Just
minutes ago, four circus elephants took their very first steps toward
freedom. The dark tents that had been the site of their suffering
loomed behind them as they walked onto our rescue trucks.
The
video at right gives you a glimpse of the life they have been living up until
now... tethered and stretched out by ropes on both their front and back
legs, and forced to stand in their own urine and excrement. On the
right is Peanut, just 6 years old. When we arrived to rescue her, the staff of
the circus had tied her up so tightly that the only movement she could make was
bobbing her head. They had also turned out all the lights so that our teams had
to operate in darkness. Along with
Peanut is another female (12 year old Coconut, nicknamed Coco) and two males (18
year old Walnut, nicknamed Wally, and 22 year old Macadamia, nicknamed
Mac).
Wally
- suffering before rescue
Seeing the
state of these animals... knowing that they suffered day after day, and night
after night... we moved our team in quickly to get them out of immediate
danger.
We could do this, without funds in the bank for their care, only
because we knew that you would stand behind us, and that you'd come through with
the donations we need to give
them new lives.
With
your help, we will build enclosures for these eles we are now referring to as
the Nut Herd. We will give them a safe place to call home, food
to fill their bellies, and all the care they need for the rest of their
hopefully long lives. Never again will they be forced to perform, or be left
tied up, disregarded and in pain.
Thank
you for making their new lives possible. We couldn't do it without you.
Following a series of dramatic events, Thailand’s Department of National Parks (DNP) director- general, Nipon Chotiban, has ordered all tigers to be removed from the Tiger Temple by the end of April. This is great news for wildlife conservationists and animal rights activists who have been fighting for over 15 years to close the facility down after numerous reports of abuse and illegal wildlife trading.
While there has been plenty of Internet outrage, with many questioning the moral ethics of these “religious leaders” – the fact remains that there has been a steady and profitable demand from tourists to pay up to $180 for the coveted tiger selfie. A narcissistic desire to be part of a bizarre and cruel sideshow that has been unwittingly fueled by the popular press and influential celebrities.
It is no coincidence that the number of visitors and the tiger population at the temple has grown exponentially following the broadcast of a series documentaries in 2002 hailing the work of the monks at the temple as an alternative and spiritual approach to conservation. Ignoring any possibility that these cats are used as slaves for human profit, the producers portray the monks as compassionate carers who are forced into charging entrance fees because of rising costs to upkeep the tigers. It is easy to understand how so many visitors to the temple are led to believe that they are actually helping the tigers and why foreign volunteers have ended up hampering the government’s rescue efforts.
Celebrities for all their wealth and access to knowledge are just as clueless. Just look at the recent BBC article listing 50 reasons to love the world. Number 28 features an enamored Steven Tyler posing next to a Thai tiger. Even more worrying is that such a respected publication could have let that one slip through the cracks.
Ignorance is shockingly rife it seems even amongst those we think should be extremely well informed. It doesn’t help when people who have the most power to influence continue to cuddle tigers and ride elephants on their exotic holidays. Research shows that 60 percent of young people copy the acts their favorite celebrities as shown on social media.
Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Rihanna, have a combined following of 60 million people. Surely these celebrities could be better briefed and have opted instead to visit reputable wildlife sanctuaries for their wildlife fix. They would probably find that tigers are actually quite ferocious and don’t really like having their photos taken especially when sober.
An End to Animal Exploitation
Not so long ago, people thought nothing of animals in circuses, shows and zoos. It is undeniable that further education is still needed in places like Asia where the exotic meat is traded and elephants are still considered as livestock. These practices are cruel and need to stop in the same way that the press needs to stop glamorizing and promoting people’s horrific obsession of wild animal selfies.
“Thailand’s Tiger Temple is at the heart of the unfortunate wild animal selfie trend that has emerged in the past few years and it’s high time people know the truth,” said Nil Zacharias, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of One Green Planet. “Despite claims that the monks are concerned with the welfare of the animals and focused on conservation and rescue work, we here at One Green Planet have featured in-depth articles in the past year exposing the cruel truth behind this terrible tourist attraction and others like it. We are delighted by this positive step and applaud the work of the conservation and animal rights groups that have fought for years to shut down this place.”
The confiscation of the tigers from the Tiger Temple is indeed great news . It should serve as a milestone for everyone, especially the press, to take responsibility and educate themselves before they glamorize the exploitation of wild animals. Ignorance like this is inexcusable and as cruel to animals as are those who profit from wild animals.
Humans don’t own wild animals.
Wild animals are not pets or company mascots.
Nor are they zoo exhibits, or clever circus performers.
They are not money-spinning products. Nor are they exotic food.
