Critter News

AUGUST 24, 2011

Someone posted a question about why humans have human rights and whether they should considering that others do not. In the matter of science, and there are varying levels of this viewpoint, the human is the most advanced of creatures. Do you care about the stray dog or the almost extinct tiger? I responded.

Humane 100

Humane Rights Stray Dog Stray 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2022

For once, eBird gives a good description of the Asian Glossy Starling, calling it a “Fierce-looking, large songbird” As are humans, this species is fairly urbanized – it “sometimes enters urban areas to roost, e.g. in Singapore” (HBW). In Singapore, Common Redshanks mostly drink Tiger Beer.

Singapore 218

Singapore Birds Zebras Feral 218

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2023

Not sure why they spend time in Shanghai in winter when they could come here though, but then again, I usually do not understand most of the behavior of humans either. Tiphys died either of a snakebite or of a mysterious illness but he was not killed by either a tiger or a rhinoceros. Yes, we have them in Shanghai as well.

Birds 215

Birds Eagles Elephants Rhinoceros 215

Animal Person

MARCH 9, 2010

A handful Animal Person readers since May of 2006, when I started this then-daily blog, have asked me if I've read Joan Dunayer. And now that I've read Animal Equality and begun Speciesism , I think I know why. Dunayer devotes a chapter each to the language used in hunting, zoos, "marine parks," vivisection and "animal agriculture."

Animal 100

Animal Vivisection Suffering Emotional 100

Critter News

JANUARY 3, 2010

In this week's podcast ending January 2, 2010: **The USDA and National Institutes of Health find animal welfare violations at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; **the Catalan Parliament in Spain finally votes to ban bullfighting in the region; **the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro, CA has a record year for marine life suffering from illness (..)

AETA 100

AETA Marine Life Animal Welfare Wisconsin 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2022

An Ashy Drongo apparently spends approximately 71% of its time scanning (what non-scientists would probably call looking around), 9% eating (less than a typical Chinese human but much more than me), calling 7%, flying 7%, and 6% preening. In Singapore, a Tiger Shrike was observed casting a pellet after eating a large scarab beetle.

Singapore 147

Singapore Mountain Goats Birds Giraffes 147

Animal Person

NOVEMBER 21, 2010

Here's the good news: This is a very readable explanation of how animals in the Hundred Heartbeat Club (there are 100 or fewer individuals in the wild today) got to be in the club. This is irksome, as the premise is that we need to save the animals (and which ones is an interesting discussion) because we will suffer if they are gone.

Polar Bears 100

Polar Bears California Condor Bald Eagle Lions 100

Animal Ethics

JANUARY 21, 2009

Who exactly is not supposed to eat animals or products of animals? This problem is especially acute with respect to carnivorous animals. What animals is it morally wrong to eat? If animals could be created by genetic engineering, could they be created so that there were no moral objections to eating them?

Morals 40

Morals Vegetarian Meat Lions 40

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

They are not necessarily the biggest African animals, but represented those that were considered a real hunter’s worthy prey or “game” – the African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Black Rhinoceros, Leopard and king of the jungle, the Lion (which of course doesn’t inhabit jungle but savanna!).

Buffalo 201

Buffalo Rhinoceros Elephants Leopards 201

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

As she continued her monologue about these cats, the Wildcat cautiously walked in our direction, never taking its eyes off of us, stiff-legged, ears motionless, striped like a standard “tiger” domestic cat but entirely in grays. He also had tigers, cougars, and some other animals. That was one of his cats.

Feral Cats 254

Feral Cats North America Feral Cats 254

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2013

In the past I have attributed some of this conflict to differences between the conservation mindset and that of animal rights/animal welfare. The way things should be is a very powerful motivating factor in human lives. It’s all very well to advocate the should that tigers should not be poached from a reserve in India.

Tigers 172

Tigers Hunting Game Protection 172

Animal Person

DECEMBER 17, 2011

The neighborhood kids love her because she's beautiful ("Where's the tiger? We want to see the tiger!" So when we adopted a human baby we knew we'd have to teach that human to avoid Violet. The growing little human in the house was basically taught to stay far away from dogs and respect their space.

Family 100

Family Greyhounds Adoptable Puppies 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2018

The definition of the word HUNT is “to chase or search for game or other wild animals for the purpose of catching or killing.” The Amur Leopard ( Panthera pardus orientalis – above) is just one majestic animal on the Critically Endangered (CR) list with less than 100 individuals in the wild due to hunting for its fur.

Hunting 110

Hunting Hunters Gorillas Wolves 110