Komputer for Alle 1998 #6/1998 CD 6 (Gul).iso/web/ffa/wwwenv~1.org/arrs/digest/news50~9.htm/text0004.txt

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>Hong Kong Standard
22 Aug 97

Scientists to examine swine flu strain

By Lucia Palpal-latoc

A STRAIN of influenza which first affected pigs before crossing over to
humans may help experts in understanding how an avian virus could be
transmitted to human beings.

The World Health Organisation will launch a project in China later this year
to monitor the development of ``swine flu''.

The plan was revealed a day after the Department of Health revealed that a
three-year-old boy died after he was infected by the H5N1 flu strain, which
was previously found only in birds and had never
been known to strike humans.
``The idea is to study the virus which affects the pigs and how it is
transferred to human beings,'' Dr Daniel Lavenchy, head of the WHO influenza
program, said from Geneva on Thursday.

The WHO had decided to study pig farms because some experts believed that
they were among the most common transmitter of viruses to human beings, he
said.

When asked whether the study could help the WHO in its further studies on
how H5N1 was transmitted to a boy, Dr Lavenchy replied: ``Probably in the
long term it will help us understand the mode of transmission of the virus
to humans.''

However, he said the nature of the new strain could be different from the
swine flu.

Experts from the University of Hong Kong and from China will be involved in
the two-year project.

A number of professors at HKU's department of zoology have already been
involved in some studies on pig farms in China.

Some of them have also been involved in the development of vaccines against
the swine flu.

Chairman of the Provisional Legislative Council's health services panel, Dr
Tang Siu-tong, welcomed the WHO's project.

``Any studies on the mode of transmission of a virus from animals to human
will be of great help in understanding new viruses that are discovered,'' he
said.

There are three H types of influenza affecting humans _ H1, H2, and H3.

The H1, commonly known as swine flu, has been affecting humans since 1968.

Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 12:50:04 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (TH) Cheap goods to be sold at Dusit Zoo
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>Bangkok Post
22 Aug 97

Cheap goods to be
              sold at Dusit Zoo

              Anjira Assavanonda

              Part of Dusit Zoo is to be turned into a temporary shopping
              plaza tomorrow.

              "Visit Khao Din, Eat Thai Food, Use Thai Products, Save
              Money" is the idea.

              Until next Sunday, people will be able to buy cheap goods from
              over 100 booths between 9am and 8pm.

              From Monday to Friday there will be a special promotion during
              which people can enter the zoo free between 4pm and 8pm.

              Popular singers will be on hand to provide entertainment.

              The country's only twin elephants, Jum-Jim, will be brought in
              from Khao Khiew Zoological Park.

              The Orang-utans Zuzu and her baby, from Sa Kaew Zoological
              Park, will be present.

              Usum Nimmanhaemin, director of the Zoological Park
              Organisation, said so far more than 200 shop owners from
              Bangkok and the provinces had offered to take part.

              The committee will have to choose about 100, since space is
              limited.

              Those who are chosen would be allowed to sell without charge,
              but will be asked to lower their prices as much as possible.

              According to Mr Sukhum, the idea will be applied to provincial
              zoos controlled by the organisation.

              He said numbers of zoo-goers had been increasing year by year,
              adding that this year the income of Dusit Zoo had increased five
              percent.

              But due to the slump and government cuts, admission prices
              might have to be raised to 30 baht per person.



Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 20:21:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [UK] National Trust hunting ban upheld
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>


>From The Electronic Telegraph - Friday, August 22nd, 1997

National Trust hunting ban upheld
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor=20

A HIGH Court judge has refused an appeal by hunters to overturn the National
Trust's ban on deer hunting with hounds, choosing instead to give the
go-ahead for a judicial examination next year.

Justice Robert Walker asked the trust the reconsider its ban, calling the
speed and secrecy with which it made the decision "a serious error of
judgment", but stopped short of making an order compelling the trust's
ruling council to reverse its decision of April 10. It was imposed within 36
hours of the publication of a study purporting to show that hunting caused
unacceptable stress to deer.

The judge said the report by Prof Patrick Bateson, an expert on animal
behaviour at King's College, Cambridge, was not in scientific language. It
had not been subject to "peer review" by other qualified experts and there
had been some criticism of its contents since publication.=20

The judge also accepted evidence that at least one of the trust's 52-member
council was having second thoughts about the ban. He refused, however, to
grant an injunction to the
Devon and Somerset Staghounds and the Quantock Staghounds allowing them to
continue hunting with hounds on trust land in the 1997-98 season.

He said that it would amount to deciding on matters of fact which could only
be established by a full trial. His most serious criticism of the trust
concerned its handling of Prof Bateson's findings, which the court was told
were discussed by a small group of senior trust officials, including the
chairman, Charles Nunneley, and director general, Martin Drury, at a meeting
in January this year.

Hunts, which had received assurances from Prof Bateson that hunting would be
unaffected by his research, learned only in early April that the report
might have serious consequences. The report was published at a press
conference on April 9 at which Mr Nunneley said he would be recommending a
ban to the ruling council at a meeting the next day. Council members had the
77-page report for a day before voting unanimously for a ban.

Mr Justice Walker said the trust's chairman and his small group of officials
who knew about the report's findings were "preoccupied and probably
excessively preoccupied" with the need to make a quick, clean decision to
deflect media criticism.=20

This led to "secrecy being preferred rather than the opportunity for further
consultation and discussion".=20

The speedy timetable was "bound to impose pressure" on council members,
however well-informed and diligent they may have been, at their meeting on
April 10.=20

The judge said that if calm, quiet reflection was supposed to attend the
council's consideration of serious questions, it was "an extraordinary
decision" by Mr Nunneley to present the Bateson report at a press conference
36 hours before the council met. This seemed "very questionable".=20

A report in The Telegraph, which summarised Prof Bateson's report and gave
Mr Nunneley's recommendation for a ban, was published on April 10 and was
likely to have influenced councillors in their decision.

