It doesn't seem like a week since I sat down in front of a blank blog page... All sorts of things are going on in the news and wildlife areas. And I've been taking care of multiple houses full of critters, as people decide to vacation on a whim, without planning for pet care. I've been running around like crazy. I think I have two days off, Wednesday and Thursday this week, if nothing else pops up.
I've started re-reading my Robin Hobb collection, and am currently reading Dragon Haven. After I read her books, I'll hit my Rafael Sabatini novels, and then my un-edited editions of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. That should keep me busy for a little while.
I received my National Geographic DNA information back some time ago - my Haplogroup is J1c4. But I have recently sent my DNA for processing to both Ancestry and to 23AndMe, also. I'm waiting to see what is reported by the other two agencies...
We've recently had moose in North Boulder - a woman was tending her garden on the edge of Wonderland Lake, and said she "suddenly felt a presence looming over" her. It was a mother moose with twin calves, and the mother decided the woman was threatening her babies. She was knocked down and walked upon. Luckily, she only had scrapes and bruises. And another moose with a single calf was reported at the Justice Center near the end of Boulder Canyon.
Of course it's now summer, and we're having our usual incursions of coyotes, mountain lions and black bears. The coyotes have been grabbing small dogs who are off-leash on walking, jogging, and biking paths, as well as cats loose in neighborhoods. The mountain lions are grabbing the mule deer and fawns. The bears are smashing bee hives and stealing honey, as well as raiding any bird feeders they can reach. A friend has a one-inch thick wrought iron post for her feeders, and thought they were safe - this morning the post was bent at a 70 degree angle and the bird feeders were crushed and empty on the ground. And folks around my sister and brother-in-laws house now have teen-aged bobcats out hunting with their parents, as well. The fox are staying under cover as much as possible. The cottontail rabbit birth explosion is feeding most of the smaller predators.
Tess, one of the dogs I care for, is not doing well at the moment. She started having seizures last fall. They began occurring every 4 days a couple of months ago, and she has finally been placed on Potassium Bromide as a daily medication. (Her owner is a very firm believer in holistic medicine and diet taking care of everything.) The K-Bro medication has increased her appetite amazingly, as well as her thirst. But the main side effect is ataxia, her hind legs don't support her well... The vet told the owner that once Tess reaches her optimal medication level, she'll return to normal. The vet told the owner it would take one month. I read the information, and it says the optimal level is reached in three to four months... We'll have to see. In the meantime, the dog who always bounced and danced on her hind legs is now shuffling with her nose to the ground. It's pretty sad...
Still at 59 new foals on the Chincoteague NationalWildlife Refuge - 56 after the three losses. One foal died from an umbilical infection, one foal got stuck in the marsh mud and couldn't break free, and one had a congenital defect of the forelegs, which could not be healed. All the others are quite bouncy and bold. As usual, there are some really stupendous pinto markings, quite a few solids with great conformation, and a few real stand-outs. I'm happy with the foals so far...
Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts
Sunday, June 25, 2017
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Pangolins and Cheetahs
I love almost every single living thing on this planet - everything that is here has a special niche in the ecology and biology of this world. (I will admit there are two types of reptiles that I have, and will, kill without compunction - the first is the rattlesnake, if it's anywhere near a dwelling or livestock; the second is the blue-tailed skink - its' tail, which will break off when caught, contains a powerful neurotoxin that generally kills cats.) Having seen horses, cats and dogs die from rattlesnake bites, and having one cat who was a special needs kitty after a skink's poison, I don't feel too badly when I remove one of those critters from my personal space. - I don't go looking for these two creatures, but if it's near my living space, that poor creature is dead.
Having said that, I was very saddened to read that the beautiful, lithe, and extremely speedy cheetah is on the edge of extinction. Watching a cheetah move in it's natural habitat is a wonderful sight - the grace and speed of the big cat is amazing. Sadly, the cheetah population is disappearing; the main reason is loss of habitat due to increasing human population and the expansion of farming and civilization in it's natural areas. Cheetahs range across a huge area in their normal travels. We humans thought the areas protected for the cheetahs to live in and hunt were adequate - but the cheetahs range over an area that is 77% greater than the reserves. Cheetahs are extinct now in Asia. In the Middle East, a thriving group of over 7,000 is now down to about 170 over 10 years time. There are massive die-offs and much less reproduction due to the loss of food sources. The same is happening in the six countries that have a cheetah population in southern Africa. There is one other reason, though, that must be considered: cheetahs as pets. A pet cheetah is a huge status symbol in the Gulf countries of the Middle East. Kittens are sold for a minimum of $10,000 apiece - and more than 85% of those kittens die before they reach the age of 3 months, once they are stolen from their mothers. This is horrendous.
Another animal in imminent extinction mode is the pangolin, or the scaly anteater. This month, an illegal shipment of more than three tons - 6,000 pounds - of the scales of these gentle animals were confiscated in China. It is estimated that from 5,000 to 7,500 were killed to produce this number of scales - and they have a street value of more than $2 million. The scaly anteater has horny scale all over it's body; the scales of made of keratin, a protein that makes the nails of humans, and the hooves and horns of many animals. But in the Far East, the scales of the pangolin are believed to be a curative for just about everything, as well as an aphrodisiac. For this reason, the gentle quiet animals are killed in great numbers. Now, every type of scaled anteater, or pangolin, is on the rare animal watch list - and every kind is threatened with extinction.
