Sunday, January 27, 2013

Dolphin Tangled in Fishing Line Approaches Diver for Help...

The following article was written by Stephen Messenger (includes video). Earlier this month, while on an nighttime swim with manta rays off the coast of Hawaii, a group of divers were surprised to see a single Bottlenose dolphin approach and linger among them, though it appeared unable to swim normally.

Only after the dolphin continued to circle near around him so insistently did diving instructor Keller Laros begin to realize the animal wasn’t merely being curious — it was actually asking them for help. The dolphin’s movements were restricted because it had become entangled in fishing line and a hook was lodged in its pectoral fin.




Incredibly, the wild dolphin then appears to readily comply with Laros’s efforts to help, positioning its body to make his work easier, seeming to give full trust in the terrestrial stranger.

Thankfully, Laros was able to remove the line and hook from the dolphin, very likely saving the animal’s life.

“I was at the right place at the right time. I am honored to share the footage with all of you.” writes Martina S. Wing, owner of the touring company Ocean Wings Hawaii, who filmed the moving rescue. “Let’s make better decisions for the ocean and the creatures that inhabit it. I strive to make a difference, and you can make one, too!”

While it’s always encouraging to hear stories of aquatic creatures saved from ocean debris, especially discarded fishing nets, lines and hooks — for every one heartwarming rescue, there are countless sad endings for marine life.

This post was originally published by TreeHugger.


Friday, January 25, 2013

Declare a Sanctuary in the Arctic

by signing the following petition, you can lend your voice to tell global leaders that it is imperative that humankind establishes an Arctic Sanctuary!


The following information was provided by Greenpeace Australia - Right now, the Arctic is melting because of our use of dirty fossil fuel energy. In the near future, it could be ice free for the first time since humans walked the earth.

In the last 30 years, we've lost as much as three-quarters of the floating ice cap at the top of the world. Scientists say it's now in a 'death spiral.'

To save the Arctic, we have to act today. Join the 3 million strong movement of people who want the Arctic kept safe for future generations. When we reach our target, we'll plant it as a Flag for the Future on top of the world.

Thirty years ago, we launched a similar campaign to protect the Antarctic. Nobody thought we would succeed, but we did, and we created a world park around the South Pole. Now the Arctic is calling.

How sweet is this little guy...

We often pride ourselves on "knowing what are dogs or cats are thinking" but we seldom allow ourselves to think of what food animals think and feel, or indeed, go through. We may go "ooo" or "aaahhh" when we see a gorgeous lamb photograph like this one, then pay for another sweet little baby lamb to be strung up by one leg to have its throat cut so we can eat it between two slices of bread. "If you love animals, why eat them?"

Great Mystery Publishing
Gorgeous lamb photograph! <3 Lamb says "Please don't eat me on Australia Day!! I just want to live and be loved."

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Recipes from "Meatless"

By the editors of Martha Stewart Living. "Over 200 of the very best vegetarian recipes." Foreward by Martha Stewart. Love the look of the "Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Gratin"!

Recipes From Meatless by Th Editors of Martha Stewart Living by TheRecipeClub

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Did you know cows snore?! Check out this clip..

This cow seems blissfully unaware that it is being filmed while it enjoys a big snooze.



Cute clip below of a cow and dog best buds!

Monday, January 14, 2013

How you can help stop this horrific dolphin slaughter..

13 Petitions to sign and share widely and also full coverage including video. Also a pledge to help save these amazing, social animals and protect their future.
Article by Tony Zadel



Petitions to sign
►1..http://www.takepart.com/cove/takeaction
►2.http://www.change.org/petitions/help-stop-japan-s-killing-of-whales-and-dolphins
►3.http://www.change.org/petitions/yahoo-stop-selling-dolphin-and-whale-meat
►4.http://www.animalsaustralia.org/take_action/Ban-Taiji-Dolphin-Hunt/
►5.http://www.change.org/petitions/imata-trainers-don-t-train-taiji-dolphins
►6.http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/end-dolphin-slaugter-in-japan/
►7.http://www.thepetitionsite.com/677/385/504/save-japan-dolphins-day-2012-chicago-and-worldwide-event-/
►8.http://www.thepetitionsite.com/925/362/332/yahoo-stop-selling-dolphin-and-whale-meat/
►9.http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-dolphin-slaughter-in-taiji-japan
►10.http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/9-dolphins-save-them/
►11. http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/campaign.faces?siteId=3&campaign=DolphinSlaughter2
►12. http://www.change.org/petitions/broome-city-council-say-no-to-taiji?fb_action_ids=356258351128967
►13.http://www.thepetitionsite.com/13/save-the-dolphins-of-taiji/?cid=FB_TAF_CIT
==========================================
## Video ▬► http://youtu.be/4KRD8e20fBo
## Video ▬►http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-02/unlikely-allies-attempt-to-stop-dolphin-killing/3808446

## PLEASE Read more about this issue at ▬►http://www.globalanimal.org/2010/09/01/senseless-horrific-dolphin-slaughter-begins-again-in-taiji/13823/

▬► BACKGROUND-FULL COVERAGE ON THIS HORRIBLE CRUEL GENOCIDE :What Will End the Dolphin Slaughter?
On September 1st the dolphin hunts in Taiji, Japan were scheduled to resume despite unrelenting tsunamis of publicity around the world highlighting this brutal slaughter. In addition the village of Futo, just southeast of Tokyo, has announced it will resume dolphin hunts, mainly to secure dolphins for captivity. Dolphin hunting in Japan continues uninterrupted.


The resumption of the dolphin hunts follows a weekend, August 27 - 29, during which Animal Planet aired the two-hour season finale to Whale Wars, the fight by Sea Shepherd to stop whaling by Japan in the Antarctic, a two-hour presentation of The Cove, the academy award winning film by Louis Psoyhos featuring Ric O'Barry; and the premier of O'Barry's own three-part film series Blood Dolphins.