However, Mr Justice Walker said that he was "very far from convinced" that
this amounted to a conspiracy by trust staff to get hunting banned.

He refused to allow a judicial review of the trust's decision, saying there
was equivalent redress to be had using charities law. The judge ruled that
the huntsmen did have an arguable "but not a strong" case for a further
trial of the trust's decision.=20

Counsel for the National Trust, Michael Douglas, QC, said it would give
"great weight" to the judge's suggestion that the decision to ban hunting be
reconsidered by its council in the light of evidence not available or
misunderstood at the time.=20

Janet George, a spokesman for the British Field Sports Society, said: "We
are extremely pleased that the case is now going to trial."

=A9 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.=20

    [UK] National Trust hunting ban upheld
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 20:21:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [UK] Ollie the escaped parrot ends up behind bars
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>


>From The Electronic Telegraph - Friday, August 22nd, 1997

Ollie the escaped parrot ends up behind bars
By Will Bennett=20

OLLIE the parrot's attempt to seek broader horizons will not go down as one
of the most successful of escape attempts - he achieved the opposite of what
generations of prisoners
have tried to do by breaking into Wormwood Scrubs

As his worried owner, Dot Oliver, searched for him, Ollie, an African Grey,
got through the London prison's ventilation system into E Wing. There he was
looked after by a man
serving a life sentence and who keeps budgerigars. He grew so fond of the
new cell-mate that he fed him his precious supply of chocolate biscuits.

Ollie's stay behind prison bars ended after a metal identity tag enabled
prison staff to contact Miss Oliver, 44, a legal secretary, who lives in
Barnes, south-west London.

She said: "I don't know what this man has done to get in prison but I think
it would be nice to keep in touch with him. I am going to send him some
photos of Ollie and a letter every three months to let him know how he is
doing. Ollie actually came back fatter than when he went in. He would not
eat bird seed so the man gave him a whole packet of chocolate digestives.=20

"The prison staff were fantastic. They said the man who looked after him
said he did not want me to take him home."

A prison spokesman said: "The parrot had come in through the vents in our E
Wing. A lot of lifers tend to keep birds so they have a knowledge of them."

=A9 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.=20

    [UK] Ollie the escaped parrot ends up behind bars
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 10:53:15 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Oklahoma Dove Hunting Information
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>


A/w local Oklahoma City hunting news:

If you are looking for a place to hunt doves, the Oklahoma Wildlife
Dept. can point you in the right direction with its 1997 Oklahoma
Dove Hunting Maps available at the dept's headquartes located in
Oklahoma City.  Dove season opens on the first of Sept.

These booklets contain maps showing the location of fields on
department-owned wildlife management areas that have been
managed to attract doves.  More than 20 areas have received
special attention in an effort to provide the best possible dove
hunting opportunities.  The booklets also provide maps of more than
4,200 acres of private land the dept. has leased especially for
public dove hunting.  The leases are in Logan, Kingfisher and
Blaine counties.

Mr. Alan Peoples, assistant game chief, says "We've really
strived to provide high-quality public dove hunting, especially at
some of our wildlife management areas.  Dove hunting can
be very fast-paced and exciting, so we encourage first-time
hunters to make use of the public hunting opportunities available
to them."

Peoples also said that the Tulsa hunters should be able to find
good hunting close by because portions of Fort Gibson, Keystone
and Deep Fork Wildlife Area Management Areas have been
managed for dove hunting.  He added that most of the state-
owned areas, even those not specifically managed for doves, are
open to public dove hunting.

A/w Peoples "Hunters are advised to scout these areas just
prior to hunting.  Weather conditions and subsequent agricultural
activity can greatly impact the no. of birds using these dove hunting
areas.  The best bet is to scout a day or two before hunting,
than concentrate your hunting where you have seen the most
activity."

                                         For the Animals,

                                         Jana, OKC
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 09:42:07 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Lawrence Carter-Long)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Taiwan struggles to solve stray dog problem
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Taiwan struggles to solve stray dog problem
 01:22 a.m. Aug 21, 1997 Eastern

 By Uma Nithipalan

 TAIPEI, Aug 21 (Reuter) - Dogs in Taiwan can face a grim future.

 Some strays have been rounded up and dumped into pits to wallow
 and starve to death. Others drown after being locked in cages and
 thrown into rivers in an effort to curb their numbers, animial rights
 activists say.

 ``Taiwan is one of the worst places in the world to be a dog,''
 according to the World Society for the Protection of Animals, which
 inspected Taiwan in February.

 The government estimates that up to 200,000 stray dogs live in the
 Taipei metropolitan area alone, and the number continues to multiply
 because most of the vagabonds have not been neutered.

 Residents see the problem as a growing menace. They complain of
 waste and noise from the animals that roam in such numbers and so
 freely as to seem an accepted part of the landscape.

 But animal rights activists blame irresponsible human owners and
 argue the strays are innocent victims.

 Whether dogs or humans are right, Taiwan's government says the
 uneasy relationship must end soon and plans to launch a major
 campaign to improve treatment for the strays.

 The campaign includes a budgeted T$6 million (US$206,897) to build
 shelters for stray dogs in southern Taiwan.

 Advocates for the canines praise the move, but say it is misguided.