Can't we humans learn to leave well enough alone?
Having said that, I was very saddened to read that the beautiful, lithe, and extremely speedy cheetah is on the edge of extinction. Watching a cheetah move in it's natural habitat is a wonderful sight - the grace and speed of the big cat is amazing. Sadly, the cheetah population is disappearing; the main reason is loss of habitat due to increasing human population and the expansion of farming and civilization in it's natural areas. Cheetahs range across a huge area in their normal travels. We humans thought the areas protected for the cheetahs to live in and hunt were adequate - but the cheetahs range over an area that is 77% greater than the reserves. Cheetahs are extinct now in Asia. In the Middle East, a thriving group of over 7,000 is now down to about 170 over 10 years time. There are massive die-offs and much less reproduction due to the loss of food sources. The same is happening in the six countries that have a cheetah population in southern Africa. There is one other reason, though, that must be considered: cheetahs as pets. A pet cheetah is a huge status symbol in the Gulf countries of the Middle East. Kittens are sold for a minimum of $10,000 apiece - and more than 85% of those kittens die before they reach the age of 3 months, once they are stolen from their mothers. This is horrendous.
Another animal in imminent extinction mode is the pangolin, or the scaly anteater. This month, an illegal shipment of more than three tons - 6,000 pounds - of the scales of these gentle animals were confiscated in China. It is estimated that from 5,000 to 7,500 were killed to produce this number of scales - and they have a street value of more than $2 million. The scaly anteater has horny scale all over it's body; the scales of made of keratin, a protein that makes the nails of humans, and the hooves and horns of many animals. But in the Far East, the scales of the pangolin are believed to be a curative for just about everything, as well as an aphrodisiac. For this reason, the gentle quiet animals are killed in great numbers. Now, every type of scaled anteater, or pangolin, is on the rare animal watch list - and every kind is threatened with extinction.
Can't we humans learn to leave well enough alone?
Monday, October 3, 2016
Critters and Rosie
I wish I could take a really good photo of the new moon and evening star hanging over Mount Sanitas right now... The sky is shades of blue with the black silhouette of the mountain below it, and a few small puffy grey clouds just above the ridge. It's gorgeous.
Our temperature got up to 78 degrees this afternoon, but a slight breeze that began at 11 this morning turned into a good wind this afternoon. It blew all of our balcony furniture over, and one of the glass pendants on one of the wind chimes was broken while beating against the balcony railing. It was so gusty outside that Nedi went outside, but stayed for less than 60 seconds before heading back in. The weather this morning was fantastic - wore shorts and a T shirt while out walking Rosie - and was extremely comfortable. The cottontail rabbits were chasing each other in weaving patterns from one side of the street to the other, and back again. I saw more than two dozen of the little critters this morning on my way to Rosie's house from the bus stop.
Once Rosie and I arrived in my sister's acre-sized back yard we saw even more rabbits, and frightened a young buck away from the apple tree closest to the patio. There were a few butterflies in the yard, and lots of small birds and squirrels darting about. Abruptly all the small birds fell silent, as a jay started a warning call. The squirrels flattened against the tree trunks. Suddenly there was a great deal of crashing sounds in the top of one of the cottonwoods - I looked up to see a pair of red tailed hawks "playing" in the tree tops and over the back yard. It was such fun to watch! One hawk landed on the smallest, top-most branch of one of the fir trees. The hawk was so large, and the twig so small, that the hawk had to keep adjusting its wings to the bobbing motion of the branch. And, it seemed to me, that as that bird was concentrating on keeping its balance, the second one deliberately flew into it, chest to chest. The bird on the branch fell backwards and had to do a loop-the-loop to get securely upright in the air. It seemed as if I was watching two brother fledglings trying to out-perform the other. After a 30 minute acrobatic air performance, they left the area, as a flock of magpies came in, screeching and clucking. The magpies "talked" in low murmurs most of the time, and the other small birds returned to the area. A few minutes later, the squirrels were all out, chattering to each other... It seemed magical. By that time, Rosie was ready to go have her brunch, so we headed back to her house for her meatballs and chicken breast.
Our temperature got up to 78 degrees this afternoon, but a slight breeze that began at 11 this morning turned into a good wind this afternoon. It blew all of our balcony furniture over, and one of the glass pendants on one of the wind chimes was broken while beating against the balcony railing. It was so gusty outside that Nedi went outside, but stayed for less than 60 seconds before heading back in. The weather this morning was fantastic - wore shorts and a T shirt while out walking Rosie - and was extremely comfortable. The cottontail rabbits were chasing each other in weaving patterns from one side of the street to the other, and back again. I saw more than two dozen of the little critters this morning on my way to Rosie's house from the bus stop.
