Komputer for Alle 1998 #6/1998 CD 6 (Gul).iso/web/ffa/wwwenv~1.org/arrs/digest/news37~4.htm/text0000.txt

Text File | 1998-04-03 | 94.4 KB | 2,277 lines

Herald Sun, Thursday 17 April

Circus call blast
by Andrew Probyn

The RSPCA's campaign to rid Australian circuses of wild animals has
been mauled by veterinary experts and circus authorities.  The animal
welfare body has been accused of misleading the public and
"railroading an Australian industry".

The RSPCA says wild circus animals suffer severe psychological damage
from being caged for up to 23 hours a day and have called for councils
to ban wild animal circuses.  But Dr Ron Hyne, a leading expert on
exotic animals, attacked the RSPCA's campaign as "mischievous and
selective".  Dr Hyne, a former Sydney University veterinary scientist,
said the RSPCA's campaign was misleading the public.  He said the term
"wild animal" was incorrect because most circus animals had been born
and bred in captivity, and said the training of animals was "positive
behaviour enrichment".

In response, RSPCA national president, Dr Hugh Wirth, accused Dr Hyne
of "professional dishonesty".  "Wild animals that are captive-bred may
be tamed but they remain wild with their basic instincts intact." Dr
Wirth said.

Adding to the debate, Circus Federation of Australasia president Mike
Mellare said the RSPCA's plan to remove wild animals from circuses
would destroy the industry.  "Over two thirds of the people we have
talked to say they would not go to the circus if there were no wild
animals, full stop." he said.  He said the circus industry had adopted
a comprehensive code that ensured animals were trained, housed and
kept in acceptable conditions.

"People want to see circuses with animals, in particular elephants,
lions and tigers," Mr Mellare said.  "Take them away and we've got
nothing."

Australia has 15 animal circuses, which keep 11 elephants, 90 big cats
and monkeys and 150 to 200 other animals including camels, horses,
llamas and dogs.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karen Bevis
Animal Liberation (Victoria) Net Site Co-ordinator
Email:  [e-mail]
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~animals/alibvic/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Vegetarianism won't cost the earth"
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:53:38 +0000
>From: "Karen Bevis" <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Traditions Cruel Dove Tale (AU)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Herald Sun, Thursday 17 April

Traditions Cruel Dove Tale
by Jim Pollard

The popular symbolic act of releasing white doves at weddings and
funerals could land newlyweds, or mourners, in hot water.  The RSPCA
wants to stamp out the practice which it describes as thoughtless, and
likely to be a death sentence for doves bred in captivity.

Senior members of the animal welfare group spoke out yesterday after
reports of doves being killed and badly injured after release, some
with ribbons tied to them, at weddings in South Australia.  RSPCA
Victoria president, Dr Hugh Wirth said people would be prosecuted if a
bird were hurt of killed "whether it's a wedding or not".

"The practice of releasing doves anywhere is wrong," he said.
"There's no actual law preventing this.  But if we catch any person
inflicting pain and suffering on a bird, such as a dove with a ribbon
on it, we will certainly prosecute".  "There's no doubt it happens in
Victoria just as much as other states.  The trouble is with
captive-bred birds they don't know how to cope in the wild.  They are
prey to any predator and fall victim to cats, dogs, cars and humans.
This applies to any wild animal that's captive-bred.  They lose the
instinct for survival and have absolutely no experience of living in
the open."

Dr Wirth said some migrant groups released doves at significant
ceremonies as a matter of tradition.  "If for cultural reasons there
is a need for a bird to be released for whatever it symbolises, a
homing pigeon would be the only acceptable alternative," he said.
They are trained to find their way home and usually home won't be far
away.

RSPCA spokeswomen in Adelaide, Sabine Kloss, said her organisation had
received an increasing number of calls from people who had found
"placid defenceless and fragile" doves, dead or injured, many still
with ribbons tied to them.  Some had had their eyes pecked out, others
had broken wings or had died of shock.

"People aren't cruel," she said. "They just don't think of the
consequences."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karen Bevis
Animal Liberation (Victoria) Net Site Co-ordinator
Email:  [e-mail]
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~animals/alibvic/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Vegetarianism won't cost the earth"
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:24:12 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: (MY) "Korban" meat
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>The Star (18-Apr-97)  New way to share 'korban' meat
New way to share 'korban' meat


ALOR STAR: More than 200,000 people here will receive "korban" meat under a
new distribution system starting tomorrow to celebrate Haji Raya Aidil Adha.

  The system, the first in the country, uses central distribution to reduce
"wastage" and ensure the meat reaches the target group.

  Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad will witness the
slaughtering at the Poverty Eradication Jihad Complex at Paya Pahlawan,
Jitra, tomorrow.

  The meat would be refrigerated at the RM10 million centre and distributed
to the poor on a weekly basis through a pre-arranged transportation network.

  State meat distribution programme co-ordinator Sheikh Ismail Hashim said
the meat would be made available to the people at the 526 mosques in Kedah
after "subuh" prayers.

  Previously, cattle slaughtering was conducted in each district and the
meat distributed on an ad-hoc basis.

  The new system was devised by Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Sanusi Junid to
ensure a more efficient distribution system and enable the hardcore poor in
the state to obtain their share.

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:24:26 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: (SG) More Muslims go abroad to perform ritual
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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see last 2 paragraphs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
The Straits Times

  APR 18 1997

     More Muslims go abroad to perform ritual


     Rites at 35 Singapore mosques cancelled because animals not
     delivered on time

     TUMINAH SAPAWI

     MADAM SARIDAH HAMID has chosen to perform her first sacrificial
     slaughter of animals in a Malacca kampung.

     The sacrifice, called korban, is part of the Hari Raya Haji
     festivities being celebrated today. It marks the end of the
     pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi
     Arabia.

     The sacrificial rite in her parents' kampung in Alor Gajah,
     Malacca will go ahead as planned today.

     Unfortunately, the sacrificial rite has been cancelled at 35
     mosques in Singapore, affecting about 3,500 Muslims.

     Shafiq Halal Food, which won a tender to provide 3,424 sheep and
     20 cows, failed to bring the animals in on time.

     However, there will be rites held elsewhere such as the Madrasah
     Aljunied mosque and the Singapore Muslim Missionary Association
     (Jamiyah).

     These organisations had made their own arrangements to bring the
     animals over.

     The sacrifices are usually performed after the special prayer
     this morning.

     Madam Saridah, 42, chose to carry out her first korban in Malacca
     to get together with her parents who have retired there.

     She left for Malacca yesterday morning with her husband and two
     teenage children.

     They are among the growing number of Malay-Muslims here who are
     choosing to perform the korban elsewhere.

     Although there are no official statistics, the figure is quite
     substantial, according to several Malay-Muslim bodies.

     Besides individuals making their own arrangements to carry out
     the sacrifice at their kampungs in Malaysia, several Malay-Muslim
     bodies organise the large-scale sacrifices at places in Indonesia
     and even China.

     This year, about 200 sheep will be slaughtered in five provinces
     in China -- Shaanxi, Sichuan, Ningxia, Jiangsu and Yunnan --
     through the Muslim Converts Association of Singapore (Darul
     Arqam). Except for Shaanxi, where the slaughter is being done in
     the main town of Xian, the other four places are mostly in remote
     villages, according to Mr Jaafar Mah from Darul Arqam which is
     coordinating the sacrifice there.

     Although Darul Arqam has organised such slaughters in China since
     five years ago, this is the second year that they are doing it on
     a large scale. Last year, about 100 sheep were sacrificed in
     Shaanxi and Sichuan.

     The association is also carrying out sacrifices in some kampungs
     in Indonesia. The Himpunan Belia Islam, a youth organisation, and
     the Association of Muslim Professionals also offer sacrifices at
     some Indonesian islands like Batam, Bawean and Java.

     Not only does it cost between 40 and 50 per cent less to perform
     the rite overseas, the groups can also share the meat with the
     less fortunate in those places.

     Mr Rafii Rahmat performed the sacrifice in a village in Batam
     last year. He recalled how happy the local folks there were.

     "For the less well-off where eating meat is a luxury and only
     enjoyed during festive occasions, the idea of a sacrifice being
     performed at their kampungs is welcomed," he said.

     According to Mufti Syed Isa Semait, Singapore's top Islamic
     religious leader, Islam allows the sacrificial slaughter to be
     performed overseas as long as the person intending to carry out
     the rite is there at the time.

     For instance, a Singaporean who wants to perform the slaughter in
     Malacca can do so if he is physically present to observe the
     rites, instead of getting a representative on his behalf.

