BERN––The Dahlholzli Zoo in Bern, the Swiss city named for bears, and infamous for centuries of exhibiting bears in pits, on June 25, 2014 reignited controversy over zoo culling practices by announcing that the remains of a healthy young bear called Cub 4 would be thawed after two months on ice and taxidermically mounted. “When […]
Donkeys, mules, & ponies struggle to survive Kathmandu brickyards
LALITPUR PATAN, Nepal––Some of the donkeys, mules, and ponies who have survived hard use in the brickyards of the southern Kathmandu Valley may long outlive the local brick industry. Given good sanctuary care, some of these hard-used equines may live 30 years or more. Under 15 years […]
The 2011 Dutch “animal police” plan, viewed in 2014
by Alexandra Semyonova The politics of assembling the present Dutch coalition government were expected to put 100 new “animal cops” on the beat in the Netherlands by the end of 2011, and to eventually increase the Dutch animal police force to 500 officers, according to election […]
Dutch to push “vaccination for life” ––may end culls of healthy livestock
DEN HAAG––Dutch state secretary of economic affairs Sharon A.M. Dijksma on June 4, 2013 committed The Netherlands to trying to reverse European Union and other international policies which require culling livestock who have been exposed to contagious diseases of concern, even if the animals are apparently healthy and have been vaccinated against the feared […]
German zoo staff convicted of cruelty for killing hybrid tigers
MAGDEBURG, Germany––Magdeburg Zoo director Kai Parret and three members of the zoo staff were on June 17, 2010 convicted of cruelty for killing three tiger cubs at birth in May 2008 because their father was found to be a hybrid of the Siberian and Sumatran tiger subspecies. A fine of 8,100 euros was suspended on […]