Critter News

NOVEMBER 7, 2009

Another animal experiment I would not support as a US taxpayer. I am so sorry, but the likelihood and necessity of trips to Mars are immeasurably low right now. If we are going to subject animals to great suffering (radiation for heaven's sake), don't let it be for something like this. Trips to Mars?

Monkeys 100

Monkeys Experience Experiments Squirrels 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

Described in the “Territoriality and aggression” chapter, this is a sublime example of behaviour from the “Understanding Animal Behaviour” by Rory Putman, an Emeritus Chair in Behavioural and Environmental Biology at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. “Understanding Animal Behaviour” by Rory Putman.

Animal 115

Animal Bears Stray Dog Blackbirds 115

Critter News

FEBRUARY 2, 2009

Hey Gregory, time to become a real vet and help sick and wounded animals recover; not ensure the smooth functioning of the torture chambers by assisting vivisectors in callous and fraudulent experiments on fourty-thousand beautiful, innocent beings per year. Liberation's crusade has begun.

Vet 100

Vet Animal Rights Wounded Animal Vivisection 100

Critter News

OCTOBER 9, 2010

Wonder if that could get activists into trouble under AETA (Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act.) Animal rights activists are targeting a University of Florida researcher for his role in experiments on primates — even though he says he doesn't personally conduct animal research.

Animal Research 100

Animal Research Florida Research AETA 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 9, 2022

Maybe author Sy Montgomery is right when she says that “birdwatchers often look down on falconry,” and maybe not. As Montgomery shows, falconry is different from any other human/animal interaction. The post also has, in the appended Comments section, a long colloquy on falconry, mostly pro with some con, well worth a look.].

New Hampshire 210

New Hampshire Chickens Hunting Falcons 210

Animal Person

MAY 23, 2009

I've used the term "animal activism" lately as an experiment. I notice that if I use "animal rights activist" or anything with the word "rights" in it, because it's loaded and misunderstood, my listener often has an immediate bias of some kind. First, note that now PeTA is an "animal advocacy group."

Animal Advocacy 100

Animal Advocacy PETA Animal Advocacy 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2014

It’s become regrettably political in the US right, which is the absolute worst response to a potential pandemic going. The book is about zoonoses, diseases that jump from animals to people. My parents are in England, should I be worried about the conflict on the other side of Europe in the Ukraine?”

Humane 161

Humane Animal Africa Ukraine 161

Reddit Animals

APRIL 8, 2023

WEIRD ANIMAL SIGHTING this happened a few days after Christmas December 2022 So me and my buddy were fishing in the San gabriel mountains late into the night and we ended up leaving around 5-5:30AM while it was still dark. I can tell you from first hand experience you're not crazy.

Los Angeles 52

Los Angeles Mountain Lions Cats Fur 52

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2014

The use of tool by animals is surprisingly rare. Further support for inherent behavior comes from experiments. In another experiment, other species of Darwin Finches were kept next to Woodpecker Finches that used tools. It may take just being at the right place at the right time. The behavior was inherent.

Fish 163

Fish Woodpeckers Ostriches Eggs 163

Animal Ethics

MAY 14, 2008

The question of whether animals possess rights is once again topical, largely as a result of the recent surge of interest in animal welfare and in the moral pros and cons of eating animals and using them in scientific research. Arguments to show that animals do have rights, therefore, are at a premium. (

Animal Rights 40

Animal Rights Rights Animal Welfare Animal 40

Animal Person

APRIL 6, 2010

Riddle me this: Why would any human animal use as a default position that nonhuman animals do not have personalities as rich, distinct, obnoxious, obsequious and varied as human animals? Have they not ever observed nonhuman animals? Why is it surprising that nonhuman animals have personalities when human animals do?

Animal 100

Animal Pigs Human Animals Humane 100

Animal Ethics

APRIL 19, 2016

"There is no longer dispute among serious scientists that humans aren’t the only animals who have the capacity to suffer physically and mentally. Elephants, great apes, orcas, dogs, cats, and many other animals can experience depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and compulsive disorders.

For Animals 40

For Animals Apes Psychology Suffering 40

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2023

Galápagos: A Natural History, Second Edition by John Kricher and Kevin Loughlin gives the traveling naturalist the tools needed to fully appreciate and experience the Galápagos Islands. I wish I had read this book. I’m sure it must have been on my list of suggested reading for my tour (I just checked my files, and yes, it was).

