The Miami Seaquarium has once again made news after a USDA investigation discovered that a captive dolphin attacked a trainer, resulting in her hospitalization.
A video of a dolphin body slamming a trainer in the sea was shared on TikTok.
Sundance, the trainer’s dolphin, slammed into her three times and dragged her underwater at one point.
The trainer struggled to free himself and swam to the pool’s edge.
“The recent news of a dolphin attacking a trainer at Miami Seaquarium is terrible and highlights how dolphins suffer for entertainment while putting workers in danger,” Nicole Barrantes, a wildlife campaign manager with World Animal Protection, stated.
Sundance and all other dolphins in captivity should be retired and released to a seaside sanctuary. This cruel industry must end.”
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A Sumatran Rhino has successfully given birth in an Lampung sanctuary, environment officials said, in a boost for conservation efforts targeting the critically endangered animal.
THE CLAF BORN IN WAY KAMBAS NATIONAL PARK
The World Wide Fund for Nature estimates fewer than 80 Sumatran Rhinos remain in the world, mainly in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
A Rhino named Rosa gave birth to a female calf on Thursday in Way Kambas National Park in Lampung, after suffering eight miscarriages since 2005, when she was brought in from the wild for a breeding program.
“The birth of this Sumatran Rhino is such happy news amid the government’s and partners’ efforts to increase the population,” Wiratno, a senior official at Indonesia’s environment ministry, said in a statement Monday.
The calf, who has yet to be named, brings the number of Sumatran Rhinos in the Way Kambas sanctuary to eight.
Successful births are rare. The calf’s father, named Andatu, was the first Sumatran Rhino born in a sanctuary in more than 120 years.
Standing between 3.3 – 5 feet, Sumatran Rhinos are the smallest of all Rhinoceroses and they have a lifespan of around 35 – 40 years. They were once found across South and Southeast east, from the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas in Bhutan to eastern India, through Myanmar, Thailand, and possibly to Vietnam and China. Now, the species is critically endangered, with less than 80 individuals remaining in the wild in small fragmented habitats on the island of Sumatra and nearby Borneo.
MOTHER ROSA WITH HER CALF
In 2017, Rhino conservation experts and the Indonesian government concluded that the only way to save the species was through a captive breeding program. The move was similar to an initiative launched in the 1980s that saw 40 Sumatran rhinos captured for breeding. But in this case, nearly half of the captive animals had died by 1995 and not a single calf had been born.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the Sumatran rhino, the smallest of all Rhino species, as critically endangered.
Multiple threats have brought them to the brink of extinction, including poaching and climate change.
This handout photo released on March 28 and made available on March 29, 2022 shows female rhino named Rosa (l) with her new baby born at the Way Kambas National Park, in Way Kambas, in Lampung province. Rosa delivered a baby rhino on March 24, for the first time after translocating from roaming in villages. A critically endangered Sumatran rhino was born in an Indonesian sanctuary bringing hope to the conservation of the rapidly declining species, an official said. (AFP/Handout)
Rhino horn is often illegally traded for traditional Chinese medicine.
Indonesia is also racing to save another critically endangered species – the Javan Rhino.
Once numbering in the thousands across Southeast Asia, fewer than 80 are alive today, mainly in a national park on Indonesia’s main island of Java.
Efforts to conserve the species have shown promising results with the birth of five calves in Ujung Kulon National Park last year.
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Save The Asian Elephants (STAE) and all the animal welfare sector are aghast at the weekend’s media reports that the Government has abandoned the Animals Abroad Bill despite all its commitments otherwise, received regularly by STAE’s team as pledges, promises, “it’s been cleared in Cabinet” and “you’re pushing at an open door” in over 20 meetings with No 10 and Defra since lockdown.
THE ANIMALS ABROAD BILL WOULD HELP STOP CRUELTY LIKE THIS
STAE is working to bring the entire sector together to ensure all is done to see this decision, if confirmed, reversed. Indeed with public support for a ban to protect elephants from the most extreme violence largely driven by the UK market running at over 90%, STAE’s petition now touching 1.1 million, and extreme emotions evoked in the electorate by torture of baby elephants, any such decision seems extraordinary as a General Election looms before late 2024.