Once Rosie and I arrived in my sister's acre-sized back yard we saw even more rabbits, and frightened a young buck away from the apple tree closest to the patio. There were a few butterflies in the yard, and lots of small birds and squirrels darting about. Abruptly all the small birds fell silent, as a jay started a warning call. The squirrels flattened against the tree trunks. Suddenly there was a great deal of crashing sounds in the top of one of the cottonwoods - I looked up to see a pair of red tailed hawks "playing" in the tree tops and over the back yard. It was such fun to watch! One hawk landed on the smallest, top-most branch of one of the fir trees. The hawk was so large, and the twig so small, that the hawk had to keep adjusting its wings to the bobbing motion of the branch. And, it seemed to me, that as that bird was concentrating on keeping its balance, the second one deliberately flew into it, chest to chest. The bird on the branch fell backwards and had to do a loop-the-loop to get securely upright in the air. It seemed as if I was watching two brother fledglings trying to out-perform the other. After a 30 minute acrobatic air performance, they left the area, as a flock of magpies came in, screeching and clucking. The magpies "talked" in low murmurs most of the time, and the other small birds returned to the area. A few minutes later, the squirrels were all out, chattering to each other... It seemed magical. By that time, Rosie was ready to go have her brunch, so we headed back to her house for her meatballs and chicken breast.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Don't Give a Pet as a Christmas Present!
I am very happy to see that my blog post from December 6 last year is my most read post each day this month. It, too, tells people not to give animals as gifts. More than 100,000 animals (dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc) are killed at "animal shelters" each week because they are no longer wanted, or convenient, items.
- There are a few exceptions, I grant you. Buying your young child a pet is acceptable, but only if you are willing to feed and take care of the animal. Some children love a pet effusively for a day, or a week, and then don't want to be bothered by taking care of it. If you are purchasing, through one of those wonderful charities, a goat, sheep, pig, chickens, or cow for an undeveloped village - you have my thanks. If you're married, and are giving your spouse a riding horse, or a racing prospect (and have all of the monies needed for the long-term care of said equine), good on you. -
Unfortunately, most pets given at Christmas or Easter, or on birthdays, will end up being killed at an "animal shelter." If a friend, cohort, or partner really wants an animal, and is willing to spend the money necessary for food and veterinary visits; if the person has the time and energy to love and socialize the animal; if the person has the space for an animal, and it's allowed to live in the apartment, condominium, or town house; if the person has the love to give, and the time to spend with a pet, then do it. But - do not go to a breeder, unless you or the new owner intends to have a pedigreed show dog, cat, or rabbit. Go to your local Humane Society, to your local Dumb Friends League, to your local animal shelter (where each animal is facing a death sentence), to your local animal Rescue groups, and/or check at a local veterinarian's office. Take the person who is receiving the animal with you, and let him (or her) choose the animal they want. Pay for the adoption; pay for the micro-chip; pay for a collar and leash, food for a week, kitty litter, if it's a cat; get toys for the pet. BUT, if the person decides that the dog or cat or rabbit just doesn't fit into lives - you must be prepared to adopt the animal yourself.
People today are extremely busy - I don't know how many of my friends and acquaintances exist, as they squeeze so many things that they feel they "must" do into a 24 hour period. It's not really good for the people involved, and it's pure hell on their pets.
Any adoption of any type of living, breathing creature means a commitment that lasts for that animal's full life, in my book of values and judgments. Pets are not disposable throw away items. They live, they love, they become attached to "their person" and to their usual home. Please do NOT give a pet as a present, unless you are able and willing to take the pet into your own home.
Thank you.
- There are a few exceptions, I grant you. Buying your young child a pet is acceptable, but only if you are willing to feed and take care of the animal. Some children love a pet effusively for a day, or a week, and then don't want to be bothered by taking care of it. If you are purchasing, through one of those wonderful charities, a goat, sheep, pig, chickens, or cow for an undeveloped village - you have my thanks. If you're married, and are giving your spouse a riding horse, or a racing prospect (and have all of the monies needed for the long-term care of said equine), good on you. -
Unfortunately, most pets given at Christmas or Easter, or on birthdays, will end up being killed at an "animal shelter." If a friend, cohort, or partner really wants an animal, and is willing to spend the money necessary for food and veterinary visits; if the person has the time and energy to love and socialize the animal; if the person has the space for an animal, and it's allowed to live in the apartment, condominium, or town house; if the person has the love to give, and the time to spend with a pet, then do it. But - do not go to a breeder, unless you or the new owner intends to have a pedigreed show dog, cat, or rabbit. Go to your local Humane Society, to your local Dumb Friends League, to your local animal shelter (where each animal is facing a death sentence), to your local animal Rescue groups, and/or check at a local veterinarian's office. Take the person who is receiving the animal with you, and let him (or her) choose the animal they want. Pay for the adoption; pay for the micro-chip; pay for a collar and leash, food for a week, kitty litter, if it's a cat; get toys for the pet. BUT, if the person decides that the dog or cat or rabbit just doesn't fit into lives - you must be prepared to adopt the animal yourself.
