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AR-NEWS Digest 482
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) (US) Hunting in National Wildlife Refuges
by OnlineAPI@aol.com
2) (US) Diet Change May Cut Breast Cancer Risk
by allen schubert
3) (US) Fruits and Vegetables Lower Lung Cancer Risk
by allen schubert
4) (AU) True-blue kosher
by Vadivu Govind
5) EU bans shrimp imports from Bangladesh
by Vadivu Govind
6) (Belgium - NZ) Horse steaks
by Vadivu Govind
7) [FR] Minister falls prey to wolves' defenders
by David J Knowles
8) RFI - Vegan soap
by David J Knowles
9) [FR] Minister falls prey to wolves' defenders
by David J Knowles
10) (US) A World of Research On the Shoulders of a Mouse
by allen schubert
11) (US) A World of Research On the Shoulders of a Mouse
by allen schubert
12) (US) Secret trout stocking now needed
by allen schubert
13) Horse abuser gets more Jail time.
by "Michael B. Harris"
14) Horse abuser gets more Jail time.
by "Michael B. Harris"
15) Where can I find it?
by Daniel Paulo Martins Ferreira
16) NEW ENGLAND PRIMATE CENTER PROTESTS BEGIN
by civillib@cwnet.com
17) AZ-UPC Protest Horizon HS Hen Abuse 8/14
by Franklin Wade
18) UPC Alert: Tarrant Cnty, TX: Urge Prosecution of Emu Beater
by Franklin Wade
19) [UK]Postmen bite back with dog deterrents
by David J Knowles
20) [UK] Farmers in arson threat at hunt ban
by David J Knowles
21) International Foundation attempts to save NZ wild horses.
by bunny
22) JOHNES DISEASE, SHEEP - AUSTRALIA (NEW SOUTH WALES)
by bunny
23) Humane Soc of U.S. alert on trophy hunting
by jeanlee
24) List of 800 #s of animal exploiters
by jeanlee
25) (TH) Biodiversity opponents reiterate deep concern
by Vadivu Govind
26) (TH) The Elephant Doctor
by Vadivu Govind
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 00:07:31 -0400 (EDT)
From: OnlineAPI@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Hunting in National Wildlife Refuges
Message-ID: <970731000730_-2042302509@emout05.mail.aol.com>
Comments Needed to Oppose Expansion of Hunting and Fishing in National
Wildlife Refuges
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has published a proposed rule in
the Federal Register that would "add additional national wildlife refuges to
the list of areas open for hunting and/or sport fishing, along with pertinent
refuge-specific regulations for such activities; and amend certain
regulations on other refuges that pertain to migratory game bird hunting,
upland game hunting, big game hunting and sport fishing for the 1997-1998
seasons."
The proposed rule calls for opening five refuges up to hunting and/or fishing
and expanding or amending already existing hunting and fishing regulations at
67 other refuges.
Of the 511 national wildlife refuges encompassing over 92 million acres, 283
allow hunting. Each year the federal government opens more refuges to
consumptive wildlife uses while the percent of Americans who hunt continues
to drop. Hunters already have access to more than 200 million acres of state
land, 600 million acres of federal land and more than one billion acres of
private land on which they can hunt.
It is time the USFWS stops expanding hunting on national wildlife refuges.
It is time the USFWS permanently banned hunting on ALL refuges.
*** COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 20, 1997 ***
Send to: Assistant Director-Refuges and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 1849 C Street, NW, MS 670 ARLSQ, Washington, DC 20240.
For more information, please contact Camilla Fox at the Animal Protection
Institute at (916) 731-5521 or CFOXAPI@aol.com.
Please feel free to use the following letter to either send directly to the
USFWS or, preferably, to use as a guide for writing your own letter.
SAMPLE LETTER:
Assistant Director-Refuges and Wildlife
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1849 C Street, NW, MS 670 ARLSQ
Washington, DC 20240
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter is submitted in response to the Federal Register notice posted
July 21, 1997, Vol. 62, No. 139 regarding the USFWS proposed rule to add
additional national wildlife refuges to the list of areas open for hunting
and/or sport fishing.
National wildlife refuges were established by Theodore Roosevelt in 1903 to
protect wildlife and their habitats. As sanctuaries for rare, threatened,
and endangered species, the NWR sytem provides some of the last undisturbed
habitat for recovery of endangered species. Hunting is incompatible with
these goals, as it is disruptive and poses a danger to non-target wildlife.
The NWR system harbors 168 threatened or endangered species, although 60
percent of refuges support activities harmful to wildlife, according to
surveys conducted by your agency and the General Accounting Office.
A majority of the people who visit refuges do so to observe wildlife and
enjoy nature. According to your agency, of the 30 million people who visited
refuges last year, 21 million visited for wildlife observation and "just to
experience nature," while only 1.4 million visited to hunt. Clearly,
non-consumptive users of the NWR system far outnumber consumptive users.
Hunters already have access to million of acres of public lands outside of
the refuges for their activities. Hikers, bird watchers, campers, and
photographers should not have to fear being hit by a stray bullet as they
enjoy our public lands or witness the killing and maiming of the very
wildlife they have come to see.
The NWR system should be managed to carry out its stated mission -- to
protect wildlife and wildlife habitat and to offer people an opportunity to
enjoy nature. Hunting should be disallowed at all refuges as the practice
runs counter to these goals.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 00:11:24 -0400
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Diet Change May Cut Breast Cancer Risk
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970731001122.006f270c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
(the fish part is questionable...)
from Yahoo news page:
------------------------------------
Wednesday July 30 8:47 PM EDT
Diet Change May Cut Breast Cancer Risk
By Andrea Orr
LOS ANGELES (Reuter) - Women may be able to reduce their risk of breast
cancer by adopting a Japanese-style diet rich in fish oils, vegetables and
soy products, researchers said Wednesday.
A study conducted at the University of California's Jonsson Cancer Center
here showed women were able to change the composition of their breast
tissue and plasma after three months on the altered diet.
Previous research has already established that diets low in fat reduce the
risk of cancer. But this latest study was the first to demonstrate the
added benefits of consuming certain kinds of fatty acids found in fish oil.
The findings will be published next week in the Journal of the National
Cancer Institute.
"At least one aspect of human breast composition in American women can be
altered to approximate the breast composition of women in certain Asian and
European countries ... (where) the incidence of breast cancer is much
lower," Dr. John Glaspy, senior author of the study, said in a statement.
"We are very optimistic about these results. It's too early to make
predictions, but we have absolute evidence that leads us to be optimistic,"
Glaspy said.
Glaspy studied 25 women with breast cancer who adopted a diet heavy in fish
oils, soy products and a variety of vegetables including grean leafy
vegetables, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and carrots.
Rather than eating fish, the women were given capsules containing fish oil
to insure they would get adequate amounts. Dilprit Bagga, one of the
researchers in the study, said the supplements they received contained as
much oil as they would have gotten by eating a serving of fish for lunch
and another serving for dinner.
Not all fish contain these fatty acids, however. Salmon and sea bass are
two of the best sources.
At the end of the three-month study, the women experienced an increase in a
certain kind of polyunsaturated fatty acids, shown to reduce breast cancer
risk, and a drop in other fatty acids known to promote cancer.
Unlike omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids prevalent in American diets, the
omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils actually inhibit cancer.
The women put on the altered diet showed a four-fold increase in the ratio
of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in their plasma. The ratio, esentially a
measure of good versus bad fatty acids, went up 1.4-fold in the women's
breast tissue after three months on the diet.
Omega-6 fatty acids are found primarily in vegetable oils, shortening and
other foods with high corn oil content, while omega-3's are found primarily
in certain kinds of fish.
The new research suggests an explanation for why women in Japan who follow
traditional Japanese diets have a relatively low incidence of breast
cancer.
When those same women come to the United States and adopt Western diets,
their frequency of breast cancer rises to that of American women within a
single generation, the researchers said.
Bagga said American women who do not get adequate amounts of fish oil in
their diets might consider taking fish oil supplements. But she stressed
they should first consult a doctor. In excessive quantities, the oils,
which also function as blood thinning agents, could lead to internal
bleeding, she said.
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 00:11:42 -0400
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Fruits and Vegetables Lower Lung Cancer Risk
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970731001140.006916e4@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from Yahoo news page:
-----------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday July 30 2:16 PM EDT
Fruits and Vegetables Lower Lung Cancer Risk
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- A diet rich in fruits and vegetables -- especially
apples -- may help lower the risk of lung cancer, a study suggests.
It appears that the cancer protective effect largely stems from their
flavonoid content -- effective antioxidants produced by plant metabolism --
and probably not from their vitamin C and beta carotene content.
Researchers from Finland's National Public Health Institute in Helsinki say
"it is a well-established fact that consumption of fruits and vegetables is
associated with a lowered risk of lung cancer" and some other malignancies,
including skin cancer and colon cancer.
