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- Monday, November 24, 1997; Page C03
- The Washington Post
-
- In Gaithersburg, a Tug of War Over Deer
- Plan to Thin Herd Before Development Is Built, as Required by City,
- Angers Animal Lovers
- By Amy Klein
-
- Developer Tom Natelli says he never thinks twice about the deer. He
- builds houses with flower beds and cul-de-sacs, turning wooded tracts
- into neighborhoods, and then moves on. He's gone long before the deer --
- usually numbering about 300 per square mile -- return to munch on shrubs
- and collide with cars.
- He had planned to do the same with his new 1,700-home neighborhood in
- Gaithersburg, until he became the first developer to run up against a
- City Council regulation that holds developers responsible for the space
- crunch put on deer every time another subdivision pops up.
- Natelli has submitted a proposal to use sharpshooters this winter to
- cull the deer herd on the 383 acres of land across from Muddy Branch
- Park where he plans to build Lakelands, his newest community. But that
- plan has sparked fury from animal activists who call the hunting
- proposal "arrogant and inhumane."
- "This is just a total scam," said Amy Beam, a preschool teacher who
- lives across the street from where the new community will be built.
- "These are the deer that I love and enjoy, that come walking through my
- yard. They're sweet and harmless."
- The dispute has flared since Gaithersburg became the first city in
- Maryland to adopt a preventive measure to deal with the conflict between
- deer and human dwellers. It requires developers seeking approval for
- projects to submit a natural resources "inventory" to the City Council,
- along with a plan for wildlife management.
- Gaithersburg wants to avoid problems, such as deer-car collisions, that
- have surfaced in other Washington area communities.
- In Montgomery County last year, 1,800 car crashes were attributed to
- deer that wandered across busy roads. The death of a school librarian
- last month, who was killed when a deer leapt in front of her car in
- McLean, has intensified debate across the region and prompted Fairfax
- County officials to reconsider a deer hunt proposal they had rejected.
- "I think we've learned from what's happened in the past, but I think
- we've also realized the problem's getting worse," said Clark Wagner,
- Gaithersburg's urban design director, who worked with Natelli on the
- management plan. "We realized we needed to do something before another
- deer flies through someone's windshield and causes more people to die."
- City Council approval is required for any hunting within city limits,
- and a public hearing will be held in January. If the city decides to go
- forward with Natelli's proposal, the Maryland Department of Natural
- Resources will have to sign off on permits.
- The debate over deer control measures -- including relocating the
- animals, treating them with contraceptives or killing them -- is not new
- in Maryland, a state that has nearly 300,000 of the long-legged
- creatures. But the Department of Natural Resources, which is holding
- deer hunts in three Montgomery County state parks this winter, applauds
- the city for taking preventive action and hopes other suburbs take their
- cue from Gaithersburg.
- "This is the first time we've been proactive in addressing a problem
- that we know is going to occur," said Josh Sandt, director of the
- agency's wildlife division. He said it's easier to deal with deer
- overpopulation before development goes up.
- "We'll be watching to see what the concerns are and how it goes, but I
- think sharpshooters on land that will be developed is one of the tools
- that will be used in the future," he said.
- Natelli, of Potomac, who has developed properties across the Washington
- area, said he is not completely comfortable with the idea of killing
- deer but said the city is forcing him to confront the problem before he
- builds.
- He said he looked at other options, such as providing contraception or
- relocating the animals, but came to the conclusion that such means were
- insufficient for reducing the 200-odd deer that live on his property.
- "I would have been fine doing nothing and just allowing them to go on
- the site, but the city has concluded that doing nothing is not an
- appropriate action," Natelli said.
- Natelli said he is considering using White Buffalo Inc., a
- Connecticut-based wildlife management agency that would use
- sharpshooters to kill the deer and then donate the venison to food
- banks. The job would cost Natelli Communities $30,000 to $40,000.
- National activists and local neighbors refer to the plan as a "deer
- slaughter," criticizing the move to eliminate the deer before they
- become a problem.
- "My idea of a preventive measure is instead of calling it `Lakelands,'
- call it `Deer Fields,' and let it attract people who will be enchanted
- by that," Beam said.
- Natelli said the battle in Gaithersburg has changed the way he looks at
- undeveloped land. In the future, he said, when he proposes new projects,
- he may routinely include plans as needed to control the deer population.
- "Once you know what the current scientists think about the deer
- problems, then you almost have to take on the responsibility of dealing
- with it yourself," Natelli said. "I will remember this."
-
-
- ⌐Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 11:27:09 -0600 (CST)
- From: nancyvp@ix.netcom.com (Nancy Perry )
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Please make your bear call today!
- Message-ID: <199711241727.LAA04713@dfw-ix12.ix.netcom.com>
-
- TODAY IS THE CALL-IN DAY to Tennessee's Governor! You may recall a
- post last week to make your calls to Governor Don Sundquist
- today...THIS IS A REMINDER! Thank you to all who've called
- already--they say they've been swamped since 7am this morning! Keep
- 'em coming!!!!!!!!!
-
- Here's the message below again with the phone number--let's overwhelm
- them! The secretaries are very nice, they'll log your message and send
- it on. So, be firm but polite!
-
- THANK YOU!
-
- (IF YOU GET THIS MESSAGE LATE, CALL ANYWAY!)
-
- ***********************************************************
-
- Monday, November 24 is "call the governor to stop the bear hunt" day!
-
- ACTION ALERT!
- Please call Governor Sundquist's office at 615-741-2001 and ask that he
- cancel the upcoming December season on Tennessee bears!
-
- POINTS TO MAKE IN ARGUING TO PROTECT THE TENNESSEE BEARS:
-
- 1. The December hunt is biologically reckless! This year, the hunt
- has already resulted in unprecedented numbers of bears killed. In just
- one week, 235 bears were killed in Cocke, Blount and Sevier counties.
- These counties surround the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which
- has an estimated population of some 600 - 700 bears. Therefore, one
- third of the bear population has already been removed. Holding a
- second season this year, one that will last twice as long as the
- already dramatically "successful" first season, may easily decimate
- this bear population. A dangerously high percentage of the bears
- killed in October were female (60%), further evidence of the biological
- harm to the bear population.
-
- 2. The hunt has already led to unprecedented numbers of orphaned cubs!
