“This is cruel, despicable, illegal & heartbreaking. Caught & imprisoned from cub to adult in tiny rusty cages; their world is one of pain, irritation, infection, teeth pulling & repulsive food; literally going stir crazy!! They simply won’t know what it is like to live as a wild bear should, with fresh air, lush grass & trees etc. They can not be returned to the wild as they simply wouldn’t be able to survive; having been kept a prisoner most of their pitiful lives!. Although the video documentary is 43 minutes long, I urge you to watch it, see how Animal Asia started undercover investigation to save these sentient beings. It is hard to imagine how these beautiful bears can still be bought or caught, entrapped some wear a metal jacket around them, with a tube constantly fixed; to extract bile. But it’s not just bile, parts of the bear can also be acquired; the farmers will make money dead or alive. Public demand warrants this abuse; even though there are now synthetic bear bile products, there is no need for these bears to live & die in a cage; in constant pain. These bears need to be rescued so please help by signing the petition at the end of this blog & share amongst your social media friends etc.”
29 January 2015
Thirteen more bears have died at Cau Trang Bear Farm in Halong Bay, Vietnam bringing the total death toll since November last year to 18.
In the two months since Animals Asia inspected three farms in the vicinity of the World Heritage Site, 26 of the 49 moon bears – a protected species – are said to have died leaving just 23 alive in Halong City.
(Some scenes are graphic) Although this video is long, please watch it to understand what happens to these poor bears & how Animal Asia came about to rescue them!
“Published on 13 Sep 2012
Watch the hard-hitting, undercover documentary showing the brutality of the bear bile industry across China, which recently won a top award at the Fifth China Ya’an International Panda, Animals and Nature Film Week. The documentary was made by three independent film-makers who devoted four years to its production, visiting small and large bear bile farms, revealing “legal” farms with conditions that are clearly breaking current regulations for such farms in China.”
Having previously focussed just on Cau Trang Farm, Animals Asia is now pressing the Vietnamese government to allow it to bring all 23 remaining bears in the Halong City area to its Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre in nearby Tam Dao.
The latest news has left Animals Asia staff devastated and angry that bears have been allowed to die when an offer for their rescue remains on the table.
Authorities, concerned that the bears are being slaughtered for parts for use in traditional medicine have also ordered that TV cameras cover their burial – as interest in the case continues to grow in Vietnam.
Animals Asia’s Vietnam Director Tuan Bendixsen said:
“The eyes of the country are now on Quang Ninh province and the relevant authorities to see that right course of action is taken. We cannot be sure of the exact details surrounding the bears’ deaths but we can say the farmer chose to let them die. We offered to treat the animals and the offer was rejected. It was the farmer who took the decision to let the animals die. It was a conscious choice. We can only speculate as to his motives.”
The Central Forest Protection Department (FPD) has informed Animals Asia that it is urgently requesting the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) form an investigation team.
The team, expected to include representatives from Central FPD, CITES and MARD’s Nature Conservation Department, would travel to Quang Ninh province to investigate the exact causes of death, whether the correct procedures were followed to dispose of the bodies and to ascertain how the remaining bears can be saved.
Animals Asia founder and CEO, Jill Robinson MBE, said:
“These deaths are utterly tragic and unnecessary. It’s heart breaking to learn that so many bears have spent years suffering on the farms, and have now needlessly died when there is a sanctuary ready and willing to give them the life they deserve just a few hours down the road.”
“Through the increased local coverage of the deaths of these bears, Vietnam is seeing the reality and brutality of bear bile farming. While their deaths have shone a spotlight on the industry in Vietnam, there was no need for them to die at all.”
“There have been enough delays and we’ve seen what that has achieved. The time has come to act, and act now. We are beseeching the authorities – let us save the remaining Halong Bay bears before it’s too late.”
Nearly 2,000 bears remain in cages in Vietnam being farmed for their bile for use in traditional medicine – despite the practice being made illegal. Bear bile farming technically became illegal in 1992 when Ministry of Forestry approval became necessary to keep bears. In 2002, bears came under CITES group I, making their exploitation strictly illegal. However it wasn’t until 2005 that the first species-specific regulations were enacted.
Animals Asia has rescued over 500 bears from bear bile farming as part of its work to end bear bile farming in China and Vietnam.
HELP US SAVE THE HALONG BAY BEARS
Emaciated, missing limbs, some near blind, others with open wounds, all starving – these are the animal collateral of Vietnam’s cruel bear bile industry.
Help us force the farmer who profited for years from these poor bears to hand them over to Animals Asia for urgent medical care and rehabilitation.
Sign the petition and ask the Vietnamese government to remove the bears from the farm so Animals Asia can give them the care they deserve.
Animals Asia was founded in 1998 and is devoted to ending the barbaric practice of bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals in China and Vietnam.
More than 10,000 bears – mainly moon bears, but also sun bears and brown bears – are kept on bile farms in China, and just under 2,000 in Vietnam. The bears are milked regularly for their bile, which is used in traditional medicine.
Bile is extracted using various painful, invasive techniques, all of which cause massive infection in the bears. This cruel practice continues despite the availability of a large number of effective and affordable herbal and synthetic alternatives.
Most farmed bears are kept in tiny cages. In China, the cages are sometimes so small that the bears are unable to turn around or stand on all fours. Some bears are put into cages as cubs and never released. Bears may be kept caged like this for up to 30 years. Most farmed bears are starved, dehydrated and suffer from multiple diseases and malignant tumours that ultimately kill them.
“PLEASE DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO HELP SAVE THE REMAINING BEARS! “
“Yes I agree, due to the dwindling numbers of tigers in the wild & those that are legally shot for pleasure; there aren’t many left in the wild; BUT there are some decent wildlife parks that tigers can be kept in, whilst following the proper gene protocol etc.. But to say they are better in a circus is too much for me to swallow!!! As an animal advocate of many years, I don’t think tigers are or should be allowed in CIRCUSES.” To say tigers are trained without the use of brute force or cruelty is something I can not accept, i.e jumping through rings of fire!!! Please read the following report on why this person thinks tigers are better off in zoos, someone who is an animal welfare specialist!!! PLEASE READ THIS POST…FOR ME ME IT STANDS AGAINST EVERYTHING I BELIEVE AS AN ANIMAL ADVOCATE.”
“PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT AGAINST WILD ANIMALS IN CIRCUSES BY LIKING THIS POST…Thanks!
Why life in captivity is the last hope of saving tigers
I recently went to visit a family who are being attacked. They are hard-working and do not live off state benefits despite being anything but wealthy.
They are a part of a minority community that has been subject to venomous attacks for many years by people who are never called to account. In many ways the prejudices that they suffer are amongst the last socially acceptable, thoughtless bigotries it is possible to openly express.
