Reward for info about dead Puget Sound sea lions

 

But a conservation group has offered up $10,000 for information that helps convict the perpetrators.

 

At least seven dead sea lions and one harbor seal have washed up in Puget Sound and on the Washington coast since early December, Brian Gorman, a spokesman with NOAA Fisheries Service in Seattle, said Tuesday. One of the animals was a federally endangered Stellar sea lion.

 

Bullets or bullet fragments have been found or recovered from all seven sea lions, but biologists are working to determine whether the bullets killed them, Gorman said. He noted that stranded mammals have been found with old bullet wounds that aren t fatal.

 

The number of dead marine mammals is unusual but not alarming so, authorities say.

 

“This is not uncommon to have dead marine mammals killed intentionally,” said Mike Cenci, deputy chief of enforcement for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is assisting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the investigation. “I m not saying it s rampant, but we investigate a number of these a year.”

 

Another dead harbor seal, a yearling, was reported Tuesday at a park in Edmonds, but it wasn t immediately clear how it died, said Kristin Wilkinson, a marine mammal specialist with NOAA Fisheries Service. It s not uncommon for dead harbor seals to show up this time of year, and because the animals have ear holes rather than external ear flaps, some mistakenly think they ve been shot, she said.

 

Salmon-hungry sea lions often get entangled in fisherman s nets or catches, and some consider them to be nuisances.
“They re not warm and cuddly. These are big guys. They re stinky. They re carnivores, and they re doing what they do best they re hunting for fish,” which puts them in conflict with fishermen, Gorman said.
 

Dhanush and Mallika crowned PETAs hottest vegetarians

Bollywood hottie Mallika Sherawat and Kollywood superstar Dhanush have been bestowed with the title of being the ‘Hottest Vegetarian Celebrities of 2011′ by PETA India.

Thousands of people had cast their votes to help People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India determine the winners. Besides Mallika Sherawat and Dhanush, the other competitors included Vivek Oberoi, Vidya Balan, Sonu Sood, Shahid Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini and Kareena Kapoor.

While Mallika Sherawat said, “If I had to pick the very best thing about being vegan, it’s my clear conscience”, the sensational Kolaveri Di singer Dhanush said, “Being a vegetarian always made me feel healthy. I’ve always felt light. Every time I sit down to eat, I’m helping the environment. I’m proud to be a vegetarian. Go PETA, go green.”

Thieves stole fake rhino horns from museum

A team of bungling thieves who thought they d successfully stolen £240,000 of rhino horns from a museum actually made off with worthless replicas.

The gang had smashed their way into the Natural History Museum in Hertfordshire before using hammers to remove horns from two stuffed animals, an Indian rhino and a white rhino.

They probably thought they d swiped valuable ivory horns in the break-in, during which nothing else was taken, but police have now revealed all they got away with were fakes.

Faux rhino horns made out of resin and with no commercial value had been fitted to the stuffed animals after a series of rhino horn raids on auction rooms, galleries and private collections.

Real rhino horns, sought after because of a belief it can cure cancer, are worth more than diamonds, gold and cocaine, fake ones, not so much.

Fear fuels refugees Australia dreams

Now he dreams of a better future in Australia under a controversial refugee swap deal.

If that doesn t happen, he says, he is willing to risk death to sneak into Australia by boat.

Akhbar, 35, is among thousands of migrants here hoping they will be part of a scheme that would see Australia send 800 illegally arrived boatpeople to Malaysia in exchange for 4,000 registered refugees.

The plan was put on hold by the High Court in Canberra after human rights groups protested. But Akhbar, who is a registered refugee, is determined to make it to a developed country like Australia even if it means entering illegally via a dangerous sea voyage.

“If we die, no problem. If we arrive in Australia, it s so good. No more torture,” he said, referring to the precariousness of living illegally in exile.

Akhbar s dreams underline the desperation that motivates refugees from countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Myanmar to attempt perilous journeys and live like fugitives in the distant hope of making it to Australia.

Speaking in the two-bedroom flat he shares with seven relatives in Malaysia s bustling capital Kuala Lumpur, Akhbar — who asked that a pseudonym be used because he feared discovery by authorities — said his family s difficult journey began four years ago.

Farmers from the Hazara minority, they fled their central Afghan town to escape harassment by armed nomads of the Pashtun majority who would graze their livestock in Akbhar s fields of wheat and vegetables.

“Every year when the land is growing, they bring their animals… They eat everything, then we have nothing,” said Akhbar, seated on a colourful Persian carpet.

“If we stay there, maybe we will be killed today or tomorrow,” he said, adding that many of his friends had died at the hands of brigands.

With the hired help of human-smugglers, he and his family snuck across the border to Pakistan and then Iran.

A friend there told them of work opportunities in fellow Muslim country Malaysia, which at the time offered a visa exemption — later scrapped due to abuse — to Afghans and other Asian tourists.

The family, including his parents, wife and daughter, soon arrived in Malaysia, after spending more than $6,500 — the bulk of the family savings — on smugglers and air tickets.