- The Appalachian Bear Center (ABC), a rehabilitation facility in
- Townsend, took in just one orphaned cub last year, compared to the 9
- they have received this year following the first hunt. There are
- reports of at least 6 additional cubs that either escaped capture or
- were hit by cars. When mother bears are killed, their cubs are found
- wandering haplessly, often completely vulnerable. Daryl Ratajczak,
- ABC's curator, referred to the October hunt as contributing to this
- large number of orphaned bears stating, "The state never expected so
- many bears to be taken...they grossly miscalcul
- ated."
-
- 3. Public safety and the well-being of the community will be
- jeopardized by the December hunt! Individuals in local towns have been
- outraged at hunters in pursuit of bears in their neighborhood streets,
- parking lots, even in their backyards. They have endured the sound of
- gun shots, the baying of dogs and the howling of wounded and dying
- bears. They are being harassed and threatened by hunters who claim
- they have a right, granted by state law, to hunt within city limits,
- despite city ordinances prohibiting such action based on concerns for
- public safety. One family of four vacationing in Gatlinburg watched in
- horror as a hunter shot a bear seven times before it fell from a tree
- to its death. The local townspeople and the local tourist industry has
- a right to be protected from such threats to their safety and their
- livelihood.
-
- Call the governor's office--ON MONDAY! Please pass this information
- along to everyone who can make a call for the bears. Your call can
- make a huge difference!
-
- For more information, please call Nancy Perry at The HSUS at
- 301-258-8266.
-
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 10:28:56 -0800 (PST)
- From: bchorush@paws.org (pawsinfo)
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: AR/Veg Books for Sale - $1 each
- Message-ID: <199711241828.KAA15056@k2.brigadoon.com>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
- Hi,
-
- This is a final clearance of remaining PAWS store books. All titles listed
- below are $1.00 each. All books are new, some may be slightly "hurt"
- (scuffed, etc.).
-
- Email to reserve books; then mail, fax or phone payment or billing info to
- numbers in signature below. $5.00 shipping charge added to all orders.
- Orders will be sent when check/cash or visa/mc info is received. All orders
- first come, first served. Number in brackets indicates quantity available.
-
-
- Book titles
-
- The Caring Cook - Vegan cooking by Janet Hunt (1)
- Shardik by Richard Adams (1)
- Physical Mental and Spiritual Health by Helen Ritchie (1)
- Natural Body Care Products - Glossary of terms and ingredients (1)
- Second Hand Foods by Herbert Shelton (2)
- A Month of Menus by Herbert Shelton (4)
- Health Can be Harmless by Jay Dinshah (2)
- Of These Ye May Freely Eat Supplement by Joann Rachor (2)
- No Cholesterol Passover Recipes by Debra Wasserman (3)
- Food for a Future by Jon- Wynne-Tyson
- The Brown Rice Cookbook by Craig Sams (1)
- The Happy Truth About Protein by Hannah Allen (3)
- For the Vegetarian in You by Billy Ray Boyd (9)
- Compassion the Ultimate Ethic by Victoria Moran (39)
- Vegetarianism and Occultism by C.C. Leadbeater (1)
- The Wheatgrass Book by Ann Wigmore (1)
- Discovering Natural Foods by Roy Bruder (3)
- La Cuisine Vegetalienne by Freya Dinshah (french (1))
- The Pritikin Promise (1)
- Transition to Vegetarianism by Rudolph Ballentine (1)
- The Sprout Garden by Mark Braunstein (2)
- How you can live Six Extra Years by Lewis Walton (1)
- Starting Over Learning to cook With Natural Foods by Delia Quigley (2)
- Recipes for Health by David Phillips (1)
- Raising Your Family Naturally by Joy Gross (1)
- The Lady and Her Tiger by Pat Derby (1)
- Scientific Fraud vs. Scientific Truth by Irwin Bross (12)
- Gentle Giant by Tsuneo Nakamura (1)
- The Green Cook's Encyclopedia by Janet Hunt (1)
- GBS & Company by Aubrey Hampton (1)
- L'industrie de la Faim by Frances Moore Lappe (2 in french)
- Skinned by Anne Doncaster (1)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Bob Chorush Web Administrator, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
- 15305 44th Ave West (P.O. Box 1037)Lynnwood, WA 98046 (425) 787-2500 ext
- 862, (425) 742-5711 fax
- email bchorush@paws.org http://www.paws.org
-
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 14:19:55 -0500
- From: "Zoocheck Canada Inc." <zoocheck@idirect.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: The Giant Holiday Circus
- Message-ID: <3.0.3.32.19971124141955.006fb468@idirect.com>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
- Dear Colleagues;
- Does anyone have information on The Giant Holiday Circus? If so could you
- please email theinformation to us at Zoocheck Canada: zoocheck@idirect.com
- Thanks in advance for your (collective) help.
- Regards,
- Andrea
-
-
-
- Zoocheck Canada Inc.
- 3266 Yonge Street, Suite 1729
- Toronto, ON M4N 3P6 Canada
- Phone: 416-285-1744 Fax: 416-285-4670 or 696-0370
- E-mail: zoocheck@idirect.com Web site: http://web.idirect.com/~zoocheck
- Registered Charity No. 0828459-54
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 16:11:40 -0500
- From: Amy Bricker <office@icta.org>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: POSTING
- Message-ID: <3479ED8C.529F@icta.org>
- MIME-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
-
- **CALL FOR PHOTOGRAPHS**
-
- The International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) is currently
- taking part in the preparation of a detailed photo/essay book on food
- production. The book is geared towards exposing any current inhumane
- husbandry practices, as well as describing more ecologically sound
- agricultural practices in a series of sections on poultry, livestock,
- and crops. If you or anyone you know has pictures relevant to the issue
- area (i.e. mistreated animals in factory farm systems, animals grazing
- free range, pesticide use, row crops, or organic farms or produce),
- please send them to CTA as soon as possible. Although we can not offer
- monetary compensation, all photos chosen will receive widespread
- attention with the distribution of the book.
-
- Thank you in advance for your help.
-
- Please submit photos, contact information, permission to reprint, and
- appropriate credit line to:
-
- Amy Bricker
- Project Coordinator
- International Center for Technology Assessment
- 310 D St. NE
- Washington, DC 20002
-
- If you need any further information, or a pre-paid self-addressed
- stamped envelope, please contact Amy Bricker via e-mail
- (office@icta.org), phone (202-547-9359) or fax (202-547-9429).
