How can YOU save the Tiger!!

• Support environmental educational centers, wildlife sanctuaries and zoos in their mission to preserve and protect our treasured wildlife.
  
  
• llegal trade in tiger parts needs to be stopped. Avoid tiger bone handicrafts, medicines and other tiger products to save the tiger.
  
  
• The more aware you are of the status of tiger, the more effective you will be in helping to save it. You can stay informed through magazines, internet, current journals and the media.
  
  
• Take action and create awareness. Organize an event that educates the public about tigers.
  
  
• Start petitions by telling people about the tiger and how they are an endangered species. Ask them if they are willing to sign a piece of paper giving their name and country as well. Remember the more people sign, the more impact a petition makes.
  
  
• Join a letter-writing campaign in order create awareness about the tiger's plight.
  
  
• Collect or send your own donations to Tiger conservation organisations.
  
  
• Start your own Tiger Club. Read books, share facts, hold an art competition, watch documentaries or organise a chat with wildlife experts.

**Note: This content originally appears at NDTV.com NEWS network

People for Animals

Tiger population rising in Ranthambore, India

After a largescale fall in the tiger population in India, there is good news coming out of Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park. A 15 day tiger census is being carried out there and there's a baby boom in the park with at least 14 new cubs. The tiger census is considered crucial as three years back, the tigers were wiped out from Sariska. Poaching had also taken its toll in Ranthambore where poachers had reportedly killed a dozen tigers. But in the past two years, after stringent security measures, things are looking up. And this year's census could well reflect an upward swing in the tiger population at the park.....

For Full Report:
NDTV NEWS

People for Animals

The Rare Lemur

A Crowned Verreauxi Sifakas, a baby lemur born at the Paris Vincennes Zoo. Crowned Verreauxi Sifakas are lemurs originating from the North West of Madagascar, the only place where they can be found in the wild. They're partly leaf eaters, with noticeably high digestibility of insoluble fibre and relative slow transit times compared to other lemurs. Less than 20 animals of this rare sub-species are hold in captivity among European Zoos, all from Paris Zoo original colony or its breeding issues.

Source: Times Of India

Posted By: Nikhil Jain

People for Animals

Iowa Shelter Dog Nurses 9 Kittens

A pooch in Burlington, Iowa, is taking care of nine kittens that lost their own mother.

Read Full story and watch video:
http://www.local10.com/family/15972844/detail.html

People for Animals

Mail From the Editor: Bob of 123greetings.com Celebrate the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month... Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month [April] "It was a good thing that the dog was found," Laura explained to me, "or else she would've died from loss of blood or infection. She must have been hit by a hit-and-run driver." It's sad to hear what people do to animals. Kong was also an abandoned puppy too so I know how it feels to find a dog without an owner, collar or tags on the street. Then you get attached to it because in the back of your mind, you know that they'll be putting the poor dog down if they don't have room for it. So I took Kong home, and now he's my best friend. Remember Seth, the guy Megan was going out with and torturing with her cooking over the holidays? Well, Seth's a veterinarian and he's doing this big drive at the animal clinic to educate people about cruelty to animals. He told me stories of what some people do to puppies, cats and dogs. If you ask me, some of this stuff is just sick. I mean how can people do this to a poor defenseless animal?! "Next month is the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month," said Seth. "Tell your friends and neighbors about animal cruelty and spread awareness. Make sure your pets have enough food and water--not having that available to them is also a form of cruelty." This week's Zen quote comes from Henry Bergh who founded the ASPCA in the hopes of preventing cruelty to animals. He said, "Men will be just to men when they are kind to animals."

