Human Crimes Against Wildlife (Inhumanity)

In this world, it seems that the crimes made against our fellow species of this planet are never ending. Sadly, so many of these crimes go on without anyone knowing about them. People complain about the crimes made by humans against other humans, but those crimes can't even compare. Not in the least.

Here, in this blog, I'm going to discuss many of these crimes that you may or may not know about. Just be aware that none of these crimes are pretty. They will likely touch your heart or just rip it out, as they've done to mine. But what'll hurt the most is the lack of response to these crimes- the lack of punishment for these actions is just a sign of humankind's ignorance and lack of care.

If any of the material in photos or videos is too graphic for you, I apologize. It disgusts me too, but it also has made me strong and made me harness my hate to use against these institutions.

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1. Aligator Hooking - in warm coastal areas including the U.S., people set poles along the water's edge dangling large baited hooks. These people set these in order to catch alligators for their skin and/or meat. Alligators swallow the hooks and are left for days to hang in agony, awaiting death. That is, if they don't die by organ rupture, dehydration, or hemorrhage first. Also, there may be other creatures who start feeding off them while they are still alive, dangling. It is believed that fish don't even suffer this much in the fishing industry.

Sadly, this is considered completely legal in Louisiana and Florida. As ancient and intelligent reptiles, is it too much to say that they deserve better than this?

It gets sadder too. Not much information is available on this type of cruelty and it is unknown as to who is involved in fighting this cruelty.

2. Baiji Dolphin Slaughter - after long suffering from the effects of human activity at its home in the Yangtze River, China's famed White River Dolphin or Baiji is likely extinct or "functionally extinct". This is considered one of the first global extinctions of a megafauna (a creature larger than 200 lbs) in over 50 years, since the disappearence of the Caribbean Monk Seal (the first disappearance of an antire mammal family since 1500). It is also the very first dolphin to face human-driven extinction.

The Baiji was believed to have lived for 20 million years. Marine Biologist, Barbara Taylor, once commented that, "It's been here longer that the Andes Mountains have been on Earth." And now it's gone.

How did this happen?

• some blame pollution and construction of dams
• local fishing practices are mostly to blame. Fishing practices involved gill nets, rolling hooks, and/or electrical stunning

What now? In order to prevent the extinction of other cetaceans (dolphin, porpoise, etc.), serious measures must be changed. The amassed slaughter of dolphins in Taiji needs to be stopped. If the same methods go on much longer, the only other cetacean of the Yangtze River where the Baiji lived, the finless porpoise will follow in the same path.

Is there hope? In 2007, a baiji was sighted, indicating that there might still be a few persisting animals. However, the species is so far decimated that complete extinction will follow shorty.

3. Backyard Big Cat (and other exotics) Breeding - as a global crime against wildlife, large cats, bears, and other wild animals are kept in poor and inadequate conditions in yards, at truckstops, and in roadside "zoos" (as they like to call themselves). These "want-to-be" habitats are poorly regulated by law enforcement and the animals receive virtually no protection. According to the law, U.S. interstate trade is illegal, however 32 states still permit the backyard keeping of large and exotic cats. What happens to these animals in these backyard breeding pits?

• the poor cats are bred over and over again, often to their own brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers, purely to produce cubs that will later be sold to people with little to no knowledge of large cats, their needs, and what they are capable of.
• some people offer them for canned hunting, giving people the opportunity to "bag a big one" like a tiger, leopard, or lion.
• animals are neglected, abused, and malnourished to the point where the animal is either abandoned, removed, or dies.
• if the cats are lucky, a conservation group or rescue will step in and confiscate the animal. This often occurs for animals who are sick, left for dead, or abandoned. Big Cat Rescue is a program that is well known and does this often after backyard farms are abandoned or shut down.

Good news? Yes, there is a little bit. In December 2003, thanks greatly to the efforts of the Wildlife Conservation Society, President Bush signed the Captive Wildlife Safety Act into law. The new law banned the interstate trade and importation of large cats, such as lions and tigers, as pets. This is an important step in eradicating the large cat pet trade in the U.S. However, 31 states still allow the purchase and maintenance of large cats as pets within their state borders.

Bad news? Yes, there is a lot of it. The practice of keeping large cats by untrained and uneducated individuals is on the rise. It is estimated that over 15,000 big cats are currently outside of accredited zoos. This is a 500% increase since 1997. It is also believed that there are more large, wild cats in the U.S. than there are worldwide in their natural habitat. As these numbers continue to rise, controlled inbreeding is also on the rise. Inbreeding results in extremely sick (low immunity, high deformation) and extremely aggressive cats. Due to this subjective inbreeding, serious injuries and fatalities due to large cat attacks are also on the rise. Also, even if these animals are confiscated and placed in a proper home, they cannot do anything for the conservation of their species. Backyard breeders keep no track of their animals' genealogy and often are only interested in the mass production of cubs for the use of attracting buyers. Often when a person is faced with an adorable cub, they don't really look into the background which results in cats with unknown history and lineage.