Wild animals are sentient beings who have the right to be free from pain and hunger.
Amazing Footage: Firefighters Save Dog From Burning Building
In this video, firefighters from Oak Park, Illinois step in to help put out a residential house fire. As part of their routine, the firefighters check all the rooms for any signs of people who might not have escaped the blaze. But they do not leave the house with any people in tow, rather they emerge from the flames holding a dog.
The poor pup is unconscious from inhaling too much smoke, but being the amazing, compassionate people that they are, the firefighters don’t waste any time trying to resuscitatethe pup.
According to the video’s description, no one was injured in the blaze and the dog is now well on his way to recovery, thanks to these brave firefighters.
Green Monsters, it is important to remember that when tragedy strikes we have a responsibility to incorporate our pups into the “no man left behind” policy. This is why coming up with an emergency plan that includes your pets is so crucial. Of course, you hope that you’ll never have to use it but it is much better to be safe than sorry!
4 Elephants Begin New Lives Thanks to India’s Biggest Elephant Rescue Operation Ever
In the beginning of 2015, Wildlife SOS set out to free all of India’s retired circus elephants. So far, this amazing organization has rescued one elephant, Suzy, from her dismal life in decrepit roadside spectacle and they just successfully added four more elephants to the pack!
Called the “Nut Herd,” the four elephants, Peanut, Coconut, Mac and Wally, were saved from Moonlight Circus in Maharashtra, India. This infamous circus recently made headlines after its owner and several employees were arrested on charges of rape and human trafficking. Unsurprisingly, the circus is also known for their excessive cruelty to animals.
The four elephants were kept in shackles at all times – even during performances. Outside of shows, they were not allowed any time to exercise or socialize. To make matters worse, they were fed a diet completely unfit for an elephant and deprived of proper medical care. There is no denying that this was a miserable existence for these four elephants.
But thanks to Wildlife SOS’s rescue team, all this suffering is behind them now!
“After evaluating the health conditions of Moonlight Circus elephants in August 2014, the elephants in this circus were a priority as they were in terrible distress,” said Geeta Seshamani co-founder Wildlife SOS in a press release.
Since this initial evaluation, Wildlife SOS has been working to raise funds to make their rescue mission possible. Once they reached their goal, the team immediately set the rescue plan into motion. Now the Nut Herd is on their way to Wildlife SOS Elephant Rescue Center where they will receive all the veterinary care they need, a nutritious diet, companionship, and everything they need to have a healthy future.
Wildlife SOS set out to save 67 elephants at the beginning of this year and now only have 62 more to go. At this rate, the other elephants will be on their way to a happy, healthy future in no time!
We can’t wait to see how the Nut Herd adjusts to their new lives at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Sanctuary – good luck, Coconut, Peanut, Mac and Wally!
Wildlife SOS has launched a fundraiser to help cover the rehabilitation and lifetime care costs for the Nut Herd. You can help keep these four happy elephants in fresh fruit and toys byclicking here.
Rescued Orangutans Budi and Jemmi Chill on a Hammock and Enjoy a Snack
Jemmi, another rescued orangutan orphan, came to IAR in a similarly dismal state. He too was a victim of the exotic pet trade and had been kept in isolation for the first few months of his young life.
Looking at Budi and Jemmi, you’d never guess that both had known such tragedy at such an early age. Thanks to IAR’s care and a proper diet, the two orangutans are well on their way to a full recovery. Now that the worst is over, these two happy friends can spend their days relaxing, playing and enjoying snacks in their hammock. That’s a life we could get used to! Rescued Pig ‘Purrs’ When She Sees Her Human Best Friend
Pigs are some of the most intelligent creatures on the planet. Most people never realize this fact about pigs, however, because they only think of these animals as “food.” But the reality is, pigs can learn tricks just like a dog can and are just as affectionate as our pups.
In this video, Miss Piggy, a rescued pig who lives at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, greets her human best friend, Jenny Brown, just like our typical pet would. When Miss Piggy spots Jenny, she runs over to welcome her friend with a great big snout nuzzle. Of course, Jenny has to respond by giving Miss Piggy some much-deserved ear scratches. (After all, this is how you would greet a dog or a cat!)
If you listen carefully, you can hear Miss Piggy purring like a cat! So, what do you think: is there really such a big difference between cats and dogs and pigs?
6-Month-Old Puppy Saved Moments Before Death During Cyclone Pam Makes an Amazing Recovery
When we first saw her, she was in the words of our vet: “moments from death.”
Little more than a skeleton, she lay in the grass at the side of a path, her tiny chest moving with each labored breath. I’ve honestly never seen an animal that close to death and it was heartbreaking.
