Komputer for Alle 1998 #6/1998 CD 6 (Gul).iso/web/ffa/wwwenv~1.org/arrs/digest/news45~6.htm/text0000.txt

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>The Age
Melbourne Online
3 July 97
 Japanese virus a threat to Australia
                        By STEVE DOW,
                        health editor,
                        Sydney

                        A virus that paralyses or kills half of those who
catch it is
                        threatening Australia, medical experts have been
warned.

                        Japanese encephalitis virus, which kills about
12,000 people a
                        year in countries such as India and Indonesia, is
much more
                        severe and infectious than the Australian
encephalitis virus.

                        Japanese encephalitis appeared in the local region
in 1995 when
                        it killed two Torres Strait Islanders. The disease
has also been
                        found in feral pigs, raising the possibility of
transferance of the
                        virus to humans.
                        Professor John MacKenzie, a microbiologist at Queensland
                        University, told the 20th International Congress of
                        Chemotherapy that the disease was also spread by
mosquitoes,
                        and could easily travel from Torres Strait to Cape
York. ``It's
                        one of the fastest moving viruses we have,'' he said.

                        Cape York had the right species of mosquito to
transfer the
                        virus and the mainland's biggest population of wild
pigs. It                         could
                        also be carried by international travellers and birds.

                        The virus has already spread the 3000 kilometres
from Bali to
                        Torres Strait, probably via the Indonesian
archipelago and
                        southern New Guinea.

                        ``If it became established in Cape York then I would be
                        particularly worried,'' Professor MacKenzie said.
``It could
                        potentially spread down through eastern Australia.''

                        Depending on which study is examined, between one in
30 and
                        one in 300 people infected with Japanese
encephalitis virus fall
                        ill. A quarter of those who do, die and a quarter
are left
                        paralysed or with brain damage.

                        In comparison, Australian encephalitis virus, which
sporadically
                        kills people in the Kimberleys, causes illness in
one in 2000
                        people infected. The last outbreak of the Australian
virus, in the
                        Murray Valley in 1974, made 30 to 50 people ill and
caused
                        several deaths.

                        Professor MacKenzie said an outbreak of Japanese
encephalitis
                        virus in south-eastern Australia could
hypothetically be                         expected
                        to cause ``at least 10 times'' as much damage as the
Murray
                        Valley example.

                        The conference heard that while just a few years ago
Australia
                        had not been exposed to many of the infectious
diseases                         causing
                        devastation globally, increased international travel
and global
                        warming meant the country was increasingly at the
mercy of
                        deadly pathogens.
                        The deputy chief of the animal health division of
CSIRO at
                        Geelong, Professor Keith Murray, said that in recent
years four
                        new viruses had been discovered in the laboratory
that could                         be
                        transferred from animals to people.

                        It was now known that equine morbillivirus, which
killed the
                        Brisbane horse trainer Mr Vic Rail in 1994 and
another man in
                        Mackay a year later, was not confined to Australia;
the virus                         had
                        also been isolated in flying foxes in Papua New
Guinea and
                        south-east Asia.

                        Professor Murray said it was essential that
infection control
                        experts in Australia were provided with the right
resources,                         skills
                        and talent to combat emerging infectious diseases.
                        Microbiologist Professor Kenneth Lam, a
microbiologist from
                        the University of Malaysia, told the conference that
the                         incidence
                        in Malaysia of illness from the dengue virus was
expected to
                        double to 20,000 this year. It causes death from
haemorrhaging
                        in 3 to 4 per cent of cases. A vaccine could be 10
years away
                        from being commercially available.

                        Professor MacKenzie predicted real problems if visitors
                        continued to bring the dengue virus into the country.


Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 12:18:51 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (AU) It's McSchool time and VCE with the lot
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>The Age
Melbourne Online
3 July 97

It's McSchool time and VCE with the lot
                        By MANIKA NAIDOO,
                        Sydney
                        Victorian students could soon be learning about
hamburgers at
                        school.

                        McDonald's is pushing to be the first corporate group in
                        Australia to win formal accreditation to run a paid
traineeship
                        scheme in secondary schools.

                        In Sydney yesterday, McDonald's Australia's director
of                         training
                        and development, Mr Rasfik Mankarious, said the plan
to make
                        the McDonald's food retail certificate part of the
Victorian
                        Certificate of Education curriculum only needed
approval from
                        the Board of

                        Studies.

                        It is believed the scheme is supported by the federal
                        Departments of Employment Education Training and Youth
                        Affairs and the state Office for Training and
Further                         Education.

                        ``In the past, we have had joint industry-school
programs. But
                        this will be totally implemented by McDonald's,'' Mr
                        Mankarious said. ``We would be the registered
provider and
                        assesser of the subject as an internal course to
McDonald's,                         but
                        recognised by the school.''

                        He said McDonald's raised the idea last November
with the
                        Minister for Vocational Training, Dr David Kemp,
following                         the
                        Government's drive to include more on-the-job
training in
                        schools.

                        The McDonald's proposal would be the first paid
traineeship
                        offered in schools. More than 1000 year 11 and year 12
                        students who work at McDonald's would be eligible.

                        The course teaches communication, customer service,
                        leadership, occupational health and safety, stock
control and
                        quality assurance.

                        About 250 full-time employees have completed the
food retail
                        certificate since the traineeship gained
accreditation in 1994.

                        Mr Mankarious said winning VCE accreditation would give
                        McDonald's an advantage over rival industry
trainers. ``We like
                        these kids to come in as early as possible and stay
with us, we
                        want to get the best people out there, and we want
them to                         stay
                        and have a career with McDonald's.''
                        The chief executive officer of the Victorian Board
of Studies,
                        Professor Sam Ball, said the proposal was
``different, but not
                        unique''.

                        There were already 18 VCE accredited industry training
                        programs in schools.