PHAJAAN OR ‘CRUSHING’ IS THE TRADITIONAL ASIAN TORTURE OF YOUNG ELEPHANTS TO BREAK THEIR SPIRIT. IT IS DONE SO THAT THEY ARE SUBMISSIVE TO HUMANS.
Why on earth would Government be committed to these cruel acts? It must surely be in its own interests to take a principled lead over other parties (who will support it) and other nations, by pursuing the Bill. They are important measures now expanded in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare to all species abused in overseas tourism (including big cats, apes, bears, equines, dolphins) and not particularly controversial or difficult. On the contrary they are welcomed across the political divide. None of the measures to ban ads for “low welfare venues” impinge on Tory peers’ shooting weekends or even pigging out on foie gras, if that’s their tragic choice.
STAE CEO Duncan McNair speaking to Protect All Wildlife said “If confirmed, its sickening and foreshadowed in STAE’s communications with Govt and officials over the past year and my US TV interview on Unchained TV, despite every reassurance from Govt (including a letter signed by the Minister a week ago) all was on track.”
Muted claims that the Russian war on Ukraine has stolen all available Parliamentary time are unconvincing. STAE traces the evidence of wavering elements in Govt much further back. As they say, the first casualty of war is the truth. We hope the Defra Ministers at the helm will turn this round, publish the Bill, consult and bring it into Parliament soon.
Many abandoned dogs are rescued every day and when rock star singer Meat Loaf was on tour, the crew one night noticed someone left a puppy behind a dumpster. They decided to rescue the puppy and proceeded to feed, cuddle and take her to the vet.
They posted on their Facebook page a picture of the puppy they rescued. The puppy joined the band on the road and they named her Little Ms. Karma. The puppy temporarily joined them on tour and adjusted well as the band took turns giving her lots of love.
Meat said in the post “Some of you already know that the other night after our rehearsal, our crew saw someone dumping this beautiful baby girl behind a dumpster. They scooped her up and after a couple days of Vet visits, sleeping, lots of cuddles and settling into life on the road, Little Ms Karma, left us last night to go to her new forever home. We’ll miss her but she’s on her way to her new momma and sisters and a big ole ranch to run around and we’re even more excited that she’s staying a part of the extended Meat Loaf family forever!!!
But life on the road is no place for a dog and eventually, a forever home was made with the family of one of the crew. So Little Ms Karma said goodbye to the band to join one member of her extended Meat Loaf family who lives on a ranch with his wife and daughters. Remembering Meat Loaf’s famous Grammy Award for Best Rock Solo Performance for “I’d Do Anything for Love” is truly reflected by the rescue.
Love is what makes us do things to have a little bit of heaven on earth. Love is also paying good karma forward and I think this is the main reason why Meat Loaf and his crew gave this sweet dog a whole lot of loving and a forever home.
Karma is much bigger now and has settled into her new life. She even has fans of her own!
Watch a video about Meat Loaf and Karma here:
Please share if you like this rescue story of love for Little Ms. Karma!
The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) is carrying out the largest tiger rescue in Thailand’s history as the renowned wildlife animal welfare and rescue organisation prepares to take custody of 11 tigers and two bears handed over by Phuket Zoo.
WFFT founder and director Edwin Wiek confirmed the news.
Edwin Wiek of the Wildlife Friends Foundation
“We are finishing off the new side enclosures for the Tigers right now, and we will be ready to pick up the first 4-6 in the coming week. We are still waiting for documents to move the Tigers, but I am pretty sure this ill be done by the end of the week.” Mr Wiek toldProtect All Wildlife.
Part of the area at the WFFT site in Phetchaburi that the tigers and bears from Phuket Zoo will soon call home. Photo: Edwin Wiek / WFFT
Mr Wiek explained that he and Sangduen “Lek” Chailert, founder of the Elephant Nature Park, discussed the handover of the animals with the Phuket Zoo owners.