Our vet Dr. Naritsorn Pholpherm immediately began palpating her body and trying to determine how to save her. He said she was severely dehydrated, malnourished and could not lift her head.
Dr. Pholperm said the priority was getting her hydrated as she stood no chance of recovering nor was her body in a state where she could metabolize medicine. He began helping her by injecting her with glucose and then gave her water with a syringe. She lapped it up and you could see with each mouthful and as the glucose took effect, the life coming back into her eyes. Her tail began wagging but you could see the exertion even that happy gesture caused her.
Her guardian, Valia walked over and explained she had been ill for more than a week after eating what he suspected was a poisonous fish washed up after Cyclone Pam. He said she had stopped eating “many days” before and stopped drinking yesterday. He had clearly given up any hope for her and seeing her wretched state, on an island without regular access to veterinary care, it was easy to see why.
Before we left her, we carried her into a shaded area within Valia’s compound and made her a comfortable bed. We gave Valia glucose and the syringe to feed her and instructed him on how to give her water at regular intervals. We also promised to return the following morning to treat what we suspected was pneumonia, contracted by lying in the moist, humid grass where she was unable to lift her head.
While it was so painful for all of us to see her suffering, we left somewhat reassured that she had a better chance of survival, was more comfortable and her guardian now knew how to help her.
Luckily, the young female puppy made it through the night with the help and care of her guardian and was sitting up when we arrived to check on her and give her more treatment.
Though unsteady on her front legs, she was able to keep herself upright and we gave her medications to treat pneumonia as well as more glucose and water.
It was such a relief to see her sitting upright and wagging her tail. She had trouble coordinating her movements and her head lagged behind what seemed like her clear intention to nuzzle Dr. Pholperm.
She was very vocal and made a kind of groaning whine. I noticed she was docile and relaxed while our vet cared for her but lifted her head as best she could towards him each time he reached for a new syringe of water or new treatment.
As he’d done the previous day, Steven Clegg, our manager of disaster operations in Asia Pacific stepped in and laid his hand on her, which seemed to relax her again. She just wanted some contact and care.
Her guardian Valia was very happy to see her coming back to health and told us he’d decided to name her “Pam.”
We dropped in twice again before leaving Epi Island, each time giving her a bit more treatment and care. I cannot promise Pam will live but I can promise you a very dedicated team of people who care for animals did our best to give her a chance both through immediate care and veterinary treatment as well as educating her guardian on how to help her. We will continue to check in on her and keep you updated on little Pam’s recovery as we continue to roll out aid to Epi in the near future.
Without your support, dogs like Pam would have no chance and would face long, lingering deaths from preventable conditions. And it isn’t just dogs. We’re helping as many animals as we can and only because of you can we help them survive the aftermath of this disaster.
Animal Activists Are Raiding Circuses to Liberate Abused Bears, Lions, and Monkeys. Many of the mistreated animals found in Peru will soon make their way to a sanctuary in the United States.
The traumatized, bald bear known as Cholita in her cage in the weeks before her rescue. (Photo: Courtesy Animal Defenders International)
re than 30 lions, dozens of monkeys, four raccoon-like coatis, and a very sick bear are among the animals breathing free this week after an animal rights group raided circuses in Peru to liberate them from squalid and abusive conditions.
Peru banned the use of wild animals in circuses in 2011, but a handful of small shows have ignored the law. “They fought the government every step of the way,” said Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International, which rescued the animals and is finding new homes for them in Peru and the United States.
“These animals were living in deplorable conditions,” said ADI campaigns director Tim Phillips, Creamer’s husband. “They’re absolutely archaic. The animals were kept in small cages about the size of a queen-sized bed.”
ADI is now working on a plan to place the rescued animals in permanent, safe facilities. The monkeys and other animals indigenous to Peru will be placed in a sanctuary ADI is building on the Amazon. “Whenever possible, we want to keep animals in their range states,” Creamer said.
One animal that may make the journey to the United States is a spectacled bear named Cholita.
Tramatized Cholita sits in her cage. (Photo: Animal Defenders International)
“Cholita is a very sad story,” Creamer said. Her teeth and parts of her paws were removed by her circus, a trauma that left her almost completely bald. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has granted an emergency import permit for Cholita, but ADI is waiting to make sure that she is healthy enough to travel. “We don’t know what the state of her health is. We know she’s quite elderly. Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be checking her every way that we can,” said Creamer.
Meanwhile, Cholita has already improved since ADI took her in a week ago.
