Wrong for right whales, animal briefs & wannabe homies

Once considered the 'right' whale to kill

Her short life was pain-filled and her death was unavoidable – all part of a very sad story.  She -- # 5120 – to those watching out for her, was a young female right whale whose every fin stroke hurt because a rope was “corkscrewed” around the base of her fluke, affecting her mobility.

Last month, her body washed ashore in Massachusetts, where clues in the rope revealed its source: Maine waters, where fisheries for lobster and crab operate.  While such entanglement is claimed by lobster industry reps as a rare occurrence, this scenario has played out often enough for some whale advocates to argue against shellfish harvesting.

Whatever happens in that ongoing debate, the fact remains that right whales are “one of the most endangered marine mammals on earth.”  About 70 reproductively active female right whales are left, among some 360 individuals altogether.

Vessel strikes may in fact be the main reason why this whale species is “at the precipice of extinction.”  Shipping guidelines and laws for the areas frequented by right whales are simply not taken seriously or sufficiently enforced, while pleas to legislators for help have so far seemed wasted.  

Apparently, extinction of right whales doesn’t bother enough people to do enough to conserve them.  Meanwhile, the number of right whales continues to drop.  

http://tinyurl.com/4pusv927

http://tinyurl.com/2szt6jch  (Sue Russell is wildlife policy director for the Animal Protection League of New Jersey [APLNJ].)  

Selected short subjects 

A few animal news shorts from elsewhere in the animal world . . .  The first news brief, regrettably, marks the death of Flako, the Eurasian eagle-owl who died last week in Manhattan.  Learning to live independently after escaping from the Central Park Zoo, he attracted countless followers during his year of freedom.

      Early theories suggested Flako hit a building/window hard and fell to his death – an end always considered possible for him because so many other birds suffer the same fate.

  h  http://tinyurl.com/tvhrbh7j ; http://tinyurl.com/2z5jyfde   

And two small-but-significant things I read recently that are reminders of ongoing cruelty to animals:

·         The first, excerpted from a tiny folded insert in a box of eye drops: Under “Animal data,” specified test doses administered to rats and rabbits resulted in “increased pre- and postnatal mortality, reduced fetal weight and skeletal retardations.”  And further, “This dose is 7,000 times greater than the daily recommended human use.”

So animal experimentation continues . . . to the point of death for test animals for a measure of safety for human animals.  

 ·         An even smaller reminder: wording on a Levi’s belt tag: “Responsible Leather” – a contradiction in terms!  There’s no such thing as “responsible” killing of animals for human clothing. 

 Homecoming hopes

As “kitten season” fast approaches, two adult cats (of many!) need homes – and as happens so often with mature felines, Meo and GrubHub will be extra appreciative.  Now in residence at the EASEL Animal Rescue League shelter, in Ewing, they deserve the security of loving homes.

Ladies first: Ms. GrubHub is a petite tuxedo described as “a 7-year old baby, so sweet and silly and little,” she looks like a kitten and will never get bigger. 

Nearly 4 years old, Meo came to the shelter with a big mouse toy that shelter staffers were told he needed to keep with him.  True enough: “He sleeps with it and he loves it so much!” says one. 

Handsome Meo is FIV+ (for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus).  Such cats can live with other cats indoors as long as they are fixed and not fighting, thereby avoiding a blood-to-blood or saliva-to-blood transfer.  

(Specs on visiting and adopting cats are available at EASELNJ.org.)    

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 NOTE:  A few pictures from the Feb. 24 Wildlife Protest that was sponsored by the Animal Protection League of NJ appear below.

                                                                                                                          Frega photos

Save our wildlife: save the date!

“New Jersey has only 17 days a year when some animals are not hunted.”  As an animal-advocating state resident, I was shocked by that statement -- and the accompanying information:

On the 348 other days [of the year], deer, bears, turkeys, geese, opossums, coots, coyotes, groundhogs, squirrels, ducks, rabbits and numerous other species are all in the crosshairs of hunters.

That list of target animals was followed by “partial kill lists,” which are probably under-estimates since not all killings are reported.  Please, force yourself to look at all those horrifying specifics and try to picture the animals who lost their lives.  

Our state’s wildlife is and has long been in grave danger because of the attitudes and practices of the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife (NJDFW), considered by many to be a “rogue state agency” -- one far more intent on “sport” hunting than on management or conservation.  Its antiquated outlook has made killing its default action in conflicts with wildlife (as the kill list totals readily demonstrate).

This inhumane and ineffectual practice must stop!  

That’s why the Animal Protection League of NJ (APLNJ) is sponsoring a “Wildlife Protest” on Saturday, Feb. 24, calling for nonlethal 21^st century means of dealing with wildlife conflicts that could put an end to hundreds of thousands of animal deaths each year.  

Please use this link to see the entire call-to-action message about the Wildlife Protest: ttps://conta.cc/3Ik8Xjv

                                                                   Jersey is blooming!