Many backyard breeders refer to their animals as "pets"- as "part of the family". Would you force members of your family to mate with their relatives? Would you force members of your family to starve due to your inability to provide 30lbs of meat a day? Would you force members of your family to live in "slums" where they roll around in their own fecal matter? For these people to even suggest that these animals are "pets" is a joke. These aren't pets for backyard breeders, they are money in the bank. Would you exploit your family members? I think not and the saddest part is: these people claim they're "doing it" for the animal. Doing what? Destroying what's left, that's what.

4. Bear-Baiting - in Pakistan, bears are declawed, detoothed, tied to a central pivot by a rope, and attacked by 2-6 dogs purely for entertainment and as they like to call it: "sport". What it is, is a bloodsport where both the poor bear and the dogs sustain horrife wounds and sometimes even die.

This was a medieval pastime that started originally when Gypsies first began to dance their bears for money. Then when the British began their rule, they introduced animal baiting as a "sport". They used Bull Terriers to attack the bears. In 1940, this "sport" escalated tremendously and bear hunting also began to increase due to the common ownership of firearms. It was believed to be used to develop relationships with the new British rule. Develop relationships through the slaughter and abuse of a bear? Anyone else a little sickened?

Good news? It was banned by the Pakistan Legislature under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (circe 1890). Islam now forbids the inciting of animals to fight with one another.
So, who actually does this? Grazier, a migrating group of pastoral people who herd their own sheep, goats, and cattle. They capture the bear cubs near NWFP and then sell them to Traders who pierce their muzzle with rings, remove the incisors and canines, apply a nose ring, beat the legs of the bears and manipulate the nose ring in order to make them dance. They would even force the bears to dance on hot coals. After this, the landowners (usually well-to-do businessmen) who use their dogs and land as an affirmation of their status. On these lands, youths, older men, local landlords, and police form an audience and watch as Pit Bull Terriers who have been mixed with a local breed "Kohati". After a bear is collected, they are forced to fight from the time they are three or younger till they are dead. Most bears will die within the first years. Others may live somewhere between 4-7 years. In the wild, a bear can live 20-30 years. This is cutting their life in third and sometimes fourth or fifth. It was said that one owner had 7 bears within the span of 5 years.

So how does it work? The bear, tied in a central spot by a rope, is forced to dance. If the dog can attack the bears head and pull the bear down, forcing the bear to roll, the dog wins. The bears wins if it can remain on its feet. The fight last until the bear scores points or surrenders and then, after only a 2-3 minute interval, he is forced to do it all over again. Bears usually do not receive water during an event and become dehydrated. However, Gypsies will douse water onto the wounds but no medical treatment is given.

What is being done now? Habitat Integrated Pakistan plans to set up a sanctuary for confiscated bears where Pakistinian Government will over see it. They are also working towards a microchip tagging system of all bears in captivity. No newborn bears are permitted to be captured or traded. Unregistered bears will be confiscated. A public awareness campaign has begun, designed to teach morals and ethnic arguments against bear baiting. Public poster and school talks have also been introduced.

5. Bear Bile Harvesting - in China, Vietnam, and Korea, Asian Moon Bears are confined up to 20 years in a tiny cold steel cage (smaller than a phone booth) that are too small to stand up or turn around in, and then their bile ducts are painfully "milked" daily. Bear bile products are sold throughout the world, including illegally in the U.S., where it can be found in Asian herbal shops.

Bear farming is a brutal form of animal abuse. It is completely inhumane. To harvest the bile from the gallbladder, a connection must be made from the gallbladder (deep inside the body) to the surface.

The farmers create a fistula by either inserting a metal or plastic tube or by simply puncturing the gallbladder and creating a leak between the gallbladder and the surface. These operations are usually performed by the farm owners who don't have any veterinary skill. Bile farmers (themselves!) admit that half the bears die from complications. IF THEY DIE THIS OFTEN, STOP DOING IT!!!!

After the fistula is established, the animal is confined to a tiny cage in order to prevent the fistula from closing and to control the animal. This lasts for the entire lifespan of the bear.

In order to obtain the bile, animals are forced to wear a metal jacket around their bodies with a collection container attached. Other bears are forced to lay on the floor of their cages, so that the bile will drip downward.

A bear is a quick healer whose body will try to push out the metal or plastic tube or close the leak. This leads to intense scarring and damage to both the inside and outside of the bear. In order to keep the hole open, farmers will insert hot pieces of metal. This is formed without anesthesia or sedation.

The life of a farmed bear is hell- pain, agony, confinement, physical, and mental torture. It is a life of fear and suffering. Many bears go insane from their confinement and suffer from a variety of disfiguring injuries due to lack of movement and the operations they undergo. Many die during or soon after the fistula operation. Most are malnourished and small. Many are missing a limb as the result of the wire snare used to trap them in the wild. They are deprived continuous access to water and many are hairless. They often have their teeth and claws removed to make them easier to handle. These bears often contract liver cancers as the result of chronic infection and inflammation of the gall bladder and liver.

Recent development has shown that about 9,000 bears are kept for bear bile farming and the Chinese Government has steadfastly refused to bow to public and international pressure to stop this farming. In fact, they've done the opposite, going from 7,000 bears have escalated to 9,000 in one year across China. This makes up more than half the bear population of the entire country of China.

This will, undeniably, lead to the extinction of these poor bears. This practice is a national shame upon China, and the entire world shares the collective guilt of allowing it to continue.

To Be Continued In Next Post...

Ashley