GRAPHIC MEDIA: Lion Found Hanging In Its Cage Becomes The Latest Victim Of Wretched Indonesian Animal Park Dubbed The ‘zoo of death’

“OMG…isn’t anyone helping these neglected  animals? They live in appalling conditions, which I have already written about! I’m ashamed to be called human when others are capable of this.  So who is going to help stop the animal deaths; why are animals dying? Surely the animals could be sent to other zoo’s or parks,:why are they still suffering, they need the best of care! It’s going to take a bloody miracle to get this park back to a standard fit for animals…so what are they going to do in the mean time? IF THEY DO NOTHING & THEN THE ANIMALS DEATH COUNT  WILL CONTINUE.  See the video at the end of this post; it’s just heart breaking….PLEASE SIGN THE PETITIONS BELOW. Please use Viewer Discretion.

The video does not play on its own, but is is very upsetting; So Viewer Discretion advised.

By RICHARD SHEARS PUBLISHED: 15:55, 8 January 2014 | UPDATED: 11:32, 9 January 2014

• WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE & VIDEO BELOW
• Michael the 18-month-old lion ‘got his head stuck between steel cables’
• Zoo denies negligence saying animal must have been ‘playing around’
• His body has disappeared and police have not been able to examine it
• More than 40 animals died at zoo between July and September last year
• Previous expose revealed dead giraffe had 20kgs of plastic in its stomach

Tiger’s digestive tract rotted after being fed meat laced with formaldehyde

The world’s cruellest zoo has claimed another victim after an African lion was found hanging in its cage, it emerged today.

Shocking: Michael the lion is found hanging in his cage after apparently getting his head stuck between steel cables at Surabaya Zoo in Indonesia which has been heavily criticised for its treatment of its animals

The Surabaya Zoo in Indonesia, which has outraged MailOnline readers around the world after an expose on the treatment of its animals, is being investigated by police following the death of the 18-month-old lion called Michael.

But the lion’s body was removed before police were able to examine it and cannot now be found.

A senior officer declined to say whether it was believed the zoo was trying to hamper the investigation.

Michael was found strangled in his cage after his head became stuck between steel cables, the Jakarta Globe reported today.

The tragedy comes just 24 hours after it was learned that a wildebeest died in its enclosure from a stomach problem, although the zoo said that the wet weather was partly to blame.” well of course they are not going to say otherwise!!”

The death of Michael the lion is certain to cause further demands from animal lovers around the world for urgent action to be carried out at the zoo.“Yes indeed, please sign the petition below, thanks; on behalf of the animals “

Closing it down, however, is not an option because no other zoo has expressed an interest in taking the animals. “Really? I can’t believe that?”

Latest statistics, covering the months between July and September last year, reveal that 43 animals died at the zoo during that period. “43 animal deaths, surely that is enough grounds to take away all the remaining animals & find them homes were they can behave in & on their natural habitat”

Horrific: Chained by three legs, this juvenile male elephant was one of several animals which featured in a recent expose for MailOnline last month that has outraged readers around the world

Among those which have died there previously is a giraffe that was found to have 20 kilograms of plastic in its stomach and a Sumatran tiger found to have a rotten digestive tract after being regularly fed meat laced with formaldehyde.

In the wake of Michael the lion’s death, zoo spokesman Agus Supangkat denied that his death was caused by zookeepers’ negligence.

‘We are still investigating how the steel cables could entrap the African lion’s head,‘ he told the Globe.

‘Michael was relatively young. He was only one and a half years old. It could be that he was playing around and somehow his head got stuck.’

Mr Agus said each of the zoo’s lions – there are now only four left – spends its days in two different cages.

Each morning, the lions are taken to a display cage where visitors can view them. Then, in the afternoon they are moved to another cage where they sleep, said Mr Agus.

He explained that the zoo used steel cables to secure the cage so zookeepers did not have to manually open or close the cage door with their hands.

This, he said, was a safety precaution to prevent the keepers being injured.

Michael was sent to the zoo last March by the East Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency

Emaciated: This camel’s ribs were plain to see as it ate grass in its enclosure when reporter Richard Shears visited the zoo last month

Surabaya Police detectives chief Senior Commander Farman told the Globe that a team of officers had visited the zoo to gather evidence but the corpse was missing.

He said that if the lion’s body could be found ‘we are going to wait for the autopsy results, then we can further examine the case.’ “Well somebody knows where the body is, probably the one that killed it, or found it dead, so I suggest the police move up a gear & kick some Ass!”

Dwindling numbers: A zoo spokesman said each of the lions – there are now only four left – spends its days in two different cages, one for displaying to visitors, the other for sleeping

A MailOnline investigation into the zoo before Christmas found numerous cases of animals living in miserable conditions, including a young elephant that was chained by three legs, one of which was ulcerated because of its tight shackles.

Dozens of petitions were started pleading for the zoo to be closed and animal rights groups have added their voice to the demands.

Exposed: A MailOnline probe before Christmas found several cases of animals in miserable conditions

But a management team, headed by the Surabaya Mayor, Mrs Tri Rismaharini, has resisted improvements saying they want to retain the original structures erected by Dutch colonialists in 1916.

News Link:–http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2535918/Lion-hanging-cage-latest-victim-wretched-Indonesian-animal-park-dubbed-zoo-death.html

“WTF…only a non caring animal lover would say such a thing; all zoos have to be updated to fulfil regulations etc. protecting the animal & the public. But the animals should also be allowed to exhibit normal  behaviour; to do so they better make a start & build cages that give the animal a sense of freedom, to allow natural behaviour. 

