animal Liberation
by LCartLng@gvn.net (Lawrence Carter-Long)
14) (PA) Town Poisons Corn To Kill Pigeons
by Mesia Quartano
15) Judge Halts Deer Executions
by Mesia Quartano
16) Update: Rat Trap
by joemiele
17) Reminder: Ch. 7 Poll on Deer Hunting
by Michael Markarian
18) channeling
by paulbog@jefnet.com (Rick Bogle)
19) [CA] Tuk dead
by David J Knowles
20) Vatican edict
by "Dr. Leopoldo Estol"
21) (TW) Taiwan stray dog situation
by jwed
22) (PA) Town Poisons Corn To Kill Pigeons
by Mesia Quartano
23) (US) Ferret Update
by Mesia Quartano
24) (HK) Bird flu outbreak hits market stall
by jwed
25) (HK) Teachers tell children not to touch pets
by jwed
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 07:53:33 -0500 (EST)
From: Jean Colison
To: Ar-news
Cc: Warren Colison
Subject: monkey culture
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Wednesday, December 10, 1997; Page H01
Monkey Culture
By Lucille Craft
Special to The Washington Post
ARASHIYAMA, Japan —One wintry day in 1979, high in a mountain wilderness
overlooking the ancient city of Kyoto, a zoologist studying monkeys that
live in this refuge was startled by a peculiar sight. A young female had
carried several flat stones from the forest. She stacked them and then,
using the palms of her hands, knocked and scattered them.
Far from "normal" monkey behavior, this was quite unlike the usual
practices of foraging, grooming and mating. This animal was playing,
much as a human child would play.
The scientist concluded his field work the next year, having seen no
other instances of monkeys playing with stones. But when he returned in
1983, the behavior was common. He frequently saw monkeys spend as much
as 20 minutes engrossed in any of a dozen or more different "games" such
as rubbing or clicking stones together, piling rocks or pebbles into
mounds or cuddling a large stone to the body as if it were a baby.
Even infants as young as two weeks would try to join in. Stone handling
had become routine among monkeys in the two troops here, 175 animals in
one and 120 in the other.
The monkeys of Arashiyama are Japanese macaques, also known as snow
monkeys because they live farther north than any other monkey species,
routinely encountering snow in winter in the northern parts of the
Japanese island of Honshu. Japanese researchers have been studying the
free-living monkeys for many years, often encouraging them to visit
observation sites by providing food.
Long before Western scientists adopted the practice of observing a
single colony of animals for a long time, Japanese researchers had
developed it to a high level, even learning to identify individual
animals and following their behavior daily for years.
As a result, they discovered something profound. Animals such as the
stone-handling monkeys have a culture -- behaviors that are not based on
instinct or required for biological reasons but whose patterns are
invented in specific regions and passed by teaching or imitation from
one generation to the next.
Such intensive studies were possible because, to do field work on the
Arashiyama troops, for instance, requires no costly expeditions to
faraway continents, just a 40-minute train ride from downtown Kyoto.
Other monkey habitats are no farther than the southern island of Kyushu.
Having their subjects almost in their backyard has enhanced the ability
of Japanese primatologists to perform their pioneering and detailed
genealogical studies.
The Japanese macaque weighs about 25 pounds and has light brown fur,
with a red face and buttocks reinforced by calloused pads that allow it
to sit comfortably on the rockiest crag. A relatively common wild mammal
here, it is distributed across the main island of Honshu, as well as the
southern islands of Shikoku and Kyushu. A subspecies, the Yaku
Shima-zaru, which is gray-colored, lives on the tiny southern island of
Yaku Shima.
The notion of non-human culture is relatively new in the Judeo-Christian
West, where the tradition has been to rank all beings on a ladder --
Gods above humans and humans above the other animals. In Japan, however,
where the Buddhist-Shinto world- view not only reveres nature as sacred
but also places people and nature on equal footing, scientists routinely
assume that macaques can think and create cultures of their own.
While Japanese biologists accept Darwinian evolution, many reject the
Western notion that every aspect of primate behavior must be understood
as a product of natural selection favoring behaviors that confer a
tangible benefit. The Japanese focus has been a sociological, rather
than biological, approach to uncovering the lives and social
organization of primates.
"Japanese are not constrained by the idea of a hierarchy, metaphorical
or otherwise, in nature, nor the question of whether animals have a mind
or soul," writes Pamela J. Asquith in The Monkeys of Arashiyama. "Animal
minds and souls are assumed to exist -- they are simply different [from]
those of humans."
"Japan's big contribution [to primatology] was anthropomorphizing to a
degree and asking those questions: What's this monkey thinking? What's
on his mind?" says Michael Huffman, an American zoologist based in
Kyoto. Huffman was one of the first researchers to document stone
handling. "Japanese have always interpreted the animal from their
perspective, without stepping out of the bounds of acceptable science."
"Out of bounds" is just how mainstream Western researchers branded
Japan's pioneering primatologist, Kinji Imanishi, in 1952 when he
announced that his team had learned to identify every member of a troop,
from boss male to tiniest infant, by physical characteristics,
personality and ancestry.
"People didn't understand this, didn't think it was objective enough,"
Huffman says. "Everyone thought it was impossible."
Once individual identification was possible, distinct societies
gradually came into view. Adult males in one troop were found to be
great fathers, while males in other communities left parenting entirely
to mothers. A troop living near Osaka savored certain tubers and bulbs
that were hated by monkeys of the same species in other parts of Japan.
Some communities fed on unhusked rice; others wouldn't touch it.
Pioneer primatologists Junichiro Itani and S. Kawamura reported several
examples of novel behavior in the 1950s, notably washing of food
provided by researchers.