     And if he wishes to share the meat with his relatives, he can do
     so after the slaughter. "The whole idea is for the person
     performing the sacrifice to see with his own eyes the rites being
     done.

     "It is more meaningful that way," the mufti said.

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:24:32 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (SG)  Drug-resistant strain of TB surfaces
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



The Straits Times

APR 18 1997

     Drug-resistant strain of TB surfaces


     IT HAS been seven years since Danny Tan found out that he has
     tuberculosis, and he is still not cured.

     He did not complete his course of medication when he was first
     diagnosed with the disease and has developed what doctors call
     drug-resistant TB.

     This means his TB germs have become so resistant that two of the
     most effective TB drugs in the market -- rifampicin and isoniazid
     -- no longer work against them.

     Fewer than five such multi-drug resistant cases a year were seen
     for the last five years.

     But the number of isoniazid resistant cases has risen from about
     10 in 1990 to more than 15 in the last few years.

     Dr Wang Yee Tang, who chairs the Singapore TB Elimination
     committee here, said: "Though the numbers are still low, there is
     no room for complacency."

     That is why the Health Ministry has set up the committee to
     eliminate TB, which spreads through the air, within the next 15
     years. About 1,500 new cases are seen every year and the rates
     have not fallen since 1987.

     He said: "Drug resistant TB can develop quickly, it can develop
     within weeks if a patient does not take his medication properly."

     Dr Wang pointed out that unlike the usual TB case, which takes
     about six to nine months to treat, multi-drug resistant TB takes
     at least two years.

     "This is because we have to use less effective drugs to treat
     them. They are already resistant against the more effective
     drugs."

     The treatment is also associated with more side-effects such as
     vomiting, diarrhoea and nausea.

     Drug-resistant TB costs about $10,000 to $15,000 to treat -- 100
     times more than that for normal TB, which is about $140.

     Mr Tan, who is unemployed and undergoing his third course of
     treatment, said he did not finish his medication because he felt
     perfectly healthy.

     "I had no symptoms at all. Besides, the medicine made me feel
     nauseous," he said.

     The problem of patients not finishing their medication is not
     peculiar to Singapore.

     Professor Lee Reichman, executive director of the National TB
     Centre at New Jersey, and an adviser to the committee here, said
     that in the United States, New York City alone has about 320 such
     cases or about 8 per cent of the total number of TB cases, every
     year.

     He added that in recent years, a particular TB strain which is
     resistant to all drugs has also emerged. Thankfully, this strain
     has not surfaced in Singapore.

     Besides educating patients, Prof Reichman said it is also
     important to teach doctors on how to treat TB properly.

     "Doctors should try to find out if patients are resistant to any
     drugs before starting treatment, otherwise inadequate drug
     treatment could foster further drug resistance to develop," he
     said.

     The TB Elimination Programme here recommends that doctors start
     with at least three drugs, so that if the patient is resistant to
     one drug, there are at least two other drugs to fight the germs.

     Clinical guidelines will be distributed to all doctors by the
     middle of the year. There will also be TB education programmes
     for doctors.

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:24:38 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (SG) Sex change for fishes
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



The Straits Times

APR 18 1997

     Know-how will benefit fish breeders here
By Wong Chee Meng

     SEX change may be on the cards for aquarium fishes. And if the
     breeders had their way, they would all be male.

     In this watery world, the generally more colourful males are in
     higher demand than females.

     Such know-how would be important to the industry here, as
     Singapore is the leading country in the export of ornamental
     fish.

     A researcher from the Primary Production Department is presenting
     a paper on sex-reversal technology for ornamental fishes at the
     Aquarama 97 Conference to be held from May 22 to May 25 at the
     World Trade Centre.

     Mr Lim Lian Chuan, head of PPD's ornamental fish section, will
     present his findings from a Singapore-Spanish joint study. Mr
     Leslie Cheong, head of technology development and services branch
     in the PPD explained the interest in this technology.

     "Now fish farmers have to sell female fish at a cheaper rate.
     Using sex control to produce more male fish would reduce
     breeders' efforts to do the same."

     Last year, Singapore exported $83 million worth of ornamental
     fish or 30 per cent of the world's market.

     Sex control, which has been done in other kinds of fishes, is
     carried out by hormonal treatment at the egg or fry stage, which
     sometimes results only in cosmetic changes such as colour.

     It can also be done genetically by using radiation to convert the
     chromosomes of either the sperms or the eggs, so that the
     offspring would be either all-female or all-male.

     It is not mere fancy that lies behind such sexual preferences.

     The head of the School of Biological Sciences at the National
     University of Singapore, Professor Lam Toong Jin, explained that
     breeders of food fish may want only females, as they grow better
     without sexual activity.

     On the other hand, a homogeneous population of male fish would be
     ideal for fish farms of ornamental fishes.

     Mr Patrick Yap, marketing manager of an exporter of ornamental
     fishes, said: "For ornamental fishes such as swordtail, only
     about 10 per cent sold are female."

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:24:43 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: (TW) Ban lifted on pork exports
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



The Straits Times

APR 18 1997

     East Asia File


     BAN LIFTED: Taiwan yesterday lifted a ban on exports of pork and
     other cloven-hoofed animal products imposed after an outbreak of
     deadly foot-and-mouth disease, a Board of Foreign Trade official
     said.

     Traders of 105 items of pork, mutton, beef and other related
     products could resume applying for export permits, the official
     added. -- AFP.

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:24:48 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: (TH) Deadly pathogens in ready-made food
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

                               April 18, 1997

                               [BANGKOK POST]

                                SUPERMARKETS

             Deadly pathogens in ready-made food

             But authorities keep shoppers in the dark

             Ampa Santimatanedol and Poona Antaseeda

             Pathogens which can cause serious ill health and
             even death have been found in ready-made meals
             sold in Bangkok supermarkets.

             The Food and Drug Administration's latest tests
             make for disturbing reading. Tests on 11 samples
             found several types of bacteria, some of which
             could result in gangrene, cirrhosis, serious
             diarrhoea, typhoid and skin diseases.

             The samples were sent to the Department of
             Medical Sciences (DMS) for analysis early this
             month. Scientists there found bacteria including
             clastidium perfringens, which is usually found
             in soil or waste water, salmonella,
             staphilococcus aureus and vibrio
             parahaemolyticus.

             Those eating improperly treated seafood
             contaminated with too much vibrio
             parahaemolyticus could suffer from
             life-threatening cirrhosis of the liver.

             Staphilococcus aureus can grow quickly in creamy
             food such as donuts.

             Five of the samples sent to the DMS were
             seafood, of which one was contaminated with high
             levels of vibrio parahaemolyticus, said a DMS
             source who asked not to be named.

             The FDA declined to name where the contaminated
             food samples were found due to fears about being
             sued. It is now gathering more food samples for
             analysis.

             The work is part of an annual action plan and a
             further 30 to 40 samples must be analysed. The
             tests are expected to be completed by May.

             Food tests on 48 samples last year (36 from 14
             manufacturing sources and 12 from six
             supermarkets) found that 94 percent of
             ready-to-cook meals were unhygienic, said the
             source. Test reports had been sent to the FDA.

             Similar tests in 1994 found 100 percent of food
             was contaminated.

             Deputy city clerk Thamnoon Vaniyapong said
             things had to be improved immediately to protect
             the health of consumers.

             He said: 'We must start with the manufacturing
             sources. Shoppers must boil food properly or it
             will be harmful. Even with boiling, consumers
             are still at risk because toxins from some
             pathogens are heat-resistant."

             Mr Thamnoon suggested the relevant agencies
             clarify where food is being contaminated. Food
             found to contain such germs should be destroyed.

             Dr Debhanom Muangman, adviser to the governor on
             public health, said the test results showed that
             the manufacturing and distribution processes
             were unsanitary.

             Associate Prof Malai Vorachit, a scientist with
             Ramathibodi Hospital's Department of Pathology,
             said toxins created by the four pathogens could
             be more dangerous than the bacteria itself, they
             were heat-resistant and it was difficult to tell
             if the food was contaminated with them.

             A doctor at Siriraj Hospital, who wished to
             remain unnamed, said high levels of E. coli
             should not be found in ready-to-cook food since
             this meant it had been contaminated with human
             faeces. This suggested other contaminants such
             as Hepatitis A could also be present.