The family I went to visit was a circus family, from Peter Jolly’s circus, the first in Great Britain to be licensed by Defra to have and exhibit big cats. It is a traditional circus maintaining a 300-year-old tradition of showing performing animals to adoring crowds. The family live and work every minute of every day with their animals, which, as a result are in the condition one would expect of pedigree show cattle.
They are physically healthy and mentally stimulated from the constant contact with their trainers.What is odd is that the animal rights lobby has been so successful in persuading a nation of animal lovers that these animals should be in the wild, and that both captivity and being asked to perform are acts of cruelty.
On September 3, Jim Fitzpatrick MP introduced a private member’s bill calling for all wild animals in circuses to be banned.
This is quite an odd legal approach to an activity that is licensed by Defra. It is even more odd considering that the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has already reported on this issue. The committee included the current Farming Minister, George Eustice; Neil Parish, the East Devon MP currently working closely with the RSPCA on animal welfare matters, and Barry Gardiner, a Labour MP well known for his anti-hunting stance.
The committee’s report recommended the Government should not consider a banning wild animals in circuses but should allow the current licensing system to regulate the activity. This was because the committee found that there were no welfare implications to wild animals being kept captive or performing in circuses. This may surprise many people who are used to hearing the opposite in public, but it doesn’t surprise me. I have seen the conditions that these animals are kept in and the condition of the animals for myself.
If you are against animals in circuses, or have no particular view about them, I would invite you to consider a couple of points.
Take tigers. In the past century we have lost 97 per cent of wild tigers on this planet. There are essentially two reasons for this. Tigers are an apex predator that require a large area of land to survive in the wild. Man has encroached on that land and man is not good at sharing. Worse still, for the tigers, man has decided that their component parts are far more valuable after their death than when they are alive. The reality is that there is not so much wild for them to be in anymore and many people willing to go into the wild to shoot them and sell them on the black market.
The reality is that we cannot turn the clock back. The task of providing a habitat and preventing poaching is simply not one we can complete before tigers become extinct if all tigers were to remain in the wild. This is an appalling reality but it is a reality nonetheless. “Exactly…but they shouldn’t be subjected to training tactics, to entertain the public either”
So we are left with the unavoidable conclusion that some tigers must be kept in captivity, despite how much this offends some people’s aesthetic sensibilities.
Of course we can and should keep tigers in zoos and safari parks. These are both places where the animals are safe and can be studied from a distance. They also, however, have an inherent disadvantage. Tigers in zoos and safari parks do not enjoy the level of mental stimulation they would in the wild, largely because it would be frowned upon to allow them to hunt the other residents. It is for this reason that safari parks came into being in the first place.
People wanted to display animals in settings that more closely resembled the wild than traditional zoos, and where the animals had more to keep them occupied.
Ironically they turned to circus people, who assisted in designing the first safari parks in order to minimise the boredom that can be experienced by animals in captivity.
Tigers in a modern circus, on the other hand, have a great deal of mental stimulation, which comes in the form of the training it takes in order for them to perform. The suggestion that cruelty is employed in this training simply isn’t true. If you were to train a tiger by beating it you would end up with an animal whose only act would be cowering in fear. As anyone who has ever tried to train a dog knows, you may be able to stop an animal from doing something by scaring it but you can’t encourage an animal to do something in the same way.
Tricks that tigers do in a circus may be characterised as “undignified” or “demeaning” but the tiger has no understanding of such concepts. To the tiger, the training is fundamentally similar to the play that it would undertake in the wild and prevents boredom and depression that simply locking it in a cage risks. “Oh Please, there is more that enough undercover investigations to prove this wrong…on all levels”
More than this, however, the circus brings the tiger into contact with humans in an entirely positive way. The tiger makes money while it is alive, rather than only having a value in death. It was a quaint hippy concept from the 1960s that money doesn’t matter and everyone should be free, but real life doesn’t work that way. Conserving tigers is a costly business.
In circuses tigers can contribute to this effort. The truth is we have been working alongside animals for millennia. There is nothing wrong with that as long as welfare standards are as good as they can and should be.
In this country we have the highest welfare standards in the world.”Really??? is that why Britain is the last Country to ban wild animals in circuses?“
We need to continue to set an example through the way we maintain those standards, not restrict the areas that good practice can occur in.
Clearly there have been examples of animals being mistreated in the past. This occurs in every walk of life from circuses to our own homes.
The law is entirely adequate to deal with abuse. If someone abuses an animal they should be prosecuted. But banning animals being kept in circuses because some people have mistreated animals is like banning cars because some people crash.
In the US, the Ringling Brothers circus is a multi-billion dollar industry. It grew out of traditional UK circuses and still employs many British performers.
It is an industry that ploughs a fortune into animal conservation. The company owns huge facilities where retired circus animals are kept in fantastic conditions. It is an example of the contribution that private industry can make to the conservation effort and it is an example we should follow, not shy away from.
Currently the animal rights lobby is attacking circuses, and zoos, safari parks, farms, race tracks and abattoirs. The same argument is used to object to all of them. “Sorry I disagree, different living accommodations & racing young horses has nothing to do with zoo life!”
A tiger that lives free in the wild in the way they advocate has an average life span of 15 years. In captivity the average is 25 years, but many go on to 30 years or more. Next time you think about circuses ask yourself if you know the whole truth, or if you have really thought about it at all.
What the legislation says
According to the gov.uk website, anyone in England operating a travelling circus with wild animals must still apply for, and receive, a licence under the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012. These ensure that if a travelling circus continues to use wild animals before a ban can take effect, they will be subject to regular inspections to check they are meeting strict licensing conditions and welfare standards. The regulations are made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. This act includes the duty of care that applies to owners of animals as well as the offence making it illegal to cause an animal to suffer unnecessarily.” As far as I am aware, Circuses are licensed by their own staff!!”
The RSPCA is campaigning against the use of wild animals in circuses and is lobbying the Westminster and Welsh governments to ban their use in England and Wales. The organisation says: “We don’t believe animals should be subjected to the conditions of circus life. Regular transport, cramped and bare temporary housing, forced training and performance, loud noises and crowds of people are often unavoidable realities for the animals. Scientific research has shown that travelling circus life is likely to have a harmful effect on animal welfare.
Behind the big top
Philip Astley is credited with being the ‘father’ of the modern circus when he opened the first circus in London on April 4, 1768
The word circus derives from the Latin circus, which is the romanisation of the Greek kirkos, which itself derives from Homeric Greek krikos, meaning ‘circle’ or ‘ring’
In 1825 Joshuah Purdy Brown was the first circus owner to use a large canvas tent for the circus performance
In 1919, Lenin expressed a wish for the circus to become ‘the people’s art-form’, with facilities and status on a par with theatre, opera and ballet. Russia later nationalised its circuses
A 2011 Defra consultation saw 94 per cent of respondents, including the British Veterinary Association, backing an end to the use of wild animals in circuses
Keeping wild animals in circuses is to be banned in England from the end of 2015
Attendances for the three travelling circuses using wild animals in 2011 were approximately 153,000
The videos are proof of cruelty. These creatures were beaten. Actual fact. Nothing to do with “animal rights lunatics.” It doesn’t matter who made the video. It DID happen. You surely don’t deny this cruelty happened, do you?
