Better to cull them than subject them to years of pain and loneliness in a lab. I'm so glad I have this blog and other web outlets to highlight these kinds of stories. If not for these outlets, I would have to sit in a slow simmer as none of my "friends" can handle or understand the outrage. I think they just want to live in happy denial. If they think about what's going on and their role in it, then they might actually have to care. MORE

It will allow China to bid for more than 100 tonnes of ivory stockpiled in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe through culling and natural deaths. I don't know how to call this one.will it help or hurt the elephant population in the long run? Either way, I hate these incredibly intelligent animals being "harvested" as "product." The UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Geneva voted in favour of China becoming a licensed importer. MORE

Despite the fact that some 100,000 elk are shot every autumn in Sweden out of an estimated population of 3-400,000, King Gustaf believes that the presence of 200 wolves might spoil his annual hunt, so has been advocating the culling of as many wolves as possible. Unfortunately, he's also one of the presidents of the World Wildlife Fund whose Swedish chapter supports the maintenance of the wolf population. From Wildlife Extra. MORE

Throats slit' The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in British Columbia, alleged that an Outdoor Adventures employee was told to cull the dogs in April last year. Bad allegations connected to Whistler. Full article at the BBC News. Canadian police are investigating the reported killing of 100 huskies which had been used to pull tourist sleds in the ski resort of Whistler. MORE

It is only the prejudice of our species that justifies culling the deer population while protecting our own. To the Editor: In “ Hunting Deer With My Flintlock ” (Op-Ed, Dec. 26), Seamus McGraw says he has a responsibility to kill deer because there are too many. He has volunteered to kill a deer cruelly, ineptly and with an outdated weapon that causes additional suffering to the deer. I assume that the use of the flintlock is to enhance his self-image as a master of the woodland. MORE

It leaves the National Park Service full latitude to determine which elk should be culled. To the Editor: Your editorial against my proposal to thin the elk herd in Theodore Roosevelt National Park (“ Elk Hunting in the Badlands ,” July 8) missed the mark in several key respects. First, nobody has proposed creating “a broad precedent for public hunting in the national parks.” My proposal applies very narrowly to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. MORE

Tags: cull montana idaho wolves MORE

Here is the letter: I’ve just received an urgent report that another city in China is planning a mass cull to slaughter any unregistered dogs, strays, and even registered family dogs that are over 14 inches (35cm) tall. You might remember the attached e-mail I sent you recently about a similar cull. Make a donation to help IFAW end dog culls in China and to protect animals around the world from similar cruelty. MORE

cull State of Washington salmon california columbia river sea lionsThe Federal government has approved the killing of California Sea Lions in the Columbia River, blaming them for killing and eating endangered salmon. Never mind the main reasons for the problems with the salmon: hatcheries, human harvest, hydropower and the destruction of habitat. MORE

The National Park Service has announced a plan to cull the Rocky Mountain National Park elk herd with sharpshooters MORE

The increasingly shrill condemnation of Canada's seal cull is based on a view of humans as bloodthirsty destroyers of nature. Ah, nothing like a column defending baby sea killers to get the blood going. WHO could defend the slaughter of 300,000 harp, hooded and grey seals by hook-wielding hunters out to make a quick buck from the seals' pelts? I could. I would rather stand with the seal bashers than with these people bashers. And so it goes. MORE

However, research based on finishing pig group opportunity costs calculated on mortality, culls and feed conversion to target reveals startling results, with the best to worst sites varying by $11 per pig, with the widest variance per site at $34 per pig. We've argued in previous posts that factory farming is simply not conducive to animal welfare. Better conditions for animals hurt the bottom line. Animal welfare is a cost of doing business, not a moral obligation. Here's an example. MORE

Systematic cullings in the absence of feasible alternatives, therefore, may be morally permissible. MORE

Tags: cull camels australia environment MORE

A resolution at the end of a three-year campaign, triggered by a public outcry at the annual seal culls in Canada and Norway, condemned the slaughter of seals as "inherently inhumane". That's good news. From the press release: Euro-MPs have voted overwhelmingly for a total ban on the trade in seal products across Europe. MORE

Since January the program has culled about 230,000 cows nationwide." You may have seen "Dog," posted by Stephanie. If not, here it is. When I saw " From Science, Plenty of Cows but Little Profit " this morning in the New York Times , I immediately thought of "Dog." MORE

Even hunters try to justify their killing of animals with reasons, e.g., "If we don't cull the deer herd, there will be massive starvation of deer come winter, so we are doing the deer a favor by providing them a quick death (assuming accurate shooting, which one really shouldn't assume!) So, we are given the "cull the herd for its own good" defense, or the "cull the herd to prevent automobile accidents" defense, or the "I hunt to put food on my family's table" defense. MORE

The targeted rabbits are the unwanted inhabitants of capital Stockholm's parks, which are culled to protect the shrubs and trees which they gorge on. In Sweden, the way they deal with rabbit problems is to shoot them and burn them for fuel. Many of them are domestic pets released by uncaring owners which then go on to breed. Six thousand were killed last year, frozen and their cadavers sent to a special heating plant in Karlskoga, central Sweden. MORE

On Egypt's Pig Cull. We bloggers often get e-mails from individuals and organizations in search of promotion. And that's fine, as we all want to spread the news of fantastic work that needs support. Case in point: AnimalEquality. But there are two types of requests that are irksome to me: 1. People I hear from only when they want me to promote them, and I have never asked them to promote me (I'm terrible at that) nor have they ever done it of their own accord. MORE

I received an e-mail from the well-meaning Wendy at Compassion in World Farming (which I find an odd combination of words) regarding Egypt's pig cull and asking me to send my protest to the Egyptian Government. Do the people who are so upset about the pig cull in Egypt realize that the pig cull happens every day, all around the world? We call it something else--not a cull--but how are culls all that different? MORE

It's a cull to "control the population." Tags: cull new jersey bears hunting Despite efforts by animal rights activists to stop this hunt, it is scheduled to continue. That really sucks. From North Jersey.com. New Jersey’s first bear hunt in five years is just a week away and set to go on as planned despite a last-ditch effort by several animal rights organizations to have the hunt postponed. On Monday, Nov. MORE