The day had been socked in from dawn with low lying clouds and a steady down pour. There was not a peep of blue sky and with no sun, I had no solar, so I put a half gallon of gas into the generator and fired it up to do some work on my websites. When the generator ran out of fuel, I headed out with a bit of cabin fever spurring me on, and soon spotted a bull moose, along with a mother cow and her calf. No matter how many times I see moose, I fall in love with them all over again.

  It was raining when I captured the images below. The bull moose had just bedded down in some tall, golden willows when I approached. I intentionally made noise to get the bull to stand. He was unconcerned with my presence, but the mom was very cautious and  took leave first. The bull reluctantly got up to slowly follow with the baby moose between them.

I went back to my car and was going to take off, but decided to track the trio for a chance at some better shots. I found them up river and the bull was grunting and moving slowly while not grazing like the female and the baby. The sounds he was making had me wondering if he wasn't in rut. The timing is perfect for it. I'm assuming that's what was going on. I got close, but always had trees around me for cover should he or the female decide to charge. These moose are regular sightings and I've never seen them attempt to come toward me. Conversely, they will readily flee. During rutting season, however, I've read that males can become very aggressive. I followed  and watched them for over a half an hour while shooting a couple hundred photos. It was a very good day. 

Around 7:00 a.m. this morning, I spotted this bull moose in the meadow near my cabin. It's almost one year to the day when I photographed the same moose. The sun wasn't up yet, so natural light was barely visible, thus the grainy images. What was extraordinary was the sound of the moose rubbing his rack (dubbed the 'velvet rub out') against the willows and dried brush. I wasn't sure why he was doing it so I researched the question and discovered,  "Most scientists, including cervid antler authority George Bubenik, believe that rubbing is largely a behavioral response to increasing testosterone, which stimulates the animal’s preoccupation with scent marking and his sexuality." [source] Witnessing something like this in nature feels like a great gift.

What a great song! Beautiful lyrics and a lovely, soulful voice 
honoring the magnificent wolf. Click and enjoy.

I, the undersigned American citizen, believe that animals, like all sentient beings, are entitled to basic legal rights in our society. Deprived of legal protection, animals are defenseless against exploitation and abuse by humans. As no such rights now exist, I urge you to pass legislation in support of the following basic rights for animals: 

The Right of animals to be free from exploitation, cruelty, neglect, and abuse. 

The Right of laboratory animals not to be used in cruel or unnecessary experiments. 

The Right of farmed animals to an environment that satisfies their basic physical and psychological needs. 

The Right of companion animals to a healthy diet, protective shelter, and adequate medical care. 

The Right of wildlife to a natural habitat, ecologically sufficient to a normal existence and self-sustaining species population. 

The Right of animals to have their interests represented in court and safeguarded by the law of the land.

Click on image above to sign and click below to go to ALDF (Animal Legal Defense Fund) website.

POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2014 AT 12:5 PM
By Patti Nyman, One Green Planet

Grazing has its place in just about every agricultural system that involves livestock. This includes cows bred to produce “organic” dairy products, or those set to become “grass-fed beef,” who will graze for two to three years before slaughter, or cows bred for their flesh or milk in the factory farming system who will graze for up to one year before being transported to feedlots.

However the particular breeding, feeding and killing operation is conducted, humans are introducing large numbers of grazing cattle into areas where cows were not previously found. This has an enormous impact on native ecosystems – so much so that grazing cattle now have the character of an invasive species.

After habitat loss, which is caused by clearing and consuming natural resources for human use, invasive species are listed as the second largest threat to biodiversity in North America. In the continental United States, 41 percent of all land is currently grazed by livestock.

Operations that seek to protect the interests of the cattle industry are responsible for the mass extermination of wolves, the roundup of wild horses, deforestation, and shocking loss of biodiversity, while the act of grazing itself contributes to desertification and erosion of soil and land. Let’s take a look for a moment at the many ways the introduction and proliferation of grazing cattle has earned them the title of “invasive species.” READ FULL ARTICLE. IT's VERY GOOD!

SOURCE: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/

Any Effective Effort to Save Rhinos, Tigers, and Pandas from Extinction Must Tackle the Anonymous Companies that Propel the Illegal Wildlife Trade

"Wildlife trafficking is more than illegally killing exotic animals; it is part of a complex criminal network that makes use of anonymous companies to illegally transfer both goods and money."

‘Drillers in the mist’: How secret payments and a
 climate of violence helped UK firm open African national park to oil 

"The shocking behaviour in Congo of Soco International, one of the UK’s 200 largest public companies, is laid bare in a new report released today by Global Witness. Our findings are based on undercover recordings gathered in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of an investigation by UK film-makers, which have been reviewed by Global Witness."
Read more