A whale of a lot of info about a marine mammal

"Faster than a speeding bullet!  More powerful than a locomotive!  Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!"

No, wait: That’s the wrong script!

It should go this way: “Heart the size of a Volkswagen Beetle!  Jaws the height of a football goal post!  Aorta that a human could crawl through!”  And most dramatic: “The largest animal in the world” -- in fact, “the largest animal to have ever lived on earth!” -- yes, even larger than the dinosaurs.

                           Blue whale                                                 NYT pic

It’s “SuperWhale,” a.k.a. the blue whale.  Part of the baleen species (including right whales, humpbacks, etc.), it has flexible protein plates (think bristles) hanging in rows from its upper jaws, to filter food from sea water.  Both their baleen plates and two blow holes distinguish baleen whales from toothed whales (with one blow-hole), the second of two basic suborders, which includes sperm whales, orcas and all dolphins and porpoises.   

http://www.whaleroute.com/class/index.htm

Blue whales can grow to about 100 feet (the largest ever measured was 109 feet long) and can weigh around 160 tons.  Newborn “babies” are about 23 feet long and roughly 30 tons in weight.

https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/nmml/education/cetaceans/baleen1.php and

https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/nmml/education/cetaceans/blue.php

                           Baleen whale                       NYT pic

Aptly called “leviathans” -- and sometimes regarded as sea monsters -- whales are marine mammals of the order Cetacea, along with dolphins and porpoises.  Hard as it may be to imagine, “the earliest whales . . . had four legs, a nose, maybe even fur. They had bladelike teeth and lived in habitats that ranged from woodlands with streams to river deltas, occasionally feeding in the brackish waters of shallow equatorial coasts. And they were the size of a large dog.”  

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/23/opinion/sunday/wrap-your-mind-around-a-whale.html?em_pos=medium&emc=edit_sc_20180626&nl=science-times&nl_art=8&nlid=20760274emc%3Dedit_sc_20180626&ref=img&te=1

Not only did whales dramatically evolve from terrestrial to sea creatures exclusively, but they also grew into the giants of the sea we know now.  One theory for that relatively recent happening -- a mere 4.5 million years ago -- is spelled out in the column cited above as well as the new book by the same author, Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome Creatures, by Nick Pyenson, curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History.

                Humpback whale                    NOAA pic

Presumably obese, a local DJ claims he’s “living large and loving life.”  Whales could agree with the first part of that descriptor, but the second part’s iffy at best.  Even though safely past the age of whale hunts, great size still has risks that can prevent “loving life” -- or even living it.  Human-caused hazards include becoming trapped by commercial fishing nets, collisions with ships, prevalence of PCBs and garbage-choked seas, climate change and its effect on ocean temps and sea life migrations.    

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/27/science/killer-whales-pcbs.html?emc=edit_sc_20181002&nl=science-times&nl_art=&nlid=20760274edit_sc_20181002&ref=headline&te=1

And at least in Japanese territorial waters, whales are still in great jeopardy.  Long claiming scientific research as its reason for hunting and slaughtering whales, Japan recently dropped out of the pact designed to protect them so it could continue the slaughter.  

https://www.nyt imes.com/2018/12/31/opinion/editorials/japan-whale-hunt-whaling.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20190101&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=3&nlid=20760274emc%3Dedit_ty_20190101&ref=headline&te=1

                      Orcas          AP pic

These days, video stories abound of whales saving people from sharks and seeming to show off their babies to humans, as well as “thanking” people who free them from nets.  Whale song has long been recorded and analyzed, if not satisfactorily figured out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTw8MR67xv8&feature=youtu.be and

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/07/science/whales-songs-acoustics.html?em_pos=large&emc=edit_sc_20190108&nl=science-times&nlid=20760274edit_sc_20190108&ref=headline&te=1

Look!  Down in the sea: It's a boat, it's a sub -- it’s SuperWhale!

You cannot begin to preserve any species of animal unless you

preserve the habitat in which it dwells.  Disturb or destroy that

habitat and you will exterminate the species as surely as if you

had shot it.  So conservation means that you have to preserve

 forest and grassland, river and lake, even the sea itself.

--Gerald Durrell, naturalist and author (1925-1995)

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‘Pretty poison,’ faithful friends & hunting’s collateral damage

That stunning summer hibiscus plant with crimson-centered golden flowers, is gone now.  It was so beautiful outside all summer that I decided to bring it indoors to winter over near a south-facing window and bloom again in spring. 