In 1953, for example, on the southern island of Ko Shima, a monkey named
Imo was seen carrying dirty sweet potatoes to a stream and washing them
before eating, a practice the rest of the troop soon adopted. After
researchers began leaving wheat on the beach, the monkeys discovered a
technique for sifting the grains by tossing handfuls of sandy wheat in
sea water. The sand sank, but the wheat floated and could be scooped up.
Much early Japanese research on such behaviors was dismissed in Europe
and the United States. The "Japanese made many discoveries, couched in
anthropomorphic language and hence ignored by Westerners, before
Westerners paid attention to the complex social side of primate lives,"
says Asquith, who noticed that several findings published as new
discoveries in Western journals of the 1970s and 1980s had been
documented by the Japanese years earlier.
She recalls two times when Western colleagues mentioned that, during
their graduate studies, they "did not dare" quote from Japanese findings
because the research was considered flaky.
Japanese research also challenged a Western assumption about sex roles.
Western researchers had argued that males developed relationships with
females purely to mate and that females complied to receive protection
from the stronger male. This view reflected the bias of observers and
the fact that male behavior is easier to see. Indeed, early studies on
rhesus macaques and baboons in other parts of the world seemed to bear
out this pattern.
But Arashiyama's trove of data, the oldest and most comprehensive
primate genealogy in the world, proved that their females have a big say
about mating. After about two years, for example, a female may reject
the sexual solicitations of a male with whom she has mated. After their
initial sexual relationship, macaque couples appear to form a platonic
bond. The pair feeds and grooms together, and the male helps the female
in winning conflicts, gaining access to food or rising in the hierarchy.
But the female has sex with other males.
Some males even prefer friendships with a close female relative, who are
unlikely mating partners. Such details would not have been documentable
without individual identification of the animals. This also has led to
the discovery that there is little correlation between female rank and
number of offspring, a finding that causes researchers to wonder about
the purpose of a hierarchy.
The ability of females to determine with whom they conceive amazed even
Japanese scientists, such as Juichi Yamagiwa of the Primate Research
Institute in Inuyama.
"I always thought the monkey troop was like a Japanese company, with a
tough boss and subservient females," he says. "But then I saw females
mating with [lower-ranking] males from outside the troop."
Among Japanese monkeys, it turns out, females are the group, since males
are itinerants, joining a troop for a few years and then leaving to
wander or join another troop. Thanks to DNA "fingerprinting," rank has
been found to have only a weak correlation with paternity.
The Arashiyama studies have helped to change our concept of non-human
primates, from dumb beasts acting purely on instinct to animals that
think.
Witness the case of "Deko 64," one of the most cherished macaques
studied at Arashiyama. Deko was the highest-ranking, or alpha, male of E
troop for six years until he grew old and weak and died in 1992. He was
an extraordinarily benevolent leader, protective of even the youngest
members of the troop.
For example, when a female carelessly left her baby in front of him,
Deko amazed observers by not doing what typical dominant males would do
-- biting or swatting the young monkey away. Instead, he cuddled and
groomed it as gently as the mother would have.
Over the years, Deko grew old and lost his rank. Outside the
well-documented fields of Arashiyama, a researcher might have expected
that he would be treated with diminishing regard. Instead, his earlier
kindness was repaid. Some females who had been associated with him for
many years stayed close to him when he was very old, weak and unable to
see well. They chased away young males who attempted to threaten or
attack him. The females remained with him until he died.
The unusual custom of washing food has been documented more recently in
other monkey species, including wild and hand-reared crab-eating
macaques and in lab-dwelling capuchin monkeys. Tool use and toolmaking
by wild chimpanzees has been observed widely and is the most distinctive
cultural behavior of that species. But all of these behaviors could be
interpreted as functional, helping to obtain food or making it tastier
or easier to eat.
Stone handling is harder to explain. It is the first recorded instance
of a new animal behavior with no apparent usefulness. Huffman speculates
that the innovation sheds light on how our primitive ancestors
transmitted culture, activity adopted not for practical reasons but
simply because it was fun or relaxing, and the "in" thing to do.
Interestingly, stone play appears to be a luxury of the "affluent." It
is rarely observed in monkeys that are not being given food and must
spend most of their waking hours searching for something to eat and
processing it.
While zoologists say it is highly unlikely that any monkey species would
learn to manufacture stone tools, the unusual phenomenon of stone play
does suggest how, given the right environment, such a cultural leap
might occur.
Lucille Craft is a freelance writer based in Japan.
Overcrowded, Macaques Came to America
In recent decades, the range of Arashiyama's monkeys has shrunk from
about three square miles to less than 0.4 square miles, largely because
of "provisioning" the monkeys with food. If they must find their own
food, macaques typically range an area as large as five or six square
miles, searching for seeds, fruits, bark, leaves, insects and shellfish.
Troops usually include several score members, who live under a strict
hierarchical system. A group of males and females dominates the troop,
followed by many lower ranking young males, who leave the troop after
two to five years.
Japanese macaques typically live about 25 to 30 years, and females bear
an average of five young. Unprovisioned macaques spend about one-third
of their waking hours foraging; the rest of the time, they move between
feeding grounds and resting places.
One distinguishing feature of the Japanese macaque is its adaptability.
This was demonstrated most vividly in 1972, when Arashiyama became
overcrowded, forcing researchers to find an alternate sanctuary in North
America.
The search began in Missouri and Michigan, where the land and climate
resemble those of western Japan. But a funding shortage led the
scientists to accept land donated by a rancher in Laredo, Tex., and
about 150 members were resettled in "Arashiyama West."
Some people feared that plopping Japanese monkeys into a strange new
world of semidesert brushland plains, with poisonous shrubs, predatory
bobcats and rattlesnakes, would be lethal. But after a short adjustment,
the monkeys thrived again.
"Japanese macaques are the most generalized kind of monkeys," says
Yukimaru Sugiyama, who has studied primates worldwide for 35 years.
"Wherever you take them, they can survive."
©Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 09:31:24 EST
From: MINKLIB
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Fur Trappers Newsgroup
Message-ID: <6dc65bcf.348ea7be@aol.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
There is now a fur trapping newsgroup that is open to everyone. Check out
alt.animals.furtrapping for some real fun. You can post anything you want,
and there is nothing they can do about it.
CAFT
PO Box 822411
Dallas, TX 75382
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 07:00:43 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Cc: BDolphnCom@aol.com
Subject: Re: Writer seeking assistance
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19971210110639.546fb8be@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Posted on behalf of Elaine Smothers (BDolphnCom@aol.com):
>
>****************************************************************************
**
>********************
>
>Writer seeking stories for nonfiction book on the human-animal bond. Has an
>animal you've known or observed (either wild or domestic), taught or shown you
>examples of loyalty, courage, unconditional love, compassion, altruism,
>faithfulness, or forgiveness? Has an animal helped you overcome a physical or
>emotional trauma and contributed to your healing? Have you observed animal
>behavior which would fall into the realm of the paranormal (especially as it
>relates to the animals interaction with humans)? Have you lost a beloved pet,
>observed their graceful acceptance of death and the dying process, and/or felt
>their spirit beside you in the days, months, or years that followed? If you
>have a story you'd like to share, contact Elaine Smothers via email at
>BDolphnCom@aol.com or write to Blue Dolphin Communications c/o Elaine
>Smothers, 477 Wall Rd., Wendell, NC 27591-8671.
>
>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 15:21:15 -0000
From: "Dave Shepherdson"
To: "ArcNews" , "AR-News" ,
"Barrie Wood green" ,
"Caroline Corner Green" ,
"David Wood Green" ,
"Hugh Agnew Green" ,
"John Hartshorne Green" ,
"John Norris Green" ,
"Johnathan Skidmore" ,
"Nick Best Green" ,
"Peter Goodwin Green" ,
"Phil Capon E-Mail" ,
"Richard Swales Green" ,
"Simeon Hope Green"
Subject: Copley Beagle Campaign
Message-ID: <01bd057f$60b37100$0fe8b094@dave-s-computer>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
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10th Dec 97
Two months ago Glencrest Kennels of Copley Co Durham applied for planning
permision to build extra breeding kennels.
Leaks from the council indicated that the kennels would be used to breed
dogs for vivisection.Local people together with Newcastle Animal Rights
Co-illition and the NE Green Green Party have campaigned for rejection for
the last two months with a series of demonstrations, petitions and formal
objections.
This morning Teesdale District Councils Planning Committee voted to reject
the plans.
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 09:15:38 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: NH Alert: Democracy Thrown to the Wolves
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19971210132202.513709c4@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
NEW HAMPSHIRE ALERT
DEMOCRACY THROWN TO THE WOLVES:
URGENT LETTERS NEEDED BY JANUARY!
If passed by the New Hampshire legislature, House Bill 371 will give the
Department of Fish and Game exclusive authority over fish and wildlife
throughout the state. This could mean expanded hunting and trapping seasons,
increases in hunting permits, and thousands of additional wild animal deaths
every year. It also means that the legislature and the public could NEVER
override a decision made by this all-powerful, non-elected, politically
appointed body.
House Bill 371 has already passed the House Committee on Wildlife and Marine
Resources. The bill has been sent to the House floor with a vote scheduled
within the first few days of January 1998. Time is critical, and we need
your help!
Please contact your State Representative and State Senator in Concord and
ask them to vote "NO" on House Bill 371. The Department of Fish and Game
already has expansive authority over wildlife in our state; let's not give
them more! Ask your elected officials to keep a system of checks and
balances by retaining some authority in the hands of the people we elect.
The Honorable __________
New Hampshire House of Representatives
Concord, NH 03301
The Honorable __________
New Hampshire Senate
Concord, NH 03301
Here are a few points you may wish to make:
*** There is no reason to change the present system of checks and balances,
and our elected legislators should not tie their own hands by preventing any
future legislation on wildlife issues. The fate of our wildlife should not
be left in the hands of a non-elected, politically appointed, pro-hunting,
governing body.
*** Wildlife belongs to all citizens of New Hampshire, and all citizens have
a right to voice their opinions on wildlife management policies. Citizens
are intelligent enough to elect people who will represent their interests.
If you do not know who your State Representative or State Senator are, or if
you would like their home telephone numbers, please contact your local
library for assistance, or contact Ginny Mead of The Fund for Animals at
(603) 788-3750 or .
Thank you for your help in this urgent matter!
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 11:23:08
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] EU considers ban on some lamb cuts
Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19971210112308.1defbd7c@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
According to CBC Radio news, the European Union is considering a ban on
some "on the bone" cuts of lamb because of the "small risk" of BSE being
transmitted from sheep to humans.
It is not clear at this stage what is involved, or whether the ban will
apply equally to all 15 member states or be targeted at those who have
admitted to cases of BSE in cattle.
Sir David Nash, president of the National Farmers' Union of England &
Wales, is quoted as saying such a ban would be "overkill" and is not
warranted.
(More details later)
David
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 97 13:21:49 PST
From: "bhgazette"
To: "AR News"
Subject: Fw: Chantek (fwd)
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; X-MAPIextension=".TXT"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
----------
> From: Phyllis Annette Bedford
>
ORANGUTAN 'TALKS' AGAIN WITH TRAINER
> By Jack Warner
>
> "He said, 'Open that door,'" she recalled.
> "I told him, 'I can't.'"
> "Why not?"
> "No key."
> "Key's over there," he said pointing.
>
> Not an exceptional conversation, except that anthropologist Lyn Miles was
> talking with a 450-pound orangutan.
>
> It took place last weekend when she was reunited with Chantek, a
> 20-year-old primate she raised as a human child. Before they parted eight
> years ago, he knew 150 words and phrases in sign language.
