​worldanimalnews.com/breaking-22500-reward-offered-in-case-of-the-february-15th-death-of-a-collared-female-wolf-marks-10th-illegal-wolf-killing-in-northeast-oregon-within-one-year/

A collared, black female wolf was found dead in Northeast Oregon, making her the 10th wolf illegally slaughtered in the state in the past year. She joins another collared wolf that was found shot and a pack of 8 wolves that were discovered to have been poisoned intentionally in 2021. The onslaught of wolves is horrifying and is pushing the species further towards inevitable extinction if we do not shift our attitude towards wolves and extend them the much needed protections of the Endangered Species Act.

In the case of the female wolf who was illegally shot in Oregon, a whopping $22, 500 US dollars is being offered for information that leads to an arrest. This money was generated by conservation and animal welfare groups to hold someone accountable for the illegal slaughter. There must be justice in these incidents in order to send a clear message that illegal hunting of wolves is a crime and is intolerable. We must also really focus our attention on educating these areas that are prone to wolf hunts / poaching on the importance of wolves in an ecosystem. Disaster strikes habitats when we decimate the predatory animals; we set off a chain of events that causes so much human manipulation of the animal kingdom. 

I will update this story as it unfolds. Justice must be served!

​www.worldanimalprotection.ca/news/south-korea-announces-end-bear-bile-farming

South Korea has announced an end to bear bile farming stating that the practice will be entirely phased out by 2026. As part of the commitment, the remaining bears will be properly cared for after the end of  bile extraction in the country. This news comes after years of campaigning and activism targeting the bear bile industry and exposing it as needless cruelty for alternative medicines without scientific backing. 

Sanctuaries are already being constructed around the country to accommodate bears after the end of bile farming in 2026 but activists are urging for more development to house ALL remaining bears. It is reported that there are roughly 360 bears on bile farms within South Korea and a whopping 24, 000 on farms throughout Asia. The construction of sanctuaries intends to house all remaining bears after the ban comes in to effect. We must also hope that this triggers other Asian nations to recognize the needlessness of bear bile farming and join South Korea in ending this cruel practice.

Congratulations to everyone involved in the campaigning as well as to the South Korean Government and Bear farmers for their cooperation in ending bear bile farming in the country. Learn more through the link at the top of this post!

​worldanimalnews.com/help-urge-congress-to-pass-the-safe-act-which-would-ban-horse-slaughter-in-the-u-s-save-the-lives-of-an-estimated-23000-american-horses-exported-for-their-meat/

A whopping 83% of American's surveyed were opposed to the slaughter of horses for meat; let's start there. Secondly, US Congress shuttered all horse slaughter plants within the United States by 2007. Considering these facts, the United States exported 23, 000 horses for slaughter to Canada & Mexico, hypocritically sending them to slaughter despite the US not allowing for horse slaughter on their own soil. This mixed messaging must be addressed and it can be done so through passing the SAFE ACT.

The hypocrisy surrounding some of these bans is laughable, but it needs to change. Another example would be the UK banning the production of fur but still importing and selling it. Just because you've spoken out about the horrors of said industry doesn't negate your continued complicity in their suffering. In this case, the United States closed horse slaughterhouses by 2007 at which point the export of horses for slaughter should have been banned as well. You see what I'm saying? What kind of a message are we sending about animal welfare when all we're doing is sending them other places to be killed and turning a blind eye to the situation? I would argue that it was profit based by I don't suspect the profit made from exporting 23, 000 horses really made a dent in the economy. 

What I find especially angering is Canada's involvement in the slaughter of horses. I can pretty much guarantee that had we been polled about our thoughts on eating horses, we would yield similar statistics to the poll conducted in the United States. We wouldn't want anything to do with eating horses and yet our country happily brings them in, slaughters them, and ships them to countries that consume horse meat. It's ridiculous that a paltry amount of profits can trump an entire country's views on horse consumption.

The SAFE ACT must pass congress in order for the US to sit in line with their views on horse consumption. Without passing the SAFE ACT, the United States is guilty of being complicit in the slaughter of horses despite not allowing it on US soil. The hypocrisy must end when it comes to Animal Welfare. 

Learn more through the link at the top of this post.

​www.npr.org/2022/02/10/1079965463/protections-for-gray-wolves-restored-across-much-of-the-u-s

A judge restored gray wolf protections across much of the United States this past Thursday after being delisted just over a year ago. This monumental verdict comes at a crucial time for gray wolves as they plunge towards endangerment once again. Gray wolves were protected under the Endangered Species Act for over 40 years, so to see them back on the list after only being off for a year is incredibly disheartening but necessary. Without these protections, gray wolves would undoubtedly go extinct.

Wolves are crucial to their ecosystems, maintaining the balance of predator and prey. Wolves help to keep deer population in check along with other small animals / rodents. When we start taking predators out of the equation, prey animals can rapidly become abundant which puts incredible strain on these habitats. Unfortunately, the cycle of human manipulation continues as we permit ourselves to then hunt prey animals as a form of habitat maintenance. Our manipulation of ecosystems is directly linked to habitat decimation, climate change, and the extinction of native animals. We are literally destroying everything around us and then destroying further to fix previous destruction. 

Wolves are a cautionary tale to us all about how easily susceptible the animal kingdom is to our interference & frankly, our ignorance. Just as quickly as they were delisted, they are back under federal protection. If we do not change our actions and our views towards animals; particularly predatory ones, years of conservation efforts will be in vain. Everything around us is going extinct and the only ones who can do anything about it are directly responsible. 