Wrong.

What I hadn’t counted on was Harry, our orange cat, licking the hibiscus leaves whenever I was in the same room with him and the plant.  What’s with that, I wondered numerous times before googling “cats and hibiscus” . . . when I learned the two don’t mix, and the cat comes out the loser, not the plant.

https://pets.thenest.com/cats-eating-hibiscus-blossom-10101.html

At that, the hibiscus went out with the trash.  (But I saved a small branch with a few leaves.  Maybe it will root, out of Harry’s reach.)

The hibiscus experience reminded me of earlier ones.  Like, when I almost bought a plant with great orange flowers -- my fave -- but a little voice advised checking it out for pet safety first.  Good thing I listened: it was on the hazard list. 

Then I realized that overall, plant tags at florists, nurseries and even supermarkets don’t usually include information about possible danger to pets.  Of course the goal is to sell plants, but come on:  what nursery rep wants to face a customer whose pet became sick or died from contact with a plant? 

Now, there’s a campaign for an aspiring activist: require that plants be labeled with pet-safety info as well as growing directions.  And till that happens (don’t hold your breath), would-be consumers should automatically google plant name with cats, dogs, other pets. 

Fido = Faithful

It was a “duh” moment when I read about Madison, the dog who waited weeks for his family’s return to Paradise, California, after wipe-out wild fires destroyed the place. A volunteer left food and water, which apparently helped Madison keep his vigil till he was reunited with his jubilant family.  (Miguel, a second family dog, had been rescued and taken to a shelter; he too was reunited.)

As the story had it, Madison became “one of the many dogs renowned for their fidelity since ancient times.  After all, Fido means ‘faithful.’”  Well, duh!

Which brought up the ancient story of Odysseus, returning home after years away.  His old dog, Argos, had waited for him at the front gates, neglected but steadfast.  At the sight of his master, Argos wagged his tail and flattened his ears; he was the only one to recognize Odysseus.

Hunting’s widespread harm

With no word to the contrary, the deer hunt in Mercer County parks evidently continues.  Also euphemistically known as “deer management,” it will go on till next month.  We can hope only that those who protested this hunt after it began will take action well before it starts again next time. 

Hunting has lethal results for prey animals of course, and that’s bad enough.  What adds to the awfulness, though, is when the lead bullets used also kill other animals, who may feed on lead-tainted carcasses and die of lead poisoning.  According to one estimate, between 10-20 million animals (eagles, hawks, bears, vultures, ravens and coyotes) die that way each year.    

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/24/us/ammunition-lead-bullets-condors.html?emc=edit_th_181125&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=207602741125

Also contributing to some hunters’ switching from lead to copper bullets is the fact that lead bullets can also pollute the game meat people eat.  

The manager of a sanctuary for birds -- among the species hardest hit by lead poisoning --  says, “. . . we moved away from lead in gasoline, paint and plumbing and now we need to do the same with ammunition.”  In the interest of conservation, even some hunters share that view.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/01/opinion/get-the-lead-out-of-bullets.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20181102&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=14&nlid=20760274emc%3Dedit_ty_20181102&ref=headline&te=1

A new, and better, year

Despite continuing divisions and political forebodings for 2019, may this year be a good one for animals and those who care about and work for them.

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Unfinished 2018 business -- then: 'onward & upward'!

Halloween and Thanksgiving are tucked away behind us.  The December holidays are moving right along, and by now we’re probably ready for Christmas.  So there’s still time for one more important thing to do:  contribute to the Animal Protection League of NJ (APLNJ).

Why? 

There are numerous reasons to make that donation, but overall, because we so appreciate what the organization does on behalf of animals in our state -- black bears, community cats, deer and geese, for instance.  And this home-grown advocacy group has been at it for animals for 35 years now -- since 1983!  What better way to say thanks and power APL on . . . than to help fund its work?

Right now, before December 31, please contribute to APL -- and in the process, give yourself a tax benefit at income tax time. 

Here’s how:  On the APL website (www.aplnj.org), click “Choose your donation” on the left, to set up a one-time or recurring donation.  Or, mail your check or money order to APLNJ, PO Box 186, Glen Gardner, NJ 08826.  Or, call the APL office (732-446-6808, x101) for someone to take credit card specs by phone.

Nosey's law:  historic good

This month, New Jersey made history by becoming the first state in the country to ban the use of wild animal species such as elephants, tigers, lions, bears and primates, in circuses and traveling shows. That big news is great news for animals!

