Animals through the World - Online since June 2003

Back again , technical problems gone.

Good news, another city in Spain has declared itself against bullfights, Olot (Catalonia).

Now we must try to press the Catalonian government to end bullfights in the region. Please continue to sign the petition.

Maria Lopes

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind."
Albert Einstein (Nobel Prize)

INDIA

“What Does It Take To Make a Bear Dance?”

Source: Animals Defender

For the “dancing” bears of India, their journey of pain and torture begins in the cruellest way imaginable. At just a few weeks old, each cub must watch as their mother is slaughtered by gunmen. The cubs are then stuffed into sacks and taken on long journeys to markets where they are sold into slavery. Many die of shock or suffocation. They’re the lucky ones.

Thanks to the tireless work of our patron Maneka Gandhi, it is now illegal in India to capture bears in the wild. But all too often these laws are not enforced. There are still over 1,000 gentle sloth bears suffering unimaginable torture at the hands of Kalendar nomads. The red hot poker burns through the bears sensitive nostrils. The rope rubs incessantly against a never healing wound.

There is one final agony the bear must endure before he is ready to “perform”. His owner pushes a red hot piker directly into the bear’s sensitive nose then forces it up and out through the bone, cartilage and nerve membrane in the top of the bear’s snout. Next, through this terrible wound, a rope is threaded.

To make his bear “dance” the owner pulls the rope upwards. The agony of this rope pulling against open wounds is what quickly teaches the bear to stand on it’s back legs. Of course the bear isn’t dancing, he’s desperately trying to relieve the pain as the rope is pulled above his head. The slightest bit of resistance from the bear is often met with a savage beating.

The pain of these defenceless cubs have to endure is nothing short of horrific. To ensure that he won’t be bitten or clawed while teaching his bear to “dance”, a new owner will brutally remove the bear’s teeth and claws – without the use of anaesthetic or even a painkiller.

This is why, sadly, we can return very few bears to the wild. They just wouldn’t be able to fend for themselves.

In their enforced captivity the bears must live on a hopelessly inadequate diet of stale chapattis and sour milk.

Please send protest letters to:

Prime Minister of India:

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

Ministry of Environment & Forests

secy@menf.delhi.nic.in

Dear Prime Minister / Dear Minister

The Dancing Bears of India are a tragic spectacle, which takes place as a cruel tradition.

There is a law, which was made to stop the capturing and trading of bears in India under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act in 1972. Even thought this has been made illegal. This law barely exists.

I request that the Indian Government enforce the law and ban completely the capture of bears.

Sincerely,

Name/Country

ITALY

Protest against Ponza

Source : www.cacciailcacciatore.org

Please, help Ponza to be a civilized place!
Do not choose Ponza for your holidays, it is a place where hunters and poachers rule!
Please, write your protest to the tourist office!

THE HIDDEN FACE OF PONZA

Ponza island... really a natural paradise, a place which COULD and SHOULD become COMPLETELY a natural reserve. On this island, a lot of birds come to rest, after a long return journey from Africa, before reaching the nesting areas in Europe.

Even if hunting is allowed, in Italy, only until the end of January, in April and May (when the migrating birds arrive), the island, and especially the wonderful "Piana d'Incenso", are assaulted by dozens of hunters and poachers heavily armed.

The island becomes a cemetery, and this is dangerous for people, too, especially tourists. The police isn't able to make the law respected, so animals are killed and the environment is poisoned by the hunters' lead bullets.

PLEASE, LET YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD! FOR PROTESTS, WRITE TO:

info@prolocodiponza.it

I add my voice to the protest against the practice of hunting and poaching on the Ponza island. Thousands of birds are killed every year, and people, too, is in danger beacuse of the presence of tens of armed people in the countryside!
I won't visit Ponza as a tourist until this situation won't change, and I'll ask to all my friends to do the same.

Best regards
Name/Country

U.S.A.

Help Protect Manatee

Source: Defenders of Wildlife

The endangered manatee is currently facing multiple attacks in Florida and Defenders of Wildlife needs your help to stop them. After weeks of stalling, Senate Bill 540 (SB 540) has finally reached Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's desk for review. We need him to take a stand for the manatee and VETO SB 540 to safeguard protections for the endangered species.

CONTACT:

Governor Jeb Bush
PL 05 The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Phone: (850) 488-4441
Fax: (850)487-0801
Email: jeb.bush@myflorida.com

SAMPLE LETTER

RE: I urge you to veto anti-manatee legislation -- SB 540

Governor Jeb Bush:

I am writing today to urge you to veto SB 540, legislation that would undermine Florida's ability to protect manatees. This bill weakens the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, calls for "maximizing" boating, greatly increases the difficulty of
establishing protective measures, and will allow manatees to be killed and injured despite the fact that the population has not recovered and is still listed as an endangered species. The changes are inconsistent with the federal Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. In addition, this legislation jeopardizes funding for the state manatee research program that supports the eventual recovery of the species.

This legislation will certainly mean that many more manatees will die from boat strikes and it undercuts recovery objectives. Once again, I urge you to veto SB 540. Thank you for considering my views.

Sincerely,

Name/Country

PETITIONS

Inhumane Control of Pigeons by Poisoning Petition

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/PGN001/petition.html

LETTER TO DEFEND THE 298 MACAQUES THAT ARE IN CAMARLES (TARRAGONA), SPAIN, WAITING TO BE DELIVERED TO A GERMAN LABORATORY FOR VIVISECTION

http://www.altarriba.org/camarles/MailPrimatesi.htm

Signing : EU By Catch

http://www.petitionthem.com/?sect=sign&pet=1052

Stop Wolf Hunting
http://www.PetitionPetition.com/cgi/petition.cgi?id=7119

Cruelty to animals to the penal code
http://www.thePetitionSite.com/takeaction/403169214

STOP bullfighting in Catalonia, Spain
www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/191724792