People today are extremely busy - I don't know how many of my friends and acquaintances exist, as they squeeze so many things that they feel they "must" do into a 24 hour period. It's not really good for the people involved, and it's pure hell on their pets.
Any adoption of any type of living, breathing creature means a commitment that lasts for that animal's full life, in my book of values and judgments. Pets are not disposable throw away items. They live, they love, they become attached to "their person" and to their usual home. Please do NOT give a pet as a present, unless you are able and willing to take the pet into your own home.
Thank you.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Happy May Day!
Just to be silly, I went out just before dawn and gathered a small nosegay of local wildflowers - I figured that I ought to follow at least one of the old traditions today.... I'd love to see a traditional May Pole dance and Morris Dancers on the village green, but I'm afraid that I'll see the usual homeless contingent asking for a handout at Central Park instead.
Bits and pieces today....
Tonight is the season two finale for Vikings on the History Channel. Nine episodes last year, ten episodes this year. They've been renewed for a third season, and the writer, Michael Hirst, says he'll cover the sack of Paris in it. I hope that we get twelve episodes next year! If you know the saga of Ragnar Lodbrok, you pretty much know how tonight's episode will play out...
Sam Carter, the ex-Boulder Police officer, was charged with killing Big Boy (aka Edward the Elk) on 1 January 2013. He has yet to go to trial. Yesterday, it was reported that in 2008, he responded to a call for Wildlife officers. A multi-point buck was tangled in a wire fence; the buck was frightened, but not injured. The man who placed the call was surprised that a BPD officer arrived, and immediately drew his weapon, stating the buck was injured and needed to be put down. (This was the same story Carter gave about the elk.) The man argued with him until wildlife officers arrived, and the buck was helped out of the fence, emerging with a slight limp. Both wildlife officers and the citizen who reported the buck stated that the buck had a huge rack - definitely a set of trophy antlers... Does this sound familiar?
After the Derby has ended, and before the Preakness fever hits, I think I'll write about the Koch brothers and their astonishing empire... It's amazing how much this family owns.
Rosie Napravnik, the very good female jockey, is riding in both the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby. She will be riding two of the horses that are her usual mounts. However, she has been given a three day suspension for "rough riding" in the Derby Trial Stakes while on Bayern. She "allowed" him to drift into and bump another horse, while whipping him, near the end of the stretch. The other horse lost the race by a nose. That jockey filed a complaint, and the stewards decided that Rosie had compromised the other horse's run. However, since she is a top-name jockey, and because she does have mounts in the two best known races this weekend, she will be allowed to ride - but then must serve a four day suspension, beginning Sunday.
Trainer Steve Asmussen, and his friend and top assistant-trainer, Scott Blasi, were hit with very nasty allegations and undercover film footage 43 days ago. Just before the big coverage began for the Triple Crown races. The footage was shot by a member of PETA, and is said to show the use of illegal medications and the use of an electric shock device to make the horses run faster. I have not seen the footage, nor do I wish to. Steve has had a few bumps in the road about medication. But I am amazed over the allegations of the electric shock device... Scott Blasi left Asmussen's employment the day after the film and report was given to The New York Times. One has to wonder about the timing...
Personally, I don't believe in harming any animal for any reason. But. I do not believe in the extremes that PETA goes to, and expounds. If we follow the reasoning of the PETA guidelinesall the way to the end, then all animals, domesticated or not, should be allowed to run free, breed freely, and look after themselves. Humans should never touch nor feed them. In this day and age, with highways, cities, airports, etc., turning all animals loose is a completely idiotic idea. PETA needs to re-think their goals. I totally agree there should be "Ethical Treatment of Animals," but one must also use common sense.
Bits and pieces today....
Tonight is the season two finale for Vikings on the History Channel. Nine episodes last year, ten episodes this year. They've been renewed for a third season, and the writer, Michael Hirst, says he'll cover the sack of Paris in it. I hope that we get twelve episodes next year! If you know the saga of Ragnar Lodbrok, you pretty much know how tonight's episode will play out...
Sam Carter, the ex-Boulder Police officer, was charged with killing Big Boy (aka Edward the Elk) on 1 January 2013. He has yet to go to trial. Yesterday, it was reported that in 2008, he responded to a call for Wildlife officers. A multi-point buck was tangled in a wire fence; the buck was frightened, but not injured. The man who placed the call was surprised that a BPD officer arrived, and immediately drew his weapon, stating the buck was injured and needed to be put down. (This was the same story Carter gave about the elk.) The man argued with him until wildlife officers arrived, and the buck was helped out of the fence, emerging with a slight limp. Both wildlife officers and the citizen who reported the buck stated that the buck had a huge rack - definitely a set of trophy antlers... Does this sound familiar?
After the Derby has ended, and before the Preakness fever hits, I think I'll write about the Koch brothers and their astonishing empire... It's amazing how much this family owns.