I believe all animals, whatever they do or where ever they are; are entitled to the 5 F’s

Five Freedoms

The welfare of an animal includes its physical and mental state and we consider that good animal welfare implies both fitness and a sense of well-being. Any animal kept by man, must at least, be protected from unnecessary suffering.

We believe that an animal’s welfare, whether on farm, in transit, at market or at a place of slaughter should be considered in terms of ‘five freedoms’. These freedoms define ideal states rather than standards for acceptable welfare. They form a logical and comprehensive framework for analysis of welfare within any system together with the steps and compromises necessary to safeguard and improve welfare within the proper constraints of an effective livestock industry.

1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst – by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.

2. Freedom from Discomfort – by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.

3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease – by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.

4. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour – by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.

5. Freedom from Fear and Distress – by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

Now I bet not many facilities can attest to the above, but they should; a simple act to follow! Surely if an animal is going to be used by humans for entertainment or killed for its meat; it is entitled to a decent life, before its last breath!!!! Living in the countryside, I’m just glad I see animals in fields  & know that I can look them in the eye , & say sorry you’re going to be slaughtered; but I shall never eat you or your friends”

Raw: Horrifying footage of starved Sumatran Tiger in ‘World’s Cruellest Zoo’

Published on 27 Dec 2013 – CCTVNEWS24/7

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING TO UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY IN HELPING THESE SUFFERING ANIMALS!

Horrifying footage of starved Sumatran tiger in ‘world’s cruellest zoo’ AP visited Indonesia’s Surayaba Zoo, where 50 animals have allegedly died in the last three months. One giraffe died with 20kg of plastic bags in its stomach.

World’s cruellest zoo: Shackled elephants, starving camels, 150 pelicans crammed into one cage – and a death toll that rises daily.

More than 50 animals have died in the last three months at Indonesia’s Surayaba Zoo, a former keeper has claimed
One giraffe died last year with 20kg of plastic bags in its stomach after they blew into its cage and weren’t cleared.

In another case, a Sumatran tiger’s digestive tract rotted away after it was routinely fed formaldehyde-laced meat
A Zoo spokesman defended the attraction, branded the worst in the world, but admitted: ‘We also have issues’

The young elephant has tugged at his shackled hind leg so often that the manacles have cut through the flesh, leaving it raw.

Not that freeing himself would help. A chain on his left front leg means he can move neither forwards, backwards nor sideways.

The elephant’s owner has tethered the youngster because he prefers to tend to his small shop in the grounds of the Surabaya Zoo in Indonesia.

Money comes first. And so, day after day, week after week, the elephant stands there, being released from his chains only at the end of each day.

Anyone finding the scene depressing, and who turns away to look for more happy animals in the zoo would eventually leave, as I did, utterly depressed.

Surabaya Zoo has been branded the worst in the world and when I walked through this animal torture ground I was left in no doubt its reputation was well-earned.

I live near Sydney harbour where it is a joy to watch pelicans gliding low across the waters of Blackwattle Bay. But at the Surabaya Zoo I could only shake my head in despair at the sight of more than 150 pelicans jammed into a cage, trying to share a small pool of water, so tightly packed that they could not even spread their wings, let alone fly.

‘How many pelicans does this zoo need?’ I asked a keeper. ‘They’re not endangered. There’s no need to keep this many penned in.’ He knew what I said, but I received only shrugs.

Each step took me through a macabre animal dungeon. While I saw dishes of chopped vegetables for the primates, the ribs of several large animals could be seen. One camel in particular appeared appallingly thin. A Capuchin monkey I came across appeared to almost plead to be released.

In another cage, a sad rhinoceros horn bill looks up at the blue sky, trying to take off from its perch, but there is no room to flap its wings.

Well over 50 animals have died here in the past three months, says Tony Sumampau, a former member of the zoo’s temporary management team, who had finally left in despair. ‘The keepers have stalls that they run selling food and drinks and it’s more important for them to make money than it is to be taking care of their animals.’

The zoo, was opened in 1916 during Dutch colonial rule, and next to nothing has been done to improve it. Instead, more and more animals have been packed in.
A report by an independent team set up by Indonesia’s forestry ministry called for the animals be moved to other zoos but nothing has been done. Other zoos refuse to take the animals because of their condition and the fear that many of them carrying diseases.

The state of the zoo’s animals came to world-wide attention following the death of a giraffe in 2012 that was found with no less than 20 kilograms of plastic bags in its stomach. They had blown into its enclosure and the keepers had not bothered to pick them up.

The giraffe’s death would possibly have faded from the world’s conscience had it not been for the discovery of a dead female orang-utan, Nanik, in its enclosure a few weeks ago. Orang-utans, an endangered species, live up to the age of 60 in captivity, but Nanik was just 12 years old when she died, a large tumour being found in her intestines.

Sitting alone is another orang-utan. I cannot believe what I see — she is chewing on the yellow top of a marker pen someone has thrown at her. She pushes it forward between her lips, then sucks it back into her mouth. I fear she will soon swallow it. Beside her, rats scurry in and out of holes around her!

I stare at a Sumatran tiger — or rather just its face — as it peers out from behind the bars of its stone living quarters. One of its brothers, I was told, had been seriously ill with its digestive tract rotted away due to the formaldehyde-laced meat it had been fed. An African lion is reported to have died in pain, adding to the zoo’s shameful catalogue of deaths from starvation, mistreatment and other unnatural causes.

