Illegal animal trade on the rise in Indonesia

The slow loris -
popular illegal pet thanks to Paris Hilton

Regular monitoring of trade in protected species at bird markets on Java and Bali has shown a sharp rise in prohibited animals in February 2012. The surveys, conducted by Born Free partner ProFauna Indonesia, highlight the illegal trade that occurs routinely in these busy, but mostly legal, marketplaces. Studies throughout 2011 revealed an average of 42 individual animals from protected species being traded each month. Figures from this February, however, showed a total of 62 individual animals from 15 different species. By far the most common were slow loris, followed by green turtle, with others ranging from the black-winged starling to the otter civet. Trade in these animals contravenes the 1990 law on Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems, and can be punished with up to 5 years in jail and a fine of up to 100,000,000 Indonesian Rupiah (nearly £7,000). 

Speaking of slow loris...big pat on the back for http://www.slowlorispet.com/ which draws the unsuspecting potential loris buyer in and convinces them how much a slow loris is sooooo not the pet for you. Worth a read...and a giggly.

DAY 13 - Where are the missing?

On this day - the 13^th day since their abduction

What has happened to the original MISSING 13?

Previously abused, mistreated and discarded, these animals have found care, love and sanctuary at the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand (www.wfft.org).

In retaliation for the allegations by WFFT Foundation and other Wildlife Rescue organisations, the Department of National Parks (DNP) raided the WFFT Rescue Centre with 70 armed men and removed 103 animals from the Centre. This was without legal cause. They kidnapped the first 13 animals from the Centre on the 15^th and 16^th February, 2012 and took them away under armed guard.

For more than 8 days the DNP camped outside the Centre in an attempt to intimidate and harass the staff and international volunteers trapped inside before taking the other 90.

They are now MISSING – where are they?

They are suffering for a second time in their lives now.

Somewhere away from home.

Without care and medical treatment.

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT

SEND ALL YOUR GOOD THOUGHTS OUT TO ALL THOSE STILL MISSING FROM HOME

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/urgent-plea-for-rescued-thai-wildlife/

On 27^th February, 3 civets; Charlie, Bangbon and Ayut, were returned to WFFT. It’s a start but we have a long way to go.

Charlie – bushmeat victim Masked Palm Civet (Paguma larvata)	Date Confiscated – 15/2/2012 Current Location – HOME SAFE AT WFFT
Bangbon – mistreated and illegal pet Common Palm Civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus)	Date Confiscated – 15/2/2012 Current Location – HOME SAFE AT WFFT
Ayut – mistreated and illegal pet Common Palm Civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus)	Date Confiscated – 15/2/2012 Current Location - HOME SAFE AT WFFT
Sandee – poaching victim Binturong (Arctictis binturong)	Date Confiscated – 15/2/2012 Current Location – Government Zoo/Breeding Centre

George – abusive caging at temple Northern Pig-Tailed Macaque (Macaca leonina)	Date Confiscated – 15/2/2012 Current Location – Government Zoo/Breeding Centre
Smokey – abusively kept caged at temple Northern Pig-Tailed Macaque (Macaca leonina)	Date Confiscated – 15/2/2012 Current Location – Unknown
Lila – abusively kept caged at temple Northern Pig- Tailed Macaque (Macaca leonina)	Date Confiscated – 16/2/2012 Current Location – Unknown

Tamairuak – chained and kept as illegal pet Northern Pig-Tailed Macaque (Macaca leonina)	Date Confiscated – 16/2/2012 Current Location – Unknown
Bertie – vehicle hit and run victim Long-Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)	Date Confiscated – 15/2/2012 Current Location – Government Zoo/Breeding Centre
Jaw – coconut monkey then dumped, found in chains Northern Pig-Tailed Macaque (Macaca leonina)	Date Confiscated – 16/2/2012 Current Location – Unknown
Oo an– illegal pet Long-Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)	Date Confiscated – 15/2/2012 Current Location – Government Zoo/Breeding Centre

Sparticus – gun shoot, hit and run, dog attack victim as well as electrocuted Long-Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)	Date Confiscated – 16/2/2012 Current Location – Unknown
Jeud – coconut monkey, ingrown neck chain Northern Pig-Tailed Macaque (Macaca leonina)	Date Confiscated – 15/2/2012 Current Location – Government Zoo/Breeding Centre

Please help us find all the missing animals from WFFT
www.wfft.org 

or 

Facebook Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand

United States' labs source research animals from pound

Tiger RIP (pic from PETA)

PETA’s expose on the United States laboratory culture is hard to read about.