                        ``There is an increasing movement to have students
in                         vocational
                        programs . . . if someone has done a training
program through                         a
                        large or small business they are much more likely to
get a job,''
                        he said.


Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 22:03:50 -0700
From: Andrew Gach <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Genetically engineered tobacco
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Tobacco probe reportedly focuses on genetic engineering

Reuter Information Service

NEW YORK (July 2, 1997 8:56 p.m. EDT) - Justice Department officials
have taken statements from executives and scientists at Brown &
Williamson Tobacco Co. on whether the company lied about genetic
engineering of tobacco and obstructed justice by hiding documents, CBS
News reported Wednesday.

The report on CBS Evening News said federal investigators had been given
a green light to continue their criminal probe of cigarette company
executives and their lawyers despite last month's global
settlement between the tobacco companies and state governments.

The investigators are focusing on two issues, CBS said. First, whether
Brown & Williamson submit false statements to federal agencies about the
genetic engineering of tobacco plants, and second, whether tobacco
executives and their lawyers obstructed justice by hiding research
documents under the guise of lawyer-client privilege.

When the FDA questioned Brown & Williamson, a unit of B.A.T. Industries
Plc, about the existence of a super breed of tobacco plant with nearly
double the amount of nicotine, company officials denied they were
genetically altering tobacco.

Asked about the probe, Rep. Marty Meehan, a Massachusetts Democrat,
said, "If the criminal investigation results in indictment or
conviction, it seems to me that that puts the entire agreement in
jeopardy."

On June 20, a landmark agreement was reached in which tobacco companies
agreed to pay $368.5 billion over 25 years to compensate the states and
smokers, admit that tobacco is addictive and accept extensive federal
regulation over their products and their advertising.

In return, the companies would be given immunity from any further
punitive liability for deception, fraud or conspiracy that might have
occurred in the past.
Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 22:06:27 -0700
From: Andrew Gach <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Asthma drug suspected of causing cataracts
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Asthma treatment may raise cataract risk

Reuter Information Service

BOSTON (July 2, 1997 5:20 p.m. EDT) - Asthma sufferers who inhale a mist
of steroid drugs are nearly twice as likely as non-steroid users to
develop cataracts later in life, a study in Thursday's New England
Journal of Medicine reported.

Doctors have known for years that corticosteroids can cloud the lens of
the eye, but the risk posed by inhaling them has been uncertain because
many people who use the medication in an aerosol form have also taken
steroid pills in the past. The pills might also be responsible for the
cataracts.

The new research involved many people who received steroid medication
only through inhalation.

Robert Cumming and colleagues at the University of Sydney, Australia,
surveyed 3,313 people with vision problems and found that those who were
treated with inhaled corticosteroids had a cataract rate nearly twice as
high as that for non-steroid users. Among patients whose lifetime dose
was more than 2,000 milligrams, the risk was five to six times higher.

"The data of Cumming et al. suggest that the risk of cataracts is
substantial with larger doses and longer use," Dr. Leo Chylack Jr. of
Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston wrote in an editorial
accompanying the article. He said the risk of cataracts was one of the
perils doctors and patients must weigh when considering the best
treatment for asthma.
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 01:48:06 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: EU Checks for Illegal Brit. Beef Deals
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
----------------------------------
 07/02/1997 12:56 EST

 EU Checks for Illegal Brit. Beef Deals

 By STEPHANIE GRIFFITH
 Associated Press Writer

 BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The European Union said Wednesday it has
 uncovered evidence of illegal exports of British beef to EU countries and
 outside the 15-nation bloc.

 EU officials would not say how much British beef was involved or which
 countries are alleged to have imported the meat.

 ``An inspection in the United Kingdom confirmed suspicions that
 quantities of British beef have been fraudulently exported to certain
 member states and third countries,'' a statement by the EU executive
 commission said.

 The exports would violate a worldwide ban on all British beef, imposed by
 the commission in March 1996.

 EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler declined to release further
 details, citing the ongoing investigation. But officials from the
 Socialist faction of the Strasbourg-based European Parliament said the
 fraud involved the illegal export of 700 tons of British beef.

 According to a Socialist party statement, a Belgian firm obtained beef
 slaughtered in Britain, removed its British stamps, and re-stamped it as
 Belgian. The beef was then allegedly exported to Russia, Egypt and
 Bosnia, and possibly to Spain and France.

 Dagmar Roth-Berendt, a German Socialist who heads a parliamentary
 committee on mad cow disease, called for more rigorous controls on beef
 throughout the EU.

 Commission officials said all EU member countries have been told of the
 probe and instructed to improve oversight of meat imports.

 The revelation came as the British government, supported by farm groups,
 argued before the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg for an end to
 the British beef ban.

 The European Court's advocate-general will deliver an interim opinion
 later this year, to be followed by a final judgment at a later time.

 Lawyers argued in court Wednesday that the ban makes no sense and is
 devastating to the British cattle industry.

 ``The question immediately arises as to why it is safe to eat British
 beef in the United Kingdom, but not outside?'' said Stuart Higgins, an
 attorney with the National Farmers Union, a British advocacy group.

 British cattle traders ``have had their livelihoods and businesses
 destroyed,'' Higgins said.

 The ban on British beef imports began last year after researchers linked
 mad cow disease -- also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy -- and
 a fatal human ailment called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 07:28:56 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: U.S. School Trains Amateur Matadors
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

(ref to PETA)
from AP Wire page:
------------------------------------
 07/03/1997 03:37 EST

 U.S. School Trains Amateur Matadors

 By DANA CALVO
 Associated Press Writer

 CHULA VISTA, California (AP) -- Tricia Slane arched her back, lifted her
 chin and stared at her professor -- a grunting, middle-aged man holding a
 pair of bull's horns.

 She swept her red cape away from the charging horns at the last moment,
 mimicking the graceful motion of a true matador.