Just A Few Petitions to stop this abuse:-

• http://www.change.org/petitions/dr-susilo-bambang-yudhoyono-close-surabaya-zoo
• http://www.change.org/petitions/kepada-ketua-www-dprd-surabaya-go-id-shut-down-surabaya-zoo-due-to-cruel-and-scandalous-conditions
• http://www.change.org/petitions/save-animals-in-surabaya-zoo
• http://www.change.org/petitions/food-for-surabaya-zoo-animals-in-east-java-indonesia
• http://forcechange.com/16697/shut-down-the-surabaya-zoo-in-indonesia/

“These important signatures are to support shutting this zoo or getting some sort of management in that can raise the welfare of the animals: & getting rid of those that just don’t give a shit about the animals, just their pay packet!!”

Facebook:-ttps://www.facebook.com/shutdownsurabayazoo

Facebook:=https://www.facebook.com/pages/Animal-Cruelty-Exposed/363725540304160

Another Related News Post By RICHARD SHEARS IN SURABAYA, INDONESIA PUBLISHED: 22:09, 26 December 2013

World’s cruellest zoo: Shackled elephants, starving camels, 150 pelicans crammed into one cage – and a death toll that rises daily

• More than 50 animals have died in the last three months at Indonesia’s Surayaba Zoo, a former keeper has claimed
  
• One giraffe died last year with 20kg of plastic bags in its stomach after they blew into its cage and weren’t cleared
  
• In another case, a Sumatran tiger’s digestive tract rotted away after it was routinely fed formaldehyde-laced meat

A Zoo spokesman defended the attraction, branded the worst in the world, but admitted: ‘We also have issues’

The young elephant has tugged at his shackled hind leg so often that the manacles have cut through the flesh, leaving it raw.

Conditions: A former keeper said more than 50 animals have died at the zoo in three months. This calf’s owner tethered it because he preferred to tend to his shop

Not that freeing himself would help. A chain on his left front leg means he can move neither forwards, backwards nor sideways.

The elephant’s owner has tethered the youngster because he prefers to tend to his small shop in the grounds of the Surabaya Zoo in Indonesia

Money comes first. And so, day after day, week after week, the elephant stands there, being released from his chains only at the end of each day.

Anyone finding the scene depressing, and who turns away to look for more happy animals in the zoo would eventually leave, as I did, utterly depressed.

Surabaya Zoo has been branded the worst in the world and when I walked through this animal torture ground I was left in no doubt its reputation was well-earned.

Cramped: This Sumatran tiger groaned as it sat in a brick hutch. One tiger last year died after its digestive tract was rotted by the formaldehyde-laced meat it ate

I live near Sydney harbour where it is a joy to watch pelicans gliding low across the waters of Blackwattle Bay. But at the Surabaya Zoo I could only shake my head in despair at the sight of more than 150 pelicans jammed into a cage, trying to share a small pool of water, so tightly packed that they could not even spread their wings, let alone fly.

Overcrowded: One aviary appeared packed to the brim with a mixture of herons and ibises, while another had 150 pelicans crammed into one cage together

‘How many pelicans does this zoo need?’ I asked a keeper. ‘They’re not endangered. There’s no need to keep this many penned in.’ He knew what I said, but I received only shrugs.

Each step took me through a macabre animal dungeon. While I saw dishes of chopped vegetables for the primates, the ribs of several large animals could be seen. One camel in particular appeared appallingly thin. A Capuchin monkey I came across appeared to almost plead to be released.

Marooned: A Moor macaque sat on its own on this island, surrounded by water with no trees to climb – only a chopped-down stump where a tree once grew

In another cage, a sad rhinoceros hornbill looks up at the blue sky, trying to take off from its perch, but there is no room to flap its wings.

Well over 50 animals have died here in the past three months, says Tony Sumampau, a former member of the zoo’s temporary management team, who had finally left in despair. ‘The keepers have stalls that they run selling food and drinks and it’s more important for them to make money than it is to be taking care of their animals.’

The zoo, was opened in 1916 during Dutch colonial rule, and next to nothing has been done to improve it. Instead, more and more animals have been packed in.

A report by an independent team set up by Indonesia’s forestry ministry called for the animals be moved to other zoos but nothing has been done. Other zoos refuse to take the animals because of their condition and the fear that many of them carrying diseases.

Bleak: This stark enclosure including a tank full of dirty water contained a solitary African pygmy hippo, pictured – which ironically enough was named Joy

The state of the zoo’s animals came to world-wide attention following the death of a giraffe in 2012 that was found with no less than 20 kilograms of plastic bags in its stomach. They had blown into its enclosure and the keepers had not bothered to pick them up.

The giraffe’s death would possibly have faded from the world’s conscience had it not been for the discovery of a dead female orangutan, Nanik, in its enclosure a few weeks ago. Orangutans, an endangered species, live up to the age of 60 in captivity, but Nanik was just 12 years old when she died, a large tumour being found in her intestines.

Sitting alone is another orangutan. I cannot believe what I see – she is chewing on the yellow top of a marker pen someone has thrown at her. She pushes it forward between her lips, then sucks it back into her mouth. I fear she will soon swallow it. Beside her, rats scurry in and out of holes in an embankment.