But to Akhbar, the odyssey is unfinished.

They were registered as bona fide refugees by a UN agency in Kuala Lumpur, but that is unrecognised by Malaysia, leaving them vulnerable to harassment and deprived of access to legal employment, education and health care.

Several jobs later, Akhbar now works illegally 12 hours a day as a chef s assistant in an Iranian restaurant, earning 1,200 ringgit ($400) per month, half of which is spent on rent. He has about two days off per month.

He and his brother were once detained for 17 days after they were caught working in a shop. His wife and two-year-old daughter rarely leave the flat, fearing harassment from authorities and thugs.

Malaysia has an estimated two million illegal migrants from around Asia. More than 94,000 are considered refugees — mostly from Myanmar — including about 500 Afghans.

Many of the Afghans spent years in exile in Iran before coming to Malaysia.

They suffer from a lack of support networks, said Sharuna Verghis of Health Equity Initiatives, which counsels refugees with mental health problems.

“It s generations being born and growing in exile without a legal identity… You can t live a whole life like that without identity, without meaning, without purpose,” she said.

“The sense of hopelessness is so deep and so pervasive.”

Activists in Australia and Malaysia have heavily criticised the swap agreement, citing Malaysia s track record of detaining refugees.

Under the deal, those transferred to Malaysia cannot be detained. The UN refugee agency will assess their situations and they will receive help with finding housing and other basic needs.

Those not deemed to be fleeing persecution face deportation.

Australian and Malaysian officials say the plan will deter boatpeople — but they have continued to arrive.

Akhbar knows many who have attempted the voyage to Australia, exasperated by a resettlement wait which can take years. Last year, just 8,000 of Malaysia s registered refugees were resettled elsewhere.

Some of Akhbar s acquaintances obtained asylum, but others — including several families — never made it as their rickety boats sank.

Akhbar stands ready to take that risk if his family is not resettled and if they can scrape up enough money for the illicit passage.

“I wish to go to a place with respect for humans. Then I will be there forever,” he said.

US starts human blindness trial using stem cells

WASHINGTON: Human embryonic stem cells will be tested as a treatment for blindness, a US company announced Monday in the second such clinical trial to examine how the controversial process works in people.

Just 12 adult patients will take part in the trial to see how the treatment using retinal cells derived from human embryonic stem cells affects patients with a common form of juvenile vision loss that can take hold in children as young as six.

The process has been tested on rats and mice and has been found to halt the progressive disease without causing tumors or other side effects, said chief scientific officer Bob Lanza at the biotech company Advanced Cell Technology.

“These cells have been really performing quite spectacularly in the animals. If we can see that in the human patients we will hit a home run here,” said Lanza.

The trial, run and

Terrorism is Haram in Islam, Mufti-e-Azam

Terrorism is Haram (forbidden) in Islam, and such acts should not be reciprocated in any term, said Mufti-e-Azam Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah. Delivering the Hajj Khutba (address) to the Hujjaj (pilgrims) assembled in Mt Arafat to perform a key ritual of Hajj, Mufti Azam said that Allah Almighty dubbed the Muslims as best Ummah on the face of the earth, and he whoever kills a Muslim deliberately would be sent to Hell. He said that Islam condemns any that act, which aims at creating anarchy in the society, adding that, and as being the religion of peace it calls for end to cruelty and defiance. Even those people who are defaming Islam, also offer prayers, lamented the Mufti.

However, Allahs pious men will change fear with peace, for it is only in peace that we can worship and establish mosques.He said that Islam believes in co-existence and harmony. The door of repentance remains open in our religion, it never closes. He called upon the Muslims to eat what is Halal and avoid the forbidden; dont hanker after vain desires; follow the Quran and Sunnah. Islam endorses moderation where materialism has no room, the Mufti advised.
Around 2.5 million Muslims assembled on Monday at Mount Arafat for Wuquf-e-Arafat, the key ritual of annual Hajj pilgrimage.

This year’s pilgrimage season is estimated to be attended by up to 2.5 million pilgrims.The worlds largest annual pilgrimage, the Haj, began on Sunday with hundreds of thousands of Muslims pouring into the camp of Mina from Makkah to prepare for solemn rituals.

The passage to Mina marks the official launch of the Haj on the eighth day of the Muslim calendar month of Zilhaj.
At Mount Arafat, some 10 kilometres southeast of Mina, the pilgrims spend the day in prayer and reflection. After sunset, they move on to Muzdalifah, halfway between Mount Arafat and Mina, where they spend the night. The pilgrims are estimated to total up to 2.5 million this year, a major concern for the Saudi authorities who have yet to report any major incidents since the faithful descended on the holy city. Many took buses but some had already set off on foot overnight as they headed to the vast plain of Mina, a small village about five kilometres east of Makkah that comes to life for just five days a year. Authorities say permits have been granted to 1.7 million foreign pilgrims, with a further 200,000 or so issued to pilgrims from within Saudi Arabia and from neighbouring Gulf states.