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 15:29:37 -0600
- From: "Alliance for Animals" <alliance@allanimals.org>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: (Fwd) Thanksgiving Prayer
- Message-ID: <199711242041.OAA01211@mendota.terracom.net>
-
- ------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
- From: "Richard Schwartz" <SCHWARTZ@POSTBOX.CSI.CUNY.EDU>
- Organization: The College of Staten Island
- To: schwartz
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 11:33:40 -0400
- Subject: Thanksgiving Prayer
- Priority: normal
-
-
- shalom,
- I thought that you would find the message below of interest and
- perhaps valuable in efforts to promote vegetarianism.
-
- the conditions described below make me increasingly convinced
- that it is essential that we get discussions of the many moral issues
- related to animal-based diets on the agenda.
-
- I have made a couple of minor changes to the prayer.
-
- Best wishes,
-
- Richard
-
- --------------------------------------
- THANKSGIVING PRAYER
-
- Thank you, God, for another year of tradition. We read somewhere that the
- Pilgrims and Indians killed a wild turkey 300 years ago to celebrate the
- Pilgrims' new home and bountiful harvest, so we've gotten the
- turkey killing business down to a science. In fact, Thanksgiving is
- our only holiday centered on a dead animal.
- To bring you up to date, Lord, this year, 45 Million turkeys have been
- artificially bred to fatten and slaughter for the occasion. They are
- crammed 15,000-20,000 per building in warehouses with no windows,
- with automated food and air control. Just a few weeks old, these
- birds are debeaked with a hot iron, which also cuts their nerves and
- muscle tissue; and their back toes are cut off, all without
- anesthesia. This mutilation is to prevent their
- attacking each other in this man-made hell. Confined to darkness, they are
- forced to exist in filth, including their own feces, which gets into their
- food.
- Those who don't make it are thrown onto a "dead pile".
- Others, monsterized by growth hormones, are forced with brooms,
- sticks, and kicking to climb steep ramps onto trucks headed for the
- slaughterhouse. Those too weak for loading are left to starve to
- death. At 4-5 months of age, the turkeys are hung by their legs for
- 5-6 minutes awaiting the slaughterer's knife. Some are dropped into
- vats of boiling water alive as production speed misses them. Other
- fall onto the floor or die a slow death in puddles of blood. The
- contented gobbles and clucks we once knew are replaced
- with pitiful cries and screams.
- This onslaught of your creatures also pollutes your water, soil, and air
- with carcasses, feces, chemicals, pesticides, and bacteria, while polluting
- our bodies with cholesterol, fat, and poisons. But, most of all, it poisons
- our spirit, as we desensitize our children to the suffering and killing of
- the innocent.
-
- I guess you wonder, Lord, how we could treat these beautiful birds so
- obscenely when, in Nature's care, they are able to fly 55 miles an
- hour, to run 18 miles an hour, and to live for 15 years! Benjamin
- Franklin, statesman and vegetarian, was so enthralled with those
- robust, industrious creatures that he had hoped 150 years ago that
- the turkey would be chosen our national bird.
- Yes, Lord, we know you gave us "every herb-bearing seed and the
- fruit of trees yielding seed, that they should be our food"
- (Genesis 1:29), but we're so addicted to the taste of flesh and
- blood..well, you understand, don't you, God? Besides, after we're
- destroyed all your handiwork you can start another Earth somewhere,
- can't you?
- And now, Lord, before we eat our traditional corpse, we have just one
- traditional request: Could you do some kind of magic and bring peace to the
- world?
- Amen
- Nancy Robinson, Founder
- Earth's Best Friend is Vegetarian
-
-
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 15:43:57 -0500
- From: Shirley McGreal <spm@awod.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Indian laboratories
- Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19971124204357.006f2398@awod.com>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
- This article about Indian laboratories just came to IPPL's attention.
-
- ----------------------------------------------
- Torture Chambers - with With MNC's joining Indian companies to take
- advantage of India's law animal rights laws, laboratories continue to
- subject primates and rodents to cruel experiments
-
- By: Saritha Rai
- India Today International, June 30, 1997
-
- The monkey is forced erect, its legs tied to restraints. Two plates close
- around its neck, twisting its spinal cord. As the pressure increases, the
- skull breaks with a soft pop.
-
- A macabre new video game? Actually, it's a true-life experiment that lets
- manufacturers test the helmets you wear. It's not an aberration either. In
- laboratories all over India, hundreds of animals are tortured, or die
- horribly - to test the mascara and eye liner you use, the drugs you take,
- and the soap and detergents you wash your clothes with.
-
- Animal-rights activists are now up in arms after a laboratory in Bangalore's
- Indian Institute of Science (nsc) said it would hire out its colony of 300
- bonnet monkeys to foreign research agencies. Multinational corporations
- (MNCS) are already taking advantage of India's lax animal-rights laws to run
- tests that they could never do at home. While animal testing is inevitable
- for scientific research, Indian laboratories are callous in the way they
- inflict pain on animals.
-
- * At Jaipur's Rajasthan University, one of the testicles of an an adult
- langur is cut off without anesthesia after a sperm-restricting drug,
- cypterone acetate, is administered for 70 days. After 200 days, the other
- testicle is also cut off. It's done to check the animal's sperm count.
-
- * To test the levels of shock treatment that humans can withstand, dogs are
- administered severe shocks, inducing heart attacks. This procedure forms a
- part of tests for drugs to combat cardiac diseases.
-
- * At the usc's Primate Research Laboratory (PRL), bonnet monkeys from
- primal rain forests spend their entire lives being test beds for a male
- fertility vaccine.
-
- More than Rupees 500 crore is spent every year in India on animal testing,
- estimates say. About one crore primates, rodents, canines and felines -50
- times the number in 1980- face test of excruciating pain every year, and
- uncounted hundreds die. The monkeys at the PRL, showcase the miserable
- lives of laboratory animals. They are stunted and bleached an unnatural
- white because they haven't been exposed to the sun. They constantly shake
- their cages because they have nothing else to do. They're fed with pellets
- of wheat flour, vitamins, minerals, and soya. When they were taken off the
- diet recently, many died of diarrhoea.
-
- "Keeping bonnet monkeys in isolated cages is against the behavioural and
- ecological well-being of these animals," says Anindya Sinha, a behavioural
- ecologist at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. "I am
- agaist research where results are often not tangible, and the moral price
- you pay is totally disproportionate to the returns on these experiments."