 It is a maneuver she will perform over and over at the California Academy
 of Tauromaqia, Spanish for ``the art of bullfighting.''

 Next month, Ms. Slane's final exam will take place inside a bullring in
 neighboring Mexico. She will show off her cape technique against a
 600-pound (270 kilogram) cow. While she will not kill the animal, she
 hopes someday to fatally plunge a sword between a young bull's shoulder
 blades.

 ``I like to do these kind of exciting things,'' the part-time actress and
 pet groomer said. ``Any time I'm not at work, I practice, practice,
 practice. You never stop learning as a bullfighter.''

 Ms. Slane, 23, is a member of the academy's first graduating class.

 The three-month course is believed to be the United States' first amateur
 matador training school. For dlrs 500, students learn cape technique, the
 rules of bullfighting and protocol of a matador. They study videos of
 renowned matadors and attend at least one bullfight in Tijuana, Mexico.

 Bullfighting is illegal in the United States, but 18 miles (30
 kilometers) south of Chula Vista the graduates can face off against their
 own bulls, which they buy from ranchers in Mexico. An average 950-pound
 (430 kilogram) bull can cost from dlrs 900 to dlrs 1,200.

 Peter Rombold, a 51-year-old amateur matador, just killed his 39th bull
 in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

 ``You have to view it through romantic glasses,'' said Rombold, who
 co-founded the academy with its director, Coleman Conney.

 But critics call the sport medieval.

 ``The bullfight really is billed as something sensuous,'' said Michael
 McGraw of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. ``But its true
 fans can only get excited by dominating a victim. It's a bizarre one.''

 Arte Taurino, a school in San Antonio, is dedicated to educating
 Americans about the cultural context of bullfighting. Instructor Susie
 Flores takes students on weeklong workshops to Mexico to learn about the
 matador.

 ``This is not for risk takers,'' Flores said. ``This is for artists. If
 you're going into it as a novice, there's no reason to bring injury to an
 animal.''

 Raul Cortes, 16, who lives here, plans to advance to the professional
 circuits and hopes the academy training will help. Six years ago, his
 Mexican father took him to a bullfight and earlier this year, Raul killed
 a 550-pound (250 kilogram) bull in Mexico.

 Most of the students don't have any such grand plans.

 ``In my dreams, I would love to become a professional bullfighter,'' said
 James Koustas, 28, a software developer. ``But given my age, and the fact
 that I'm pretty secure in my job, the amateur route is a little more my
 style.''

Date: Thu, 3 Jul 97 06:33:01 UTC
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Feathers Newest Fall Fashion Trend (USA)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

(Elle Magazine): Fall handbags are embellished to the point of luxury.
Look for rooster feathers, Guinea-fowl-feathers, and other feathers on
fall's handbags.

(Will they NEVER leave animals alone??)

-- Sherrill
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 07:31:32 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Study Finds US Meat Ban Costs Ohio
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
-------------------------------------
 07/03/1997 02:15 EST

 Study Finds US Meat Ban Costs Ohio

 By PAUL SOUHRADA
 Associated Press Writer

 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A federal ban on interstate shipment of
 state-inspected meat and poultry is costing the Ohio economy as much as
 $56.5 million and nearly 600 new jobs, an analyst estimates.

 Tom Sporleder, an agricultural economist at Ohio State University, said
 Ohio's 260 state-inspected meat processors could increase sales by as
 much as 40 percent if they had access to markets in other states and
 countries.

 The state agriculture department commissioned the report, released
 Wednesday, to bolster a lawsuit seeking to force the U.S. Agriculture
 Department to lift the ban.

 State Agriculture Director Fred Dailey, several of the state's
 meatpackers and the Ohio Association of Meat Processors filed the lawsuit
 in February. They contend USDA unconstitutionally favors federally
 inspected and foreign-inspected meatpackers over state-inspected
 companies.

 Sporleder said he was unsure whether repealing the ban would benefit
 other states as much as Ohio because Ohioans eat more state-inspected
 meat than the national average. Dailey said he suspected it would, noting
 that officials in Louisiana, Wisconsin, West Virginia and a half-dozen
 other states have joined Ohio's fight.

 Federal law now permits only federally inspected products to be sold in
 interstate commerce and bans shipments from the 26 states that conduct
 their own inspections even though U.S. laws require state programs to be
 at least equal to federal standards.

 The 26 states inspect about 3,000 mostly small establishments that
 account for about 7 percent of U.S. meat and poultry production.

 Terry Kimmel figures he could increase sales of his Kimmel's Mountain Man
 Meats 80 percent if the ban were lifted. In 1995, after award-winning
 beef jerky produced at Kimmel's plant in Mount Blanchard was featured on
 the front of The Wall Street Journal, a California company called seeking
 a 5,000-pound order -- an amount equal to his annual production at the
 time.

 Kimmel said he still has a standing order with the company if the law is
 changed.

 USDA officials have said they favor eliminating the restrictions on
 state-inspected meat. But they worry about the timing since new safety
 rules are due shortly that could take three years to implement and cause
 confusion in the interim.

 Nevertheless, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service held hearings on
 the issue last month in Sioux Falls, S.D. More meetings are scheduled
 this month in Washington.

 Dailey said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman has promised to reconsider
 the department's position after reviewing comments from the hearings.

 In the meantime, legislation to repeal the ban was introduced in Congress
 last week. Dailey thinks that is the states' best chance for success. If
 Glickman changes his mind on the issue, Dailey predicted, the legislation
 would sail through Congress.

 The law was almost changed last year as part of the federal farm bill, an
 overhaul of crop subsidy and dairy programs that President Clinton signed
 in April. But the effort failed under lobbying by consumer groups and the
 American Meat Institute, the industry's largest organization.

 The institute says a change would confuse shoppers and overseas buyers
 while penalizing companies that have paid to meet the more expensive
 federal guidelines.