Rosie Napravnik, the very good female jockey, is riding in both the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby. She will be riding two of the horses that are her usual mounts. However, she has been given a three day suspension for "rough riding" in the Derby Trial Stakes while on Bayern. She "allowed" him to drift into and bump another horse, while whipping him, near the end of the stretch. The other horse lost the race by a nose. That jockey filed a complaint, and the stewards decided that Rosie had compromised the other horse's run. However, since she is a top-name jockey, and because she does have mounts in the two best known races this weekend, she will be allowed to ride - but then must serve a four day suspension, beginning Sunday.
Trainer Steve Asmussen, and his friend and top assistant-trainer, Scott Blasi, were hit with very nasty allegations and undercover film footage 43 days ago. Just before the big coverage began for the Triple Crown races. The footage was shot by a member of PETA, and is said to show the use of illegal medications and the use of an electric shock device to make the horses run faster. I have not seen the footage, nor do I wish to. Steve has had a few bumps in the road about medication. But I am amazed over the allegations of the electric shock device... Scott Blasi left Asmussen's employment the day after the film and report was given to The New York Times. One has to wonder about the timing...
Personally, I don't believe in harming any animal for any reason. But. I do not believe in the extremes that PETA goes to, and expounds. If we follow the reasoning of the PETA guidelinesall the way to the end, then all animals, domesticated or not, should be allowed to run free, breed freely, and look after themselves. Humans should never touch nor feed them. In this day and age, with highways, cities, airports, etc., turning all animals loose is a completely idiotic idea. PETA needs to re-think their goals. I totally agree there should be "Ethical Treatment of Animals," but one must also use common sense.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Support Our Youth
We continued to have occasional snow flurries throughout the day yesterday, and it didn't get much warmer than 28 degrees. We are supposed to have a high in the low 50s today - and it was already 30 degrees at 8 o'clock this morning. The forecast also says we'll get another 2 to 3 inches of snow tomorrow, so I guess I'd better get some more nuts for the squirrels this afternoon. I let the kits run out this morning, and was very surprised when they were chased back inside by a large (50 to 75 pounds) black dog. The dog tried to come inside, and I had to yell at it to get it to stop. Since then, Lovey has been playing sentinel on the top of the cat tree, and poor Nedi crawled under the cover on the reading chair and is curled up asleep in the seat. I also found two large piles of dog poop on my patio, so I am not a very happy camper today. - I completely understand that dogs have a tendency to chase cats they don't know; I'm unhappy about my patio being used as a toilet. I will suppose that the dog that chased the cats is the same one that pooped on the patio, and also barked at me when I looked out of the curtains last night, when I arrived home. I've sent a note to the apartment manager asking if he knows anything about the dog... I have the feeling it belongs to the girlfriend of one of two neighbors.
Now that I've gotten my morning snarl off my chest, I wanted to list a few URLs that might be of interest to people who love animals... If you have children and want them to learn about animals and their care, I suggest you contact your local 4-H office (http://www.4-h.org/) and discover what programs are available in your area; the same suggestion goes for the Future Farmers of America Organization (https://www.ffa.org/Pages/default.aspx). I belonged to both of these organizations (as well as the Brownies and Girl Scouts) and can say that I learned a heck of a lot about all types of animals and the the incredibly hard work that goes into being a farmer.
If you'd like information about dog shows (purebred) in Colorado, please visit: http://www.infodog.com/panels/co.htm
For information regarding cat shows, there are two places to check: http://www.catshows.us/ and http://ticamembers.org/calendar/
For local horse show information, check: http://www.horsestop.net/shows.htm
And don't forget that both County and State Fairs usually include livestock judging, pet shows, and horse shows....
Look them up, visit them, and support our youth that are interested in farming, livestock, horses and all types of animals!
Now that I've gotten my morning snarl off my chest, I wanted to list a few URLs that might be of interest to people who love animals... If you have children and want them to learn about animals and their care, I suggest you contact your local 4-H office (http://www.4-h.org/) and discover what programs are available in your area; the same suggestion goes for the Future Farmers of America Organization (https://www.ffa.org/Pages/default.aspx). I belonged to both of these organizations (as well as the Brownies and Girl Scouts) and can say that I learned a heck of a lot about all types of animals and the the incredibly hard work that goes into being a farmer.
If you'd like information about dog shows (purebred) in Colorado, please visit: http://www.infodog.com/panels/co.htm
For information regarding cat shows, there are two places to check: http://www.catshows.us/ and http://ticamembers.org/calendar/
For local horse show information, check: http://www.horsestop.net/shows.htm
And don't forget that both County and State Fairs usually include livestock judging, pet shows, and horse shows....
Look them up, visit them, and support our youth that are interested in farming, livestock, horses and all types of animals!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Loving Animals - Where Are We Headed?
I love all creatures - all animals - and I definitely cry and grieve when a pet is lost. On the other side, I also enjoy eating meat, along with fruits, grains, and vegetables. I like red meat and white meat. Some animals are raised for eating, and others are not. I was brought up understanding this, and I always include whatever I'm eating in my mealtime prayer - thanking it for supplying me with food, to continue my life. I love my two cats as much as I would love a child; they are my intimate companions.