 ``Their efforts are nice, but in the wrong direction,'' said Buddhist
 master Wu Hung, secretary-general of the Life Conservationist
 Association, one of several private organisations that promote animal
 rights.

 ``Building shelters for the strays is good, but it cannot quite solve
the problem,'' Wu said.

 The monk said the government not only should try to find ways to
 keep the strays alive, it should find ways to kill them humanely,
 through euthanasia.

 ``It is more important to keep a balance on quantity,'' Wu said.

 Affluent Taiwan long has been accused by international groups like the
 World Society for the Protection of Animals for killing strays using
 brutal methods.

 In past years, captured strays were dumped into shallow pits to
 wallow and starve in a slow death. Others drowned after being locked
 in cages and thrown into rivers.

 WSPA crusaders say Taiwan also killed its strays by electrocuting
 and poisoning them.

 Taiwan's government admitted that brutal execution methods had been
 widespread on the island, but said it has ordered local administrations
 to be kinder and gentler.

 ``The (dog) catching done now is more humane. Last year they
 replaced the metal rods used to catch the dogs with the more
 animal-friendly nets,'' said Yang Su-er, a representative from Taipei's
 Bureau of Environmental Protection.

 ``Captured dogs are now executed through lethal injections or gas. I
 think that as long as the dog doesn't suffer, then it's okay for the
dogs to be executed,'' Yang said.

 But some crusaders maintain that the government should punish not
 the strays, but those who caused the dogs to become strays -- their
 flighty masters.

 ``The government should institute a law to prevent people from
 abandoning their dogs,'' said Wang Li-ling, president of the private
 Help-Save-A-Pet Fund.

 ``People need to be educated to see if they are qualified to buy a dog.
 If they are inhumane and their living standard is not good, they should
 not even consider buying a dog,'' she said.

 Wang pointed to the advent of microchips as a promising way to rein
 in the strays' human deserters.

 Veterinarians can now place a microchip in a dog's ear as a form of
 identification, allowing authorities to contact owners of abandoned
 dogs.

 ``Microchip implanting is a good way to locate the dog deserters,''
 Wu Hung said.

 Copyright 1997 Reuters Limited.
--
Posted by:
Lawrence Carter-Long
Coordinator, Science and Research Issues
Animal Protection Institute, phone: [phone]
email: [e-mail]
world wide web: http://www.api4animals.org/

"Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of too
much life by doing so. Aim above morality. Be not simply
good; be good for something."  -- Henry David Thoreau


Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 09:43:17 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Lawrence Carter-Long)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Biotech News: Selecting the Gender of Pigs
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Scientists Develop Method of Selecting the Gender of Pigs

 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
 Thu, Aug 21 1997

 For four weeks beginning in April, scientists from the University of
 Missouri at Columbia met a Southwest Airlines jet each Wednesday
 evening at Lambert Field to pick up a specially packed box and drive it
 to their campus.

 Inside each box were small vials filled with a tiny amount of hog semen
 that earlier in the day had undergone a high-tech treatment to sort it
into male and female components.

 Early the next morning, Mizzou researchers used the gender-separated
 semen to fertilize sow eggs in test tubes and later implant them in
 surrogate-mother sows.

 The result was a surprising scientific success: litter after litter of
all-female or all-male piglets, marking the first successful gender
sorting of swine.

 The most recent litter was born Aug. 6, researchers said Wednesday.

 The development could lead the way to more efficient hog production. It
 could also help researchers trying to genetically engineer hogs to
provide hearts, kidneys and other organs that can be transplanted into
humans.

 "We knew it would work," said Bill Day, a professor of animal science at
 the university who led the Missouri end of the cooperative project with
 the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "But we didn't expect much more
 than an 85 percent success in predicting the gender."

 Of the 33 piglets born beginning in July at MU's Animal Science
 Research Center, 32 were born with the predicted sex. An all-female
 litter of eight piglets was the largest of the eight litters. The lone
"miss" was a male in a litter with three females.

 Day was cautious when asked whether gender sorting was possible in
 humans.

 "We're working with pigs . . . . I honestly don't think of it
otherwise," he said.

 He added that such issues were "up to society to determine, but there's
 obviously no reason the technology can't be transmitted from one
 mammal to another."

 The breakthrough was one of many over the past several years in animal
 reproductive technology. Among other techniques, scientists have
 developed ways to control the breeding time of cattle and hogs. MU has
 been a leader in this research, including test-tube fertilization
technology.

 The gender-sorting process was developed by scientists with the
 Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Md. They were the ones who
 placed the vials on the jet in Baltimore.

 The process separates semen into two components - one containing
 sperm carrying the X, or female, chromosome and the other containing
 the Y, or male, chromosome. Scientists can sort the semen because the X
 chromosome has slightly more DNA than the Y chromosome.

 These chromosomes in the sperm determine the sex of the offspring.

 The gender-sorting technique was demonstrated a few years ago in cows
 by scientists with the Agriculture Department.

 The research reported Wednesday combined the Agriculture
 Department's ability to sort semen by gender and the MU technique for
 maturing swine embryos in test tubes.

 The problem is that the Agriculture Department's process is slow and
 separates many fewer sperm than needed for insemination. The solution is
 the MU test-tube fertilization technique, which requires only relatively
 small numbers of sperm.

 Among other potential benefits, the gender-separation technology could
 eventually help hog farmers, who desire females more than males in
 developing breeding stock. Normally, a litter would have half males and
 half females.

 Day cautioned that the finding was only one step among many still
 needed.

