5 Daily Smilies (3)

Hey hey. Okay before I begin my blog I was given a quiz thing to do for a fundraiser. It has clues which correspond to a type of bird. It's to raise money for a church so I don't think the bird species should be too difficult or tricky. I have one left that I'm stuck with and the clue is 'Flags'. That's it. Some of the others that I have filled in are: Baked in a pie - Blackbird and Royal Angler - Kingfisher. Hope that gives you an idea! Please help. I know that it's cheating, but if I win the prize I'm going to give half of it to an animal charity! Haha. :p

Okay so Smilie time....

Smilie 1 - After watching some brutal footage of CCTV recorded in slaughterhouses across the UK I am now more determined than ever to try go vegan. I am reading a lot about it cause I know I can't just change overnight.

Smilie 2 - Also for the reasons in Smilie 1 I am switching to soy milk. I think it's absolutely disgusting that the public are not made more awareabout what can go on behind closed doors in dairy farms. Until I find out for definite where my milk comes from I do not want any part in the sick cycle of milk production. I will be writing a blog on this topic soon.

Smilie 3 - Please please take the time to sign the petition to ban tiger trade in China. To see such a beautiful, endangered animal exploited in such a way gets me so angry I actually feel my heart pounding. On the 13th of March TigerTime will be presenting the petition to the Chinese Embassy in London. They need 100,000 signatures and so far they need another 38,000. Please sign, retweet, Facebook, ambush people on the streets.....anything to help them make their target. Click here

 

Smilie 4 - Have read at this article here and let me know what you think. I really do think seals need our protection. I also think it's outrageous that they can put 'dolphin friendly' on tins of tuna and salmon creating this image of an environmentally friendly company and yet through the fishing process they kill other mammals. And please remember that just because tins of fish say they are 'dolphin friendly' that doesn't mean that turtles, sharks, skates and other marine life escaped the nets unharmed. 

Smilie 5 - Re-use bottles of water. Constantly. Save money and save resources. Win win. I try and drink 2 litres a day. :)

Heatherbelle

5 Daily Smilies (2)

Happy Valentine's Day! :) Hope everyone is feeling the love. <3 <3

Smilie 1 - http://thelast130.org/ A petition to stop the construction of another oil platform and help save the last 130 western grey whales. All you need to do is type your name and email address. Spare the 30 seconds, please! :)

Smilie 2 - Added a twibbon (the one above) to my twitter account. Follow @greener2gethr to get your own. :)

Smilie 3 - Recycled the glass bottles and plastic bags in my flat at Sainsburys. Remember to re-use plastic bags as much as possible. :)

Smilie 4 - When I bought kitchen roll and toilet roll I made sure the symbol FSC was on the packaging. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests. Hope all your Valentine Day cards had the symbol on them too! :)

Smilie 5 - Being a vegetarian and a rubbish cook I always find it difficult to eat nice, healthy meals. Making quorn chicken tonight with a sweet chilli sauce and vegetables. Doesn't sound too difficult and no animals were harmed in the making of this meal. Report back tomorrow. :)

Over and out.

Heatherbelle

5 Daily Smilies

5 Daily Smilies. What's this? Well, since I can't blog half as much as I'd like, I thought about posting daily mini-blogs about what I do for conservation every day. Whether it's signing a petition, reading an article, talking to other people - anything. But my own personal challenge is I have to do 5 things before I call it a night. I'm hoping if I write these 5 things down, people who read my blog would get involved in said things or be inspired to make their own contribution. Who knows? So today, what have I done?

Smilie 1 - Okay, so this will only work for people in Scotland I'm afraid. I went to http://www.greenerscotland.org/ and filled in the questionnaire to see how I could use less energy and recycle more. It's great if you're not too sure what you can recycle and what you can't and how to insulate your house most efficiently. Give it a try. :)

Smilie 2 - I started following @petregister on Twitter (follow me if you want -C_vulgaris! :p). What better way to utilise social network sites than to retweet about missing pets? Spread the word and let's get these lost little souls back home! Also visit http://www.nationalpetregister.org/ to find out more about how the organisation works.

Smilie 3 - I wrote a follow up email to the one I sent to Ho Wong restaurant in Glasgow, making them aware about the horrendous practice of obtaining shark fins for shark fin soup. Fingers crossed I hear back. I'll keep you informed1!