Long, arduous campaigning by in-state and out-of-state advocates finally paid off when Gov. Phil Murphy signed the bill earlier this month.  Our state can now justifiably claim to surpass all other states in the country in enlightened treatment of wild animals who would otherwise be used, involuntarily of course, for entertainment.

Now, if only the governor would take another look at his bear-hunt policy, which this year angered both advocates and hunters -- with our black bears paying the ultimate price. 

New Farm Bill’s positives

The new federal “Farm Bill” -- a.k.a. the Agriculture Improvement Act -- was signed into law this month.  One key highlight is its extension of domestic violence protections to include pets at risk, lessening the chance that pets held hostage in effect could cause victims of violence to stay in place instead of escaping.  And it authorizes grants to help shelters take in pets or arrange for their shelter.  

The bill also bans slaughter, trade and import/export of dogs and cats for human consumption -- increasing US credibility in its drive to end that horrific practice worldwide.  And both dogfighting and cockfighting are prohibited across all US jurisdictions, including territories and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

  

Bring pets in from the cold

A state law passed last year makes it illegal “to leave a pet outdoors for longer than 30 minutes in adverse environmental conditions without proper shelter.”  While readers of this blog post may already know about this protective legislation, it’s worth sharing with neighbors, local police and animal control officers.  And, please, “if you see something, say something,” advises the New Jersey chapter of the Humane Society of the US.

Here’s a link to the full text of the law.

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2016/Bills/PL17/189_.PDF

‘Hold the tiger’ (stamp) 

The “Save Vanishing Species” stamp featuring a tiger on a green ground will no longer be available after December 31.  I learned this only because when buying more stamps, I was advised to stock up by a PO rep who couldn’t tell me why the stamp will be discontinued.

To contribute to the conservation funds for African and Asian elephants, great apes, rhinoceroses and tigers and marine turtles, go to your nearest PO and buy out the tiger stamps while you can!  

   

Then, after contributing to APLNJ and stocking up on tiger stamps, welcome in the new year -- in hopes it will be a happier, healthier year for all creatures than this year has been.

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To all animals: holiday season wishes

Thanksgiving in the Anthropocene, 2015

by Craig Santos Perez

Thank you, instant mashed potatoes, your bland taste 

makes me feel like an average American. Thank you, 

incarcerated Americans, for filling the labor shortage 

and packing potatoes in Idaho. Thank you, canned 

cranberry sauce, for your gelatinous curves. Thank you, 

Ojibwe tribe in Wisconsin, your lake is now polluted 

with phosphate-laden discharge from nearby cranberry 

bogs. Thank you, crisp green beans, you are my excuse 

for eating apple pie à la mode later. Thank you, indigenous 

migrant workers, for picking the beans in Mexico’s farm belt, 

may your children survive the season. Thank you, NAFTA, 

for making life dirt cheap. Thank you, Butterball Turkey, 

for the word, butterball, which I repeat all day butterball, 

butterball, butterball because it helps me swallow the bones 

of genocide. Thank you, dark meat, for being so juicy 

(no offense, dry and fragile white meat, you matter too). 

Thank you, 90 million factory-farmed turkeys, for giving 

your lives during the holidays. Thank you, factory-farm 

workers, for clipping turkey toes and beaks so they don’t scratch 

and peck each other in overcrowded, dark sheds. Thank you, 

genetic engineering and antibiotics, for accelerating 

their growth. Thank you, stunning tank, for immobilizing 

most of the turkeys hanging upside down by crippled legs. 

Thank you, stainless steel knives, for your sharpened 

edge and thirst for throat. Thank you, de-feathering 

tank, for your scalding-hot water, for finally killing the last

still-conscious turkeys. Thank you, turkey tails, for feeding 

Pacific Islanders all year round. Thank you, empire of 

slaughter, for never wasting your fatty leftovers. Thank you, 

tryptophan, for the promise of an afternoon nap;

I really need it. Thank you, store-bought stuffing, 

for your ambiguously ethnic flavor, you remind me 

that I’m not an average American. Thank you, gravy, 

for being hot-off-the-boat and the most beautiful 

brown. Thank you, dear readers, for joining me at the table 

of this poem. Please join hands, bow your heads, and repeat

after me: “Let us bless the hands that harvest and butcher 

our food, bless the hands that drive delivery trucks 

and stock grocery shelves, bless the hands that cooked 

and paid for this meal, bless the hands that bind 

our hands and force-feed our endless mouth. 

