Wildlife/Marine Mammals
Trump Jr.’s argali trophy hunt in Mongolia cost American taxpayers $77,000
We’ve just learned that Donald Trump Jr.’s trophy hunting trip to Mongolia, where he hunted an argali sheep—an animal listed as “threatened” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act—cost American taxpayers a whopping $77,000. The revelation comes from the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics . . .
Unless we act fast, our oceans could lose some of their most precious inhabitants
It’s hard to imagine our oceans without the beautiful and diverse creatures who inhabit them. Sharks, whales, dolphins, seals, sea turtles and thousands of other marine animals who call the waters their home are not simply representative of the wonders of the natural world, they . . .
For the third year in a row, Nebraska wants to open a small and declining population of mountain lions to trophy hunters
Nebraska’s mountain lions have suffered enough. They were wiped out of existence in the state during the 1900s because of trophy hunting, and it was only in 2007 that biologists documented a new mountain lion kitten in the state’s Pine Ridge region. Unfortunately, the small . . .
Good riddance to Steve King: Iowa primary voters dump U.S. congressman who supported horse slaughter, dogfighting and factory farming
There is perhaps no one in the recent history of Congress who, during his term in office, has attempted to wreak more havoc on animals than Steve King. The Iowa Republican has supported killing horses for human consumption; opposed including pets in disaster planning; defended . . .
Court gives Joe Exotic’s zoo to Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue; but no reprieve for the animals
In yet another twist in the continuing saga of Joe Exotic, a court has awarded his roadside zoo in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, to the leader of a big cat sanctuary whom he once hired a hitman to kill. A federal judge on Monday gave the GW . . .
Missouri proposes opening its small black bear population to trophy hunters
Missouri has proposed a hunting season on its small and still-recovering population of black bears, who were once nearly wiped out because of overhunting and logging, which decimated their habitat. The Missouri Department of Conservation estimates that there are now approximately 540 to 840 bears . . .
Breaking news: U.S. will allow cruel trophy hunting practices to kill hibernating bears and wolf pups on Alaska’s federal lands
The Trump administration has just delivered a one-two punch to Alaska’s wildlife: it has announced that it will release a final National Park Service rule allowing some of the cruelest practices for killing black bears, wolves and other wildlife on national preserve lands in Alaska; . . .
Breaking news: Chinese provinces announce plans to buy out wildlife breeders, end trade in wild animals for food
Four Chinese provinces will offer farmers a government buy-out or other financial help to stop breeding wild animals like civets and cobras for food. This move is part of a continuing crackdown by China and its individual provinces and cities on the nation’s rampant wildlife . . .
Roadside zoos lure in visitors amidst the pandemic, at great risk to animals and people
Last week, the Oklahoma roadside zoo where Joe Exotic bred tiger cubs, ripped them from their mothers as soon as they were born, hit them so they would pose with visitors for photos, and disposed of many of them when they were no longer of . . .
Pennsylvania teen who tortured dying deer avoids prison sentence; case highlights need for mental health evaluations in animal cruelty instances
A Pennsylvania court this week allowed an 18-year-old to avoid prison time for a crime that shocked Americans when a viral video of it surfaced earlier this year: in the video, the young man and his friend were seen torturing a dying deer, kicking him . . .
The Endangered Species Act is in its own fight for survival; help us save and strengthen it
Imagine our world and its wildlife without the protections of the Endangered Species Act. Had it not been for this bedrock federal law, the beloved American bald eagle would most likely have gone the way of the dodo or the passenger pigeon. Gray wolves and . . .
BREAKING: HSUS, HSLF, HSI release policy plan on wildlife markets, factory farms, companion animals and more to avoid another global health crisis
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted the world to acknowledge the pressing need to change our relationship with animals. From the wildlife markets implicated in the origin of the novel coronavirus to the slaughterhouses that have become clusters for its spread, we now know only too . . .