"It has been suggested that this is due to the antioxidants beta carotene
and vitamin C, which occur in large concentrations in these foods," they
say.
But the researchers note that large-scale studies of these antioxidant
supplements have reported conflicting results -- an increased lung cancer
risk with beta-carotene intake or no association between beta carotene and
lung cancer incidence.
The researchers say these findings raised the possibility that the
flavonoids -- the other key antioxidant compounds in fruits and vegetables
-- may be the real factors that provide protection against lung cancer.
As part of a national health survey begun in 1966, the Finnish study
carefully documented the diets of 9,959 men and women ages 15 to 99. All
were free of cancer when the study began. By 1991, 997 cancer cases were
diagnosed, of which 151 were lung cancer.
Statistical analysis revealed an inverse (opposite) association between the
amount of dietary flavonoids and the risk of all lung cancers combined.
People who regularly consumed the most flavonoid-rich foods -- apples,
onions, fruits, juices, vegetables, and jams -- were about 20% less likely
to develop cancer.
But the researchers say a closer look at the data revealed that "the
association was mainly a result of lung cancer," which was 46% lower among
those whose diets contained the highest amount of flavonoids.
"No significant association was present here between flavonoid intake and
any malignancy other than lung cancer," say the researchers. "Nevertheless,
we observed suggestive inverse associations for colorectal cancer and
cancer of the nervous system."
Moreover, not just any flavonoid made the biggest difference. The flavonoid
quercetin -- largely from apples -- provided 95% of the total flavonoid
intake in the population studied.
After adjusting for other fruits and vegetables in the diet, consumption of
apples was inversely associated with lung cancer risk -- that is, the
higher the apple intake, the lower the lung cancer risk. The researchers
found that the likelihood of lung cancer among those who ate the most
apples fell by 58% relative to those who ate fewer apples.
"Intakes of other foods containing flavonoids were not significantly
associated with lung cancer incidence," the researchers say. Nor was
supplementation with antioxidant vitamins C, E, and beta carotene found to
play a role.
"As apples are a very poor source of vitamin C and beta carotene,
adjustment for these antioxidant vitamins did not notably alter the
association," the researchers explain. "Other substances in apples, such as
the flavonoids, are thus likely to provide the protection."
The new study also found a stronger link between flavonoid intake and
reduced lung cancer risk in younger rather than older persons.
"Furthermore, the association was closer among nonsmokers than current
smokers," the researchers add.
They say "the intake of flavonoids in the present population was
exceptionally low," compared with that of other western nations studied,
"therefore, making it tempting to speculate that the antioxidative
potential available was not sufficient to protect smokers against their
amount of oxidative stress."
Much like rust attacking metal, oxidative stress is the molecular assault
on body tissue from substances called free-radicals which arise during
cellular processes that involve oxygen.
"In summary, we found an inverse relation between the dietary intake of
flavonoids and the incidence of lung cancer that was most likely
attributable to the consumption of apples, the main source of flavonoids in
the present population," the researchers conclude. SOURCE: American Journal
of Epidemiology (1997;146:223-230)
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 12:44:47 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (AU) True-blue kosher
Message-ID: <199707310444.MAA03336@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Age
Melbourne Online
Friday 11 July 1997
True-blue kosher
By SIAN WATKINS
And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be
clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is
unclean to
you.
Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters,
that shall
be an abomination unto you ...
Leviticus 11
KEEPING kosher in a fast-food world involves a great
deal of
vigilance. Can a righteous Jew eat a Crave bar
(emulsifiers 322,
442, 476, 471)? Chew Extra (antioxidant 320, sorbitol)?
Munch a berry jelly Freddo (vegetable gum, food
acids, colors
122 and 133)?
Confronted regularly by gelatinous King Rats, frozen
dinners and
battered saveloys, how do observant Jews keep
kosher? Many
rely on Melbourne Kashrut, a group that analyses new
foods
and distributes an annual bulletin of what's kosher
and what's
not.
The bulletin is fastidiously detailed. Golden
Circle's tropical fruit
cocktail has been delisted and peppermint and
spearmint Tic
Tacs are the only acceptable flavors. Lipton herbal
teas are not
acceptable, nor are strawberry Big Ms and all UHT
long-life Big Ms.
Apart from rabbinical supervision of food production,
Melbourne Kashrut employs a chemist, Kasriel Oliver, who
travels interstate and overseas checking food
ingredients and
production methods. He has visited Malaysia and
Singapore to
investigate soy sauce and fats used in confectionery.
Melbourne Kashrut also has arrangements with big food
manufacturers, such as Heinz, Sanitarium, Kraft and
Cadbury,
under which the companies reveal their production
methods.
Some even change production schedules to meet kosher
requirements.
Several times a year, for example, Kraft stops part
of its
production, cleans its machines, lets them lie idle
for 24 hours,
and then gives the equipment a kosher cleansing
(with standards
set by a rabbi) before making a batch of what is
then deemed
kosher Vegemite, identified by a ``K'' symbol near
the use-by
date. Kosher Vegemite is very popular and always in
short
supply.
Melbourne Kashrut's administrator (kashrut is the
noun of
kosher), Dr Peter Kloot, says that about 75 per cent of
Melbourne's 40,000 Jews adhere - some more
consistently than
others - to Jewish food laws. At least half of that
75 per cent
would define themselves as keeping kosher and
believe they
adhered to the laws, he says.
Kosher (which means ritually fit or proper) food has
to meet
Jewish dietary laws drawn from the Torah (the first
five books of
the Old Testament) and rabbinic law. Such laws were
instituted
as a form of moral discipline; a way of controlling
and sanctifying
human behavior. Generally, kosher food is also
acceptable to
observant Muslims, whose religion and food laws were
drawn
from Judaism.
Defining what is kosher varies between rabbis,
although in the
United States kosher has been defined in law, which
means
producers who wrongly label their food as kosher can be
prosecuted. This is not the case in Australia.
Food may be deemed non-kosher for many reasons, such
as the
type of animal used or the inappropriate mixing of
meat and
dairy products. In Leviticus, God allows human
consumption of
animals that chew the cud and have a cloven hoof
(this wipes out
bacon), and prohibits the eating of water-living
animals that do
not possess scales and fins (this rules out grilled
flake).
Because God decrees in the Torah that kid (young
goat) should
not be cooked in its mother's milk, observant Jews
do not mix
meat and milk products in a meal and will use
separate utensils
to prepare such food. Some get around the rules by
using soy
milk products and meat substitutes.
Sociology and anthropoloy may explain some of the
food laws
but for most Jews, says Kloot, the laws are simply
religious
commandments. Pig is prohibited not because it was once
considered unhygienic but because God did not want
his people
to ingest what was considered a ``lower-order animal''.
Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick (Joe's brother) says the
laws rest on
spiritual and philosophical rationalisations.
``The Torah says to remove the blood from an animal
before
eating it and that was done by salting the meat.
Observers would
say that using salt is a very old, time-honored way
of preserving
the meat but there are spiritual implications; to
eat an animal's
blood is to ingest its life force.''
Kloot says it has been suggested that the
prohibition on cooking
the young animal, the kid, in milk, ``was to teach
people to be
merciful, instead of being cruel and callous in
using the mother's
milk to cook it, rather than nurture it, as God
intended''.
The list of what is kosher and what's not is always
changing.
Every few months, bulletin subscribers are sent
updates. Among
the delisted foods this year were Golden Circle's
tinned fruit
cocktail and several varieties of Goulburn Valley
140gram snack packs.
Most of the snack packs have been excluded because
they now
contain grape juice. What's wrong with grape juice?
Rabbi
Gutnick says the ban is a very old rabbinic prohibition
introduced to remind people to uphold their beliefs
in the midst
of pagans and other non-believers.
While many alcoholic drinks are kosher, including
beer and
whiskey, wine is not unless made under rabbinic
supervision.
``Although it is important to socialise, for people
to get together
and have a drink, the prohibition exists to remind
people of their
faith and traditions,'' says Rabbi Gutnick.
The fruit cocktail ban was prompted by changes to
Australian
food regulations on colorings. Oliver says
erythrosine is no
longer permitted as a coloring - used until now in
cherries in
tinned fruit cocktail. Some manufacturers, such as
Golden
Circle, have switched to cochineal but this is
banned under
kosher laws because it is made from an insect, the
cochineal
beetle.
Kloot says a big range of kosher foods are available
in most
supermarkets but those wanting imported kosher products
usually need to find specialised stores, which are
mostly located
in the Balaclava and Caulfield areas.
Is keeping kosher difficult? If Oliver and his
family go on
holiday, they take food with them and there's some
kosher food
available in rural Victoria, he says. ``But no, it's
not difficult
because I don't expect to eat non-kosher.''
And what happens if one doesn't keep kosher? ``No
one can
say,'' says Rabbi Gutnick. ``It depends on peoples'
conscience.