No, that’s not Garden State news.  It’s about my rescue cat, Jersey, with me for more than a year.  A lovable multi-colored and toothless tabby, he has definitely made his presence felt.  But for much of his time here, he was (probably necessarily) subordinate to Billy, my dear aging tuxedo.  

Now that sweet Billy is gone, Jersey’s a changed creature: more affectionate, outgoing, playful, and fun.  As the new “king of the hill,” he’s more assertive toward me and even his vet (!).  It’s been an interesting transition to watch.

I’ve read about this pattern so often it’s become an animal-behavior cliché:  A new, young or abused pet is suddenly accepted, adopted or newly treated lovingly.  In turn, that animal’s personality undergoes a positive, dramatic change -- sometimes described as “blooming.”

Familiar to you?  It’s familiar to me now, too!   

 Adult cat seeks home

Meet Bronx, an all-black 4-year old with no tail, now in the care of the EASEL Animal Rescue League shelter, in Ewing.  Reported to be both gentle and playful, Bronx is seriously searching for -- and deserving! -- a loving home.  

(Specs on visiting and adopting cats are available at EASELNJ.org.)                                

 

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Chilly pets, killer kitty, flying free & adoptable adult cats

Other people who watch the weather have already commented on the weird, unpredictable weather we’ve had, including days this month and last that wanted to be spring-like.  Even though they didn’t take hold, those days allowed for at least one “robin convention,” as I describe them, in my neighborhood, and an unusual number of squirrels, including what looked like squirrel babies in training.  

Then there are the decidedly wintery days (including a now-novel snowstorm), when there are myriad ways to assure our pets’ comfort, indoors and out.  The first thing that comes to mind is straw – never hay! -- as the best ingredient for outdoor pet and community/feral cat shelters, with doorways covered with waterproof burlap or heavy plastic.

Pets who are walked outdoors would appreciate warm sweaters or coats and paw-protecting booties -- or at least thorough towel-wiping back inside.  Not only can snow and ice cause discomfort, but thickly sprinkled ice-melting “salt” can be even worse.  All house pets need warm, comfy beds away from in-house drafts (as well as home temps set high enough for all inhabitants). 

Overall, keeping warm takes extra energy, so give pets more food in winter.  Warm car engines appeal to cold cats and small wildlife, so bang on your car hood to scare them away before you start driving.

For still more advice, google “keeping pets warm in winter,” ready to take notes.  And take a look at these 7 tips: http://tinyurl.com/2547w4yy.

No passport for her (please!)

“She weighs less than three pounds, she makes you go aww, and she’s one of the best killers on the planet.”

Introducing Gaia (please see story for image), a virtually unknown cat native to Africa who is bth tiny and terrible, yet terribly cute.  (When you learn about her, you’ll want assurance that she’s safely secured in a US zoo.)  And you can drop any impulse to cuddle her or other black-footed cats, some 30 of which live in other US zoos.

Weighing a trace more than 2-1/2 pounds, Gaia is part of a breeding-for-conservation effort.  Because numbers of black-footed cats in the African wild are declining, they’re classified as “vulnerable,” heading for “endangered.”

And since “conservation” is becoming a more common word and practice, Gaia and her cat compatriots may help build their numbers back up, motivating more such programs for other animals.    http://tinyurl.com/28pwxnva

Look! Up in the sky! 

With a wingspan of about six feet and glowing fierce orange eyes, little wonder that Flako, the Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo last year, has become the talk of Manhattan.  Besides merely tracking and watching him, his fans take pictures, create art, write poems and sport Flako tattoos.

While they busy themselves honoring Flako, the bird himself has toured the city and learned to hunt, apparently deciding this is the life for him.  It’s not an easy life, either, as the deaths of other big birds due to city traffic and rat poison prove.

Details on “The Life of Flako” filled more than two pages of a recent Sunday NYTimes story, complete with numerous photos.     http://tinyurl.com/5b6n4he7

They’re coming, they’re coming!

Yes, the [many-colored]coats are coming!  That would be spring’s crop of kittens, coming soon.  During “kitten season,” winsome baby cats effortlessly win hearts merely by existing.

But please remember: kittens quickly grow into cats, when you can really know about them.  Only then will you see adult looks and experience adult behavior.

An easier, better way to get the pet cat you hope for is to start with a grown-up cat!  Adult cats have “been there, done that,” and they come with experience and savvy that will save you working from the ground up.  Much more important, adult and senior cats appreciate having a home and can fit in faster.

It’s almost the time of year when would-be adopters race right past smart, beautiful, adult cats to seize kitten(s).  Getting to know some adult cats could change all that.  

So meet Reggie, a “male model” adult cat now at the EASEL Animal Rescue League shelter, Ewing.  Estimated to be about 7 years old, Reggie’s looking for a home.  While he has no teeth, that doesn’t inhibit his enthusiasm for food.  And get that gorgeous coat he’s wearing!  

(Specs on visiting and adopting cats are available at EASELNJ.org.  And there’s more to come here on adoptable adult cats.)

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