 "We have shown that this technology can be accomplished, but it will
 need to be improved before used in any commercial or medical
 applications," he said.

 Among other problems, the experimental litters aren't big enough to be
of commercial value. And much more work needs to be done on the
promising technology for genetically engineering pigs to produce organs
for humans.

 (Copyright 1997)

 Copyright 1997, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH.
--
Posted by:
Lawrence Carter-Long
Coordinator, Science and Research Issues
Animal Protection Institute, phone: [phone]
email: [e-mail]
world wide web: http://www.api4animals.org/

"Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of too
much life by doing so. Aim above morality. Be not simply
good; be good for something."  -- Henry David Thoreau


Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 09:46:04 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Lawrence Carter-Long)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Florida Times-Union: BBQ's Without The Beef
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Florida Times-Union: BBQ's Without The Beef

Meat-free Barbecuing From black bean burgers to
 mushroom patties, vegetarians can make the most out of a
 barbecue, even when there's meat on nearly everyone's
 menu

 The Florida Times-Union
 Thu, Aug 21 1997

 If having a slab of beef on a bun seems less tantalizing than
tormenting, chances are the idea of a family barbecue fills you more with
dread than delight.

 Maybe you're just sick of living in a meat-mad nation. Maybe you're
tired of the same old hamburger and hot dog ritual. Or maybe sinking your
teeth into anything that bleeds red when you bite into it makes you feel
like another Draculesque Florida mosquito.

 So whether because of ethics or aesthetics, you've made the vegetarian
 choice. But what's a vegetarian to do when the family screams for summer
barbecue?

 "We eat all the salad, and there's no salad for anybody," said Gil
Weise, vegetarian and owner of Weise Natural Food Product Shoppe. "I just
say all I want is some salad, and then when I get home I eat whatever I need
to supplement my normal diet."

 "Sometimes people just don't understand," vegetarian Melanie Manuel
said. "I'll say I don't eat meat, and they'll say, 'Here's a really good
chicken dish.'... The last time I went to a barbecue, I ate fruit salad,
baked beans and garlic bread."

 Sometimes, though, salad just isn't enough and treating yourself to a
juicy lettuce-tomato-pickle-no-burger burger is the barbecue equivalent
of eating the apple out of a roast pig's mouth. Being a die-hard
greens-gulper doesn't have to mean boring barbecue and a long summer with
nothing but potato salad, potato salad, and more potato salad in sight.

 Evelyn Harden, who attributes her good health and high energy at age 79
to her 30 years of vegetarianism, has had plenty of time to become
familiar with many meat-free options.

 "You can buy things," Harden said. "You can get {meatless} hot dogs.
They also have the nicest canned chicken made from grains and soybeans.  You
can make a patty out of vegetables, or take vegetables like onions and
squash and just put them on the grill."

 The types of vegetarians are as varied as their reasons for not eating
meat. Most people who eschew meat are ovo-lacto vegetarians who will eat
products from live animals, such as eggs and milk.

 Then there are the vegans, who consume no foods produced by animals,
 living or dead -- up to, and often including, honey.

 Macrobiotics follow a diet whose roots lie in Zen Buddhism, trying to
 balance the forces of yin and yang (expansion and contraction) in their
meals. At the center of the diet are whole grains and vegetables, though
small amounts of fish can sometimes be included.

 Rawists think that cooking foods destroys vitamins, minerals and
essential enzymes and plan diets for themselves of which at least 75
percent is uncooked.

 Fruitarians eat only fruits and those vegetables that are botanically
classified as fruits (peppers, squash, tomatoes). The idea behind the
diet is that, to fit into the scheme of things, humans must consume only
those parts of plants that have evolved to be dispersed by creatures who
consume them -- in other words, the parts containing seeds.

 According to U.S. Department of Agriculture studies, more than 50
million Americans are cutting back on their meat intake. People have
started to turn away from animal products, the main source of disease
 promoting/aggravating substances such as saturated fat, cholesterol,
excess protein and excess sodium, to plant products that contain the
preventative beta carotene, vitamins E and C, fiber and folic acid.

 "My family is not vegetarian," said Mary Harden, who's seen first-hand
the benefits of a meatless lifestyle from her husband's grandmother,
Evelyn Harden. "They have cut down on meat, though, because everyone's
aware of the health problems."

 So many, in fact, go veggie that entire product lines have been
developed to cater to those who want the experience without the beef.
Nasoya Foods, Inc., offers fat free, soy-based VegiBurgers and VegiDogs
to replace the traditional type, as does Morning Star Farms.

 But what if you don't want to eat out of a box? Portobello mushrooms
have long been hailed as a beef-burger substitute, but even their
ever-juicy, smoky flavor can grow old over a Florida grilling season that
stretches from April to September. Fortunately for vegetarians, there's
more than one way to grill a veggie.

 BLACK BEAN BURGERS

 1 14-ounce can black beans

 1 small onion

 2 cloves garlic, crushed

 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

 1/4 cup egg substitute

 Place onion and garlic in food processor and process until fine. Add
 well-drained black beans. Process until beans are in mashed consistency.

 Place in medium mixing bowl, add Cajun seasoning, bread crumbs and egg
substitute. Mix thoroughly and shape into 4 patties.

 Place in well-greased grill basket or on grill, and cook for 5 to 7
minutes on both sides.

 Yield: 4 servings.

 Source: Food TV Network

 BULGHUR BURGERS

 3 cups water

 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

 1 1/2 cups bulghur

 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 1/2 cup chopped scallions

 1/2 cup grated carrots

 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

 1/4 cup tahini

 1 cup mashed chick peas

 2 tablespoons tomato paste

 2 tablespoons soy sauce

 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

 Dash of ground black pepper

 Bring water to boil. While it is heating, use heavy pan or skillet to
saute garlic and bulghur in oil on medium-high heat for 2 minutes,
stirring frequently.