Smilie 4 - Take ten minutes to read this post http://vegansociety.jp/the-dolphin-slaughterers-defence-a-vegan-point-of-view/ The killing of dolphins and small cetaceans must STOP. I was sitting at my desk today and I was overwhelmed with this helpless feeling. These animals are dying in the most barbaric way and all I could do was sit there. I was reading some articles on the internet today and one article really got to me. It was a brief interview with a Japanese fisherman who had spent many years rounding up pods of dolphins and slaughtering them. Recently, after realising how intelligent these animals are, he decided to try to stop the annual dolphin slaughter at Taiji. He said that many dolphins cleverly worked out how to escape the nets, but would refuse to leave their pod behind and ended up being killed too. He said dolphins would cry and scream when their throats were slit. I know it's brutal and not something people want to watch or read, but the truth is this is happening and we must come together to save the beautiful dolphins in Japan. Please do all you can. They need our help.

Smilie 5 - Why not sign this petition to stop the construction of the Keystone Pipeline System? Does the environment always come second best to money and power? Sign here and share the link! :)


So, how were the Smilies today? Let me know what you think or if you have any other ideas, please feel free to email or comment! Thanks for reading!

Heatherbelle

Wild about Wild Dogs

I wanted to start this blog off with a quick update of my previous post regarding shark finning. I have sent an email to Ho Wong restaurant and am awaiting a reply which I hope to receive in the next few days. My email made aware the cruel practice of shark finning and the dangers of overfishing to shark populations. I made reference to the video 'Sharks Don't Cry' and said I would be happy to provide any more information about shark finning. I did everything I could do in an email so fingers crossed things work out. If not, I'll write to my local paper or organise some sort of peaceful protest to raise awareness for shark finning. It really needs to stop before it's too late to reverse our horrendous mistakes.

Lately though, I've really been feeling down due to the amount of tweets, emails, Facebook updates or news coverage there is on animals being slaughtered for money and greed. Don't get me wrong I am glad I can so easily access information so I can be a part of protesting against such cruelty, but sometimes it really gets to me and I have to take a step back and remember that life isn't always so malicious and cold. Following on from this, I thought about writing a blog on one of my favourite animals - African wild dogs.

Lycaon pictus - the African wild dog is a medium-sized pack hunting mammal weighing between 20kg - 30kg. They have large round ears with excellent hearing and eyesight and a tricoloured coat that is uniquely patterned to each individual, although recognisably similar in close relatives.

They can be found in the Savanna and lightly wooded parkland in sub-Saharan Africa. Once roamed across the African continent in every habitat except true rainforest, the wild dog has been exterminated from 32 countries and fewer than 5000 remain. These animals are carnivores specialising in pack hunting. This co-operative behaviour allows large prey to be brought down and killed. The wild dog will prey on Thomson's gazelle, impala, reedbuck, kob, lechwe, springbok, warthogs and hare, although zebra and wildebeest may be taken down if the pack work together. In February when the births peak in wildebeest, the wild dogs' diet may be exclusively wildebeest calves. The pack will eat quickly after a kill to avoid conflict with hyenas and other large predators.

The pack is usually made up of 20 dogs or more with typically one breeding pair and non-breeding adults that assist in provisioning lactating mother and pups. The pups are usually dependent for 12-14 months and unlike many other mammal groups the related males remain in the natal pack while the females emigrate, usually between 2 and 3 years of age. Separate rank hierarchies exist among the pack, headed by the breeding pair, but there is very little aggression among members. Instead, submissive behaviour has been emphasised in wild dog social relations. Such behaviour can be seen through begging, which is used to persuade other members of the pack to give up their share of the kill. Through this behaviour young wild dogs succeed in displacing adults from kills until they are fully a year old, whereupon they lose their privileged status and are absorbed into the rank hierarchy. However, decrepit or disabled individuals unable to keep up with the pack can use this technique to recover food, either first or second hand.

I remember when I was doing my dissertation on common marmosets and Goeldi's monkey I had the opportunity to observe two newborn marmosets grow up. When they were old enough to move around by themselves and not be carried on their parents' backs they would beg constantly for food. I remember laughing all the time as mum and dad would give up their food almost immediately, but their big sisters and brothers were so reluctant, especially when the two got older. You could almost see the other siblings' looks of injustice when they would hand over their grape or mealworm much to the high-pitched delight of the youngest marmosets. I got to know them quite well and I could recognise one little smart cookie who would grab his food and run outside, hoping to be out of sight from his youngest siblings and so keep the treat for himself the majority of the time. Cute. Who can resist their adorable little baby faces?

