But it does look like the Japanese dolphin slaughter is starting to get more media attention, thanks to a consortium of scientists and wildlife officials that yesterday called on the Japanese government to end the practice:
Yahoo! News: Scientists Protest Dolphin Slaughter
When looking for footage of the protests today, I came across some dolphin slaughter videos. The first one looks pretty much raw, and appears to be the source of a photo I posted when originally bringing the slaughter to your attention. It's very short, and shows that indeed the water does get that red, and that the photo was not enhanced.
The second one appears to be a segment from Earthlings, a movie I watched before it was finalized and officially released, if I recall correctly, and I don't remember seeing it in that version. That said, it's a very difficult and painful sit through, but will drive the cruelty of animal exploitation home to anyone you show it to.
Halfway through this roughly 3-minute segment, I started tearing up. No still photos can portray how awful this slaughter truly is. You owe it to yourself and the dolphins to see this video, to know why it's important that this slaughter is ended.
The next story I want to touch on briefly was brought to my attention by Jeff Bryant, who first contacted me about the dolphin slaughter. The article reveals a disturbing mindset toward animals:
Mainichi Daily News: Kitten-killing novelist defends actions
In it we learn that a writer described in a recent essay how she did not sterilize the three female cats she kept as pets, and described "hurling the newborn kittens over a cliff" as soon as they were born. That's very ancient Greece of her, but we don't go for that kind of cruelty anymore.
She justifies this barbarous action by comparing the sterilization of animals with the oppression of humans and that she can't bear to remove their "life energy and vitality." But it's okay to toss kittens over a cliff? Am I the only one that can't follow her logic?
Finally comes some happy news. Despite the continued use of bear bile for medicinal purposes in Vietnam, Animals Asia has reached an agreement with Vietnam's Forest Protection Department (FPD) to build a bear rescue center in a national park outside Hanoi. According to an FPD official, the center will open in January 2007:
The official, who requested anonymity for procedural reasons, says the center will give the bears check-ups and release the healthy ones into protected forests. The more fragile animals will be taken care of for life.Unfortunately, this is only a glimmer of hope for the bears. According to Jill Robinson, founder of Animals Asia, the center's reach will be limited:
The ultimate aim of the project, at least, is to rescue 200 bears, although with 4,000 bears still in the country on these horrible farms, it's quite a challenge.Voice of America: Sanctuary Planned for Vietnamese Bears Farmed for Bile
Labels: activism, Animals Asia, bears, dolphin slaughter, dolphins, wildlife