“She’s in a way station, like an animal hospital,” Phillips said. There, she’s been placed on an appropriate diet of fruit and vegetables—she had been fed milk and chicken, which gave her constant diarrhea—and Phillips reported that she “seems to be relishing her newfound comfort. She’s built a big nest of hay and blankets. She just looks really, really content. I hate to anthropomorphize, but it was good to see.”
Many of the animals had spent their entire lives in cages, which were often displayed around the outskirts of the main circuses.
No government records kept track of these circuses and their animal performers, so ADI relied on social networking and informants to help track them down. Most recently they got a call about a circus arriving in a town in the northern part of the country.
“ ‘They’ve got lions,’ they told us,” Phillips said. ADI sent an investigator to gather evidence and then contacted the authorities. “About eight days later we did a surprise raid in the morning.”
That rescue went smoothly, but others have not. One seizure in the southeastern city of Cusco “was very aggressive,” said Creamer. “About 30 circus workers surrounded us, shouting and screaming, as we were trying to rescue the animals. It was quite a mob. They ended up keeping some of their animals.”
The following week a castrated male lion attacked and wounded a teacher who had brought her class to the see the circus.
ADI expects to fly the lions to the U.S. in June, when they will take up residence at Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado. “Peru doesn’t have the space of the facilities for these kinds of animals,” Creamer said.
“Wild Animal Sanctuary has decades of experience with big cats,” Phillips added. “When you’re dealing with big, dangerous animals like lions, you want to take them somewhere that’s established and has good protocols so you know they’re going to be well looked after.”
It will cost about $250,000 a year to keep the animals, money the two organizations are currently working to raise.
Kitten Who Was Abandoned at the Dump is Now Living the Good Life
You would think that being abandoned and left all alone at the ripe age of a few-weeks-old would be enough to crush a young kitten’s spirit. It takes a special combination of determination, courage and joie de vivre to overcome something as traumatic as that … but it isn’t impossible! Just take a look at Trashcan Jones.
Little Trashcan Jones – Trashcan for short – was dropped off at the dump and left to fend for himself. He was dirty, starving and completely lost, but Trashcan never gave up hope that he would find a better life. Lucky for this little cat, one day his hope paid off and he was discovered by a kind person who swept him away from life in the dump to a new home in an animal shelter.
This is where he met Imgur user, Jessamin, and his life changed forever.
Jessamin writes on Imgur, “He was brought to the vet clinic I work at inside a computer mouse box by some kind workers, popped out and has purred just about ever since.”
Poor Trashcan was diagnosed with an eye ulcer, nutrition related skeletal issues and cat flu, but he refused to give up on life.
“It was decided that he had a zest for life we could not stand to extinguish. Now he lives a cushy life with the rest of my unfortunate vet-nurse crowd,” saysJessamin.
Trashcan now lives with Jessamin and finally gets to enjoy the finer things in life. Like ginormous beds and pillows.
Looking at this content kitty now, you would never guess that he had such a tragic beginning. Enjoy the cushy life, Trashcan!
All image source: Jessamin/Imgur
Baby Elephant Who Spent 3 Years in the Tourism Industry is on Her Way Back Home to the Wild!
In Thailand, Asian elephants are a major draw for the tourism industry. Elephants are taken from the wild and sold into ”camps” where they are forced to work nonstop giving tourists rides, performing tricks and even in some cases giving massages to paying customers. In order to render wild elephants docile enough to perform all these feats, elephant trainers subject young calves to a six month “breaking period.” During this time, the baby elephant is shackled, beaten and abused by humans until they lose their will to fight back.
Sadly, this is precisely what happened to little Me-Bai. When she was only three-years-old, Me-Bai was torn from her mother’s side and sent to trekking camp for “training.” After enduring this brutal process, the young elephant was rented out for rides by her caretaker. Because Me-Bai was so young and likely distraught, she began to lose weight and was no longer able to carry tourists. Luckily, rather than discarding youth elephant, her caretaker sought the help of Elephant Nature Park.
With the help of Elephant Nature Park’s founder, Lek Chailert, Me-Bai was retired from the trekking business and enrolled in their “Pamper a Pachyderm” program. This amazing program takes in former trekking elephants and helps transition them into life at the sanctuary.
Me-Bai was nervous and wary of people when she first arrived at the sanctuary, but she quickly learned that her new caretakers had no intention of abusing her in any way.
As Me-Bai adjusted, Chailert started her search for this young elephant’s mother, Mae Yui, and discovered that she had been sent to another trekking camp nearby. Chailert managed to find the family who was holding Me-Bai’s mother and invited them to the sanctuary to learn about the “Pamper a Pachyderm” program.
With the help of Elephant Nature Park volunteers, Me-Bai is now on her way to the village where her mother has been living for the past three years. Although a significant amount of time has passed since these two have seen one another, an elephant never forgets!
