Posted on August 31, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Flanders lifts hunting ban on Belgian wolves’ land as cubs grow
Friday, 28 August 2020
Hunting will again be allowed in areas populated by wolves in Flanders after regional authorities announced that a ban imposed to protect newborn wolf cubs will not be renewed.
Flemish Environment Minister Zouhal Demir said that a blanket hunting ban will no longer be necessary as the cubs have grown up.
“The wolves are now also able to move to other resting areas in their habitat, which is quite extensive,” Demir told HLN.
The hunting ban had been imposed in March, when a wolf called Noëlla was reported to have given birth to three cubs and was put in place until 31 August.
Demir moved to imposed the hunting ban to protect the wolf and her litter after another wolf named Naya and her newborn cubs were presumably killed by poachers.
Naya’s death sparked outrage with residents and animal conservation groups since it jeopardised their much-celebrated return of wild wolves into Belgian forests.
A thousand-euro reward for any tips leading to the presumed poachers was set up by conservation groups as well as an anonymous Belgian entrepreneur.
Despite the lifting of the ban, other measures to protect the wolves will remain in place, including regular checks by forest rangers and inspectors with the Flemish Agency for Nature and Forests.
Additionally, intensive monitoring with tracking technology and wildlife cameras will also be employed to ensure the animals are safe, while authorities will continue providing support to small livestock farmers active in the area.
Posted on August 31, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Call on Gov. Inslee to End WDFW’s Assault on Wolves
Last fall, Washington Governor Jay Inslee instructed the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to better support co-existence between Washington’s livestock industry and the recovering population of endangered gray wolves. In his letter, Governor Inslee instructed WDFW to “make changes in the gray wolf recovery program to further increase the reliance on non-lethal methods, and to significantly reduce the need for lethal removal of this species… The status quo of annual lethal removal is simply unacceptable.”
Two weeks ago, WDFW gunned down the last two known survivors of the Wedge wolf family in response to predation on cattle grazing primarily on public lands. Today, the agency is out hunting for up to two wolves from the Leadpoint pack.
WDFW has killed four state-endangered wolves since receiving Gov. Inslee’s letter, and 34 wolves since 2012, when wolves had just begun to return to Washington after their extermination in the 1930s by livestock interests and government eradication programs.
This full-page advertisement paid for by Predator Defense appears in today’s Seattle Times. Consider amplifying its message by contacting Governor Inslee today!
It’s almost been a year since Governor Inslee instructed WDFW to change the way it manages wolves. The agency cannot continue to ignore this instruction. To change the status quo, Governor Inslee must act now.
Please take action by respectfully calling on Governor Jay Inslee to end WDFW’s assault on wolves.
Emergency: Stop the Senseless Killing of Washington’s Wolves
On August 17, 2020, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind confirmed killing the last two known remaining members of the Wedge wolf pack (an adult male and an adult female) in response to cattle depredations, primarily on public lands.
Although peer-reviewed research demonstrates that killing wolves is an ineffective solution to deter predation on cows and can even result in increased attacks, WDFW gunned down an adult female wolf on July 27, and as science predicted, livestock attacks continued after her death.
Killing is not the answer.
Yet WDFW has resorted to killing wolves living in this same spot rugged forest land for years. In fact, they killed the original Wedge pack in 2012 for the very same reason. The original Wedge pack was accused of preying on livestock in the Colville National Forest eight years ago and, under Washington’s wolf management plan, the state opted to issue kill orders in an attempt to protect the livestock. The state killed the entire family of state endangered wolves.
In the eight years since the original Wedge pack was destroyed, not much has changed. Livestock owners still graze their cows on rugged, forested public lands that are better suited for native ungulates, and WDFW is still killing wolves to benefit the profit margins of private businesses. In fact, at least 26 of the 34 state-endangered wolves that have been killed since 2012 were shot on behalf of the same livestock operator.
While it’s too late to protect the other 34 endangered wolves WDFW has gunned down since 2012, other Washington wolves still need our help.
Please take action to respectfully call on WDFW Director Kelly Susewind and Washington Governor Jay Inslee to immediately end their assault on Washington’s wolves.