- PRL's decision to hire out its bonnet monkeys to foreign scientists for
- these experiments is reprehensible, says Sanober Bharucha of CUPA
- (Compassion Unlimited Plus Action). "The rest of the world is phasing out
- animal testing, and in India we have a body of enlightened scientists
- offering animals for painful and irrelevant tests of foreign products that
- MNC's cannot get tested in their own countries."
-
- Multinationals are increasingly contracting animal-experimentation jobs to
- Indian companies and laboratories. For example, Rallis India, Bangalore,
- tests insecticides and herbicides for American and European MNC's to study
- toxic symptoms in fish, rats, mice, rabbits, and dogs. The Tata owned
- Rallis follows "good laboratory practices" governing such studies. But
- there are many others who merely wink at globally accepted norms.
-
- "The restriction on animal tests are so strict in the West that these
- companies palm them off on developing countries," says Bharucha. Officials
- of the Ministry of Environment and Forests aagree that it has become
- practically impossible for these foreign companies to test on animals on
- their own soil. Besides, such tests come much cheaper in India. "It would
- cost 10 times less to conduct the same experiment here than in, say, the
- US," points out NRL's N.P. Moudgal.
-
- Monkeys are especially prized by the MNCs over rats, rabbits or dogs because
- of their similarity to humans. Monkeys are excellent biological surrogates
- for humans. Bonnet monkeys are now available only in India.
-
- Africa was a regular supplier until the deadly Ebola virus killed thousands
- of monkeys. Animal-rights activists and former Union environment-minister
- Maneka Gandhi says the bonnet monkey population in India has fallen to 1.4
- lakh today from around four crore in 1976, an unsubstantiated claim. "Most
- have been slaughtered in laboratories," she says. "Animal testing is an
- outdated technology," says Iqbal Malik, a primatologist and animal-rights
- campaigner. "All the money being spent on animal experiments should be used
- to find alternatives."
-
- Scientists argue that experiments on animals are vital to research that
- could save human lives. "Animal research done rationally and intelligently
- is perfectly justifiable," according to P.B. Deshmukh, head of toxicology at
- Rallis India. "we simply cannot take chances with alternatives like tissue
- culture or computer-simulated models."
- Alternatives will answer some questions, but not all, adds M. Gauri Devi,
- director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences
- (NIMHANS) in Bangalore. "As for humane treatment of animals, no amount of
- guidelines will fully prevent violations. Ultimately, only the scientist's
- conscience can do this," she says.
-
- The government is taking its first faltering steps to limit animal testing.
- Testing on animals -once mandatory- is now optional for cosmetics and drug
- manufacturers. That helps. Cosmetic giant Lakme, which used to test its
- lipsticks an other cosmetics on monkeys, stopped animal experiments after
- the law was changed.
-
- Manufacturers have also been asked to display a "Not tested on animals" sign
- on their products. Most multinationals selling cosmetics display these
- words on the products they sell in foreign markets, but not on those they
- sell in India. Dissection of animals in school laboratories, too is no
- longer mandatory in schools affiliatd to the Central Board of Secondary
- Education. In a case filed by a Delhi student, Sarika Sancheti, the Delhi
- High Court on May 19 ruled that the dissection of frogs, cockroaches and
- earthworms should not be included as a compulsory part of the school syllabi.
-
- The Committee for Supervision and Control of Animal Experimentation set up
- by the Ministry of Environment and Forests will formulate rules for animal
- testing. In May and June this year, the committee, headed by Maneka Gandhi,
- issued specific guidelines to about 500 laboratories and 500 more letters
- are on the way. Nearly 30 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been
- short-listed in consultation with the Animal Welfare Board, to carry out
- surprise checks on colleges, laboratories and research institutions.
-
- * Without guidelines for experiments on animals, scientific establishments
- ignore animal rights. Most institutions do not have eithics committees to
- keep an eye on the experimental procedures. Even where such committees
- exist, their role is often nominal. And so, redundant tests abound, only
- sometimes coming to light.
-
- At the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in
- Chandigarh, for instance, a project to run experiments on 60 dogs to study
- the vascular system was recently blocked because the objectives were not
- convincing enough. "We disallow an experiment when we find that the blood
- sample being drawn from the animal is too large compared to its body
- weight," adds Gauri Devi.
-
- But more often than not, the tests go on. Alternatives are available, but
- poorly developed. Cruel tests for cosmetics can be largely avoided using
- tissues instead of whole animals. Drug testing on animals can now be
- replaced, at least partially, by computer modelling of molecules and their
- effects.
-
- While tissue culture and computers are alternatives, they cannot entirely
- replace tests on animals. But scientists themselves admit it is time to
- monitor animal experimentation. "There has to be a national agency which
- licenses labs carrying out experiments on animals. Certification and
- licensing should be a definite practice," says PRL's Moudgal.
-
- The outdated Prevention of Cuelty to Animals Act of 1960 -which mainly
- specifies physical conditions like cage size and ventilation- is in the
- process of being amended. But changing attitudes will require time. With or
- without laws, the land where the monkey god Hanuman is venerated has a long
- way to go before it accords some respect to the life of his lesser cousins.
-
- |---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
- | Dr. Shirley McGreal | PHONE: 803-871-2280 |
- | Int. Primate Protection League | FAX: 803-871-7988 |
- | POB 766 | E-MAIL: ippl@awod.com |
- | Summerville SC 29484 | Web: http://www.ippl.org |
- |---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
-
-
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 15:54:00 -0500
- From: allen schubert <alathome@clark.net>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: (RU) Moscow Intl Airport Biggest Center for Rare Animal
- Smuggling
- Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971124155357.007113dc@pop3.clark.net>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
- from CNN custom news http://www.cnn.com/
- ------------------------------------------
- Moscow Intl Airport Biggest Center for Rare Animal Smuggling.
-
- Itar-Tass
- 24-NOV-97
-
- MOSCOW, November 24 (Itar-Tass) - The Sheremetyevo-2 international airport
- of Moscow is the most notorious place in Russia for smuggling out rare
- species of animals. This view was aired at today's session of the board of
- Russia's State ecology committee.
-
- According to experts' assessment, contraband cargo worth over 1.5 million
- U.S. dollars is carried out through the airport. Thoroughly well-worked out
- channels of shipping illegal animal cargo from Vietnam, Nigeria, Cameroon,
- Chad and Peru are closely watched from here. Russia is becoming a transit
- country for suppliers of contraband animals to countries of Western Europe,
- Middle East and Japan. These reports are confirmed by data made available
- by administrative bodies of the Convention on International Trade in wild
- flora and fauna, which are on the brink of extinction of other countries
- which are in close contact with Interpol.