Take care,

Bob

Editor, 123Greetings

People for Animals

Animal cruelty cases highest in West Bengal

West Bengal reported the maximum number of cases under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act in the last three years followed by Delhi, the ministry of environment and forest said on Thursday. "The maximum number of cases pertaining to cruelty to animals in the country has been reported from West Bengal. Delhi stands second followed by Uttar Pradesh in this cruelty table," said a ministry report. During 2006-07, West Bengal reported more than 17,000 cases and the total figure is above 40,000 for the last three years. The national capital known for its cattle menace, has reported 1,826, 1,572 and 1,389 cases respectively in each of the past three years. "During the same period, less than 4,000 cases were reported from Uttar Pradesh. 1,541 cases were reported during 2004-05, 1296 cases during 2005-06 and 1127 cases were reported during 2006-07 in Uttar Pradesh," the report said. Likewise, 255 cases of animal cruelty were reported in Haryana during 2006-07, 79 in Kerala, 71 in Andhra Pradesh and 65 in Chhattisgarh. However, the ministry did not spell out the type of cruelty meted to the animals in these states. The number of people convicted for this was highest in Uttar Pradesh followed by Delhi and West Bengal. At least 4,265 people were convicted during 2004-05, 3,338 during 2005-06, and 3,037 during 2006-07 in Uttar Pradesh. The PCA was enacted by the central government to prevent infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals. The Animal welfare Board of India (AWBI), the statutory body under the ministry of environment and forests, addresses all state governments to enforce the provisions regarding cruelties to animals and to book the offenders suitably.

Source: TOI

People for Animals

King Penguin In Danger

King penguins, that feed on fish and squid at the northern edges of Antarctica, are seen in this undated handout photo. King penguins are threatened by global warming, which is cutting down their food supply. King penguins are the second largest species after emperor penguins. (Reuters Photo)

Source: Times Of India

Contributor: Nikhil Jain

People for Animals

Under Threat!!

Indian villagers collect prawn shrimps from a river bank in the Sunderbans, some 125 kms south east of Kolkata. The delta of Sunderbans, the world's largest mangrove forest covering 26,000 square kilometres in India and neighbouring Bangladesh, is under threat of rising sea levels of some 3 mm per year. Environmentalists says that the planting of mangroves can protect the unique forest which is also the habitat of Royal Bengal Tigers. (AFP PHOTO)

Source: Times Of India

Contributor: Nikhil Jain

People for Animals

Whaling Effect!!

A Minke whale and her calf being towed up the rear ramp of the Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean. Australia released pictures of whales killed by a Japanese fleet ahead of a possible legal challenge to stop the annual slaughter, fuelling public anger over the practice. A photo of an adult Minke whale and her calf being towed up the rear ramp of a Japanese factory processing ship in Antarctic waters prompted headlines including 'They call it science'. (Reuters Photo)

Source: Times Of India

Contributor: Nikhil Jain

People for Animals

Bears Under Threat

Wildlife scientists say the accelerated loss of arctic sea ice may cause polar bears to disappear in the next 50 years. Polar Bears International and the San Diego Zoo announced a new alliance 31 January 2008 to establish a conservation program, 'Arctic Ambassadors', that will generate scientific information to support conservation, it will become a vanguard messenger for the polar bear conservation crisis and the threats facing the arctic and the globe due to climate change. (AFP Photo)

People for Animals

The Small Friend : Sumatran Elephant

Sumatran elephant, the smallest of the Asian elephants, is facing serious pressures due to illegal logging and rapid forests conversion to palm oil plantations. As forests shrink, elephants are increasingly closer to fields and cultivated land, generating conflict with humans that often result in the death of the elephants by poisoning or capture. The Minas Elephant Training Centre in Indonesia protects more than 40 elephants from around 200 elephants in Riau's forests. (Reuters Photo)

Source: Times Of India

People for Animals

Buffalo Homage

A Thai monk gestures in front of thousands of water buffalo skulls collected at Wat Hua Krabeu temple on the outskirts of Bangkok. Shaded under simple tarmac shelters, thousands of water buffalo skulls are stacked in piles that tower over two metres high, a grim homage to an animal that was once an iconic part of Thailand's landscape. The kingdom has about 1.3 million buffaloes, down from 4.7 million in 1990. Phra Khru Wiboonpattankit has been collecting the skulls for more than 35 years. He hopes eventually to have enough to build a three-storey tower that will house a memorial to the beast. (AFP Photo)

