A leg up on a catch-up via a roundup

                                                                           APLNJ pic

“Unofficial-autumn” greetings!  (Does anyone else say “autumn” nowadays, instead of “fall”?!) And doesn’t this rainy and cool weather reinforce the “fall” feeling?

So, with the list of summer “to-do”s either satisfied or fudged; with back-to-school prep taken care of; with swimsuits (etc.!) stored away for next summer or a vacation in the sun. . . it’s time for an animal roundup.

We’ll start with New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy. As far as bear hunts are concerned, the man’s a “trimmer” -- an old word that came to mind and still manages to sound critical, which it is!  Pressured to honor his commitment to end bear hunts, the governor apparently tried to please both sides, with the usual result: he pleased no one.

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines “trimmer” as "One who trims between opposing parties in politics, etc. hence, one who inclines to each of two opposing sides as interest dictates.”  And Thomas Hardy used the word this way in his Wessex Tales: "One of the trimmers who went to church and chapel both."  (My thanks to a daring and resourceful reference librarian!)

So, Gov. Murphy halted bear hunting on state land only, leaving bears on private land (the greater portion) as prey for trophy hunters. They want all the land to hunt, while animal advocates want all the land off-limits to hunters.

  

Also on the gubernatorial front, Gov. Murphy is being reminded of his agreement to ban leghold traps, the hideous devices that cause untold suffering for wild animals and pets alike.  Banned in New Jersey since 1984, they were brought back into use last year through a maneuver by Gov. Christie and his hunting cronies. With the stroke of a pen, Gov. Murphy can un-do that cruel and inhumane act.  

Help the animals who could be caught in these traps by (1) phoning the governor’s office (609-292-6000), asking him to sign an executive order invalidating the Fish & Game Council’s regulation allowing their use, and (2) asking your senator and assembly members to support  S179/A3110 (Senator Gopal and Assemblyman Benson) to ban the manufacture, sale, possession or use of body-gripping animal traps.

 

Wild animals break out

Years ago, people finally realized that if girls didn’t see women as doctors, executives, astronauts or race car drivers, they could assume such positions were closed to them -- and not  aspire to those careers.  Same with wild animals: if children usually saw them behind bars, they could conclude that wild animals belong in zoos.  

So, Nabisco’s recent announcement about re-design of its famous Animal Crackers box came as a happy surprise. Thanks to PETA-led lobbying, the new box shows animals in a savanna setting -- much more appropriate and accurate. Wild animals belong in the wild!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/food/wp/2018/08/21/animal-crackers-have-been-caged-for-116-years-pressure-on-nabisco-helped-free-them/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.c6f0440f0a68&wpisrc=nl_animalia&wpmm=1

Wild animals finally free! 

Giraffes in jeopardy

 

With all the activism on behalf of elephants and other animals, who thinks of giraffes?  Humane Society International, that’s who.  And the news is not good: “Giraffes are facing a silent extinction,” the organization says. “New reports show giraffes have suffered a massive 40 percent decline in wild populations since 1985, but still have absolutely no international protections.”

 

“If the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists them as Endangered, it would restrict trade in giraffes coming to the United States as hunting trophies and other products. It's an easy step we can take right now to help protect and restore giraffe populations.”  

Visit http://www.hsi.org/ to protect giraffes under the Endangered Species Act.

Nuff said

Humans kill approximately 100 million sharks a year, while unprovoked shark attacks killed just five people in 2017.  --from “How to Survive a Shark Attack,” in the NYTimes Magazine, 9-2-18, p. 23.

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