No. I don’t think anything Animal Rights lunatics rely on to feed their insatiable appetite for self righteous human hatred has anything whatever to do with facts.
Did they not lose the case because of their extreme stupidity with not using a credible witness, not anything to do with the cruelty shown on the video. That still is factual isn’t? We can’t deny elephants getting beaten across the face before they go out to perform tricks can we?. It is there in the video. And also the tigers getting whipped is still factual, don’t you think?
Peta lost their case, HSUS lost their case, Aspca lost their case, the list of Vegan front organisations on the hook for legal fees is unending. Try googling Peta loses court case. It will keep you reading for a week. Vegan racketeering is expensive in thenStates apparently.
@equaliser, I genuinely cannot find anything that says Peta had to pay feld. I would honestly be interested if you could send me a link, it would be interesting. The link you sent me named other groups, but not Peta. Are they as one? As I said I am genuinely interested.
Is the abuse not there to see. The camera never lies now does it? What do you think of these people who beat the elephants? It is irrelevant regarding the paid witness, ( although reckless and bloody idiotic) because the abuse of these animal took place. Surely you can’t deny that? What about the gentleman who wrote the article who said and I quote “The suggestion that cruelty is employed in this training simply isn’t true.” (re tigers) there is another link I posted proving they do get beat. You can’t argue with video evidence. So in summery two questions Did Elephants repeatedly get beaten just before they went out to “perform” ? and is the other video proof that tigers are also whipped and beaten so they will “perform.”?
Oh yes and the lovely Ringling Brothers “Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, must now pay the largest settlement of its kind in U.S. history―*270,000―for violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) dating back to 2007” http://tinyurl.com/pl9fd7w
Oh yes no one in circuses ever beats the tigers. Are you sure? https://http://tinyurl.com/qe5fsmc That is just one of many you can google if you would like to look. These beautiful animal are not here to perform tricks for us humans.
“So why does the writer not take the above into consideration? I completely agree with the RSPCA & Scientific research; which is why wild animals should be banned from circuses…PERIOD. I presume this writer knows about the lawsuits & what Ringling have paid in the past due to poor conditions etc. “SERIOUSLY, DOES THIS GUY EXPECT US TO BELIEVE TIGERS ENTERTAIN… BECAUSE THEY ENJOY IT?? IT STIMULATE THEIR MINDS ETC…..I don’t think so…do you???
PETA has been after the USDA all this time to take action against Ringling for abusing the animals in its care. In recent meetings, we presented unequivocal evidence of animal abuse, including beatings, the death of a lion, lame elephants forced to perform despite chronic pain, and a baby elephant who died during a training routine. We had recently filed a new formal request for action against Ringling, and our attorneys had met with the USDA’s general counsel and urged her to begin enforcement proceedings.
Ringling Beats Animals: A PETA Undercover Investigation
Uploaded on 22 Jul 2009
PETA’s 2009 investigation of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus found that workers were beating, whipping, and hooking elephants and striking tigers. Watch the shocking footage now: http://ringlingbeatsanimals.com
“This leopard didn’t kill anyone, it was hardly a rampage; it was merely hungry! Humans can’t take away their natural habitat & expect them to just move on! It is humans that are at fault here; by taking away the leopards land etc. Animals go where the food is, they are very territorial, taking away their land involves taking away their food supply, so of course they are going to look elsewhere for food!
“This poor Leopard must have been scared to death, from the deafening crowd outside…the Forest Rangers or Police should have cord-end off the area & let the Leopard leave the same way it came in! The crowds were ridiculous, so I have no pity for anyone who was harmed…they shouldn’t have been so bloody nosey or so loud! I’m just praying the leopard isn’t caught by locals; if it is, they will surely make it pay, like they have with others they have captured….by burning it to death in a cage or beating it to death!! (As in the picture below) “
As a man-eating tiger preys on villagers in the jungle, a leopard is prowling an Indian city’s streets.
Soldiers, police and wildlife experts were today hunting a leopard which walked into ahospital ward in Meerut, a large city in northern India, and caused panic among staff and patients.
The big cat was first spotted by a timber merchant who saw it emerging from a lavatory in his warehouse and alerted the police on Sunday morning.
Two people in a large crowd which gathered at the site were reported to have been attacked by the leopard after one of them lifted a plank under which it had been hiding.
It was later seen by a caretaker at the Meerut Cantonment Hospital in the heart of the city’s military area where it walked onto a ward where several men were being treated.
Staff at the hospital helped the patients escape the ward and then locked the doors to trap the leopard inside.
It managed to escape and a hunt is now under way to track it down.
“The leopard was last spotted on Monday at around 3:30am on a road near the hospital but since then there have been no sightings. We are keeping a vigil but there is a strong possibility that it has returned to its natural habitat,” said Abhishek Singh, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Meerut.
“It was hit by a tranquilizer dart but we are not sure how effective that was. The animal was scared and was running away from people and in this commotion few people were injured. We were trying to control the crowds from getting near the leopard,” he added.
This poor leopard was beaten to death by villagers!
Ashok Kumar of the Wildlife Trust of Indiasaid more leopards are straying into towns because humans are increasingly encroaching on their habitats.
“This is happening very frequently because their habitats are shrinking and they come into human habitation for food and space,” he said. “So one can not say these animals are hunting humans for food, they are merely looking for food because humans took their food source away…if someone gets in their way & makes them feel threatened; one can’t blame the animal, it’s only acting on instinct!!”
Leopard enters Meerut hospital, attacks patients: Video
Published on 24 Feb 2014
High alert has been sounded in Meerut city after a leopard entered a hospital Sunday. A police inspector and media person got injured when they ventured too close to the irritated leopard. The big cat was spotted by a caretaker as it was entering the hospital.
“The current assault against wolves in the wild, through hunting, trapping, poisoning dens, etc. is unnecessary and an indictment on the American People if we continue to look the other way. We must put an end to this unprovoked and inhumane slaughter. Please help by signing as many petitions as you can”
Louise du Toit – Ode to the Wolves – Wolf Paintings by Vincent A Kennard
“Ode to the Wolves” is an artistic tribute to all wolves, written to raise awareness about the endless atrocities they endure from humans all over the world, with a positive message to support the plight of the wolves and to end their suffering.
The music and lyrics of “Ode to the Wolves” were written by Louise du Toit and the paintings in the video were done by fierce wolf protector, author and artist, Vincent Arthur Kennard, with the purpose of accompanying the song.