This year has seen a crackdown on pilgrims who do not have the requisite papers as authorities attempt to prevent numbers getting out of hand.A driver caught transporting unauthorised pilgrims faces a fine of 10,000 riyals for each individual. Vehicles with a capacity below 25 passengers have also been banned from entering Haj sites to streamline the flow of buses transporting pilgrims. The day is known as Tarwiah (Watering) as pilgrims in the past stopped at Mina to water their animals and stock up for the following days trip to Mount Arafat.

Madhavan calls on KFC chief to stop abuse of chickens

R. Madhavan has been associated with PETA for a while now. For the uninitiated, the actor has been fighting for the cause of protecting animals for a long time. That explains the reason why he sent a letter on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India to David Novak, CEO of KFC parent company ‘Yum! Brands’, urging him to adopt PETA’s recommendations to stop the worst abuses of chickens that are killed for KFC.

Madhavan, in his letter to David, wrote “I am sure you’re a compassionate person who agrees that animals – whether they are dogs, cats or chickens – should not be abused and that working to stop this unnecessary cruelty should be a top priority. Please use your unique position to stop the worst abuses of these sensitive birds by making the improvements suggested by PETA and KFC’s own former animal welfare advisors.”

In the same letter, Madhavan also recounted the findings of a PETA undercover investigation into KFC’s main Indian supplier, Venky’s. PETA’s investigator documented birds who suffered broken limbs and organ failure because of the animals’ unnaturally large size. In the US and elsewhere, birds are bred and drugged to grow much faster than nature intended, and their bodies can’t keep up. The remains of dead birds littered the floor, and survivors were forced to live amidst the corpses. Madhavan also urged Novak to follow the example of KFC Canada, which has become a leader in animal welfare reforms.

Madhavan, apparently, has also appeared in a PETA ad to promote a compassionate vegetarian diet.

Spanish-American singer Charo requests Zoya to edit out bull-running sequence

Click above for more stills

Portrayal of animals in poor form or display of any form of harm towards them in movies has surely become an issue of major concern globally. And now it seems like Zoya Akhtar is also pulling some attention from animal lovers for the same reason.

Zoya, who is busy filming the multi starrer Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (starring Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol), seems to be in the eye of a controversy now. Reason? Well, she shot the bull-running matches in Spain alongwith the starcast, as a requisite of the script.

After learning from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India that the upcoming motion picture Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is set to include a scene showing the running of the bulls, the talented Spanish-American singer, actor, comedian and guitarist Charo sent a letter to the film’s director, Zoya Akhtar. The letter urges Akhtar to open her heart and cut out any scenes glorifying the running of the bulls. For the uninitiated, Charo, who is beloved in the US and Spain, is also a vocal opponent of bullfighting and recently starred in a video public service announcement for PETA US to speak out against it.

Here’s a sneak peek at the letter that Charo wrote to Zoya:

Dear Ms Akhtar,

I have spent my career entertaining people, but there is nothing remotely entertaining about sending panicked bulls into a stampede and then stabbing them to death in the bullfighting arena, which is what happens at the end of the Running of the Bulls. As a proud Spaniard and member of PETA, I am writing to ask that any scenes that glamorise the Running of the Bulls be cut from your upcoming film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

The Running of the Bulls cannot be dismissed as a harmless tradition. These animals run because they are terrified. During the run, the bulls are taunted, and many lose their footing, fall and break their bones. In the end, the exhausted bulls are released into the arena and stabbed to death. The growing movement in Spain against the Running of the Bulls and the bullfights that follow exemplify the good hearts of so many Spaniards who rightfully condemn this sadistic blood sport. You may be aware that the Spanish region of Catalonia recently banned bullfights.

Spain is known for everything I hold dear: flamenco dancing, fabulous guitar work and a rich cultural diversity. But deriving any pleasure from abusing bulls is something we should all be ashamed of and certainly nothing that should be promoted in a feature film.

Yours truly,

Charo

google maps

Google Earth has been used for many purposes including those needed for the media, and most recently for showing the aftermath of earthquakes, which helps rescue teams find people by comparing before and after Google maps.
In this latest story, Google Earth’s software was used to find the world’s biggest Beaver Dam in Canada. This dam can be seen from space and according to the Telegraph, is over “twice the length of the Hoover dam” and measures 2,790ft.
It’s pretty amazing what the mammals did to make this dam over many months. Stone, mud, and trees were used to build a type of moat. One researcher – Jeane Thie – used Google Earth maps and satellite imagery to find the dam, and study it.
Beavers: Wetland and Wildlife biologist, Sharon Brown, said that the Beavers wanted a good habitat, and other animals would also use this and it’s great for the environment.
source:product-reviews

WWE Raw Results- March 29th

Faceboo K | WWE Wrestlemania 26 | US Airways Center | Big Show WWE | WWE Raw En Vivo
Event: WWE Monday Night RAW
Airdate: Monday, March 29th, 2010 (USA Network)
Location: The US Airways Center in Phoenix, Ariz.
Results by 411 Mania

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