The zoo has been hard hit by the financial crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the facility without tourist visitors for nearly two years.
Despite previous encounters between WFFT and Phuket Zoo over the conditions many of the animals were kept in at the zoo, the parties set aside any animosity in order to determine the safe future for the animals, Mr Wiek noted.
Horrifying scenes inside abandoned Phuket zoo where starving animals are forced to live in squalor
“They were genuinely very concerned about the animals. They said they had refused offers for the animals’ skins and bones,” he said.
“As WFFT has the facilities and expertise to take care of large carnivores and currently houses more than 30 other bears, it was concluded that WFFT could provide the best life-long care for these animals which require urgent rehoming,” Mr Wiek explained.
Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) will also rehome two bears from Phuket Zoo. Photo: Edwin Wiek / WFFT
The rescue and rehoming of 11 Tigers to a sanctuary will be the biggest Tiger rescue in Thailand’s history. However, due to the financial impact of COVID-219, WFFT must first raise the funds required to rescue these 13 animals. As such WFFT is asking for financial support to undertake this historic rescue, he noted.
“This rescue will be no small feat for WFFT. The financial resources required to rescue and transport 13 large animals from Phuket to WFFT alone will be significant,” Mr Wiek said.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic we have received more calls than ever from entertainment venues who cannot afford to feed their animals anymore. We try to help as many as we can. The fact is, though, that without financial support, we cannot help more.
“We are urging our friends in Phuket, in Thailand and around the world to please help with what will be a huge rescue, not only for WFFT, but for Tigers in Thailand,” he said.
WFFT is a registered foundation in Thailand.
“In Thailand, like in every country in the world, animals are abused and exploited for profit and human gratification. There are many examples of animal exploitation within the tourist industry, for example, photo prop animals, animals performing in degrading shows, and elephant camps. Furthermore, there is still a thriving illegal trade in wild animals for pets and medicine,” the organisation explains on its website.
The top three major goals of the organisation are:
To rescue and rehabilitate captive wild animals and provide high-quality care and a safe environment for them to live for the rest of their lives, in a setting as close to nature as possible.
To campaign against all forms of animal abuse and exploitation in Thailand, work towards ending the illegal pet trade and discourage people from keeping all wild animals as pets. WFFT actively seeks to combat the illegal wildlife trade and to rescue animals from poor conditions or exploitation from human entertainment.
To provide veterinary assistance to any sick or injured animal; wild or domestic.
To learn more about Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), visit the official website here: https://www.wfft.org/
This video shows various animals including Tigers, Bears, and Alligators left for dead at Phuket Zoo due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The tourism industry all over the world has definitely been brought to a sudden halt but the animals who played a major role in that have also been abandoned. The clip was originally uploaded on YouTube and was shot by an Australian named Minh Nguyen, who lives and works in Thailand.
“We are still fundraising for the tigers, and hopefully we will get some more much needed financial support in the weeks to come.” toldProtect All Wildlife.
If you like to help fund this amazing rescue operation please donate ANY amount, large or small, at Phuket Zoo Animal Rescue.
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Norfolk Lowland Search and Rescue deployed their team to assist in the search for the their missing search dog Juno. They deployed foot teams, drones and the boat. Juno was spotted by one of drone pilot Paul as he flew his drone overhead, and he was able to confirm that she was alive when she looked up at the drone. They immediately tasked their boat which was nearby on the river as well as both of their foot teams to the location. She was recovered by the boat and brought back to safety before being taken to the vets for a check up.This is a brilliant result for all involved and a great example of Lowland Rescue teams working together.
Juno was missing for six days missing over Christmas.
There JUNO IS REUNITED WITH HER OWNER IAN DANKS
There was an incredible turnout to search for Juno. Juno has been found alive & well, and is now off the vets for a check up. Monitor the news and our social channels later today for more info and video footage. Well done to all involved. As a team, we are elated. Juno was spotted by one of our Search Managers, using one of our drone assets. Today was a great example of inter-team working.