Rat-infested: A female orangutan played with a plastic marker pen in her mouth while a rat, bottom right, poked its head out of one of several holes on the bank

Another related news link:http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/12/26/article-2529589-18765D8500000578-109_964x639.jpg

Rare Asian bird kKlled By Wind Turbine As Avid Spotters Watched

One of the world’s fastest birds has died after flying into a wind turbine as scores of people watched.

The white-throated needletail, which is native to Asia, was spotted on the Isle of Harris, off the west coast of Scotland, this week and is believed to have arrived on Monday.

Bird spotters travelled to the island to catch a glimpse of the bird and many posted pictures on Twitter, but they then saw it die when it flew into a community-owned wind turbine on Wednesday.

The Rare Bird Alert, an on-line service that notifies users of sightings, had passed on reports of the white-throated needletail on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the service said users had told them the bird died on Wednesday.

On Thursday morning, the service tweeted: “The white-throated needletail on Harris flew into a wind turbine and has died, pathetic way for such an amazing bird to die.”

The needletail is a migrating bird and is black with white patches around its throat and undertail. It is small but has a large wingspan and is said to be able to fly up to 70mph.

A spokeswoman for the RSPB Scotland said they did not know the exact details of the case but migrating birds can be blown off course when travelling and the needletail may have lost its bearings and ended up in Harris.

She added: “Whilst the collision of this unusual visitor with a small domestic wind turbine is very unfortunate, incidents of this sort are really very rare.

“Careful choice of location and design of wind farms and turbines prevents, as much as possible, such occurrences happening on a large scale.

“Wind energy makes a vital contribution towards mitigating the impacts of climate change, which is the biggest threat to our native birds and wildlife.”

News Link:-http://news.stv.tv/scotland/231100-rare-asian-bird-killed-by-wind-turbine-while-migrating-to-scotland/

Federal Courts Dismiss Activists’ ‘ALDF’ Anti-Foie Gras Suit

“How can anyone think, shoving a gavage (pipe or tube) down the esophagus, of geese or ducks then force feeding them with, typically, corn boiled with fat (to facilitate ingestion) so the birds liver becomes over enlarged; so it can then be eaten as a delicacy… is totally beyond me! Of course it’s bloody cruel & barbaric, no other animal that I can think of is force fed via a tube to make any part of their body fatter for human consumption. Yes animals are given extra grain & even growth hormones but they are not force fed it via a bloody pipe…it’s savage & uncalled for; we kill enough animals to meet the demand for meat or other animal body parts! Do we really have to  force feed a bird in constant chronic pain from the tube…just for a delicacy?? What will they come up with next, pickled eyeballs, coated in vinegar daily, to get that perfect crunch?? One could say, this is almost as bad as bear bile being taken from a bear!!

Goose being force-fed so humans can dine on their enlarged livers!!

“Look at the disgusting filthy gavage (pipe) & other equipment; there is no wonder so many birds die of disease. While force feeding is required to meet the French legal definition of “foie gras”, producers outside France do not always force feed birds in order to produce fattened livers that they consider to be foie gras, instead allowing them to eat freely, termed ad libitum. Interest in alternative production methods has grown recently due to ethical concerns in gavage-based foie gras production. Such livers are alternatively termed fatty goose liver, ethical foie gras, or humane foie gras.” Source-Wikipedia

“During feeding, efforts are made to avoid damaging the bird’s esophagus, which could cause injury or death, although researchers have found evidence of inflammation of the walls of the proventriculus after the first session of force-feeding. There is also indication of inflammation of the esophagus in the later stages of fattening. Several studies have also demonstrated that mortality rates can be significantly elevated during the gavage period.”Source Wikipedia

The Animal Legal Defense Fund tried to sue the government to declare force-fed foie gras illegal, and federal courts shut it down. Inside Scoop SF reports that a lawsuit between the ALDF and the U.S. Department of Agriculture was dismissed on Friday. “Please click on the links to read more!”

The ALDF (the same anti-foie group that sued Napa restaurant La Toque) had argued that foie gras is “a diseased product unfit for human consumption,” and asked the court to step in and order the USDA to “remove foie gras from the American food supply.”

In the ruling (warning: PDF), U.S. District Judge Otis Wright explains his decision to dismiss the case: “Plaintiffs‘ voluminous submission of technical papers and data supports the Court’s view that Plaintiffs are challenging a scientific conclusion and not a legal one … this is an issue falling squarely under the USDA’s discretion by law.”

Although selling and producing foie gras is still illegal in California, the ALDF is not entitled to judicial review on this case so, for now, the rest of the country can rest easily knowing their foie is safe. “For those who partake in this delicacy…I hope it fxxxxg chokes you!”

· Court dismisses USDA foie gras lawsuit [Inside Scoop SF]
· All Foie Gras Coverage on Eater [-E-]

News Link:–http://eater.com/archives/2013/03/27/antifoie-gras-case-dismissed.php

Indiana Judge Won’t Order DNA Sample From Man Accused Of Bestiality

“This man is a deranged psycho; who for the protection of all should be behind bars! Yet a Judge denies new evidence via DNA?? WHY…will it include more work for this case & interfere with the judges weekend?? WTF…just who the hell are we trying to protect here? This monster deserves no rights, let alone being able to deny a search warrant…some of the laws we have are just pathetic & let bastards like this get away with murder!!”

CROWN POINT, Ind. — Lake Superior Court Judge Diane Ross Boswell denied a request by the state for a DNA sample of a Lowell, Ind., man charged with theft, bestiality, killing a domestic animal and torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal.