-
- Illegal outflow of raw materials produced from wild animals, including rare
- and those on the verge of extinction species, is on the rise in recent
- years. For example, the wild bear's bile from the Russian Far East and the
- Amur tiger's carcass are being smuggled out. These "commodities" are
- returned to Russia in the form of various potions, balsams, balms and
- medicines. What is worth noting is the fact that they are imported into
- Russia quite freely and in violation of the international convention.
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 15:59:40 -0500
- From: allen schubert <alathome@clark.net>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: EU Relaxes Ban on Ivory Imports
- Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971124155935.006f68bc@pop3.clark.net>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
- from Associated Press http://wire.ap.org/
- -------------------------------------
- 11/24/1997 13:11 EST
-
- EU Relaxes Ban on Ivory Imports
-
- BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The European Commission has relaxed a ban on
- importing live elephants, ivory and other elephant products from three
- southern African nations.
-
- Under the new EU regulation Monday, travelers from Zimbabwe can bring
- ivory and elephant-skin souvenirs into the EU as long as they don't try
- to sell them.
-
- Under similar conditions, hunters will be able to import elephant
- trophies from Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.
-
- The rules, which must be formally approved by the 15 EU governments, also
- allow live elephants from the three nations to be shipped to zoos and
- other ``appropriate'' destinations within the EU.
-
- The three African nations say successful conservation efforts in recent
- years have produced more elephants than their land can sustain.
-
- The new EU regulation was welcomed by the World Wildlife Fund, which also
- appauded the Commission's decision to tighten rules on the import of
- caviar and sturgeons.
-
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 14:11:21 -0800 (PST)
- From: Michael Markarian <mmarkarian@fund.org>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: EXTRA tonight on Black Beauty Ranch
- Message-ID: <2.2.16.19971124195816.601fc72a@pop.igc.org>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
-
- The syndicated television show "EXTRA" will air a segment tonight (Monday,
- November 24) on The Fund for Animals' Black Beauty Ranch. Check local
- listings for time and channel.
-
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 15:10:16 -0800
- From: LCartLng@gvn.net (Lawrence Carter-Long)
- To: primate-talk@primate.wisc.edu
- Cc: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Wash. Post Book Review: Next of Kin
- Message-ID: <199711242302.SAA20059@envirolink.org>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
-
- Look Who's Talking
- By Vicki Croke
-
- Sunday, November 23, 1997; Page X06
- The Washington Post
-
- NEXT OF KIN
- What Chimpanzees Have Taught Me
- About Who We Are
-
- By Roger Fouts with Stephen Tukel Mills
- Morrow. 420 pp. $25
-
- FROM THE EARLIEST anecdotes -- Washoe the chimpanzee as a
- toddler, racing for the potty chair, her hands repeatedly forming the
- word "Hurry!" in American Sign Language -- to those at the end, like
- the image of a mature Washoe smelling the fragrant long-stemmed
- roses she has received for her birthday, then eating them petal by petal,
- Roger Fouts's Next of Kin is an illuminating, stimulating, challenging
- and humane story. Fouts, a pioneer in the studies of apes and language
- acquisition, and his co-author, Stephen Tukel Mills, have seamlessly
- joined science and natural history with the rather personal journey of a
- psychologist whose life was forever changed by chimpanzees.
-
- In 1967, Fouts was accepted into the PhD program at the University of
- Nevada at Reno, hoping to become a child psychologist. But the
- graduate assistantship he was chosen for changed all that.
-
- Experimental psychologists Allen and Beatrix Gardner were trying to
- teach ASL to a young, home-reared chimpanzee named Washoe;
- though they were hesitant about Fouts, Washoe announced, by
- hugging him, that she was not.
-
- Teaching language to chimps was not a novel idea, but the Gardners'
- approach was. They observed that the tongue and larynx of chimps
- differ from our own and, more important, that chimps tend to express
- more gesturally than vocally. When Fouts began working with
- Washoe, she knew about two dozen signs (a list that would grow into
- the hundreds) and began to combine them spontaneously to form
- phrases such as "you me hide" and "dirty good" for her potty chair.
-
- In 1970, the idyllic Project Washoe changed. The Gardners moved
- Washoe to the Institute for Primate Studies in Norman, Okla., and
- ordered Fouts to go along. This marked the start of a horrific odyssey.
-
- The conditions for laboratory chimpanzees used in research for
- medicine or psychology sickened Fouts. And as many of the chimps
- used in language studies grew older and more powerful (an adult chimp
- is at least three times stronger than a man), they were dumped into
- biomedical labs, where they might spend as long as 40 years in sterile
- isolation.
-
- Fouts began to care less about courting the favors of big institutions
- with grant-giving power (such as the National Institutes of Health) and
- more about improving conditions for the hundreds, perhaps thousands
- of chimps in captivity. He became a crusader. One of the stories he
- recounts involves Booee, an especially good-natured chimp he worked
- with, who was subsequently relegated to biomedical research.
-
- Accompanied by a film crew from ABC's "20/20," Fouts visited him in
- his "isolette," 13 years after their separation. "Booee, Booee, me
- Booee," the chimp signed excitedly to Fouts. The two embraced. (The
- public outcry from the program resulted in Booee's being moved to a
- sanctuary.)
-
- But Fouts has never stopped being a scientist. And much of this book
- concerns the complicated debate about whether any animal other than man is
- capable of true language. It is agreed that animals communicate; the clash
- concerns the true definition of language -- language that has syntax and
- grammar -- and whether or not humans alone possess the circuitry to acquire
- and master it. MIT's Steven Pinker, in his fascinating, bestselling book The
- Language Instinct, persuasively
- criticizes the movement to teach apes language. Fouts's powerful
- counterargument will not end this debate but certainly enriches it.
-
- CHIMPS ARE our closest relatives, similar to us physically,
- emotionally, and perhaps even morally, as researcher Frans de Waal has
- argued. Fouts believes that in them we find a prototype version of our own
- capacity for language. He shows time and again that they can think
- abstractly, recombine vocabulary to form new words such as "rock berry" for
- Brazil nut or "water bird" for swan, and arguably apply simple rules of
- grammar. And he is not afraid to take on the 500-pound gorilla of
- linguistics, Noam Chomsky, and his thoughts about the human "language
- acquisition device."
