It is almost the end of National Baking Week in the UK, and while the campaign has hopefully brought families and friends close, spare a thought for the millions of chickens and dairy cows providing for the bake-a-thon.
Hens are crammed into tiny cages or packed into barns, never seeing the light of day. Their natural behaviour is heavily restricted, they cannot stretch their wings, move freely around, forage or dust bathe. As a result, many hens turn to feather plucking and self-mutilation, they can also suffer from osteoporosis.
Dairy cows generally do not get to graze outdoors, though some farmers do allow their cows’ access to the outdoors during the summer months. Dairy cows are forced to have a calf once a year; usually the cow is inseminated about 3 months after she gives birth to a calf. Sadly, the cow does not get to keep her calf by her side as her milk is reserved for consumers. As dairy cows produce almost 6 times their natural amount of milk (naturally 4 litres will be produced for a calf, in the industry European cows produce about 22 litres, or 30 in the US a day). Dairy cows are susceptible to lameness, mastitis and infertility. The mothers also have to deal with the fact that their baby is taken away from them shortly after they have given birth. For a social animal such as a cow, this can be very stressful.
That’s why Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) has launched its very own Bake with Compassion, 23rd October – 31st October. Compassionate bakers are baking delicious cakes and desserts with either free range ingredients or vegan. CIWF has provided plenty of events and recipes to help kick start compassionate baking.
By taking part in Bake with Compassion, and raising funds, either by being sponsored or raffling off the compassionate cake creations, you will also be raising awareness of the plight of the humble hen and cow.
Note: Although most of the recipes have butter or milk added to them, they do call for organic butter, which means that the cows have been allowed to graze outside, in small herds. They also have more comfortable bedding. However, vegan butter or simply dairy free olive oil butter is also just as tasty in recipes too.
22 October, 2010
You Are What You Eat. Plastic, Animal Waste and Metal?
Earlier this year, a cyclist, three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, was provisionally suspended after a trace element of a banned substance, clenbuterol was found in his urine.
He has since blamed a contaminated steak for his drug results. He may have a point.
Clenbuterol is used illegally in the US and throughout some parts of Europe to increase the leanness and protein content of cattle, swine and horses. It is added to the food of the animals to increase muscle to fat ratio and to induce growth spurts. In Europe, adverse human reactions include reversible symptoms of increased heart rate, muscular tremors, headache, nausea, fever, and chills.
Halloween is approaching, but what is really frightening is potentially what is going into the food of animals raised for slaughter.
For most meat, egg and dairy producing farms, long gone are the days of animals spending most of their time out to pasture. Even some supermarkets, that imply that their animals are out all day, need to be careful of their wording. Instead, we live in a time of mass produced meat, produced as cheaply as possible for the growing demand of consumers who do not want to pay highly for their dinner.
Farmers now have to contend with ever decreasing prices and large corporations who are trying to compete with the smaller farms. One way for reducing production costs lies within the food fed to the animals.
A study in the US reveals what exactly is going into the animals’ food. It is stomach turning. Since the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), consumers are asking more questions about where their meat comes from. Sapkota et al 2007, report that amongst other things, rendered animal products, animal waste (yes, faeces), plant and animal based fats, antibiotics (to promote growth and improve feed efficiency), metals (such as copper) and a variety of biological and chemical agents are added to animal feed. Animals raised for meat require a high amount of roughage in their diet, a substitute for natural food they eat, is plastic, ground up into pellets.
This has devastating implications to human health.
Recent outbreaks have highlighted the potential consequences of feeding livestock anything other than their natural diet, Enterococcus faeciu, Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease to name but a few. For the list of known dangers so far, please see this table.
The researchers found that it was difficult to get the full records of exactly what was going into the animal feed; there were no accurate records of the amounts of some of the products added to the feed. These reports are from the US, what about the animal feed in other parts of the
world where people may not yet be aware of the implications of putting chemicals and animal waste into livestock feed.
