The National Humane Education Society

April 2010

Kick Boxing Orangutans

Paws Down!

To Safari World, Bangkok, for staging orangutan kick boxing matches.

According to news reports, “A safari theme park in Thailand has become a macabre tourist attraction for its orangutan kick boxing matches—complete with simian ‘round card girls.’” The report goes continues, “As the heavyweights of the jungle duke it out, female orangutans parade around in bikinis displaying the round number.”

Thailand once shut down Safari World monkey matches; it’s time they shut down the orangutan matches too.

Take Action: Write a polite letter to the ambassador from Thailand to the United States asking his country to close down the orangutan kick boxing matches at Safari World. You may also want to write Safari World directly urging them to stop these matches.

The Honorable Don Pramudwinai

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand

To the United States of America

Royal Thai Embassy

1024 Wisconsin Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20007
Tel.: 202-944-3600

Fax.: 202-944-3611

Safari World Public Company Limited
99 Panyaintra Road
Samwatawantok, Klongsamwa, Bangkok , 10510
Thailand
Tel : (662) 9144100-19, 5181000-19

Fax: (662) 5181022, 5181033, 9142959
E-mail: info@safariworld.com

Sources:

www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/04/12/2010-04-12_orangutans_kickfighting.html

www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/animal-lovers-slam-thailands-orangutan-kick-boxing-matches_100346781.html

Sheep Grazing Halted

Paws Up!

To the USDA for halting sheep grazing in habitat necessary for the survival of grizzly bears and other threatened wildlife in Yellowstone National Park.

According to news sources, “Officials operating a federal sheep research station in eastern Idaho say they intend to halt grazing activities in areas deemed vital grizzly bear habitat in the Greater Yellowstone region.”

In June 2009, NHES wrote Secretary of Agriculture Vilsak urging him to close the Agricultural Research Services-U.S. Sheep Experiment Station on land that connects Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho and relocate the sheep to more appropriate and sustainable grazing lands. The sheep grazing experiment intersects with habitat that many species of wild animals, specifically, wolves, black bears, and grizzlies, use to move between Yellowstone and Idaho.

Take Action: Please write a letter to Secretary Vilsak and Director Hammond thanking them for protecting grizzly bears and other wildlife in the Yellowstone National Park-Central Idaho corridor.

The Honorable Tom Vilsack

Secretary of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250

Andrew C. Hammond

Director, Agricultural Research Service

Pacific West Area

USDA, ARS, PWA, OAD

800 Buchanan Street, Rm. 2030

Albany, CA 94710-1105

Source:

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_6361a398-41cd-11df-be5f-001cc4c002e0.html

www.agweekly.com/articles/2010/04/09/commodities/livestock/lvstk48.txt

Horses in Peril

Paws Down!

To a Tennessee General Assembly subcommittee for voting in favor of HB 1428, a bill which would allow for the establishment of a horse meat processing plant in the state.

Under an amendment to HB 1428, the state of Tennessee could follow in the steps of Montana, which passed a horse slaughter bill in 2009, and build a horse slaughter plant in the state. However, commercial horse slaughter for human consumption is illegal in the United States. In fact, the last horse slaughter plants were shut down in 2007.

There is extreme irony in the introduction of HB 1428, as another bill in the Tennessee General Assembly, HB 3386, would amend Tennessee’s aggravated cruelty to animals statute to include horses. Under HB 3386, horse owners in Tennessee who intentionally neglect their animals could face felony animal cruelty charges. Tennessee seems to have a split personality where horses are concerned—one bill wants to slaughter them; another wants to protect them.

Take Action: Tennessee residents, please write your representatives urging them to vote against HB 1428 and FOR HB 3386.

Sources:

www.meattradenewsdaily.co.uk/news/160410/usa___horse_slaughter_bill_passed_.aspx

http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HB1428

www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/903

Save the Planet, Eat Vegetarian

Paws Up!

To the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for encouraging vegetarian Mondays.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution encouraging citizens to eat vegetarian on Mondays. The purpose of this resolution is to “call attention to the relationship between diet, health and climate change.”

According to news sources, “The measure…urges ‘all restaurants, grocery stores and schools to offer a greater variety of plant-based options to improve the health of San Francisco residents and visitors and to increase the awareness of the impact a green diet would be on our planet.’”

Take Action: San Francisco residents, please contact your Board of Supervisors and thank them for their continued stand on supporting a beneficial approach to human, animal, and Earth health.

San Francisco Board of Supervisors

1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place

San Francisco, CA 94102-4689

Tele.: 415-554-5184

Fax: 415-554-5163

E-mail: board.of.supervisors@sfgov.org

Source: