A monthly Magazine edited and published by Maria Lopes - December 2007

 We are including again the Mexican campaign please continue to send protest letters.

For the Animals
Maria Lopes
Coordinator

INDIA

The Saddest Dance - India?s Battered Sloth Bears

Source: Kinship Cicle

SOURCE OF INFORMATION:

World Society for the Protection of Animals

wspa@wspausa.org

VIDEO /

India?s Dancing Bears  

http://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/2190_dancing_bears_november_07.cfm?broadcastID=154&linkID=6869&ID=36379

India: Dancing Bears

http://www.iar.org.uk/india/dancing-bears.shtml

Directory Of Indian Government Websites

http://goidirectory.nic.in/

COMPLETE CONTACT INFORMATION:

Honorable President Of India Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil

email: presidentofindia@rb.nic.in

website: http://presidentofindia.nic.in/

Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India

Vice-President's House * 6, Maulana Azad Road * New Delhi - 110 011 (INDIA)

ph: 011-23016422, 23016344

email: vpindia@nic.in

website: http://164.100.24.167/Chairman-Rajyasabha/writetochairman.htm

Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India

South Block, Raisina Hill * New Delhi, India -110 011

ph: 91-11-23012312; fax: 91-11-23019545 / 91-11-23016857

web email: http://pmindia.nic.in/write.htm

Sh. Sevugan Regupathy, Minister of State for Environment & Forests

TS. No. 3108, East Second Street * Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu (INDIA)

ph: (04322) 227799

email: r.sevugan@nic.in

Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Paryavaran Bhavan

CGO Complex, Lodhi Road * New Delhi - 110 003 (INDIA)

ph: +91-11-2436 1896, 24360605, 24360570, 24360519

email: envisect@nic.in

website: http://envfor.nic.in/

Smt. Ambika Soni, Minister of Tourism & Culture

RNo 301, Transport Bhawan

1, Parliament Street * New Delhi - 110 001 (INDIA)

ph: 91-11-23717969; 91-11-23718310; 91-11-23710431

fax: 91-11-23731506; 91-11-23321397

email: tourismminister@nic.in , ps-mtc@nic.in , ps2motc@nic.in , santha@nic.in ,

jmukharjee2001@yahoo.co.in , rsguptagad@yahoo.co.in

India Embassy In The United States

Ambassador Ronen Sen

2107 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. * Washington D.C. 20008

ph: 202-939-7000; fax: 202-265-4351

email: ambassador@indiagov.org , dcmoff@indiagov.org ,

culturewing@indiagov.org

website: http://www.indianembassy.org/embassy/contact.htm  

INDIAN EMBASSIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES:

http://www.indianembassy.org/newsite/govtofindialinks.asp#6

Sample letters are prepared to give you ample background on an issue.

Try to change some words, pare down letters, and make them your own.

**DELETE ALL REFERENCES TO KINSHIP CIRCLE BEFORE SENDING*

ALL EMAILS IN THIS ALERT:

presidentofindia@rb.nic.in , vpindia@nic.in , r.sevugan@nic.in ,

envisect@nic.in , tourismminister@nic.in , ps-mtc@nic.in , ps2motc@nic.in ,

santha@nic.in , jmukharjee2001@yahoo.co.in , rsguptagad@yahoo.co.in ,

ambassador@indiagov.org , dcmoff@indiagov.org , culturewing@indiagov.org

Honorable Government Officials of India:

Please uphold longstanding Indian law that illegalizes owning or "dancing" a bear. With roughly 8,000 non-captive sloth bears left in India, the World Conservation Union classifies this species as "vulnerable." Moreover, the use of dancing bears to amuse tourists is an unusually cruel form of entertainment.

Over 100 cubs are unlawfully snatched from the wild each year. Sloth bears, some only weeks old, are seized from mothers shot dead before their eyes.

Many succumb to starvation, dehydration, suffocation or shock during long journeys with Kalandar gypsies who use them to beg for money. An estimated 500 to 600 sloth bears are forced into lives of misery. Wild bears may live over 20 years; as dancing bears, they die by seven or eight years of age.

As babies, the bears' teeth are filed to render them defenseless. Later their tender muzzles are pierced with a fire-heated needle to thread a

training rope through mutilated bone, cartilage and nerve membrane. Trainers drag bears by these ropes to control them and make them perform unnatural stunts such as balancing upon two legs. The rope grinds against a bear's open wound, leading to chronic infections. Agitated bears appear to "dance." In reality, they are frantic to escape the pain.

Over time the bears are so conditioned to "dance" on hot plates, they begin their weary waltz as soon as they hear familiar music. Most endure lifelong malnutrition and abuse that can result in blindness, intestinal disorders and behavioral aberrations such as chronic pacing.

Many tourists will not vacation in countries that condone or ignore such blatant cruelty. I urge government officials to enforce the Indian Wildlife

Protection Act and subsidize bear sanctuaries for retired dancing bears, all of whom are too disfigured and tame to survive in the wild. Please

permanently end the dancing bear trade and help Kalandar nomads find new means of employment.

Thank you,

Name/Country

MEXICO

PROTEST AGAINST THE "EMBALSE DE TOROS"

Source: M. Mench

Even though the fiesta will take place early next year we have been asked by Mexican animal rights people to put pressure on now, to give the authorities time to deal with the matter.

Each year on the 1st of February, six cebu bulls are tortured and killed during the "Fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria" in the town of Tlacotalpan, in the Mexican state of Veracruz. First they are dragged through a river by ropes attached to boats. Then they are chased through the streets Pamplona style and tortured until they are physically and

psychologically destroyed.

The part of the fiesta, which takes place in the river is called "embalse de toros" and is even promoted by the tourism authorities. In 2006 due to an international campaign and meetings with Mexican animal rights activists,the governor of the state of Veracruz banned the use of the cebus in the fiesta. However, the mayor took sides with the animal abusers and the fiesta went ahead as usual.