He has since blamed a contaminated steak for his drug results. He may have a point.
Clenbuterol is used illegally in the US and throughout some parts of Europe to increase the leanness and protein content of cattle, swine and horses. It is added to the food of the animals to increase muscle to fat ratio and to induce growth spurts. In Europe, adverse human reactions include reversible symptoms of increased heart rate, muscular tremors, headache, nausea, fever, and chills.
Halloween is approaching, but what is really frightening is potentially what is going into the food of animals raised for slaughter.
For most meat, egg and dairy producing farms, long gone are the days of animals spending most of their time out to pasture. Even some supermarkets, that imply that their animals are out all day, need to be careful of their wording. Instead, we live in a time of mass produced meat, produced as cheaply as possible for the growing demand of consumers who do not want to pay highly for their dinner.
Farmers now have to contend with ever decreasing prices and large corporations who are trying to compete with the smaller farms. One way for reducing production costs lies within the food fed to the animals.
A study in the US reveals what exactly is going into the animals’ food. It is stomach turning. Since the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), consumers are asking more questions about where their meat comes from. Sapkota et al 2007, report that amongst other things, rendered animal products, animal waste (yes, faeces), plant and animal based fats, antibiotics (to promote growth and improve feed efficiency), metals (such as copper) and a variety of biological and chemical agents are added to animal feed. Animals raised for meat require a high amount of roughage in their diet, a substitute for natural food they eat, is plastic, ground up into pellets.
This has devastating implications to human health.
Recent outbreaks have highlighted the potential consequences of feeding livestock anything other than their natural diet, Enterococcus faeciu, Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease to name but a few. For the list of known dangers so far, please see this table.
The researchers found that it was difficult to get the full records of exactly what was going into the animal feed; there were no accurate records of the amounts of some of the products added to the feed. These reports are from the US, what about the animal feed in other parts of the
world where people may not yet be aware of the implications of putting chemicals and animal waste into livestock feed.
Cows Grazing in a Large Open Field in the South of England
21 October, 2010
The Dog and the Whale
Tucker is a very special type of sniffer dog, his area of specialty being whale poop. He is helping scientists uncover why a population of killer whales are in decline on the northwest coast of the US. Once Tucker has found the faeces, the hormone levels are examined to investigate whether the whales are stressed, and to indicate the availability of food to the whales. These factors could be the key to the cause of their decreasing numbers.
Having a black Labrador use his keen nose to sniff out the faeces and collecting samples on the boat is a lot easier than catching a whale and taking records. It is also a lot less invasive to the whales, and prevents causing stress to animals who are becoming at risk.
And what is in it for Tucker once he has found a delectable sample? His favourite ball on a rope.
Check out the audio slideshow on the BBC website.
Having a black Labrador use his keen nose to sniff out the faeces and collecting samples on the boat is a lot easier than catching a whale and taking records. It is also a lot less invasive to the whales, and prevents causing stress to animals who are becoming at risk.
And what is in it for Tucker once he has found a delectable sample? His favourite ball on a rope.
Check out the audio slideshow on the BBC website.
19 October, 2010
Wallaby Dies After Being Given Ecstasy and Drink at Party
Reports of a wallaby dying at a birthday disco after being given alcohol and ecstasy have arisen in Dublin. Animal welfare campaigners have complained after the wallaby was let loose among a crowd 150 people strong. A video shown on Facebook caused the outcry, and police are looking at CCTV footage.
The stress of the flashing lights and noise, not to mention the narcotics would have caused the marsupial a great deal of stress, and if the reports are accurate, it is no surprise that the animal died.
The owner of a nearby circus, the Australian Super Circus Sydney, Alexander Scholl denies that the wallaby in question is one of the two that he has performing in the show. He mentions that he would never allow them to be near a disco and noisy music, let’s hope the music and lights are turned down when it is the wallabies turn to perform the circus tricks.
