Charlie Russell, Mary T. Hoffman, Aubrey Manning, & Dorothy Cheney Russell made “Spirit Bears” famous Canadian bear researcher and author Charlie Russell, 76, died on May 7, 2018 in Calgary, Alberta, from complications after surgery. Born in Pincher Creek, Alberta, where his parents Andy and Kay Russell were hunting outfitters and guides, Charlie Russell […]
“Meat-eating is never neutral”: Mary Midgely, 99
Author of Animals & Why They Matter NEWCASTLE ON TYNE, United Kingdom––“The symbolism of meat-eating is never neutral,” wrote Mary Midgely on page 27 of her 1983 opus Animals & Why They Matter. “To himself,” Midgely observed, “the meat-eater seems to be eating life. To the vegetarian, he seems to be eating death. There […]
The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life
by David Quammen Simon & Schuster 461 pages, $30.00 hardcover. Reviewed by Merritt Clifton At a glance, The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life, by veteran science writer and historian David Quammen, might seem to most ANIMALS 24-7 readers far removed from our usual topics of animal use, abuse, and consumption; dog attacks; […]
Death of Koko, 46, raises question what will become of her rejected mate Ndume?
Koko was among the last great apes used in still controversial 1970s language research WOODSIDE, California––With Koko deceased, what now will become of Ndume, 37, the last and least famous of the three gorillas who once shared the Gorilla Foundation sanctuary and primate language research laboratory in the Santa Cruz Mountains, south of San […]
Are feminists right to resist comparison with the females of other species?
by Karen Davis, PhD., president of United Poultry Concerns A woman employed on a chicken “breeder” farm in Maryland wrote a letter once to the local newspaper berating the defenders of chickens for trying to make her lose her job, threatening her ability to support herself and her daughter. For her, “breeder” hens were “mean” birds who […]
Beyond sentience: will Brexit halt live animal exports from the U.K.?
Minister for Agriculture & Rural Affairs confirms her government is “considering options to control live animal exports” LONDON, U.K.––British cabinet ministers, after the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, called “Brexit” for short, “must have regard to the welfare needs of animals as sentient beings in formulating and implementing government policy,” according to draft […]
Naming Nature: The clash between instinct & science
by Carol Kaesuk Yoon W.W. Norton & Co. (500 5th Ave., New York, NY 10110), 2009. 344 pages, hardcover. $27.95. Reviewed by Merritt Clifton Though you may never have heard of either “taxonomy” or “cladistics,” the two central concepts in Carol Kaesuk Yoon’s 2009 opus Naming Nature, it remains a fascinating read for […]
Snooty, 69, last Florida manatee without propeller scars, drowns in tank
Oldest manatee on record was second born in captivity BRADENTON, Florida––Snooty, 69, both the oldest Florida manatee on record and the only Florida manatee on record who lacked scars from boat propellers, drowned on July 22, 2017 at the South Florida Aquarium in Bradenton, his almost lifelong home. Snooty had two scars on his […]
About robotic sex dolls & gadgets to help people talk to their dogs
Amazon.com bets on profits in plug-in relationships SEATTLE––The Amazon.com folks, with revenue of $136 billion a year, know a thing or two about sales and communication. Futurologist Will Higham must also know a thing or two about sales and communication, because Amazon.com recently hired Higham to help them figure out how to make more […]
Why is animal use in labs up, even as public moral approval is down?
Anti-vivisection organizations claim victory while running on old momentum WASHINGTON D.C.–– Fewer Americans than ever before––just 51%, barely more than half––believe biomedical research on animals is ethically acceptable, according to 2017 Gallup polling data. Paradoxically, total use of animals in experiments appears to have soared to an all-time high, according to research funded by People […]