 Consumer groups argue that states could return to the shoddy inspections
 that led Congress to pass the Wholesome Meat Act in 1967.

Date: Thu, 3 Jul 97 06:47:22 UTC
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Hog Operation Opposed
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Jetmore, Kansas, USA: Murphy Family Farms, the world's largest hog
producer, is seeking permission to open its first operation in Kansas.

The company has applied for a permit to set up a 14,300-head swine
operation near Jetmore in southwest Kansas. That includes 11,000 sows,
which would be capable of producing 240,000 pigs a year.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has given preliminary
approval to the project, pending comments from the public by July 25.

It will likely hear plenty.

"Hogs stink. The odor is overwhelming," said Richard Ford, a retired
farmer and rancher who lives near Jetmore. "We are in a water-deficient
area. Hogs take a lot of water."

Stewards of the Land, a group of farmers from southwest Kansas, and the
Kansas Sierra Club also oppose corporate hog operations.

The operation will create 45 jobs, each paying about $22,000 a year.
In addition, the company will contract with 10 area farmers to raise
baby pigs.


-- Sherrill
Date: Thu, 3 Jul 97 07:04:16 UTC
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Man Shoots Neighbors' Pit Bulls, Then Beheads One
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Tulsa, OK, USA: A Tulsa man shot his neighbors' two pit bulldogs
and cut the head off one of the animals Monday when he found the pair
in his yard.

Animal Control officials are investigating the case in which Riley
Johnson, 38, says the dogs were trying to bite him, according to the
police report, but the dogs' owners claim he killed them out of spite.
No criminal charges have been filed.

Animal cruelty investigator Garl Willis said, "We have to determine
whether he was really in danger when he shot those two dogs."

Willis said the shootings are the focus of the criminal investigation.
The beheading, he said, was done after the dog died and therefore can't
be considered animal cruelty.

Johnson was given a police citation for animal cruelty; the dogs'
owners, Rodney and Cynde Payton, were cited for having dogs at large,
Lt. Karen Rovan said.

Johnson did not explain why he cut the 2-year-old male pit bull's head
off. Investigators found the body of the male dog near Johnson's
house. The other dog, a 3-year-old female, found its way to its home
on Monday night with a bullet wound in its left shoulder.

The Paytons moved to the neighborhood three weeks ago. Since then,
their dogs have jumped their fence a few times. Rodney Payton noticed
that the dogs had escaped again at 6:30am Monday when he left for work.

Payton returned shortly before 7:00pm and went looking for the dogs.
As he combed the neighborhood, he said he saw Johnson walking down the
street, carrying his dog's head. Payton said he  went home in shock
and found his wounded dog in the yard.

"I didn't call the police right away because I was scared for my
family," he said. "I thought the guy must be crazy. But the more I
thought about it, the more I knew I couldn't let something like that go.
He was carrying the head around like it was some sort of trophy."

Payton said the dogs would never have attacked someone.

"They were at my son's third birthday party just a few months ago, and
kids were climbing all over them," he said. "Pit bulls have a bad
reputation. It's undeserved. These dogs were as gentle as could be, and
now my boy lost his best friend."

Payton said he will probably file a civil suit against Johnson and that
he and his family are planning to move from the neighborhood as soon as
possible." The female dog was treated by a veterinarian and is recuperating
at home, Payton said.


-- Sherrill
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 08:48:07 -0400 (EDT)
From: Debbie Leahy <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Womack Still in Business
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII

           WOMACK STILL VERY MUCH IN BUSINESS

The USDA-APHIS press release did not mention a new license will be re-
issued to Lorin Womack's Land O'Lorin under the name of a newly
created non-profit organization.  The board of directors are his
friends and/or Womack sympathizers.  Lorin Womack is still very much
in the picture.  This facility is his home and he will still continue
with its day-to-day operations.  He can also continue hauling exotic
animals around to parades, festivals, etc. and continue to breed, buy,
and sell animals as an employee of this organization.   The
organization is paying Womack to lease the property and could pay him
a salary.  Womack--a convicted felon who has committed intentional
acts of extreme neglect--breeds animals and buys and sells large
numbers of animals at exotic animal auctions.  Land O'Lorin brochures
present the facility as a sanctuary for rescued animals (there's
usually an elaborate story to go along with each "rescue") while, in
fact, virtually every animal there was either bred or purchased.

In April of this year, while his attorney was preparing negotiations
with the USDA, Womack hauled a bear cub, one of three bred at his zoo
this year, to Lolli Brothers exotic animal auction in Missouri.  The
cub, still on a bottle, was auctioned off in the ring.  At the same
auction he purchased a $1,600 baby otter while publicly claiming he's
too poor to take proper care of his animals.  A deer named Hanzel
mysteriously disappeared from his zoo in April.  Hanzel had a
disfigured right eye that regularly became infected and went
untreated.  Zoo visitors often complained about the condition of
Hanzel's eye.  Hanzel was very tame and had been a long-time resident
of the zoo.  Land O'Lorin representatives claim Hanzel "escaped."  A
baby buffalo born at Land O'Lorin in late April/early May was
permanently removed from his mother only four hours after birth and
kept alone in a barn so he could be "socialized" with people.

Animals have died from malnourishment, exposure, and neglect.  A tiger
cub, who Womack knew was sick, was brought to a weekend pet show for
display.  The cub became increasingly ill and died two days later from
feline distemper, a preventable disease for which Womack failed to
have the cub vaccinated.  Womack was charged with transporting a
Japanese snow macaque (who he purchased for $2,000) across state lines
without a health certificate.  He sold a snow macaque who a positive
virus profile in the ring at an auction.

Last year, Womack was closed by the USDA for 30 days and penalized
$20,000.  Half the penalty was suspended so it could be used to
improve his facility.  We have been unable to learn from the USDA how
much of the previous fine was actually paid, and how much he has
proven was put into the facility.  We have not observed $10,000 in
improvements.  His USDA records indicate he has simply refused to pay
previous fines.

