Call For Nominations - Worst Zoos for Elephants In 2009

Do the elephants in your community's zoo constantly sway from side to side? Do the keepers use bullhooks to force them to comply with commands? Is the elephant exhibit at your zoo pitifully small? Are any of the elephants held alone or with only one other elephant?
Does freezing weather force the elephants indoors for the majority of the winter?

If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, then you should nominate your zoo for IDA’s annual list of the Top Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants!

Queenie Update - Charges Filed, We Must Keep Pressure On USDA

We're thrilled to report that the USDA has filed formal charges against circus trainer Will Davenport ("Maximus Tons of Fun") for abusive and negligent treatment of the elephants Tina, Jewel and Queenie, and for defying federal officials who attempted to protect the elephants.

Your thousands of calls, emails and faxes led to the removal of Tina and Jewel from the grip of abusive Will Davenport. Now that you have helped lead the USDA to take this enormous step towards rescuing Queenie, we must keep up the pressure so that the USDA finally takes Queenie out of Davenport’s hands and ensures that she is placed in an elephant sanctuary.

World Watch Report Reinforces Message of World Go Vegan Week

World Go Vegan Week is underway, with over 40 events now taking place in at least 10 countries. Events include tabling, leafleting, film screenings, vegan food samplings and potlucks, Halloween parties and more! Events outside the U.S. include Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Canada, Congo, India, Ireland, the Netherlands, and South Africa.

According to the new World Watch report "Livestock and Climate Change" by Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang, the impact of animal agriculture on climate change been vastly underestimated, comprising over half of all human caused greenhouse gas emissions. Goodland was the lead environmental adviser for 23 years to the World Bank and Anhang is a research officer and environmental specialist for the World Bank. They say the widely-cited 2006 U.N. report estimating that animal agriculture accounts for 18 percent of annual worldwide greenhouse gas emissions grossly underestimates that sector's impact. In fact, they conclude that farmed animals and their byproducts actually account for at least 32.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, or 51 percent of annual worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.

Based on their research, Goodland and Anhang conclude that replacing animal products with soy-based and other alternatives would be the best strategy for reversing climate change. “This approach would have far more rapid effects on GHG emissions and their atmospheric concentrations - and thus on the rate the climate is warming - than actions to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy.” They argue that food producers should mount a major campaign to promote the consumption of plant-based foods, including meat analogs. Please write a letter to the editor of your local paper and ask them to report on the connection between animal agriculture and climate change.

The Cove Stirs Outrage Over Dolphin Hunt In Japan

From the New York Times, October 22: "For years, dolphin hunts off the seaside town of Taiji, which turn coastal waters red with blood each winter, have drawn the ire of Western activists. But few among the Japanese public seemed to care, or even know, about the slaughter."

"That could change with the first public screenings here of “The Cove,” an American documentary that used hidden cameras to film Taiji’s annual dolphin hunts. On Wednesday, Japanese moviegoers got their first glimpse of it at the Tokyo International Film Festival, held here this week." Read more about the Japanese reaction to The Cove here. 

World Marvels At Photo From Dorothy's Funeral At IDA Africa

Thanks to National Geographic and London's Daily Mail, this photo from Dorothy's funeral at IDA's Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center in Cameroon, West Africa spread rapidly around the world via the internet. The image should settle the debate over whether chimpanzees grieve for lost family members.