Article copyright Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd 1997
Reprinted for non-commercial use only.
Website: http://www.bangkokpost.net

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:24:55 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: (LK) Ahungalle Zoo animals
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


Daily News

Friday 18, April 1997

Animals at Ahungalle Zoo would have suffered total paralysis within next
few years - Senior veterinary surgeon

By Tharika Goonathilake

THE animals at the controversial Ahungalle Zoo would have suffered total
paralysis within the next few years had they lived under the same appalling
conditions, Senior Veterinary Surgeon of the National Zoological Gardens
Dr. P Kandasamy said.

According to Dr Kandasamy the hindquarters of most of the animals
especially the lions and leopards had been damaged and their muscles were
in a state of atrophy since the animals had been cooped up and chained for
a long period of time.

`Most of the lions including the cubs couldn't even walk,'' he said.

Dr. Kandasamy made these observations at a press conference held at the
Department of Wild Life Conservation recently following the evacuation of
the animals from the Ahungalle Zoo.

He said that, one crocodile found in the Ahungalle zoo had no lower jaw,
while another was almost on the verge of going blind. He attributed this to
the congested environment that would have caused severe stress would have
provoked them to fight.

``Another had a badly swollen left eye and could not balance its body
properly. It had a tendency to refrain from moving towards the water. A
confinement of a spotted deer in one cage with domesticated goats had also
adversely affected the health and reproductive process of the deer'' he
said.

The antlers of two spotted deer were also cut and several Brhamini Kites
were unable to fly properly even when they were freed.

He said that the animals will be subjected to a quarantine period before
they are transferred to their enclosures at the Dehiwela zoo.

The Director of Wild Life Conservation, N. W. Dissanayake said that the
majority of the animals, birds and reptiles had been successfully
evacuated.

But, 30 wild animals, 54 birds and 3 crocodiles included in the original
authorization licence were found missing.

The whereabouts of the missing animals could not be ascertained since the
owner was not in the premises at the time of evacuation.

He said that they had to seek police assistance as there were threats to
their lives and the evacuation had to be done in stages. On one occasion
the water and electricity supplies had also been disconnected while they
were transferring the animals.

Asked whether their was a possibility of the licence being issued again Mr.
Dissanayake replied in the negative.

He was unable to state why the Zoo had been operating for such a long time
in spite of numerous complaints that the animals were being drugged and
harassed.

``What happened (the killing of a schoolboy by a lion) was a tragic
accident but what is needed now is to ensure that this kind of thing
doesn't happen again. We have acted under the jurisdiction available to us
to ensure the safety of the animals and will make every effort to continue
to do so'', he said.

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:25:03 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: (LK) Slaughter
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


Daily News
Friday 18, April 1997
Letters to the Editor

Slaughter

Cruelties to animals have no limits in this country. I wonder whether
people have seen the slaughter of pigs. They are often beaten to death.
Crabs are boiled alive. I suppose cows, bulls and even dogs deserve a
better treatment due to the services they render to human beings. However
torture is painful process for all animals.

Tamils cannot be blamed for the atrocities of the LTTE, nor can the Sinhala
buddhists be condemned for various acts of violence committed by some
Sinhala Buddhists. Muslims cannot be found fault for the wrong doings of
the butcher. None of these perpetrators of violence are true to their
religions. Muslims cannot take the law unto their hands and punish the
butchers. In a country state punishes the offenders and perhaps religious
punishment may follow after death as in all religions.

But there are some ways in all of us can help.

1. - State cannot legislate morality and kindness to animals but state
authorities can tighten regulations on slaughter houses and transport of
cattle. State should not prohibit cattle slaughter, this would not only
infringe democratic rights but fish mudalalies would increase the price.
The price of all proteins including eggs, dry fish etc. would skyrocket.
This would in the long run affect the price of all food items including
vegetables. I was told that the importers of sardines greatly benefited by
the closure of inland fisheries.

2. Buddhists and Hindus may appeal to the other Buddhists to refrain from
eating beef - I wonder whether it will succeed. But I do find most middle
class Sinhala Buddhists not eat beef. So perhaps this might help.

3. Muslims can also help by

- discussing this issue on Fridays where almost all Muslims including the
butchers are present. Preacher can discuss the religious compulsion for
humane treatment of animals and slaughter. They also could discuss the
sensitivity of the Buddhists to these ``unislamic'' practices.
Unfortunately such social issues are not discussed in the Friday sermons.
Often certain ``fairy tale'' types of stories are repeated and repeated.
This may be because the preachers at the mosque do not have a broader
educational background. I have come across highly educated persons in
Christian and Buddhist clergy, but Muslims lack enlightened preachers.

-Muslim politicians - they designate themselves as Muslim leaders and
insist that others address them as leaders or Thalaivers - can help to
promote these ideas. (It is strange Sinhala politicians do not call
themselves as Sinhala leaders but as party leaders). Politicians when they
address meetings can do so. They also can initiate legislation for humane
slaughter after all it is a requirement in Islam.

NILOUFER MAZAHIM
Ratmalana

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:25:10 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (UK) Bird DNA Databank
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


The Straits Times

APR 18 1997

     World File

     BIRD DNA: A DNA databank of birds of prey is being assembled in
     Britain to trap poachers who illegally sell the birds into
     captivity, it was reported in London on Wednesday.

     The Times said DNA was being taken from the feathers of birds
     such as eagles, hawks and buzzards and would be used to determine
     whether privately-owned birds had been bred in captivity or taken
     from the wild. -- AFP.

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:25:16 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Protection sought for scientists who rock the boat
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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The Straits Times

APR 18 1997

     Protection sought for scientists who rock the boat


     NEW YORK -- A group of researchers has called for stronger
     protection for scientists who make discoveries which threaten
     vested interests, saying that some have paid a high price.

     The scientists, led by Dr Gilbert Omenn, the dean of the School
     of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of
     Washington, reported that the attacks included an effort by the
     North American Spine Society and a patient-advocacy group founded
     by a surgeon to eliminate a federal agency which paid for
     research on spine surgery.

     In a paper published on Wednesday in The New England Journal of
     Medicine, they described nightmarish experiences which resulted
     from three findings in particular:

     That a popular form of spine surgery might not be effective.

     That tests of immune-system dysfunction, used to support
     disability and liability claims of patients who said that they
     had "multiple-chemical sensitivity", might be meaningless.

     That a popular drug used to lower blood pressure was associated
     with an increase in heart attacks.

     The attacks on the researchers included a series of misconduct
     charges lodged by a patient-advocacy group against two
     researchers who studied "multiple-chemical sensitivity".

     The investigation of the charges was so prolonged and so
     unrelenting that even though the researchers were cleared, they
     said that they would never study that subject again. -- NYT.

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 16:54:53 +0000
>From: "Karen Bevis" <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Protesters Refuse to Play Possum (AU)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

The Melbourne Times
16 April, 1997

Protesters Refuse to Play Possum

Animal Liberationists have removed more than 20 possum guards from
trees in the Carlton Gardens and returned them to the Melbourne City
Council, in protest against what they claim is animal mistreatment.

Members of the group Animal Liberation claim the MCC installed the
plastic protectors without first collecting information on the number
of possums living there.  Animal Liberation spokeswoman Rheya Linden
maintained the council had no idea how the guards would limit possums'
access to feeding areas.  She said there would be further protests if
guards were re-attached to trees.

The metre-wide guards are fastened to the trunks about two metres from
the ground, and are designed to prevent the possums from climbing up
into the branches.  In the past the council said that guards protect
the trees from damage, and had been attached to trees in parks around
the CBD.

The removal of the guards follows a demonstration by Animal Liberation
and other animal welfare groups at the cocktail party launch of the
Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.  About 30
demonstrators claimed possums had been excluded from much of Carlton
Gardens during the five-day show which ended on Sunday.

Carrying large banners which read:  "Public parks are for Possums and
People", and "Possums Evicted for Jeff's (Jeff Kennet, the Premier of
Victoria) Garden Party", members of the group moved among the crowd,
distributing leaflets explaining their protest.

The council's parks officers did not respond to TMT's calls on the
issue.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karen Bevis
Animal Liberation (Victoria) Net Site Co-ordinator
Email:  [e-mail]
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~animals/alibvic/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Vegetarianism won't cost the earth"
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 16:55:17 +0000
>From: "Karen Bevis" <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Trust No Dog (AU)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Herald Sun
Friday 18 April

Trust No Dog

The grieving family of a boy killed by a beloved pet has warned others
not to trust their dogs.

"We did and we paid the highest price," a distraught Martin O'Malley
said yesterday as he held his weeping mother's hand.  "My mother and
myself would like to strongly urge any person with large dogs, please
do not trust them."