Shocking images and reports by Mexican TV stations and newspapers showed how one bull, in terror, tried to escape from his pen. Later one bull almost drowned in the river. The policemen present in the village tried as hard as possible to protect the bulls from the mob, who were in lynching mood, but the police were too small in number.

In 2007 in defiance of the campaign, in addition to the six cebu bulls six young fighting bulls were released onto the streets and tortured.

Tlacotalpan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Please inform UNESCO about what is going on in Tlacotalpan.

A large part of Mexico's income arises out of international tourism so it is important to include the Mexican tourism authorities. The Catholic Church should also be included.

Please write your own letter (Spanish and English) or use the sample as a guide.

Addresses in a batch:

wh-info@unesco.org , F.Bandarin@unesco.org, A.Pedersen@unesco.org ,

n.sanz@unesco.org , dl.mexique@unesco.org , mexico@unesco.org ,

mt.baz@unesco.org , felipe.calderon@presidencia.gob.mx ,

fidelherrera@veracruz-llave.gob.mx , info@tlaco.com.mx,

ofe_montalvo@hotmail.com ,tlaco2005_2007@hotmail.com ,

contacto@sagarpa.gob.mx , alberto.cardenas@sagarpa.gob.mx ,

portal_vrz@vrz.sagarpa.gob.mx , delegado@vrz.sagarpa.gob.mx ,

c.secretario@semarnat.gob.mx , delegado@veracruz.semarnat.gob.mx,

embamex@embamex.org .at,mision@embamex.org .at,icm@embamex.or.at,

info@embamexcan.com , prensafrancia@sre.gob.mx , mail@embamexale.de,

embamex@embamex-nl.com, embamex1@swissonline. ch,mexuk@easynet.co.uk ,

culturalgb@sre.gob.mx , relizondo@sectur.gob.mx ,

flopez@promotur.com.mx, sgonzalez@promotur.com ,

relacionespublicas@promotur.com.mx, northamericanpress@visitmexico.com ,

uk@visitmexico.com, contacteurope@visitmexico.com ,

germany@visitmexico.com, france@visitmexico.com, otmex@wanadoo.fr ,

italy@visitmexico.com, spain@visitmexico.com, argentina@visitmexico.com ,

brasil@visitmexico.com, cptmtokio@hotmail.com, cptmbeijing@gmail.com ,

echaillo@visitmexico.com,  veronica.querejazu@newlinkcorp.com ,

hguerrero@visitmexico.com, marisol.hernandez@newlinkcorp.com ,

houston@visitmexico.com , sandra.munoz@newlinkcorp.com ,

mmora@visitmexico.com , gustavo.rivas@newlinkcorp.com ,

miami@visitmexico.com , yusfia.jimenez@newlinkcorp.com ,

montreal@visitmexico.com , toronto@visitmexico.com,

dgutierrez@visitmexico.com, arzobispado@arzobispadomexico.org.mx

Estimados Se?ores,

me refiero a la tortura y la matanza de seis toros en el "embalse de toros"en el marco de la "Fiesta de la Candelaria", que se llevarrá a cabo el próximo 1 de febrero del 2008 en Tlacotalpan, estado Veracruz.

Tal comportamiento no es digno de una sede del patriomonio mundial.

Le ruego que prohiba el uso de los animales en la fiesta.

Por favor intervenga con las autoridades locales para que se acabe con esta horrible tradicion para siempre y para que se siga adelante con la fiesta sin animales.

Atentamente

Name/Country

______________________

Gentlemen,

I refer to the torture and killing of the six bulls during the "Embalse de Toros" in the "Fiesta de la Candelaria", which will take place in Tlacotalpan, in the state of Veracruz on February 1, 2008.

This action is not worthy of a world heritage site.

I urge you to ban the use of animals in the fiesta.

Please intervene with the local authorities to get this horrible tradition banned and to take the animals out of the fiesta.

Sincerely,

Name/Country

U.S.A.

Ban Live-Bait Dog Training

Source: kinship Circle

SOURCE OF INFORMATION / BACKGROUND:

Indiana Coyote Rescue Center

http://www.coyoterescue.org/

Ban Live Bait Dog Training

BanLiveBaitDogTraining@yahoo.com

COYOTE-RELATED RULE CHANGE PROPOSALS

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/about/rules.html

Stopping Cruel Dog Training with Live Coyotes

http://www.coyoterescue.org/

CONTACT INFORMATION + SAMPLE LETTER

Indiana Natural Resources Commission

Hearing Officer

402 W. Washington Street, W272

Indianapolis, IN 46204

email: nrcrules@nrc.in.gov

web email:

http://www.in.gov/nrc/rules/proposed.html  

RE: COYOTE-RELATED RULE CHANGE PROPOSALS

Thank you for considering public opinion about a proposed rule change that stipulates live coyotes may not be "sold, traded, bartered or gifted." I strongly urge Indiana Natural Resources Commission to permanently ban the sale of trapped wildlife as bait for dog runners.

I understand present law permits commerce in live coyotes for use in training drills with "hunting" dogs. To inflict fear, mutilation, and death

under the guise of "sport" is grotesque.

I trust NRC will evaluate the cruelty inherent in live-bait dog training, rather than base its decision on hunting revenue. I support NRC's rule

change and an end to this repugnant practice.

Thank you,   

Name/Country

Disclaimer: All items published in this magazine were received by us and we pass them on in good faith. We are not responsible for incorrect email addresses, errors, omissions etc. by the originators.
INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AGAINST BULLFIGHTS
www.iwab.org
This Magazine published by Maria Lopes
marialopes@iwab.org