-
- Clearly the debate will rage on. No matter the outcome, however,
- Fouts's research has given us a window on the world of the apes.
-
- Forget syntax; when Fouts asks the pregnant Washoe what is in her belly, her
- one-word response -- "baby" -- is amazing. And later, in sharp contrast to
- the desolate scenes inside biomedical labs, when Washoe makes the sign for
- "cry" to a human volunteer who has miscarried, we see that Fouts has
- reframed another debate: What is the definition of humanity?
-
- Vicki Croke writes the Animal Beat column for the Boston Globe and
- the New York Times New Service and is the author of "The Modern
- Ark: The Story of Zoos: Past, Present, and Future."
-
- ⌐ Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company
-
- Lawrence Carter-Long
- Science and Research Issues, Animal Protection Institute
- email: LCartLng@gvn.net, phone: 800-348-7387 x. 215
- world wide web: http://www.api4animals.org/
-
- "We are here on earth to do good for others. What the others
- are here for, I don't know." -- W. H. Auden
-
-
-
-
-
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 97 15:38:38 -0800
- From: In Defense of Animals <ida@idausa.org>
- To: <ar-news@envirolink.org>
- Subject: FFF- San Francisco
- Message-ID: <199711242337.PAA03445@proxy4.ba.best.com>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
-
- In Defense of Animals is gearing up for the escalation in the battle
- against the fur industry! It is time once again to confront the public
- with the message that wearing fur is a symbol of the suffering and death
- of thousands of animals and it will not be tolerated. Please join us for
- Fur-Free Friday on November 28 (the day after Thanksgiving) 11 a.m. to 3
- p.m. in Union Square. We need to let everyone know that the fur
- industry's claim of a comeback is in reality a last ditch effort to
- survive. On this day, the busiest shopping day of the year, activists
- around the country will be focusing on department stores that still make
- a profit from animals killed for their fur. Call our office 415-388-9641,
- or e-mail us at ida@idausa.org for more information on how you can assist
- with this very important date.
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 17:55:39 -0600 (CST)
- From: Suzanne Roy <idausa@ix.netcom.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Action Alert - Tule Elk
- Message-ID: <199711242355.RAA09389@dfw-ix3.ix.netcom.com>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
-
- IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS
- 131 Camino Alto, Suite E
- Mill Valley, CA 94941
- 415/388-9641
-
- LETTERS NEEDED TO SUPPORT PARK SERVICE PLAN FOR ELK CONTRACEPTION
- AS
- ALTERNATIVE TO CULLING
-
- In October, the Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS) in Marin County, Calif.
- released an Environmental Assessment (EA) detailing its plans to manage a
- burgeoning herd of tule elk through non-lethal methods, including
- contraception and relocation. The deadline for comments on the EA is
- December 12, 1997.
-
- Letters are now needed to support the parkÆs humane approach to the tule elk.
- Currently, the elk are confined to a 2600-acre range within the PRNS. Now
- numbering nearly 500, the elk herd is quickly approaching the carrying
- capacity of the range. Several years ago, the park wanted to shoot 30-40
- female elk each year to control the herdÆs numbers. Now under new
- management, the PRNS has is pursuing a progressive and humane program that
- involves contraception and relocation of some animals to another part of the
- park.
-
- Opposition from animal advocacy organizations killed the park service plan
- to shoot the elk four years ago. Now, we need a strong showing to once
- again counter the sport hunting and ranching interests that want to see
- hunting of these once-endangered elk.
-
- This program is a model for cooperation between animal protection advocates
- and the national park service. It will also set a precedent for humane,
- non-lethal population control of wildlife in our national parks. Please
- help us support it by sending a letter, in the form of comments on the "Tule
- Elk Management Plan and Environmental Assessment," to:
-
- Point Reyes National Seashore
- Point Reyes, CA 94956
- 415/663-8132 (fax)
-
- A sample letter follows here. Copies of the EA can be obtained by calling
- the PRNS at 415/663-8522.
-
- For more information, call Suzanne Roy at In Defense of Animals at
- 415/388-9641 x 26 or email her at idausa@ix.netcom.com.
-
-
- =================================================
-
- 24 November 1997
- Point Reyes National Seashore
- Point Reyes, CA 94956
-
- To Whom It May Concern:
-
- On behalf of the 70,000 members of In Defense of Animals (IDA), I am writing
- to comment on the "Tule Elk Management Plan and Environmental Assessment,"
- which was released in October 1997.
-
- IDA would like to commend the Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS) for a
- thorough and extremely well-written Environmental Assessment. It is clear
- from this document that the PRNS has extensively researched this issue and
- has spent a great deal of time and effort to formulate the best plan
- possible for the elk and for the park as a whole.
-
- IDA would like to strongly endorse Alternative A, as outlined in the
- Environmental Assessment. We believe that the non-lethal approach û
- including immunocontraception and relocation -- set forth under this
- alternative, is the best, most humane and most publicly acceptable
- alternative for the management of the tule elk herd. IDA is encouraged that
- the park has chosen this approach as an alternative to lethal culling of the
- animals. We believe that this program can serve as a model for cooperation
- between humane and conservation organizations, the scientific community and
- the National Park Service.
-
- We look forward to the results of the pilot contraception study underway at
- Tomales Point, and we are confident that immunocontraception will prove to
- be an effective tool for maintaining the population of elk within the park
- at acceptable numbers. In addition, we wholeheartedly endorse the
- relocation of elk to the Limantour wilderness area with the long-term goal
- of establishing a free-ranging elk herd. Finally, we also support the
- relocation of elk to areas outside the seashore, provided that those areas
- employ humane management policies and do not allow public hunting of the elk.
-
- The tule elk of Point Reyes are a national treasure, and the experience of
- visiting the elk range is unique among our national parks. We thank the
- Park Service for having the foresight to protect these beautiful animals,
- and we offer our support as you move forward with the progressive and
- non-lethal management program outlined under Alternative A in the
- Environmental Assessment.
-
- Thank you for your consideration.