>
> Now, at Zoo Atlanta courtesy of Yerkes Regional Primate Center, words are
> coming back to Chantek rapidly. Miles will be working with him regularily
> again, and there are big plans for the massive animal.
>
> Zoo Director Terry Maple said he is seeking money to build an amphitheater
> where the public could watch Chantek work with a keeper - and perhaps
> interact with him themselves.
>
> "It would be the best educational experience we could have for children,
> to actually speak in sign language with an animal like this."
>
> No other orangutan has a vocabulary even approaching Chantek's, said
> Miles, a professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The most
> famous signing primate is Koko, a female gorilla now in Hawaii who is
> reported to understand 600 signs. No signing primate has ever been placed
> before the public.
>
> On Monday, peering at visitors through eyes set two inches apart in a
> 15-inch-wide face, Chantek was chiefly interested in the bottle of juice
> held by keeper Christine Mallar.
>
> "More," he said, pointing a banana sized finger at the bottle.
>
> "Where?" she asked.
>
> "Here," he said, pointing to his mouth and sticking his lower lip through
> the bars to form a cup, which she filled with juice.
>
> Chantek sometimes talks to himself when he thinks no one is watching,
> Mallar said, but it is only natural that he's fixated on food now.
>
> "We want him to lose about a hundred pounds," she said. He won't go on
> display until he sheds some weight.
>
> ***END***
>
> Later,
> Phyllis
>
>
>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 11:24:52 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Slain hunter's mother urges safety courses, tougher
penalties
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19971210153210.33970c46@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
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PM-MD--Hunter's Death, Bjt,500
Slain hunter's mother urges more safety courses, tougher penalties
By DAVID DISHNEAU
Associated Press Writer
OAKLAND, Md. (AP) — The mother of a man shot and killed by a
fellow deer hunter in western Maryland says the state needs more
safety courses and tougher penalties to deter hunting fatalities.
“It seems like it happens too frequently. If the laws were more
stringent, surely there would be more respect for the sport,”
Yvonne Gantz of Ness City, Kan., said Tuesday after a Garrett
County man was convicted of accidentally killing her son, Scott,
37, last December.
Prosecutors dropped charges that two others in the hunting party
lied to investigators.
Mrs. Gantz said in a telephone interview she was relieved the
case was closed. She said hunters in Maryland should be required to
take safety courses annually instead of just once, and that hunting
privileges could be revoked for a lifetime instead of five years,
the current maximum for hunting fatalities.
There were three hunting fatalities in Maryland last season.
In a plea bargain, Kenneth G. Farley, 50, of Swanton, pleaded
innocent to accidentally killing the Kansas cattle rancher, who was
shot once in the back. Judge Timothy B. Finan found Farley guilty
after a recitation of the facts. The state dropped a reckless
endangerment charge.
Assistant state's attorney Daryl Walters said the state would
have shown that Farley couldn't clearly see his target when he
fired and struck Gantz, who was wearing brown camouflage coveralls.
Finan suspended a $1,500 fine, placed Farley on three years
probation and revoked his hunting privileges for five years. Farley
also agreed to forfeit his rifle to the state hunter safety program
and to make a cautionary videotape to be shown in hunter safety
classes.
“I'm sorry for this tragedy that has happened. More than that
I'm sorry for his family, his mother, for the grief I've caused,”
Farley told the judge.
Farley and Gantz were hunting as guests on property near
Westernport owned by the Morans, a wealthy Garrett County family
with interests in coal mining, trucking and real estate headed by
Charles Moran, 75.
Moran and his son, Joseph, 45, were charged with making false
statements to police and obstructing justice.
In their initial statements, they said Gantz, who had no deer
license, wasn't hunting but taking photographs. Natural Resources
Police investigator Larry Browning later determined that Gantz had
been hunting with the others.
Browning alleged the Morans hid his rifle and may have tampered
with other evidence to support their story, possibly to avoid legal
action against themselves or Farley. The Morans later returned
Gantz' gun to his family.
State's attorney Lisa Welch said the false statement charges
weren't supported by the legal definition of the offense. Walters
said the state wasn't confident it could have proven obstruction of
justice.
The Morans said through their attorney, Steven Friend, that they
would make a significant financial contribution to hunter safety
education in Maryland.
“This was a tragedy for the Morans. The public must understand
the Morans were close friends with both parties in this tragedy,”
Friend said.
AP-ES-12-10-97 0442EST
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 15:46:14 -0800
From: Elisa Bob
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Miss Wisconsin flaunts a fur
Message-ID: <348F29C6.1434@ix.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
The Miss Wisconsin web site (www.misswisconsin.com/photo.htm) has a photo
of Miss Wisconsin wearing a fur. The caption reads, "Thanks to the
Wisconsin Fur Breeders Association and all associated with donating
Nicole's beautiful fur coat."
This web site contains a "comments" button.
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 97 15:17:12 -0500
From: Karin Zupko
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Leadership Trainings for Students (US-New England)
Message-ID: <9712102017.AA26440@titan.ma.neavs.com>
Leadership Trainings for Students, FREE of charge!
"Building a Successful Animal Protection or Environmental Group"
workshops will be held this year in the NEAVS office at Downtown
Crossing, Boston. If you or someone you know would like to meet
other student activists with similar interests, consider joining us
in February! NEAVS leadership trainings promote a positive
atmosphere and are designed to give new life and ideas to student
groups. Attention will be focused on effective communication, group
building, leadership styles and campaign planning. College students
will also enjoy our new format, expanded to better meet the needs of
active university groups, with more time for networking. Call Karl
to register by February 18 at (617) 523-6020 or E-mail
karl@ma.neavs.com. After February 18, call for space availability.