African wild dogs are really incredible animals, so intelligent and sociable, but unfortunately, like many other animals, they need our help. Why not adopt one through WWF here? Or read about how to get involved with conservation efforts by Wildlife Conservation Network here?

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate every retweet and comment very much. You can follow this blog through the option to the right or leave a comment about what you think at the end. Thanks.

Since we all love baby animals - African wild dog PUPPIES! Haha. Enjoy. :)

Heatherbelle

Shark Finning

A brutalised body falls to the depths of the ocean where it awaits an agonising death that may take days in the form of starvation, drowning or even eaten alive. A creature known for its power and its aptitude for survival slips into the darkness a pathetic, handicapped wreck, once driven by instinct and confidence, now only knows pain and suffering. This is the fate of tens of millions of sharks slaughtered for their fins for an Asian 'delicacy' known as shark fin soup. The practice of shark finning is typically performed by first hooking the shark through the jaw or eye, dragging them on land or boat, slicing the pectoral and dorsal fins and tail while the shark is alive and then tossing the poor animal back into the ocean where it can only drift down to the seafloor and hope for a quick end.

Pause for a second. Now I know humans find it hard to sympathise with these supposed bloodthirsty, ferocious predators due to prejudice, horror stories of attacks on surfers and Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws' which depicts a murderous, evil fish hell-bent on eating everything and anything. Now rewind. These animals evolved 400 million years ago, a good 200 million years before the first forms of mammal arrived on the planet. They have evolved so well as apex predators and over time have well and truly established themselves as a main brick in the ecological house that is the ocean. Remove this keystone foundation and the whole ecosystem will fall. They feed on sick and dying fish maintaining healthy populations and in turn improve water quality. They do not attack humans intentionally and out of some violent rage, many encounters of sharks and humans are due to the former confusing swimmers with seals. Across the globe there are on average 12 attacks by sharks on humans a year, but you can guarantee all these incidences will be reported on and made into some horror story by the media, feeding the publics' distaste for this animal.

Ironically, it should be reported how many humans kill sharks - 3 sharks die a second at the hands of Homo sapiens - now that is a true horror story. 55% of all shark species are at serious risk of becoming extinct in the near future. As I mentioned before they are crucial to the way of life in marine ecosystems. Along the US east coast where large sharks such as the tiger shark and black tip shark have been virtually eliminated, surveys show that shellfish populations have dramatically declined and the overall quality of the water is exceptionally poor.

Fishermen have also acknowledged that sharks are getting smaller. This is due to excessive overhunting not allowing for sharks to mature. Decimated shark populations do not recover over night - many species do not sexually mature until 6 or 7 years of age and females typically give birth to only one or two pups annually. If some species are driven to near extinction before we stop this cruel practice, they may not be able to ever recover. And with some populations decreased by 90% this devastating fact may be true of some well known and much respected shark species. We must act NOW.

I watched a video about shark finning entitled, 'Sharks Don't Cry'. Well, I cried plenty for them. It's horrific. It's unnecessary evil. These animals must endure so much pain and so much anguish all for a bowl of tasteless soup that is usually made with chicken or vegetable stock to add a flavour. The fins are used only for texture.

Is it hypocritical to protest for a ban on shark finning when we slaughter so many animals such as cows, chicken and sheep? Even though I do not agree with the way farm animals are transported to slaughterhouses and methods used to kill them, they are far more humane than being finned alive and tossed back into the sea. Could you imagine the outcry if lambs and cows had their limbs cut off and left to bleed out in fields? This is exactly what is happening to sharks!! Sharks are not farmed animals, they are not bred for consumption - we are relying on natural populations to fuel the desire for shark fin soup. Also, with many species of shark endangered a ban needs to proceed to protect their survival for future generations. They banned the import and export of ivory to protect elephants and rhinoceros - we need this protection for sharks. I'm not naive - I know ivory is till sold through black markets, but even if fish fins continued to sell this way after a ban was put in place, there would still be a lot less sharks slaughtered than without it.