JUNO
Please be thankful for these amazing people and their rescue dogs who go out in ALL weathers to rescue us in our time of need.
One lucky little Elephant has captured the hearts of people across the internet after it was rescued from a mud pit in the Southern India state of Karnataka.
A video of the rescue operation staged by state forest officials has charmed netizens, as it also shows what some people say was an appreciative gesture from the Elephant, who turned to address the crane that helped to dig it out.
THE BABY ELEPHANT BEING RESCUED FROM A DEEP PIT BY A JCB
The incident took place in Siddapura Village in Coorg district of Karnataka, reported Indian Express.
A good Samaritan recorded and shared the clip, which has been viewed over one million times on Twitter alone. The beginning of the video shows the Elephant struggling to climb up and out of a slippery mud put. Each time it tries, it slips back down the hole’s steep walls. Eventually, an excavator machine pulls in and begins to dig mud out from around the Elephant.
THE ELEPHANT KEPT SLIDING BACK INTO THE PIT
Bystanders can be heard cheering as the arm of the JBC crane reaches behind the Elephant and gives it a gentle push, giving it the boost it needs to finally get its feet back on solid ground.
The lumbering animal then turns back around to face its rescuers, bumping its head and tusk to the machine’s bucket in what some are viewing as a sign of appreciation. Onlookers can be heard cheering loudly as it does, then officials set off a small firecracker to encourage the Elephant to leave the area and return to the forest.
Sudha Ramen, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Tamilnadu Forest Department shared the video from her Twitter account. She told Newsweek, “Elephants are mostly human-friendly until they get aggressive stimulated by human behaviour or have some hormonal imbalances. They are known to recognize the aid received when they are in need.”
Even though this behaviour can be observed in subadult and adult Elephants, young ones are not as human-friendly or expressive.
She added that when such rescues happen in a crowded environment, the animal is usually in panic mode and may get aggressive because of human presence or too much noise.
“But in this situation not many outsiders were present. Still, I do not say that the animal returned a gesture in this case. It may be an exhibit of stress too,” Ramen told Newsweek, addressing the belief shared by many that the head bump was ‘thank you’ in the Elephant language.
Her tweet with the video has been viewed more than a million times. She credited the video to Indian actor Satish Shah who initially shared it on his Twitter page.
Sudha Ramen, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Tamilnadu Forest Department shared the video from her Twitter account.
The usage of machinery such as a JBC depends upon the terrain, the animal involved in the rescue, and other safety factors, according to Ramen. The vehicle often comes in handy as many of its features make it able to handle slushy, slippery ground, and many rescue operations are carried out in the forest or nearby in areas that are usually non-motorable larger vehicles.
“Such operations are done only in the presence of the forest officials and vet doctors, so the driver gets guided by them,” Ramen told Newsweek.
“This made my day 1,000 times. Kudos to the construction crew and operator. And Mr. Elephant is the classiest mammal I’ve ever seen,” commented one user.
While many appreciated the machine operator’s work, some also questioned the use of smoke crackers in the end.
“It seems the Elephant was actually very grateful to the JCB for helping her/him by doing a head bump with it. Instead of busting smoke to scare it away, we could be gentler next time by keeping some food nearby so that they can replenish and get busy without charging at anyone,” wrote another.
THE RESCUED ELEPHANT APPEARS TO THANK THE JCB
However, the rescue team is always advised to carry the smokers along for safety reasons, Ramen told Newsweek, saying it is not necessarily standard practice to use them but they are commonly deployed when herds venture into villages or human habitations.
“It is used on occasions to direct the animal back into the forest and also to protect the nearby people if the animal tries to attack them,” she said.
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The withered carcasses of livestock are reminders that drought has descended yet again in northern Kenya, the latest in a series of climate shocks rippling through the Horn of Africa.