College Training
Feb. 21, 1998
11:00 - 6:00PM
Light vegan lunch provided
Snow date: Feb. 22
High School Training
Feb. 28, 1998
12:30 - 5:30PM
Vegan snacks provided
Snow date: March 1
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 12:59:39 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: Federal Court Halts National Park Deer Slaughter
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19971210170729.54b72274@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, December 10, 1997
CONTACT: Jonathan Lovvorn, 202-588-5206
Michael Markarian, 301-585-2591
FEDERAL COURT HALTS NATIONAL
PARK DEER SLAUGHTER
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, a coalition of wildlife protection groups won the
first round in a legal battle to protect deer in National Parks, when the
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted their request for a
preliminary injunction halting the National Park Service's plan to shoot
approximately 500 white-tailed deer in the Cuyahoga Valley National
Recreation Area. Judge Paul L. Friedman ordered "that defendants are
enjoined from taking any further steps to implement their deer management
program at the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area in Ohio until
further order of this Court." Civil Action No. 97-2563 (PLF).
The plaintiffs -- The Fund for Animals, Animal Protection Institute, Humane
Society of the U.S., Ohioans for Animal Rights, In Defense of Deer, and
several Ohio citizens -- argued that the proposed deer kill violates the
National Environmental Policy Act and the National Park Service Act, because
the Park Service failed to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and
violated their own policies. In addition, the plaintiffs alleged that the
Park Service has established a new policy for managing wildlife, which has
not been subject to programmatic environmental analysis or public input.
This new policy promotes the killing of wildlife rather than wildlife
protection.
The Park Service stated that shooting deer was necessary to maintain the
biodiversity of native species in the Park, but provided no scientific
evidence of how the deer threaten biodiversity and also failed to evaluate
the full range of non-lethal alternatives. The Park Service has initiated a
study to assess the impacts deer are having on biodiversity, but has
prematurely proposed a deer kill before that study is even completed. A
group of scientists from Akron University criticized the proposal as
scientifically flawed and baseless, and reported their findings last month
to a crowd of several hundred Ohio citizens who rallied in protest of the
Cuyahoga deer kill.
Says Jonathan Lovvorn, attorney for the plaintiffs in the case, "The Court's
order should serve as a wake up call for the National Park Service that
there are serious legal problems with their current white-tailed deer
management program."
Adds Michael Markarian, director of campaigns for The Fund for Animals,
"This is a victory for wildlife and a victory for all citizens who want to
take part in the decision-making process. Most people oppose hunting and
would rather resolve deer conflicts humanely, safely, and effectively."
# # #
http://www.fund.org
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 21:52:34 GMT
From: Chris Wright
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (UK) HLS Planning Application Fails
Message-ID: <348f0e80.47652123@post.demon.co.uk>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
I understand that Huntingdon Life Sciences'planning application to
build a dog breeding centre at their Occold site in Suffolk, England
has been rejected by the local Council's Planning Committee.
Thank you to everyone who sent letters of objection - a lot apparently
came from people who saw the info on the Internet!
Chris Wright
South Midlands Animal Aid
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 14:04:05 -0800
From: LCartLng@gvn.net (Lawrence Carter-Long)
To: chickadee-l@envirolink.org
Subject: Buddhists Practice Animal Liberation
Message-ID: <199712102155.QAA19979@envirolink.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I recieved this lil' item in the mail yesterday,
and thought y'all might enjoy it.
Yours, for the liberation of all beings,
Lawrence
================================
As published in the November/December
'97 issue of MANDALA, the newsmagazine
of the Foundation for the Preservation of the
Mahayana (Buddhist) Tradition:
Leaving no shrimp behind
Rio de janerio, Centro Shiwa Lha: "...we
discovered live fishing bait and bought
1,000 shrimp from a fisherman. Using
Amitabha Buddhist Center's Animal
Liberation sadhana, we did the practice,
reciting all the mantras, and were very
attentive to see that no animal would
die.
We couldn't forget, however, the other
shrimp with the fisherman, so we went
back to buy whatever we could with the
money we had left. He told us that he
had watched our practice from afar and
asked the purpose of it. We told him that
we were Buddhists and very briefly explained
it to him. He listened attentively and then
made an offering of shrimp to be liberated.
We were very happy that our practice had
touched his heart. We returned to the beach,
repeated the practice, and saved another
250 shrimp."
Mandala, newsmagazine of the FPMT
P.O. Box 800
Soquel, CA 95073
phone: 408-476-8435
fax: 408-476-4823
web page:
http://www.fpmt.org
email:
73410.740@compuserve.com
========================
Lawrence Carter-Long
Science and Research Issues, Animal Protection Institute
email: LCartLng@gvn.net, phone: 800-348-7387 x. 215
world wide web: http://www.api4animals.org/
"All censorships exist to prevent any one from challenging current
conceptions and existing institutions. All progress is initiated by
challenging current conceptions, and executed by supplanting
existing institutions. Consequently the first condition of progress
is the removal of censorships." - George Bernard Shaw
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:58:16 -0500
From: Mesia Quartano
To: "ar-news@envirolink.org"
Subject: (PA) Town Poisons Corn To Kill Pigeons
Message-ID: <348F1078.7F095F8C@usa.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
(AP Online; 12/10/97)
First it was a Labor Day shooting spree. Now, pigeons in Meadville face
a different hazard: poisoned corn.
To thin out their resident flock of about 350 pigeons, officials in this
town 34 miles south of Erie are lacing whole-kernel corn with Avitrol, a
poison fatal to the birds. On Monday, 12 pigeons fell from the sky and
were found by residents. Three unfortunate crows also were found.
Youngblood said the town has been using the poison for the past few
years to control the overpopulation of pigeons and minimize the health
risks they pose to humans. Pigeons are often hosts for viruses and
bacteria that can cause meningitis and a fever-inducing illness called
psittacosis in humans.
Still, some people oppose efforts to kill the birds.