Bringing Wolves Back! 43 Petitions. Please TAKE ACTION!
Wolf Caught In Leg Hold Trap
My apologies if any have ended before I get this posted!
July 19th –NAIROBI, KENYA — The Kenya Wildlife Service says two wildlife rangers were killed Thursday responding to dozens of suspected poachers in the Kipini Conservatory game reserve on Kenya’s coast.
Officials say the suspected poachers were armed with AK-47 rifles and opened fire on several rangerswho were responding to a poaching incident inside the reserve.
Kenyan Wildlife Service spokesman Paul Mbugua says the rangers were actually attacked twice and one of the two men killed was a commander. One poacher was also killed.
“Then after that particular incident the rangers made a tactical withdrawal and then later they moved in to collect the body of the fallen ranger, and as they moved in to collect the body, the poachers were lying in wait,” he said. “They actually set up an ambush, and the rangers together with the police they were fired at, and during that second incident, which occurred at five in the evening, one of our officers who was actually the officer commanding the team actually went down.”
Mbugua said poachers are getting bold and patient. He said that after the first shooting incident, poachers had to lie low for up to five hours, waiting for the rangers to come back, knowing eventually they will come to collect the body of their fallen ranger.
“They are extremely brave and this is what we have been communicating, and you can see they are very sophisticated. One particular poacher had 208 rounds on him, he had three magazines for his firearm and he had other rounds of ammunitions of course in his possession,” he said. “And that tells you that these guys are willing to go to any length to ensure that they get their way.”
According to a recent United Nations Environment Program study, the number of elephants illegally killed in Africa has doubled over the last decade, reaching 25,000 killed in 2012, while the ivory trade has tripled in size.
Experts say the poaching of African elephants is at an all-time high, raising the possibility that the species could become extinct this century.
Trade in ivory was made illegal in 1989. Demand for ivory remains high in Asia, however, where it is used for ornaments and traditional medicine.
Petition to Save Africas Elephants Ban Thai Ivory Trade
Published on 13 Jan 2013
Every day in the savannas and forests of Africa, elephants are being gunned down for their ivory tusks. Across the continent, tens of thousands of these majestic animals are being slaughtered each year. In many places the species has already been poached to extinction. If we don’t act now there may be no wild elephants left. Elephant poaching is being driven by demand for ivory carvings and trinkets in Asia where many consumers think “elephant teeth” simply fall out and re-grow without hurting the animal. The truth is that ivory comes from dead elephants. In Thailand, elephants are revered as sacred. There is a saying that there would be no Thailand without the elephant. But Thailand is also the biggest unregulated market for ivory in the world. Although it is against the law to sell ivory from African elephants in Thailand, ivory from domestic Thai elephants can be sold legally. As a result, massive quantities of illegal African ivory are being laundered through Thai shops. To save Africa’s elephants it is essential that Thailand closes this legal loophole.
Join us in asking Thai Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra to ban all ivory trade in Thailand. Representatives from 176 governments will be meeting in Bangkok March 3-14 to discuss global wildlife trade issues, including the elephant poaching crisis. While the eyes of the world are turned to Thailand, we want to present 1 million signatures to Mrs Sinawatra.
Sign the petition and tell the Thai Prime Minister to ban ivory trade and save Africa’s elephants!
“Dear Prime Minister Sinawatra, we are greatly concerned about the record levels of elephant poaching in Africa. Demand for illegal ivory products could drive the species to extinction in Africa, and Thailand’s elephants could be next. You can save them. We urge you to ban all ivory trade in Thailand to give elephants their best chance of survival.” For more information: http://www.wwf.or.th/killthetrade http://www.panda.org/ban
“Few words are needed to describe this zoo, dirty, overcrowded, dilapidated; hell on earth for it’s poor residents. Many need moving to specialist zoo’s who can undo the harm caused at this disgusting hovel. There are rumours that meat brought in for the animals is shared amongst the staff to take home either for themselves or to sell on; that would account for the animals being so thin! Also talk of wildlife trafficking as some animals have gone missing in the past!
“Even the Mayor, although disgusted with the zoo, seems to have her hands tied. I have tried to cover as many stories as possible, so that you may read at your leisure. Although I found nothing concrete about the welfare of the animals until I came across this Facebook site:-Surabaya Zoo Animal Welfare Action – Cee4life
I feel slightly relieved, now that I can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel! Now Surabaya Zoo Animal Welfare Action – Cee4lifeare involved, hopefully things will start to change for the better for the remaining animals, along with the zoo management planning updates to more cages etc.
A Sumatran tigerat Surabaya Zoo inSurabaya, East Java, died on early Thursday after suffering digestive and respiratory problems for two years.
The zoo’s curator, Penta, said that Rosek, a 13-year-old Sumatran tiger, was founddead in its cage by a zookeeper. “We had been trying to treat Rosek and gave it enzymes for digestion. We also took the animal outside its cage for a walk and some sun,” Penta told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
He said Surabaya Zoo now had only 10 Sumatran tigers, seven of which were females. One female tiger is currently undergoing treatment for an illness similar to that of Rosek. “Her name is Melani, see her picture below, it’s hard to believe a tiger in a zoo, could be left to get so bad!”
Internal conflict has plagued Surabaya Zoo since 1998 and peaked in 2007, when a number of animals died allegedly due to poor treatment. On Sept.8, 2012, Santi, a white tiger, died due to paralysis. “The video below is of a white tiger”
Data show that almost 250 animals at Surabaya Zoo died in 2011, including a mountain goat that suffered digestive problems.
An autopsy found plastic bags in its stomach. The zoo’s veterinary team also found 25 stones in the stomach of a dead crocodile.
From June to August 2010, 20 animals died at the zoo, including a Sumatran tiger and 13 baby komodo dragons. Most of the animals died from pneumonia, dehydration caused by diarrhoea and malnutrition, while other problems included a dirty and poor environment and lack of nutritious food. (asw/ebf)
Melani was born at the Surabaya Zoo 15 years ago and has been suffering from an undiagnosed digestive disorder for the past five years. Her weight has dropped to less than 60 kilograms (132 pounds), down from 75 kilograms and below the normal range of 75-110 kilograms. Her eyes look sunken and bones can be seen beneath her skin. “See the video below!”
Monday, April 15, 2013 photo, a keeper tries to feed Melani, a 15-year-old female Sumatran tiger that has been suffering from an undiagnosed digestive disorder for the past five years, in her cage at Surabaya Zoo in Surabaya, Indonesia. The emaciated female Sumatran tiger was in critical condition at Indonesia’s largest zoo Wednesday and may have to be put down after another rare tiger died at the problem-plagued facility earlier this month. (AP Photo)
“I think euthanasia is the best option to end her suffering because it is difficult to be cured,” said Tony Sumampouw, chairman of Indonesia’s zoo association, who was appointed to oversee the Surabaya Zoo after the government took control of it in 2010.