2006 248

2006 Tortoises Sea Lions Sea Turtles 248

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2020

Kroodsma waited for years for the right opportunity to record its different songs, a “cascade of sweet and liquid notes,” one naturalist said, “like the spray of a waterfall and sunshine.”. Like he does, say, for the Canyon wren. He had long wondered, Kroodsma says, how many songs, exactly, the Canyon wren has in his repertoire.

Virginia 242

Virginia Boston North America 2020 242

Critter News

JUNE 9, 2009

Animal Person , someone who is clearly smarter than me, has a great analysis about the recent "Pepper" series in Slate about animal research. At least he didn't try to make me feel happy or warm and fuzzy about animal research. Animal Person points out this comment made by Daniel Engber, the author.

Animal Research 100

Animal Research Research Humane Treatment Medical Research 100

4 The Love Of Animals

AUGUST 30, 2011

Choosing the right pet for your child is key. Having pets at a young age instills kids with a sense of confidence that they can take care of an animal and help it to live a thriving life. Have you ever seen a kid talk to a pet and the animal responds by wagging its tail or purring? By Dr. Tim Hunt, DVM.

Compassion 100

Compassion Guinea Pigs Purebred Animal 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2022

Some differences in animal behavior are quite striking. This would have allowed you to summarize your experience in sentences such as “A total of 98 boluses regurgitated by 52 chicks aged 1 day to 11 days after hatching form the sample and are shown to contain 323 food items.” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom ( source ).

Birds 162

Birds South Korea Japan Abandon 162

Critter News

JUNE 16, 2010

If chimpanzees have consciousness, if they are capable of abstractions, do they not have what until now has been described as "human rights"? If they are "only" animals, if they are beasts which abstract not, then my comparison is a piece of sentimental foolishness. Tags: animal experimentation animal research.

Animal 100

Animal Medical Research Apes Research 100

Animal Person

JUNE 16, 2010

From the Introduction : "Humans are fascinated by animals. For all our devotion, though, we sometimes seem not to recognize the needs and wants of animals. Do animals have rights? Do human beings have duties toward them regardless of whether they have rights? What kind of souls do animals have?

Advocacy 100

Advocacy Vegan Ethics Animal Rights 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 6, 2011

You’d think, then, that applying science to philosophy by studying the evolutionary underpinnings of thought and behavior across species would be right up my alley. With those caveats in mind, I took up Dale Peterson’s The Moral Lives of Animals with hope and not a little trepidation.

Morals 109

Morals Animal Humane Research 109

Animal Person

APRIL 24, 2009

Yesterday, regarding being a minority within a minority , mikey commented (among other things): While I am fairly new subscriber to this blog, therefore not knowing your particular stance, I've often felt like a minority within a minority for my stance on animal birth control. Hence, it's a Gray Matter.) And this is one of them.

Project Treadstone 100

Project Treadstone Feral Cats Spay Spaying 100

Critter News

OCTOBER 21, 2010

Again, work by SAEN (Stop Animal Exploitation Now.) An Ohio-based animal rights organization has filed a complaint against Harvard Medical School, alleging that the school's New England Primate Research Center in Southborough did not properly report its experiments on animals. From the MetroWest Daily News.

Medical 100

Medical Animal Welfare Act Research Primates 100

Critter News

JANUARY 18, 2010

An experiment in which anesthetized pigs were buried alive in snow to learn how humans live or die in avalanches was halted today in Austria after animal-rights groups denounced the research as cruel and useless. The two-week experiment involving 29 pigs began Tuesday in the Western Austrian Alps. From USA Today.

Pigs 100

Pigs Austria Animal Research Research 100

4 The Love Of Animals

OCTOBER 10, 2014

Pets Aplenty is a humorous book written by Malcolm Welshman, a retired vet who has worked at London Zoo, in a small animal hospital, and as a consultant dealing with exotics. Pets Aplenty draws on experiences in his life as a vet, but told through the eyes of his alter ego, Paul Mitchell. So, let’s chat about the book!

Pets 100

Pets Vet Rabbits Zoos 100

Animal Person

APRIL 14, 2009

There is a profound difference between what Sea Shepherd does and what the Animal Liberation Front does, but there are also similarities, and those similarities increase in number if a direct action by the ALF (or anyone else) is an open rescue and therefore a direct defense of sentient nonhumans being attacked by humans. That's one result.