-
- Sincerely,
- Suzanne Roy
- Program Director
-
-
-
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 20:16:07 -0800
- From: Barry Kent MacKay <mimus@sympatico.ca>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Goose sterilization study funded by zoo. (CA)
- Message-ID: <347A5107.3B@sympatico.ca>
- MIME-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
-
- News Release (from Canadian Wildlife Service):
-
- $75,000 PENALTY IMPOSED BY COURT TO SUPPORT A RESEARCH PROJECT
-
- Toronto - November 20, 1997 - The Zoological Society of Metropolitan
- Toronto will provide $75,000 to fund an avian research project after
- pleading guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of migratory birds
- without the authority of a permit under the Migratory Birds Convention
- Act (MBCA).
-
- The Ontario Provincial Court, Criminal Division, accepted a plea of
- guilty on November 18, 1997, and imposed a suspended sentence. The
- Court Order placed by the Provincial Judge had been mutually agreed to
- by the prosecutor and defense attorney, under section 18 (b) of the
- MBCA.
-
- The research project will be conducted by the Zoological Society of
- Metropolitan Toronto and the Ontario Veterinary College of the
- University of Guelph. This two year project will explore a vaccine
- technique for contraception which has been successfully applied to
- mammals but not to birds.
-
- In this case, it is anticipated that the research project will support a
- means of controlling the ever increasing number of Canada Geese in urban
- areas. This alternative approach to sentencing under a violation of the
- MBCA is designed to foser a cooperative means to resolve an
- environmental issue.
-
- In December, 1999, the Zoo will publish a report of their findings, a
- breakdown of allocated funds and a series of recommendations concerning
- the research. This research report is to be provided to Environment
- Canada.
-
- The initial charges were laid in September 1997 after an Environment
- Canada Investigation indicated that Zoo officials, without a permit,
- illegally herded, and held in captivity, approximately 300 wild Canada
- Geese. Zoo officials attempted to transport the geese to the Rouge
- River for release, resulting in the death of approximately 80 birds.
-
- -30-
-
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 20:14:39 -0500
- From: Constance Young <conncat@idsi.net>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: more FFF: only pigeons
- Message-ID: <347A267F.7E0A@idsi.net>
- MIME-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
-
- Another reminder to those who have not committed themselves to Fur Free
- Friday and who live outside of NYC.
-
- There will be a demonstration in Pine Plains, New York (Dutchess County,
- east of Rhinebeck) outside a hunting preserve called Indian Mountain
- Lodge which holds periodic pigeon shoots.
-
- On that day, Friday Nov. 28 they will be holding a "huge" pigeon
- shoot--1,000, possibly more pigeons will be released from a "tower"
- (actually a slight incline) while 30 or some shooters get their jollies
- from blowing their heads off. The pigeons, who are brought from a
- distance (many picked up from the City streets), haven't had water or
- food, or even a chance to get their "sea legs" before they are released
- to be shot at.
-
- These are not your ordinary rednecks though. These shooters are upscale
- New Yorkers, Connecticut residents, and people from New Jersey and
- Massachusetts. Even former Governor Cuomo's son Andrew was mentioned in
- the New York Daily News as going to Indian Mountain Lodge one day to
- shoot with Jimmy Breslin for a wonderful day of "male bonding."
-
- We will be protesting beginning at 8:30 AM outside the preserve which is
- on Route 199 about one mile east of the center of Pine Plains (exit off
- the Taconic Parkway). The shoots usually go on between 9 and 12 noon,
- but we have no information this time about how long it will go on.
- However, we would hope that anyone who plans to come get there before
- ten because we sometimes pack it in at 10:00 AM.
-
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 18:07:40
- From: David J Knowles <dknowles@dowco.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: [EU] Threat to imports of US fur in traps row
- Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19971124180740.2cb71c38@dowco.com>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
-
- >From The Electronic Telegraph - Tuesday, November 25th, 1997
-
- Threat to imports of US fur in traps row
- By Toby Helm, EU Correspondent, in Brussels
-
- THE European Union issued a warning yesterday that it would ban all fur
- imports from the United States from Monday unless Washington agrees to
- adopt rules preventing the use of steel-jaw leghold traps.
-
- Calls for America to fall into line with Canada and Russia, which after a
- five-year dispute agreed in July to end the use of the traps, were led by
- Sir Leon Brittan, EU trade commissioner. Canada and Russia immediately
- banned use of the traps for catching seven species - beaver, otter, marten,
- fisher, ermine, muskrat and badger. For other species such as the wolf,
- bobcat and lynx, the traps are to be banned from March 2000.
-
- Washington argues that a ban would put trappers out of business at a time
- when there is no effective alternative to the steel-jaw traps. Sir Leon
- said America's time had almost run out and that, unless it changed its
- position by the weekend, an embargo would be imposed.
-
- The row threatens to cast a cloud over next week's EU-US summit in
- Washington, adding to the list of trade disputes already souring relations
- between the two.
-
- British officials said Robin Cook, the Foreign Secretary, judged the US
- response to the EU's demands as "inadequate" and supported the application
- of greater pressure to Washington.
-
- ⌐ Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
- SAY NO TO APEC
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 18:07:08
- From: David J Knowles <dknowles@dowco.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: [US] Cities supply the bear necessities
- Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19971124180708.2cb79f02@dowco.com>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
-
- >From The Electronic Telegraph - Tuesday, November 25th, 1997
-
- Cities supply the bear necessities
- By John Hiscock in Los Angeles
-
- CITIES across the American West are being invaded by black bears foraging
- for food.
-
- As urban sprawl pushes further into forests and mountain ranges, the bears
- are turning to civilisation for their sustenance and are becoming a common
- sight in populated areas. On the outskirts of Los Angeles bears are often
- seen foraging in rubbish bins and even cooling off in swimming pools. A
- bear named Samson recently became a celebrity after he was
- filmed lolling in a hot tub. He has now been put in a zoo.
-
- The California town of Mammoth Lakes, which has a live-and-let-live policy
- towards bears, has about 40 living within the city limits. Bears wander the
- streets, oblivious to traffic, and hang around restaurant rubbish bins.
- Nine have been killed by cars so far this year.
-
- Police Chief Michael Donnelly said: "What we've done is create a huge
- wildlife sanctuary with its central food source in the middle of town. This
- is a town that wants to get along with nature. It may be naive when it
- comes to bears but we have set out to live with them at a safe distance."
-
- The town has appointed a "bear manager" to deal with the problem. Steve
- Searles uses pepper spray, exploding flares and rubber bullets to frighten
- the bears away from houses and rubbish bins. "They're incredibly determined
- creatures," he said. "It's hard to break them of bad habits."