He added that Melani’s illness is likely the result of mismanagement and poor nutrition since she was young.
Melani is one of 10 Sumatran tigers — the world’s most critically endangered tiger subspecies — left in the zoo following the death two weeks ago of Rozek, a 13-year-old male. He suffered similar gastrointestinal problems for four years.
Melani has now been transferred
The zoo’s remaining Sumatran tigers, which are part of a breeding program, are kept in dirty, cramped cages along with 10 Bengal tigers. All appear healthy, but remain at great risk, Sumampouw said.
Chaerul Saleh, the WWF wildlife group’s campaign coordinator on endangered species protection, said he hopes the latest tiger cases will force government and zoo authorities to do more to safeguard the animals. Strong action is needed to change the culture of neglect and corruption within the facility, he said.
The zoo has been plagued by uncontrolled breeding, a lack of funding for general animal welfare and suspicions that staff members may be involved in illegal wildlife trafficking.
A Surabaya Zoo health worker checks the pulse of a sick 35-year-old female elephant named Fitri, which was suffering from swollen joints in her leg Picture: AFP/Gett
Questioned in Berlin, Surabaya Mayor Ashamed of Zoo
TEMPO.CO, Surabaya – Surabaya mayor Tri Rismaharini received many questions about the management conflict in Surabaya Zoo (KBS) when she visited Berlin a few months ago. As the result of the continuing conflicts, some animals died and abandoned. “I was truly ashamed when they highlighted KBS. I could not do anything,”
Risma could only explain that the management of the Zoo is conducted by the Ministry of Forestry and not her authority. “They asked, how does your country manage this? I am honestly ashamed at the time,” said Risma.
Melani the Sumatran tiger heaves herself painfully to her feet, walks to the fence and is hand-fed a few pieces of chicken cut into small chunks. She’s skin and bone, but she eats less than a child might before returning to chew, like a sick domestic cat, on the grass.
There are less than 400 of Melani’s kind still roaming the dwindling forests of Sumatra, and soon this zoo-bound specimen will also be dead, after spending most of her life in squalor in Surabaya Zoo.
She suffers from an unidentified wasting disease which means her food, even when it’s minced, passes through her, almost entirely undigested.
The Surabaya Zoo is a nightmare, plagued by uncontrolled breeding, a lack of funding for general animal welfare & staff are involved in illegal wildlife trafficking.
Zookeepers have been taking meat meant for the tigers and selling it in the local market. The tigers are emaciated & the 180 pelicans packed so tightly they cannot unfurl their wings without hitting a neighbour.
Last week, a giraffe died with a beachball-sized wad of plastic food wrappers in its belly. “This could be the white tiger that has already passed away; a blessing I think, seeing the state she was in”
FANTASTIC NEWS – MELANI. Not long ago, I have been informed by Zoos and Aquaria and Taman Safari, Indonesia, that the beautiful tigress Melani, has been safety transported and arrived at Taman Safari.
She is eating well, however her front and lower K9’s are looking quite rotten. Her demeanour is wonderful and she is now currently under going further veterinary testing. This is Melani when she arrived hours ago at Taman Safari.
On a side note, we understand that people are very passionate about this case, however please DO NOT write abusive or threatening letters to either Zoos and Aquaria or Taman Safari, as these are NOT the people who have had control over Surabaya Zoo.
In any case, if you write, please keep your language polite, however instead of cluttering up the good peoples email boxs with your demands, please work together in a positive way. As you can see, Melani is now getting the correct care she needs, she is safe and in the best hands now.
Please Read Additional News on the condition of the Surabaya Zoo & it’s animals:
In this photograph taken on March 1, 2012, Surabaya Zoo personnel attend to a 30-year-old ailing giraffe named Kliwon. The last remaining giraffe in the zoo died with 20 kilograms of plastic found in its stomach, the latest in a string of unusual animal deaths at the country’s biggest zoo. Picture: JUNI KRISWANTO/AFP/Getty Images
49 Animals Transferred From Surabaya Zoo – At last some are rescued (they call it transferred)
TEMPO.CO, Banyuwangi – As many as 49 animal collections from Surabaya Zoo (KBS) were transferred to Mirah Fantasia, Banyuwangi. The transferred animals include elephants, orang utans, iguanas, hippos, bekantans, gazelles, and some other mammals and birds.
From Surabaya, the animals were transferred by trucks to Mirah Fantasia. Rahmat Suharta, the Chief of Health Department from Surabaya Zoo, said that some of the animals must be transferred because KBS has been overloaded.
Rahmat also informed that Mirah Fantasia has already gained a conservation center operational license from the Natural Resources Conservation Office.
Ketut Suwardika, Mirah Fantasia Deputy Director, expected that the new collections will increase the number of visitors.
A baby elephant pulls against the chains secured around its legs as it moves around a cramped, concrete cell. One of the keepers tells Sumampau the chains are used to train the young elephant to walk.
Tony Sumampau was brought in by the Indonesian government to lead a temporary team to improve conditions when it took over the privately run zoo in 2010. He now spends two days a week trying to teach zoo staff how to care for animals kept in cramped and unsanitary living conditions for far too long.
Before Sumampau arrived, about 25 of the zoo’s 4,000 animals died each month, many of them prematurely, from disease and neglect. Among them was a cheetah, a gift from South Africa’s President, whose leg was bitten off by a tiger and later died.
Poor sanitation and uncontrolled breeding also remain serious challenges for the zoo.
Lutvi Achmad, the head of the East Java Natural Resources Conservation Center, who works with Sumampau, told CNN, “This overpopulation has been going on for so long, there’s inbreeding and for sure this won’t be a good thing for the Surabaya Zoo.”
The biggest problem Sumampau says is the lack of understanding of animal welfare and conservation. He is slowly training the zoo’s 70 keepers but faces resistance from some who have worked in the zoo for years, even decades.