Mr O'Malley's bull mastiff-great dane cross savaged and killed his
brother, Jarrad Dwyer, 12, in the back yard of the familie's Meadow
Heights home on Wednesday.  Jarrad's deaf mute mother, Cheryl, was
inside the house unaware of the attack.

The tragedy - only the second fatal dog attack in Victoria in 20 years
- has sparked heated debate on dangerous dogs.

The Lost Dogs Home is expecting a flood of worried families to hand in
their pets this weekend amid fears of similar incidents.  General
Manager Dr Graeme Smith said many families gave up their dogs becuase
they were worried about attacks on their children.  "People start to
panic and they start bringing them in to us," Dr Smith said.

"We definitely will get an increase, we'll an increase, we'll get
people coming in over the weekend and they're mainly families with
kids."

Premier Jeff Kennett said yesterday he was "absolutely appalled" by
the attack - but ruled out strengthening domestic animal laws.  "The
only way we can eliminate the risk altogether is not to have pets," he
said.  Mr Kennett said the Domestic Animals Act 1994 permitted action
against individual dangerous dogs, not entire breeds.

But Dr Smith said the legal definition of a dangerous dog ws too
restrictive.  "No more than 100 dogs have been declared dangerous in
Victoria in the last year, and considering there are three quarters of
a million dogs in the state, that's woefully inadequate," he said.

RSPCA president Dr Hugh Wirth said the dog that killed Jarrad was not
suited to a family with children.  "A bull-mastiff has a hair-trigger
approach to threats to his safety," he said.  "Something a child may
have done to a bull-mastiff would be more easily perceived as a threat
than a labrador."

The dog was later destroyed.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karen Bevis
Animal Liberation (Victoria) Net Site Co-ordinator
Email:  [e-mail]
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~animals/alibvic/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Vegetarianism won't cost the earth"
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 00:44:55 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [UK] Chef too pained to throw lobster in pot wins appeal
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


>From The Electronic Telegraph - Friday, April 18th, 1997

Chef too pained to throw lobster in pot wins appeal
By Sean O'Neill


A VEGETARIAN chef who lost his jobseeker's allowance when he refused to cook
meat or fish has had the benefit restored on appeal.

Simon Beavis, 26, left his job in a seafood restaurant because he said he
could no longer tolerate having to boil lobsters. He said he could not bear
the pleading look in the crustaceans' eyes as they were placed in boiling water.

Social security officers in Penzance, Cornwall, ruled that Mr Beavis was
restricting his availability for work by offering to cook only vegetarian
food and stopped his benefit. Mr Beavis, the single father of a
three-year-old daughter, recanted after two weeks and was given back the
allowance. But he appealed against the original ruling with the support of
the Vegetarian Society.

An independent tribunal in Truro has ruled that Mr Beavis was entitled to
receive more than ú400 in withheld payments. It did not give its reasons.

"This is a great victory for vegetarians," said Mr Beavis, who worked at a
number of leading London restaurants before moving to Cornwall. "Hopefully
now no one will be forced into jobs they really feel morally and ethically
opposed to."

Chris Dessant, spokesman for the Vegetarian Society, said it was delighted
that the chef's stance had been vindicated. "It is good news for every
vegetarian. The clear implication is that it is wrong for the Government to
force somebody to work against his ethics."

Mr Beavis has given up cooking as a livelihood. He is attempting to set up
an agro-forestry business where shareholders would invest in fruit trees and
in effect pick their own dividends.

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 00:54:24 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [UK] Butterflies take a flutter on early spring
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


>From The Electronic Telegraph - Friday, April 18th, 1997

Butterflies take a flutter on early spring
By Paul Stokes

BUTTERFLIES are making their earliest appearances in the countryside this century with warm
weather accelerating their development.

Sightings of many species have been reported more than a month ahead of normal, says a report
by the Butterfly Conservation charity. Among the earliest risers are the Speckled Wood butterfly,
first seen in Somerset on March 6, almost a month ahead of expectations.

Green Hairstreaks were noted in Suffolk at the end of March when their first appearance would
usually be later this month. Grizzled Skippers were recorded in Sussex on April Fool's Day
despite being more accustomed to taking to the wing in early or mid-May.

The Pearl-bordered Fritillary was sighted on Dartmoor on April 11, nearly five weeks early, and
the Dingy Skipper was seen in Oxfordshire the following day instead of its more traditional May
arrival.

Nigel Bourn, a butterfly expert, said: "It's incredibly early for butterflies. They are cold-blooded
and dependent on tempertatures to develop. When it is this warm this early they put on a spurt
and develop very quickly. They are on the wing earlier than any time in living memory. Basically,
they think it's summer."

Other species already recorded around a month in advance include the Green-veined White,
Orange Tip, Large White, Small Copper, Duke of Burgundy and Brown Argus. Ecologists and
regional  co-ordinators from Butterfly Conservation have noted that the recordings involve
considerable numbers and not just an isolated butterfly.

Dr Martin, the charity's head of conservation, said: "Even though it is always pleasing to see the
first spring butterflies, we should not forget that the majority are still declining and many are in
danger of extinction. Prolonged drought will undoubtedly bring severe consequences later this
summer and may lead to population crashes as it did in 1976."

Already a heathland fire on Dartmoor has caused the loss of a colony of High Brown Fritillary. A
spate of fires started by teenage vandals in County Durham is also threatening one of the few
remaining colonies of Castle Eden Argus.

⌐ Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 00:54:22 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [UK] Harriers take a dive
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


>From The Electronic Telegraph - Friday, April 18th, 1997

Harriers take a dive


THE hen harrier, once one of the country's most common birds of prey, could
become extinct in England by the end of the century, experts said yesterday.

The bird - after which the Ministry of Defence named its fighter jets - has
undergone a serious decline in numbers over recent years. Malcolm Stott, of
the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said:  "We are dealing here
with a very rare bird. We have now reached the point where by the end of
this year they could be extinct in the north of England."

Last year, harriers made 30 nesting attempts in the North, eight of them in
the Northumberland area, but none was successful in rearing young.

Northumbria police yesterday launched a campaign to halt the illegal
slaughter of rare birds of prey. Pc Paul Henery, wildlife liaison officer,
said: "Grouse moor managers and game rearers see the bird as a threat to
their livelihood and because of this it is hated in some quarters and
suffers more than any other bird of prey. Fifty female harriers are killed
every year in this country. They nest on the ground and hunt by flying
slowly at low levels, which makes them an easy target. The birds are shot
and the eggs and chicks are removed from their nests or stamped on. When
anyone visits the nesting sites the harriers will dive-bomb them, which
makes them even easier to shoot."

The creation of man-made forests over moorlands has also been blamed for the
decline.

⌐ Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 16:30:32 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (CN) TV Project for China
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


Forwarded message from private-email follows.

Originator is John D. Liu at ZDF German Television in
Beijing <[e-mail]>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TELEVISION PROJECT FOR CHINA

Dear Friends of the Environment and Friends of China:

Please take a moment to learn about this new programme.

The Television Trust for the Environment was begun in 1984 by the UNEP
and the WWF and is dedicated to using Television for Environmental
Awareness around the world.  Since its inception it has acquired the
Copyright or the broadcast rights to the largest library of
environmental films in the world.  It provides these films at cost to
developing countries.  There are over 50 video resource centers around
the world helping ordinary people to learn about the environment through
television broadcasts and cassette screenings in educational and
environmental organizations.

The Environmental Education Television Project for China (EETPC) is a
new TVE project for China.  It's aim is to facilitate the transfer of
the TVE library in its entirety and then other libraries of
Environmental films to China and to coordinate and encourage the
language versioning and wide distribution of the films among several
Chinese broadcasters, environmental organizations, and educators.
Following the successful setting up of the central library the EETPC
hopes to encourage and facilitate co-production introducing the Chinese
participants with Foreign broadcasters and the transfer of additional
libraries of environmental films.

Key participants in China:

ISTIC - Information Center of the State Science and Technology Bureau -
ISTIC has already acquired, translated and broadcast nationwide several
TVE titles.  ISTIC is part of the TVE Asian Video Resource Network and
was the first TVE video resource center to be founded in China.

The Centre for Environmental Education and Communications - Chinese
National Environmental Protection Agency, funded by the Japanese
International Cooperation Agency.  This new extremely well equiped
facility, with production, post-production, screening, and duplication
facilities is scheduled to house the EETPC library and to supply tapes
to all requesting Chinese organizations.

