Animal

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh c'est super !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Testing chemicals on animals too costly: report Tue Jun 12, 5:21 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Testing chemicals in live animals can be expensive and slow, and newer test-tube methods may work better, the National Research Council reported on Tuesday. Rapid, automated tests called high-throughput assays can replace animals and assess hundreds or thousands of chemicals very quickly, the Council said in its report. "Recent advances in systems biology, testing in cells and tissues, and related scientific fields offer the potential to fundamentally change the way chemicals are tested for risks they may pose to humans," the Council, which advises Congress and the federal government on scientific matters, said in a statement. "The new approach would generate more-relevant data to evaluate risks people face, expand the number of chemicals that could be scrutinized, and reduce the time, money, and animals involved in testing," it added. Most new chemicals, pesticides and many other products are tested using live animals such as rats and mice to see if they cause cancer, skin irritation or other effects. "But how relevant the animal tests are for humans, usually exposed at much lower doses, has often been called into question," the Council said. "Moreover, the current approach is time-consuming and costly, resulting in an overburdened system that leaves many chemicals untested, despite potential human exposure to them," it added. And animal welfare groups question the practice. So the Environmental Protection Agency asked the independent, nonprofit Research Council to develop a new approach and strategy for toxicity testing. A committee of toxicologists, pharmacists, environmentalists and other experts appointed by the Council recommends high-throughput assays. They could use human cells for even better accuracy. "Over time, the need for traditional animal testing could be greatly reduced, and possibly even eliminated someday," the Council statement said. "For the foreseeable future, however, targeted tests in animals would need to be used to complement the in vitro tests, because current methods cannot yet adequately mirror the metabolism of a whole animal." http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070612/sc_nm/animals_testing_dc_1

Canadian Vegetarian Association A non-profit organization formed to create a united, national vegetarian voice and promote vegetarianism across Canada A NATIONAL VOICE Despite the growing popularity of the vegetarian lifestyle in Canada, there are only a handful of 'vegetarian associations' scattered throughout the country. While these local groups are doing their part, each is tirelessly working to promote the same cause -- independently. There is no active national organization to facilitate collaboration amoung local groups or inspire the formation of new ones. As a result, the vegetarian voice in Canada is soft when compared to other nations. The Canadian Vegetarian Association (CVA) was formed as voluntary assembly of non-profit provincial/municipal vegetarian groups and citizens to create a stronger, more united vegetarian movement in Canada. Objectives: 1. Create a centralized forum to unite Canadian vegetarian groups 2. Combine provincial/municipal efforts and resources via national body 3. Inspire the formation of new provincial/municipal vegetarian groups 4. Help define and promote "Brand Vegetarian" in Canada and abroad 5. Raise awareness with the public, business, government and media 6. Promote/support the growing Canadian vegetarian market/brands 7. Standardize clear labeling of plant-based choices for Canadians http://www.canadianvegetarian.org/