Many argue shark fin soup is part of Chinese culture. I'm sorry, but I just don't believe in those arguments. If tradition is so important why have others been banned such as foot binding? Surely if that argument had to stand, every tradition would still be upheld? And as a tradition, only the very wealthy consumed bowls of shark fin soup. Comparatively, a few million people could afford to eat the soup in the 1980s, but as China becomes richer, up to 300 million people now choose to eat it on a regular basis. Additionally, many who argure that it is a national tradition do not care about the conservation status of sharks - surely if it was such an important part of Chinese culture the protection of shark populations would be impertinent in order to sustain shark fin soup for generations to come?

Another weak argument for the justification of shark fin soup is that it is good for you. That must be why doctors strongly advise pregnant woman and children not to consume the soup due to the high contents of mercury found in sharks and other marine life. Also the fins are treated with hydrogen peroxide in order to produce a more appealing colour before added to the 'delicacy'. Mmm, sounds yummy!!

Much to my dismay, I discovered that a Chinese restaurant near where I live sells shark fin soup - Ho Wong restaurant found at 82 York Street, Glasgow. I know that many people are not aware of the practice of shark finning and my plan is to email the restaurant with some information about this and to ask if they would consider removing this dish from their menu. One voice may not be loud enough to portray the importance of this message and I would be so appreciative if others could do the same. Maybe together we can stop Glasgow from participating in the cruel slaughter of sharks. Please send a polite email on your opinions of shark fin soup to info@howong.co.uk

This is the video I mentioned previously Sharks Don't Cry. Please, please let's work together and stop shark finning.

Heatherbelle

Badgers, Rhinos and Killer Whales - oh my!

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last blog! There has been so many things to write about, so many things I have been angry over or inspired by! Perhaps a topic which has evoked such emotions is one which I read about in my trusty copy of Wildlife magazine. It wasn't until recently, whilst flicking through the latest issue of BBC Wildlife magazine, that I came across an article so disturbing in content, I doubted the reality of it. Then, reluctantly considering other disguting wildlife crimes that have been reported, I depressingly conceded that there must be some truth to the story. The article was about raising awareness of badger baiting or 'lamping'. This horrific act involves some seriously disturbed individuals releasing dogs on wild badgers. The breeds of dogs often involved in trapping badgers are terriers and dachshunds, but modern day offenders are also turning to bull lurchers, a cross between the lurcher and the illegal pit bull. The dogs are used to bait the badger and with an explosion of teeth, power and claws the animals are pitted against one another. This blood sport usually results in the badgers death - a horrific and painful death where the animal is ragged by typically two dogs, built for both speed and ferocity, and working in unison. However, fully grown badgers are powerful mammals and can weigh up to 35 pounds and so many dogs involved in badger baiting often have serious scarring around their faces and necks, injuries grave enough where many have to be euthanised or serious medical treatment needs to be administered. Many dog owners however will not risk exposure and take them to  veterinary clinics - many try to treat their dogs themselves to avoid suspicious vets.

The way these dogs are trained to attack badgers is an act which is as sick as badger baiting itself. Some people (and I use that term loosely) use badger cubs. These brutes stand on defenseless young cubs, effectively immobilising them, and let their dogs tear them to pieces. Is it just me or are these primitive, inferior excrements a danger to society? Is it too far to say they should be sent to a mental institution? If they can do this to animals how much of a stretch is it that they can harm other human beings? My brain just cannot process what enjoyment it is they feel seeing the pain, suffering and fear of an animal doomed to die in such a barbaric way.

Fortunately, badger crimes are being brought to light and those involved are being dealt with accordingly through the efforts of a unique partnership called Operation Meles and the police. Operation Meles (named after the Eurasian Badger binomial name - Meles meles) involves wildlife crime officers, local badger groups and national organisations i.e. RSPCA.

With badger baiting becoming common in places such as Glasgow (near where I live) I thought it best to write about what the public can look out for and what they can do to help save one of Britains most iconic wildlife species. People who dig badgers can be violent and often have criminal connections, so first and foremost do NOT approach people you suspect of badger baiting. Do, however, get descriptions of the people and dogs you see and write down vehicle registration numbers. Groups of men, with shovels and dogs, walking through areas of woodland are people who could be involved in this blood sport and badger setts which have been obviously disturbed should be reported, along with any dead badgers found which have injuries obtained by dogs. To damage or destroy sett entrances or tunnels is illegal without a licence. Report any suspicious activity to your local police station or the RSPCA (0300 1234 999) or SSPCA (03000 999 999). Please follow @ScottishSPCA or go here to find out more about badger baiting.