Boswell told deputy prosecutor Mark Watson that he must obtain a search warrant to get a new DNA sample, called a buccal swab, from Michael Charles Bessigano, 42.

MONSTER Michael Charles Bessigano

Defense attorney Casey McCloskey said if the defendant objects to providing the DNA sample, a search warrant is required based on case law.”Object? WTF…he shouldn’t have such rights after what he has done…are we protecting animals or those that abuse them??”

In the four Lake Superior Court felony division courtrooms, DNA sample requests are routinely granted without a search warrant being issued.

Watson said prosecutors already have a DNA sample from one of Bessigano’s prior cases dating back four or five years. Watson told the judge that if the case goes to trial, jurors might wonder what Bessigano did in the previous case, and he was unsure of the condition of the DNA sample and its packaging from the prior case.

The judge gave Watson the opportunity to file a brief citing case law on the issue.

Boswell agreed to order evaluations by two mental health professionals to determine if Bessigano is competent to stand trial.

He was charged earlier this month after authorities in November discovered a Guinea hen that had been sexually assaulted and killed at Buckley Homestead County Park. Several animals have been missing from the park since July.

News Link:-http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/19131335-418/indiana-judge-wont-order-dna-sample-from-man-accused-of-bestiality.html

Related articles

• Man Accused of Bestiality Had Animal Porn, ‘Ritual Room’ (preciousjules1985.wordpress.com)

Colton Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Animal Abuse

COLTON — A Colton man was arrested on suspicion of killing, maiming or abusing animals Saturday while six others were arrested on suspicion of watching animal fighting after 74 live roosters, 40 deceased roosters and six live hens were found.

Image of Cock fighting

Colton police officers went to a reported “cock fight” at about 1:15 p.m. Saturday in the 700 block of S. 8th St., according to a Colton Police Department news release.

When police arrived, about 20 people escaped on foot but officers were able to stop seven people.

The seven are:

– Arturo Pina, age 35, of Colton

– Salvador Cuavoyo, age 46, of Los Angeles

– Antonio Martinez, age 27, of Sylmar

– Jose Carreon, age 58, of Los Angeles

– Rodrigo Robles-Nunez, age 33, of Sylmar

– Freddy Fernandez, age 31, of Fontana

– Hector Sandoval, age 35, of Fontana

Pina was arrested in connection with abusing animals while the others were arrested on suspicion of presence as spectator for animal fighting.

The live animals were later transported to the San Bernardino Animal Shelter.

Also found at the location was a fighting arena, a weigh in area, fighting implements or razor spurs and a betting board.

Anyone with information on the incident can call Detective McFarland at 909-370-5000.

News Link:http://www.sbsun.com/ci_22859262/colton-man-arrested-suspicion-animal-abuse#ixzz2Oa1ale57

 

Earthlings – The Feature Length Documentary About The Suffering Of Animals For Human Gain

“I posted this, way back in February, but have just noticed the video’s were removed??…so here it is again!” 

“Question?, why do humans inflict & perform the most heinous acts of cruelty on animals??

“Answer:- Because they can – simple! Animals can’t talk, they can try to fight back; but when they do, humans just use brute force to overpower them. When you think of it like that…you soon start to realise…it is humans that are the cowards; moreover it is humans are the animals!.”

“By posting this, I’m certainly not trying to convert everyone to become vegetarian or vegan…I’m just sharing the truth about what happens to animals from birth to slaughter. For those that choose to stay meat eaters, watching this might just give you a better understanding of why so many people are choosing  to be vegetarian or vegan.  Seriously, all I ask is that you try to watch as much as you can…as difficult as it is in some parts…it is very informative.”

“After viewing it, people are entitled to their own opinions regards the subject matter! I am not telling people what they should or should not eat, it’s a personal preference. However, the best thing that has happened since the release of this film, is that public attitudes have changed & paved the way for better animal welfare!”

“More & more people are learning, through video films like this, exactly what happens to animals, & more are demanding changes.  Like the great saying by Sir Paul McCartney “If slaughter houses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian’ not sure about all, but it would change many people!”

“Please read everything below the video first, as this gives information about watching in other languages, turning annotations on & off because this is a multi subtitled video. If you can follow English by listening, then you may want to turn off the subtitles to concentrate of the subject matter. Plus it gives a list of websites full of information about food!”

Earthlings – Full length documentary (multi-subtitles)

Uploaded on 13 Dec 2010

EARTHLINGS is the single most powerful and informative documentary about society’s tragic and unforgivable use of nonhuman animals, narrated by Joaquin Phoenix with soundtrack by Moby. Directed by Shaun Monson, this multi-award winning film by Nation Earth is a must-see for anyone who cares about nonhuman animals or wishes to make the world a better place.

PLEASE: don’t run from reality, watch the film and share your thoughts with other viewers in the comments section. Thank you.

For more information:
http://www.adaptt.org
http://www.chooseveg.com
http://www.30bananasaday.com
http://www.foodnsport.com
http://www.pcrm.org
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com
http://www.veganhealth.org
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007n…

If you are under 18 and not allowed to watch, press the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/v/ce4DJh-L7Ys

If you live in Germany and can’t see, press the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tszu9t…

The film’s official website:
http://www.earthlings.com

Use the [CC] button for subtitles in your language.

Subtitles / Captions currently available in 26 languages:
Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, German, Greek, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Galician, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese-BR, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

Dutch version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPTMYS…

A request: subtitles in Japanese and Hindi do exist somewhere. If you know how I can get one of them, please let me know. Thanks.