 Add boiling water. Return to boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer
for 15 to 20 minutes, until all water is absorbed and bulghur is soft but
still chewy.

 When bulghur is ready, stir in scallions, carrots, parsley, tahini,
chick peas, tomato paste, soy sauce, mustard and pepper.

 With moistened hands, form the bulghur mixture into 6 to 8 burgers.

 Grill in grill basket for 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Burgers should be
firm to touch.

 Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

 Source: Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.

 FALAFEL

 1 medium russet potato, baked, peeled, and mashed

 3 cups (2 16-ounce cans) chick peas, drained and mashed

 2 tablespoons toasted or regular tahini

 1 tablespoon plain yogurt

 1/2 cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs

 2/3 cup finely chopped red onion

 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

 1 tablespoon ground cumin

 2 teaspoons sweet paprika

 Dash cayenne pepper

 Pinch salt

 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

 6 pita pockets or whole wheat burger buns

 In large mixing bowl, combine potato, chick peas, tahini, yogurt, bread
 crumbs, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and
cilantro. Mix well, using hands, until thoroughly blended.

 Shape mixture into 6 patties and place inside wire-mesh grill screen or
 directly on grill. Cook for about 15 minutes, turning once halfway
through, until they've browned evenly. Do not overcook.

 Serve in pita pockets or burger buns.

 Yield: 6 servings.

 Source: Grilling from the Garden, by Diana Shaw

 VEGETARIAN MUSHROOM PATTIES

 2 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms

 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons seasoned dried bread crumbs

 2/3 cup low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese

 1/2 cup chopped onion

 2 large eggs lightly beaten

 2 1/4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

 2 ounces chopped walnuts or almonds

 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

 Dash salt

 Dash freshly ground black pepper

 In large bowl, combine all ingredients until thoroughly blended. Shape
mixture into 6 patties.

 Place patties in well-greased grill basket and grill for 5 to 7 minutes
on each side, or until firm.

 Yield: 6 servings.

 Source: Weight Watchers Favorite Homestyle Recipes.

 SMOKED MOZZARELLA, TOMATOES AND HERBS

 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

 1 clove garlic, finely minced

 1 small shallot, finely minced

 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

 16 cherry tomatoes

 2 cups cubed smoked mozzarella

 Combine olive oil, garlic, shallot and basil.

 Alternating tomatoes and cheese, thread onto skewers.

 Brush skewers with oil-and-herb mixture.

 Grill, turning often, until tomatoes char lightly and cheese gets gooey,
about 6 to 8 minutes.

 Yield: 4 servings.

 Source: Grilling from the Garden, by Diana Shaw.

 INFOBOX

 TIPS FOR MAKING VEGGIE BUGERS

 Chop ingredients in food processor to make them smaller. This helps
patties stick together better.

 Chill patties before grilling. Patties can also be frozen ahead of time
and then transferred straight from freezer to grill, though this
increases cooking time slightly.

 Cook in grill basket which has been thoroughly oiled. Use paper towel to
 wipe oil over all of basket. Spraying with non-stick cooking spray
doesn't work well.

 Use fire that is about four "Mississippis." It should be hot enough so
that you can hold your hand for a count of "one-Mississippi,
two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi, four-Mississippi" without pulling
hand back.

 TIPS FOR VEGGIE SKEWERS

 Use skewers with either a flat prong or a double prong so that when you
turn skewer, vegetables actually turn with it.

 Leave space between vegetables on skewers to help them cook more
 evenly.

 Placing similar items on same skewer cuts down on visual appeal, but
makes cooking easier. Potatoes cook slower than mushrooms, which cook slower
than cheese.

 Copyright 1997, The Florida Times-Union.
--
Posted by:
Lawrence Carter-Long
Coordinator, Science and Research Issues
Animal Protection Institute, phone: [phone]
email: [e-mail]
world wide web: http://www.api4animals.org/

"Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of too
much life by doing so. Aim above morality. Be not simply
good; be good for something."  -- Henry David Thoreau


Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 18:42:28 +0200
From: "[e-mail]" <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Institutions that support bullfighting
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
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I am Nuria from Barcelona.
Please read about several Institutions that suport torture

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/ranch/1231/support-toros.htm

Thanks for your concern

Nuria  http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/3787
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 18:44:26 +0200
From: "[e-mail]" <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Link-Mistake solved in  Institutions that support bullfighting
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-version: 1.0
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[e-mail] wrote:
>
> I am Nuria from Barcelona.
> Please read about several Institutions that suport torture
>
> http://www.geocities.com/heartland/ranch/1231/promote-toros.htm
>
> Thanks for your concern
>
> Nuria  http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/3787
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 13:06:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: PAWS <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: King Royal Update
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

City Gets Elephants Until Trial:  Circus Case Could Take Up to 2 Years

State District Judge Susan Conway on Thursday compared King Royal Circus
to an abusive parent and gave the city of Albuquerque temporary custody
of 10 animals taken from  the company's trailer.

The city had seized the two elephants and eight llamas after police
discovered them in the hot, cramped trailer with one dead elephant.

After 1 1/2 days of testimony and viewing the surviving animals Wednesday
evening, Conway awarded the city custody until the full case comes to
trial--which could be as much as two years away.

In her ruling, Conway likened the case to one in which a child dies under
suspicious circumstances.

It could be that the child was abused and neglected, or it could be "a
tragedy in which no one is to blame," she said.

"The evidence in this case shows that the respondents (the circus and its
handler Benjamin Davenport) are to blame,"  Conway said.

"I am delighted,"  Mayor Martin Chavez said of Conway's decision, which
he said "has national implications for the protection of animals."

Chavez said he understands it is the first time a U.S. municipality has
successfully intervened for custody in a case of animal abuse.

"I'm not one to say that animals should never be used in circuses but
here there was a case of abuse,"  said Chavez who said the animals are
"thriving" in the city's care at San Gabriel Park.

Meanwhile, the USDA slapped the Texas-based circus with a 21-day
suspension earlier this week.

The suspension, filed under the federal Animal Welfare Act, means that
King Royal cannot exhibit any animals for 21 days and a USDA
investigation of the circus is under way.

King Royal also has been cited by the city of Albuquerque on suspicion of
cruelty to animals, leaving animals unattended in a vehicle, and improper
care and feeding of an animal.

But final resolution of the city's civil custody battle with the circus
won't be any time soon, lawyers say.

Assistant City Attorney Greg Wheeler--who argued the case with Assistant
City Attorney Patricia Williams--said a trial could be anywhere from 6
months to 2 years away.

"It's up to the judge, "  Wheeler said.

Attorney Ron Koch, who represents the circus and teh 23-year-old
Davenport, called Conway "a good judge and a fair judge (who) did what
she thought was appropriate."

Though Koch said "it could take quite a while " for the case to come to
trial, he said, "We'll live with that."

conway said Thursday she found the space in which the animals traveled
"inhumanely small" and "inadequately ventilated."

Davenport testified Thursday that he had driven the animals from Las
Vegas on August 3 to Dillon, Colorado, where he first noticed the 8 year
old elephant named Heather was getting sick.

After consulting by phone with his father, circus owner John Davenport,
he drove the animals to Albuquerque--and it was at a truck stop just
west of Albuquerque that he knew Heather had died.

Although Davenport testified he made frequent short stops to feed and
water the animals and clean out the trailer, conway noted he never took
the animals out and exercised them during the entire 400-mile
Nevada-to-colorado trip.

"It would have made the circus late," she said.

Conway waid it was clear to her that "the elephants are bonded to Mr.
Davenport,"  but, she added, "that doesn't mean they weren't abused...we
all know that children bond to abusive parents."

conway also found there was substantial evidence that the stress of
travel, an "admittedly wrong" diet and an improperly ventilated
trailer--which officials said could have reached 120 degrees while parked
in the Albuquerque hote lot--all contributed to heather's death.

Tests showed she died of a septicemic salmonella bacterial infection, zoo
veterinarian Dr. Brett Snyder testified Wednesday.

Surviving elephant Donna and Irene also were found to be carrying
salmonella bacteria, but Irene, a larger Asian elephant, didn't hav an
active case, Snyder said.

Conway said Thursday there would be substantial harm to Donna--who has
put on 140 pounds in less than two weeks--if she were fiven back to King
Royal Circus "in her recently improved condition."

conway--who earlier threw out the city's original request to force
Davenport to remain with the animals--said Thursday she would allow
circus handlers to attend to the animals "and I encourage them to do so."

conway also had turned down the city's request for a lien on the
circus--to cover the cost of the animals' upkeep. The city has said
caring for the 10 animals cost several hundred dollars a day.

But conway also rejected King Royal's request that the city post a bond
or security against any possible award to the circus in the final
resolution of the case.

"The city is good for any damages that might accrue,"  Conway said. "The
city is not going anywhere."


**********************

PAWS will keep you posted as the case continues.  PLEASE continue to
pressure the USDA to confiscate animals and PERMANENTLY revoke King
Royal's license.

Secretary Daniel Glickman
USDA
14th St. and Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC  20250

[phone]

PLEASE don't stop calling and writing now.  The USDA is in a
decision-making process and it is imperative that they continue to hear
from us.  Thank you!
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 13:52:16 -0400 (EDT)
From: PAWS <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Rep. Farr Condemns King Royal
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

Congressman Sam Farr, Representative from the 17th Congressional District
in California has issued the following press release about the King Royal
Circus:

Washington, August 22, 1997:

I am distressed but not surprised to learn of another serious occurrence
of animal abuse where the King Royal Circus is responsible.  On August
6th, the Albuquerque, New Mexico police department was called to
investigate a suspicious looking van parked in the area.  Opening the
van, the officers found a horrible sight...badly dehydrated exotic
animals tightly packed in the van and tragically, a baby African elephant
dead on the van floor.

This circus has a well-documented history of animal abuse citations going
back several years.  The USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS), whose responsibility it is to enforce the law protecting animals
such as these, must intervene now to stop this horrific pattern of animal
abuse by this circus.  APHIS must take immediate steps to revoke any and
all licenses that this circus has to show animals.  I have contacted the
Secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman, as well as responsible APHIS
officials in Washington to express in the strongest terms the need for
maximum sanctions against this repeated offender of the Animal Welfare
regulations.

Not only is this an issue of animal abuse, it is also about public
safety.  APHIS cannot ignore the very real danger that exists when the
public is invited to ride on circus elephants.  And when there are
documented instances of abuse of animals by those who would show
them...the possibilities of accidents rise dramatically. Circuses who
abuse and mistreat their animals should be out of business. The public
safety is at stake and the Animal Welfare Act makes it the law. APHIS must
take action now.
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 16:55:49 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Kathryn A Laszlo)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (MN) Ruling May Halt Goose Roundups
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Published Aug 22, 1997
Federal Judge Revokes Permits That Allow Roundup Of Canada Geese
Dean Rebuffoni/Star Tribune

Minneapolis -- A federal judge on Thursday revoked permits that allow the
annual roundup of nuisance Canada geese in the Twin Cities area, ruling
that two federal agencies violated their own regulations by issuing the
permits.

