Ban on bringing elephant parts into U.S. rescinded

courtesy google images 

We were horrified to see that the ban on bringing elephant parts into the United States has been rescinded which would allow trophy hunters, "poachers" and others to bring the heads, tails, tusks, feet, of elephants into this country for bragging rights. 

Your spcaLA has been fighting for the humane treatment of elephants and other endangered and protected species, and against the cowardly, barbaric and uncivilized "sport" of mutilating and torturing animals since our inception in 1877.

We, of course have issued a statement against this action, and urge a reinstatement of the ban.

Also today, California, State Senator Henry Stern announced that he is considering legislative action, in concert with animal welfare advocates, to prevent the possession of elephant trophies in California. Californians can find their representatives to express support at www.govtrack.us/congress/members.

Furthermore, Americans who are concerned about the slaughter of elephants for their parts can contact their members of Congress (www.govtrack.us/congress/members) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service at www.fws.gov to express said concerns.

Is it just me, or does this feel like this came about because a couple of whiny spoiled kids desperately need to show their daddy what they did and make him proud? Are we proud?

New Trapping Law In California

Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that applies improves the plight of trapped animals.

The new law revises and further limits the use of certain traps such as certain "body gripping traps", it makes it unlawful to kill any trapped animal by certain methods such as drowning and chest crushing, and adds signage and warning requirements designed to prevent unintended animals and people from being harmed by the traps. Violations of this law is a misdemeanor.

It is still mandatory that traps must be visited and animals removed at least once a day.

Though our laws permit the trapping of wild animals - it should not allow the further torment and cruel treatment of those animals unfortunate enough to be trapped. This new law helps with that but further sends the message that there is no carte blanche to be inhumane to animals even under circumstances where they might be considered nuisances or lawful to hunt.

Mother Mountain Lion and Her Three Cubs Killed in Northern California

courtesy Google images

The Department of Fish and Game killed a mother and three baby mountain lions, who they asserted were "terrorizing" Rescue, a neighborhood in Northern California. Despite the fact that this lion family was suspected of killing a residents' goat, and perhaps other livestock, the people of Rescue were upset that Fish and Game, again, resorted to killing the cat and her cubs.

As we search for space, fresh air and "nature", we forget that we encroach upon the natural habitats of animals with whom we share this planet. These animals are also part of the "nature" that we seek as a respite from crowded and smoggy cities. These animals need food and water regardless of whether houses stand where once they did not.  In other words, just because we change our address does not mean the wildlife we displace consents to politely starve to death and to stop behaving naturally. 

It also means that those charged with the responsibility of enforcing the protection of our native and protected species, (a class in which mountain lions reside), must behave better than the rest of us and work to negate our egocentric ignorant assumptions and behaviors.  Teaching people to cope, exploring relocation options, and creating wildlife corridors to expand areas of natural habitat could ultimately help save the lives of both the lions and the goat. It is also up to residents of areas where it is foreseeable to encounter a mountain lion to take steps to keep pets and farm animals in secure, indoor enclosures at night.

The Department of Fish and Game has always rejected that they were in the preservation business when criticized for too hastily hunting and killing one of our "game" animals. They insist that hunting and "taking" of "game" is necessary to manage herd populations. They have also had a terrible season during which their Commission president posted pictures of a lion that he killed out of state, a baby lion was gunned down at their direction in Santa Monica as well as other such difficult incidents. Yet, this past legislative session they removed the word "game" from Fish and Game and replaced it with "wildlife" so as to diminish and eliminate the hunting connotations emitted by the word "game" - clearly a distinction in "game" only.

They are not fooling anybody nor will Californians mistake such flimsy appearances for reality. Instead of asking the words to do the work of softening their image so as to appear less like government hunters why don't they just act that way? 

Trust me - this word play is no game to lions or goats.

Stop the Cruel and Bullying "Sport"of Hounding California's Bears and Bobcats

Senate Bill 1221 will stop the cruel and bullying pastime of “hounding” bears and bobcats.

Courtesy Google Images

"Hounding" is a hunting practice where dogs are first sprayed with a bear attractant and fitted with high‐tech radio collars, that permit the hunters to hunt remotely. The dogs can chase the bear or bobcats for miles until they are treed or exhausted, at which time the tip-switch on the collars alerts the hunters, who, arrive and shoot a weary animal at point blank range. Essentially, the hounds take all the risks while the "sport" hunter lounges around in the park waiting for the signal to exert him or herself enough to shoot a trapped, immobilized animal.

Courtesy Google Images

Notwithstanding the terrifying ordeal suffered by the target animal, the hounds don't fare much better. They are not treated as pets but as working animals. They get injured running, hit by cars, and are often wounded or killed by the target animal or any other wildlife (such as deer) that they may encounter. There are reports of shelters receiving these dogs dehydrated, skinny and injured after they are no longer any use to the "sportsman".

I respectfully submit that this form of hunting is neither sport nor sportsman like. As comedian Paul Rodriguez said: "In a sport both sides should know they are in the game".

Not only do the animals not know they are playing - the bullies are cheating.

It is time to end this practice in California. Please contact your representatives http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html and urge them to pass SB 1221.

Thank you.

Ask Obama to Save the Whales - Decision Due in 60 Days

UPDATE: Iceland to resume fin whaling in June 2013. Obama considered sanctions but did not, in the end, impose any.

 
Iceland and Norway are the only two countries in the world that continue to permit commercial whaling. Much of the meat is either sent to Japan for human consumption or fed to tourists as a novelty. (Japan is still permitted to hunt whales for "scientific purposes", though the meat is sold for food.) There is no humane way to kill whales at sea and since 2006 (when Iceland resumed commercial whaling) hundreds of endangered fin whales and minke whales have been killed.

Icelandic Whale - Google Images

A few days ago, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and the U.S. Department of Commerce formally declared that Iceland is undermining the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) by hunting whales in defiance of the IWC’s global ban on commercial whaling. As a result of this declaration, President Obama now has 60 days to decide whether to impose economic penalties and/or trade sanctions against Iceland pursuant to legislation known as the ‘Pelly Amendment’. Diplomatic negotiations and disapproval of other countries have so far failed to stop this practice.

Additionally, conservationists and animal welfare supporters are urging tourists to boycott Iceland and its whale watching excursions. Tourism is one of the countries primary revenue generators as visitors go whale watching and, in some instances, back to town to sample whale meat!  Arni Gunnarsson, the chairperson of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association, who is of the position that whale hunting is not profitable and taints Iceland's' global reputation, further stated in support of stopping the cruel behavior, stated: "It's simple: you get more revenues out of watching the whales than out of hunting them." 

Doing the right thing is in itself its just reward, and, in this case, it pays better.

President Obama has 60 days to make a decision. Please contact him  and urge him to protect whales and sanction Iceland.