If you believe there's a divine plan in the world
then (by not
keeping kosher) you've gone against that plan. I'm
sure there
would be some who feel very guilty and others who
won't -
who'll say `I'm sure God will understand'.''
He cannot remember the last time he disobeyed God's food
rules. ``I'm a good boy.''
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 13:41:40 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: EU bans shrimp imports from Bangladesh
Message-ID: <199707310541.NAA04877@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>DAily News
31 July 97
EU bans shrimp imports from Bangladesh
By Shakeel Anwar
DHAKA, July 30 (Reuter)- Bangladesh's shrimp exports have been hit by a
European Union temporary import ban imposed on health grounds, officials and
exporters said on Wednesday.
"We have been told (by the European Commission) that any consignment of
shrimp won't be accepted in ports of EU countries after August 15," an
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) official told Reuters.
"They argued (that) our products do not conform with EU health standards,"
he said. Shrimp exporters reacted sharply to the three-month ban, which
endangers Bangladesh's nearly $200 million a year in exports to European
Union countries.
The EU accounts for 60 percent of Bangladesh's shrimp exports. The other
main markets are Japan and the United States.
Exporters said shrimp worth about two billion taka ($45 million) was ready
at factories and ports for shipment to EU markets.
"These consignments were against firm orders. We cannot export them because
they can't reach European ports by the August 15 deadline. It's a big blow
to our trade," said Salauddin Ahmed, a leading shrimp exporter.
"It's another naked act of non-tariff barriers being imposed on poor
countries by the rich nations," said Aftabuz Zaman, Secretary General of the
Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association.
"It's a clear violation of international trade rules. You can have
complaints about a particular consignment but you cannot slap a ban on an
entire country," he said.
"I guess it's not only health. There's more to it. The EU wants to give
their market to other politically and economically important countries,"
Zaman told Reuters on Wednesday.
An official at the EU office in Dhaka said the ban may be extended if
Bangladesh "fails to meet the required standard by then".
He said the commission would review the development on November 30.
The EU official said the EC Veterinary Council had ordered the ban following
reports by inspectors who visited Bangladesh last month.
"It's not that Bangladesh was singled out. A similar ban was considered for
India and Madagascar. We have been asking Bangladesh to improve quality of
shrimp processing since 1993 but they paid
little heed," the official said.
Bangladesh Commerce Ministry officials said they may send a delegation next
month to Brussels to try to persuade the EU officials to waive the ban.
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 13:49:30 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (Belgium - NZ) Horse steaks
Message-ID: <199707310549.NAA05061@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Straits Times
31 July 97
HORSE STEAKS: Belgian horse-meat lovers will soon have New Zealand
wild-horse steaks on their menus.
More than 50 wild stallions, mustered from a herd in a North Island
plateau, were slaughtered at a Hamilton abattoir earlier this week, the
abattoir manager said. -- AFP
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 00:25:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [FR] Minister falls prey to wolves' defenders
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970731002549.1acf95b6@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Thursday, July 31st, 1997
Minister falls prey to wolves' defenders
By Susannah Herbert in Paris=20
FRENCH environmentalists have accused the government of violating
conservation principles in proposing to capture two wolves which are preying
on sheep in the French Alps.
Dominique Voynet, the Environment Minister, has authorised the capture of
the wolves following complaints from shepherds in the 165,000-acre central
area of the National Park of Mercantour near Nice. One wolf will be taken to
a zoo, the other will be released with an electronic tag.
Mme Voynet's plan is opposed by animal rights groups, who claim that it
breaches European environmental regulations because canis lupus is a
protected species.=20
The wolves are part of a 20-strong pack which has migrated from Italy. Since
first reports of their arrival in 1992, the number of sheep killings has
risen sharply: 36 sheep were reported dead in 1993 but by the following year
the figure had risen to 191. Last year, 500 sheep were
killed by wolves.
Yesterday, the France Nature Environment association of animal protection
groups said that the plan to capture the wolves was "extremely serious" and
claimed that the government had no right to break international rules.=20
Lionel Brard, FNE's president, stressed that national parks were set up to
protect wildlife against the demands of private individuals.
He added that it was up to the shepherds to protect their flocks with guard
dogs. "They all receive big grants from Brussels and they are also
compensated heavily whenever a sheep is killed," he said. The shepherds
share the environmentalists' opposition to the government's move - but for
contrasting reasons. They would like to see the wolves eliminated.=20
Annie Sic, who represents a group of shepherds, told Le Figaro yesterday:
"They can't be serious, claiming that the capture of two predators and the
later release of one of them will cut down the number of attacks on the
flocks. They say there are 20 wolves in Mercantour.
We think there are at least 30."
Another shepherd dismissed the state's intervention as pointless. "The only
way to make them listen is to let a shotgun do the talking. The first wolf
which comes near, we will shoot - and no one will put us in prison." =20
=A9 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 00:30:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: RFI - Vegan soap
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970731003140.1acf4ae8@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I had somewhat of an unusual request from one of my neighbours last night.
Anuk is a student who also likes to dabble in crafts, and asked if I know of
any recipes for making soap which do not require the use of animal products.
This is something that I was unable to answer, but hopefully someone on the
list could help.
Many thanks,
David
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 00:25:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [FR] Minister falls prey to wolves' defenders
Message-ID: <199707311040.GAA08878@envirolink.org>
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Thursday, July 31st, 1997
Minister falls prey to wolves' defenders
By Susannah Herbert in Paris=20
FRENCH environmentalists have accused the government of violating
conservation principles in proposing to capture two wolves which are preying
on sheep in the French Alps.
Dominique Voynet, the Environment Minister, has authorised the capture of
the wolves following complaints from shepherds in the 165,000-acre central
area of the National Park of Mercantour near Nice. One wolf will be taken to
a zoo, the other will be released with an electronic tag.
Mme Voynet's plan is opposed by animal rights groups, who claim that it
breaches European environmental regulations because canis lupus is a
protected species.=20
The wolves are part of a 20-strong pack which has migrated from Italy. Since
first reports of their arrival in 1992, the number of sheep killings has
risen sharply: 36 sheep were reported dead in 1993 but by the following year
the figure had risen to 191. Last year, 500 sheep were
killed by wolves.
Yesterday, the France Nature Environment association of animal protection
groups said that the plan to capture the wolves was "extremely serious" and
claimed that the government had no right to break international rules.=20
Lionel Brard, FNE's president, stressed that national parks were set up to
protect wildlife against the demands of private individuals.
He added that it was up to the shepherds to protect their flocks with guard
dogs. "They all receive big grants from Brussels and they are also
compensated heavily whenever a sheep is killed," he said. The shepherds
share the environmentalists' opposition to the government's move - but for
contrasting reasons. They would like to see the wolves eliminated.=20
Annie Sic, who represents a group of shepherds, told Le Figaro yesterday:
"They can't be serious, claiming that the capture of two predators and the
later release of one of them will cut down the number of attacks on the
flocks. They say there are 20 wolves in Mercantour.
We think there are at least 30."
Another shepherd dismissed the state's intervention as pointless. "The only
way to make them listen is to let a shotgun do the talking. The first wolf
which comes near, we will shoot - and no one will put us in prison." =20
=A9 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
[FR] Minister falls prey to wolves' defenders
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 08:20:09 -0400
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) A World of Research On the Shoulders of a Mouse
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970731082006.006d4cdc@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
from Washingtonpost.com:
----------------------------------------
A World of Research On the Shoulders of a Mouse
By Abigail Trafford
Tuesday, July 29, 1997; Page Z06
The Washington Post
BAR HARBOR, Maine=97It turns out man's best
friend is really the mouse.
Cute little quivering balls of fur, specially
bred, clean and well-fed: black, white and
sometimes brown, a Ralph Lauren tan that
denotes the chic of genetic manipulation. More
than 11,000 strains of mice are nurtured here
at the Jackson Laboratory and sent to research
centers all over the world, a catalogue of mice
with gene names like stargazer and staggerer,
ruby-eye and tippy, vibrator and velvet coat,
angiotensin converting enzyme, neurotrophin-3
and twist.
Mickey and Minnie would be stunned by all the
new members of the mouse family: inbred mice,
hybrid mice, mice made to carry human genes,
mice with a particular gene deleted -- the
so-called knockout mouse -- so that scientists
can see what that gene really does.
Without these research-friendly beasts, there
would be far fewer discoveries of the genes
involved with obesity or juvenile diabetes or
epilepsy. Scientists who want to understand
human genes can turn to mice to isolate a gene,
manipulate it and monitor its impact over many
generations.
To Leroy Hood, chairman of the department of
molecular biotechnology at the University of
Washington School of Medicine, the mouse is
part of the Rosetta stone of genetics. Just as
archaeologists were able to decipher Egyptian
hieroglyphics by reading a version of the text
in Greek and Demotic script (everyday
Egyptian), scientists can unravel the human
genetic blueprint, he says, by reading how
genes are expressed in yeast and mice.