Earlier this week a local paper featured an article advertising a
fundraising event for Lorin Womack.  It essentially read ... help
Womack save his zoo.  And showed a picture of Womack holding his
baboon, one of two primates he keeps in isolation.

Womack's license revocation goes into effect July 7.  The USDA has
confirmed he will be allowed to stay open to the public--without a
license--until the new license is issued.  Other chronic violators of
the Animal Welfare Act are reportedly contacting Womack to learn how
they, too, can create corporations to get the USDA off their back.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
In a letter dated May 8, 1997 to USDA Animal Care Inspectors, USDA
Secretary Dan Glickman wrote (excerpts):

"An increase in the number of incidences involving mistreatment of
captive wildlife and exotic animals has raised the level of public
concern for the proper handling of these animals."  And "... go
after the chronic violators--let's put them out of business."

According to USDA internal documents, Land O'Lorin "has been in
chronic non-compliance with the Animal Welfare Act since 1989."
Another document states "... it appears that this licensee may be a
candidate for an injunction to protect the health of the animals at
his facility ... the Secretary may seek an injunction whenever
there is reason to believe an exhibitor is 'placing the health of
any animal in serious danger.' ... I recommend we seek an
injunction against Mr. Womack ..."

Due to the severity of the problems at Land O'Lorin, the USDA
considered this a high priority case.  Please write/fax polite
comments to Dan Glickman and urge him to put his words into action
by permanently closing Land O'Lorin's facility--to any licensee.
Re-issuing a new license under a different name simply makes a
mockery of the Animal Welfare Act and will set a precedence for
other facilities to skirt the law.  Contact:

The Honorable Dan Glickman, Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture
200-A Whitten Building
14th St. & Independence Ave. SW
Washington, D.C.  20250
Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]
================================================================

Illinois Animal Action
P.O. Box 507
Warrenville, IL  60555
630/393-2935

Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 07:12:30 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Elephant Advocates)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Free calls to U.S. Senate: [phone] & [phone]
Message-ID: <v01530505afe1627dcdce@[207.217.5.21]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Call to oppose S. 955.

Next week, the senate will consider the Foreign Operations Appropriations
bill for Fiscal Year 1998, S. 955, which makes monetary allocations for the
U.S. Agency for International Development. U.S. A.I.D. has committed to
spending several million of your hard-earned tax dollars on the CAMPFIRE
program in Zimbabwe.



Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 08:31:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mike Markarian <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail],
        [e-mail]
Subject: Hegins Pigeon Shoot May Spread Avian Influenza
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, July 3, 1997

CONTACT: Heidi Prescott, [phone], [e-mail]
         Dr. Gordon Stull, [phone], [e-mail]

HEGINS PIGEON SHOOT MAY SPREAD AVIAN INFLUENZA

Today, The Fund for Animals received a letter from Dr. Gordon Stull, a
veterinarian who has treated rescued birds at the Hegins pigeon shoot for
the last four years, raising concerns over the epidemic of Avian Influenza
in Pennsylvania and the fact that the conditions of birds at the pigeon
shoot are ripe for spreading this disease to poultry or humans. While it is
highly unlikely that pigeons in the wild would spread the disease, the
crowded, stressful, filthy, and emaciated conditions of the birds kept at
the pigeon shoot are ripe for harboring and spreading disease, and the birds
who are not shot are released into the wild. The letter was forwarded today
to Governor Tom Ridge and to Secretary of Agriculture Samuel Hayes.

Over the last four years, Dr. Stull has documented that birds rescued from
the Hegins pigeon shoot actively carried dangerous diseases such as
Salmonella (serotype B, which is often incriminated in human Salmonella
outbreaks), Chlamydia (also known as Psittacosis or Parrot Fever), Pigeon
Avian Pox, and Paramyxovirus (group 1 variant P). At the 1996 pigeon shoot,
approximately 75 percent of the rescued birds demonstrated serious
pathological lesions.

Dr. Stull wrote in the letter, "Given the epidemic of Avian Influenza
already brewing in Lancaster County, PA, the conditions are ripe for
trouble. . . . I can picture a pigeon sick from Influenza (that it may have
contracted from another pigeon, another bird, a mammal or even man), caught
and held with other pigeons under conditions ripe for disease spread. The
Labor Day release of 5,000 pigeons (many of whom would then be incubating or
manifesting the diseases brought about by the unnatural conditions forced
upon them by the lack of proper care) into the environment would, in my
opinion, promote a health risk to Pennsylvania."

The Fund for Animals has alerted the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of
Animal Industry in the past that Pennsylvania's Agriculture Code prohibits
the importation or intrastate movement of birds with infectious diseases (7
Pa. Code $$ 3.3 and 3.193) unless the Department of Agriculture has issued
permits for the diseased birds. The Department of Agriculture has refused to
act on this information.

Says Heidi Prescott, National Director of The Fund for Animals, "The Hegins
pigeon shoot not only causes thousands of birds to suffer, but also puts at
risk the health of all Pennsylvanians. The Schuylkill County organizers of
the pigeon shoot are acting illegally and irresponsibly by releasing
diseased birds into their community and by hiring young children to handle
dead and crippled pigeons."

For a copy of Dr. Stull's two-page letter, please contact The Fund for
Animals at [e-mail] or [phone].