Still didn’t watch the best video I know on Animal Rights – Gary Yourofsky‘s amazing speech? Please do and SHARE it in any way you can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U00…

We are all Earthlings – Make the Connection!

About Unity – The next film 

UNITY is the newest film by Shaun Monson for Nation Earth. Written and produced over the past five years, it will be released in 2012. The structure of the film comprises six acts, which are as follows: Body, Mind, Heart and Soul, bookended by a Prologue and Epilogue.

The subject of the film focuses on humanity’s propensity for apathy and empathy. Shaun has described UNITY as a film about opposites, or rather, “Why we perceive opposites in one another despite our various religions (88% of the planet is religious), all our Self-Help books, our 12-Step programs, even our philosophies and vast technology.”

The imagery in UNITY will be an intricate collage of everyday life, some beautiful, some horrible. The film is filled with joy, wonder, sorrow and maturity. As with Shaun’s previous film, EARTHLINGS, the editing once again manages to lead viewers into new and intriguing directions by a mix of unprecedented beauty with heart-breaking tragedy. While it is a cautionary tale, UNITY also hopes to introduce a little grace, philosophy and awareness into more lives than ever before.

A web search will reveal how EARTHLINGS has been the subject of some of the most fanciful descriptions, tributes and accolades ever lauded on a documentary, especially one that tackles such a difficult subject matter. And even though the film was roundly ignored by distributors upon its initial release in 2005, there is no doubting the influence the film had on future documentaries dealing with the same topic, including three films by HBO: DEALING DOGS (2006), I AM AN ANIMAL (2007), and DEATH ON A FACTORY FARM (2009), as well as two Academy Award® nominated films in 2010: FOOD INC., and the Best Documentary Feature, THE COVE.

UNITY picks up where EARTHLINGS left off, except instead of focusing on our relationship with animals, the film explores man’s dualistic relationships with each other. Therefore, the point we wish to make with UNITY is to cast a light on this essential contrast between apathy and empathy. Our principle intention is to indicate to those who see the film that we have all (human, animal or tree) sprung from the same root: that root being the earth.

Link:-http://unitythemovement.com/about/

CITES Partner Spotlight: INTERPOL’s Project WEB combats online wildlife crime

“As the CITIES conference comes to the end of its first week, I thought I would just add the video in along with this post. Born Free’s CEO Will Travis, talks about some of the issues raised. Although I can’t believe the bid to halt the polar bear trade, was just swept under the table…WTF… Russia, Canada & the US…really have left the polar bears out in the cold…literally! I’m disgusted with their decision; same goes for the poor manatee!! I can’t wait to see what rubbish they come up with next week, for protecting species round the world; who are just about hanging on with their teeth!! Do the delegates from their respective country, actually know the danger some species are in?? I have my doubts given the first weeks bungles, honestly some of them are about as much use as a chocolate fire guard. Take about 30 of us animal advocates from face book, stick us round a table; & I’m sure we could come up with plans to help those in need!!”

Today saw the launch of the first ever internationally coordinated enforcement investigation into the online ivory trade.

Following the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW’s) recommendation and with our support INTERPOL undertook Project WEB, an investigation into the online ivory trade within the EU.

Summing up week one at the CITES meeting in Bangkok

Published on 8 Mar 2013

Will Travers, CEO of Born Free, sums up week one at CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) meeting, covering secret ballots, elephants, rhino, polar bears, manatees and turtles.

The report revealed that there were hundreds of ivory items conservatively valued at approximately EUR 1,450,000 for sale during a two-week period on Internet auction sites in nine European countries.

During this survey of sites by enforcers, more than 660 advertisements for ivory on 61 different auction sites were analysed and as a result of the surveillance, six national and three international investigations were launched in cases where ivory was described as new or where ivory was being traded from abroad.

Project WEB by the numbers:

Estimated €1.45 million worth of ivory

Found in 9 Countries

Across 61 auction websites

In 660 online advertisements

Containing 100s of items made from ivory

Over a 2 week period

Leading to 6 national investigations

And 3 international investigations

This week sees the 16^th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). 

The 177 countries that are Party to CITES have already agreed, thanks in part to IFAW’s lobbying efforts, to investigate and prosecute wildlife criminals trading online as well as evaluate or develop their domestic measures to ensure they are sufficient to fight online wildlife crime.

While at least one country has strengthened their legislation to specifically target online wildlife crime and a small number of countries have started to develop strategies for tackling illegal wildlife sales on the internet, many more countries need to deliver on their promise and stamp out online wildlife crime.

Since 2004 IFAW has been highlighting the growing global threat posed by online wildlife crime to endangered wildlife.  A series of IFAW investigations have repeatedly shown that there are thousands of wild animals and wildlife ‘products’, such as ivory, available for sale on the internet all over the world.

Stop The Ivory trade

IFAW has found live primates, big cats, birds and reptiles advertised online while animal parts from rhino’s, elephants, sharks, Tibetan antelopes and sturgeon have also been available to purchase on the internet.

In January 2012, IFAW’s online monitoring found 17,847 ivory products listed on 13 Chinese websites, even though none of these products had the necessary Government approval.

Meanwhile, a four-week investigation in the United Arab Emirates and some neighbouring Arab countries in the same year found 796 adverts featuring live wildlife over 11 websites. None of the adverts had any documentary proof to demonstrate that the sales complied with the law.