The mouse is also a living test tube for new
drugs. Want to see if a drug may work against
Lou Gehrig's disease? Try it in mice. The
effect of a high-fat diet? Feed the rodent
equivalent of a greasy double cheeseburger to
mice specially bred for obesity. Looking for an
animal model for Alzheimer's? Bingo, a mutated
mouse that gets deposits in the brain similar
to what doctors see in the autopsied brains of
Alzheimer's patients. "Whether these mice will
develop the larger behavior deficits is not
clear," explains Donald Price of Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine. "In a few years
we'll get a model that is identical to what we
get in the elderly. I feel these are going to
be very valuable."
So important is the mouse to experimental
research that the Harvard Health Letter
designated the 1990s as "The Decade of the
Mouse."
Naturally, the scientists think they are in
charge.
But sometimes the mice have the last word.
Despite all the manipulation and careful
monitoring by human researchers, a mouse will
suddenly do its own thing and mutate. Nature is
still random, even in the laboratory. An
unexpected gene alteration will pop up in a
mouse: Some morning there's a weird new mouse
in the plastic bread-box-shaped container where
these research mice spend their lives.
"I hear you got a mutant," says a colleague in
the hallway to senior staff scientist Leslie P.
Kozak, who runs one of Jackson's mouse fat
farms.
The newest mutant is a flabby black female
whose spine is twisted, her right paw limp and
her hind legs paralyzed. She can barely move,
using her left paw to haul herself around the
wood shavings of her plastic home. She was bred
to help scientists understand the link between
the body's brown fat and obesity. But instead
of being a model of obesity, this mutant mouse
may well give up some genetic clues to spinal
paralysis.
The next step is to isolate the
paralysis-causing gene and see if anyone has
found it before. If not, the mutant may go down
in history as a bold discovery. This has
happened before. Earlier this year, another
mouse genetically manipulated for obesity
started walking around like a drunk. This
random tipsy mutant ended up in a recent report
in the journal Nature as an important finding
on the brain, explains Kozak. "These are
surprises," he says. "This is serendipity."
Scientists need serendipity as they keep
breeding and manipulating and watching and
testing. And that means there's always full
employment for a mouse in science.
For all their sacrifices, research mice have a
pretty soft life. In fact, one of the biggest
problems is keeping wild mice out of the
laboratory. That's why there are black boxes
every 30 feet around the research units --
mousetraps to capture stray invaders and keep
them from getting inside where the temperature
is controlled, there's plenty of food and
medical science is moving steadily forward.
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 08:20:09 -0400
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) A World of Research On the Shoulders of a Mouse
Message-ID: <199707311221.IAA15601@envirolink.org>
from Washingtonpost.com:
----------------------------------------
A World of Research On the Shoulders of a Mouse
By Abigail Trafford
Tuesday, July 29, 1997; Page Z06
The Washington Post
BAR HARBOR, Maine=97It turns out man's best
friend is really the mouse.
Cute little quivering balls of fur, specially
bred, clean and well-fed: black, white and
sometimes brown, a Ralph Lauren tan that
denotes the chic of genetic manipulation. More
than 11,000 strains of mice are nurtured here
at the Jackson Laboratory and sent to research
centers all over the world, a catalogue of mice
with gene names like stargazer and staggerer,
ruby-eye and tippy, vibrator and velvet coat,
angiotensin converting enzyme, neurotrophin-3
and twist.
Mickey and Minnie would be stunned by all the
new members of the mouse family: inbred mice,
hybrid mice, mice made to carry human genes,
mice with a particular gene deleted -- the
so-called knockout mouse -- so that scientists
can see what that gene really does.
Without these research-friendly beasts, there
would be far fewer discoveries of the genes
involved with obesity or juvenile diabetes or
epilepsy. Scientists who want to understand
human genes can turn to mice to isolate a gene,
manipulate it and monitor its impact over many
generations.
To Leroy Hood, chairman of the department of
molecular biotechnology at the University of
Washington School of Medicine, the mouse is
part of the Rosetta stone of genetics. Just as
archaeologists were able to decipher Egyptian
hieroglyphics by reading a version of the text
in Greek and Demotic script (everyday
Egyptian), scientists can unravel the human
genetic blueprint, he says, by reading how
genes are expressed in yeast and mice.
The mouse is also a living test tube for new
drugs. Want to see if a drug may work against
Lou Gehrig's disease? Try it in mice. The
effect of a high-fat diet? Feed the rodent
equivalent of a greasy double cheeseburger to
mice specially bred for obesity. Looking for an
animal model for Alzheimer's? Bingo, a mutated
mouse that gets deposits in the brain similar
to what doctors see in the autopsied brains of
Alzheimer's patients. "Whether these mice will
develop the larger behavior deficits is not
clear," explains Donald Price of Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine. "In a few years
we'll get a model that is identical to what we
get in the elderly. I feel these are going to
be very valuable."
So important is the mouse to experimental
research that the Harvard Health Letter
designated the 1990s as "The Decade of the
Mouse."
Naturally, the scientists think they are in
charge.
But sometimes the mice have the last word.
Despite all the manipulation and careful
monitoring by human researchers, a mouse will
suddenly do its own thing and mutate. Nature is
still random, even in the laboratory. An
unexpected gene alteration will pop up in a
mouse: Some morning there's a weird new mouse
in the plastic bread-box-shaped container where
these research mice spend their lives.
"I hear you got a mutant," says a colleague in
the hallway to senior staff scientist Leslie P.
Kozak, who runs one of Jackson's mouse fat
farms.
The newest mutant is a flabby black female
whose spine is twisted, her right paw limp and
her hind legs paralyzed. She can barely move,
using her left paw to haul herself around the
wood shavings of her plastic home. She was bred
to help scientists understand the link between
the body's brown fat and obesity. But instead
of being a model of obesity, this mutant mouse
may well give up some genetic clues to spinal
paralysis.
The next step is to isolate the
paralysis-causing gene and see if anyone has
found it before. If not, the mutant may go down
in history as a bold discovery. This has
happened before. Earlier this year, another
mouse genetically manipulated for obesity
started walking around like a drunk. This
random tipsy mutant ended up in a recent report
in the journal Nature as an important finding
on the brain, explains Kozak. "These are
surprises," he says. "This is serendipity."
Scientists need serendipity as they keep
breeding and manipulating and watching and
testing. And that means there's always full
employment for a mouse in science.
For all their sacrifices, research mice have a
pretty soft life. In fact, one of the biggest
problems is keeping wild mice out of the
laboratory. That's why there are black boxes
every 30 feet around the research units --
mousetraps to capture stray invaders and keep
them from getting inside where the temperature
is controlled, there's plenty of food and
medical science is moving steadily forward.
(US) A World of Research On the Shoulders of a Mouse
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 08:28:07 -0400
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Secret trout stocking now needed
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970731082805.006d4cdc@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
(of interest for those invovled in anti-fishing campaigns)
from USA Today web page:
--------------------------------------------
Secret trout stocking now needed
ELKINS, W.Va. - It may not be quite so easy to reel in the big one in
rivers and streams in West Virginia. State
officials are now making their trout-stocking schedule a, well, state
secret. It seems whenever a truck left the
fish hatchery in Randolph County, a convoy of lazy anglers followed, said
Don Phares, chief of trout fisheries for
the state Department of Natural Resources. When the truck stopped to stock
a river or stream, the anglers
would get out, cast their rods and pluck the newly released fish from the
water. Bill Thorne, a member of the
Trout Unlimited fishermen's association, said truck-following is a common
practice that he would like to see
disappear. "It's something about our culture in this state that they just
feel like the fish are table fare, to take
them out as soon as they go in," he said.
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 10:31:04 -0500
From: "Michael B. Harris"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Horse abuser gets more Jail time.
Message-ID: <3.0.3.32.19970731103104.006baa20@mail.execpc.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/enriched; charset="us-ascii"
MAN IN HORSE ABUSE CASE
TO GO TO MENTAL FACILITY
Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel
July 31, 1997
A Weyauwega man charged with attacking horses was found not guilty
because of
mental illness Wednesday and was ordered held in a state mental facility.
Sterling
Rachwal, 33, pleaded guilty Wednesday to three counts of assaulting
horses in April
and May 1993, But visiting Circuit Judge Michael Rosborough found him not
guilty
because of mental disease or defect.
Rosborough ordered that Rachwal, whose original convictions for sexual
attacks on the animals were overturned, be held for 19 years in the
Winnebago Mental Health Institute. That
sentence won't begin until he finishes an 18-year term for similar crimes
in Waupaca
County. Wednesday, Rachwal pleaded guilty to two felony counts of
mistreating animals as a habitual offender and one misdemeanor count of
cruelty to an animal. Prosecutors say one
horse died as a result of the attacks.