Lets work together to stop badger baiting and get justice for our British wildlife.

 

With the Javan rhino now recently announced extinct in Vietnam and with only 50 individuals left in the wild I thought I could maybe post a little paragraph on the rhinoceros, more specifically the Black rhino. There are less than 5,400 of these animals left and yet still many are threatened by poachers due to their impressive ivory horns. Deforestation also plays an important role in the rhinoceros depleting populations and charities such as WWF are desperately urging the public to get involved. You can adopt one of these beautiful animals here or why not watch this two minute conservation video about them: Black Rhino Video

Before I end this blog, I would greatly appreciate if you could take a minute of your time to sign this petition. It's a petition to save the killer whale, Morgan. 5 year old orca, Morgan, is ready to return to the wild. Marine biologists have matched her calls to her family pod and have a sophisticated rehabilitation and release plan in place for the female orca, who was found immaciated and ill off the coast of Holland in 2010. But Morgan is being held captive in an amusement park in Tenerife. In captivity, orcas have significantly reduced survival rates, and increased stress levels can cause serious illness and even death. The Free Morgan Foundation says there is a serious risk to the health and welfare of Morgan if she is kept in the park. If you want to help save Morgan the orca, join the campaign and demand that Loro Parque release her. 

Thanks. :)

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke 

Fukushima 20km Zone

@CountrySmileNL very kindly added captions and edited the images I used on my blog about the mistreatment of animals used in circuses. I thought I would share them on here as they are so much more effective than those in my previous post.

Thank you very much! :)

On the subject of powerful images, why not get involved with the campaign to save the animals in the Fukushima 20km Zone. In March this year Japan was struck by a 9-magnitude earthquake and a devastating tsunami. Together these disasters resulted in a nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in the north east coast of the country. Tens of thousands of people and animals lost their lives and many more people were forced to evacuate their homes. The majority of those that evacuated left their pets and farm animals, believing they would return in a couple of days. This was not the case.

On the 22nd of April, the government enforced a strict 20 km exclusion zone around the nuclear plant, putting an end to the ongoing rescue efforts and condemning pets and farm animals to starvation. Before the tsunami, it is estimated that over 10,000 cats and dogs, over 675,000 farm animals as well as horses, ostriches and other “exotic” animals lived in the area.

As a result of this decision to abandon the animals in the 20km zone, small groups of Japanese and foreign volunteers have, since the start of May, been entering the exclusion zone to rescue and feed the abandoned animals - putting themselves at risk from radiation poisoning and from being arrested by patrolling police officers. These courageous people work endlessly to rescue animals and try to reunite some with their families or have some adopted by new owners. If they cannot get the animals out of the zone at that time they leave food and water until an evacuation is allowed and suitable shelters found to house them.  Each rescued animal is checked and treated by a vet and frustratingly decontamination is not usually required - these animals are not a threat if they are removed from the 20km zone. Unfortunately, despite their tireless efforts and dedication, hundreds of animals have already starved to death or succumbed to injuries and neglect.

The Japanese government are still refusing to rescue the trapped animals, despite thousands of local and international petitions and emails expressing outrage and disbelief. In order to raise awareness and put pressure on the Japanese government, the Hachiko Coalition is asking all of us, citizens of the world, to take a photo of our pets and add a message asking that the Fukushima animals be saved. Citizens of Japan, France and the US have enthusiastically sent their photos and they are now being joined by countries such as Brazil, Belarus, Australia, Italy, the UK and others. Every day, Nancy Gothard, of Hachiko Coalition, sends the photos by email, courier, fax and Twitter to eleven Ministries, the National Diet, the Emperor of Japan and Fukushima Prefectural officials.

Please, take part in the campaign and send your photos (jpeg format) with your name, city and country to nancy@hachiko-coalition.org 

These animals have survived an earthquake, a tsunami and radiation threats, but food and water is running dangerously low as the brave volunteers' attempts at rescue are being thwarted by more police patrols and the harsh weather conditions that winter brings.

 

This is my dog Cody. He's happy at home, thousands of miles away from the suffering in Fukushima 20km Zone, but I'd like to think that his cute little face, and expressive eyes will help sway the government into reconsidering their decision to abandon the animals. Please get involved.