In Europe an IFAW investigation in 2011 found a thriving trade in ivory items. The investigation tracked 43 sites in the UK, France, Portugal, Spain and Germany for a two-week period and found 669 advertisements for ivory.

The statistics are disturbing but can be hard to comprehend so let me give you one example that shows the horrors of this illegal trade.

In 2010 a British couple admitted 12 counts of illegally exporting, three of illegally importing, seven of illegally selling and two of illegally possessing specimens under the Customs and Excise Management Act.

The couple in question had been selling animal body parts from owls, a baboon, macaque monkeys, a python, an African penguin, an African lion cub and a Malaysian flying fox.

These items were kept in a store room full of skulls and other animal body parts which, when I saw the pictures, made me think it as a room of death for wildlife.

Highlighting the problem of this trade is an important first step but IFAW has been going one stage further and engaging website companies, law enforcers and Governments in our campaign to stamp out online wildlife crime.

After our 2008 Killing with Keystrokes investigation, where we found ivory was the number one wildlife product being traded online, we encouraged eBay to ban the sale of ivory on their websites and IFAW was very pleased to see them announce this ban in January 2009.

Meanwhile other websites have since followed suit including Alibaba (www.taobao.com) in China, the world’s largest business-to-business and outsource portal site for traders.

However, while banning the sale of wildlife products on websites does restrict unscrupulous traders’ ability to easily profit from these products, there is clearly a need for enforcers to ramp up their efforts.

We have seen traders time and again attempting to disguise their wildlife products to avoid detection by police, customs or website companies such as eBay.

In addition to working with INTERPOL IFAW is working with enforcement agencies across the world to catch online wildlife criminals by sharing the findings of our online investigations, facilitating international enforcement operations and by bringing together website companies and enforcement agencies in order that they can work in partnership in their fight against illegal wildlife sales on the internet.

–TM

Please sign petition:- Take action to help end the trafficking of wildlife online now, click here. 

News Link:-http://www.ifaw.org/united-kingdom/news/cites-partner-spotlight-interpol%E2%80%99s-project-web-combats-online-wildlife-crime

Govt. Rethinks Housing Exotic Animals At Mysore Zoo

“Whoever heard of a zoo not having a resident vet on site at all times? Little wonder animals are dying if there is no vet to oversee the daily management of the animals. Check out the deaths that have occurred at this zoo (at the end of this post), something is definitely not right if animals are dying left right & bloody centre…one more reason to close zoo’s; wild animals do not belong behind bars for the benefit of human entertainment!”

MYSORE: The series of animal deaths at the Mysore Zoo has worried the Zoo Authority of Karnataka, which has now decided to take a relook at housing exotic animals at the facility.

Two of the five green anacondas shipped in from Sri Lanka died within a year.

Now, the death of African hunting cheetah Tejas, who helped the Mysore facility in captive breeding of the big cat, has forced the ZAK to sit up and take note. “It is something serious and has to stop. I’ve decided to take it up on priority,” ZAK chairman Maruthi Rao Pawar told The Times of India.

African Hunting Cheetah Dies At Mysore Zoo

Tejas is suspected to have died of heart attack.

The zoo officials have sent the viscera to the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Bangalore, for further testing.

According to vets, Tejas could have been killed due to the diet regimen here. Pawar said the big cat had high cholesterol (fat) which could have led to its sudden death. “We feed chicken and beef to the big cats housed in the zoo unlike abroad where horsemeat is fed,” he said.

Change in lifestyle in confinement could be a major contributor, a vet said.

“Given the back-to-back deaths, we are awaiting lab results and taking a re look at housing exotic animals at the Mysore facility,” Pawar said, adding they will consult experts in India and abroad.

“We lack vets to attend to the animals at the Mysore zoo. I’ve taken up the issue with the government,” he said. “WTF…no vet on site, how utterly stupid & incompetent; perhaps had there been a vet on site the cheetah could have been saved!”

News Link:–http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-11/mysore/37038569_1_mysore-zoo-exotic-animals-govt-rethinks

News Link To Cheetah Death:-http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-09/flora-fauna/37007471_1_mysore-zoo-b-p-ravi-leipzig-zoo

Information on Mysore Zoo in India

Mysore Zoo (officially the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens) is a 245-acre (99 ha) zoo located near the palace in Mysore, India. It is one of the oldest and most popular zoos in Southern India, and is home to a wide range of species. Mysore Zoo is one of the city’s most popular

Elephant & Calf at Mysore Zoo

attractions. It was established under royal patronage in 1892, making it one of the oldest zoos in the world.

While mainly depending on entry fees for its financing, an adoption scheme introduced in the early 2000s at Mysore Zoo has been a success, with celebrities, institutions, and animal lovers contributing directly to the welfare of the zoo inmates.

Mysore Zoo Death Incidents:-

The zoo witnessed a series of animal deaths in 2004 and 2005. In August 2004, a lion-tail monkey (macaque) was found mysteriously dead.^[6] An emu and atiger were also reported to have died mysteriously. On September 4, 2004, an elephant died, reportedly of acute haemorrhagic enteritis and respiratory distress. It was reported that the illness in elephants were due to poisoning. As a safety measure, the zoo authority suspended several staff members who were allegedly responsible for the “gruesome killings”. Laboratory tests later confirmed that the two elephants, named Ganesha and Roopa, had been poisoned.^[7] This was followed by another elephant death (Komala) on 7 September despite heightened security. Komala had been scheduled to be transferred to Armenia in about a month.^[8]

On October 24, 2005, another elephant, Rohan along with his mate Ansul, died with suspicions of poisoning. The elephants were supposed to be sent toArmenia as a goodwill gesture. The Chief Minister of Karnataka immediately ordered a probe into the death of Ansul and Rohan.