A burglary charge was dismissed as the result of a plea agreement.
Monroe County District
Attorney John Matousek called the judge's order "appropriate under the
circumstances."
"I think the community is protected by this type of agreement." Matousek
said. "Until
(Rachwal) can be treated successfully and is no longer a danger to the
property of others,
and horses, he will remain committed there."
"I've been a prosecutor now for over 10 years and it's clearly one of the
most strange cases
I've ever had," Matousek added. "It's very unusual that this individual
has a sexual
attraction to horses." Officials said Rachwal, who formerly lived in
rural Cashton, has a
history of horse sexual abuse dating back to 1982. In May, a Waupaca
County Jury
found him guilty, but not guilty by reason of insanity, for the Waupaca
County incidents.
Rachwal was sentenced to eight years on each of the two felonies and
three years on
the misdemeanor Charge.
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 10:31:04 -0500
From: "Michael B. Harris"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Horse abuser gets more Jail time.
Message-ID: <199707311528.LAA12501@envirolink.org>
This attachment was sent as file (File name not found)
It was saved in file 10970000 ATTCHMNT A
Note: One or more attachments were saved to your personal
storage ("A" disk). Most programs and documents sent
from a PC will need to be downloaded to a PC to be
usable; select the BINARY option of your file
transfer program.
If you know the attachment was plain text, but it is
now unreadable, it may need translation from ASCII
to EBCDIC. If it was saved as "README TXT A", the
command would be "A2ETEXT README TXT A".
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 17:39:30 +0000 (GMT)
From: Daniel Paulo Martins Ferreira
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Where can I find it?
Message-ID:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Greetings.
Does anyone know if International League of Doctors Against Vivisection
has a web site? Or a mail adress?
Regards.
Daniel
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 12:31:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: civillib@cwnet.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: NEW ENGLAND PRIMATE CENTER PROTESTS BEGIN
Message-ID: <199707311931.MAA19151@borg.cwnet.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 1997
News Conference Advisory
Harvard Primate Center Targeted
By Critics, Protestors In Major
Campaign Starting Saturday
BOSTON -- A major news conference has been scheduled here Friday to outline
a series of vigils, demonstrations and other activities -- beginning this
Saturday -- designed to protest the continued torture and killing of an
estimated 1,500 primates at the New England Regional Primate Research Center.
The briefing will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the John Harvard statue in
front of Harvard's University Hall. Scheduled to appear are critics of
primate research from Oregon, Ohio and Massachusetts.
Details will be released at the briefing about militant protests --
expected to draw activists from throughout the Northeastern U.S. -- Saturday
and Sunday at the primate facility, and Monday at Harvard. Similar protests
since April have resulted in nearly 100 arrests at primate centers in
California, Georgia and Washington.
Primate center critics will also charge that Harvard researchers have
engaged in controversial research projects, which appear to be fraudulent
and examples of "double-dipping" into precious U.S. research monies.
Activists, it will be explained, will begin to arrive at Harvard and the
New England Regional Primate Research Center Friday to participate in a
9-day, 24-hours-a-day vigil at the labs, part of a nationwide "tour" of
primate center facilities.
-30-
Contact: Steven Baer (508) 393-5339
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 19:10:14 -0400 (EDT)
From: Franklin Wade
To: Undisclosed recipients:;@smart.net
Subject: AZ-UPC Protest Horizon HS Hen Abuse 8/14
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
ACTION ALERT
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: KAREN DAVIS (301) 948-2406
DEE KOTINAS, DIRECTOR OF THE ANIMALS
BENEFIT CLUB OF AZ (601) 867-2169
PLEASE JOIN US AT HORIZON HIGH SCHOOL ON AUGUST 14
TO PROTEST HEN ABUSE BY STUDENTS, ADMINISTRATORS' DENIAL
Date: Thursday August 14, 1997
Time: 7:00 AM to 8:30 AM
Place: Horizon High School, City of Phoenix
Address: 5601 East Greenway Road, Scottsdale AZ 85254
On the first day of classes, August 14th, United Poultry
Concerns will hold a protest rally in front of Horizon High
School from 7:00 AM to 8:30 AM. Please join us.
Issue: On April 11, 1997, a gang of Horizon High School
seniors released 50 "spent" hens on school property and proceeded
to abuse and kill them for fun. They threw hens over the fence,
breaking their legs, and onto the school roof. The body of a hen
with her legs tied was pulled out of a school trash can and aired
on TV. Feathers matted with dried blood were held up to the
camera. Two students who rescued 10 hens told the camera the
episode was "appalling," "disgusting," and "mean."
Animal abuse is against the law in Arizona. A.R.S. 13-2910
states: A person commits cruelty to animals if such person
recklessly subjects any animals or poultry to cruel mistreatment.
Dee Kotinas filed cruelty charges the next day to no avail.
Despite the evidence, Horizon principal John Stollar has
contrived a 2-page letter full of tiny print stating, "There was
no mayhem, there was no mutilation, there was no chaos." A
graduate student in a class he teaches said Mr. Stollar treats
the affair in front of his students as "A REAL FUNNY SQUAWKING
JOKING MATTER." Is it any wonder Horizon students made t-shirts
boasting: "I choked a chicken at Horizon," and "The Great Horizon
Chicken Massacre of 97"?
Something is seriously wrong at Horizon High School.
Please join us on August 14th and demand that Horizon acknowledge
the truth and uphold the law. As one person angrily stated on TV
that night: "Kids were kicking them [the hens] and throwing them
and killing them slowly. School officials should not have allowed
this. I want to know how a thing like this could happen."
_____________________________________________________________________
franklin@smart.net Franklin D. Wade
United Poultry Concerns - http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/upc
Compassion Over Killing - http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/cok
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 19:18:55 -0400 (EDT)
From: Franklin Wade
To: Undisclosed recipients:;@smart.net
Subject: UPC Alert: Tarrant Cnty, TX: Urge Prosecution of Emu Beater
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
July 31, 1997
URGENT ACTION NEEDED
WRITE TO TARRANT COUNTY TEXAS IMMEDIATELY!
DEMAND PROSECUTION OF DR. STEVEN VINSON, EMU BEATER, KILLER
On July 23 the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office
announced it would not press cruelty charges against Dr. Steven
Vinson, the medical doctor who (with his brother Russell) beat to
death twenty-two penned emus with metal baseball bats on June 27.
Dr. Vinson told the humane investigator "he didn't feel like he
had done anything wrong."
We need every individual and animal protection group to
write a letter to the Tarrant County Grand Jury requesting that
they accept this case and prosecute to the full extent of the
law.
Please use letterhead if you are representing your
organization. Address your letter Attention: Tarrant County Grand
Jury.
Fax your letter immediately to:
Don Feare
Wildlife Rescue Foundation
fax: 817-483-3944
Don Feare is coordinating the legal efforts of this case.
Your letter is needed as quickly as possible.
Action Alert posted by United Poultry Concerns at the urgent
request of Linda Yarbrough, Animal Liberation League (817-640-
2493 office; 817-274-4188 residence).
Send a copy of your letter also to:
Robert Mayfield, Deputy Chief
Misdemeanor Court
Tarrant County Criminal Justice Building
401 West Belknap
Fort Worth TX 76196
ph: 817-884-1649; fax: 2499
_____________________________________________________________________
franklin@smart.net Franklin D. Wade
United Poultry Concerns - http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/upc
Compassion Over Killing - http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/cok
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 18:15:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK]Postmen bite back with dog deterrents
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970731181614.1d67dd0e@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Friday, August 1st, 1997
Postmen bite back with dog deterrents
By Sean O'Neill=20
POSTMEN have been issued with a new weapon in their unrelenting battle with
dogs.=20
The Royal Mail has equipped its staff in the South West and south Wales with
a cannister that sprays a peppermint-scented cloud into the face of a dog,
distracting it and leaving it marked with a red dye. The initiative was
taken in the region after 900 attacks on postmen in the past year which
resulted in 1,000 working days being lost. The deterrent - called
Biteback - is made from natural substances that do not harm the animals.
Colin Toogood, Post Office area manager, said: "Our number one interest is
the safety of staff. " The spray is for use in surprise attacks, when the
dog appears from nowhere and traps the postman. It is carried on a voluntary
basis only. The strong peppermint smell completely distracts the dog and
will give the postman time to escape. It also has a vegetable dye in it so
that the owners know what has happened. This is not a canine version of CS
gas. Our spray has no permanent effects."
=A9 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 18:15:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Farmers in arson threat at hunt ban
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970731181611.1d67ddb4@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Friday, August 1st, 1997
Farmers in arson threat at hunt ban
By Charles Clover Environment Editor=20
HILL farmers are likely to burn down Forestry Commission plantations after
it refused to issue licences to the 84 fox and deer packs which hunt on its
land for the season which starts today, a huntsman said last night.