Read the following horror stories regarding Surabaya Zoo:-
Surabaya Zoo scandal may prompt OZ boycott | The Jakarta Post:-Mar 17, 2012 … The poor treatment of animals at Surabaya Zoo may lead some Australian tour operators to boycott trips to East Java, according to a local …www.thejakartapost.com/…/surabaya–zoo-scandal-may-prompt-oz-boycott. html
Javanese bull dies at Surabaya Zoo | The Jakarta Post:- Mar 16, 2012 … A male Javanese bull, or banteng, named Leo, was found dead on Thursday afternoon inside of his pen inSurabaya Zoo in East Java after he …www.thejakartapost.com/…/javanese-bull-dies-surabaya–zoo.html
Letter: Indonesia’s zoos | The Jakarta Post:-Apr 12, 2012 … In response to the news and articles published by The Jakarta Post about Surabaya Zoo and “The State of The Ark: Zoos in Indonesia”, (March …www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/…/letter-indonesia-s-zoos.html
Holy Morrisey | The Jakarta Post:-May 20, 2012 … Please take immediate action to close the Surabaya Zoo and transfer its animals to more suitable environments,” the letter, made available to...www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/20/holy-morrisey.html
Morrissey delivers charming show in Jakarta | The Jakarta Post:-May 11, 2012… requesting the latter to take action on a notorious zoo in East Java. … immediate action to close the decrepit Surabaya Zoo and transfer its …www.thejakartapost.com/…/morrissey-delivers-charming-show-jakarta.html
Surabaya Zoo – Joining Forces – Cee4life has joined forces with Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) to help aid the animals of Surabaya Zoo. We are very happy and excited to have connected with JAAN. Together we can do extraordinary things ~ Sybelle
Unfortunately, whilst writing this (over several days), I have just found out more tragic news from the above site. Beno the black bear suffering from a terrible skin condition & or cancer, has sadly passed away.
R.I.P Beno, I hope you have now found the freedom & health, that was so cruelly denied you whilst caged up at Surabaya zoo!
Although the above is very sombre news indeed, I am just thankful thatSurabaya Zoo Animal Welfare Action – Cee4lifehave got involved. If anyone can kick their ass…it will be Sybelle!!
Asian Animal Protection Network
Animal Guardians
Animal People
Animals Asia Foundation
Animal Concerns Research & Education
Society
Humane Society International
Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society
International Animal Rescue
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (UK)
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals, Hong Kong
World Society for the Protection of
Animals
Confining the planet’s second smartest mammal to aquarium tanks is cruel and unusual punishment.
July is shaping up to be a tough month for the captive marine mammal industry. My book, Death at SeaWorld, Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity, comes out in paperback in one week, on July 2, followed by the release of the critically acclaimed documentaryBlackfish, which opens July 17. The double-punch against orca captivity has been duly noted by major media around the world, including an upcoming feature article in Business Week.
Then, on July 27, comes a global day of protest against marine mammal facilities, taking place in at least 21 locations around the world. Empty the Tanks Worldwideis billed by the group’s Facebook page as “a day for everyone around the world to stand up against marine mammal captivity. The abuse and exploitation of these sentient beings has no place in the 21st century.”
Recently, I caught up with Empty the Tanks organizer Rachel Greenhalgh from her home near Seattle, not far from the San Juan Islands, Washington—one of the world’s premier places to see orcas in their natural habitat: the vast and open sea.
Rachel Greenhalgh: I was in Taiji, Japan, as a Cove Guardian in January of this year. On one of my last days there I was thinking that I wanted to find a way to be productive and proactive in this fight against the captivity industry after I returned home. That’s when and where this whole idea began. The captive animals floating listlessly in their tiny sea pens in Taiji are a sight that cuts you to your core. I wanted to come home and continue fighting for them.
How did you get the word out?
I began messaging other activists around the world, asking if they would become event coordinators. It took time but I eventually found passionate and dedicated individuals to help carry out this important event with me. Once I had about a half dozen participating locations, I began getting messages from people all over the world who wanted to host their own Empty the Tanks event. Facebook has created amazing connection opportunities for activists like myself.
How many people in how many cities are now signed up to take part?
We have 21 locations in nine countries participating in the Empty the Tanks event. I am expecting a few hundred people to participate in these events around the world. Those numbers will hopefully grow each year that this annual event continues.
What is the most unexpected place where a protest is taking part?
I don’t know that there is an unexpected place. I think it is amazing we have 21 locations in nine counties. The two events taking place in Japan are very meaningful to me simply because of the time I spent in Taiji, Japan. I think it is incredible to see such commitment in the Japanese activists.
Do you want to retire marine mammals over time, or close down marine parks altogether?
Ideally, I would want these parks to close down. I do not feel marine mammal entertainment parks have any place in the 21st century. We know the level of awareness these animals have. We know their social connections, their eating habits, and natural wild behaviours. You cannot breed natural instincts out of an animal in a handful of generations. These are incredibly social, intelligent beings that are being used to make money. It is animal slavery, and it needs to be brought to the general public’s attention.
Empty the Tanks is not a radical movement requesting the release of all the captive whales and dolphins. Some of these animals might be great candidates for release, but those that are not should be retired into sea pens, where they can enjoy the rest of their days in natural seawater, feeling the waves of the ocean around them. They should not be worked until their last breath is taken and then thrown out like trash and replaced.
What do you expect to happen outside these facilities and how will guests get the message?
These events are about getting a message to the general public. We are trying to reach those going to the ticket counter. We are not the ones buying the tickets and keeping these parks in business, and we need to reach the public and get them to understand what they are supporting. We have some great informational postcards that will be handed out to anyone willing to take one as well as some powerful banners with images that speak for themselves.
Have you received any response from the captive display industry?
I have not heard from anyone in the captivity industry so far. I have been banned from most of the marine parks’ Facebook pages so I haven’t been able to post event information on them. (Someone claiming to be a SeaWorld educator, and another person says she used to work at the company, have posted comments the EET Facebook page.)
Where can people get more information?
If someone would like to host an event on July 27, or get more information, please send me an email to Rachel@emptythetanksworldwide.com. They can also contact me via thewebsite.
What do you think will come of this and what can concerned citizens do next when it’s over?
I think we will reach new people who were unaware of this issue. Even if we only get one family to turn away from that planned day at the park, well that is one more family on our side of this fight. Every person matters and eventually we will win this fight. We will see an end to marine mammal exploitation and to places like SeaWorld. We have already seen other countries ban shows using dolphins, so it is only a matter of time before the whole world catches on. I will not stop until we do. The best thing concerned citizens can do is continue to spread the truth about the captivity industry. Never stop talking about this issue until we empty the tanks worldwide.
“My apologies for these late posts” March 15, 2013 David Kirby
Attacks against low-ranking orcas are not only intolerable—they’re illegal. Will U.S. officials step in and save them?
The battle scars of Tekoa, a killer whale living at Loro Parque, a Spanish theme park. (Photo: timzimmermann.com)
Animal welfare advocates are desperately seeking U.S. government intervention in the case of seven Sea World-owned killer whales on “loan” at Loro Parque, a theme park in Spain’s Canary Islands.
“The group of orcas held at Loro Parque is fundamentally dysfunctional and the trainers there are not experienced enough to recognize or address this. Remote oversight by SeaWorld has been insufficient to prevent systemic social problems within this group of animals,” Dr. Naomi Rose, senior scientist at Humane Society International, wrote last month to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which shares jurisdiction over captive marine mammals with the USDA.
