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The Trump administration has once again demonstrated a complete lack of empathy and understanding after removing Endangered Species Act protections from Gray Wolves in the lower 48 states. With the exception of a small percentage of Mexican Gray Wolves in New Mexico and Arizona, necessary protections have been stripped leaving gray wolves vulnerable to extinction.
It's incredibly negligent and irresponsible of the Trump administration to remove ESA protections from gray wolves when they are already in danger of going extinct. This administration has repeatedly made it clear that the existence and survival of animals is not a priority nor worth investing time or resources in. This administration has allowed elephant and lion trophies into the US despite claiming trophy hunting was despicable. This administration has neglected to act on giraffe endangerment despite overwhelming evidence that they face the possibility of extinction. This administration has given the go ahead for oil-drilling in the arctic which will have disastrous effects on the ecosystem and the species that inhabit it. It is now more evident than ever that this administration caters to hunters, factory farmers, and the oil industry at the expense of animals that are on track to go extinct.
At a time when gray wolves continue to face an uncertain future, removing their protections makes it abundantly clear that we cannot count on the Trump administration to do what's right for animals. Removing these protections will undo years of work by conservationists and will certainly push gray wolves towards extinction. When you take into consideration that there are only approximately 5, 500 gray wolves remaining in the entirety of the US, how long will it honestly take before they're extinct? Do we honestly think there will be gray wolves in the next 10 years if we've stripped away every ounce of protection they have? At a time when animals all across the world are facing unprecedented perils in the wild, it is our responsibility to aid in their survival. Instead, this administration is seemingly doing everything possible to help their extinction along. This administration needs to go before more animals end up in their path of destruction! HAPPY VEG
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Both Estonia and Poland have both in recent weeks taken steps to officially end their participation in fur farming, an industry that is dying and outdated. Both countries are in the process of working on laws that would ban fur farming within their respective countries sparing hundreds of thousands of minks and foxes very year.
The fur industry is dying, that is evident. We musn't relent in our advocacy because it's working. We're talking about one of the biggest producers of fur in the world moving forward with a ban on fur farming, we cannot deny the importance of such a bold step. Here's to the end of one of the most exploitative and abhorrently cruel industries on our planet!
HAPPY VEG Not even a week after announcing a lion hunt near Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, Jimba Safaris has officially announced that the hunt has been called off. Despite denying the hunt was ever "in writing", Jimba Safaris has officially called off the hunt and has since had their website curiously taken down. It is assumed that through world wide outrage over the hunt and calls to Jimba Safari organizers, they made the decision to cancel the hunt.
Regardless, what this story demonstrates is the power of advocacy and the power of coming together for a cause. It's apparent that world wide outrage and advocacy from around the globe pressured Jimba Safaris to abandon their scheduled lion hunt. It is proof that if we relentlessly fight for the rights of animals, we can succeed through our efforts. It is proof that if we continue to target the trophy hunting industry, we can work towards ending it once and for all. The trophy hunting industry is dying out and the more attention we bring to the plight of animals that face extinction, the harder it will be to continue to allow the slaughter of endangered animals through trophy hunting.
This is excellent news and we should all be proud of ourselves for calling attention to the hunt and voicing our discontent over this and future hunts. Our voices were heard and we've won this battle but there will always be more to fight for. We musn't relent in our mission to protect endangered animals and end the trophy hunting industry once and for all! HAPPY VEG Jimba Safaris is planning a scheduled lion hunt near the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, with a November date in mind quickly approaching. Despite outcries from activism groups like Cecil the Lion and Peace for Animals urging Jimba Safaris to abandon the hunt, it is unfortunately still scheduled to take place which could end the life of at least one lion with the potential for more.
Lions are listed as VULNERABLE and in some areas of Africa, critically endangered. This indicates that lions are on a very dangerous path towards extinction without necessary protections in place. Without even factoring in organized hunts such as the one occurring in November, lions face hurdles that include fragmentation, human conflict, habitat loss, illegal poaching, and trophy hunting. Knowing that lions face a plethora of challenges for survival in the wild, it's absolutely abhorrent that any Safari organizer would be willing to contribute to the decimation of the lion population. In fact, it's especially sickening that the organizer of this hunt is taking in tens of thousands of dollars from every participant simply for the opportunity to shoot and kill an animal that could very well go extinct in our lifetime.