The Friends of Nature - The first Chinese Environmental NGO - with
members ranging from Teachers & Intellectuals to journalists and
broadcasters.  Their primary focus is for cassette distribution to
primary and middle schools - often in collaboration or funded by the WWF
and other foundations.

Academia Sinica -  The Chinese Academy of Science is a merit
organization which elects members based on their contribution to
scientific knowldge and which administers 123 scientific institutes
including 70 which are involved in Environmental Research.   The
Academia Sinica can be an extremely strong co-production partner
providing in depth research and access on a number of critical issues.

The Global Village Environmental Culture Institute (GECIB) - is an Non
Profit corporation with a weekly nationally broadcast television
programme.

The WWF has been involved in the planning and development of the EETPC
for more than a year and is concentrating on using Audiovisual materials
and other environmental education materials into the existing Chinese
Education Cirriculum.

The European Commission Delegation and the ZDF German Television have
contributed to the until this year all voluntary effort.

Since gaining TVE project status this year the EETPC is targeting
multilateral and bilateral development organizations, Foundations,
corporations and individuals for financial support.

The EETPC also plans to work with the Chinese participating units to
translate the TVE catalogue into Chinese and to build a bi-lingual
environmental website on the internet that is accessable to Chinese
people.

The Environmental Education Television Project for China represents an
international cooperative effort to assist Chinese Environmentalists,
Educators and Broadcasters to cope with their awesome responsibility.

EETPC Advisory Board Members

        Ambassador Wilkinson    European Commission Delegation in China

        Mr. Liang Cong Jie      President, Friends of Nature

        Mr. Wu Wei Xin          Director, A/V Department, ISTIC,
Information
                                        Center of the State Science and
Technology Bureau

        Mr. Dan Viedermann      WWF China Representative

        Mr. Jia Feng                    Dep. Director, Center for
Environmental Education
and                                     Communications China National
Environmental Protection Agency

        Mr. Akira Hirai         Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA)

        Ms. Meng Hui            Central Administration Academia Sinica

        Ms. Sherri Liao         Global Village Environmental Culture
Institute.

        Mr. Mark Harvey         Director, Development TVE International

        Mr. Hiroo Nozawa                Secretary General TVE Japan

        Ms. Ayako Nezu          TVE Japan Associate

        Mr. John D. Liu         ZDF German Television, TVE
Representative China
Director, The Environmental Education Television Project for China.


I know of no more cost effective way of delivering so many Environmental
Education Resources to so many Chinese who very profoundly need this
information.

You can help.

Your institution or corporation can sponsor the ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
TELEVISION PROJECT FOR CHINA.  If you are interested please contact Mark
Harvey, Director of Development TVE international
<[e-mail]> or John D. Liu at ZDF German Television in
Beijing <[e-mail]>

Individuals can make an impact.   The TVE has cleared the copyright to
approximately 400 films on environmental issues and these programmes can
be freely broadcast, copied, and shown throughout China.  It costs
US$200 to deliver one Broadcast Master copy of a TVE film to China.  If
you would like to help - please contribute to the EETPC account.   You
contribution is greatly appreciated.

 EETPC
Television Trust for the Environment
Account No :  20226515
Branch No : 83 - 0420
The Royal Bank of Scotland
Premium Accounts Centre
Drummond House, 1 Redheughs Avenue
Edinburgh  EH12 9JN

Thank you for your time and interest.  If you would like more
information on how to access the library or on how to assist please feel
free to contact me.

John D. Liu
ZDF German Television
TaYuan Diplomatic Compound
6-2-12
Beijing, China
Fax:  [phone]


Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 20:55:13 +0800
>From: jwed <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Chinese Animals need Help!
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Note: I am sending this post only to AR-NEWS.  Please forward it wherever
you think appropriate.

In the West public opinion is turning strongly against Dolphinariums. But
in the East they are seen as a good source of entertainment and revenue and
many new ones are planned or under construction.

Here is a chance for us to turn the tide.

It was announced last month that a private company in Macau is to develop a
Marine Park to rival Hong Kong's world famous Ocean Park. More than 40
attractions are planned and the enterprise is expected to be successful.
Unfortunately it is planned to include displays of animal and sea life and
an amusement park with crocodiles and dolphins." The company hopes to have
the new park open in time for the celebrations for the handover of Macau to
China in 1999.

What you can do:
Write a polite, well argued letter to Mr Jose W.C. Cheong informing him why
he should reconsider his plans to use captive animals in his new
entertainment complex. It would be a good idea to stress the financial
risks of moving against the trend.

Mr Cheong's address is:
Mr Jose W.C. Cheong, President,
The Chong Wa Entertainment Company,
Avenida Da Praia Grande 75-81,
3rd Floor, Edf. Veng Fai,
MACAU.

Please send copies to:

The Governor of Macau,
Leal Senado de Macau,
MACAU.

Mr Lu Ping, Director,
The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office,
Beijing,
CHINA.

It would be helpful if you would send me a copy also:
[e-mail]

A letter in Portuguese and/or Chinese instead of English would carry more
weight. Perhaps you have a friend who could translate your letter for you.


Thank you very much.
Dr John Wedderburn.


Every child has the right to a healthy diet - that means no meat.

http://www.earth.org.hk/
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 13:36:48 -0400
>From: [e-mail] (Weissman)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: student activist training
Message-ID: <v01540b05af7d29acd4db@[204.141.118.248]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


ANNOUNCEMENT

Student Abolitionist League, a networking organization for student and
youth animal rights activists, is holding an activist training in early May
at the Wetlands Preserve, an activist center/nightclub in New York City.
While the event is organized by and focused on animal rights we welcome the
particpation as both speakers and audience member as activists from other
movements.  The event is aimed not at experienced, seasoned organizers who
have been active for half a decade or more, but at the many new activists
who have joined the student movement in recent months/years.  And of these,
not only the hardcore organizers, but also the slackers and apathetic
student group members.  This event is intended to inspire and empower.
Particular attention is being paid to high school students who are often
neglected in the animal rights movement.  However the training is for
students at all levels of education from elementary school to grad school.
We are currently looking for speakers who can address the topics listed
below.  Unfortunately,we have VERY little time, and need to know ASAP if
you are interested in speaking.   If we are not able to fill a sufficient
number of speaker spots in the next week or so, we will be forced to
postpone the training until October.  if we do make this decision, we will
continue working on the training to give ourselves appropriate advance
planning time  We apologize for the short notice, but a space has only just
become available, and we feel it is important that this training happen
before the end of the college year.
If anyone is interested in coming to the training from outside of NYC and
needs accommodations, please let us know.
We intend to integrate the training as much as possible so that
theworkshops topics work together to create a real campaign.  A
demonstration
will be held immediately after the training and another will be possibly be
organized by the training participants.  Thus, as much as possible the
training will be geared towards strongly guided experiential learning.  For
knowledgeable folks who are uncomfortable giving long talks,we fell this
will allow them to more effectively share their skills .  A meeting will
probably be held prior to the training to allow speakers to crystallize the
agenda structure and the interactions between their presentations.

For more information please contract Adam Weissman at [phone] or
email [e-mail]
TOPICS WE NEED SPEAKERS FOR
*The Philosophy of Animal Rights        * Animals and the Law

* Activist Civil Liberties      * From Random Protests To Strategic
Campaigns: Making Our Efforts Count

* Legislative/Political Activism        * Student's Rights and Privileges
in high schools and universities* Dealing with non-sympathetic Parents
* Dealing with School
Authorities

* Using Computers and the Internet for Animals  *  Working with Media

*Researching Campus Animal Exploitation * Organizing Effective Demonstrations

*Starting /Reviving Campus Animal Rights Groups *Effective Outreach

*Civil Disobedience and Direct Action (If time allows)  * Fighting
Classroom Dissection

*Getting Vegan Cafeteria Options

*Writing and Designing Effective Activist Literature: Flyers, Magazines,
Brochures, etc.

We already have confirmed speakers on:

* Fighting Classroom Dissection- Adam Weissman, Student Abolitionist's
League's Anti-Dissection Campaign

* Turning Friends into Animal Rights Activists- Jeni Medra-Bartoli, Student
Activist Club/ Anti-Dissection Committee, Forest Hills High School

*Activist Empowerment: We Can Make A Difference for Animals -David Baumflek
& Suzanne Lustig- Students Against Animal Cruelty, Edward R. Murrow high
School

* Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions- David & Suzanne

Student Abolitionist League-NYC has an official anti-car policy because of
the destructive impact (pun intended) of cars on animals and the
environment.  As such we ask that you please use public transportation when
possible to get to our training.


Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 14:11:30 -0400 (EDT)
>From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: PA Pigeon Ban Alert
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

The leadership committee sent SB764, a bill that would ban pigeon shoots in
Penna. to the Game and Fisheries Committee where it will receive the same
treatment that the pigeons receive.  In other words, it will be killed.

The Chairman of the Game and Fisheries Committee is Senator Helfrick of
Northumberland County.  Last year Senator Helfrick voted against banning
pigeon shoots in Penna.  ISAR phoned the Senator's office today to ask if
hearings would be held on Senate Bill 764; we were abruptly told "No."

We are asking Pennsylvanians to write or call their Senators and ask that
Senate Bill 764 be referred to the Judiciary Committee where it should have
been in the first place.  Also, write/phone/fax Senator Helfrick and ask him
to hold hearings on Senate Bill 764.  Write to:  Senator Edward Helfrick,
Chairman Game and Fisheries Committee; Senate Box 203027; Harrisburg, PA
17120; Fax: [phone]; Phone: [phone].
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 13:56:22 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [CA] Seal hunt figures
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

CBC radio reports that, to date, a total of 164,000 harp seals and 54,000
hooded seals have been killed so far this year.

These figures are lower than expected, and the federal Department of
Fisheries and Oceans says this is due to there being more ice around this
year, and that this has caused some problems for the hunters.

(Seems the DFO is not only promoting and defending the hunt, but is now
appologizing for the sealers not killing enough)

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 13:56:24 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [CA] 15 more animals, plants declared endangered
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>From The Vancouver Sun - Friday, April 18th, 1997

SOUTHAM NEWS

OTTAWA - Fifteen animals and plants joined the Canada's Endangered Lis on
Thursday, bring the full complement on the hot-list to 291.

This year's list adds the great blue heron in B.C., plants such as the false
hop sedge and apple moss, the sage grouse that is threatened on the Prairies
and gone from the wild in B.C., and the western silvery minnow.

There's also the monarch butterfly - still common, but added to the list
because it faces habitat loss  in its Mexican wintering grounds.

Three big-name species didn't make the list. The timber wolf and Atlantic
cod were both considered, but the federal, provincial and private scientists
who draw up the list decided they need more information.

"The intent is to bring them back [for another vote] next year," said Erich
Haber, who chairs the wildlife scientists' committee.

And the common loon, symbol of Canda's inland wilderness, will not be listed
as endangered.

Still, said Scott Plunket of the Canadian Nature Federation, the loon isn't
out of the woods.

"We're quite comfortable with saying the population is not at risk," he said,
  "[but] there is still pressure on them."

Shoreline developments and motor boats make safe nesting places less common.

These are the species new to the list:

- Birds: Sage grouse; great blue heron (in B.C. only).
- Fish: Cultus pygmy sculpin; western silvery minnow.
- Butterflies: Monarch; Maritime ringlet; Karner blue. The Karner blue is
extirpated (no longer   alive in the world)
- Reptiles: Eastern hognose snake.
- Molluscs: Banff Springs snail.
- Plants: Fernald's milk-vetch; Fernald's braya; false hop sedge; apple moss.

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 13:56:26 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [CA] Banff visitors need to be less intrusive,  minister says.
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>From The Vancouver Sun - Friday , April 18th, 1997

CANDIAN PRESS

CALGARY - Visitors to Banff National Park will have to be prepared to be
less intrusive, Heritage Minister Sheila Copps said Thursday as she released
the final version of a management plan to prevent further ecological damage
in the park.

"This plan makes it very clear that Banff National Park is, first and
foremost, a place for natuure," Copps said in a statement from Ottawa.
"Ecological integrity is the cornerstone of the park and the key to its future."

Banff, Canada's oldest national park, has been under increasing pressure
from millions of tourists who visit every year.

Highlights of the plan - most of which were already announced in preliminary
reports - include:

- Closing the Banff airstrip, relocating an army cadet camp and moving horse
corrals and a   bison paddock that interfer with a wildlife corridor.

- Some areas of the park will be set aside as environmentally sensitive with
restricted     access.

- A proposed expnaion of the Banff Springs golf coursehas already been
abandoned by   Canadian Pacific Hotels, while the boundaries of Banff
towsite and nearby Lake Louise   have been frozen.

Troubles have mounted as the mountian playground has become increasingly
popular. Each year nearly four million visitors tromp through the park,
established in 1885.

That popularity has brought prosperity to the town of Banff and injects
about $750 million a year into the Alberta economy.

But it also threatens the very things the park was set up to do - protect
wildlife and its habitat.

A significant portion of the new management plan was derived from a
federally appointed committee that presented over 500 recommendations to
Copps last fall.

Committee chair, Bob Page, dean of environmental design at the University of
Calgary, said it was gratifying to see many of his group's recommendations
in the final plan.

"It really is a new diection," said Page. "It's very clear from this
document, which of the two roads Parks [Canada] is taking, and we're
delighted about that."

Deborah Boutilier, chair of the Banff-Lake Louise Tourism Bureau, welcomed
the plan.

"There's support for the plan in that something needed to be done to take us
into the 21st century," she said. "If we don't do have a park, we don't have
anything to offer the tourists coming here."

Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 17:00:35 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (RU) Russia Has Salmonella Outbreak
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
-----------------------------
 04/18/1997 06:31 EST

 Russia Has Salmonella Outbreak

 NAKHODKA, Russia (AP) -- At least 75 people in Russia's Far East, most of
them
 children, were hospitalized after eating cakes made from eggs infected with
 salmonella bacteria, a news report said today.

 All those who were sickened ate cakes made by the same bakery, the ITAR-Tass
 news agency reported.

 Authorities have started recalling the bakery's cakes from 20 stores in
the city of
 Nakhodka and launched criminal proceedings against the bakery, the report
said.

 Salmonella causes high fever, headaches, abdominal pain, diarrhea and nausea.
 Most people recover within a week, but dehydration can cause serious
 complications for young children, the elderly and people with weak immune
 systems.
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 17:19:26 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Pat Fish <[e-mail]>
To: "* You * (and others?)":;@fang.cs.sunyit.edu
Subject: HOME NEEDED for COYOTE PUPPY (US, CAN)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII


  22-year old Shelly Johnson found what she thought was a dog/puppy in a
parking lot near Utica NY.  She brought the pup into the vet (it was in
rough shape) and discovered it was actually a 4-week old Coyote pup.

  The pup is now under the care of Judy Cusworth of the Woodhaven Wildlife
Center (which Judy runs out of her own pocket).  "He's being socialized"
says Judy.  She's looking for a zoo or other wildlife center that can take
him to be with other Coyotes.  I think we can agree that a zoo might not be
the best place for the little guy.  But I think that within reason, it's
first-come, first-served.  So if anybody has any suggestions, or a better
home for the pup, contact Judy Cusworth at: 315-737-8333


Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 17:48:08 -0600
>From: "Alliance for Animals" <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: update on Herbeck animal abuse case
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

The following information is to help you all get in touch with the
people involved with the Barry Herbeck animal abuse case in
Janesville, WI. If you haven't heard about it, I'll write a quick
overview of the case.

Police and Animal Control Officers in Janesville discovered the
bodies of several dead cats and one dead dog on the porches of Barry
Herbeck of Janesville, WI last week.  He is a carpet layer, and
father (with sole custody of his daughter).  When the Animal Control
discovered the dog in an 'air tite' container, one side of the body
was covered in blood, and its nose and mouth were taped shut.  The
animal had been dead in there for some time.  Herbeck's 9 year old
daughter told police that the 8 month old German Shephard pup had
either whined or peed in the house...something like that...and
Herbeck taped the animals mouth and stuffed it into the container.
He told the little girl not let it out or feed it, even though she
could hear the dog whimpering.
She also told the police that when her father was angry he had thrown
a cat against a wall so hard that it died.  He did these things in
front of her.  Herbeck's ex-girlfriend was at the house doing some
cleaning when she discovered cat intestines in the garbage disposal.

One of the black cats found on the property had been sodomized by
him.  He admitted to having sex with the cat.  There were at
LEAST 20 dead, (some mutilated) animals on his property.  He served 6
months  in jail in 1989 for First Degree Sexual Assault of a CHILD.
HE IS OUT on a signature bond...under the condition that he have no
contact with his daughter or animals.  There will be a hearing on the
case Thursday, April 24th at the Rock County Court House in
Janesville. Judge Richard Werner will oversee the case.