The Forestry Commission said it was denying licences to 80 foxhunts and four
deer hunts until ministers had completed a review. David Jones, huntsman of
the David Davies Hunt near Newport, Powys, said there would be a backlash.
"These farmers in the hills are some pretty wild characters," he said.
"They'll go mad. I've met that many people and they're all fired up. They're
doing stupid things."
Mr Jones, who marched from Machynlleth to London earlier this month for the
Countryside Rally, added: "We're going out on Saturday but we don't hunt
over very much commission land. But these hill farmers won't put up with it.
They won't put up with the forestry. They'll burn it."
Ron Davies, the Welsh Secretary, and a long-standing opponent of hunting,
was believed to be behind the last-minute suspension. Meanwhile, the
Ministry of Defence, which uses around half a million acres of land for
training under reciprocal arrangments with private
landowners which allow hunts to enter MoD land, said that licences to hunt
would be renewed on application.
The scope and the area covered by the licences will not be extended and the
licences will contain a termination clause on one month's notice. Owners of
around 200,000 acres of land are understood to have warned the Army, which
is short of training ground for tanks and low-level helicopter flights,
that, if hunting is banned, it can "play soldiers somewhere else".
The Forestry Commission, which had been expected to issue a statement
banning deer hunting on its land following evidence for the National Trust
which showed that deer hunting was unacceptably cruel, said it was refusing
a licence to fox and deer hunts until it heard from ministers. A spokesman
was unable to say whether any decision was likely before October.
Janet George of the British Fields Sports Society said: "This is a farce.
People have paid good money to go hunting and if they cannot go hunting they
are not going to keep paying subscriptions. Hunts are expected to go on
paying their staff and running the flesh round [the
collection of dead farm animals from farms] yet they cannot hunt. They're in
breach of contract with members."
=A9 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997 09:25:22 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: International Foundation attempts to save NZ wild horses.
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970801091937.2f0f1424@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The Franz Weber Foundation is trying to save the New Zealand wild horses.
************************************************************************
The Franz Weber Foundation have sent a telegram to Mr Bolger asking for the
hault of the Horse Slaughter. They have offered to buy the remaining Stallions
@ $300 each including transport. So they can preseve the herd. The Weber
Foundation have just made The wild Horse Trust NZ its agent.
For further information on the Kaimanawa wild horses see
http://www.nzsail.co.nz/wildhorses/links.html
Kind regards,
Marguerite Wegner
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997 09:32:41 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: JOHNES DISEASE, SHEEP - AUSTRALIA (NEW SOUTH WALES)
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970801092656.2df72778@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
JOHNES DISEASE, SHEEP - AUSTRALIA (NEW SOUTH WALES)
***************************************************
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 13:30:12 -0700
Via: Newssources
At least 320,000 sheep in 183 New South Wales flocks will be slaughtered as
part of a campaign to eradicate Ovine Johnes Disease . The total NSW flock
numbers about 43 million sheep and lambs. Ovine Johnes Disease is an
intestinal bacterial wasting disorder similar to tuberculosis and leprosy
in humans. It is ingested from infected pasture and spread via manure. With
a pasture life of at least two years, infected land is generally switched
from sheep to cattle or cropping.
Besides the 183 flocks already identified, a further 120,000 sheep in 71
commercial flocks in NSW have been classed as "suspect" because of contact
with infected flocks. A spokesman for the Minister for Agriculture, Mr
Amery, has
foreshadowed a $5 million State Government compensation payout to the
farmers affected.
===========================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
Email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 21:59:08 -0400
From: jeanlee
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Humane Soc of U.S. alert on trophy hunting
Message-ID: <33E142EC.1B2D@concentric.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hi All-
Here's a letter you can copy and send with regard to HSUS's call for
letters on CAMPFIRE (Communal Areas Management Program for Indigenous
Resources.) This letter goes to senators at United States Senate,
Washington, DC 20510 and to representatives at U.S. House of
Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. To find out who represents you,
call 1-800-688-9889. Address each as "The Honorable . . . " Here's the
text:
Dear -
The Communal Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources=20
(CAMPFIRE) is administered by the Zimbabwe government with=20
funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development=20
(AID.) The program is mainly backed by the Safari Club
International. I find it unbelievable that members of a=20
hunting club get the benefit of foreign hunting programs backed=20
and paid for by U.S.(read "us.")=20
U.S. AID is pouring millions in tax money into CAMPFIRE, which=20
provides money to pro-hunting organizations to promote hunts=20
which kill elephants, lions, and zebras in Africa. These=20
taxpayer-subsidized safaris for American trophy hunters provide=20
little benefit to impoverished indigenous people. Rather, the=20
money is being spent to promote trophy hunting, resume the=20
deadly trade in elephant ivory, and lobby the U.S. Congress to
weaken the Endangered Species Act by relaxing import=20
restrictions on the importation of sport-hunted trophies of=20
threatened and endangered species. The ultimate outrage -
there=92s actually a militant pro-utilization organization call=20
the Agrica Resources Trust which is using the tax money to=20
lobby Congress. CAMPFIRE also grants select communities the=20
right to sell wildlife to trophy hunters in America at a cost=20
to taxpayers of $7.6 million between 1989 and 1994.=20
Independent consultants commissioned by AID have concluded that=20
the program is neither ecologically nor socio-economically=20
sustainable and will collapse when taxpayers stop funding it.=20
Zimbabwe's Department of National Park and Wild Life Management
(which is an implementing organization of the CAMPFIRE program)=20
is "riddled by corruption, infighting, and jealousy" according=20
to a report by the Zimbabwean Parliament.
Please stop U.S. AID funding for the trophy hunting of African=20
elephants and other big game.
Sincerely yours,
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 22:09:38 -0400
From: jeanlee
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: List of 800 #s of animal exploiters
Message-ID: <33E14562.128@concentric.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Hi-
Dont' think I've posted this here. I copied the following from the
website of a group called "Compassion Over Killing" I've printed it out
for myself. A person can adapt how it's used depending on how
radical or moderate one chooses to be. In any case, it's useful
information. Please note that the suggestions made on how to use the
list are not mine, but those of the author. I also don't have any
individual info on the companies. If you want to check their site:
http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/cok/
"The following are the toll free 1-800 phone numbers of
various animal exploiters. Every time you keep them on the
phone for thirty seconds,it costs them a dollar. The longer
you talk, the more they pay. Be creative: order their
catalogs, make C.O.D. orders to fake addresses, etc. Carry
this list around with you and make a few calls every time
you pass a pay phone. Copy it and pass it around. Call for
animal liberation!!! (All numbers begin with 1-800)
American Feeds and Livestock, 323-7553
American Legend Fur Auction House, 445-MINK
Atlantic Seafood Direct, 227-1116
Atlantic Veal Corporation, 221-6988
Auth Brothers Meats, 424-2610
Beck Sausage, 543-6328
Big Game Fishing, 458-2879
Bio Serve Lab Animal Supplies, 521-3368
Birchwood Livestock Genetics, 892-6342
Blossomland Bee Supply, 637-5262
Bowhunting Safari Consultants, 833-9777
Brisken Berk Furs, 241-7243
Bristol-Myers Squibb, 468-7746
Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, 233-7929
Buffalo Meat, BUY-BUFF
Burger King, YES-1-800
Burnham Brothers Preadator Callers, 451-4572
Burkshire Corporation Lab Animal Supplies, 443-6379
Butterball Turkey, 323-4848
Carolina Biological Supply Company, 334-5551
Cattleman Meat Company, 832-6595
Certified Prime Meats, 257-2977
Charles River Lab Animal Supplies, LAB-RATS
Church's Fried Chicken Catering, 635-5394
Clifty Farm Country Meats, 238-8239
Colgate-Palmolive, 338-8388
Country Fed Meat Company, 637-7559
D. Cohn Fur Processors, 2-TAN-FUR
Diamond's Leather, 426-6105
Diamomd V. Fur Mills, 373-7234
Dipcraft Housing Manufacturers, 245-6145
Double J. Limosine Beef, 544-5893
Dog Proof Trap Company, 828-7077
Dunn's Knive Company, 24-KNIVE
Eel Skin Elegance, 922-2188
Eel Skin Unlimited, 243-8335
F.C. Taylor Fur Company, 334-2923
