Entertainment Animals at the Olympics Opening Ceremony Environmental Issues

Besides Euro 2012 having been on the radar of animal rights activists, there is another big sports event coming up that has people riled up again. This time, however, not because the killing of animals will be involved thankfully. As probably everybody knows the Olympics in London are coming up and for the big opening show, designed by Danny Boyle (director of Slumdog Millionaire), the plan is to use live animals to recreate the British countryside that during the course of the three hour show will change into an urban setting. In this show, called “Isles of Wonder,” Boyle plans on using 70 sheep, 12 horses, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, 9 geese, 3 cows, 3 sheep dogs and 2 goats which is 119 animals too many in my opinion. Several animal rights groups have already spoken up about this issue urging Danny Boyle to rethink his idea of using these animals and they make valid points with their arguments. First and foremost, the welfare of these animals is a big concern of course. The whole setting will be a stressful experience for all of these animals. Over 62,000 people, bright lights, loud sounds and a general hectic atmosphere will certainly not do them good. None of these things are part of the natural environments the animals come from and will most definitely stress them out and cause them to be frightened. In a normal situation they would try to get away from a situation like this, which won’t be possible in the course of this show because there will be nowhere to go. Secondly, it seems like ever since this news was announced and petitions appeared the public opinion is that most people are against using these animals in the show. People don’t want their country to be associated with something like this. Maybe it’s a good idea for the Olympic Committee to listen to the public opinion because after all they are the people they want to watch their show and the Games.

Last but not least, the animal rights groups feel like this show will give a very misleading view of the British farming industry. The largest part of the farm industry does not have animals roaming free and grazing in the open. Most farm animals belong to factory farms and live inside in small spaces. It would be wrong to give people all around the world the wrong idea about the way the farming industry works in Great Britain (and anywhere else really but that is beside the point right now). The Olympic committee has gotten the RSPCA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) involved to make sure that the animals will receive the best care possible during the show, which is at least something they are trying to do right but the fact remains that using these animals in the first place is the wrong way to go. The RSPCA is opposed against the use of animals in entertainment as well as they say in a statement on their website but if this happens to be the case they want to make sure they are taken care of. They will be with the animals before, during and after the show to ensure there will be the least amount of stress put on these animals. They will also make sure that the animals will be completely gone before the fireworks start.

Animals Being Used for Human Entertainment

The mighty Bear is one of the worlds biggest animals, they are a lot more dangerous than the monkey. These animals are kept in cages and on a chain and some never see the sight of freedom ever. All bears kept in such poor conditions go crazy they turn inwards. To see a bear that has turned inside itself is the most heart breaking things you could see in your life. Their handlers whip and beat them if they do not perform, the bear doesn’t get angry because mentally the bear has given up on life knowing that there is nothing left but to perform. This activity has been banished from the Eastern world but is still being used as a method of entertainment in India, China and other countries with little or no animal rights.

Cobras are the most likely snake to be used for human entertainment all over Asia. The snake charmers take the snakes and make them perform for money. In parts of Asia this is a trade passed down from generation to generation. Snakes are blind, they don’t see like we do they work off heat patterns, the snake charmers fool the snake by agitating it waving their hands around its head until it strikes, or spits its venom. These snakes are suppose to use these skills for hunting not performing. They also use these snakes for fighting each other and they take bets on which type of snake will beat the other. Most species of snakes are used for this type of entertainment. The fights always end up in a fight to the death. In the wild they learn to keep their distance from each other to live in harmony. In an instance like this they are put in a ring with no escape one dies and one leaves the ring until the next time it is used for the same purpose.

You wouldn’t think that whales would be held in captivity because of their sheer size, well in America they have built a big enough tank to hold two against their will. Instead of hunting at the Artic Circle with their other whale buddies they are in Florida performing tricks in a huge fish tank for the public. These whales are as smart as the dolphin and elephant, but yet they are reduced to performing tricks for food. Keeping any of these animals in captivation is against Gods will, this doesn’t matter what God you believe in or whether you believe in one or not. It is wrong by any stretch of an imagination and should be stopped.