The body of the wallaby has since disappeared, even if this was a hoax, it highlights the need for control of ‘exotic’ animals as pets; currently it is possible to buy wallabies, zebras and emus in Ireland. A similar story to this one echo the demand for meerkats as pets in the UK after the television show, ‘Meerkat Manor’ has led to more people wanting exotic animals as pets. They were soon abandoned after people realised they are not as cute as they appear.
The stress of the flashing lights and noise, not to mention the narcotics would have caused the marsupial a great deal of stress, and if the reports are accurate, it is no surprise that the animal died.
The owner of a nearby circus, the Australian Super Circus Sydney, Alexander Scholl denies that the wallaby in question is one of the two that he has performing in the show. He mentions that he would never allow them to be near a disco and noisy music, let’s hope the music and lights are turned down when it is the wallabies turn to perform the circus tricks.
The body of the wallaby has since disappeared, even if this was a hoax, it highlights the need for control of ‘exotic’ animals as pets; currently it is possible to buy wallabies, zebras and emus in Ireland. A similar story to this one echo the demand for meerkats as pets in the UK after the television show, ‘Meerkat Manor’ has led to more people wanting exotic animals as pets. They were soon abandoned after people realised they are not as cute as they appear.
18 October, 2010
Speeding Train Kills Seven Elephants in India
A tragedy occurred in northern district of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, in eastern India on Wednesday. Seven elephants were killed while trying to protect two calves that had become stuck on the tracks. As the adults crowded round the calves the train hit them, killing 5 and fatally injuring two more, which died on Thursday. The calves were among the dead.
After the incident, the surviving members of the herd were seen crowding round the tracks, watching over the bodies of the dead. The mourning behaviour of elephants is widely known, and this incident once again shows that elephants are not merely just dumb animals.
It is thought that the train involved in the collision was travelling at 65km/h, which is twice the legal speed limit. There have been around 20 elephant deaths this year alone by train collisions.
Due to human encroachment on jungles and forests, an elephant’s natural home, human/elephant incidences are becoming more and more common. Man’s relationship with the elephant has turbulent, and this sad story just highlights who the losers are.
One of the Seven Elephants Killed by a Speeding Train. Source: AFP
After the incident, the surviving members of the herd were seen crowding round the tracks, watching over the bodies of the dead. The mourning behaviour of elephants is widely known, and this incident once again shows that elephants are not merely just dumb animals.
It is thought that the train involved in the collision was travelling at 65km/h, which is twice the legal speed limit. There have been around 20 elephant deaths this year alone by train collisions.
Due to human encroachment on jungles and forests, an elephant’s natural home, human/elephant incidences are becoming more and more common. Man’s relationship with the elephant has turbulent, and this sad story just highlights who the losers are.
11 October, 2010
Punishments for Wildlife Crimes Are Not Acting as Successful Deterrents.
Wildlife smuggling sentences are barely a slap on the hand, and do not do enough to deter smugglers from offending again. In the past few months, two repeat offenders have been in the news, caught again for smuggling prohibited animals.
First, the infamous Anson Wong, otherwise known as ‘The Lizard King,’ who’s name became known from the book, of the same name, detailing his dealings in endangered animal smuggling, mainly reptiles, by Bryan Christy. Wong was caught in Kuala Lumpur, smuggling 95 boa constrictors, a mata mata tortoise and two rhinoceros vipers inside a suitcase, they were heading for Jakarta. The reason that Wong was caught? Not the high-tech scanners that would have picked up the shapes of the animals in the case, nor was Wong stopped for acting suspiciously (one can assume as a seasoned smuggler, Wong has lost any nervousness in illegal activities), it was the suitcase bursting open, and the contents being revealed.
Wong is well known in the world of anti-wildlife smuggling groups and wildlife departments all over the world. Even the 71 month sentence meted out to him by Federal US courts were not enough to persuade Wong that a life of smuggling wildlife is not worthwhile.