May we forgive each other and be forgiven.”

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Copyright © 2016 by Craig Santos Perez. “Thanksgiving in the Anthropocene, 2015” originally appeared in Rattle. Reprinted (in https://www.poets.org) with permission of the author. 

https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/thanksgiving-anthropocene-2015?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Academy%20of%20American%20Poets%20Newsletter%20November%2015&utm_content=Academy%20of%20American%20Poets%20Newsletter%20November%2015+CID_34b4d6589f6b1d540838bd3dd7762ff5&utm_source=Email%20from%20Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Thanksgiving%20in%20the%20Anthropocene%202015

(About the poet and the poem: Craig Santos Perez, a native Chamorro from Mongmong, Guam, writes about themes such as Pacific life, immigration, ancestry, colonialism, and diaspora.

Anthropocene: relating to or denoting the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.)

Wishing happy, healthy holidays to all animals!  Will return next month or next year . . . .

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Mercer county deer ‘massacre’ underway in our backyards

Thanks to a recent letter to the editor in the Times of Trenton (“. . . deer hunt a ‘massacre’”), I learned that a four-month long deer hunt is underway in Mercer County Park, a popular destination where area residents can enjoy myriad activities (typically not including slaughter). 

All deer “management” decisions for the park -- who can kill deer, when and with what weapons -- were reportedly made in August, yet opposition to the hunt seems to be building as more people learn it’s underway right now, close to home.  Wondering how and where hunt plans were publicized, some say they simply didn’t know about it.  They also wonder if and how they might have spoken against the hunt before decisions were made.

(A Mercer County spokesperson indicates that the public was informed of deer management plans “through a variety of communications, including signs that have been posted in the park, a Park Commission press release, social media messages, and a public information meeting held at the park on Oct. 18.” )

  

The Park Commission’s website provides more information on deer management, including a FAQ section that provides reasons and rules for the hunt at Mercer County Park -- and Mercer Meadows (in my own backyard) and Baldpate Mountain, as well.  

http://www.mercercountyparks.org/#!/activities/deer-management

Here’s the hunt schedule for Mercer County Parks:

https://mercercountyparks.org/assets/18-19_MCP_HuntSchedule.pdf

In most cases, hunters will use bows, with firearms permitted at specified times. From sunrise to sunset for five days a week (six, starting in January) through Feb. 16, hunters can “harvest” deer.  They’re required to hunt from elevated tree stands (to “ensure the trajectory of projectiles is downward”); hunting from the ground is not permitted.  

There will be “no hunting activity near active recreation areas,” and the licensed hunters who were selected for this “deer management” activity must abide by a 75-foot safety zone.  Park visitors are advised to wear bright colors and proceed with caution.  (Sounds like lots of fun, doesn’t it?)

Hunters are “asked to cover their harvest with a tarp when transporting in the park to avoid exposure to more sensitive park goers.”  Such delicacy, given that hunters are allowed to bait the deer -- an extremely unsportsmanlike practice -- shoot them and then “dress” the dead deer (oops! “harvest”!) before leaving the park.  

So “management” is one common euphemism for deer population-control-by-death.  The word may suggest deliberative consideration of alternative ways proceed, but that’s not necessarily so.   (The Park Commission website describes the hunt as “the most cost effective and reliable method for controlling deer populations.” [italics added])  And then, as above, “harvest,” an upbeat euphemism for "kill,'' invariably appears.

If you object to deer being “managed” by being killed in Mercer County Park, what can you do about it?  Talk, write, donate.  Repeat.

First, you can sign the Change.org petition against this hunt. Here’s the link: https://www.change.org/p/lucylle-walter-we-oppose-hunting-in-mercer-county-park-nj

Next, with those who may join you once they know, talk up your objections to this mode of “deer management.”  Let the county officials behind the hunt know of your objections.  Here are the people who need to know what you think of a deer hunt in Mercer County Park, as well as Mercer Meadows and Baldpate Mountain (with thanks to MP for specifics):

COUNTY EXECUTIVE
Brian Hughes    bhughes@mercercounty.org

MERCER COUNTY BOARD of CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS

Lucylle Walter, President   lwalter@mercercounty.org

John Camino, VP              jcimino@mercercounty.org

Ann Cannon                      acannon@mercercounty.org

Pasquale Colavita            pcolavita@mercercounty.org

Samuel Frisby                   sfrisby@mercercounty.org

Andrew Koontz                akoontz@mercercounty.org

Nina Melker                      nmelker@mercercounty.org

MERCER COUNTY PARK COMMISSION

Aaron T Watson, Executive Director.             awatson@mercercounty.org

Anthony Cucchi, Superintendent of Parks.   acucchi@mercercounty.org

Joe Pizza, Director of Operations.                   jpizza@mercercounty.org

And finally, write letters to the editor; look for, or organize, tabling, meetings and demos; and speak up on social media.