“The situation at Loro Parque cannot safeguard the orcas’ well-being and once again, we urge you to compel SeaWorld to repatriate these animals,” Rose said in a letter cosigned by the Animal Welfare Institute and Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
The two low-ranking members of the artificial, dysfunctional pod at Loro Parque are routinely subjected to violent attacks, leaving deep scars etched in their skin that would be unthinkable among orcas in the natural environment, critics allege.
“Since her transfer she has been brutally and continually attacked and is subjected to excessive sexual pressure from a male orca who she is often locked into the same tank with,” Dr. Ingrid Visser of New Zealand’s Orca Research Trust wrote of Morgan in the report, which has been submitted to USDA and NOAA as evidence in the repatriation effort.
Trainers at the park show “a clear lack of empathy for this animal,” Visser said, “who ignore her calls for attention and her cries for help and disregard aggressive attacks on her by the other animals.”
Visser observed Morgan for 77 hours over eight days, and witnessed an “unprecedented 91 aggression events” involving the newcomer, who arrived in 2011. “Morgan, was attacked, on average, more than once an hour,” she wrote, noting that a similar study of another captive orca “recorded an aggressive episode only once every 234 hours.”
In other words, Morgan is “over than 100 times more likely to be attacked at Loro Parque than the orca in the other study,” Visser said. Morgan has suffered more than 320 puncture and bite marks (all documented by photographs), she added. “This does not include the damage she has self-inflicted from abnormal and repetitive behaviours such as banging her head on the concrete tanks.”
The other abused orca is Tekoa, who Visser once called in court documents “the most attacked and bitten orca in the world-wide captive industry.”
The young, confounding life of Tekoa has never been easy, and he has been both perpetrator and victim of serious attacks that simply do not happen in the wild. But when one considers the messed up little society in which he has been forced to live, the aggression becomes easier to comprehend.
In 2006, Sea World sent four young whales, all born in captivity, to Loro Parque on a renewable 25-year loan in exchange for a percentage at the box-office and ownership of offspring produced at the park.
All four transplants, two males and two females, had already led lives that I described as “interrupted” in my bookDeath at SeaWorld. The females were Kohana, and Skyla. Both males are related to Skyla. Keto is a half-brother though their mother Kalina and the oldest and perhaps most dysfunctional of the quartet. But it’s the ravaged Tekoa, Skyla’s half-brother through Tilikum, who caught the attention of many advocates.
Tekoa was born in Orlando to an unstable mother named Taima, a bizarre hybrid of Icelandic mother and Pacific-transient father who could only be bred in captivity. Taima attacked her first-born and was equally aggressive with Tekoa. Mother and son were separated after Taima tried to kill him. In April 2004, Sea World sent Tekoa to San Antonio before “lending” him to Loro Parque in 2006.
Advocates were aghast at the trans-Atlantic arrangement. Killer whales, whether in the ocean or a crowded pool, are highly socialized animals who learn from elders about proper norms of behaviour. Mothers, grandmothers and older siblings keep youngsters in check, and extinguish outbursts of disharmony that disrupt cohesion and proper pod functioning.
“These whales are so young, without a normal upbringing, and now they’re in Spain together without any sort of adult orca supervision,” one observer said. “It’s like Lord of the Flies over there.”
The little dysfunctional family has grown recently.
In October 2010, the very young Kohana gave birth to a male calf, Adan, who she immediately rejected. Last August, she gave birth again, to a female named Victoria, who was also promptly rejected. Keto is the father of both, but as Elizabeth Batt pointed out at Digital Journal, he is a blood relative of Kohana, meaning she was bred twice “to her own uncle.”
Killer whalesociety is highly stable, though at Loro Parque, it seems to be anything but. Trainers have paid the price for this instability, but so have the orcas, especially the sub-dominant members of this matriarchal world.
Lowly Tekoa has borne much of the physical abuse, as evidenced by photos taken before and after his skin was covered in “rake marks” etched from the sharp conical teeth of tank-mates. Unlike the ocean, when an orca is attacked at Loro Parque, there is nowhere to escape, nowhere to hide.
This image, first published by journalist Tim Zimmermann, shows that Tekoa’s dorsal side is scarred, scraped and battered by teeth-marks inflicted by his tank-mates, some of whom are related to him, in Sea World’s tiny, inbred universe of captive orcas.
“Tekoa is definitely subordinate, although he is probably no longer the lowest in the hierarchy—Morgan and the two calves are in that position now,” Naomi Rose told TakePart. “In wild orca society, no one gets beat up like this.”
In the wild, offspring likely inherit their mother’s status, which along with age determines pecking order. Thus, “beating each other up doesn’t need to occur and doesn’t, occur,” Rose asserted. Calves might nip others out of “youthful ignorance and exuberance,” she said, and relatives sometimes show a few nicks.
Other nicks, scratches and scars “are probably inflicted when discipline is meted out within a maternal group,” Rose said. But those are minor wounds that only sometimes become permanent scars. “We never see this kind of mish-mash of scars and rake marks and wounds when photo-identifying a wild orca,” she said.
Ingrid Visser concurred. “In the wild, even these playful nips are exactly that: You don’t see the outright attacks like I’ve seen at Loro Parque.” She compared such aberrant activities to what takes place in prison, calling it “seriously aggressive behaviour, typically manifested on the lower individuals in the population,” as opposed to the “protective behaviour” of more “normal” societies.
The beat-up Tekoa is himself no stranger to displaying “seriously aggressive behaviour,” at least against people.
In October 2007, trainer Claudia Vollhardt was warming up with Tekoa when he became frustrated and took her arm into his mouth. Then he dove to the bottom. Tekoa held her underwater a moment, then dragged her to the surface. After escaping, even as Vollhardt lay injured and bleeding, Tekoa tried to lunge from the water at her. Her right lung was punctured and her forearm fractured into three pieces.
Suzanne Allee, a former Sea World employee who worked at Loro Parque, recalled that in the summer of 2007, “Tekoa was forced to perform while injured and bleeding after the supervisor lost control of Keto and he raced into the show pool and attacked Tekoa.” The supervisor ordered the show to go on, but “Claudia was the one who continued to perform with Tekoa,” Allee said. “I still believe Tekoa remembered this incident when he attacked her just a few months later.”
Both Tekoa and half-sister Sklya were banished from “water work” with trainers, due to aggressive unpredictability. Now, only Kohana and Keto could be trusted to swim with humans.
That illusion shattered on Christmas Eve, 2009, when Keto brutally rammed and killed trainer Alexis Martinez, a close friend of Orlando employee Dawn Brancheau, who’d spent time in Tenerife training trainers. Two months later, Brancheau was killed by Tekoa’s father, Tilikum.
Because these unstable creatures belong to SeaWorld, they still fall under the jurisdiction of the USDA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Activists continue to lobby for action, but so far the feds refuse to intervene.