I have known a lot of people who have never connected, on a personal level, with anything other than another human, or with a machine (some men and their cars or trucks). I have been asked many times, why do you care so much about animals? They are just that - animals. My response is that someone needs to care somewhere at sometime. I don't relate well to people with no feelings or any empathy for other living things. Animals feel fear, hunger, want and need - even if they don't use those terms. We humans are animals, supposedly the most highly evolved species on our planet. If we can't care for other creatures, who are supposed to be less intelligent than we are, are we really "human?"
I was appalled to read about a 12-year-old horse in Alabama - she was found early one morning by her young owner, on the ground, covered in blood. She had been stabbed in the neck 8 times, and one of the cuts had nicked her jugular vein. Besides the stab wounds, the mare's wonderful, long chestnut mane had been hacked off. Ruby was lucky to survive the attack; she had lost a lot of blood, and ended up spending two weeks at the veterinarian's stable block. She lost a lot of weight, was dehydrated, and depressed. Once she was returned to her home pasture and barn, she began to heal and make much better physical progress. In the meantime, it has been decided that all horses at that barn will have very short, if not roached, manes, because the sheriff cannot guarantee that this is an isolated incident.
Here in Boulder, I was shocked to read that the police had been called to a house on University Hill, where they found blood splatters all over the front porch, the front door, and the front of the house. It was the blood of a raccoon. Neighbors reported the young man living there was "beating something that screamed" with a stick or bat. The young man admitted to killing the raccoon with a baseball bat, and gave the bat to the police as evidence. He told police that he had "wanted the hide", and that when the raccoon hadn't died with the first blow, he felt remorse - but he continued to bludgeon it to death. He took the police to a very raw and poorly cut raccoon skin that was covered under a layer of rock salt. How can a person - a grown man - with "human" feelings do such a thing?
I have killed a deer for food. I have killed rattlesnakes after they struck and poisoned horses, cats, and dogs. I have performed a few "mercy killings" - a young rabbit with a broken back that was keening terribly, a young chicken that a dog had attacked, and ripped off both legs and a wing. But I killed those two quickly, and to prevent further suffering while the animal awaited an unpleasant death. I killed the deer in season, with a hunting permit, for venison. I admit I killed the rattlers in revenge and anger, and to rid the property of a poisonous, deadly snake. - But to kill because I "wanted a hide?" To stab an innocent horse while removing it's protection from flies? Those actions are not right or moral.
As I get older, I wonder more and more about our younger generations - do they regard living organisms with any type of respect? Or, in this age of iPhones and iPods and iPads, does the younger generation see every living thing as something to be used (to their satisfaction) and then thrown away?
I have known a lot of people who have never connected, on a personal level, with anything other than another human, or with a machine (some men and their cars or trucks). I have been asked many times, why do you care so much about animals? They are just that - animals. My response is that someone needs to care somewhere at sometime. I don't relate well to people with no feelings or any empathy for other living things. Animals feel fear, hunger, want and need - even if they don't use those terms. We humans are animals, supposedly the most highly evolved species on our planet. If we can't care for other creatures, who are supposed to be less intelligent than we are, are we really "human?"
I was appalled to read about a 12-year-old horse in Alabama - she was found early one morning by her young owner, on the ground, covered in blood. She had been stabbed in the neck 8 times, and one of the cuts had nicked her jugular vein. Besides the stab wounds, the mare's wonderful, long chestnut mane had been hacked off. Ruby was lucky to survive the attack; she had lost a lot of blood, and ended up spending two weeks at the veterinarian's stable block. She lost a lot of weight, was dehydrated, and depressed. Once she was returned to her home pasture and barn, she began to heal and make much better physical progress. In the meantime, it has been decided that all horses at that barn will have very short, if not roached, manes, because the sheriff cannot guarantee that this is an isolated incident.
Here in Boulder, I was shocked to read that the police had been called to a house on University Hill, where they found blood splatters all over the front porch, the front door, and the front of the house. It was the blood of a raccoon. Neighbors reported the young man living there was "beating something that screamed" with a stick or bat. The young man admitted to killing the raccoon with a baseball bat, and gave the bat to the police as evidence. He told police that he had "wanted the hide", and that when the raccoon hadn't died with the first blow, he felt remorse - but he continued to bludgeon it to death. He took the police to a very raw and poorly cut raccoon skin that was covered under a layer of rock salt. How can a person - a grown man - with "human" feelings do such a thing?
I have killed a deer for food. I have killed rattlesnakes after they struck and poisoned horses, cats, and dogs. I have performed a few "mercy killings" - a young rabbit with a broken back that was keening terribly, a young chicken that a dog had attacked, and ripped off both legs and a wing. But I killed those two quickly, and to prevent further suffering while the animal awaited an unpleasant death. I killed the deer in season, with a hunting permit, for venison. I admit I killed the rattlers in revenge and anger, and to rid the property of a poisonous, deadly snake. - But to kill because I "wanted a hide?" To stab an innocent horse while removing it's protection from flies? Those actions are not right or moral.
As I get older, I wonder more and more about our younger generations - do they regard living organisms with any type of respect? Or, in this age of iPhones and iPods and iPads, does the younger generation see every living thing as something to be used (to their satisfaction) and then thrown away?