Lions, Tigers & Bears San Diego Sanctuary Can Be Last Chance For Exotic Cats

First, it's important to understand why animal sanctuaries exist in the first place.  While I am fascinated by the beauty and grace of exotic cats like tigers and jaguars, I have no desire to keep one as a pet.  However, there are others who do for reasons of status or an inflated sense of macho dominance.  Whatever the reason, there are black market suppliers who are bringing in wild animals or raising them just below the radar of government officials and selling them to the highest bidder.  From there, owners eventually discover that an exotic cat can become a handful, either because of its size as it matures or its nutritional requirements or temperament.  Eventually the animal ends up in an abusive situation because of a cramped and confined living space or malnutrition or physical abuse from a sadistic owner.  Sometimes these animals are given over freely to an animal sanctuary and sometimes they are offered by law enforcement who have confiscated them but have no means to care for them. In either case, the choices left when such a point is reached are two: animal sanctuary or euthanasia.  Because of the length of time having been out of the wild (or raised entirely in captivity) and the amount of human interaction these animals have had, reintroducing them back into the wild is out of the question. Somewhat surprisingly, zoos can also be another source of animals bound for a sanctuary. Zoos can find themselves with excess animals through animals naturally mating.  If other zoos are not in the market for that particular cat species, then a zoo may have one extra mouth to feed that it can ill afford.  Also, there are smaller zoos (and I use the term loosely if you think of a zoo as a properly sanctioned and regulated organization) and circuses that can find themselves economically hard pressed to care for large, exotic animals. Sometimes, in the case of bears or mountain lions in Southern California, man's encroachment into their territory can produce a situation where an animal is no longer afraid of humans or urban environments.  When an animal wanders into a neighborhood, is caught by local officials and released back into the wild but, because of its lack of fear or its growing need to find food, it keeps returning - wildlife officials are often faced with having to put the animal down.  Unless there is an animal sanctuary available to take it in.
In many ways, sanctuary owners would like nothing more than to be put out of business because of a lack of animals who need protection. But, unfortunately, as long as the profit motive is high and the egos of some people are great, combined with the economic realities that zoos and circuses can face like any other business, there will always be a need for the animal sanctuary as a place where these special animals can live out their lives comfortably.  At Lions, Tigers & Bears, there are currently three lions, four Bengal tigers, three black bears and several smaller exotic cats on the property.  They are provided with large, comfortable cages for eating and sleeping with much larger fenced areas for exercising. 

 To provide stimulus, the cages are interlinked so that the cats' access to the larger exercise areas can change every couple of days. Having suitable space is important.  Bobbi's latest addition to the sanctuary is the bear enclosure which is nearly the size of a football field for just three bears.  About ten feet out from all the cages and surrounding the animal pens is a secondary fence nearly 20 feet high. While Bobbi has a full veterinary facility and a staff of volunteers who prepare and feed the animals a balanced and nutritious diet, contact with the animals is kept to a minimum.  No one on the staff, including Bobbi herself, ever attempt to engage in physical contact with the animals.  The animals may recognize members of the staff and approach them within their enclosures, but you won't see Bobbi or her staff throwing their arms around a tiger and giving it a belly rub.  Most sanctuaries frown on that kind of human contact.

White lion History (News)

Male white lions can also have problems attracting a mate as the darkness of the mane of a lion is what is the most attractive to females.

Friendship Between LION, TIGER and BEAR (News)

Eight years ago, a lion, a tiger and a bear were rescued during a police drug raid in Atlanta, Georgia (USA). The cubs, 2 months old at the time, were reportedly status symbols to their owners. The young cubs were brought to the Noah’s Ark animal rescue center in Locust Grove, Georgia. They were kept together by the staff there. Diane Smith, assistant director of the Noah’s Ark zoo, said: “We could have separated them, but since they came as a kind of family, the zoo decided to keep them together.”The three, named Shere Khan, Baloo and Leo, lived with the zookeepers at Noah’s Ark for 8 years, but have just been moved to a special facility just for them.

They are being kept together because now they would have great difficulty being separated and it is also such a touching example of what friendships can be formed if we look past our differences. In fact, part of the impetus for the move was to make them more accessible to the public, to show people what has been created among such unlikely candidates.

“[I]t is possible to see Baloo, who is a 1,000 pound bear, Shere Khan, a 350 pound tiger and Leo, who is also 350 pounds messing around like brothers.

“They are totally oblivious to the fact that in any other circumstance they would not be friends.

“Baloo and Shere Khan are very close.

“That is because they rise early, as Leo being a lion likes to spend most of the day sleeping.

“It is wonderful and magical to see a giant American Black Bear put his arm around a Bengal tiger and then to see the tiger nuzzle up to the bear like a domestic cat.

