Category: Wildlife/Marine Mammals

USFWS director says federal protections for wolves will be removed by end of year

Animal Rights & Environment, Public Policy (Legal/Legislative), The Humane Society of the United States, Wildlife/Marine Mammals

Aurelia Skipwith told the Associated Press in an interview this week that her agency is “working hard” to lift federal protections for gray wolves across the lower 48 states by the end of this year. Photo by David Osborn/Alamy Stock Photo

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency tasked with protecting American wildlife, is getting closer to allowing trophy hunters and cattle ranchers to open season on the gray wolf, one of our nation’s most iconic—as well as most persecuted—animals. USFWS director Aurelia Skipwith . . . 

The post USFWS director says federal protections for wolves will be removed by end of year appeared first on A Humane World.

Related Stories

Read more
Black Bear Cub

Florida black bear cub poaching incident is a reminder of the need to coexist with wildlife

Animal Rights & Environment, Public Policy (Legal/Legislative), The Humane Society of the United States, Wildlife/Marine Mammals

Black bears have historically been at the losing end when they cross paths with humans: they are hit by cars, shot by poachers and trophy hunters, often unfairly killed in the wake of human encounters and specifically targeted if there are conflicts with livestock. Photo by Sarkophoto/iStock.com

Last month, so many Floridians were shocked when the decaying body of a yearling bear cub, fondly nicknamed Bailey by members of the sprawling community that he sometimes visited, was discovered. This was an unlawful killing on its face, one that violated Florida regulations, but . . . 

The post Florida black bear cub poaching incident is a reminder of the need to coexist with wildlife appeared first on A Humane World.

Related Stories

Read more

Victory! Court says San Francisco fur ban will stay

Animal Rights & Environment, Humane Economy, Public Policy (Legal/Legislative), The Humane Society of the United States, Wildlife/Marine Mammals

Humane Society International has, through two investigations, exposed the extreme horror of fur farms and the lives of the animals who live on them. Photo by Kristo Muurimaa/Oikeutta Elaimille

A federal court judge last night threw out a challenge to San Francisco’s ban on the sale of fur, in a historic victory against this unnecessary and immensely cruel commodity. The city’s ban, which passed in 2018, took effect earlier this year and it led . . . 

The post Victory! Court says San Francisco fur ban will stay appeared first on A Humane World.

Related Stories

Read more

Dutch fur farms are gassing 350,000 mink, mostly pups, following coronavirus outbreak

Animal Rights & Environment, Humane Society International, Public Policy (Legal/Legislative), The Humane Society of the United States, Wildlife/Marine Mammals

The problem came to light in April, when two fur farm workers in the Netherlands were found to have contracted the coronavirus from mink, which is the only known animal-to-human transmission following the initial outbreak. Photo by Mark Hicken/Alamy Stock Photo

The Netherlands is expected to kill more than 350,000 mink by gassing, in a massive cull following an outbreak of coronavirus on fur farms in the country. It is estimated that most of these—about 300,000—are pups just days or weeks old. The killing of animals . . . 

The post Dutch fur farms are gassing 350,000 mink, mostly pups, following coronavirus outbreak appeared first on A Humane World.

Related Stories

Read more

Colorado bans all wildlife killing contests targeting coyotes, swift foxes and other species as more western states consider similar measures

Animal Rights & Environment, Public Policy (Legal/Legislative), The Humane Society of the United States, Wildlife/Marine Mammals

Wildlife killing contests are gruesome events, in which participants compete to kill some of the most persecuted animals on the North American continent, including swift foxes (pictured above), for cash and prizes. Photo by Robert Harding/Alamy Stock Photo

Colorado has closed a loophole in its law to end all wildlife killing contests of furbearing animals, including coyotes, bobcats, swift foxes and prairie dogs. Although the state had already banned most such contests in 1997, a regulatory loophole permitted some events that limited the . . . 

The post Colorado bans all wildlife killing contests targeting coyotes, swift foxes and other species as more western states consider similar measures appeared first on A Humane World.

Related Stories

Read more

Veterinarians address pet owners’ concerns about the coronavirus

Animal Rights & Environment, The Humane Society of the United States, Wildlife/Marine Mammals

There is no evidence at present that animal companions can transmit the disease to humans, according to the CDC, the World Health Organization and the veterinary community. Photo by iStockphoto

Global and U.S. health authorities have stated that there is no evidence at this time that domestic animals can transmit the novel coronavirus to humans. But recent reports about humans transmitting the coronavirus to a handful of animals under their care (two pet dogs, a . . . 

The post Veterinarians address pet owners’ concerns about the coronavirus appeared first on A Humane World.

Related Stories

Read more

World Health Organization says nations should end wildlife trade

Animal Rights & Environment, Humane Society International, Public Policy (Legal/Legislative), The Humane Society of the United States, Wildlife/Marine Mammals

Dr. Anthony Fauci has called wildlife markets “a superhighway” for transmission of disease. Above, a wildlife market in Indonesia. Photo by Dog Meat Free Indonesia

The World Health Organization is calling on nations to end wildlife markets because of the high risk they pose for the spread of pathogens like the coronavirus that can jump from animals to humans. This week, David Nabarro, a medical doctor and the special envoy . . . 

The post World Health Organization says nations should end wildlife trade appeared first on A Humane World.

Related Stories

Read more

Washington state plans to increase trophy hunting of cougars despite widespread public opposition

Animal Rights & Environment, Public Policy (Legal/Legislative), The Humane Society of the United States, Wildlife/Marine Mammals

Despite public opposition, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is pushing a harmful proposal to expand trophy hunting of cougars. If you live in Washington, we encourage you to speak out against these proposals and tell the Commission you do not support trophy hunting of the state’s rare wild cats. Photo by Alamy

Every day produces ample evidence that those involved with harming and killing animals don’t take a break, even during a national emergency. And neither do we. The latest example involves a proposal to expand trophy hunting of cougars in Washington State. The Washington Department of . . . 

The post Washington state plans to increase trophy hunting of cougars despite widespread public opposition appeared first on A Humane World.

Related Stories

Read more

Newly released footage confirms the Joe Exotic we know

Animal Rights & Environment, Public Policy (Legal/Legislative), The Humane Society of the United States, Wildlife/Marine Mammals

Joe Exotic had a long history of breeding and dumping large numbers of big cats and bears. At his facility, it was routine to pull newborn cubs, some just hours old, from their mothers to be hand-raised so they could be readied for handling by the public. Photo by the HSUS

We’ve known “Joe Exotic” [Joe Schreibvogel) for a long while, and we know him well. This week, we’re releasing additional footage from the Humane Society of the United States investigations focusing on Joe, Doc Antle and other wild animal breeders and traders that began in . . . 

The post Newly released footage confirms the Joe Exotic we know appeared first on A Humane World.

Related Stories

Read more

Bipartisan congressional letter calls for end to live wildlife markets

Animal Rights & Environment, Public Policy (Legal/Legislative), The Humane Society of the United States, Wildlife/Marine Mammals

Wildlife markets and related trade are a dangerous vector for transmission of zoonotic diseases. We applaud this bipartisan congressional letter calling for aggressive action toward a global shut down of live wildlife markets and a ban on the international trade of live wildlife that is not intended for conservation purposes. Photo by pasindu/pixabay

Consistent with the recommendations in Wildlife Markets and COVID-19, the Humane Society International report released earlier this week, and our own messaging on the pandemic, Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), Representatives Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and more than sixty . . . 

The post BREAKING NEWS: Bipartisan congressional letter calls for end to live wildlife markets appeared first on A Humane World.

Related Stories

Read more