by Samuel Turvey Oxford University Press (198 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016), 2008. 224 pages, paperback. $29.95. Reviewed by Merritt Clifton Samuel Turvey, born in Lohja, Finland, as a child enjoyed a rare sighting of the Lake Saimaa seal. Landlocked by receding glaciers about 9,500 years ago, the Saimaa seal has adapted to living […]
Jasper’s gift: the real-life care bear
“Poster bear” for ending bile farming Jasper, 30, the moon bear who became “poster bear” for the Animals Asia Foundation campaign against farming bears to extract bile from their livers, was euthanized on April 29, 2016 due to incurable cancer. “Moon bear Jasper spent 15 years in a Chinese bile farm crush cage,” the Animals […]
Fur farm releases in China reflect falling fur demand worldwide
Raccoon dogs freed twice in eight months BEIJING, China––For the second time in eight months a Chinese fur farmer appears to have released his animals in response to three years of steeply falling pelt prices and fur garment demand worldwide, with no upturn in sight. Reported the Beijing Daily News on April 13, […]
Two furors bring China draft standards for lab animals
Lab animal standards are step toward Chinese national animal welfare act BEIJING, China––A brief public comment period on draft animal welfare and ethics standards for Chinese laboratories closed on March 20, 2016. The draft standards were released soon after two furors erupted over the use of lab animals in China. Medical university dog use “In […]
Ric O’Barry reports campaign success in China
Good news continues from China, where I have been on a book promotion tour for the Simplified Chinese edition of The Cove, with Swiss journalist Hans Peter Roth and photographer Sasha Abdolmajid, A user of the Chinese social media platform WeChat posting under the name Enterprise Volunteers on May 23, 2015 merged three media reports […]
Norway proposes to pelt the fur trade
OSLO, Norway––Norwegian finance minister Siv Jensen on May 12, 2015 presented a Revised National Budget to Parliament that includes a proposed 17.8 million kroner cut in agricultural subsidies to fur farmers. The proposed cut, amounting to $2.35 million in U.S. funds, or 2.1 million euros, would halve the total amount of aid to fur […]
More medical warnings link dog meat to rabies
MANILA––Philippine, Chinese, and international public health media in mid-March 2015 warned that eating dogs can spread rabies, after at least 13 people ate meat from a rabid dog in Cabatangan village, Zamboanga, the Philippines. Summarized Robert Herriman of Outbreak News Today on March 15, 2015, from reports published on March 14, 2015 by Philippine media […]
Anti-fur protests in China
Hundreds of volunteers protested fur use on February 25, 2014 at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong International Fur Fair. Thanks to Animal Earth Hong Kong for organizing this protest. One of the main organisers is a radio station show host. She interviewed me about fur for a program targeting Chinese people who live […]
Alleged rhino poaching gang served trophy hunters as well as Asian medicinal demand
Rhino industry insiders in the dock JOHANNESBURG––Startling photos of the September 22, 2010 arraignment of 11 alleged members of an international rhino poaching syndicate reached the world despite the officially unexplained efforts of police to keep photographers out. News photographers Werner Beukes of the South African Press Agency, Herman Verwey of Beeld, and Lewellyn Carstens […]
Care for bears in China
BEIJING, HONG KONG, SHANGHAI––China cares about bears. That was clear from nationwide outrage erupting in February 2002 after a 21-year-old engineering student poured sulfuric acid and caustic soda over five bears at the Beijing Zoo to see if bears are really stupid. International Fund for Animal Welfare representative Zhang Li offered help to the zoo […]