“When Leo wakes up the three of them mess around for most of the day before they settle down to some food.”

The animals do everything together, Jama Hedgecoth, founder of Noah’s Ark zoo, says:

“They eat, sleep and play together.

“As they treat each other as siblings they will lie on top of each other for heat and simply for affection.

“At the moment they are getting used to their new habitat.

“Shere Khan is being quite reticent about the move, but Baloo, the bear, is very good at leading him on and making him feel comfortable and safe.”For Shere Khan, Leo and Baloo, the differences between them may not be so clear. However, isn’t that the point? In becoming more familiar with someone, we can see more of what we have in common than what is different between us.

Black or white, Indian or American, environmentalist or not, are we not all human? Tiger, lion, bear, or human, are we not all living animals. As the old saying goes, “Why can’t we all just get along?” If we could all just get past our differences, and respect each other as a brother or sister on this planet, what a more harmonious world we could live in. More commentary on the relationship between Shere Khan, Leo and Baloo and their new home (plus a video on the Today Show) available on the Noah’s Ark website itself, where you can also donate to help them!

Lion Plus Tiger Equals Liger (News)

A liger is the product of bizarre directive crossbreeding of a male lion and a female tiger, resulting in a creature that resembles their lion heritage more so than the tiger, and are entirely real. There are only a handful of ligers in the entire world.A Liger isn’t even a species, it’s a hybrid  there is no scientific name assigned to this creature due to its human assisted ancestry. While male ligers are sterile, female ligers are fertile, and can reproduce, but they’re unable to produce fertile offspring.Rare reports have been made of tigresses mating with lions in the wild, but breeding between lions and tigers generally occurs only in captivity. Under exceptional circumstances it’s been known for a tiger to be forced into ranges inhabited by the Asiatic Lion. However, this combination of species in the wild is considered highly unlikely. The present day range of wild lions and tigers no longer overlap. “Crossing the species line” does not typically occur in the wild, as “it would result in diminished fitness of the offspring.” said Ronald Tilson, director of conservation at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. Geography is another obstacle to natural lion-tiger mating. Wild tigers generally inhabit Asia, whereas the lion’s current natural habitat is almost entirely in Africa. The Gir National Forest in India is the only location in the world where tiger and lion ranges overlap, increasing supposition that wild ligers roamed the area hundreds of years ago. “This would be highly improbable, because the Gir forest is really very dry and not optimal tiger habitat.” said Tilson.A liger looks like a giant lion with muted stripes or spots running through it. Most often, the striping is located across the back and hindquarters, while the abdominal area is spotted.

The spots are inherited from the lion, even though they’re not usually obvious in adult lions. Spotting can be found on lion cubs and assist for camouflage in the wild. On rare occasions adult lions will retain these. Tiger ear spots may or may not be present and the same applies to the tiger facial ruff. Though the tigers involved are usually orange in color, white tigers have been hybridized with lions to produce white ligers and golden tabby tigers have been hybridized with lions to produce golden ligers

The Reality Of Nature (News)

In the previous post, “Is it Real?” I posted a picture of a taxidermy mount showing a tiger fighting a python. The question was intended to replicate that of many visitors to museums, particularly children. I was delighted at the responses.We can approach the question from many different angles. At the most basic level, of course it’s real. It’s a physical object standing there in front of you. This isn’t The Matrix, how more real do you want? But in another sense, it’s not real. These are not living animals, just their skin and fur. There is no life left, and so perhaps the ‘reality’ has been removed. But those are two ends of the spectrum. Matt Williams, in commenting on the previous post, addressed this “yes and no” perfectly. When we talk of this specific piece, the question of reality is first addressed by its original owner. The piece was displayed in William Bullock’s London Museum around 1813. When this collection was being sold in 1819, in a letter to Robert Jameson of the University of Edinburgh, Bullock referred to the tiger/python as being the only fake in the collection. So we can see its owner and vendor does not consider it real. Firstly, the python itself is a composite, with two separate bodies joined to make a longer snake. The head is entirely a construct, made of painted wood. So, to Bullock, this made the specimen a fake, something decidely unreal. Secondly, the scene itself is labelled as artificial. The 1893 label suggests taking the piece as an example of the skill of the taxidermist, not a representation of any real event. So we have an artificial scene, and at least one partially artificial animal. So surely it’s not real? I would argue the reality of this artefact comes from its history. It may have been very artificial when made, but in the 197 years since it has acquired a ‘new’ reality.