Conservation is so vital to the survival of some of our planet's most incredible and recognized species. We need global participation when it comes to conservation otherwise we will be constantly undermining our own efforts as made evident by this story in particular. We have groups working towards protecting lions while there are other organizations that are participating in organized slaughter of the same animals conservation groups are trying to protect. Without cooperation across the board, lions will continue to plunge further towards extinction. The original story through the link at the top of this post offers some contact information for the safari organizers so we can all reach out and urge them to cancel this horrific lion hunt and put their money towards true conservation efforts. If they truly value conservation as they state, they won't be able to deny that their hunt is working against actual conservation and is putting lion's survival at risk. Please take 5 minutes to reach out and let them know that you strongly oppose the hunt of lions at a time when they face an uncertain future. HAPPY VEG A fairly well known hunter in Michigan was convicted of several poaching crimes after it was discovered that he poached several species including endangered gray wolves and bald eagles. As part of his plea deal, he was issued a $36, 240 fine, received a 90 day jail sentence, 18 - 24 month probation following incarceration, and a lifetime ban on hunting.
$27, 000 of the fines were retribution for animals poached but we're talking about endangered animals. Gray wolves are protected under the ESA which means that they are well known to be off-limits to hunters so this man being aware of those protections blatantly shot and killed 18 of these endangered gray wolves over an 18 month period. This means that over the course of 18 months, this man was aware that gray wolves were protected and disregarded those protections 18 times in order to satisfy his own urges to kill. In my opinion, this blatant disregard for conservation and the rules surrounding ESA protections for endangered species warrants a much stricter punishment than what he received.
We have to address conservation of endangered species head on and it starts with sending a clear and concise message that killing endangered animals is incredibly negligent, irresponsible, and an attack on the efforts of conservationists who work tirelessly to protect endangered animals. When we're talking about extinction, we're talking about no going back. This man contributed to the decline of the gray wolf population that is already facing countless perils in the wild. This man knowingly shot and killed animals that are facing the possibility of extinction and he receives a jail sentence that he will undoubtedly only serve a fraction of. Each count of slaughtering an endangered animal should come with a minimum jail sentence and fine that grows with every additional endangered animal killed. This man should be in jail for at minimum, 1 year and his fines should reflect the severity of the situation. The only part of his sentence that is appropriate is the lifetime ban on hunting but I am not 100% sure how that is monitored so I can't comment further on whether I believe it is strict enough. Much like a ban on owning animals after a cruelty conviction, I can see many opportunities to illegally obtain a pet so I find myself wondering if it's also possible to hunt under the radar. Look, I am definitely happy that this case garnered necessary attention to the plight of endangered wolves and I'm also happy that this hunter received an actual punishment outside of getting a slap on the wrist but I also feel like there was more jail time and fines that should have been applicable given the nature and severity of his case. What do you guys think? HAPPY VEG A new law was signed into action in Vermont effectively ending their participation in the trade of imperiled wildlife parts. The ban will come in to effect officially in January of 2022 which would make it illegal to trade / sell any wildlife parts from 15 of the world's most imperiled species which includes giraffes, elephants, cheetahs, jaguars, lions, pangolins, and sea turtles among others.
What we need to see across the board immediately is a ban on trophy hunting. Enough of the arguments from trophy hunters that their money is funneled into local communities and conservation efforts. This has been disproven countless times and the argument that slaughtering endangered animals works towards their conservation is hypocritical and frankly, asinine. If we continue to allow wealthy people to kill innocent, endangered animals, we are contributing to their extinction, it's as simple as that. There is no sane argument in defense of trophy hunting which is why I've said countless times that we need a global ban on any kind of trophy hunting whatsoever. If we somehow can't manage this, than at the very least there should be a ban on trophy hunting of any species that is listed as "endangered", "vulnerable", or "at risk".
We have to commit as a global community to the conservation of animals. There shouldn't be two sides to this situation, animals are rapidly dying and we are contributing to their possible extinction. Knowing this, let's come together with real solutions to the extinction crisis. Ban the import of animal trophies from endangered animals across the board. Ban trophy hunting of animals that are classified as endangered. Devalue ivory, pangolin scales, and parts from any animal that is endangered. These are common sense things that as a global community, we should already be doing. If we do not step up our game, we will see the extinction of some of the most recognized and beloved species on our planet and it will be entirely due to our lackluster approach and inaction. Thank you Vermont for taking a stand for animals. Let's continue the momentum and work towards global bans! HAPPY VEG Conservation groups issued an intent to sue after the USFWS failed to issue Endangered Species Act protections to Africa's decimated giraffe population. There are currently fewer than 70, 000 giraffe's remaining in the wild and without the funds and necessary attention ESA protections would grant, giraffe's will continue to plunge further and further towards extinction.