Please use the following addresses to write, e-mail, or fax...Judge
Richard Werner, Assist. DA Scott Dirks, and newspapers asking how
this person can have sole custody of an innocent child, and that he
not only needs psychiatric help, but time behind bars for the
horrible crimes he has committed.  The animals suffered as a result
of his inability to control his rage, and he has admitted that he
"felt better" after killing them.

He says that he had a bad childhood and he acquired animals from
"Free to Good Home" ads in newspapers and he sometimes disposed of
the bodies at a dumpster near his job.  How long can he be allowed to
coninue this cycle of violence.?
 Thanks for your help on this case.
We can pull together to see that some form of justice is served.
Unfortunately it will be too late for the animals he's already
killed.

See Attached...


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`
end
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 19:38:54 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Admin Note--Attached Files
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Please avoid attaching files to posts to AR-News.

While many subscribers may have no problem handling attachments, some do.
For some people, an attached file is downloaded as gibberish, gibberish
that takes time to download.  For others, it may be a useless thing that is
"forgotten" after the message was deleted--however, the "attachment" may
still be on the hard drive.

And...depending on the attachment, it *might* contain a virus if it uses a
"template" (this type of virus is known as a "macrovirus").  (For virus
information, there are a number of sources on the web.)

So...please offer to send the attachment via private e-mail (for those
subscribers who reply privately).


allen
********
"We are either part of the problem or part of the solution. Walk your talk
and no one will be in doubt of where you stand."
  -- Howard F. Lyman
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 19:50:41 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) New Flooding Worry: Dead Cattle
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

(also refs to E-coli and salmonella)
from AP Wire page:
---------------------------
04/18/1997 19:28 EST

 New Flooding Worry: Dead Cattle

 By JEREMIAH GARDNER
 Associated Press Writer

 NAPOLEON, N.D. (AP) -- Trying to head off another crisis on the Plains,
National
 Guardsmen used heavy equipment and ropes Friday to carry off bloated, rotting
 animal carcasses before they foul drinking water and spread disease.

 Almost 90,000 cattle died in the flooding and the spring blizzard that hit
during the
 past two weeks, and as many as 1,000 carcasses remain in ponds, creeks and
 sloughs.

 The flooding was worst Friday much farther north in Grand Forks, where 2,000
 people were evacuated from their homes after a dike gave way to rising water.
 Officials feared more evacuations were on the way.

 National Guardsmen, working with state and federal agriculture officials,
slogged
 through the mud to remove the dead animals.

 ``We only have a very small window here with the temperatures going up ... to
 extricate those carcasses,'' said Sgt. 1st Class Rob Keller.

 Illnesses such as E-coli and salmonella can result if runoff carries
organisms from
 the rotting flesh, said Gary Haberstroh, an environmental engineer with
the state
 Health Department.

 The carcasses of some 120 of Jim Bitz's cattle were pulled one by one from a
 flooded creek five miles away from his ranch in Napoleon.

 ``You kind of get like a knot in your stomach,'' he said as the carcasses
were
 dragged to shore. ``I still look at this and can't believe it.''

 The cows had wandered from Bitz's ranch during the early April blizzard.
Disoriented,
 they sauntered with the wind, eventually onto frozen Beaver Creek, and
apparently fell
 through the ice. The creek, swelled by record snowmelt, has nearly tripled
in size.

 Chris Pool, an animal damage controller with the U.S. Agriculture Department,
 helped pull dead animals from the creek.

 ``They're all sticking out of the water because they're all bloated,'' he
said after
 jumping out of a boat used to drag the animals to dry ground.

 Insurance will cover Bitz's lost cattle. But he's unsure who will pay the
costs of
 removing the carcasses and sending them to a rendering company for use in
 products such as dog food and glue. State and federal officials were
discussing the
 issue Friday.

 U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said Friday the Federal Emergency Management
 Agency has agreed to pay three-quarters of the costs incurred by the
state. But the
 remaining expenses will have to be covered by either the state or individual
 ranchers.

 Worse off are the people in eastern North Dakota, where the flood of the
century
 continues to rage, he said.

 ``Our house isn't flooded,'' Bitz said. ``I'm thankful.''
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 19:52:45 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Gov't Buys Out Fishing Boats
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
--------------------------
04/18/1997 18:31 EST

 Gov't Buys Out Fishing Boats

 By BRIAN MELLEY
 Associated Press Writer

 BOSTON (AP) -- In smooth seas and in rough, Christo Stamopoulos relied on the
 fishing trawler Mantoudi to bring him home. The vessel, named for his Greek
 birthplace, never failed. But the fish weren't as reliable.

 With stocks of cod, haddock and flounder depleted, Stamopoulos ended his
19-year
 relationship with the sea on Friday. He joined the owners of another
trawler on the
 solid ground of Fisherman's Pier in New Bedford to collect the first of two
 government checks to junk their boats.

 ``Bittersweet, that's it,'' said Stamopoulos, 54. ``I'm glad to get out,
but I'm crying
 because I get out.''

 Federal officials hope that by paying to scrap the two boats -- the first
of some 75 that
 will receive government grants -- they will cut down the demand on
depleted Atlantic
 groundfish.

 On the dreary overcast day, the government paid Stamopoulos $150,000 to
 surrender his fishing permits and agree to take his boat out of the fleet.
He will
 receive another $50,000 after the boat is sold for parts.

 The $23 million federal boat buyout program aims to reduce a quarter of the
 groundfishing boats from New Jersey to Maine.

 It is part of a $100 million initiative to halt the decline of fish. The
government has
 also closed off certain areas of the sea for periods of time to help
groundfish stocks
 recover.

 Boat owners who accept the buyout must surrender all federal fishing
permits and
 either sink, scrap or sell their boats to a government or nonprofit group
for a purpose
 other than fishing.

 For Jose Seco and three other Portuguese natives who owned the New
 Bedford-based Lady Laura, the buyout meant the end of a lifetime at sea.

 The Lady Laura, a 67-foot steel trawler christened 30 years ago, will be
junked for
 parts, said John Bullard, director of the buyout program for the National
Oceanic
 Atmospheric Administration. The four owners will retire and receive a
total of
 $170,000.

 ``This program from all accounts is a very successful program, but nobody
feels
 good,'' Bullard said. ``I certainly don't when someone is getting out of a
business
 they've been in all their lives. It wasn't a happy time. There weren't
smiles and high
 fives.''

 Stamopoulos said it was difficult parting with the Mantoudi, which is
named for his
 hometown in Greece where his grandfather was a fisherman.

 But there was little choice. The catch has dropped off significantly on
the 77-foot
 steel trawler in the past three years.

 ``There's no fish like we used to catch,'' he said. ``We had a choice stay
in and starve
 in, or get out. It's a very tough decision because the boat you love like
a son or
 daughter. That's your life.''
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 21:17:40 -0500
>From: Elephant Advocates <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Los Angeles Zoo "inadvertently erased" evidence
Message-ID: <l03010d02af7dd24d39e2@[169.132.51.102]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

On April 7, 1997, Elephant Advocates, made a Public Records request to the
Los Angeles Zoo, for a video of Annie, the elephant that was "found dead"
on her cement slab behind bars, on March 22, 1997.

The elephant "barn" at the zoo has (a) 24 hour surveillance camera(s).

The following is an excerpt of the request:

"Lastly, as available through the California Public Records Act, please send
me the elephant "barn" videotape of March 20 -24, which includes Annie's
death, the necropsy that was done in the barn and the hauling out of her
remains."

Today I was told telephonically, by Mike Dee, Curator of Mammals, (213)
666-4650 ext. 238, that the tape was "INADVERTENTLY ERASED...SOMEONE PUT
THE WRONG TAPE IN AND ANOTHER SEQUENCE WAS TAPED OVER...I DON'T
KNOW HOW
THIS WAS DONE."

When asked if the tape of the necropsy, which took place in the "barn" was
saved, Dee replied, "I don't think the tape was on during the necropsy."

I called Manuel Mollinedo, Director of the Zoo, three times since he
received the request on April 7.  The last two messages I left with his
secretary, Denise, were simply; "when can I pick up the tapes?"  He never
returned my calls.  Today I was finally given this information about the
evidence tapes being erased.

I consider the tapes evidence that Annie was gravely ill and left
unattended by zoo "caretakers."

-Debbie Famiglietti
 ELEPHANT ADVOCATES

Please write to:

Manuel Mollinedo, Director
Los Angeles Zoo
5333 Zoo Drive
Los Angeles, CA  90027

Ask that your letter become part of permanent public record, placed in the
"elephant" file.

