Foie Gras is French for “fatty liver,” and is the fattened liver of a duck or goose. It is fattened by force feeding the bird, which causes suffering for the animal as well as complicated breathing and walking. It is considered to be a delicacy in many countries.

Foie Gras dates back to ancient Egyptians, who would take it with them on their trips down the Nile River. Ancient drawings have depicted farmers force feeding their geese. It became a delicacy, eaten by mostly emperors and noble men. During the middle Ages, it disappeared, but made a comeback in the 19th century. It was predominantly made in France, but became unavailable during the 1980s when the Americans banned the import of raw poultry.  Because of this, American farmers began making their own Foie Gras. It was even served as the last dinner on the Titanic.

Several times a day, the birds are force-fed corn mash through a metal tube so that they gain weight to make their liver ten times its natural size. This would be the same as a 150 pound human being force fed 30 one pound boxes of pasta. The force-feeding starts at the age of 12 weeks and lasts until two to three weeks until the animal is slaughtered. The tube causes injuries to the esophagus of the bird, and causes vomiting and extreme discomfort. In extreme cases it leads to a rupture of the esophagus and leads to the bird’s death from choking on the blood that fills their lungs. Some birds end up literally bursting from the pressure inside of them. 

Aside from force-feedings, the birds are often neglected and abused with overcrowding, mutilations, and eventually slaughter. They have no access to swimming water which is essential to these birds to remain healthy. Studies show that France produces and consumes around 75% of the world’s foie gras. About 24 million ducks and half a million geese are killed every year for this appetizer. The European Union’s Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare have said, “Force feeding, as currently practiced, is detrimental to the welfare of the birds.” More than a dozen countries have prohibited foie gras production.

All five rhino species are threatened with extinction: Africa’s black rhinos are critically endangered, with a population under 5,000. The 3,000 one-horned rhinos of India and Nepal are endangered, while Southeast Asia’s Sumatran and Javan rhinos number only in the hundreds and tens, respectively and are also critically endangered. At around 20,000, the southern white rhino is most numerous, with the vast majority living in South Africa. They are considerably easy to hunt because of their very poor eyesight and cannot see stationery objects even just a few meters away from them. Their hearing, however, is very acute and they also rely mainly on their well-developed senses of smell to warn them of approaching danger.

Over the past few years there has been a shocking increase in rhino poaching. In 2011, in South Africa alone, 448 rhino were poached for their horns and as of mid-2012 over 300 have been poached. At a first glance, it would appear that by simply removing the horn the problem is solved; rhinos should be worthless to poachers. However, the issue is a lot more complicated than it first appears.

Namibia was the first country to use dehorning to protect rhinos from poaching. Between 1989 and the early 1990s, dehorning coupled with rapid improvements in security and funding for anti-poaching was perceived by stakeholders to have contributed significantly to reducing poaching losses. In Namibia, not a single dehorned rhino was poached.

However, there are numerous cases where dehorning has proved insufficient to prevent rhinos from falling victim to poachers. For example, in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe during the early 1990s, the majority of dehorned rhinos were killed just 12-18 months after being dehorned. In Zimbabwe’s Save Valley Conservancy, six newly dehorned rhinos were poached during January-August. For dehorning to be effective, it must be coupled with extensive anti-poaching security and monitoring efforts. With an absence of security, rhinos may continue to be poached regardless of whether they have been dehorned.

So why do poachers continue to target hornless rhinos? This is often attributed to the stub of horn that is left after removal. If the horn is cut too close to the germinal layer, this could damage the horn base and lead to deformed horn re-growth. Current dehorning is estimated to remove 90% and 93% of horn mass in male and female white rhinos respectively. So during any dehorning exercise a stub of horn will remain: although poaching is made less profitable, the sad reality is that poachers will still kill for a horn stub due to its high value. There have been reports that rhino horn has been fetching prices as high as $50,000 per kg.

Poachers may also kill dehorned rhinos out of vengeance. In Hwange NP, it was thought that poachers killed dehorned rhinos to avoid tracking them again. Furthermore, if there is thick bush or hilly terrain poachers may not see if the rhino has an intact horn prior to shooting.

Horns grow back over time, with recent studies claiming that the re-growth of dehorned rhino horn appears faster than growth in non-dehorned rhinos. With the current severe poaching threat, experts recommend that rhinos should ideally be dehorned every 12-24 months in order to be an effective deterrent.

Dehorning is an intrusive procedure and, like any immobilization, there is a risk to the rhino during the operation. While all efforts are taken to reduce the risk, there are sometimes veterinary complications while the animal is under anesthetic that may result in death. The more frequently the rhinos are immobilized, the greater the risk.

In addition, dehorning is incredibly costly, due the effort of finding the animals and the costs associated with the immobilization process, especially if needed on a recurrent basis. The actual cost depends on several factors, but current published estimates for dehorning range from $620 per animal to $1,000. It is estimated that it would cost around US$5.8-8.8 million for a one-off dehorning of all the rhinos in Kruger National Park. 