Animal Liberation Front 100

Animal Liberation Front UCLA Animal Liberation Primates 100

Animal Person

AUGUST 16, 2011

Hal Herzog’s “ Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat ” (Harper 2011), though fascinating, is ultimately depressing for vegans and animal rights activists. Over at Animal Rights and AntiOppression , we’ve been discussing tactics and sharing our thoughts and experiences about what works and doesn’t work when it comes to advocacy.

Vegan 100

Vegan Morals Animal Rights Advocacy 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

So here it is, the review of Tracks and Signs of the Animals and Birds of Britain and Europe by Lars-Henrik Olsen. This is like Sibley calling his bird guide “The Sibley guide to Birds of Massachusetts and North America” The latter sounds silly, right? So what is one to think of the former?

Europe 165

Europe Mammals Animal Birds 165

Critter News

APRIL 26, 2009

Last night, I watched "Milk," the film about assassinated gay rights activist Harvey Milk. I not only learned about Harvey Milk, but about the early stages of the gay rights movement (which is ongoing today when one looks at all the right-wing flutterings over gay marriage.) Animals can't do that.

Animal Rights Movement 100

Animal Rights Movement Factory Farm Factory Farming Animal Rights 100

Animal Person

FEBRUARY 26, 2010

I've been having a difficult time blogging both here and at Animal Rights & AntiOppression lately because I feel like my thoughts are like " Groundhog Day." Not the day, the film, where Bill Murray experiences the same day over and over again. There are few animal rights stories in the news. Feathers: animal.

Chickens 100

Chickens Slaughter Slaughtered Animal Rights 100

Critter News

NOVEMBER 29, 2009

Scores of abandoned dogs, cats and livestock from Utah animal shelters become subjects of laboratory research at the University of Utah each year. That's because of a little-known state law that requires government-run pounds to turn animals over to researchers if asked. Tags: animal research animal shelters strays.

Utah 100

Utah Stray Shelters Research 100

Animal Person

MAY 28, 2009

One complaint many of us have with "liberals" and "progressives" is that they tend to leave veganism and animal rights out of their sphere of concern. Tags: Activism Current Affairs Ethics animal rights Animal welfare Nutrition The Goode Family Veganism Vegetarianism. Are Baby Boomers killing Facebook and Twitter?

Family 100

Family Vegan Vegetarian Animal Welfare 100

Critter News

JULY 10, 2010

the tape {from an undercover investigation by Mercy for Animals,) Conklin is shown kicking a cow that is lying down. The Union County sheriff's office said it had four veterinarians with experience in large-animal care review the tape. Attorney's Office for possible charges under the federal Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act.

Farming 100

Farming AETA Columbus Animal Welfare 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 9, 2013

The general public is out and about, birds and animals are raising their young, and human/wildlife interaction is at its peak. Two days ago I went on Facebook and queried some of my exhausted compatriots: if you could have one wish right now – anything in the world – what would it be? “I Summer is high season.

Wildlife 245

Wildlife Wildlife Rehabilitation Oklahoma New York 245

Critter News

MAY 11, 2009

And it's especially the case in animal rights advocacy. But in my experience, it usually backfires, particularly with men. Tags: animal rights advocacy. There's always a dilemma in debating any issue as to whether one should rely on emotion or reason to advance one's argument. I can pack an emotional punch as well.

Emotional 100

Emotional Advocacy Animal Rights PETA 100

Animal Person

MARCH 24, 2010

I printed pages of information about petting zoos from the Internet, mostly about health risks but also about animal treatment. Of course none of them come close to the most important reason for my objection: that we have no right to use animals for entertainment or other reasons that are not necessary.

Zoos 100

Zoos Ponies Pets Vegan 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

Growing up in central Oregon, allowed me to experience such a diverse amount of habitat, and the wildlife that resides there. Pronghorn Antelope populations once exceeded 30 million animals, but by the turn of the century, was down to just a few small bands. This small group of Pronghorn Antelope were right at the refuge entrance.

Sheep 113

Sheep Oregon Mules Livestock 113

Animal Person

JUNE 8, 2009

Beloved family pet Dalmatian, Pepper, is stolen, and after several weeks of searching is discovered to have been experimented on at a hospital and died on the table when researchers tried to implant her with an experimental cardiac pacemaker. You can buy some extra time by presoaking the animal in a basin of ice water.)"

Animal Welfare 100

Animal Welfare Monkeys Animal Welfare Act Vivisection 100