Elephant Advocates would greatly appreciate a copy of your letter, to be
used at the next Los Angeles City Council meeting.

ELEPHANT ADVOCATES
email:  [e-mail]



Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 22:32:49 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Pit bulls find adoptive homes in San Francisco
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN web page:
--------------------------------
                     Pit bulls find adoptive homes in San Francisco

                     April 18, 1997
                     Web posted at: 10:10 p.m. EDT (0210
                     GMT)

                     SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) -- A handful of pit bulls are
                     getting another chance at a normal life through a
                     program that places them with new masters.

                     As many as 500 pit bulls, including strays, are
                     tagged at the pound as dangerous and put to sleep
                     each year. The city had required that pit bulls
                     that wound up at the pound be put to sleep, but it
                     relaxed those laws last summer to allow for
                     adoption.

                     So far, about 40 puppies have been placed. Some
                     come to the shelter abused -- one named Smiley had
                     been soaked in motor oil and nearly died.

                      Katie Dinneen was among the first
                                    to adopt a pit bull under the new
                     policy nine months ago. She named her abused puppy
                     Megan.

                     "I think she's seen a lot of fairly awful things,"
                     Dinneen said. " ... She didn't at first know what
                     going for a walk was -- she didn't understand why
                     we put on a leash, walk around and go back home."

                     Because the breed has a propensity toward
                     violence, both the dogs and the prospective owners
                     are carefully screened.

                     CNN affiliate KRON contributed to this report.


Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 23:40:36 -0400 (EDT)
>From: **** <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: EMERGENCY ALERT TO SAVE MAP TURTLES (fwd)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 21:26:48 -0400 (EDT)
>From: [e-mail]
To: pamelaplotkin <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail], [e-mail],
    sandyrhodes <[e-mail]>,
    watkins <[e-mail]>, [e-mail],
    [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail], "dr.paulcalle" <[e-mail]>,
    [e-mail], [e-mail],
    johngordonfrazierrix <[e-mail]>,
    [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail],
    [e-mail]
Subject: EMERGENCY ALERT TO SAVE MAP TURTLES

The USF&WS, under pressure from the pet trade, is totally eviscerating the
proposal which they have  agreed to present at CITES to list all map turtles
(Grapetemys) under CITES II.

Seems one of their reps was yelled at a conference with the dealers and state
reps and intimidated to revoke the look alike provision.

This provision is crucial to the proper enforcement of the law.  Without it
you might as well throw out the whole listing.

Why,? When most of the turtles shipped overseas are Mississippi, false and
common maps?  Ask any enforcement officer. Maybe two know the difference
between the rare and common species. Something which very few scientists can
do also unless they have a key or study the genus.

By allowing the look a likes to go through unpermitted which means
uninspected, it is extremely easy to launder the other, rarer turtles, which
are much more in demand, and can't take any sort of major commercialization.

All letters of opposition to this backhanded betrayal must be immediately
sent.. Because that is what it is, since it is not listed in their decision
in the recently published Federal Register of the 16th and 17th, and was only
leaked out today, Friday the 18th, A leak that had been confirmed.

If you wish to attend the hearing at which they're suppose to announce this
contact Craig Hoover at Traffic USA at 202-822-3452 or Suzy Saunders at HSUS,
202-452-1100.

Also Fax your letters to Marshall Jones at USF&WS  703-358-2280 cc: Susan
Lieberman.  also send you letters to Suzy Saunders of HSUS will be at the
hearing and will enter your letters into the record. Fax them to her at
301-258-3080 or 3081.

This must be done immediately.  Please.  the USF&WS must be shown they can't
go back on their word. that science, not politics, at least in their
department in DC must be the concern.

thank you.

Allen Salzberg
New York Turtle & Tortoise Society

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 20:58:27 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Side Effects
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Questions about safety one year after Redux approval

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (April 18, 1997 3:19 p.m. EDT) -- One year after the drug
Redux revolutionized obesity treatment, scientists demand to know why
the government let it sell so long without studying a possible
brain-damaging side effect officials said Friday.

The critics fear the potent drug is inappropriately prescribed to many
Americans, and an Associated Press examination of government records
found a 120-pound Redux patient who died inexplicably.

"Make sure you are aware of what the potential side effects are," warns
Dr. George Ricaurte of Johns Hopkins University, who is beginning to
measure patients' brains to see if they show damage similar to that
suffered by animals fed the drug.

"We see side effects to all drugs," responds Dr. John Foreyt, who has
seen only minor problems like sleepiness and diarrhea among patients at
Baylor College of Medicine. Still, "you ought not to be using these
drugs willy-nilly," he added.

Redux was hailed as a wonder drug when the Food and Drug Administration
approved it last April. It stimulates production of the brain chemical
serotonin, believed vital for mood and other functions, to essentially
fool people into feeling fuller.

For many patients, it has worked. Ravi Aulakh says Redux changed her
life, helping her control the impulse to binge. The 5-foot-3-inch woman
shrunk from 220 pounds to 190 pounds in seven months.

But Redux is not for those who simply wish to shed a few pounds. The FDA
insists only the severely obese try it, because Redux users have 23
times the average risk of a rare but often fatal lung ailment called
primary pulmonary hypertension.

Also, the FDA approved Redux on the condition that manufacturer
Wyeth-Ayerst study whether it damages the human brain cells that produce
serotonin. Previous studies in mice, rats, monkeys and baboons show high
doses destroy those cells -- raising fears of repercussions like
depression if the same thing happens to
people.

One year later, Wyeth-Ayerst hasn't started that study.

Dr. Marc Deitch, the company's medical director, said the study could
begin immediately if the FDA had not demanded changes to its design.

Determining how to measure neurological changes like depression is
difficult, but the study will start soon, responded Dr. James Bilstad,
FDA's chief of metabolic drugs.

Meanwhile, FDA records of 18 deaths among Redux patients show three
suicides. The agency knows of another four suicide attempts. Dr. Richard
Atkinson, a Redux supporter and president of the American Obesity
Association, says 15 percent of his patients suffer short-term memory
loss.

And an AP examination of 264 FDA patient records -- the first public
sample available of 1,200 side-effect reports -- found 24 reports of
depression and other psychological reactions.

Those are very small numbers considering 3.3 million Redux prescriptions
have been written for an estimated 1.4 million people. Plus, obese
people are prone to depression, FDA officials said.

"I don't know that we've been seeing any types of reactions that we
think are necessarily drug related," Bilstad said. But he added that a
study is vital to settle the issue.

Still, "without exception, brain serotonin neurons have been implicated
in all of those effects," said Hopkins' Ricaurte.

He criticizes FDA for negotiating the study in a meeting closed to
outside neurotoxicity experts, who fear Wyeth-Ayerst's research won't be
strong enough to detect subtle problems.

The meeting was closed so competitors would not learn how Wyeth-Ayerst
will examine Redux's effects on weight-related diseases like
hypertension, a potential new marketing edge.

"I'm absolutely furious" at the delay and secrecy, said Lynn McAfee of
the Council on Size & Weight Discrimination. "We deserve science and
we're not going to settle for less."

She wants that science fast to counter "pill mills" -- proliferating
diet centers that prescribe obesity drugs with little medical
oversight.  On Internet bulletin boards, patients even seek doctors to
prescribe Redux over the telephone.

Although the FDA and Wyeth-Ayerst issued recommendations for proper use,
it is legal for American doctors to prescribe drugs however they see
fit.

The FDA cannot say how many patients inappropriately take Redux. But it
is investigating the case of a 120-pound, 38-year-old woman found dead
in bed after using Redux for two months.

Recent side-effect reports listed weights for just 27 of 51 patients --
and 14 were below the government weight requirements, said FDA medical
officer Dr. Leo Lutwak.

Redux is hardly the only obesity drug with health concerns. Sweden
banned its close cousin, fenfluramine, because 45 percent of side
effects were psychiatric, including depression, said the consumer
advocacy group Public Citizen. Fenfluramine, sold here as the popular
"fen-phen" drug combination, also can cause pulmonary hypertension.

But Wyeth-Ayerst says the vast majority of Redux is prescribed
appropriately to patients.

Take Aulakh. At 5 feet, 3 inches and 220 pounds, the State Department
worker had failed diets for 20 years. In September, she began fasting
followed by a special diet, exercise and
Redux. Today, she weighs 190, and doctors test her heart and lungs
monthly for side effects.

"If I don't control my obesity, my life is going to     be shortened
anyway," Aulakh says.



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