In September, seven animal rights activists were arrested for creating a
human road block to protest the Hegins Labor Day Pigeon Shoot, an annual
event at which an estimated 5,000 pigeons are released from cages and
shot.
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 17:01:27 -0500
From: Mesia Quartano
To: "ar-news@envirolink.org"
Subject: Judge Halts Deer Executions
Message-ID: <348F1136.E034A339@usa.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
(AP Online; 12/10/97)
By KATHERINE RIZZO Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) Hundreds of deer got a reprieve Wednesday, a day
before sharpshooters were to start gunning for overpopulated whitetails
in an Ohio preserve.
U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman granted a preliminary injunction
blocking the winter-long hunt, set to begin Thursday in Cuyahoga Valley
National Recreation Area.
He said local residents and animal rights organizations showed there
would be irreparable harm if the hunt proceeded before their full case
was heard.
The National Park Service had no immediate decision on whether to appeal
the injunction.
The Humane Society of the United States and others complained that the
National Park Service decided to shoot the animals without producing a
full environmental impact statement.
The park did an abbreviated environmental assessment on its deer-control
plan.
Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania conducted a full
environmental impact statement before staging hunts to thin out its herd
the past two winters. Further hunts at Gettysburg were put on hold by a
lawsuit brought by the same groups pressing the Cuyahoga case.
John Debo Jr., the recreation area's superintendent, said Park Service
sharpshooters had been scheduled to start hunting deer Thursday at 5
p.m.
The goal was to kill about 470 of the park's 1,030 deer to protect
plants, prevent overgrazing and reduce accidents caused when deer wander
into traffic.
Deer also pose a problem in the nation's capital and its suburbs. On
Monday, Fairfax County, Va., supervisors authorized deer hunts in two
parks along the Potomac River in Great Falls, Va. A school librarian was
killed by a deer that crashed through the window of her car in October.
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 17:38:51 -0500
From: joemiele
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Update: Rat Trap
Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19971210173851.0079c100@qed.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hello AR-News-ers,
A while back I posted an item regarding a "toy" called "Rat Trap" which
depicted animal cruelty in a humorous light.
Thanks to your phone calls and letters, the manufacturer has withdrawn the
"toy" from store shelves.
Following is the text of a letter I recieved from the Funrise Toys
Corporation today.
Letters of thanks can go to:
Brian Blatherwick - Vice President Sales & Marketing
Funrise Canada (HK) Ltd.
Ste 711 & 713, East Wing - Tsimshatsui Centre
Salisbury Rd. Tsimshatsui East
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Thanks for your efforts,
Joe
Dear Mr. Miele:
This item "The Rat Trap" was never thought of a (sic) a toy, but a
Halloween prop where the more macabre, the better. The age grading on the
item is not for children and was thought of as only a Halloween prop.
We have reviewed the item because of the twelve letters we received from
the over 50,000 pieces that were sold this year, and will withdraw the sale
through toy departments and toy stores.
We are sorry that our item has offended you. If I can be of any more help,
please contact me.
Best Regards,
Brian Blatherwick
Vice President
Sales & Marketing
Funrise Canada (HK) Ltd.
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 14:43:19 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Reminder: Ch. 7 Poll on Deer Hunting
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19971210185043.0ac79360@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The Ch. 7 web site poll on whether deer should be hunted is running neck and
neck about 50/50. Please visit the site and vote "NO" if you have not done
so already:
http://www.abc7dc.com
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:55:15 -0600
From: paulbog@jefnet.com (Rick Bogle)
To: "AR-News Post"
Subject: channeling
Message-ID: <19971210170807995.AAB203@paulbog.jefnet.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
I love reading this. I come home from work, worn out, to my tender
kitties, sit down, relax and check to see what's been going on at
animalspirit. I truly feel lighter after reading your letters, how much
you all love animals, and I am so glad that I can be a part of this.
Thank you SaraZara Happy OnASunnyDayBearah... for getting this going and
collecting such wonderful people.
I'm intrigued with channeling. Can someone recommend a good starter book
for me?
Lynn
"Be the change you want to see in the world." Gandhi
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 18:20:33
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] Tuk dead
Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19971210182033.3d0ff6b8@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
By David J Knowles
Animal Voices News
VANCOUVER, BC - Just received news that Tuk, the 37-year-old polar bear,
who was the last remaining exhibit at the Stanley Park Zoo, died Tuesday.
Tuk, who spent most of his life confined in an enclosure at the Stanley
Park facility, was diagnosed as having pneumonia. Zoo manager Mike McIntosh
said today that Tuk had been off his food all week and yesterday could not
stand. The decision was taken to euthanise him, and he died at 11:30
Tuesday morning.
Whilst other animals in the zoo were transferred out to other facilities,
which had more modern enclosures, it was decided that Tuk was too old and
would not survive a transfer.
Tuk was one of six polar bear cubs who were taken to Stanley Park in 1962.
The enclosure that was Tuk's home for the past 37 years will be bulldozed
and a salmon stream which flows under the building will be opened up
.
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 00:14:09 -0300
From: "Dr. Leopoldo Estol"
To: "ARNEWS"
Subject: Vatican edict
Message-ID: <01bd05e2$d9be0a20$LocalHost@dr.estol>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Dear Friends:
I like to fwd this ask of a friend. Maybe somebody may help us?
I would like to get ahold of the Vatican edict of 1996/97 where the Pope
provided guidance on the place of animals, and the relative position with
humans. What
it is that I am talking about? I'm afraid I don't have a more precise
citation for it. But the document received press from the
animal activists because it places a big divide between humans and
animals, and apparently gave little suggestion of what limits should be
placed on the human use of animals. If somebody could get me a copy, or
tell
me where I might get this, I would much appreciate it.
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 11:54:36 +0000
From: jwed
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (TW) Taiwan stray dog situation
Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19971211115436.007be100@pop.hkstar.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
An incomplete and in some ways incorrect draft of my report has found its
way prematurely onto this list under an odd heading. I apologise.