An important consideration in the dehorning debate is whether rhinos actually need their horns. The evolutionary significance of horns in rhinos is not entirely clear, and may include mate choice or anti-predator defense. It is known that rhinos use their horns for several behavioral functions, including defending territories, defending calves from other rhinos and predators, maternal care, and foraging behavior, such as digging for water and breaking branches. Male rhinos use their horns during disputes over territory or dominance, so removal of the horn may undermine the ability of a particular bull to retain territory or status. On a positive note, dehorning has shown to reduce fighting-related mortalities among black rhinos in Zimbabwe.

Dehorning has its place in rhino conservation and, although not a stand-alone solution, recent successes demonstrate that, used alongside other methods, dehorning can be used to protect rhinos. Due to the invasive nature of dehorning, it should only be considered as a last resort under conditions of severe poaching threat. For example, although dehorning is not routinely practiced in Kenya, its small population of Northern White Rhino is routinely dehorned due to the exceptional conservation value of being the last remaining individuals of the subspecies.

If the poaching continues as it does now, these African animals will be poached into extinction as soon as the year 2025.

Sources:
http://www.africa-wildlife-detective.com/rhino-poaching.html
http://www.savetherhino.org/rhino_info/issues_for_debate/de-horning
http://www.hsi.org/issues/rhinoceros_poaching/
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/rhinoceros/african_rhinos/white_rhinoceros/

Watch Video – Thandi’s Calf: Story of The Rhino that should never have been Born - 

The birth of Thandi’s , baby provides this glimmer of hope amidst the exponential growth in rhino killings. Close to 1200 rhinos were killed by poachers in South Africa in 2014 – the highest yearly total to date. (The name Thandi means 'courage or one who is to be loved' in the isiXhosi language.) - See more 

Roughly 10,000 greyhounds every year in Spain are hanged from trees after hunting season.  Another 50,000 are abandoned or living in deplorable situations. Farmers and hunters in the Spanish countryside, where roughly 30 million people live, own these greyhounds and use them for hunting hares and sporting. These poor animals live in deplorable, crude and cruel conditions. Many are crammed in sheds without daylight for days- even up to a week- with very little food and water. Some are kept in the back of vans and have died from heat exhaustion. After a day of hunting, dogs that hunted well might be “rewarded” with stale bread and fresh water. Poor-performing dogs are often left behind in the woods to die or are hung from a tree by its owner. 

Stemming from a decades-long tradition, hunters hang their hounds from trees. Dogs who hunted well get the ‘privilege’ of being hung from a high branch. Those who hunted poorly are ‘hung low’ so their feet touch the ground, ensuring a slow, tortuous death. They have a name for this form: the "PIANO PLAYER" because the dogs frantically scrabble their legs in a vain attempt to live. 

Ex-hunting dogs are often thrown down wells or abandoned in the woods or streets to die. Some are even burned alive. The methods Spaniards use to kill their dogs are rarely humane. Spain’s national animal protection laws apply to dogs that are pets. But hunting and sporting dogs are NOT considered pets!  People are trying to reach out to Spain’s Environmental Minister, Rosa Aguilar Rivero, and asking her to establish hunting dogs as pets as well as banning the inhumane treatment of these animals.

Please share this article and tweet and talk about this. Education is key to making changes. Sign petitions. Raise your voice. Do something. Be part of the solution and help end the deplorable treatment of greyhounds in Spain. 

Video about Greyhound abuse in Spain with Spanish subtitles to be shown at the Spanish Congress of Deputies on March 12th, 2014.

 
Sources:
http://www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk/natureofproblem/natureofproblemFrame.htm?http&&&www.greyhoundsinneed.co.uk/natureofproblem/AmigosdelosGalgos.htm
http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2004/11/torturous-lives-for-greyhounds-in.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2290221/The-heartbreaking-plight-Prince-greyhound-left-tortured-starving-owner-decided-longer-hunt.html
http://forcechange.com/24603/ban-torturous-hanging-of-greyhounds-in-spain/

SOURCES:
http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=16
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/aye-aye/
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/aye-aye
http://www.arkive.org/aye-aye/daubentonia-madagascariensis/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Aye-aye
http://a-z-animals.com/animals/aye-aye-/
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/6302/0
http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/02/adaptation-of-the-week-the-aye-ayes-freaky-finger-ive-been-cursed-by-an-aye-aye/
http://ayeayesproject.weebly.com/legends.html
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/teacher_resources/best_place_species/harry_potter_top_10/aye_aye.cfm


Special thanks to photographer, David Haring, for his wonderful photos of these amazing creatures! http://lemur.duke.edu/

By Sara Chamberlin
             
In the years 1850-1900, more than one million wolves were killed because of superstitious beliefs in Europe and surrounding countries. That’s equivalent to almost 550 wolves killed daily. These superstitions included the devil, healing powers, good fortune, and good luck.

 One of the most famous superstitions about wolves is the idea of a werewolf. A werewolf can be described as a human being who has changed into a wolf, or is capable of assuming the form of a wolf, while retaining human intelligence. They are imagined to have incredible strength, as well as nocturnal vision and an increased sense of smell. They are immortal and can regenerate flesh. This may be where the superstition of wrapping yourself in wolf hide will stop you from having seizures came from, as well as rubbing a wolf’s tooth on a baby’s gum to alleviate tooth pain.