A heartbreaking story about an orca whale who mourned her dead calf has the public thinking about Lolita, the captive orca whale again.

And as Lolita reaches retirement, this time it could really make a difference – not only to her, but to her endangered family as well.

Protests have come and gone after years of campaigning to free the lonely orca who occupies a tank that is much too small for her. Lolita lost her mate several years ago and spends much of the time floating, in a listless trance.

What inspired the wake-up call this time was a story about a Southern Resident Killer Whale from Lolita’s orca whale clan. The female whale, called Tahlequah, carried her dead calf with her for 17 days across hundreds of miles, refusing to let go. Some believe this was a deliberate act of mourning, like a funeral. The story has made an impression on how people think about the emotional ties between orcas. This is important for Lolita as there are doubts over whether she will be reunited with her family when she retires, who she hasn’t seen for 47 years. Lolita still sings the songs of her Pod. At 50 years old she has spent most of her life in captivity.

Thinking about Lolita in the context of her family is really important, even if Lolita is never reunited with them. Lolita comes from a population of whales called the Southern Resident Killer Whales. After a brutal roundup in the 70s, baby whales, including Lolita, were separated from their distraught parents and taken to various entertainment parks around the country. Orca whale society is matrilineal and orca whales stay with their mothers their whole lives. Lolita has been in captivity a very long time, so there are questions over whether she would reintegrate successfully with her family, and genuine concerns about her carrying a pathogen that would harm her family. On the other hand, the closeness and deep emotional ties of orca whale society make it heartbreaking that Lolita would never return home.

Thinking about what home means for a captive whale like Lolita means we can’t ignore the fact that Lolita’s family is under threat. We as humans owe a debt to this animal population and culture, that we have stressed, threatened and dispersed. After the Southern Resident Killer Whale population were terrorized and brutalized in the 70s, their population never recovered, and their endangered species designation doesn’t do enough to protect them. It has done nothing to maintain a food source for them, for one. These whales are literally starving due to a lack of their natural food, the Chinook salmon (which is also endangered). A system of dams keeps the orcas from their food. Orca whales have been giving birth to calves who don’t survive, and all pregnancies in the last three years have failed. This doesn’t even take into account pollution and disruption from boat traffic. There are proposals to free up food sources at some of the dams, but these are moving too slowly.

We must act now to protect Lolita’s family, and to ask that genuine efforts are made to return her home where she belongs. Lolita’s freedom and our attention on this issue is nothing less than an act of atonement.

Please read, share/sign and donate.

Read More:

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/free-lolita-the-killer-whale/

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article185517463.html

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/giulia-cs-good-stefani/penn-cove-captures-why-southern-resident-orcas-need-us

https://www.care2.com/causes/grieving-mother-orca-carried-her-dead-calf-for-17-days.html

Ghetto Rescue took one last video of Valerie the pitbull before she died, and it is heartbreaking. A blue-grey pitbull with a beautiful lustrous coat, she’s lying on the ground being reassured by the humans around her, as the life is ebbing out of her.

Ghetto Rescue found Valerie in South Los Angeles after she was dumped out of a car. They claim she was sexually assaulted, although her death seems to have been the result of trauma to her chest. The LAPD are investigating the case for bestiality and animal cruelty, and treating the sexual assault just as if it was a human rape (testing for DNA). The difference is however, that the rape is considered “bestiality” and is a misdemeanor rather than felony.

It’s reassuring to hear reports of the police going about their business in a thorough way, just as if Valerie was a human. The police started the investigation based on the posts of Ghetto Rescue. Still, Valerie’s abuse will have to be treated within the capacity of the law, which might not be enough to hold her abusers accountable. The sad thing is that this beautiful pitbull lost her life even though she was a shelter animal. Her chance for a new life ended tragically. Animals like Valerie are vulnerable to abuse, and protecting them ends up being a band-aid once they are seriously injured or traumatized. Rather than comforting them when they are dying, we need to take steps to protect them in life.

https://www.ocregister.com/2018/08/09/lapd-investigating-alleged-trauma-sexual-assault-of-pit-bull-found-in-south-los-angeles-area/

Just as the world’s most recent ape species was discovered, their habitat is about to be decimated. The Northern Sumatran Tanpanuli Orangutan was only discovered last year, and the population is already known to be the most endangered ape species in the world. The orangutans are threatened by Chinese diggers constructing a hydroelectric dam that will divide their habitat in two.

The dam has been opposed by leading environmentalists. Research in top scientific journals has shown that its impact will be disastrous. Yet it still goes ahead because of an injection of funding from the Chinese State Bank. Other major funders have pulled money based on the impacts on the orangutans, amongst other things. The reason why this disastrous project is being protected is that it is part of a huge Chinese plan for infrastructure to facilitate trade. Projects like this will spring up elsewhere, harming other wildlife.