# # #

Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 11:53:52
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Free Medline
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

The National Library of Medicine is now offering free Medline.  The Web
address is:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/

Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 12:49:19 -0400
From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Study shows surprising African family tree
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

01:02 PM ET 07/01/97

Study shows surprising African family tree


            (Release at 2 p.m. EDT, Wednesday July 2)
            LONDON (Reuter) - They could not look more different, but
scientists said Wednesday the large, gray, thick-skinned
elephant and the tiny furry golden mole are close cousins.
            They, manatees, aardvarks and hyraxes form a little family
that shows Africa was once isolated and developed unique animals
similar to those seen in Australia today, the researchers
reported in the science journal Nature.
            Mark Springer of the University of California at Riverside
and colleagues said their findings could turn traditional
theories about the origin of African animals upside down.
            Instead of using the traditional techniques of comparing the
physiology of animals to classify them, Springer's group looked
at the genetic evidence.
            Their research implies that elephants, elephant shrews,
manatees, aardvarks and golden moles all descended from a common
African ancestor that lived alongside dinosaurs.
            This probably happened when Africa was an isolated continent
during the Cretaceous period, which lasted from 136 million to
65 million years ago, they wrote.
            Africa did not become attached to Europe until about 65
million years ago, when mammals started an explosion of
development after the dinosaurs died out.
         REUTER
Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 14:22:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: RFI-UNESCO agreement, 1978
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

I am posting a request for information on the behalf of a Reader's Digest
researcher who is looking for information regarding a UNESCO (I believe the
acronym stands for United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organization ) resolution which addressed a wide array of animal cruelty
issues. The resolution was passed in Paris in 1978.  That is all the
information she had.  She already contacted UNESCO and they were not
particularly helpful in tracking down the desired information.

If anyone has any information regarding this UNESCO resolution, please
contact:

[e-mail]

Thank you.

.....................................

Note to junk mailers:

Permission to use this screen name for junk mailing purposes is expressly not
given.  Stealing this screen name and selling it to junk mailers will result
in legal action.
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 14:23:33 -0700
From: Hillary <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Hog Operation Opposed
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I need an address for Murphy Family Farms--sorry to post to this
list--anyone have one?

At 06:47 AM 7/3/97 UTC, [e-mail] wrote:
>Jetmore, Kansas, USA: Murphy Family Farms, the world's largest hog
>producer, is seeking permission to open its first operation in Kansas.
>
>The company has applied for a permit to set up a 14,300-head swine
>operation near Jetmore in southwest Kansas. That includes 11,000 sows,
>which would be capable of producing 240,000 pigs a year.
>
>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has given preliminary
>approval to the project, pending comments from the public by July 25.
>
>It will likely hear plenty.
>
>"Hogs stink. The odor is overwhelming," said Richard Ford, a retired
>farmer and rancher who lives near Jetmore. "We are in a water-deficient
>area. Hogs take a lot of water."
>
>Stewards of the Land, a group of farmers from southwest Kansas, and the
>Kansas Sierra Club also oppose corporate hog operations.
>
>The operation will create 45 jobs, each paying about $22,000 a year.
>In addition, the company will contract with 10 area farmers to raise
>baby pigs.
>
>
>-- Sherrill
>
>
Date: Thu, 3 Jul 97 13:50:01 UTC
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Address/phone#/fax# for Murphy Family Farms
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

After several phone calls, here's the info. I found:
Murphy Family Farms, PO Box 1066, Laverne, OK   73848
Phone#: [phone]; Fax#: [phone]

Extras, if needed: Chamber of Commerce for the Kansas town the hog
farm is headed to: 316-375-4566;  Kansas State Dept. of Health &
Environment: 316-225-0596

"Sherlock" Sherrill
Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 16:56:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (NJ) Lab won't give up dogs
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

c The Associated Press

      EAST MILLSTONE, N.J. (AP) - A laboratory refused on Thursday to
give actress and animal-rights activist Kim Basinger 36 beagles
spared from drug research that would have involved breaking their
legs.
      Ms. Basinger showed up at the New Jersey offices of
British-owned Huntingdon Life Sciences to claim the dogs but went
away empty-handed.
      The company said the dogs were bred for research and were
unprepared to live outside a lab.
      Yamanouchi, the Japanese pharmaceuticals company that
commissioned the tests on a medicine for osteoporosis, dropped its
request after Ms. Basinger stirred up international publicity by
offering to adopt the beagles.
      AP-NY-07-03-97 1543EDT
       Copyright 1997 The Associated Press.  The information
contained in the AP news report may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without
prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 14:11:43 -0700 (PDT)
From: [e-mail] (pawsinfo)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Vegetarian/Animal Rights Book Sale [WA]
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


PAWS has closed its thriftstore and retail outlet in Greenwood. There are
many NEW books left over in inventory. We are selling these new books at a
fraction of their retail price. Most books are less than 25% of their
original prices. For example:

Big Carrot Vegetarian Cookbook by Anne Lukin $14.95 ($4.00)

Compassion the Ultimate Ethic An exploration of veganism, 108 pages, card by
Victoria Moran reg. $6.95 ($1.00)
The Consumers Dictionary of Food Additives Definitions and complete info
about the harmful and desirable ingredients in foods. 352 pages by Ruth
Winter $14.00 ($4.00)

Pregnancy, ChildrenûVegan Diet What vegans need to know about having and
caring for children. 109 pages, card
by Dr. Michael Klaper $10.95 ($3.00) (same price for Vegan Nutrition by Dr.
Klaper)

Buy now for presents, libraries, etc.

To view entire list, go to: http://www.paws.org/store/arbks.htm

or send an email to [e-mail] requesting the booklist via email.

Book quantities are limited and orders are first come first served. Email
orders will reserve your purchase until paid. Books will be mailed by US
post or may be picked up in Lynnwood during business hours Mon-Fri.

Bob Chorush  Web Administrator, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
15305 44th Ave West (P.O. Box 1037)Lynnwood, WA 98046 [phone] ext
862, [phone] fax
email [e-mail]      http://www.paws.org

Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 19:19:34 -0400
From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Fireworks noise can traumatize pets
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

 Subject: Fireworks noise can traumatize pets
 Date: Thursday, 3 Jul 1997 15:00:53 PDT
 From: [e-mail] (UPI)
Organization: Copyright 1997 by United Press International

ClariNet story CA-FIREWORKS-PETS from UPI

Fireworks noise can traumatize pets

Copyright 1997 by United Press International / Thu, 3 Jul 1997 15:00:53 PDT

LOS ANGELES, July 3 (UPI) -- Most people love fireworks, the colors, the
lights and the
noise, but the American Humane Association says the loud noise causes
excruciating
pain for pets.