Mohamed Mohamud, a ranger from the Sabuli Wildlife Conservancy, looks at the carcass of a giraffe that died from hunger. (AP Photo)
As world leaders addressed the global climate summit in Glasgow, pastoralists watched their beloved animals suffer from lack of water and food. Yusuf Abdullahi says he has lost 40 goats. “If they die, we all die,” he says.
Herder Yusuf Abdullahi walks past the carcasses of his forty goats that died of hunger in Dertu, Wajir County, Kenya. He said “If theY die, we all die!” (AP Photo)
Kenya’s authorities has declared a nationwide catastrophe in 10 of its 47 counties. The United Nations says greater than 2 million individuals are severely meals insecure. And with individuals trekking farther in quest of meals and water, observers warn that tensions amongst communities may sharpen.
“The warmth on the bottom tells you the signal of hunger we’re going through,” he says.
Rain has failed for two seasons in the east African country, leaving families without enough food and water. It also has snuffed out pasture for livestock, crippling herder communities throughout the nation.
In September, Nairobi and aid agencies estimated that 2.1 million people in 10 counties were affected by the drought. The numbers are expected to rise to 2.4 million by this month, relief agencies reported.
The harrowing footage was taken by Kevin Mtai, a climate campaigner from Pokot in Kenya.
He said: “In Kenya we have contributed less carbon emissions, but we are the ones paying the highest price.
“Animals are dying and people are suffering because of the climate crisis.”
The children of herders walk past cattle carcasses in the desert near Dertu, Wajir County, Kenya. (AP Photo)
Experts warn that such climate shocks will become more common across Africa, which contributes the least to global warming, but will suffer from it the most.
“We do not have a spare planet in which we will seek refuge once we have succeeded in destroying this one,” the executive director of East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development, Workneh Gebeyehu, said last month.
As if in a macabre parade, cattle carcasses line the two sides of the dusty road leading into Biyamadow, a sleepy village in northern Kenya’s Wajir county.
The grisly spectacle of dismembered animals rotting beneath the scorching sun is the result of a prolonged drought that has been pushing pastoral communities here – and the livestock they exclusively rely on – to the brink of disaster, reports Aljazeera.
“In 72 years of life, I have never seen something like this,” said Ibrahim Adow, a Biyamadow resident.
cattle carcasses line the two sides of the dusty road leading into Biyamadow, a sleepy village in northern Kenya’s Wajir county. [Virginia Pietromarchi/Al Jazeera]
Gabriel Ekaale, a policy officer for the World Food Programme based in Lodwar told Sky News: “It’s estimated about 600,000 members of the population in Turkana County are in need of food or cash assistance.”
Kenya’s Catholic Bishops met in Nairobi this week to ask the country’s Catholic faithful to donate food to regions affected by severe drought, the Vatican News reports.
They released an open letter stating: “It is becoming clear that the frequent droughts that we are experiencing in many parts of our country are as a result of global climate change and environmental degradation.
“Here in Kenya, it seems our model of development has led to a culture of degradation of our environment and the depletion of our natural resources.”
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Today, approximately 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, according to the UN. As a result, animals are forced to find ways to share these tight urban spaces with us humans, and it isn’t always straightforward. Birds are no exception. The creative designs could be key to solving a decline in urban bird populations.
TURKISH COMPANY HITIT TERRA MANUFACTURE ROOF TILES THAT DOUBLE AS BIRD SHELTERS
It all began when the Dutch product design agency Klaas Kuiken came up with the idea to design a roof tile that doubles as a bird house. The idea was pounced upon by Hitit Terra, a Turkish terracotta manufacturer based in the town of Çorum, which then started producing the bird nest tiles for the local communities.
Mahmoud Basic, the regional director for Turkish National Parks, told a local news website that the tiles were to be produced and distributed to the people free of charge.
The Hitit Terra founders, Cengiz Başaranhıncal and Ali Arslan, said that the idea to produce bird nest tiles came after they saw the design on social media. Ali explained that the price of the tile online came out at around $70* which, in his opinion, was too high and they started making their own product for a local market.
