Marineland finally faces legal consequences after causing decades of suffering
Marineland has just been sentenced in court over the poor treatment of three black bears who were neglected under their former care. On August 15, the Court sentenced Marineland to a $15,000 fine on three counts (for a total of $45,000), a 25 percent victim surcharge, and ordered $28,000 in restitution to reimburse the government […]
Pigeon-fluencers help the much-hated bird make a surprising comeback (The Guardian)
Pidge is a New York City It Girl. Over 50,000 followers tune into her TikTok to learn her beauty routine or see her posing on the subway. She’s invited to book launches, where she mingles with other influencers. She loves statement bags: her newest is brat green.
Octopus farming in the U.S. would be banned under a new bill in Congress
A controversial plan to commercially farm octopus for meat has led to a U.S. bill that would ban the practice, along with any imports linked to it. Bipartisan legislation to ban octopus farming was introduced in Congress.
Turkey faces tourism boycott over ‘horrendous’ stray dog plan
Holidaymakers could soon boycott Turkey over a radical solution designed to vanquish stray dogs from its streets. For centuries, human residents have shared their cities with the animals, but a planned crackdown could see millions of them rounded up and euthanized.
Company that bred beagles for research pleads guilty to neglect, ordered to pay record $35M fine (AP News)
A company that bred beagles for medical research agreed Monday to pay a record $35 million as part of a criminal plea admitting it neglected thousands of dogs at its breeding facility in rural Virginia.
Colombia’s congress votes to ban bullfights, dealing a blow to the centuries-old tradition
Colombia’s congress voted to ban bullfights in the South American nation, delivering a serious blow to a centuries-old tradition that has inspired famous songs and novels, but has become increasingly controversial in the countries where it is still practiced.
Japan to start hunting fin whales after five years of commercial whaling
Japan will add large fin whales to its list of commercial whaling species, government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Thursday, five years after leaving an international body that regulates the commercial hunt of the marine mammals.
Wild horses facing removal in a North Dakota national park just got another strong ally: Congress
Advocates for some 200 wild horses roaming North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park are hoping a signal of support from Congress will prevent the removal of the beloved animals from the rugged landscape. A National Park Service decision is expected around April as to the horses’ future in the park’s colorful, rolling Badlands.
Wild horse panel convened to ‘keep the search for a solution alive’
It was neither the first or last panel discussion to be held on the issue—this was the second I’d covered in less than six months for The Indy—but it was notable because it included not just ranchers, horse advocates, and state lawmakers, but also leadership from the Nevada State Office of the Bureau of Land […]
Biden administration restores threatened species protections dropped by Trump
The Biden administration restored rules to protect imperiled species and shield their habitat from destruction after the measures were rolled back under Trump. Among the changes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates blanket protections for animals and plants newly classified as threatened.
Bats are in trouble. That’s not good for anyone who likes mezcal, rice or avocado
If you’ve ever enjoyed coffee, tomatoes, corn, bananas, mangoes, walnuts, chocolate, tequila or mezcal, you may just owe bats a thank-you. While bats are often the subject of fear and scorn–they’re fixtures in Halloween decor and haunted-house imagery, and are frequently portrayed as harbingers of doom–their presence is often a sign of a thriving ecosystem.
Red panda found in luggage of smuggling suspects at Thailand airport
Thai customs officials have arrested six Indian nationals for attempting to smuggle dozens of wild animals, including a red panda and cotton-top tamarin monkey, out of the country. Officers found 87 animals, including monitor lizards, birds and snakes, packaged inside the suspects’ checked luggage.