It seems that labs were going to the homeless cats and dogs’ home and buying cats to use in research!

The story of Tiger – or as the University of Michigan's Survival Flight training program called him “E8269” – is heartbreaking.

Fortunately PETA’s campaigning has caused labs to stop this practice…with cats.

Pigs are not so fortunate.

This story is reprinted from PETA’s laboratory campaign article.


“Tiger's intake report showed that he was a healthy, friendly cat when he entered a University of Michigan (U-M) laboratory. Five days later, Tiger was dead.

While Tiger's name before he was taken to the laboratory may never be known, once there he was treated as little more than a label, a cat known as "E8269." Given his stripes, we're honoring this handsome cat with a name more befitting him, Tiger.

Like the cats many of us share our homes with, he probably enjoyed being scratched behind the ears and purred when he saw his food dish. But U-M officials certainly didn't care about Tiger's likes and dislikes when they tossed him into their intubation training lab—a grim laboratory in which cats had plastic tubes forced down their windpipes—and then killed him.

PETA exposed the abuse of animals in the University of Michigan's Survival Flight training program. We showed that university officials misled the public when they said that all the cats in their labs—healthy, lovable cats like Tiger—were adopted after they endured hideous procedures in the course. In fact, records show that more than half of the cats used in recent years were quietly killed.

PETA's exposé and vigorous campaigning caused a public uproar. Unable to ignore our fury, U-M announced that it had ended its use of cats in its laboratories—a wonderful victory for cats!

The cats have been replaced with modern, effective simulators. But U-M plans to continue to harm and kill pigs for other procedures in this training course.

That means that gentle, intelligent pigs will have holes cut in their throats and chests and needles jammed into the tissue surrounding their hearts and will ultimately be killed just as cats like Tiger were. Pigs continue to suffer at U-M, and millions of other animals are suffering right now in cruel chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics tests, biology lessons and training exercises, and horrible experiments." PETA, 2012

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Make a donation to help PETA fight for the replacement of pigs at U-M with simulators and support all our lifesaving efforts to expose and stop cruelty in university laboratories or wherever it occurs

Speak out in your local areas about the use of animals in research. With the technology of today, there is NO NEED. EVER.

Be careful and do your research when you buy cosmetics and other products that may have been tested on animals. The company may use third party testing companies so don't be too trusting! For example, Avon and Estee Lauder have stated that they do no test on animals, however they do contract a Chinese company to do that for them. Sneaky sneaky Avon. Boycott these companies and make it know to your friends and family that you do and why.

Learn about the Ring tailed Lemur (Maki)!

The lemur inhabits gallery forests to spiny scrub in the southern regions of the island of Madagascar. It is omnivorous (eats everything!) and the most land-based of lemurs. The animal is diurnal, being active exclusively in daylight hours.

The ring-tailed lemur is highly social, living in groups of up to 30 individuals. It is also female dominant, a trait common among lemurs. To keep warm and reaffirm social bonds, groups will huddle together forming a lemur ball.

Lemurs have awesome (and sometimes freaky looking!) eyes check out this well known video clip:

A lemur love-in – The lemur ball

The ring-tailed lemur will also sunbathe, sitting upright facing its underside, with its thinner white fur towards the sun. Like other lemurs, this species relies strongly on its sense of smell and marks its territory with scent glands. The males perform a unique scent marking behaviour called spur marking and will participate in stink fights by impregnating their tail with their scent and wafting it at opponents.

As one of the most vocal primates, the ring-tailed lemur utilises numerous vocalisations including group cohesion and alarm calls. Experiments have shown that the ring-tailed lemur, despite the lack of a large brain, can organise sequences and preferentially select tools based on functional qualities.