While issues of cruelty are a highly important part of the argument against these hunts there is another compelling reason why dolphins and whales not only should not be hunted but instead demand greater protection than ever.

Growing evidence suggests that dolphins are becoming so contaminated by marine toxins that eating them constitutes a genuine threat to human health. Health officials in Denmark and the Faroe Islands have already recommended that consumption of pilot whale meat taken in the notorious "grinds" not be eaten due to high levels of contaminants in the meat.

The issue of heavy metal contamination in large predatory fish and marine mammals is becoming well known. Less widely known are the high levels of organic pollutants such as PCBs, PBDEs, DDT, and other chemicals that suppress mammalian immune systems and disrupt normal endocrine function. Some of these chemicals are known to be estrogen imitators that act to feminize men and superfeminize women; in some cases raising the percentage of females babies born over male babies significantly.
Dolphins are already severely threatened by anthropogenic forces. During the last year numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers have been published documenting a worldwide surge in incidence of diseases heretofore unknown in dolphins.

A team of researchers and veterinarians from the Marine Animal Disease Lab at the University of Florida have discovered at least fifty new viruses in dolphins, the majority of which have yet to be reported in any other marine mammal species.
Thirty new diseases have developed simultaneously worldwide resulting from what Dr. Gregory Bossart, Chief Veterinary Officer at the Georgia Aquarium, describes as profound immunosuppression leading to environmental distress syndrome resulting from chemical intoxication.

In addition, resistance to antibiotics has been found in dolphins in numerous locations around the world. Obviously antibiotics do not occur in nature. They come from people who take antibiotics and introduce them into the ecosystem through bodily elimination or simply throwing unused pills away. After they reach the watershed plankton ingest them and they bio-accumulate up the food web to concentrate in top predators such as dolphins. The dolphins then have the potential for breeding antibiotic resistant super bugs that may pass back to humans. The transmission of disease from one species to another is called zoonosis and is of great concern to the CDC. AIDS is one example of zoonotic transmission.
I first went to Japan to stop the dolphin slaughter at Iki Island in 1979. In 1980 cameraman Howard Hall and I filmed a barbaric slaughter of scores of bottlenose dolphins. Airing of the footage around the globe caused massive worldwide protest.
In that case exposure of the brutal footage of dolphins being hacked and stabbed to death essentially brought an end to the dolphin hunt at Iki. But such publicity has not produced a similar result since.

Today I believe that sticking Japan's nose in it may be making it all but impossible for Tokyo to withdraw from whaling or dolphin hunting. A proud sovereign nation cannot allow small groups of environmentalists to be seen to make it kow-tow. If Japan stopped whaling and dolphin hunting now it would appear environmentalists had forced them to back down. But the knowledge that diseases such as brucellosis and papillomavirus are being found ever more frequently in dolphins may, ironically be what forces the end of eating dolphin meat. And if that isn't enough thirteen additional RNA-based viruses that cause intestinal disease and encephalitis in humans have also recently been discovered in dolphins

It baffles me that whaling and dolphin killing can persist in the 21st century. We know so much about these magnificent animals. Whale and dolphin watching generate over US$2.1 billion per year around the world, vastly more than whale and dolphin killing.

But human self-interest on the part of entrenched bureaucratic elites is a powerful force molding individual ethics and shaping short sighted policies. So in Japan and elsewhere whaling and dolphin hunting persist.

In the light of emerging threats to the marine ecosystem, dolphins and whales in particular, the deliberate killing of these curious, intelligent, sentient animals is tragic and will only hasten the extirpation of whole populations of these magnificent sentinels of the sea.
~Tony Zadel/ Copyright(©)

Simon's Cat hilarious "Cat Man Do" Cartoon Video

If you like cats, you're definitely going to enjoy "Simon's Cat" videos. I saw this one a couple of years ago and it still makes me laugh. Check out youtube for a huge range of these hilarious "Simon's Cat" cartoon clips.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

The horror that is the Live Animal Export Industry needs to STOP!

How can any country consider themselves civilized when we allow animals to be treated as such? At least if these animals are slaughtered in Australia (or any country where "meat" animals are bred), they will not suffer the long weeks in transport, and then to be killed using even more barbaric means than are employed in the animals' country of birth. These animals feel the same pain and fear as any cat or dog. Labelling them as "food animals" does not justify inhumane, vicious treatment. (Did you know that the RSPCA was originally founded to protect the lives and well-being of livestock, not cats and dogs?)

Let us not forget that we humans are "only animals"; we may be the dominant species on planet Earth but we are still just another variety of primate. We are a thread on the web of life, not the whole web; but we consider that everything and every living thing is to be used and abused for our own profit and benefit, and as a result, end up destroying the very fabric of the web that we depend upon for our own survival in order to satisfy our own greed and wish to control and dominate. In the words of Lenny Kravitz, "Let LOVE RULE"!

CCTV for ALL Slaughterhouses
Live Export Must Stop! The picture below shows cattle from Australia being unloaded in East Java, by having ropes hung around their necks. The live export trade is barbaric, no matter what country the animals are shipped from and to. Don't for one minute believe that animals in the UK and Europe are treated much better when exported abroad. Please make people aware of the truth and ask them to speak out. The only way to stop this is to keep putting pressure on the greedy, money-grabbing farmers and governments. Use your voice and never be silenced by the ignorant. More info and pictures on the link. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-07/anger-over-indonesian-pictures-of-cattle-mistreatment/4455902 Thanks to CCTV for All Abattoirs in Australia for sharing the link with us. https://www.facebook.com/CCTVforAllAbattoirsAustralia Photo: AFP Juni Kriswanto (m)