Please ignore that version and instead read this one.
Note: I have found it very difficult to obtain accurate up to date
information despite much correspondence and several recent visits to Taiwan
and USA. I have no bias in favour of any of the organisations - I am just
an individual wishing to see the situation progress faster. I would
greatly appreciate feed back in the form of corrections, further
information, opinions or ideas. Anything that will help the animals!
REPORT ON STRAY DOG SITUATION IN TAIWAN.
11TH DECEMBER 1997 (from various sources).
Background:
Investigations by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)
from 1994 to 1996 revealed to the world that Taiwan had a serious stray dog
control problem. (Note: this report confines itself to the problem of dogs
but there is also a big problem with cats, orang-utans and many other
species).
Nearly 3 million dogs live in Taiwan, half of them homeless. 270,000 have
been caught and destroyed in the last eight years, 70,000 in 1996. The
Government (Council of Agriculture) issued an order in May 1997 for 1.3
million dogs to be destroyed by the end of 1998.
There are approximately 70 Government run dog pounds in Taiwan. Death is
induced by electrocution, gassing, drowning or starvation. These are
all methods that can be carried out en masse without the workers having to
personally harm an individual animal.
There are also a number of private no-kill dog shelters but these are in
general grossly overcrowded without any policy of either restriction of
numbers or of neutering.
A group of students at the Taipei American School runs the Taipei
Abandoned Animal Rescue Foundation (T-AARF). This group rescues dogs off
the street, rehabilitates, neuters and rehomes them. Because of the
difficulty in finding local homes, it has to resort to exporting most of
the animals to USA.
The business of importing, breeding and selling of dogs is currently
unregulated. There has in recent years been a surge in the popularity of
keeping dogs. There has been no government or private organisation
representing the interests of dogs and until very recently there has been
no attempt at education in the responsibilities of keeping dogs.
As a generalisation, Chinese culture does not feel concern for animal
welfare. There is little deliberate cruelty but the combination of this
indifference to the suffering of animals with a taboo on the neutering and
personal killing of animals results in much suffering by default.
Recent Developments:
The Taipei based Life Conservationist Association (LCA) - a WSPA member
organisation - has been producing much excellent educational material; has
been helping to improve local dog pounds; and has been working to pass an
Animal Protection Act through the Legislative Yuan.
A Humane Education Conference and a Euthanasia Seminar were held in Taipei
in August 1997 and were attended and supported by Government officials,
WSPA, LCA, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the
Massachusetts SPCA (MSPCA), the American SPCA (ASPCA) and the British Royal
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).
ASPCA organised a training course in August for 350 teachers to introduce
ideas of companion animal care to Taiwanese schools. A follow up course is
expected to take place in 1998. MSPCA provided funding to cover the costs
of a vet and an animal handler to take part in the humane euthanasia
seminar and subsequent work at animal shelters. RSPCA provided one of their
vets to take part in the humane euthanasia seminar and practical
demonstrations at local centres. RSPCA is also planning to implement an
animal welfare volunteers training programme during 1988. Humane Society
International (HSI) is also watching the situation. WSPA and IFAW are
continuing to make regular monitoring visits to Taiwan. IFAW held meetings
in early December with government officials and local groups and is
encouraging and will help fund a model dog shelter when the most
appropriate site is found.
All these organisations are currently deliberating how best now to help
move the situation forward.
The Way Forward:
A fact that has to be recognised is that many Taiwanese resent the bad
publicity engendered for their country by the world-wide attention on the
problem. The current piecemeal approach needs to be co-ordinated from
within the country. LCA cannot fill this role as it is an educational group
covering all animal issues.
It would seem that the best way forward is for a group of local Taiwanese
to develop a model dog shelter which would not only have a service
commitment but would also educate both the public and the government in the
latest techniques of humane dog control. This seems to be generally agreed
and much work is now being done behind the scenes to get this project off
the ground. Once it is established, overseas organisations and foreign
individuals can contribute money and expertise to ensure its success.
Once this "SPCA" is established and once the Animal Protection Act is in
force, the situation should improve. Unfortunately in the meantime there
are a lot of suffering animals out there.
What You Can Do:
1. If you are a member of any of the above organisations, write to them to
urge them to continue with their efforts - ear-marked donations would help.
2. Help to ensure the continuity of T-AARF. This organisation needs to
have permanent premises and staff and would use donations to become more
cost-effective by developing a local adoption service.
3. Keep informed by joining the e-mailing list ACT! (follow the link from
the T-AARF website).
Internet Addresses:
IFAW: http://www.ifaw.org/
e-mail: 0005086269@mcimail.com
WSPA: http://www.way.net/wspa/taiwan.html
e-mail: joyleney@wspa.org.uk
LCA: e-mail: lcatwn@ms15.hinet.net
T-AARF: http://www.toapayoh.com/taarf/
e-mail: sharptpe@pristine.com.tw
ASPCA: http://www.aspca.org/
MSPCA: http://www.mspca.org/
RSPCA: http://www.rspca.org.uk/
HSI: http://www.hsus.org/affiliat.html#humanesoc
EarthCare: http://www.earth.org.hk/newslettoct97.html
e-mail: jwed@hkstar.com
Thank you for your interest!
Dr John Wedderburn, Hong Kong.
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 23:18:11 -0500
From: Mesia Quartano
To: "ar-news@envirolink.org"
Subject: (PA) Town Poisons Corn To Kill Pigeons
Message-ID: <348F6982.C63AAFDD@usa.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
(AP Online; 12/10/97)
First it was a Labor Day shooting spree. Now, pigeons in Meadville face
a different hazard: poisoned corn.
To thin out their resident flock of about 350 pigeons, officials in this
town 34 miles south of Erie are lacing whole-kernel corn with Avitrol, a
poison fatal to the birds. On Monday, 12 pigeons fell from the sky and
were found by residents. Three unfortunate crows also were found.