I'm incredibly grateful for the #RelistWolves / #RelistWolvesNow hashtag that's been trending on twitter now for a couple months and the tireless efforts of activists and conservationists who've sounded the alarm on gray wolves. Without that continued action, I don't believe wolves would have a fighting chance. My only hope is that by the time gray wolves are once again stable, we too have learned the error of our ways and have found a way to coexist.

​www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/11/australia-designates-koalas-as-endangered-species

Koala bears will finally see endangered species protection after years of steady decline in the marsupial's population. Koalas were listed as vulnerable only 10 years prior, indicating a steep decline in their population and a serious need for conservation efforts. Since 2001, koala populations have dropped nearly 50% in Queensland and 62% in New South Wales. Without serious efforts to protect them, it is predicted that one of Australia's most recognized & beloved species will be extinct by 2050.

Endangered species protections offer a significant increase in resources to tackle perils linked to the decline in koala populations. This funding will go towards better protecting their habitat and identifying whether new developments will have a direct impact on their survival. The funds and resources will also look at ways to help rehabilitate the species back to pre-vulnerable levels. Without this necessary funding, koalas would never have a fighting chance at survival which is why it's crucial to list them. It's also a saddening realization that Australia has failed the marsupial because issuing these protections typically means that the worst case scenario is headed their way. 

Australia will need to tackle climate change; a topic that has Australians divided regarding its importance. The bushfires of 2019 / 2020 are a direct result of climate change and proof that drastic measures must be taken to prevent the inevitable extinction of koalas and the decimation of eucalyptus forests that the koalas rely on for survival. These fires are getting bigger, spreading faster, and doing more damage, and they're not going to stop unless the serious issue of climate change is addressed. Koalas won't be the only species to go extinct in the country if these issues are not rapidly addressed and a carbon reduction plan is not put in place. These are the facts.

Here's to hoping that these endangered species act protections weren't issued too late and that the koala has a fighting chance at survival.

​www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-attacked-tiger-putting-arm-enclosure-florida-zoo-wont-charged-rcna15005

A few weeks back, I reported on a story from a Florida zoo where a man was attacked by a tiger after sticking his arm in the tiger's enclosure. His actions resulted in an officer having to euthanize the tiger after attempts to distract / startle it failed, leaving the officer no choice but to kill the tiger to save the man's life. The story garnered significant attention and calls for the man to be charged in the death of the tiger. Unfortunately, it appears that the man will NOT be charged despite the wishes of the officer and support from activists.

Unfortunately, the man escaped charges after it was determined that there were no existing criminal laws that pertained to this situation. What does that mean? Essentially, there was no law that was applicable to being broken in this case despite all of the blatantly negligent actions of the cleaner and the resulting death of the endangered tiger. 

“I am frustrated and even angered that there is no existing criminal law that applies in this tragic situation that resulted in the untimely death of a rare and endangered tiger,” he said in a statement.
--Sheriff Kevin Rambosk

This story is incredibly frustrating and indicates a need for change within the criminal law system. How can there be absolutely no law applicable to illegally entering an enclosure, endangering the life of an endangered species, and being directly responsible for its death? What's stopping the next arsehole from antagonizing a lion or a tiger, getting attacked, and getting an animal killed? This story further proves that zoos are simply not safe for animals because if they were, this incident would never have occurred. How are we able to jump in to enclosures with gorillas or access lion or tiger enclosures despite not having authority to do so? It's clear that the zoo also holds some responsibility in the death of this tiger.

It's incredibly frustrating that this tiger's life essentially meant nothing in the eye's of the law. An innocent animal that has already been forced to live in captivity for human entertainment was ultimately shot and killed because of humans. At the very least, I'm sure the man learned a valuable lesson about big cats and won't make a mistake like that again, but that's not justice in my opinion.

​worldanimalnews.com/breaking-italian-fashion-brand-moncler-makes-compassion-the-fashion-goes-fur-free/

​worldanimalnews.com/victory-dolce-gabbana-is-the-second-luxury-fashion-house-to-commit-to-going-fur-free-this-week/

The end of fur farming is getting closer and closer with every story like this. We've got two pretty major brands making announcements this week that they were going to phase out / ban fur from future lines. Italian Fashion House Moncler, and Dolce & Gabbana, have both made announcements indicating that fur will be phased out permanently from future lines sending further shockwaves through an already dying industry. The message is clear; the future is fur free!

Next up, Dolce & Gabbana have also announced that they will be banning fur from future lines making them the second major brand to make an announcement on fur this week. They will join other major brands like Alexander McQueen, Nordstrom, H&M, and Balenciaga in taking the pledge to end fur in their designs. This includes not only fur products, but angora as well, a major set back for the fur industry. 

These stories show us that our advocating is working. They demonstrate the power of collective pressure because at the end of the day, these brands are absolutely nothing without the consumer. As we continue to evolve and desire products that are free from suffering and are more sustainable for our planet, these brands have to take that in to consideration when creating their future lines. It would be incredibly naïve and irresponsible to continue to put out products that consumers are angry or concerned about which means that evolution to cruelty-free products is necessary to stay relevant. 

The future is fur-free and we're well on our way to seeing the end of this barbaric and blatantly cruel industry.