U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle's decision, which came on a lawsuit by
animal-rights advocates, does not affect the latest roundup, which ended
in July. About 4,300 goslings were captured and relocated out of the
area; 1,300 adult geese were slaughtered, and their meat was donated to
area food shelves.

However, the ruling could affect future roundups in the 15-year-old
effort to control the metro area's burgeoning goose population. Even so,
the decision is not a clear-cut victory for the animal-rights advocates,
who sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Interior Department.
That's because the ruling, issued in St. Paul, focuses on the process by
which the agencies approved special permits for the two most recent
roundups.

Kyle did not decide whether a major environmental-impact study is needed
before the control program can be resumed.

Indeed, the judge said he has "grave doubts" that the animal-rights
advocates will prevail if they again ask the federal courts to order such
a study. He said they "have presented no evidence to show that the
metro-area goose population will be destabilized or otherwise placed in
jeopardy by destroying the limited number of geese specified" in the
federal permits.

On the contrary, Kyle said, evidence in the case indicates that the metro
goose population "is not only thriving, but in certain areas has
increased so much as to become a public nuisance."

The Justice Department attorneys who represented the federal agencies
could not be reached Thursday for comment. Although the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) oversees the goose roundups, it is
not a defendant in the suit, and its officials had not yet reviewed the
decision.

The suit was filed by three nonprofit groups: the Humane Society, its
Minnesota affiliate, and Friends of Animals and Their Environment (FATE),
a Twin Cities-based organization. Their attorney, Richard Duncan of
Minneapolis, praised Kyle's decision.

"It ends probably the single most wasteful DNR wildlife-management
program," he said. "It spends $75,000 of taxpayers' money every year, but
really doesn't control the number of geese, because they come back.

"These poor birds are being treated inhumanely for no sound scientific
purpose," Duncan said. "The DNR should put this program to bed. It should
donate that $75,000 to food shelves, where it would do some real good for
people."

In his decision, Kyle noted that the Fish and Wildlife Service and
Interior Department are charged with administering the U.S. regulations
derived from the Migratory Bird Treaty, a pact with Canada and Mexico.

Migratory birds such as Canada geese cannot be captured or killed except
in compliance with those regulations. Violations are criminal acts, and a
defendant's allegation that a bird is so abundant that it no longer needs
protection is not a valid defense, Kyle said.

Originally, he said, the federal permits that allow the DNR to manage the
goose roundups "focused on activities intended to protect the geese."

Birds of giant Canada goose subspecies, the type commonly found in the
Twin Cities, were once considered extinct, or nearly so. However, the
metro area's goose population has grown from about 500 birds in 1968 to
more than 25,000.

The birds' remarkable recovery has been aided by the area's urbanization,
which greatly diminished goose predation by other wild animals. Also,
many local communities prohibit goose hunting for safety reasons, and
converting the area's timber and brush to lawns and golf courses has
greatly increased the amount of grass preferred by geese, which are
grazers.

Geese droppings foul area lawns, walkways, beaches and golf courses, and
there is concern about the big birds colliding with aircraft near
airports. As the goose population grew and complaints about the birds
increased, the DNR started relocating geese to northern Minnesota and to
other states.

The DNR also allows special goose-hunting seasons in parts of the area
and in recent years has permitted the killing of geese for distribution
to local food shelves. Although the DNR says the program has been an
environmental and societal success, it has prompted lawsuits by
animal-rights advocates. They contend that there are less lethal
alternatives for controlling the bird's population.

One such suit was rejected last year by Kyle, who said the advocates had
failed to show that their ability to enjoy viewing geese would be
irreparably harmed if several thousand of the birds were moved or killed.
He also said that while federal officials may not have followed the rules
granting permits to the DNR, they did provide evidence that limiting the
goose population is needed to prevent risks to aircraft and possible
public health problems.

This time, however, Kyle took issue with the process by which the federal
agencies issued permits for the 1996 and 1997 goose roundups. He noted
that one Wildlife Service regulation states that it may only issue such
permits upon "receipt of evidence clearly showing that migratory birds"
are seriously damaging farm crops or commercially grown fish.

The Wildlife Service failed to meet that requirement, Kyle determined. He
also said that the service and the Interior Department "failed to comply
with their own regulations in issuing these permits. By disregarding the
very regulations which they are charged with enforcing, defendants have
acted outside of their statutory authority, constituting more than
harmless error."

Still, Kyle said, his decision "does not constitute a determination" that
conservation agencies cannot conduct a goose roundup that complies with
current regulations. He said "the real problem" is that those rules "did
not contemplate such a burgeoning population of once nearly extinct
birds."

As a result, the regulations "have failed to consider that there may be a
need to lower any one bird population because it is a nuisance," he said.