Take action and keep taking it!

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This issue has so many facets that I hope for comments to help complete the picture.  Please comment by going to 1moreonce.blogspot.com

One last step: bug the Gov to sign 'Nosey's Law'

 Nosey in sanctuary                                    Save Nosey Now pic

What do you say after Nosey’s Law is approved by NJ’s general assembly -- as happened last week?  Now that the bill has passed in both houses of the legislature, you say, “Sign it into law, please!” to Governor Phil Murphy.  Phone his office (609-292-6000) early and often with that message!

Why?

Because, as specified in the bill’s text, A1923/S1093 would Nosey“prohibit the use of elephants and other wild or exotic animals in a traveling animal act.” (“Traveling animal act” means any performance which requires an animal to be transported to or from the location of the performance in a mobile or traveling housing facility,” with “mobile or traveling housing facility” meaning “a vehicle, including a truck, trailer, or railway car, used to transport or house an animal used for performance.”) 

More important yet: “Performance” means any animal act, carnival, circus, display, exhibition, exposition, fair, parade, petting zoo, presentation, public showing, race, ride, trade show, or similar undertaking in which animals perform tricks, give rides, or participate as accompaniments for the entertainment, amusement, or benefit of a live audience.

If this bill is signed into law, New Jersey would become the first state to comprehensively ban wild animal acts in traveling shows/circuses. And that, very simply, is great news for wild or exotic animals, who for too long have been forced into unnatural and inhumane lives of “performance servitude” for the pleasure (and profit!) of humans.

                          Save Nosey Now pic

Originally sponsored by now-retired state Senator Raymond Lesniak, the bill reached then-Governor Chris Christie, who didn’t sign it.  The current sponsor, Assemblyman Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson), says of it: “These are wild, endangered animals, and they should be cared for according to the highest ethical standards to ensure the survival of their species.” 

That’s fine, but I’d have preferred his stopping at “the highest ethical standards.”  Endangered or not, survival of species or not, no animal deserves to live life as an involuntary entertainer -- with all the horrors that involves.

Although the governor can sign the bill at any time in the next 45 days, the sooner the better because it would take effect immediately.  So please phone Gov. Murphy frequently (609-292-6000), saying something like "My name is . . . and I support A1923/S1093, known as "Nosey's Law."  The governor should sign this bill to protect animals, promote public safety and assure responsible entertainment that does not include wild or exotic animals."  

  

(With thanks to the Animal Protection League of NJ and the Humane Society of the US--NJ for ongoing efforts on behalf of Nosey’s Law)  

  

We're ‘never home alone’   

Probably like a lot of kids, I grew up believing that the only good bug in my home was a dead bug, as in “Eek! a thousand-legger/a waterbug/a spider!” -- to be followed by a squashed bug.  I’ve gained knowledge and sensitivity since then, coming to know about sentience and “good” bugs and (with a few key exceptions, like house flies, mosquitoes and ticks), live and let live.  

Today, the idea behind a citizen-science project called “Never Home Alone” is snap it, don’t squash it!  That is, photograph the insect co-residents of our homes to share with Dr. Rob Dunn, a North Carolina applied ecologist who aims to catalog the “spiders, insects and other many-legged creatures that live indoors with us.” 

Dunn's investigations have already turned up myriad species of spiders, including beneficial varieties and even some new ones.  Beyond spiders, think: booklice, beetles, flies, and (gulp!) bedbugs.   

Those still squeamish about sharing quarters with insects should know that use of pesticides   can aid in the evolution of pesticide-resistant cockroaches and bedbugs -- not a nice thought.

Could one picture be worth a thousand squirts?

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/29/science/spider-insect-survey.html?em_pos=medium&emc=edit_sc_20181030&nl=science-times&nl_art=1&nlid=20760274emc%3Dedit_sc_20181030&ref=headline&te=1

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