People for Animals

Over 5,000 turtles killed in Orissa since '07 BHUBANESWAR: Despite a ban on fishing along Orissa coast, a large number of rare Olive Ridley Turtles were killed and their carcasses found scattered on the beaches from Chilika lake to Paradip port, official sources said. While conservation groups claimed that at least 12,000 turtles were killed from November 2007 till date, the state government put the figure at 5,000. Over two lakh turtles visit Orissa coast every year for annual nesting. They lay eggs at Gahirmatha beach, Devi region and Rusikulya river mouth. According to international NGO, Greenpeace, over 4,000 carcasses were found in Devi region alone till February. "This is well above the average mortality figure of 2,470 recorded in the area in the last seven years", Sanjiv Gopal, oceans campaigner of Greenpeace said. The conservation group apprehends that turtle mortality could be more than the previous years with two months still left for completion of the nesting season of turtles. While lauding forest department for containing turtle mortality in Rushikulya river mouth, Greenpeace alleged that it had failed in checking movement of trawlers in Devi region. Gopal alleged that a large number of turtles were killed due to unchecked trawler movement near shore water disrupting turtle congregation leading to their death. The claims of the conservation group were supported by the Wildlife Society of Orissa which also blamed the state government for the large scale turtle mortality in the state's coast.

Contributed By: Nikhil Jain

Source : Internet

People for Animals

From food to fad: It’s a dog’s life in China

Despite the emergence of Western-style pet rearing, dog meat remains a popular winter cuisine in parts of China. Beijing has more than 120 restaurants serving dog meat, although recent media reports say that many are closing as the city tries to change its image before it hosts the Olympic Games in August. Known as “fragrant meat”, dog meat is purported to have medicinal benefits and improve blood circulation in winter. REUTERS

Guangzhou: If you’re a dog in China then you’d better hope to be of the cute and furry variety sold in pet shops rather than a homely-looking mutt sold at a live animal market as the main ingredient in dog meat stew.
“We still eat dog, but not this kind of dog,” Liu Ming, a pet shop salesman said, pointing to a toffee-colored puppy with floppy ears on sale for about 500 yuan or $70. “We eat much bigger dogs”. Keeping pets is becoming all the rage among the affluent in China, even though some Chinese still consume dog and cat meat.
Combined spending on pet food and pet care in China will be worth an estimated $870 million in 2008, according to Euromonitor International. That’s up roughly 15% from the $757 million spent in 2007. “In China, more and more people are raising pets. It’s not as difficult as before,” Liu said, as curious onlookers crowded his stall in a dusty street of the southern boomtown of Guangzhou.
One thing is certain: the old belief that pets are a bourgeois indulgence held during the rule of Mao Zedong no longer has currency in the booming economy of the world’s most populous country.
In the marquee cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, a growing nouveauriche class even sees pets — particularly dogs — as fashion items, outfitting them in designer clothing, paying for spa treatments and dyeing their fur unnatural colors.
That trend, experts say, is a stark contrast to the tradition of eating everything from silkworms to pangolins.
“In Beijing, there’s a huge market with pitiful dogs waiting in cages to be sold as meat, and literally a few yards away standard poodles dyed in all colors of the rainbow,” said Jill Robinson, CEO of Animals Asia Foundation, a Hong-Kong based animal welfare charity.
China’s thriving industry of fake designer goods is even taking on designer doggywear. In Guangzhou, hawkers sell fake Louis Vuitton dog carriers as a dog in a faux Louis Vuitton sweater naps nearby on the dusty sidewalk.

THE LUCKY ONES: Pet dogs are displayed for sale on a street in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou

TOI : 18March'08

People for Animals

Turtles Begin Mass Nesting

Turtles begin mass nesting in Orissa

BERHAMPUR: Thousands of endangered Olive Ridley turtles have begun mass nesting on the coast of eastern Orissa state, home to the world's largest nesting site for the turtles, officials said on Wednesday.

Over 20,000 turtles came ashore for mass-nesting early on Wednesday, within a two-kilometre stretch from the mouth of the Rushikulya river in Ganjam district, a local forest department official said.

The Rushikulya river mouth is around 175 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar.

For more than a decade, the beach at the Rushikulya river mouth has been witnessing mass arrival of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles. But the turtles did not land here last year, the official said.

The turtles, which this year have already congregated in the sea near the nesting site, came ashore in groups, with around 5,000 to 10,000 turtles in each group.

There are three mass nesting sites of turtles in Orissa: Nasi Islands in Gahirmatha, Devi river mouth and Rushikulya river mouth.

However, no mass nesting has been reported from the other two beaches so far, although turtles are seen swimming near the coast, a wildlife official said.

The Rushikulya river mouth is the only place along the coast where turtles are safe from marauding trawlers, said Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of the NGO Wildlife Society of Orissa.

Contributed By: Nikhil Jain

People for Animals