Videos show orangutans clawing at diggers who are moving into their habitat. Orangutan literally means “man of the forest.” We must stop the advance of human works of such magnitude and harm. The vulnerable are counting on us. Please sign and share.

See Also:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/scientists-urge-indonesian-president-to-nix-dam-in-orangutan-habitat/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2018/apr/23/worlds-newest-great-ape-threatened-by-chinese-dam

The couple who captured footage of closely packed together pigs did so on a casual detour. They had no idea they were exposing Canada’s animal outdated transportation conditions, they just noticed the animals were in discomfort and started filming.

In Canada, pigs can be trucked for up to 36 hours without a break for rest, food or water, compared to 8 hours in the European Union. These outdated laws are due for a change but no one has been paying attention.

Sometimes all it takes is a little push. The video is steadily gaining views. A recent Vancouver Sun story showed that 46 pigs had died being shipped from Alberta to Donald’s Fine Foods in Langley. Phone video footage is a small weapon which can have a huge impact, and thankfully it is easily accessible to most people. Please share the news and remember you can use your phone to pay attention to the conditions around you. You never know, it could save animal lives!

See the original article for details: https://www.kamloopsmatters.com/local-news/video-by-kamloops-animal-rights-group-prompts-investigation-984692

This last week, the world has been in mourning for Koko the beloved mountain gorilla who learned to speak in American sign language. Koko was born on the 4th of July 1971, hence her name “Fireworks-child” (in Japanese), shortened to “Koko.” This fireworks child was a prodigy – she learned to play the recorder, and to sign over 1,000 signs and understand 2,000 words of spoken English. Koko was sad when she lost a pet, spoke about her longing for a child (the pet kitten was a close substitute) and talked about death and her own death. She also played with words and mixed them up in new combinations. She once described herself as a “fine-gorilla-person.”

Did humans teach Koko about language, or did Koko teach humans? Koko could speak in sign language,
but also more importantly, she could listen. When she listened, she interpreted things in her own way.
Despite criticism of the Koko project (which stated that Koko was mimicking her trainers), Koko
responded in unexpected ways. When she was asked where gorillas go to when they die, she said
“comfortable-hole-bye.” There were a few occasions when she expressed deep sadness and grief, like
when her pet kitten was hit by a car and killed.

Language is often used as an excuse to elevate humans above other animals. There were scientists who
felt Koko’s use of language was meaningless, as she didn’t learn grammar and syntax. But throughout
her life, Koko used sign language not as a lifeless toy or tool to get food and water, but a way to
communicate and describe her world. Communication –- rather than language –- was the key. Koko
and her researchers built a rapport together, where words could mean more than the dictionary
definition, they could mean complex emotional states and refer to shared understanding between
Koko and the researchers. Above all, what Koko taught us is that language is a human invention, but
communication is common to all animals. For that, we owe a debt to Koko, our Gorilla teacher.

The group that came to the rescue of baby elephant Suman have released a video showing the elephant’s captor inflicting relentless violence on elephants. Wildlife SOS launched a campaign to save Suman the baby elephant, but still nothing has been done by the Rajasthan government, despite the fact that elephant trafficking is illegal.

The baby elephant was already in a delicate state when evidence of her captivity drew outrage. She was penned in a small cage, tied by her foot and making repetitive movements that clearly showed distress. Her parents and sister have since been reunited, but this six year old baby elephant is still at the mercy of almost certain violence, abuse and mistreatment. In the video her captor is shown mercilessly beating and tying up and burning the foot-pads of elephants. Humans who protested have also reportedly been fired or attacked.

Animal psychologists are worried about the damage this trauma will do to Suman. Elephants live just as long as humans and so the “memory of an elephant” could be a liability as well as a gift. The sooner the baby elephant can be freed, the more likely she is to heal from the harm and isolation done to her.

Please donate, share and sign Wildlife SOS’s petition: http://wildlifesos.org/save-suman/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsfTDgqTU2wIVTbnACh0VLgMOEAAYASAAEgIQ8PD_BwE

More Info on this story:

http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/jun/07/rajasthan-government-slammed-for-failing-to-take-action-against-owner-who-tortured-baby-elephant-1824676.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5835245/Shocking-video-shows-Indian-trafficker-mercilessly-beat-burn-elephant.html

http://www.timesnownews.com/mirror-now/society/article/shocking-visual-of-merciless-trafficker-torturing-elephants-in-jaipur-goes-viral/239966

Good news: the USDA listened to activists who urged them not to implement a disastrous plan to allow labs to regulate themselves on animal welfare. The USDA had proposed allowing the AAALAC (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International) to police the Animal Welfare Act in labs. This “third party” is a private organization with council-members from the very facilities the organization is accrediting. The AAALC would have kept their findings private.