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Critters
Three-year-old Fennec fox
Grey squirrel in Kensington Gardens
Mule deer buck at NCAR in Boulder, Colorado
HRH Prince Charles and Lady Camilla with koala bears in Adelaide, Australia
Friday, November 16, 2012
Please Do NOT Give A Pet as a Gift...
My cousin Sarah just brought up the fact that she is seeing a lot of advertisements trying to get people to purchase animals for another person as a Holiday gift. Both of us beg you NOT to do so. A lot of people out there buy gifts for friends and acquaintances, and for those they would like to impress favorably. The majority of people, and kids, in the world today want to choose their own pet. Kittens, puppies, baby bunnies, etc. all look cute and act cute when they are young, but they also entail a lot of work and money. If you think someone would like a pet added to the family, first ask. Second, propose to pay the adoption fee for any critter the giftee would like from any Humane Society, Rescue Group, or any animal aid society. There are thousands of wonderful animals languishing in shelters around the world, and/or being euthanized on a daily basis because someone could no longer care for the, or no longer wanted them. Many pets that are given as Holiday gifts - for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa - end up at the animal shelter, on death row, for one reason or another. And the reasons given are as numerous as the drops of water in all the oceans - someone in the household is allergic; food and/or veterinary care is too expensive; the new pet doesn't get along with older, established pets; the new owner says the new pet "just wasn't what he/she wanted;" the puppy chews on things; the kitten climbs the curtains; (I can continue ad infinitum) ....
Brand new pets are cute and cuddly and will usually be greeted with "ooohs" and "aaahs" of immediate appreciation. Then reality sets in. There are annual shots, spaying and neutering, training, licensing, food, kitty litter, toys, and all sorts of other expenses that raise their head. If the new owner is conscientious, there is also the matter of time - one needs to bond with the new pet, and have the attachment grow. With today's lifestyle, a lot of that is impossible.
Please, whatever you give as a Holiday gift, do NOT give a living creature. Please ask the recipient prior to giving; and please adopt an animal from a shelter or rescue. Don't be the cause of more suffering for the pets of our world!
Brand new pets are cute and cuddly and will usually be greeted with "ooohs" and "aaahs" of immediate appreciation. Then reality sets in. There are annual shots, spaying and neutering, training, licensing, food, kitty litter, toys, and all sorts of other expenses that raise their head. If the new owner is conscientious, there is also the matter of time - one needs to bond with the new pet, and have the attachment grow. With today's lifestyle, a lot of that is impossible.
Please, whatever you give as a Holiday gift, do NOT give a living creature. Please ask the recipient prior to giving; and please adopt an animal from a shelter or rescue. Don't be the cause of more suffering for the pets of our world!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Critters Around the World
A jaguar swims for it's dinner catch
A fox in Kazakhstan
A squirrel in Minsk, Belarus
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Critters 'Round the World
An armadillo eating corn in Texas
Red fox in a park in Berlin, Germany
Sheep on Streymoy, in the Faroe Islands
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Various Critters
A meercat, searching for food in autumn leaves
Mother gibbon, with nursing baby
Northern lynx in Kingussie, Scotland
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Animals and Personalities
Animals have personalities, too
Mathematical model helps explain how and why temperaments develop
by: Mahesh Kumar (From the AP; see copyright info at bottom.)
Science has revealed that personalities aren't limited to humans — they also extend to the animal kingdom. We know our siblings and in-laws have personalities — sometimes to a fault. But science recently has revealed that such individual differences are widespread in the animal kingdom, even reaching to spiders, birds, mice, squid, rats and pigs. Now a new mathematical model helps to explain how and why such animal temperaments develop over time. The model explains a central question of both animal and human personality — why certain individuals are more rigid or flexible than others, and why some change their behavior in response to changes in their environment while others do not.
The answer, says Franz Weissing of the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, comes down to costs and benefits. A group in which both rigid and flexible personality types co-exist makes for an optimal system, his model shows. The field of animal-personality study is starting to gain some substance and credibility, said University of Texas psychologist Sam Gosling, who does research in this field. "When I started doing this, like 10 years ago, things were really different. I remember people thought it was anthropomorphic [to use the term animal personality]," said Gosling, who was not involved in the recent study.
Prestigious scientific journals are publishing research articles explicitly on the topic of animal personality, he said. "I think it does reflect a new sense of respect in the field and I think it's opening up all kinds of important opportunities and allowing us to test questions we simply couldn't test without animal studies," Gosling said. Weissing and his colleagues ran various model simulations of scenarios that included a resource as well as responsive and unresponsive animals. He said the new model shows, for example, when it's optimal for animals to react to a change in food and when it's not. It turns out that competing personalities help to keep a healthy balance in a group.
