For example, there was a higher-than expected number of bats passing away each year between 2004 and 2008, but the zoo didn’t do anything to decide why. Instead, it brought a new bat species into the exact place in the year 2009 — twenty-five of those creatures also passed away. We've written about the Calgary Zoo here before. Not a stellar reputation. Now, the results of a long-awaited audit shows that this place truly sucks and needs a lot of improvement. From eCanadaNow.com. MORE

Bats are being targeted. I don't get it. The Brits are known for their animal rights activism, but there's been a rise in wildlife crime against all animals. Apparently they are seen as nuisances. Badgers are being caught for dog-baiting. A bird species is near extinction. MORE

They’ve had to earn degrees in economics and sociology to learn to marry their causes with the human one – explaining, for instance, that humans depend on bats to pollinate or on coral reefs to support other marine life that is advantageous to mankind. "Earth Hour" was held yesterday. People were supposed to turn their lights off for an hour. I like this opinion piece from the Christian Science Monitor which calls for an "Endangered Species Hour." MORE

Compassion" has been so diluted that most people don't bat an eyelash at the idea of " compassionate carnivores." Why all the quotation marks? Because I've been thinking about the evolution of my own thinking--and languaging--regarding animal rights. Both animal rights groups and animal welfare groups use "compassion" frequently. Then again, so do people who kill animals for a living. MORE

An autographed batting helmet from Philadelphia Phillies player and 2011 MLB All-Star Shane Victorino. The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is hosting an online charity auction until November 9th, 2011. Items up for bid feature a variety of one-of-a-kind experiences and merchandise. Proceeds from the sales will support ongoing programs such as chimpanzee preservation, and many more. MORE

Elephants, whales, hippopotamuses, giraffes, and alligators use low-frequency sounds to communicate over long distances, often miles; and bats, dolphins, whales, frogs, and various rodents use high-frequency sounds to find food, communicate with others, and navigate. Grief, friendship, gratitude, wonder, and other things we animals experience. by Marc Bekoff. Scientific research shows that many animals are very intelligent and have sensory and motor abilities that dwarf ours. MORE

But there were many things that I didn’t realize she needed right off the bat. This is a very important article from Worst Case Scenario: Dogs. Here is a snipet, but to read the entire article visit the link above. Everyone knows that young puppies keep you up all night, have to be let out to go to the bathroom every couple of hours, have accidents all over the house, chew on everything they can get their paws on (including cats), and don’t like being left alone at ALL. MORE

And is video of a cow being pummeled to death with a bat worse than a cow being "processed" in a slaughterhouse? Vamsee Juluri, Professor of Media Studies at the University of San Francisco, takes me back to graduate school when he writes of the importance of the stories we tell ourselves in " Use Free Speech to Celebrate Animal Life, Not to Enjoy Their Suffering." MORE

Where you see a twisty tie, cats see a fun toy to bat around. Recycle it the easy way by crumpling it up and making paper balls for your kitty to bat around. They LOVE chewing on ribbon and bows, batting it around and rolling around on crinkly tissue paper. Is it gross to watch your cats bat around a bug that wishes he’d NEVER walked into your home? Sucked In By Cat Commercialism. MORE

But alas, we' re too important and special to "manage," and every human pregnancy is treated as a sacred, blessed event, while we kill the kittens inside pregnant feral cats every day without batting an eyelash, and in fact we're relieved when we can catch one who's pregnant, as that's x number of cats who don't have to come into this world. MORE

Migratory birds protect forests and crops from insect pests; butterflies, bats and other migratory species are important pollinators. To the Editor: Re “ Thinning Yellowstone’s Bison Herd ” (news article, March 23): Yellowstone National Park bison, executed when they migrate outside the boundaries of the park, have plenty of company. Around the world, animal migrations are disappearing because of conflicts with development, agriculture and other human activities. MORE