“We’re in touch with the U.S. regulatory authorities to pressure them to act under what we believe are their obligations under the law,” explained Courtney Vail of Whale and Dolphin Conservation. But the government has “put the onus on us to prove there are issues over there, and I think that Ingrid Visser’s eyewitness accounts, and these other photos, provide all the evidence they need to intervene,” Vail said. “We are awaiting their response.”
Meanwhile, she added, the Canary Island orcas are “beating each other up over there.”
Activists say the time to return these hapless whales to the United States is now, before more injuries and deaths occur. And though some might scoff at “repatriating” marine mammals, scientists like Rose take the idea quite seriously.
Rose noted that SeaWorld repatriated the orca Ikaika from Marineland Ontario after decrying his sub-par conditions in Canada. “Clearly the company is able and willing to relocate orcas when conditions at a present holding facility put them at risk,” she wrote, adding that, “Loro Parque and Sea World must act—if Sea World will not, NOAA must compel it to.”
BHOPAL: A section of Pardhis from Madhya Pradesh have yet proved to be the biggest threat to wild life; particularly the big cat population in India. Very recently they are reported to have smuggled half a dozen tiger hides to an international syndicate from their base in Katni district. And all this while wild life officials, busy pitching for lions from Gir in Gujarat to the state, appeared blissfully ignorant.
The poaching racket headquartered at Katni was busted on Sunday with the arrest of three Pardhis by a crime branch team ofMaharashtra police from Nagpur. The arrests were made from a village in Nagpur on specific inputs from an organisation working for wildlife.
The accused Chika alias Krishna, Badlu alias Mangru and Shiri – all residents of Katni’s Sagoni village -have confessed to selling five tiger hides so far to a Haryana-based trader. The deal was worth Rs 20 lakh for three tiger hides, said sources.
Poachers Snare
One of the tiger, they said, was poached from Mandla district. However, no tiger hides have been confiscated so far.
Now, the forest officials in four states – Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh – are on the lookout for 30 more Pardhis, from two villages (Sagoni and Billhari) in Katni district. Pardhi families from Katni disappeared from these two villages a day before the trio were arrested, said sources adding that the information got leaked.
Most of the accused on run are close relatives of the 37 Pardhis arrested from Katni for poaching lions fromGir national park in Gujarat in 2007. Teams have been dispatched to different locations tracking cell phones.
According to forest officials, the Maharashtra police had placed several Pardhis of Katni on surveillance besides intercepting their calls while the deal was being made. The arrest was made only after the skins were sold.
The 30-member gang got Rs 35,000 each from the first deal, said sources. They kept on changing their locations from one place to the other while striking the deal. Reportedly, the police could confiscate a few bones from them, which has been sent for forensic examination for identification of the species.
“Please Note Graphic Image: furthest down page! Two items of related news: the first shows yet another image of an elephant killed by speeding train, in March 2013. In that article India’s Rail Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal stressed the need to protect the elephants from trains…the current news below is a step in the right direction!”
BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to check growing number of cases of elephants being fatally hit by trains, Odisha government today signed an MoU with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) to develop a mitigation plan.
The New Delhi-based WTI would identify and map the critical accident prone sites and habitats of elephants and also identify factors – ecological, physical and man-made- responsible for accidental deaths of elephants.
“WTI will prepare a detailed report on mitigation plan and implement the Rs 9.9 lakh project over a period of 12 months,” said Forest and Environment minister Bijayshree Routray after signing the MoU.
Last year, the state has witnessed death of about 13 elephants due to train hits. While seven jumbos were killed due to train accidents in Keonjhar, four in Berhampur of Ganjam district and two in Dhenkanal district.
WTI will simultaneously organise consultations/ meetings/workshops with the staff of forest department and other stake holders departments and finalise mitigation plan and jointly implement a few identified shot term mitigation plan like signage along the railway track and awareness of train drivers, the minister said.
March 2013 – Giant elephant killed by speeding train INSIDE nature reserve as it tries to cross track in remote northeast India –
This tragic photo shows the body of a tusker elephant who died today when he was hit by a speeding train in West Bengal.
The adult elephant was struck by a train in a forest at the Buxa Tiger Reserve, a few miles from Alipurduar in north east India.
A speeding passenger train, the Guwahati-bound Somporkkranti Express, hit the elephant while he was crossing the railway line. He died instantly.
The tiger reserve where the elephant was killed is inside the Buxa National Park, which runs along India’s boundary with Bhutan.
This means that the tiger reserve serves as international corridor for elephants migrating between India and Bhutan, making a it a danger spot for train drivers.
Indian forest guards now have the difficult task of getting the huge animal off the tracks so that the train line can reopen.
Sadly this fatal collision was not an isolated incident.
As recently as December last year, five elephants were killed after they were hit by a passenger train in the eastern Indian state of Orissa.
They were crossing railway tracks with their herd.
At the moment there are around 26,000 wild elephants in India.
Although elephants are worshipped by many Indians, their shrinking habitat has made them increasingly unsafe, especially when travelling cross country.
The state of Orissa in eastern India last year issued a warning, asking trains to slow down because of moving elephants herd, but they say it was ignored.
The main reasons for elephant deaths are poaching, eating crops poisoned by farmers, and being hit by trains.
Last week, India’s Rail MinisterPawan Kumar Bansalstressed the need to protect the elephants from trains, describing the animals as ‘gentle giants’ whose lives must be safeguarded.
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
You can find out more about me & this blog by reading "ABOUT THIS BLOG" on the menu (when i finish it) lol
PLEASE NOTE.....
Not all of my posts will be current news, or even about animal abuse! I do like to share other animal news, uplifting stories or videos; some that are funny or just touch the heart!
If I have anything to say on any post, you will see it in bold blue writing. I try to remain a lady, but it's hard to contain my anger & emotions at the some of the stories I post; I don’t have a heart of stone, tears stain many articles I write!
Lastly, my apologies for any errors; I am learning whilst posting, so if you find anything that doesn't work or a broken link, sorry, I'm only human!!!!
ABOUT THESE POSTS
I would just like to make readers aware, that I search for stories on the internet; regards animal abuse etc. I copy stories etc. from the internet; assuming these stories are correct at time of publishing. Having said that, sometimes the press get it wrong! So I just want to add that at the time of me posting a news story, I presume all the facts seem present & correct.
Please note....all people mentioned in this blog, are presumed innocent, until proven otherwise, in a court of law.
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PLEASE DO NOT SEND REQUESTS FOR YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN. I do not want anyone to be upset by graphic images etc.
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We can not hope to achieve better laws, to protect animals, unless we unite as one, to speak up for those who are voiceless!!
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DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
STOP ANIMAL ABUSE 
The videos are proof of cruelty. These creatures were beaten. Actual fact. Nothing to do with “animal rights lunatics.” It doesn’t matter who made the video. It DID happen. You surely don’t deny this cruelty happened, do you?