Reports of his death, as Mark Twain said, were “Greatly exaggerated.” HELENA––“Heartbroken to share that our beloved Jonathan,” a Seychelles tortoise with an estimated age of 194 years, “the world’s oldest living land animal, has passed away today peacefully,” a scammer purporting to be St. Helena veterinarian Joe Hollins posted to social media on April […]
Five little noted but accomplished animal advocates who died in 2025
Marshall R. Thompson, Jamie Massey, Sarah Fisher, Neil C. Wolff, DVM, and Vincent van der Merwe Among the many accomplished animal advocates whose passage in the last months of 2025 mostly escaped notice from all but family and friends were Marshall R. Thompson, Jamie Massey, Sarah Fisher, Neil C. Wolff, DVM, and Vincent van der […]
Turtle news? Not much is new to a turtle, but they just keep plodding along
25th annual World Turtle Day was a much bigger success than Donald Trump’s military parade MALIBU, California––The 25th annual World Turtle Day was “shellebrated,” in founder Susan Tellem’s idiom, back on May 23, 2025, but turtle and tortoise news tends to crawl along much like turtles and tortoises themselves, much more slowly and calmly most […]
Live markets torture animals & perhaps poison people in your city too
by Eric Mills, coordinator, Action for Animals, Oakland, California. The San Francisco Commission of Animal Care & Control met on February 13, 2025. On the agenda: animal cruelty in the city’s many live markets, presented by the Washington, D.C.-based organization, Animal Outlook, replete with videos of the abuses and violations. The involvement of Animal Outlook, […]
SeaQuest Woodbridge animals remain onsite after New Jersey impoundment
As many as 6,000 animals at other sites owned by the bankrupt SeaQuest interactive aquarium chain remain in limbo WOODBRIDGE, N.J.––A clue to the possible disposition of at least some of the estimated 7,500 animals left in limbo by the December 2024 application for Chapter 11 bankruptcy of SeaQuest Holdings LLC came in a January […]
SeaQuest bankruptcy leaves animals hanging in the scales of justice
Hearing ends without a ruling on disposition of assets, including animals, but sale to 4% owner is rejected (See also SeaQuest Woodbridge animals remain onsite after New Jersey impoundment.) BOISE, Idaho––The fate of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of animals surviving at the five remaining SeaQuest interactive aquariums still hangs in the scales of justice, […]
$20,000 fine for fatal dog attack on endangered Hawaiian monk seal
But what exactly happened & why, & who tried to cover it up, remain undisclosed HONOLULU, Hawaii––Why is the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement understating the risk of dog attack to highly endangered Hawaiian monk seals? What information is the Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources withholding about a […]
Richard Ellis, 86, & Wallace J. Nichols, 56, sought to save marine life
Surfers, divers, authors & scientists Marine biologist, author, and illustrator Richard Ellis, 86, an almost lifelong resident of New York City, died of cardiac arrest on May 21, 2024 at an assisted living facility in Norwood, New Jersey. Sea turtle researcher, Wildcoast conservation group cofounder, and author of the 2014 book Blue Mind Wallace […]
Peepers are out for spring, but where are the voices for frogs & turtles?
California Department of Fish & Wildlife continues to ignore the advice of California Wildlife Commission to stop the import & sale of frogs & turtles at live markets OAKLAND, California––Why is Eric Mills of Action for Animals apparently the only California animal advocate mobilizing to put pressure on the California Wildlife Commission and Department of […]
Will California catch up to Chinese regulation of bullfrog & turtle traffic?
California trails China, Singapore, Taiwan, & Hong Kong in regulation of frog & turtle sales at live markets SAN DIEGO, California––Meeting on December 13-14, 2023 at the Handlery Hotel in San Diego, the California Fish & Game Commission will be asked yet again to ban the import into California of live American bullfrogs and freshwater […]