Statistics from around the nation show that July 5th is the busiest day of
the year at
animal shelters, because so many pets run away from home looking for a
place to hide
from the sounds of exploding and screaming fireworks.

June Leary, a spokeswoman for the AHA, says people ``have a tendency to see
fireworks once a year and think that they're wonderul and exciting.'' But
she says people
``tend to underestimate just how sensitive an animal's hearing can be.''

Leary says animals have no sense of when the noise is going to stop and the
loud
racket can cause shock to an animal's nervous systems.

Humane Association officials are urging people not to take their pets to
fireworks
displays and to be sure animals are wearing current ID tags in case they
panic and run
away.

The American Humane Association in Los Angeles even has guidelines regulating
noise on movie sets where animals are used.

Leary says when animals are present filmmakers may not use ``full load''
blanks in prop
guns, but are limited to ``quarter load'' charges.
Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 19:57:27 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Chatham 3 update as of 7/3/97
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Greetings all,

For those that haven't heard of any recent news on the Chatham 3, I have the
following.  Robyn Weiner pled guilty and was sentenced on Monday.  Because
yesterday was a Canadian holiday, details were sketchy until I rec'd this

Gary's lawyer called him today and told him the following details of Robyn's
sentencing in her involement in the mink release in Chatham:

* She forfeited her $10,000 bail to McLellan with an apology to him for the
"suffering she had caused;"  She also said that she was going to have to live
with what she had done for the rest of her life.
* She has to serve 400 hours of community service in Canada on weekends.
* She WILL testify against us in court when we go to trial.
* She stated that Gary had made "nasty" phone calls to her and she has it all
on tape.

Bailey, the Crown's attorney (US prosecuting attorney) said he will NOT show
us (the Chatham 3) the same leniency because we have not shown any remorse.
 Bailey is on record as saying that Robyn is a "good girl and remorseful."

The Chatham 3 (Pat, Gary & Hilma) and Gary will be in court next Friday the
11th to set a trial date.

For the animals,

Hilma

Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 23:12:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Fwd: Court Takes Up Mall Speech Case
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Sorry this is so tardy.  I was avoiding looking at my old email!!!  If anyone
belongs to Chicadee (sp) please post this there.  Thanks.

Lynn

In a message dated 97-06-20 08:18:11 EDT, AOL News writes:

 << Subj:Court Takes Up Mall Speech Case
  Date:97-06-20 08:18:11 EDT
  From:AOL News
 BCC:LMANHEIM

       By CHRIS TOMLINSON
       MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Malls have been called the town squares of
 our times, but don't climb atop a soapbox and start stirring up the
 shoppers with a fiery oration.
       Mall owners contend the complexes are private property and not
 subject to the constitutional guarantees of free speech.
       Some free speech advocates argue that the Mall of America - the
 largest shopping and entertainment complex in the country - should
 be given the same status as other public spaces.
       ``The place for fun in your life should also permit the exchange
 of ideas,'' said attorney Larry Leventhal, who represents animal
 rights protesters arrested at the mall.
       Four members of the Animal Liberation League were arrested on
 May 19, 1996, for holding signs and passing out literature
 protesting fur sales outside Macy's department store. They were
 charged with criminal trespass.
       They claim the arrests were a violation of their rights to free
 speech.
       Even though Minneapolis spent $186 million to help build the
 $700 million mall, city officials and the mall's management believe
 it is private property.
       ``The individual's constitutional right is directly antagonistic
 to the purpose of the private institution, which is to make a
 profit,'' said Sandra Johnson, an assistant city attorney
 prosecuting the case.
       In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that malls are private
 property and not public places, but did allow state courts to rule
 differently. Minnesota courts have never ruled on this issue.
       Hennepin County District Court Judge Jack Nordby, who heard
 arguments Thursday, did not immediately issue a ruling.
       AP-NY-06-20-97 0713EDT



---------------------
Forwarded message:
Subj:    Court Takes Up Mall Speech Case
Date:    97-06-20 08:18:11 EDT
From:    AOL News



      By CHRIS TOMLINSON
      MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Malls have been called the town squares of
our times, but don't climb atop a soapbox and start stirring up the
shoppers with a fiery oration.
      Mall owners contend the complexes are private property and not
subject to the constitutional guarantees of free speech.
      Some free speech advocates argue that the Mall of America - the
largest shopping and entertainment complex in the country - should
be given the same status as other public spaces.
      ``The place for fun in your life should also permit the exchange
of ideas,'' said attorney Larry Leventhal, who represents animal
rights protesters arrested at the mall.
      Four members of the Animal Liberation League were arrested on
May 19, 1996, for holding signs and passing out literature
protesting fur sales outside Macy's department store. They were
charged with criminal trespass.
      They claim the arrests were a violation of their rights to free
speech.
      Even though Minneapolis spent $186 million to help build the
$700 million mall, city officials and the mall's management believe
it is private property.
      ``The individual's constitutional right is directly antagonistic
to the purpose of the private institution, which is to make a
profit,'' said Sandra Johnson, an assistant city attorney
prosecuting the case.
      In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that malls are private
property and not public places, but did allow state courts to rule
differently. Minnesota courts have never ruled on this issue.
      Hennepin County District Court Judge Jack Nordby, who heard
arguments Thursday, did not immediately issue a ruling.
      AP-NY-06-20-97 0713EDT
Copyright 1997 The
Associated Press.  The information
contained in the AP news report may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without
prior written authority of The Associated Press.