Last update - 07:31 22/06/2007 Israel taking steps to get in line with Europe on animal testing By Ronny Linder-Ganz, Haaretz Correspondent Pharmacy aisles as we know them are about to change. Many brands stocked today are likely to disappear over the next year or two because of two bills on animal testing in the cosmetics industry. One of them, which prohibits animal testing in the development of detergents and cosmetics in Israel, was unanimously approved by the Knesset in second and third readings about three weeks ago. The other - a more radical one that seeks to forbid the import and distribution of animal-tested cosmetics - was unanimously approved by the Knesset's Education Committee before its first reading in the plenum. MK Gideon Sa'ar is pushing the two bills which would remove animal-tested products from the shelves, or force companies to switch to alternative and more advanced methods. Advertisement The bill dealing with imports and distribution adopts the 2004 European directive prohibiting the distribution and sale of nearly all animal-tested products from March 2009. "This means that in less than two years it will be forbidden to sell animal-tested products in Europe, which will completely stop testing in the field," says Anat Refua, the head of the Laboratory Animals Protection Division at the nonprofit organization Let the Animals Live. Ilan Levy, marketing vice president for the Roots brand, agrees: "We assume that most companies will fall into line with the law and stop experimenting on animals." According to Refua, although there is still no such law in the United States, most major companies rely on the European market which they cannot ignore. In Israel, as in Europe, the new regulations will gradually take effect once they are approved to allow importers to start preparing from March 2008. In 2009 the law will take full effect, except for several products in a special category to be banned in 2013. Opponents of the legislation say the bills will introduce huge expenses (see box), but MK Sa'ar says the intention is "to pass a responsible and balanced bill designed to prevent future animal testing because today's market has testing methods that are better and more scientifically effective." Cosmetics companies started testing ingredients on animals several decades ago. "The development of a new shampoo may cost the lives of up to 10,000 animals," Refua says. "Every new ingredient put into a product is tested on some 2,000 to 3,000 animals, and sometimes there are also experiments with the finished product, so the numbers are appalling." Every experiment uses two types of animals: rodents such as guinea pigs, rats, mice and rabbits, and mammals during experiments' second phase, including cats, dogs, pigs and monkeys. According to Refua, "about 60 percent of all detergents and cosmetics sold in Israel are produced by companies that practice testing on animals." She says that "the biggest distributor of these products in Israel is the U.S. firm Procter & Gamble, which still uses animal testing." Procter & Gamble's response: "The company stopped testing its cosmetic products on animals in 1999. In addition, the company does not ask its suppliers to perform tests on its behalf. Moreover, the company does not test the ingredients of its cosmetic products on animals, except for extremely rare cases when it needs to do so in order to meet regulatory or safety demands." But Refua calls this an evasive answer. "There are no regulatory demands or any law that compel them to test on animals. Everything can be tested using alternative methods that do not harm animals, and as long as they fail to do so they will remain classified as a company that practices animal testing and shunned by the public." Procter & Gamble: "The company is a world leader in searching for alternatives to animal testing, and as a result some 50 alternative testing methods have been developed, which were described in over 300 scientific publications. The company's policy, together with the law, obligates us to ensure that our products are safe for the consumers, our employees and the environment. In Israel, as in the rest of the world, Procter & Gamble follows and will continue to follow the letter of the law." And what should a conscientious shopper do until the new laws take effect? At the moment, it's not that simple. The Israeli consumer will find it hard to distinguish between an animal-tested product and one that was not developed using such methods. In most of the world it's a very simple matter: products carrying the "leaping bunny" logo have not been tested on animals. The procedure for obtaining the logo is clear; the Coalition for Consumer Information in Cosmetics (CCIC), which operates in Canada, the U.S. and the European Union, has set criteria. A product imported to Israel from one of these areas will carry the bunny logo if it meets the requirements. The situation is much more complicated regarding Israeli detergents and cosmetics, and consumers will find various bunny symbols in different sizes and poses, none of them the CCIC bunny. The reason is simple: Israel is not a CCIC member, so Israeli companies may not use the logo. "There is no legislation in Israel that regulates the marking of products that were not tested on animals, and there is also no voluntary body supervising the matter," says Dr. Shmuel Becher, a consumer law expert at the Peres Academic Center in Rehovot. "Therefore there is no supervision - not by the state nor by a third party. All there is, is a declaration by the company claiming that the products or the ingredients contained in them have not been tested on animals, without any external supervision or control." According to Becher, this may mislead consumers twice. They may wrongly assume there is a controlling body behind the logo, and they might confuse an independent manufacturer's bunny with the CCIC bunny. Can one trust the Israeli companies that stamp their products with their own bunnies? There is no definite answer, although according to the Israeli Society for the Abolition of Vivisection: "We believe the absolute majority of companies that distribute their products in Israel and carry the bunny logo do meet the appropriate criteria." http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/874010.html

( The Dutch agri- and horticultural organisation LTO Nederland is not amused: "Anaesthetics do not solve piglet castration issue". .... But vegetarianism does!) ---------------------------------------------------- Anaesthetics do not solve piglet castration issue // 21 Jun 2007 Dutch supermarkets are reasoning too simply when they say that they will not sell any meat that is from male piglets that have been castrated without the use of anaesthetics. This is the opinion of the Dutch agri- and horticultural organisation LTO Nederland, after the supermarkets jointly revealed they will phase out sales of this kind of meat as from 2009. LTO says that not selling is not a real solution for the problem – apart from the question whether it is possible in practice to castrate without the use of anaesthetics. No castration Annechien ten Have, an LTO spokeswoman for the pig industry, says that the producers rather had not castrated at all. Ten Have has doubts whether European pig producers will be able to meet the supermarkets' specific requirements in the year 2009. As up to now, only in Norway, male piglets are castrated with sedation. Detecting boar taint She referred to a current European research, to investigate the possibility to detect boar taint in carcasses at the slaughterline. However, in Denmark, already €70 million has been spent in the development of a production line having an electronic nose for boar taint detection. German supermarkets abandoned the initiative when they found out that consumers stayed away because they were not satisfied. Old-fashioned Last week, the organisation of supermarkets CBL said that it was old-fashioned to make piglets suffer like this. There is also still ongoing research to the possibility of the use of anaesthetics before castration. Ten Have says that there is a danger that sedating is only easing the consumers' conscience without providing a real solution. Many big companies, like HEMA and Unilever, and certified butchers have announced to join the supermarkets' initiative. Related news items: • Sedated castration: €0.012/kg cost rise (19 June 2007) • End to sale of pigs castrated without sedation (15 June 2007) http://www.pigprogress.net/news/id1602-20511/anaesthetics_do_not_solve_piglet_castration_issue.html