-
- The animals now recognise Searles and run when they see his vehicle
- approaching. They thrive on their diet of discarded hamburgers and other
- cast-off food and some of them now weigh as much as 600lb. The fat content
- and calories has also boosted their fertility and instead of having one
- cub, bears in Mammoth regularly produce two and three offspring each year.
-
- Mr Donnelly said: "Some people living here think of the bears as their
- pets. One lady refers to them as 'my dogs' and puts out 50lb bags of dog
- food for them. We're trying to change attitudes like that."
-
- The problem is becoming acute in nearby Yosemite National Park, a popular
- tourist destination where last week four bears, including a mother and two
- cubs, were put down because they would not stop breaking into cars and
- threatening people. Hungry bears have caused ú300,000 in damage to parked
- cars in Yosemite so far this year.
-
- In Colorado 35 bears have been killed in the past two years after
- blundering on to busy streets or causing damage to property. Bears are even
- invading towns as far east as Pennsylvania, where their number has tripled
- since the 1970s.
-
- Gary Alt, a bear biologist said: "At no time in history have we had as many
- bears and people living in close quarters. How we work out this awkward
- coexistence will probably determine whether we have bears and other big
- animals around at the end of the next century."
-
- ⌐ Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
- SAY NO TO APEC
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 18:14:26
- From: David J Knowles <dknowles@dowco.com>
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: [UK] No 10 lets the cat out of the bag
- Message-ID: <3.0.3.16.19971124181426.49e72f08@dowco.com>
- Mime-Version: 1.0
- Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
- Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
-
- >From The Electronic Telegraph - Tuesday, November 25th, 1997
-
- No 10 lets the cat out of the bag
- By Jon Hibbs, Political Correspondent
-
- THE Government moved swiftly last night to diffuse a crisis in Downing
- Street - over the fate of Humphrey the cat. No 10 was inundated with media
- inquiries after The Telegraph highlighted fears that the popular Civil
- Service mascot might have been put down on the orders of Cherie Blair
- rather than retired to a new home in the suburbs as announced last week.
-
- After repeated denials failed to stem the mounting concern, the order went
- out from the highest level that Humphrey be put on show in his new habitat.
- While Tony Blair grappled with lesser matters of state, such as the
- international crisis in Iraq, his officials escorted a photographer and
- television crew to a secret address in south-east London.
-
- There, they were shown a black and white cat posing on a selection of
- yesterday's newspapers and pawing at the occupant of his new owner's
- goldfish bowl. It was not quite the press conference suggested by Alan
- Clark, the Tory MP for Kensington and Chelsea, who originally demanded the
- body be produced lest anyone suspect that Mrs Blair had blood on her hands.
- However, to the Government's relief, the Press Association photographer
- testified that he recognised Humphrey from previous photo-sessions in
- Whitehall.
-
- "I have photographed Humphrey many times and I'm convinced he is no fake.
- He greeted me like an old friend," said Sean Dempsey.
-
- But was it the same cat or a look-alike procured by New Labour's
- spin-doctors? The ageing Humphrey, who was so ill he had to be retired from
- front-line politics was displayed on the nation's television screens last
- night as a kittenish fellow whose health had miraculously improved.
- Apparently, he was no longer troubled by incontinence, and had even put on
- weight. Steve Mullender, Humphrey's veterinary surgeon, said: "He is
- healthy, lively and quite a good-looking cat."
-
- In the latest attempt to scotch the persistent rumour that Mrs Blair was
- allergic to pets, the Prime Minister's office announced that Humphrey would
- be replaced. Another cat was already lined up for the job of official
- Cabinet mouser, said a spokesman. Mrs Blair, who was photographed cuddling
- Humphrey to show she harboured no ill feelings towards him, even put out a
- statement to say the family was sorry he had gone.
-
- "The children were only just getting to know him but we are delighted that
- he has settled down so well in his new home," she said.
-
- Downing Street still refused to disclose Humphrey's location, insisting
- that the civil servant who had taken the sick cat into her home had
- appealed for her privacy to be respected. Humphrey's fate dominated both
- daily briefings held by the Prime Minister's office yesterday amid
- speculation that he had been kicked out either for his tendency to leak in
- the corridors
- of power or for savaging birds in St James's Park.
-
- A spokesman stuck by the original story that the cat was suffering from a
- kidney problem and had left the Cabinet Office for a quieter life on
- veterinary advice, adding: "He is in a quiet suburban place."
-
- "Is that acemetery?" asked one suspicious reporter.
-
- Later, displaying the photographic evidence of Humphrey's happy retirement,
- the Prime Minister's spokesman again sought to put the record straight.
-
- "One: the Blairs like cats. And two: the suggestion that Cherie got rid of
- Humphrey is a vile slur," he said.
-
- Earlier, Lord Lloyd-Webber attempted to ask the Government what steps it
- proposed to take to ensure a cat was installed once again in Downing Street
- "so that the nation's business can be properly executed".
-
- However, the minutes clerk of the Lords refused to accept his question on
- the grounds that it was not "a matter of genuine government responsibility."
-
- ⌐ Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
- SAY NO TO APEC
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 22:14:59 -0500 (EST)
- From: LMANHEIM@aol.com
- To: ar-news@envirolink.org
- Subject: Fwd: EU Relaxes Ban on Ivory Imports
- Message-ID: <971124221458_632109491@mrin79>
-
- Subj: EU Relaxes Ban on Ivory Imports
- Date: 97-11-24 19:26:26 EST
- From: AOL News
- BCC: LMANHEIM
-
- EU Relaxes Ban on Ivory Imports
-
- .c The Associated Press
-
- BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - The European Commission has relaxed a ban
- on importing live elephants, ivory and other elephant products from
- three southern African nations.
-
- Under the new EU regulation Monday, travelers from Zimbabwe can
- bring ivory and elephant-skin souvenirs into the EU as long as they
- don't try to sell them.
-
- Under similar conditions, hunters will be able to import elephant
- trophies from Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.
-
- The rules, which must be formally approved by the 15 EU
- governments, also allow live elephants from the three nations to be
- shipped to zoos and other ``appropriate'' destinations within the
- EU.
-
- The three African nations say successful conservation efforts in
- recent years have produced more elephants than their land can
- sustain.
-
- The new EU regulation was welcomed by the World Wildlife Fund,
- which also appauded the Commission's decision to tighten rules on
- the import of caviar and sturgeons.
-
- AP-NY-11-24-97 1311EST
-
-
-
- </pre>
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