Posted on August 31, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
For several years ago, since 2012., swiss animal welfare organizations –Tierschutzbund Zürich (TSB) and Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF)-have been targeting the conditions in an Australian export slaughterhouse called Meramist, where horse meat is “produced” for Europe. The pictures are shocking!
Now politicians are called upon to act.
New investigations in Australia show the poor conditions during transport, at auctions, assembly centers, and the EU-approved abattoir Meramist.
Horses are transported over long distances in cattle trucks which are completely inappropriate for them. They are brutally mistreated with sticks and electric shocks.
Feed, weather protection, and veterinary care are insufficient or completely lacking.
A large number of horses are not stunned correctly and are bolted up to five times. Some horses still show signs of consciousness when being hoisted and bled out.
The investigations, carried out over a period of more than two years, clearly show that these are not individual cases – this is systematic torture.
The European importers, among them the Belgian company Multimeatand the Swiss import association VPI, have long claimed to have animal welfare issues in overseas slaughterhouses under control with manuals and audits. How much more evidence do they need?
Furthermore, Australian horsemeat poses a health risk for European consumers.
More than 50% of the slaughtered horses are former racehorses, called “wastage” in Australia, and the risk of drug residues in their meat is particularly high.
Australia: More than half of the slaughtered horses are disused racehorses.
And I mean…Horse racing has been repeatedly shaken by scandals around the world in recent years. Australia seems to be the forerunner in all forms of animal cruelty, but the current crimes against “down” racehorses will have particularly serious consequences for the whole horse racing mafia.
We’re talking about destroying animals on an industrial scale. We see animals suffer. If anyone in the industry can justify that, it’s a criminal.
Photos from the horse collection point of Les Evans, he is one of the largest horse suppliers to the Meramist slaughterhouse.
This is what the former racing champions look like and will soon be delivered to Meramist as “battle” horses. The collection point is intentionally hidden from the public eye.
The horses are likely to die here without medical help (Image: confidential source).
An emaciated, injured horse can no longer get on its feet (Image: confidential source).
Another weak horse is also left to its own devices (Image: confidential source).
Vet treatment costs money, but this is not invested in horses intended for slaughter.
The Australian organization documented numerous bone remains and a horse skull that is found in the pens at Les Evans.
Sick and injured horses probably die here without medical help.
Australia slaughters horses exclusively for export, up to 100,000 horses per year.
And don’t forget: The meat of the tortured horses ends up on the plates of the carnivores.
Posted on August 30, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Loggerhead turtles are certainly among the most wandering sea creatures.
Immediately after hatching, they begin their long journey through the ocean. Investigations from Florida showed that the turtles use the earth’s magnetic fields to orientate themselves on their journey of up to ten years.
These loggerhead sea turtles swim thousands of kilometers through the North Atlantic, float in the North Atlantic currents, only to one day return to the beach on which they were born.
Posted on August 30, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Did you know rabbit teeth never stop growing?Or that rabbits can jump up to ten feet?As well as being social and sensitive animals, rabbits are incredibly fascinating.
We’ve rounded up eleven fun facts about rabbits that you definitely didn’t know!
1. Rabbits are escape animals
Rabbits are always on the lookout. This is particularly evident from the fact that they are very cautious and behave more fearfully. For example, when rabbits are fooled by a human, they often become numb or try to free themselves by jumping uncontrollably.
2. Rabbits move as much as cats
Rabbits have the same urge to move around like cats. They need a lot of space and love to exercise in the fresh air.
3. Rabbits digest twice
Rabbits eat a special part of their excrement called appendix feces. This enables them to digest the food that is difficult to digest, such as crude fiber.
4. Rabbits are group animals
In the wild, rabbits live in large groups and have distinctive social behavior. Like us humans, they need conspecifics to be happy.
5. Rabbits defend their territory
Rabbits are very territorial and even defend their territory in a fighting manner if necessary.
6. Rabbit teeth will grow for a lifetime
Rabbit teeth never stop growing. The animals, therefore, wear off their teeth, for example by gnawing on branches. If they do not do this, the teeth may be misaligned.
7. Rabbits warn their conspecifics with knocking noises
Rabbits signal anger, discomfort, excitement, or fear by quickly so-called drumming with their hind legs on the ground. This also warns group members.
The knock is usually followed by a quick sprint at high speed in order to outrun the possible enemy and hide in a shelter.
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 