To edit your profile, go to keyword NewsProfiles.
For all of today's news, go to keyword News.
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 23:12:25 -0700
From: FARM <[e-mail]>
To: Veg News <[e-mail]>, A/R News <[e-mail]>
Subject: FARM Announces Several Openings (US)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1


FARM wishes to announce the following full-time openings:
ADMINISTRATOR (administers office operations; procures and maintains
office equipment, supplies, merchandise; maintains financial records)
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR (recruits and retains supporters; maintains supporter
and other data bases; responds to supporter inquiries)
CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR (responsible for planning and executing three annual
campaigns; interacts with local activists, other groups, and media)
RESEARCH DIRECTOR (procures, organizes, and distributes documents and
visual aids; responds to info requests; prepares articles letters)
DIRECTOR OF æCHOICEÆ- Consumers for Healthy Options In Children's
Education (promotes plant-based nutrition education and meals in schools;
trains local coordinators; distributes educational materials).

    Each position requires substantial applicable prior experience,
thorough dedication to promotion of animal rights and a vegan lifestyle,
knowledge of the issues involved, good communication skills, and ability
to work in a team setting.
    We offer an unparalleled opportunity for professional growth, and
personal fulfillment, along with modest pay and housing, if needed. The
office is located in a safe and pleasant residential neighborhood of
Bethesda, MD, 20 minutes from downtown Washington.
    FARM is a national organization promoting planetary survival through
plant-based eating.  Our programs include the Great American Meatout,
World Farm Animals Day, National Veal Ban Action, Letters From FARM,
CHOICE, Industry Watch, and occasionally, a national convention like
ANIMAL RIGHTS æ97.  We operate from the nationÆs capital with the help of
a dedicated staff and a national network of local activists.
    To apply, send resume and a letter noting position(s) and special
qualifications to Alex Hershaft, FARM, PO Box 30654, Bethesda, MD 20824.
To learn more about FARM, check out http://envirolink.org/arrs/farm.

Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 23:15:31 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Fwd: Israel Outlaws Alligator Wrestling
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

In a message dated 97-06-22 09:35:25 EDT, AOL News writes:

Gee.  I never knew this was a problem!  Glad it's banned though!

Lynn

 << Subj:Israel Outlaws Alligator Wrestling
  Date:97-06-22 09:35:25 EDT
  From:AOL News
 BCC:LMANHEIM

       By JACK KATZENELL
       JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's Supreme Court on Sunday outlawed
 wrestling between humans and alligators as a spectator event.
       The high court overturned last year's ruling by a Tel Aviv court
 that the show at the Hamat Gader alligator is no different than
 circus shows and need not be banned.
       Animal rights activists hailed the ruling as a ``great
 victory.''
       The three-judge panel was shown a video filmed at the alligator
 farm in northern Israel in which a man seized an alligator's jaw,
 pulled it back and turned the animal on its back.
       Justice Mishael Cheshin said there is no justification for such
 treatment of the animal ``just for the amusement of spectators.''
 But courses could continue for backpackers headed toward Latin
 America to train them to defend against alligators, he said.
       Eti Altman of the animal rights group ``Let the Animals Live
 said the decision put Israel in the forefront of enlightened
 nations.
       ``In Florida alligator-wrestling is still going on. Today's
 ruling shows that Israel is even more enlightened than the United
 States in prevention of cruelty to animals,'' she told The
 Associated Press.
       The director of the Hamat Gader farm, Roni Lotan, said he would
 comply with any changes required by the ruling. Lotan said the term
 ``alligator wrestling'' misrepresented what he insisted was
 primarily an education event.
       ``We show the infant alligator hatching from its egg, and all
 the stages in its development,'' he said.
       But he admitted that in part of the show a Cuban employee,
 Hannibal Rodriguez, has ``contact'' with an adult alligator about
 15 feet long.
       The show has been canceled for the past two weeks since the
 animal bit Rodriguez in the leg, Lotan said. Earlier it bit off one
 of his fingers. >>


---------------------
Forwarded message:
Subj:    Israel Outlaws Alligator Wrestling
Date:    97-06-22 09:35:25 EDT
From:    AOL News



      By JACK KATZENELL
      JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's Supreme Court on Sunday outlawed
wrestling between humans and alligators as a spectator event.
      The high court overturned last year's ruling by a Tel Aviv court
that the show at the Hamat Gader alligator is no different than
circus shows and need not be banned.
      Animal rights activists hailed the ruling as a ``great
victory.''
      The three-judge panel was shown a video filmed at the alligator
farm in northern Israel in which a man seized an alligator's jaw,
pulled it back and turned the animal on its back.
      Justice Mishael Cheshin said there is no justification for such
treatment of the animal ``just for the amusement of spectators.''
But courses could continue for backpackers headed toward Latin
America to train them to defend against alligators, he said.
      Eti Altman of the animal rights group ``Let the Animals Live
said the decision put Israel in the forefront of enlightened
nations.
      ``In Florida alligator-wrestling is still going on. Today's
ruling shows that Israel is even more enlightened than the United
States in prevention of cruelty to animals,'' she told The
Associated Press.
      The director of the Hamat Gader farm, Roni Lotan, said he would
comply with any changes required by the ruling. Lotan said the term
``alligator wrestling'' misrepresented what he insisted was
primarily an education event.
      ``We show the infant alligator hatching from its egg, and all
the stages in its development,'' he said.
      But he admitted that in part of the show a Cuban employee,
Hannibal Rodriguez, has ``contact'' with an adult alligator about
15 feet long.
      The show has been canceled for the past two weeks since the
animal bit Rodriguez in the leg, Lotan said. Earlier it bit off one
of his fingers.
      AP-NY-06-22-97 0930EDT
Copyright 1997 The
Associated Press.  The information
contained in the AP news report may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without
prior written authority of The Associated Press.


To edit your profile, go to keyword NewsProfiles.
For all of today's news, go to keyword News.

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