Link:-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysore_Zoo

Russian Zoo Star: Adam The Ostrich Found Dead: Feet Frozen To Cage Floor During Power Cut

• Cutbacks at the zoo are being blamed for bird’s death
• Activists are calling for an independent probe

A well-loved Russian ostrich has died from hypothermia after his feet froze to the floor of a cage during a power cut on a cold night.

Adam the ostrich, the star of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Zoo and its unofficial mascot, frantically tried to free himself after becoming stuck to the concrete floor, leaving feathers covering the cage.

He was found dead by zoo keepers early on Monday morning.

Adam the ostrich died from hypothermia at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Zoo in Russia after his feet froze to the floor of his cage. Pictured are ‘snow ostriches’ in the Altai region in Siberia

A post-mortem revealed that the bird died of hypothermia.

An investigation is now underway into the death of the popular bird, according to The Siberian Times.

Animal rights campaigners in the Russian Far East are blaming Adam’s death on cutbacks at the zoo, claiming workers failed to sufficiently insulate the cage and prepare it for the winter season.

Activist Melissa Malyarzhik said Adam could have died because his cage was not covered with a thick layer of hay and manure.

During previous winters, this would have acted as thermal insulation – but Miss Malyarzhik said the zoo’s management had decided against it this year.

Activists are now calling for an independent probe into Adam’s death.

Bosses at the zoo said temperatures had plummeted this winter but maintained their animals were well looked after.

Zoo director Tatiana Karpukhina said: ‘We do look after all our animals well. This ostrich arrived to our zoo seven years ago and has wintered well since.

‘The frosts this winter were truly severe. Of course we took some advance measures and bought extra heating devices – but sadly that night there was a power cut and it switched off.

‘We admit that the animal died from hypothermia, the autopsy showed it clearly. We have already began an internal investigation.’

Far Eastern animal rights activists have launched their own investigation into the ostrich’s death and requested assistance from the Vita Center for Animal Rights Protection.

The zoo was founded in 1993 and is home to a collection of mammals, birds and reptiles.

News Link:- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2266914/Ostrich-dies-Russia-feet-frozen-cage-floor-power-cut.html#ixzz2JmM5eG2D
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Animal group offers $5,000 reward

OMG…what possess anyone to be so cruel? Driving through so many birds is just bloody senseless. Obviously just done for fun, wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t a bunch of youths showing off to their friends…mind you…people who do things like this probably don’t have many friends because they are psychotic maniac’s!” 

LONG BEACH, Wash. — The reward for catching the driver who ripped through a flock of sea birds in Long Beach, killing 92 of them, has been topped up in a big way.

PETA seeks information about driver who killed 92 birds in Long Beach

Dunlins fly over a farm field flooded to provide wetland habitat for migratory shorebirds near La Conner, Wash., in this 2010 file photo. Some 92 were killed by a driver on Long Beach, Wash., Dec. 27. A reward is offered to help catch the person responsible.

The national group PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has offered $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

Sgt. Dan Chadwick of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is investigating.

“That’s a pretty good reward for any wildlife-related crime,” Chadwick said. “That will definitely get somebody’s attention.”

The money is in addition to the $500 reward already offered by the Wildlife Centre of the North Coast.

The dead sandpiper-type shorebirds called dunlin were found Dec. 27 north of the Cranberry Beach approach on Long Beach.

Two beachcombers out for a mid-day stroll near the Cranberry Beach entrance, walked by a large flock of dunlins. But when the pair returned 20 minutes later, carcasses littered the beach. Wide tire tracks were imprinted on the sand in a clear sign of a bird strike.

The couple alerted authorities and WDFW and the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office responded.

Stephanie Bell, associate director of PETA’s cruelty investigations, said its leadership was horrified.

“The alleged crime was vicious,” she said. “Many of the animals had torn wings and died of their injuries.”

Sharnelle Fee, director of the Wildlife Center of the North Coast, said the trauma the birds suffered is consistent with a collision with a motor vehicle.

“For these little birds, you really have to work hard to kill them,” Fee said. “You have to get up a good head of steam and blast through them. You can’t just mosey through. They run and fly fast.”

Seabirds and shorebirds are protected under Washington state law. It is illegal to harm or kill them.

“This senseless attack on these gentle birds isn’t just vicious and cruel – it’s also against state and federal wildlife protection and anti-cruelty laws,” said PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “Long Beach residents have good cause to be concerned: According to law-enforcement agencies and leading mental-health professionals, perpetrators of violent acts against animals are often repeat offenders who pose a serious threat to all animals – including humans.”

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police say a vehicle has to be travelling considerably faster than the posted 25 mph speed limit to hit these types of birds. Dunlins are able to reach speeds of 110 mph.

Intentionally killing even one bird is illegal in Washington. Perpetrators can face up to a year in jail and a $20,000 fine for killing a protected animal. In Oregon, the maximum penalty is a year in jail and a fine of $6,250.

Anyone with information is asked to contact PETA at  757-622-7382 or Sgt. Dan Chadwick of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at  360-581-3337.

For more information, visit PETA.org

News Link:– http://www.dailyastorian.com/news/local/animal-group-offers-reward/article_845a7d10-569a-11e2-aedf-0019bb2963f4.html