Youngblood said the town has been using the poison for the past few
years to control the overpopulation of pigeons and minimize the health
risks they pose to humans. Pigeons are often hosts for viruses and
bacteria that can cause meningitis and a fever-inducing illness called
psittacosis in humans.
Still, some people oppose efforts to kill the birds.
In September, seven animal rights activists were arrested for creating a
human road block to protest the Hegins Labor Day Pigeon Shoot, an annual
event at which an estimated 5,000 pigeons are released from cages and
shot.
(Resent due to "mail failure" -- apologies if this was repeated)
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 23:42:49 -0500
From: Mesia Quartano
To: "ar-news@envirolink.org"
Subject: (US) Ferret Update
Message-ID: <348F6F48.3057ED78@usa.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
93 ferrets have died.
The warrant has been signed for the arrest of the young man who
committed the crime. He has been charged with 8 counts of cruelty to
animals so far.
Robin Rivers, a reporter at The Spokesman-Review newspaper, is
interested in writing another article and has asked for email opinions
(robinr@spokesman.com).
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 12:51:23 +0000
From: jwed
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (HK) Bird flu outbreak hits market stall
Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19971211125123.007cce50@pop.hkstar.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
South China Morning Post - Thursday December 11 1997
by JANE MOIR and NG KANG-CHUNG
Bird flu wiped out a third of chickens at a stall in a New Territories
market as experts remained baffled by how the killer virus spread to humans.
The stall was allowed to stay open as health officials travelled across the
border to search for clues to the disease which has killed two people. They
warned the public to be vigilant in handling poultry.
Samples containing the H5N1 virus from the market's dead chickens have been
sent to Hong Kong University and the United States Department of
Agriculture for comparison with human samples of H5N1.
About 75 per cent of all poultry sold in Hong Kong comes from the mainland,
and Agriculture and Fisheries Department officers will contact Guangdong
authorities to gauge the extent of the disease among poultry in southern
China.
Department assistant director Dr Liu Kwei-kin said: "We want to find out
how they can ensure chickens sent here are disease-free."
No evidence of the virus has been found in 52 out of 160 poultry farms in
the SAR, but the search has now been extended to livestock markets. Test
results will be ready in two weeks.
One of the reasons the New Territories stall, at a public housing estate in
Fanling, was allowed to stay open after Friday's outbreak is the virus'
perplexing nature - those who work with poultry have not been infected.
Dr Keiji Fukuda of the Centres for Disease Control in Atlanta admitted he
was still baffled by the virus' mode of transmission, but said it had not
mutated from the avian strain.
"Right now it's simply not clear how the virus is being transmitted," he
said. "We don't have solid evidence pointing to one or another likely mode
of transmission."
However, he continued: "The most likely way the virus is being transmitted
is from some avian species, it could be chickens, it could be another . . .
it's most likely poultry to human, human to human or some combination."
The most likely way infection would occur is for the virus to be shed in
chicken faeces. Infection could be picked up via the respiratory system or
by contact with the faeces, he said.
Samples of the virus taken from human victims in the SAR proved the virus
had not mutated.
"There's no evidence of reassortment. Both appear to be avian," Dr Fukuda
said.
Chicken hawkers in North District were closed earlier than usual last night
because of a drop in business amid the bird flu scare.
Angry hawkers blamed health experts for "stirring up trouble", saying they
themselves would be the first to die if chickens carried the deadly virus.
At the Luen Wo Hui Market in Sheung Shui, most hawkers had closed their
stalls by 5.30 pm yesterday. Housewives said they used to open until 7 pm
or 8 pm.
The owner of the Wo Hing stall said: "I have been selling chickens for many
years and none of my clients has fallen sick after eating them. If anyone
would die from chicken flu, I would be the first. I handle more than 100
chickens every day."
Supplier Ng Fung Hong, which provides 15 per cent of local poultry, said
sales had dropped about five per cent this week.
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 12:55:29 +0000
From: jwed
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (HK) Teachers tell children not to touch pets
Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19971211125529.007babf0@pop.hkstar.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
South China Morning Post - Thursday December 11 1997
by RHONDA LAM WAN
Children are being told not to touch pets because of fears they could
contract the deadly bird flu virus.
The Government sent out guidelines to schools and kindergartens yesterday
advising that pupils be kept away from birds. Some teachers have warned
children not to cuddle their family pets.
The Department of Health said on Tuesday that two toddlers infected with
the lethal H5N1 virus - one of whom died - caught it through direct contact
with birds.
Education officials yesterday urged schools and parents to pay close
attention to hygiene and children's health, and discouraged raising animals
in enclosed classrooms.
"Teachers should remind students to keep an appropriate distance while
observing the animals and should under no circumstances touch them," it said.
Children who watch small animals as part of classes should take adequate
safety precautions to ensure proper hygiene.
Joseph Au Yiu-wah, headmaster of The Endeavourers Leung Lee Sau Yu Memorial
Primary School in Shau Kei Wan where ducks, geese, rabbits and chickens
were raised for their educational value, said he had ordered children not
to get too close.
"Do Not Touch" notices were stuck up and barriers erected to stop children
getting too close to cages.
"As the means of transmission is not yet confirmed, it's necessary to take
precautions and increase our alertness to the disease," he said.
Children were still allowed to see the animals in breaks and during classes.
"The cages on our campus are cleaned twice a day and teachers are present
while students watch. What I am really worried about is those students who
keep pets at home.
"I have told them to wash their hands after touching the animals and to
consider giving up raising the pets if their homes are crowded and not
suitable."
He said about 10 per cent of his pupils kept pets at home.
Ng Yuk-chun, mother of a nine-year-old girl, said: "The school has taken
adequate preventive measures. We should not panic."
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