Despite being listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List and suffering from habitat destruction, the ring-tailed lemur is kept in captivity and great numbers worldwide and reproduces readily. Surely a release program would be a good idea…..???

Discover Australia here at Oceans2Earth 

Australia needs humane live export laws!

'Wherever there are industries that profit from the abuse of animals; wherever the eyes of the public aren't looking; animals are at great risk.' Lyn White, Animals Australia.

The recent, shocking images on Australian tv were enough to make anyone cringe. I confess, I haven't been able to bring myself to watch them. My imagination runs rampant and I can't help but wonder why people behave the way they do. It seems logical that animals would be stunned before they are sliced, diced or out and out killed, doesn't it? Obviously that is not logical to some nor is the treatment of livestock with dignity and empathy. Therefore the responsibility must fall to exporters to ensure that stunning occur. Again - logical? Again - obviously not! It falls to us, as responsible, caring human beings of the general population to express our concerns and insist that this practice be legislated. Don't sell our livestock to ANYONE, ANY COUNTRY, ANY COMPANY who doesn't stun. SIMPLE.

Thank you to everyone who chose not to look away and sign the petitions, write to their government representatives & educate their friends to legislate & enforce livestock stunning before slaughter. The road is long but starts with each small step.

What can you do? Please log on to Animals Australia who are doing such an awesome job on this project and follow their simple list of "Take Action" things you can do. It does make a difference. Truly.

New threat to endangered Congo gorilla

Sadly there are only approximately 480 gorillas in the Virunga volcano area of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with less than 800 worldwide.
Whilst authorities have sought to crack down on the illegal poaching of these gorgeous creatures, it appears that they are fighting an uphill battle. In its fourth raid since April, an anti-poaching raid uncovered this little guy hidden in a rucksack!

Photo courtesy of Guardian post UK

Four babies have been recovered this year alone. Unfortunately these raids only scratch the surface of this wildlife trading issue. Ape Alliance thinks that the Middle East is a large source of demand with wealthy animal collectors and the local tradition of soliciting favours with large, exotic gifts. Poachers can claim in excess of $40,000USD ($26,000UK) for each gorilla kidnapped from its parents and natural habitat.

It goes without saying that such an incentive may be seen as attractive to a poor Congo local.

You can help by:

1. talk to your friends
2. share this blog
3. contact Ape Alliance (www.4apes.com) to register your support
4. Volunteer Australia with O2E

Why Volunteer?

Volunteering is about giving your time to partake in activities that benefit others.

If you feel the need to contribute to something incredibly worthwhile then volunteering is for you. Just be passionate about helping other people and nature and whatever your interests are, you will find something that suits. The range of O2E projects is vast.

Rewarding, exciting...

Your decision to volunteer will impact a community more than you will ever know as the benefits for the community you visit are great. However, the benefits for the volunteer are endless. You will have the experience of a lifetime - the hardest part will be coming home again!

Whichever program you choose, you will be exposed to a different culture, gaining job and life skills and meeting a whole new circle of friends in what may be one of the most enjoyable, challenging, memorable and life-changing experiences you will ever undertake.

The rewards are abundant:

Ø Live in a foreign country
Ø Discover a different culture & lifestyle
Ø Gain valuable new skills
Ø Learn a new language
Ø Build your CV
Ø Make new friends from all around the world
Ø Broaden your horizons
Ø Widen your comfort zone
Ø Contribute to a worthy cause
Ø Become more independent
Ø Experience an adventure of a lifetime
Ø Experience new food
Ø Become a broader minded person and learn about other people
Ø Make a real difference to a less prosperous community

Volunteers have the unique opportunity to be involved in a project from the grassroots level and actually become a member of the local community. Volunteers often create long-term friendships within the community and take home with them new ways of living, often changing careers or starting a new hobby such as wildlife photography, canoeing, scuba diving, first aid or sustainable living. Volunteering could change your future.

Welcome

So this is the first post to the Oceans2Earth test blog.
What does one say on such an occasion?.......I'll ask a question...

Do only snakes hissssssssssssss?

Can you name this hissing 'big cat'?
Listen......hisssss....growl....hiss....so cute