Frantz Sawdust Company (for pelt drying), 262-8700
Fresh Seafood Express, 654-1366
Funke Mink Farm and Trap Supplies, 626-2894
Fur by Weiss, 423-MINK
Fur Wardrobe, 424-3877
Glazed Honey Hams, 458-7682
Harvard Apparatus Lab Animal Supplies, 272-2775
Hazleton Research Products, 345-4114
Heavenly Ham, 262-8545
Heger Feed Supply Company, 688-1990
Henig Furs, 521-2037
Henry J.'s Meat, 242-1314
Hilltop Lab Animals, 245-6921
Holt Products Veal Hormones, 369-4658
Honeybaked Ham, FOR-A-HAM
Honeycrust Hams, 423-4267
Hoosier Trapper Supplies, 423-9526
J.W. Elwood Taxidermy Supply Company, 228-2291
Jerky Hut, 223-5759
Johnny Stewart Wildlife Callers, 441-3036
La Budde feed and Grain, 776-3610
Lakeland Vet Veal Antibiotics, 328-0652
Lamb Pasta Sauce, 237-LAMB
Lapps Bee Supply Center, 321-1960
Leather Center, 525-0952
Leather Factory Corporation, 233-7155
Lingenfelter Brill Furs, 331-5255
Lobster Express, 624-6301
Look's Live Lobsters, 446-4009
M&F Meat, 334-5396
Malcomb Meats, 822-6328
Merit Nomac Furs, 323-0449
Midwest Turkey Call Supply, 541-1638
Mills Fur Farm Supplies, 722-6455
Minden Meat Market, 272-3529
Myer's Meats, 635-3759
Nashville Poultry and Egg, 662-3447
National Beef Company, 835-9180
National Fur Feed, 558-5803 (in WI, 242-5902)
National Superior Fur Processors, 77-BEARS
Nebraska's Choice Steaks, 255-5944
Northern Fur and Sport, 523-4803
Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, 622-2776
Omaha Steaks International, 228-9055
Padows Hams, 344-4267
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, 538-2692
Proctor & Gamble, 543-0485
R.P. Outdoors Trapping Supplies, 762-2706
Research America, FON-CURE
Rigging and Wear Trapping Supplies, 458-5647
Riverdale Mills Cages, 762-6374
Robbins Livestock Auction, 336-7753
Robertson's Hams, 458-4267
Russ Carmen Lures, 545-8737
Sabal Meats, 527-2825
Safari Land Hunting, 624-5988
Sav-A-Caf Veal Hormones, 468-2472
S.C. Johnson, 848-2588
Shatz Brothers Meats, 541-3898
Shultz Meats, 842-0297
Sir Loin Meat Shoppe, 541-5933
Sportsman's Guide, 888-3006
Strauser Bee Supply, 541-8908
Susquehanna Industries Veal Feed, 232-8325
Talicor Furs, 433-4263
Taxidermy How To Videos, 334-8012
Tom Miranda Great Outdoors, 356-6730
Trapper and Predator Caller Magazine, 258-0929
Tri-County Taxidermy, 521-2825
United Vaccines, 283-MINK
U.S.A. Foxx and Furs, USA-FOXX
U.S.D.A. Meat and Poultry Hotline, 535-4555
Veal Hotline, 323-0955
Venison Etc., 338-4868
Ward's Biological Supply Company, 962-2660
Weaver Chicken, 233-6332
Wisco Fur Foods, 235-9656
Woodstream Corporation Trapping Supplies, 800-1819
World Hunts, 448-6846
Zummo Meat Company, 622-1688
1-800-WHY-MILK
New Additions:
Steamboat Lake Outfitters, Inc. 1-800-342-1889 (Elk -
Deer - Bear -
Mtn. Lion; Drop Camps or Full Guided; Private Property
Hunting; one of
the largest tracts of private hunting land in Northwest
Colorado)
FUR RETAILERS -------------
Revillon--1-800-248-2664
Fur Manufacturers Association--1-800-870-3875
Fendi--1-800-836-3469
Macy's--1-800-444-8895
American Express (their catalog sells
fur)--1-800-528-4800
TJ Maxx is selling fur-lined hats and fur collars on
jackets. To
voice your concerns to customer service, call 1-800-926-MAXX
(6299).
"Give the gift of exceptional good taste. To place an
order or
receive more information, call 1-800-GIVE-LOBSTER
(1-800-448-3562)"
By Nature, an ersatz environmental catalog, offers
stuffed
Alligator heads, mounted Mountain Goat heads, stuffed
rattlesnakes and a
variety of insects.
They can be found at http://www.bynature.com/index.htm
Tel (for
free catalog) 1-888-938-8811 e-mail: nature@bynature.com
Please call the Universal Big Top Circus, now
performing in Los
Angeles, California. There are 3 bears, 3 elephants, 5
chimps, lions,
tigers and ponies.
A 100% owned and operated African-American circus
founded by Ricky Walker 2-3 years ago. (800) 316-7439
David A. Furs 1-800-919-FURS
Ted Nugent, bowhunter, has a toll free # to call for
hunting products. The originating # will show up on his bill
however. The number is: 1-800-343-HUNT
Lloyds and Robards Furriers, Ct Furriers of Hartford
Established 1910. 43 South Main Street, West Hartford -
236-2941 1-800-698-FURS"
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997 11:32:27 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (TH) Biodiversity opponents reiterate deep concern
Message-ID: <199708010332.LAA25823@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>Bangkok Post
August 1, 1997
Biodiversity
opponents
reiterate deep
concern
Amid positive outlook of neighbouring
states
Uamdao Noikorn
Opponents to the ratification of the Convention of Biological
Diversity (CBD) yesterday reaffirmed their stance despite a
positive outlook given by its ratified neighbouring countries of
Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
In fact the presentations even made them believe they were going
in the right direction, according to Law Society of Thailand
deputy secretary-general Warin Thiemcharas at a CBD seminar
held by the United Nations Association of Thailand, United
Nations Environment Programme and World Conservation
Union.
Three prominent guest speakers from the three countries were
invited to talk about their experience after ratification. The
event
was aimed at giving Thailand a better idea of what the country
would face if ratified.
Thailand is one of the few countries including the United States
and Japan which have not yet ratified the convention.
Access-related issues are the biggest controversy between the
pros and the cons.
Environmentalists and lawyers claimed that Article 15 in the
convention which requires a contracting party to allow another
contracting party to its genetic resources would spell
disaster if it
is ratified now.
"We should wait until we are well equipped with a complete
database on the subject and environmental laws to protect our
traditional medical practice. How could we negotiate to win
when we don't even know what we have and how much it's
worth?" said Mr Warin.
Under the convention, developed countries which are poor in
natural resources must give financial and technological support to
developing countries in exchange for access to their genetic and
species resources.
However, the allocation of resources will be done under national
laws and thus subject to national authority. The providing
countries can also claim any benefits, be it commercial or
scientific, derived from the resources.
According to Atty Wilfrido Pollisco, director of the Protected
Area and Wildlife Bureau of the Philippines, the country had
recieved huge funding for its biodiversity research and the
process was going smoothly.
He stressed the importance of biodiversity conservation as "the
world's common concern" saying the ratification would help
simplify conservation work since poor countries did not have
enough money to do so.
Dr Pollisco added that getting funds under the ratification would
prevent providers from setting conditions which were likely to
exploit their resources.
Experts believed technology transfer was behind the reason why
the US and Japan were reluctant to ratify the accord.
"Their technology is a lot superior than ours. They wouldn't
like it
that much if we could develop our genetic resources through
their technology," said Setijati Sastrapradja, executive
director of
the Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation.
Admitting that their experience in biodiversity management was
in the infancy stage and the progress was very slow, the
speakers believed the ratification was beneficial although they
have yet to finish a database set-up.
"We wouldn't have joined in if we couldn't fully take charge of
our own resources. We should stop crying or fearing that they
will take away our resources. The point is the government has no
money and we need money," Dr Setijati said.
Mr Warin argued Thailand would never obtain enough funding.
He said the developed countries no longer consider Thailand
poor. "At least, they don't see us as poor as other countries. Our
funding requests have been rejected recently because economic
statistics say we're doing well."
Article copyright Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd 1997
Reprinted for non-commercial use only.
Website: http://www.bangkokpost.net
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997 11:38:11 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (TH) The Elephant Doctor
Message-ID: <199708010338.LAA26218@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>Bangkok Post
1 August 97
The elephant doctor
A vet in Lampang province is struggling
to preserve Thailand's majestic elephants
whose survival is threatened by human
encroachment and development
Story by Chompoo
Trakullertsathien
Picture by Somkid Chaijitvanit
The atmosphere at the Elephant Hospital in
Lampang province is bleak. Veterinarian Dr
Preecha Puangkham sits by the side of his
pachyderm patient, Um Phang, recalling happier
days when this playful one-year-old baby elephant
was in good health after she recovered from an
earlier ailment.
Now she is dying.
Suffering from pneumonia, the young elephant lies
immobile on the ground as she breathes with
difficulty. There is nothing else the vet can do but
stroke Um Phang's head to comfort her. The
orphan elephant fixes her sad eyes on Dr Preecha
to whom she is attached as if he were a substitute
mother.
Her eyes fill with anguish and tears and she slowly
moves her trunk to touch the vet as if to hold him
near her. As she draws her last breath, Um Phang
slowly closes her eyes. The vet gives her a final
stroke and whispers goodbye.
