Wildlife/Marine Mammals
Illegal government advisory panel touts ‘benefits’ of trophy hunting
By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson It may be hard to believe that a group of celebrity and professional trophy hunters, a director of the National Rifle Association, and the president of the world’s largest trophy hunting group are advising our government on wildlife conservation. . . .
Shocking HSI investigation reveals terror, suffering of foxes and mink on Finland’s fur farms
Every day, we are making groundbreaking advances in our fight against fur. Major fashion houses and retailers, from Gucci to Burlington, have gone fur-free and just last weekend, California became the first U.S. state to ban fur sales. But today, in a sad reminder of . . .
Snakes in India, dingoes in Australia, elephants in South Africa: HSI works globally to resolve human-wildlife conflicts
A 12-year-old student, on his way home from school in India, is bitten by a snake. He doesn’t realize what’s happened but collapses soon after and dies later that day at a hospital. Meanwhile, in Romania, conflicts with brown bears are increasing due to habitat . . .
Breaking news: California leads the nation by banning fur sales, bobcat trophy hunting
By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson Moments ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom made history by signing into law two landmark bills: one banning the sale and production of all new fur products in California, and another prohibiting the trophy hunting of bobcats in his state. California, . . .
Breaking news: European court upholds strong protections for wolves
Europe’s highest court has ruled that wolves in the European Union cannot be hunted, except in the rarest cases where member countries can prove there is no other option to end human-wolf conflict. The European Court of Justice ruling followed a challenge to a decision . . .
South Dakota will allow trophy hunters to kill 30 percent of its mountain lions
South Dakota has a notorious history of mismanaging its mountain lion population and playing into the hands of trophy hunters. In past years, the Mount Rushmore state has repeatedly increased its hunting quota for the animals, despite evidence that its lion population is on the . . .
Gov. Inslee says killing wolves over livestock conflicts is not working for Washington
Wolves in northeastern Washington, under the gun because of reported conflicts with cattle ranchers, have found a powerful ally. This week, Gov. Jay Inslee weighed in on his state’s controversial killings of more than two dozen wolves in this region in recent years. In a . . .
Airbnb, TripAdvisor announcements herald progress for wild animals trapped in tourism industry
Today, the New York Times reported on Airbnb’s new featured offering of “animal experiences,” which will have an ethical focus and will ban any direct contact with wild animals. The announcement comes on the heels of a decision by TripAdvisor, reported just yesterday, to stop . . .
Senator introduces bills to restrict private possession of big cats, primates
By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson Ten years ago, Americans were stunned by a pet chimpanzee’s vicious attack on a Connecticut woman, Charla Nash. The animal bit off Nash’s fingers and toes, tore off most of her face, and left her fighting for her life. . . .
HSUS videos cross 150 million views on YouTube
One of the most effective ways we communicate with the public about the animals we help is through the power of visual storytelling. The use of video makes it possible for the public to see the plight of animals while also learning how they can . . .
A week of successes for wildlife as key Senate committees vote up funding, protections for wild horses and burros, whales and elephants
By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson A number of important bills are now making their way through Congress, and this week has been a particularly successful one for wildlife and especially for elephants, rhinos, wolves, wild horses, burros and right whales. Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations . . .
New York proposes to crack down on private ownership of capuchin monkeys, arctic foxes, raccoons, skunks and other wildlife
In recent years, our nation has witnessed an epidemic of people acquiring exotic wildlife as pets. Wild animals, including lions, tigers, bears, chimpanzees, monkeys, venomous snakes, alligators and other dangerous species are readily available from breeders and even over the Internet. In private hands, these . . .