*The Dutch tiles they are referring to are in fact more than twice that price, so wherever they saw them for $70 was a bargain.
Hitit Terra’s bird nest tiles were tested by Afyon Nature Conservation and the 5th Regional Directorate of National Parks and re-designed according to the demand. They now produce 5 different tile designs that accommodate different bird species.
Ali Arslan, one of the company partners, said they started producing roof tiles with bird nests two years ago. They have sent 3 thousand products to various municipalities and institutions so far.
Explaining that they redesigned the birdhouse tile on the internet in a different way, Arslan said, “It was sold on the Internet for around $ 70 each. We thought it was a disadvantage to launch a product related to nature with such a high price. We get the point. Those who want, instead of bringing Turkey from abroad, we provide access to these products from Corum.”
“Demand is increasing as it is a new product” Expressing that the interest in bird nest tiles is increasing day by day, Arslan stated that until today, the 5th Regional Directorate of Afyon Nature Conservation and National Parks, municipalities of various provinces, companies and citizens who want to put them on the roof of their homes have produced 3 thousand pieces.
Stating that they received very good comments, especially on social media, Arslan said: “Especially in many buildings built during the Ottoman period, we see that there are such structures for the eating, drinking and sheltering needs of birds. We also wanted to keep the tradition of our ancestors alive and contribute to the animals we share our world with. We received very good reactions from all segments after production. Congratulations from many places, especially organisations and municipalities, and thanks on social media. This happiness leads us to make more quality and different products. The demands are increasing gradually as it is a new product.
A PRODUCT THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE INCREASE OF THE BIRD POPULATION IN CITIES AND VILLAGES
In consultation with Vogelbescherming Nederland (Dutch organisation concerning the protection of birds), Klaas Kuiken originally developed “Vogelhuisjesdakpan” (the Birdhouse roof tile); the merge of a basic terracotta roof tile with the archetypal shape of a house. The result is a remarkable product that not only looks good, but also contributes to the increase of the bird population in cities and villages.
Inside the Birdhouse, underneath the roof tile, a carefully designed nesting basket made of wood and bird screen is attached. This nesting basket ensures good ventilation, prevents the birds from moving to other places underneath your roof and makes it really easy to clean the nest after a breeding period.
By installing one or more of these Birdhouse roof tiles, you ensure that birds are provided with a safe place to stay and raise their chicks. Instead of crawling under the roof tiles to build a nest, the birds can now linger in their own cosy cottage.
Bird houses are rooted in Turkish history. Back in the times of the Ottoman Empire, people would build elaborate architectural miniature palaces for the birds. Not only did they give animals shelter, they were also believed to grant good deeds to whoever built them.
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On the first day of deer season for firearms in Michigan, a 10-point buck apparently sought to find refuge in Grace Christian Fellowship Church in Sturgis, breaking through a window and becoming a huge surprise to the pastors when they got to the church Monday morning.
“When Luke Eicher, Justin Wickey and Amanda Eicher arrived at the church this morning, they found signs of breaking and entering,” stated the church’s description on the video. “Little did they know that a 10-point buck had come for prayer in the auditorium on opening day of gun season.”
When the three walked into the church’s office Monday morning, they noticed light coming from a darkened window in the auditorium.
“When I peeked inside, I saw the window was broken and heard loud banging,” Amanda Eisher told Storyful. “My husband rushed in and found this 10-point buck. On the opening day of the gun season of all days!”
“I was just shocked by how high he could jump,” Amanda Eicher said. “I was amazed at how big he was.”
The buck didn’t appear to have any gunshot wounds and was bleeding just a bit from what appeared to be cuts from the glass, she told the Kalamazoo Gazette. Besides the broken window, the only other damage was blood stains on the carpet.
“There was some damage to the building and our pastors are a little traumatized,” the church reported. “But the buck left strengthened in the Lord to go face his battles.”