The death of animals is not uncommon for
veterinarians, but for Dr Preecha, the death of Um
Phang is particularly painful. Not only because she
was his friend and patient, but because Um Phang's
life symbolised his efforts to preserve Thailand's
elephants whose survival is threatened by human
encroachment and development.
"Throughout my career, I have witnessed a number
of elephant deaths. All I can do is swallow my
sorrow and go on with my duty as usual," said the
soft-spoken vet.
Dubbed "the elephant doctor", Preecha has saved
the lives of countless elephants during his 20-year
career as an elephant specialist. But that hardly
consoles him from the sadness of seeing Um Phang
die.
The loss of even one elephant's life takes on greater
importance given their rapidly dwindling population
over recent years. A conservative estimate has put
the number of elephants in the Kingdom at 2,000 in
captivity, and 1,800 to 2,000 in the wild. But such
figures are, to Dr Preecha, illusory.
"No one knows the exact number of elephants left
in the forests and in elephant communities. It's time
to take action before Thailand has only one
elephant left," he cautioned.
Concern and action from the government has been
too little and too late, he said. So the elephant
doctor decided to set up his own research project
to get an accurate picture of the number of
elephants in the northern provinces.
But things have not gone as smoothly as he
expected. Dr Preecha has made many visits to
remote villages where elephants are used to haul
illegally logged trees. Understandably, the villagers
usually refuse to give information to the curious
stranger and it takes time to win their trust.
"I had to explain that I could help them solve their
problems," he recalled. "Showing sincerity is the
most important factor when dealing with the
villagers. They also need a vet to cure their sick
elephants.
"I was shocked to see chronically ill elephants.
Most of them are not treated properly. I cured
them free of charge," he added.
After gaining access to the animals, the next step in
Dr Preecha's research project is to implant
microchips into the elephants so they can be
tracked and studied. Averaging two or three field
trips a month, he has so far implanted more than
300 elephants with microchips. He also vaccinates
the animals.
However, his research work is put on hold when he
has a lot of patients to take care of. "When sick
elephants are admitted to the hospital, I can't visit
remote villages. I can't carry on two duties at the
same time. And the problem of the sick elephants is
more urgent," he said.
Born in Surin province, the elephant capital of
Thailand, young Preecha nurtured a sense of
attachment with the majestic beasts since his
childhood. After graduating from Kasetsart
University's Faculty of Veterinary Science in 1976,
he had a chance to visit the northern forests. There,
he was impressed with the natural beauty of the
environment and seeming contentment of the
elephants.
Right then and there, he decided to apply for a job
as a vet with the Forest Industry Organisation. Dr
Preecha spent the next 17 years in the forests
treating working elephants injured in logging
accidents.
"I have seen elephants at their happiest. The forest
provides them with plenty of food. They can roam
freely without human interference. My dream is to
see them living in their natural habitat," he said while
playing with Uan, a one-year-old elephant being
treated at the hospital for a swollen leg.
In 1989, in the wake of severe deforestation and
flash floods in the South which killed many people,
logging became illegal in Thailand. The elephants as
well as their mahouts found themselves out of a job.
Dr Preecha went back to work with the Forest
Industry Organisation's Thai Elephant Preservation
Centre in Lampang province.
Being involved in preservation work has increased
Dr Preecha's attachment to elephants. But instead
of seeing the happiness of the animals, he has
witnessed their suffering. According to Dr Preecha,
the number of abused and overworked elephants is
increasing.
"I absolutely disagree with the elephants shows.
Many people love seeing elephants perform
exciting tricks. But the elephants are basically being
tortured before performing such tricks. I cannot
imagine why people enjoy themselves at the
expense of others' suffering," he said.
Dr Preecha's patients used to be mostly elephants
which had suffered at the hands of abusive mahouts
and cruel circus trainers, or which had had an
accident. But nowadays, a large number of
elephants he treats are working beasts that have
been exploited by illegal loggers.
As deforestation becomes more severe, he
explained, illegal loggers speed up their work to
make more money. "As a result, elephants are
forced to labour until they break down physically.
Many people say I support elephants working
illegally because I treat them. But can I let sick
elephants die in front of me?"
When abused elephants can no longer work, the
burden of healing them falls on Dr Preecha. But
even when the elephants recover, their masters
often refuse to take them back because they are no
longer of any use. So Dr Preecha has to take care
of these abandoned elephants.
"The hospital has five abandoned elephants to look
after. Elephants live a long time, up to 70 years.
This means more expense. I wouldn't worry if the
hospital was supported by the government. But
that's a far-fetched dream," he said.
Dr Preecha, however, noted that money can't solve
all the problems. He also wants to see better
understanding and more kindness from the public
towards elephants.
"Elephants can't survive if they have no forest.
Humans should stop encroaching on their natural
home. But the thing that I'm asking for the elephants
is also needed by people. Humans and elephants
face the same problem," said the vet.
As well as the changing rural environment, the
mahouts' increasingly modern lifestyles are having
an effect on their charges.
"The mahouts have to love their elephants and take
care of them with much attention. Today's mahouts
are enjoying their lives in the cities, watching
television, riding motorcycles and exploiting their
elephants by making them work hard.
"Most of the new generation of mahouts have no
knowledge about elephants, how to treat them
when they are sick and how to deal with them
when they are in rut. Many die because of the
mahouts' negligence," added the vet.
And many are exploited. A lot of elephants end up
at the Elephant Hospital in Lampang province
where they receive attention from trained mahouts
and caring veterinarians.
Apart from being a refuge for sick and injured
elephants, the Elephant Hospital also serves as a
training school for newly-graduated veterinarians.
"In addition to treating sick elephants, my duty is to
produce proficient vets who can take care of
elephants. However, only a few choose to
specialise in elephants. Most of them prefer to
work in the clinic where they can earn a handsome
salary, not in the forest where they have to live a
hard life," said Dr Preecha.
Most greenhorn vets have difficulty when first
approaching an elephant. "They feel better treating
small animals like dogs or cats. It's complicated
dealing with elephants. Without training, vets may
end up injuring themselves or getting killed," he
said.
So it is not really surprising then that Thailand, a
country world famous for its elephants, only has
about six veterinary experts in the field.
"My friends often ask me why I want to be an
elephant vet. They try to persuade me to work in a
clinic. My present salary is equivalent to that of a
new graduate working in an office. My answer is
that I love this career," he explained.
"My reward is not money but the happiness of
seeing elephants get well and live happy lives," he
added.
Although lacking in and financial support, Dr
Preecha is not one who allows such limitations to
discourage him.
"I feel disheartened and exhausted when I think
about the future of the elephants, but I have to
swallow such feelings and keep fighting. Our work
needs firm leadership," said Dr Preecha, drawing a
deep sigh.
Bearing such a big burden, the veteran vet often
looks taciturn. It's rare to see him smile or relax.
"My work has no happy ending. I would like to
throw this burden away sometimes, but if I don't
carry it on, who will?
"We have no way out for the pitiful elephants.
Many problems and obstacles are lying ahead, but
I choose to walk further rather than staying still,"
said Dr Preecha in a determined voice.
Sometimes Dr Preecha approaches people in
authority who know well about the problem of the
elephants, even some politicians.
"They listen to all of my worries about the
elephants. They said that I told them the truth but
they don't know how to help me solve the
problems.
"Some even said that the problems of the people
are more important than the problems of animals. I
agree with them. But elephants are part of our
national heritage. It's our duty to help save their
lives," he said.
Though he may ask nothing from the government,
Dr Preecha has many plans for the Elephant
Hospital - to build a stronger and bigger pavilion
for the ever-increasing number of patients, and to
build homes for old and crippled elephants.
"The number of neglected, exploited, old and
handicapped elephants is increasing, so I plan to
find a place for all kinds of elephants to live
together."
Dr Preecha lamented that many people see
elephants as not compatible with modern society.
"The glorious days of the Thai elephant are gone,"
he said.
"It seems that elephants are a remnant of Thai
history. In the near future, they will share the same
plight as their extinct counterparts, the dinosaurs.
While I'm looking at the elephants, it's like I'm
looking at the sun set, doing nothing but watching,"
said the vet.
Apart from hoping to see more elephants live a
happy live, Dr Preecha also plans to write a book.
"Our experience with the animals provides us with a
rich knowledge that has not been recorded. To
conserve the elephants, we need to know more
about them.
"The book will cover all aspects of elephants,
ranging from how to control them, to how to
approach them, how to treat them, and how to put
a splint on their injured legs," he added.
While he spends most of his time taking care of
sick elephants, Dr Preecha also dreams of visiting
foriegn lands.
"I want to spend time travelling in countries such as
Tibet and Nepal, perhaps with a caravan of
elephants," he mused.
Article copyright Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd 1997
Reprinted for non-commercial use only.
Website: http://www.bangkokpost.net
|