Say you have a duck pond in which, every day, twice as much food is scattered along the right side of the pond, leaving the left side sparse, Weissing said. The ducks learn to paddle to the right side to forage. Then one day, say, more food shows up on the left side of the pond, leaving the right with a dearth. Experiments have shown that some of the ducks were checking out the left side of the pond all along and will notice and swim to the food on the left. Other ducks, however, will stick to their routine and continue about their business of scarfing up the little bit of food still on the right side. The responsive ducks benefit from their quick move to the big pile of food, while the unresponsive ducks could starve, or at the very least, not get a bellyful. The tables turn if too many ducks were to respond and head over to the left side of the pond. In this model scenario, the competition on that side of the pond would skyrocket, leaving some of these seeming smarty pants with little food. Meanwhile, the unresponsive ducks would benefit in this scenario, because while they would be left with a smaller portion of food, there would be hardly any competition for it.
In some of the model simulations, responsiveness could also be a waste of energy. If say the food never moves to the other side of the pond, the proactive ducks could exhaust themselves to no avail. In the end, a balance between ducks that scan for change and ducks that stick with the routine would benefit the overall population.
The researchers also found animal personalities tend to persist. That's because, as the adage goes, practice makes perfect. Individuals who are responsive gain experience, so it behooves them to continue such behavior in the future. "Individuals that have been responsive before have a slight advantage in collecting or interpreting environmental cues," Weissing told LiveScience. "This is a plausible assumption, since the performance of individuals generally improves with the experience they have."
Similar personality types also exist in humans. "Some humans behave rather routine, in a rigid way. And others behave in a rather flexible way," Weissing said. "The first type is rather traditional, conservative, always following the trodden path of the past, whereas the other type is more interested in change, interested in the environment, always sampling the environment."
While the model simulations didn't directly analyze human behavior, Weissing said there is a crossover between non-human animals and the rest of the animal kingdom.
The research, detailed online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.
© 2008 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.
Mathematical model helps explain how and why temperaments develop
by: Mahesh Kumar (From the AP; see copyright info at bottom.)
Science has revealed that personalities aren't limited to humans — they also extend to the animal kingdom. We know our siblings and in-laws have personalities — sometimes to a fault. But science recently has revealed that such individual differences are widespread in the animal kingdom, even reaching to spiders, birds, mice, squid, rats and pigs. Now a new mathematical model helps to explain how and why such animal temperaments develop over time. The model explains a central question of both animal and human personality — why certain individuals are more rigid or flexible than others, and why some change their behavior in response to changes in their environment while others do not.
The answer, says Franz Weissing of the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, comes down to costs and benefits. A group in which both rigid and flexible personality types co-exist makes for an optimal system, his model shows. The field of animal-personality study is starting to gain some substance and credibility, said University of Texas psychologist Sam Gosling, who does research in this field. "When I started doing this, like 10 years ago, things were really different. I remember people thought it was anthropomorphic [to use the term animal personality]," said Gosling, who was not involved in the recent study.
Prestigious scientific journals are publishing research articles explicitly on the topic of animal personality, he said. "I think it does reflect a new sense of respect in the field and I think it's opening up all kinds of important opportunities and allowing us to test questions we simply couldn't test without animal studies," Gosling said. Weissing and his colleagues ran various model simulations of scenarios that included a resource as well as responsive and unresponsive animals. He said the new model shows, for example, when it's optimal for animals to react to a change in food and when it's not. It turns out that competing personalities help to keep a healthy balance in a group.
Say you have a duck pond in which, every day, twice as much food is scattered along the right side of the pond, leaving the left side sparse, Weissing said. The ducks learn to paddle to the right side to forage. Then one day, say, more food shows up on the left side of the pond, leaving the right with a dearth. Experiments have shown that some of the ducks were checking out the left side of the pond all along and will notice and swim to the food on the left. Other ducks, however, will stick to their routine and continue about their business of scarfing up the little bit of food still on the right side. The responsive ducks benefit from their quick move to the big pile of food, while the unresponsive ducks could starve, or at the very least, not get a bellyful. The tables turn if too many ducks were to respond and head over to the left side of the pond. In this model scenario, the competition on that side of the pond would skyrocket, leaving some of these seeming smarty pants with little food. Meanwhile, the unresponsive ducks would benefit in this scenario, because while they would be left with a smaller portion of food, there would be hardly any competition for it.
In some of the model simulations, responsiveness could also be a waste of energy. If say the food never moves to the other side of the pond, the proactive ducks could exhaust themselves to no avail. In the end, a balance between ducks that scan for change and ducks that stick with the routine would benefit the overall population.
The researchers also found animal personalities tend to persist. That's because, as the adage goes, practice makes perfect. Individuals who are responsive gain experience, so it behooves them to continue such behavior in the future. "Individuals that have been responsive before have a slight advantage in collecting or interpreting environmental cues," Weissing told LiveScience. "This is a plausible assumption, since the performance of individuals generally improves with the experience they have."
Similar personality types also exist in humans. "Some humans behave rather routine, in a rigid way. And others behave in a rather flexible way," Weissing said. "The first type is rather traditional, conservative, always following the trodden path of the past, whereas the other type is more interested in change, interested in the environment, always sampling the environment."
While the model simulations didn't directly analyze human behavior, Weissing said there is a crossover between non-human animals and the rest of the animal kingdom.
The research, detailed online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.
© 2008 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)