Copyright 1997 Star Tribune | Minneapolis-St.Paul





Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 20:02:21 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Vegetarian gets "mad cow" disease
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

    LONDON (AP) - A young woman who has been a vegetarian for 12
years has contracted a strain of the incurable human brain ailment
linked to ``mad cow'' disease, her father said Friday.
      Clare Louise Tomkins, 24, has been ill for 10 months and was
diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease two weeks ago, Roger
Tomkins said.
      The Times of London, The Guardian of London and other news
agencies reported that Miss Tomkins' doctor had diagnosed her and
that she was believed to be the 22nd case of the new variant of
CJD. The doctor was not immediately available to confirm the
reports.
      Firm diagnosis of the disease in humans is extremely difficult
because it involves biopsy of brain tissue.
      Eleven years ago, scientists detected the first cases of mad cow
disease - bovine spongiform encephalopathy - in Britain's cattle
herds.
      In 1995, Britain announced that a new variant of CJD was linked
to eating meat from animals who had mad cow disease. The European
Community imposed a total ban of the export of British beef.
      Professor John Pattison, dean of London's University College
Medical School, said Friday it was very likely that Miss Tomkins
suffered from the new variant.
      ``The fact that this woman was a vegetarian for such a long time
is an unusual feature and we will think about what the implications
for that are,'' he said. ``But I don't think it invalidates our
thinking at the moment, which is that new variant CJD was probably
caused by infected animal tissue.''
      Pattison said the woman could have caught CJD before the first
case of mad cow disease was identified in 1986.
      ``The first infections in cows must have been occurring from
probably 1981 to 1983,'' he said. ``If this young lady stopped
eating meat in 1985, we are just within the margins when she might
or might not have been exposed because of her meat eating.''
      Miss Tomkins' father said it never occurred to the family that
she might have CJD because she was such a strict vegetarian.
      ``She ate cheese and milk but would not touch anything like
biscuits if they had meat products in them,'' he said.
      Professor Richard Lacey, a microbiologist who was among the
first scientists to warn of a mad cow disease threat to humans,
said scientists should not dismiss the possibility that Miss
Tomkins contracted the illness from drinking milk.
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 20:10:23 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Burger King Goes Burgerless
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

If only Burger King had a real veggie burger (like in UK).......
from AP Wire page:
-------------------------------------
 08/22/1997 19:32 EST

 Burger King Goes Burgerless

 By SCOTT BAUER
 Associated Press Writer

 Ham-and-cheese and BLT sandwiches replaced Whoppers at 700
 Burger Kings around the nation Friday as the largest meat
 recall in U.S. history sent the fast-food chain scrambling for ground
 new beef suppliers.

 Some diners were keen on the burgerless Burger Kings while
 others walked out the door.
                                                                -----------
 ``You can't have Burger King without burgers,'' said David
 Clouse as he left one of the restaurants in Arapahoe County, Colo. ``It's
 just not the same.''

 Tierney Smith of Columbus, Neb., said the ham-and-cheese she selected
 instead of a double cheeseburger had fewer calories, ``and that's good
 for me.''

 Burger King, the nation's second-largest fast-food chain behind
 McDonald's, came up beef short after it cleared its stores of patties
 supplied by Hudson Foods Inc., the source of burgers blamed in an E. coli
 outbreak that sickened fewer than two dozen people in Colorado in early
 June.

 Miami-based Burger King said 1,650 of its restaurants in 28 states were
 affected by the expanded recall Thursday of 25 million pounds of
 hamburger processed at a Hudson Foods plant in Columbus, Neb., but 950 of
 the restaurants got new beef supplies by Friday. Other Burger Kings in
 the chain didn't use Hudson as a supplier.

 ``Absolutely, customers are concerned,'' said Paul Clayton, North
 American president of Burger King Corp. ``Obviously, our sales are
 probably not what we'd want them to be.''

 Spokesmen for rival chains McDonald's and Wendy's said it was too soon to
 tell whether their business had increased or whether people were avoiding
 hamburgers altogether because of Thursday's expanded recall.

 Hudson also supplied ground beef for some Boston Markets restaurants and
 frozen beef patties sold at Safeway, Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. All have
 removed the meat from their shelves.

 At first, 20,000 pounds of beef were recalled Tuesday, but it was
 expanded when the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited problems with
 records for tracing meat production.

 Hudson Foods agreed to recall all the beef that had been processed at the
 plant and to shut down the plant until stronger safety recommendations
 were met. There was no indication when the plant might reopen.

 ``We are confident that the plant is ready to open as soon as the USDA is
 ready to come in and take a look at it,'' said Hudson spokesman Robert
 Udowitz.

 He said it was too early to estimate how much the recall and
 the plant shutdown will cost the company. The USDA said the
 contamination didn't occur at the plant but at one of Hudson's
 suppliers. It wasn't known which one sent Hudson the tainted
 beef.

 People with Hudson hamburgers in their freezer were urged to
 return them to the place where they purchased them, said USDA
 spokeswoman Jacque Knight said. All of the meat will then be
 returned to Hudson, which will decide whether to burn it or
 render it into pet food, she said.
 ----------
           Clayton said Burger King pulled the meat as a precaution. It
 maintains a separate production line at the plant and its own testing
 showed no contamination. In addition, the chain's flame-broiled cooking
 system guarantees beef is cooked at least to the 155-degree temperature
 that kills E. coli bacteria, he said.

 ``No tainted beef made its way to Burger King,'' Clayton said.

 Meanwhile, Burger Kings doing without hamburgers extended
 their breakfast menus into the lunch hour, urging customers
 to check out the pork patties and other beefless offerings.

 Bacon, lettuce and tomato and ham-and-cheese sandwiches were
 added to menus.
                                                              -------------
 ``To tell the truth, even though they've had this recall,
 I've still been eating beef,'' said Alan Russell, 27, as he ordered
 chicken for himself and his son at a Burger King drive-through in
 northwest Omaha. ``I guess it just doesn't bother me like it does some
 people.''

 Burger Kings that carried Hudson beef are in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado,
 Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan,
 Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico,
 North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
 Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.