So what did the Malaysian courts decide would be a worthy punishment to act as a deterrent? 6 months in jail, and a RM 190, 000 fine. Ideally, he would have received the maximum sentence of 7 years and a 1 million RM fine. Thankfully though, both he and his wife, Cheah Bing Shee, have had their wildlife trading licence revoked. Perhilitan have removed the animals in Wong’s private ‘zoo’’, including two tigers, a crocodile and a variety of other animals, and taken them to Penang National Park.
Given the extortionate prices the endangered boa constrictors from Madagascar would have fetched if they had reached their intended destination, the black market, the RM190, 000 fine (RM2, 000 for each snake) would barely have made a dent in the dealers pockets. The illegal wildlife trade is a lucrative business, and recent figures indicate that US$30 billion in black money has been generated annually by smugglers working in the South East Asian area poaching and transporting endangered animals.
Another smuggler not learning his lesson the first time round, was caught in Bangkok airport trying to get 1,140 live Indian Star Tortoises and a Gavial crocodile to the Chatuchak market, a market popular with tourists, but notorious for the animal section, infamous for supplying protected animals in cramped cages.
The 44 year old man had been previously arrested in 2008 for attempting to smuggle 778 Indian Star Tortoises.
The authorities should make it clear to traders that smuggling protected wildlife is a serious crime, and should hand out sentences strong enough to not only stop the trader from re offending, but act as a deterrent to potential future traders.
Let’s hope that those traders exposed in the recent raid in Kantaban will be given a suitable punishment.
First, the infamous Anson Wong, otherwise known as ‘The Lizard King,’ who’s name became known from the book, of the same name, detailing his dealings in endangered animal smuggling, mainly reptiles, by Bryan Christy. Wong was caught in Kuala Lumpur, smuggling 95 boa constrictors, a mata mata tortoise and two rhinoceros vipers inside a suitcase, they were heading for Jakarta. The reason that Wong was caught? Not the high-tech scanners that would have picked up the shapes of the animals in the case, nor was Wong stopped for acting suspiciously (one can assume as a seasoned smuggler, Wong has lost any nervousness in illegal activities), it was the suitcase bursting open, and the contents being revealed.
Wong is well known in the world of anti-wildlife smuggling groups and wildlife departments all over the world. Even the 71 month sentence meted out to him by Federal US courts were not enough to persuade Wong that a life of smuggling wildlife is not worthwhile.
So what did the Malaysian courts decide would be a worthy punishment to act as a deterrent? 6 months in jail, and a RM 190, 000 fine. Ideally, he would have received the maximum sentence of 7 years and a 1 million RM fine. Thankfully though, both he and his wife, Cheah Bing Shee, have had their wildlife trading licence revoked. Perhilitan have removed the animals in Wong’s private ‘zoo’’, including two tigers, a crocodile and a variety of other animals, and taken them to Penang National Park.
Given the extortionate prices the endangered boa constrictors from Madagascar would have fetched if they had reached their intended destination, the black market, the RM190, 000 fine (RM2, 000 for each snake) would barely have made a dent in the dealers pockets. The illegal wildlife trade is a lucrative business, and recent figures indicate that US$30 billion in black money has been generated annually by smugglers working in the South East Asian area poaching and transporting endangered animals.
Another smuggler not learning his lesson the first time round, was caught in Bangkok airport trying to get 1,140 live Indian Star Tortoises and a Gavial crocodile to the Chatuchak market, a market popular with tourists, but notorious for the animal section, infamous for supplying protected animals in cramped cages.
The 44 year old man had been previously arrested in 2008 for attempting to smuggle 778 Indian Star Tortoises.
The authorities should make it clear to traders that smuggling protected wildlife is a serious crime, and should hand out sentences strong enough to not only stop the trader from re offending, but act as a deterrent to potential future traders.
Let’s hope that those traders exposed in the recent raid in Kantaban will be given a suitable punishment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)