Organizing for Animals Helped Prevent this Disaster

Amongst other things, the USDA was swayed by a vast majority of public comments opposing the project. Recently, many changes by government agencies that would affect animals and the environment have been deliberately slipped under the radar or unaccompanied by a press release. Reports have been redacted or removed from the USDA website. When activists pushed back they kept the accreditation changes in the public eye and kept the heat on public officials, forcing them to reconsider. Victories like these shows that battles can be won. There are so many animals at risk of abuse, mistreatment and death. And, unbelievable as it may seem, sometimes the power to help animals lies in the hands of a few. That’s why it’s important to organize for animals. Donations, actions and staying informed make a difference.

More from the Washington Post on this story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/05/17/usda-may-warn-some-facilities-when-animal-welfare-inspectors-are-coming/?utm_term=.cdb79dd431c9

Because of a legal loophole, Japanese whalers can still kill large numbers of whales in the Antarctic every year, and this year, many pregnant and young whales were amongst the dead. Japan justifies these expeditions for scientific research, but their reasons are shaky.

For a start, the International Whaling Committee banned commercial whaling in 1985, and most countries, if not all, complied. A 1946 law that says whaling can still take place for scientific reasons is used as a justification for Japan’s expeditions. The whales on these expeditions can be sold for meat, leading to accusations that the scientific explanation is a convenient excuse. The scientific research is apparently undertaken to discover such factors as sexual maturity, nutritional condition and prey consumption of the whales. However critics have said this can be done by taking a biopsy instead. As well as claiming whale-hunting is done for scientific research, Japan has also defended its ancient “culture” of whaling.

122 pregnant whales and 114 juvenile whales died in this massacre. 333 whales in total were killed on this expedition. How did they die? By harpooning, ie using harpoons loaded with a 30g penthrite grenade.

Rather than terrorizing their population and using a violent method of killing them, Japanese whalers could find a more humane way of studying them, but they choose not to. Cultural inertia towards animals needs a wake-up call. Around the world, people are realizing that we don’t have to accept a cultural narrative about dominating and harming animals. It’s time to put pressure on the defenders of “cultural” cruelty to animals.

More info on this story:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12061465
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44307396
https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/japan-whaling-kills-122-pregnant-whales-for-research/news-story/a1851aeec523563c79d593df7085e61b

Two teenagers from Wichita Falls are being charged with animal cruelty after they tortured and dismembered a kitten and shared the video on Snapchat. In response to the incident, PETA have launched a really important debate about teen animal cruelty. In a letter from their educational section, Teachkind, they pointed out that the dismemberment of the animal resembled lessons the teenagers were being taught in their science class.

Dissection teaches kids and teens that animals are disposable. PETA also cited numerous studies to show that dissection increases callousness towards animals in students. Once the capacity to be violent towards animals is established the links then blossom between violence to animals and violence to humans. You could argue that the Wichita Falls students are “bad examples” of humanity, or perhaps troubled, violent kids. But if so why did they choose to share their cruelty on Snapchat with their peers? Taking pride in animal cruelty assumes an audience for it. There is a context to this kind of behavior. Science class can teach a humane approach to doing science, or it can teach us that humans are “above” nature, and that we can take what we want from it. These girls used and tortured a defenseless kittens for their own reasons. Science education has a “purpose” for killing animals. And yet it sends the same message, that animals are disposable. There are plenty of methods of interactive learning available these days that can teach anatomy without dissection. Science increasingly doesn’t have to rely on cruelty. The right time to send the message of kindness is when minds are young and can be changed.

Please read, share and advocate for humane science education in schools!

For the original story, click on the link: https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2018/05/21/wichita-falls-video-kitten-being-abused-prompts-peta-response/629379002

Yellowstone’s bears have just finally recovered to the point that they have been taken off the endangered species list. But Wyoming wildlife officials have approved a Fall trophy hunt that would threaten the bears again. The hunt has strong opposition from many quarters, but it is still going ahead. It seems the plan is to actively reduce the bear population in the Greater Yellowstone area. Even female bears will be targeted. It’s been pointed out by the Sierra Club that grizzly bears are some of the slowest animals to reproduce, so hunting them, and especially their females, will decimate the population. All this, and there doesn’t appear to be any plan for sustainable initiatives that promote coexistence.

Then there’s the fact that hunters will be terrorizing a population that has been under siege for years. Would a population not under perpetual attack from humans be more likely to peacefully co-exist?

Please read, share and sign the Sierra club’s petition. There is no reason why Yellowstone’s bear families should have to be traumatized and decimated once again by human hunters.