We are so pleased that this tragic story will have a happy ending, and both Me-Bai and Mae Yui will finally get the chance to return to their rightful home.
In our minds, a birthday party is not a true celebration unless there is cake, novelty hats, dancing, and a pig. Alright, maybe this isn’t the ideal party for everyone, but for the kind people at Edgar’s Mission, a party isn’t complete without a little oinker!
Leon Trotsky, the guest of honor, has a lot to celebrate this year on his birthday. Not only has he grown big and strong enough to walk around with sanctuary without his wheelie cart, but he is also about to get a brand-spankin-new barn to share with his piggy pals!
Thanks to all the amazing supports of Edgar’s Mission Farm Animal Sanctuary, Leon’s Piggy Paradise barn is well under way. This new facility will give all of the sanctuary’s porcine residents a lot more space to run, root and play. Life sure is sweet for this rescued pig!
Happy Birthday, Leon!
Emotional Reunion! Cleo the Cat Reunited With Her Human After 6 Years!
Amanda Graham lost her beloved cat Cleo around six years ago. Amanda was taking a college course in Ontario, Canada, when the small kitten slipped out of her room. Cleo had a habit of sneaking out, but she always came back. This time, however, Cleo didn’t return. After months of searching for her beloved cat, she had to return to Alberta, Canada, leaving her hopes of being reunited with Cleo behind.
Last fall, Stuck in the Mud Animal Rescue picked up a cat they found wandering the streets of Ontario and took her in for care. The cat’s rescuers assumed that she was a stray and set out to find a new home for this little cat. It was only when they brought the cat to the vet and they discovered a tattoo on her ear that they realized she had previously had a guardian.
With a quick search, they were able to determine that the cat was Cleo, Amanda Graham’s long-lost pet!
Stuck in the Mud tracked down Amanda and sent her a photo of the cat. In an instant, she knew that was her indeed her beloved kitten. With that, Stuck in the Mud launched a fundraiser to help fly Cleo to Edmonton to be reunited with Amanda.
After years of separation and months of anxious waiting, Cleo and Amanda are finally back together! Their reunion in the Edmonton Airport was emotional to say the least.
“I didn’t think I’d cry as much as I did,” Amanda said. “It’s incredible, all of these nice people doing this amazing thing for someone they don’t even know.”
How sweet it is to be reunited! Enjoy your lives together, Cleo and Amanda!
Incredible Short Film Captures a Rescued White Lion’s Trip to the Dentist
As his name would suggest (to anyone who dug The Chronicles of Narnia as a kid), Aslan is the king of his pride of lions at The Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary (home of the famous “Lion Whisperer“) in South Africa. There’s just one problem. After suffering a bite at a very young age, Aslan lost two of the four canine teeth that lions so heavily rely upon for eating.
The rare white lion was taken in by the sanctuary due to this disability, but the pain in his mouth only worsened as time went on. This caused Aslan to have not only trouble with eating, but he also developed some confidence issues. For king of the pride, that just wouldn’t do.
Fortunately, the caring people in his life made sure that Aslan wouldn’t have to endure this embarrassment any longer. Contracting with a large toothpaste company to help offset the cost of the extensive procedure needed to repair Aslan’s teeth, The Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary was able to give Aslan a second chance to live his life in comfort at the sanctuary.
That should bring a big toothy grin to every conservationist’s face!
This Incredible Mother Elephant Spent 11 Hours Trying to Rescue Her Baby From a Well
We have all heard incredible stories of mothers (both human and animal) going to extraordinary lengths to protect their babies from harm, but we must say that this story about a mother elephant in the Chatra district of India has us floored!
The mother elephant was out walking with her young calf when the little elephant accidentally fell into a well!
Like any good mother would, the elephant set into action to try and pull the distressed calf out of harms way.
First she tried using her trunk but had to revert to digging down into the hole to get the baby out. Unfortunately, the mama elephant knocked more dirt into the hole in her state of panic, making the task of freeing the calf even more difficult. Unwilling to leave her baby behind, she dug for 11 whole hours, to no avail.
Thankfully, a group of villagers heard the distressed noises of the mother and baby and stepped in to lend a hand. Temporarily blocking the mother from digging by using banana trucks, the villagers were able to remove the top soil that was getting in the way. Once the path was clear, the mother elephant was released and successfully pulled her baby to safety!
It’s a good thing that elephants love mud because the baby was absolutely caked with dirt. In the ultimate heart-warming happy ending, the baby and the mother were spotted walking trunk in trunk later that day.
A big thank you to the kind people who stepped in to help this little family!