It is absolutely mind boggling that conservation groups have to repeatedly sue the government in order for them to act appropriately. Why are we having to sue our government to recognize that giraffes are in serious need of protection? Isn't it evident based on the statistics that giraffes are in trouble? Isn't the fact that there are fewer than 70, 000 giraffes remaining in the wild enough of a reason to issue these protections? While the USFWS takes its time deciding whether to issue ESA protections to giraffes, their perils don't disappear. They continue to suffer in silence as the government lacks any initiative in protecting them and in these situations, time is of the essence. We do not have time to waste because as I've said many times before, extinction is permanent.
This isn't a tough decision. First off, issue the ESA protections immediately which will allocate resources and funding to giraffe conservation. Ban trophy hunting participation of giraffes and other endangered animals. Stop the import of hunting trophies from animals like giraffes that face extinction. Work with African authorities to address the perils giraffes face. These are things that must immediately take place for the sake of giraffe survival. We need action and we need it promptly or we will see the extinction of giraffes. Two species of giraffe are currently listed as "endangered" while another two are "critically endangered" as of 2018. Two years later and we've done nothing. The USFWS needs to step up and do its job before giraffes disappear and if they do, it will be entirely our fault as a civilization. HAPPY VEG 62 bears have been slaughtered on the first day of New Jersey's bear hunting season despite calls to end the barbaric hunt once and for all. Activists have been collecting signatures and posting information in hopes of ending the hunt while the governor announced changes to the hunt that have yet to come to fruition. Unfortunately, it seems that the hunt will continue through Saturday for muzzleloaders and bowhunters spelling disaster for black bears in the area.
When prey animals become abundant, it has disastrous results for an ecosystem that is designed to work for all animals in unison. Deer would be the perfect example of an animal that will suffer at the hands of bear hunts. Deer will start to become abundant, eating and destroying more of the plant life in their ecosystem which will prompt culls leading to increased deer slaughter. You can see how this cycle will never stop unless we commit to ending our participation in events that slaughter hundreds of predatory animals. Whether we're talking about bears, coyotes, bobcats, badgers or foxes, every animal on this planet is crucial to some other animals survival. Humans are the ultimate destroyers of our planet and contests like these are the perfect example. What animal on our planet is truly safe from our desire to kill?
While some may argue that there are an abundance of these animals, how long until there isn't? There were plenty of elephants at one point, plenty of cheetahs, whales, sharks etc., and what happened? Humans decimated these animals until they required international protection. How long until we've pushed black bears or coyotes to near extinction? We didn't think we'd ever push lions or polar bears to near extinction until we did. If these horrific contests continue and we factor in other perils endangered animals typically face like fragmentation, human development and habitat loss, and human conflicts, we will see these once abundant in the wild animals suddenly end up on the endangered species act. We need to ban sport hunting. We need to ban trophy hunting. No amount of money will bring these animals back from extinction. Humans need to get back to things like reading, spending time with friends and family, learning new hobbies etc, and less fucking time running around with guns slaughtering everything in their path. HAPPY VEG Animal and conservation advocates were left stunned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Services refusal to list wolverines as "threatened" or "endangered". Without Endangered Species Act protections, wolverines will be left to fend for themselves without a plan to rehabilitate them and will plunge further towards extinction. There are approximately 300 wolverines left in the wild throughout the southern United States.
Advocacy groups plan to sue the USFWS in order to force them in to action. It's incredibly disturbing that it requires lawsuits to convince an organization tasked with protecting animals to take action. The job of the USFWS is to manage wildlife populations and address issues that endangered animals face. Their job calls on them to protect vulnerable species and they are admittedly turning their backs on a species that faces the possibility of extinction. This is a complete disregard for their responsibilities and the livelihood of wolverines who are headed towards extinction.
Unfortunately, I believe that because climate change is listed as a threat to wolverines, the current Trump administration is hesitant to address conservation because it would then have to admit that climate change is not only real, but is affecting species across the United States. This administration has repeatedly turned their backs on science and repeatedly turned their backs on the perils that animals face. The Trump administration has reversed protections for animals, moved ahead with arctic oil drilling despite the catastrophic fallout potential, and pulled out of climate related responsibilities, all of which indicate that protecting animals and our environment is not a priority. Hopefully this lawsuit forces the USFWS to take action before it's too late. We shouldn't have to sue our government to protect vulnerable species, it's their responsibility to do so and they are neglecting it. Stop playing games with the survival of a species and do the responsible thing. Protect wolverines! HAPPY VEG Earlier in the week I shared a story with you guys about France and some animal welfare improvements they would be voting on throughout the country. These improvements included ending mink fur-farming, wild animals in circus', and using dogs to hunt smaller animals like foxes and badgers. It has now come to light how the France government voted and while it isn't a sweeping victory, some very necessary changes were made to improve the lives of animals.
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Stay educated and remain involved in animal welfare. Together, we can all make a difference!
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