Wildlife/Marine Mammals
Breaking news: Maryland lawmakers say ‘no’ to new cosmetics tests on animals
Maryland will soon become the fifth U.S. state to say no to cosmetics testing on animals. State lawmakers last night voted to prohibit new tests on animals for cosmetics and all sales of newly-animal-tested cosmetics beginning July 2022. The Senate and House versions of the . . .
Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga go fur-free
Two of fashion’s most iconic brands, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga, have announced they no longer use animal fur in their lines. Alexander McQueen, a top British brand, and Balenciaga, a luxury Spanish brand, are the latest houses in the Kering Group, a luxury fashion group . . .
African elephants are just a step or two away from extinction, new report warns
Scientists and conservationists have long warned about drastic drops in African elephant populations because of habitat loss, conflicts with humans and poaching for ivory. Trophy hunters exacerbate the problem by mowing elephants down for fun. Yesterday, the International Union for Conservation of Nature sounded a . . .
Costa Rica and HSI seek to end wildlife selfie abuses with #StopAnimalSelfies campaign
Costa Rica’s gorgeous biodiversity has made it a haven for wildlife tourism. But in the age of social media, the impact on the wild animals themselves has not always been a positive one. In a 2017 study, Costa Rica was identified as one of the . . .
Colorado, Idaho make reckless decisions to persecute bobcats, mountain lions and other wildlife
Each year, trophy hunters and trappers kill around 2,000 of Colorado’s bobcats, either for fun or to sell their furs overseas, usually in Russian and Chinese markets. The animals are hunted down with radio-collared dogs and shot at point-blank range, or they are trapped in . . .
New HSI investigation reveals appalling cruelty on fur farms
The dreadful cruelty of fur production is on display in video footage we are releasing today, as part of a Humane Society International investigation of 13 fur farms in China. The graphic video shows a worker at a fur farm stabbing raccoon dogs with a . . .
Breaking news: Congress just passed the COVID relief package with funding for activities that would improve animal welfare
The COVID relief package Congress just passed includes a number of provisions that will improve surveillance and inspection of trades where animals often endure acute suffering and that also tend to be hotbeds for disease spread. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is primarily . . .
Victory! Court says New York’s ban on ivory, rhino horn sales will stay
A federal court in New York has rejected a challenge by trade groups to the state’s landmark ban on elephant ivory and rhino horn sales. The ruling is not just a win for these beleaguered animals, whose numbers in the wild are dropping at an . . .
Trophy hunters have slaughtered nearly 1,400 bobcats in Illinois since 2015. A new bill would stop the carnage.
Since Illinois reopened its bobcat hunts in 2015, after a 40-year hiatus, trophy hunters and trappers have killed nearly 1,400 bobcats using some of the cruelest methods imaginable, like steel-jawed leghold traps. These devices are so painful that the animals sometimes gnaw through their own . . .
Trophy hunters kill 216 wolves in Wisconsin bloodbath
A no-holds-barred carnage of wolves in Wisconsin last week, which ended with trophy hunters killing nearly twice the sanctioned quota of animals in just under 60 hours, offers a terrible glimpse into just what lies ahead for these beloved native American carnivores unless the Biden . . .
House approves COVID relief package with historic funding commitments for animal-related pandemic prevention
Update (3/6/20201): The Senate has just passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and it includes almost all of the provisions we supported and pushed for that would benefit animals. The House and Senate will next work on a compromise version of the two . . .
Beauty industry trade group wins Spira Award for championing end to new cosmetics animal testing
As we worked toward the introduction of the Humane Cosmetics Act in the last Congress, one of our most important partners was the Personal Care Products Council, the leading industry trade organization that represents more than 90% of the U.S. beauty industry, including our Be . . .