Peaceful Anti-Foie Gras Protester Assaulted at ‘French Products’ stall Animals&People | 24.06.2007 23:12 | Animal Liberation | Cambridge Anti-Foie Gras protesters at the ‘French Products’ stall in Cambridge, receive a response that’s more than a little hostile… Campaigners were once again at the ‘French Products’ stall in the market square, Cambridge for a small leafleting demo. The demo was eventful to say the least. One aggressive man, believed to be a trader in the market poked his finger at campaigners and insulted them, even threatening the property of a female demonstrator, no doubt putting off any potential customers. The ‘French Products’ stall worker was as usual irritated by the presence of the peaceful individuals and used bad language in his normal style but, this time, decided to go further throwing a bucket of water at one of the peaceful campaigners. However the stall worker hadn’t had enough and came back with another bucket of water and again aimed it at the campaigner. Even in the face of this assault the protesters stayed calm. The police were alerted but ended up not helping and even suggested that protesters stood away from the stall to protest! The stall worker, probably worried about the police decided to pack up and go home. Rather than attacking peaceful campaigners the protesters believe now is the time for ‘French Products’ to finally adopt a Foie-Gras free policy, dealing with the reason why some members of the Cambridge public may be avoiding their stall. The production of the product at the centre of this controversy, Foie Gras, is commonly made by stuffing food pipes down geese throats. The animals’ livers then painfully expand. Force feeding birds is unlawful in the United Kingdom, but because of trade rules the government claim they can’t ban Foie-Gras imports. Whilst a number of businesses big and small, are now Foie-Gras free zones, some traders continue to refuse to adopt policies against this controversial product. The protesters hope that people will take the time to contact ‘French Products’ and let them know (politely) that it’s time to drop this abusive product from their stall. The campaigners would like to thank anyone contacting the business not only for their action, but for putting up with the ranting response they are likely to receive from ‘French Products’. The protesters would also like to warn campaigners that it might not be advisable to give any personal information to this business. ‘French Products’ e-mail and phone: E-mail frenchproducts@hotmail.com http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/374334.html

Le Vendredi 29 Juin 2007 Le chien de la famille Romney Que penser d’un père qui attache le chien de la famille sur le toit de la voiture dans laquelle il couvrira, avec sa femme et ses enfants, la distance entre le Massachusetts et l’Ontario? Ce père de famille n’est pas Chevy Chase dans National Lampoon’s Vacation. Il s’agit de Mitt Romney, ancien gouverneur du Massachusetts et candidat à l’investiture républicaine pour l’élection présidentielle de 2008. Cette histoire, qui remonte à l’été 1983, revient hanter Romney. Le Boston Globe l’a ressortie pour illustrer un trait de l’aspirant à la Maison-Blanche : dans une crise, l’homme est capable de faire fi de ses émotions ou de ses sentiments. Selon PETA, une organisation pour la protection des animaux, l’incident démontre que Romney est dépourvu de la compassion la plus élémentaire. http://blogues.cyberpresse.ca/hetu/?p=70411637

Le vendredi 29 juin 2007 La SPAM archipleine À l’approche du 1er juillet, l’achalandage a doublé à la Société protectrice des animaux de la Mauricie (SPAM). Il faut trouver un foyer pour les animaux abandonnés, comme le chat que tient Mélanie Thifault, technicienne en santé animale. Photo: Stéphane Lessard Marjolaine Arcand Le Nouvelliste Trois-Rivières Il ne reste que quelques dodos avant le jour D, journée nationale du déménagement. Comme à chaque année, la Société protectrice des animaux de la Mauricie (SPAM) est bondée d’animaux laissés-pour-compte à l’approche du 1er juillet. «L’achalandage a doublé depuis les deux dernières semaines», mentionne la gestionnaire des licences, Joanne Trottier. «Déjà, les gens prennent rendez-vous pour avoir plus de chance de faire adopter leurs animaux.» La SPAM offre 90 places pour loger les chats, 40 places pour les chiens, ainsi que sept ou huit emplacements pour d’autres animaux de toutes sortes. La SPAM ne refuse aucun animal mais les propriétaires sont souvent contraints d’attendre qu’une place soit libre. Cependant, elles se désemplissent au compte-goutte. Quotidiennement, l’employée de la SPAM estime que le nombre de cages qui se libèrent oscille entre zéro et dix. «Ça dépend des jours», affirme-t-elle. «Présentement, on a même une liste d’attente pour les chiens, ce qui est assez rare.» L’ennui, c’est que la proportion des familles d’accueil est nettement inférieure au nombre de donneurs. «Mais on essaie d’envoyer les animaux dans d’autres SPA avant de faire quoi que ce soit», mentionne Joanne Trottier, faisant allusion à l’euthanasie. La SPAM suggère aussi aux donneurs d’essayer de faire adopter leur animal de leur côté. «Le problème, c’est que les gens ne pensent pas à l’avance. Certains ne veulent pas attendre et le font tuer», souligne-t-elle. Pour Joanne Trottier et les autres employés, l’euthanasie représente la facette la plus pénible du métier. «Ah mon Dieu, si vous saviez. C’est très difficile à gérer», s’exclame-t-elle. «Je ne suis plus capable de les voir entrer, c’est pour ça que je travaille dans les bureaux maintenant. Un animal c’est vivant mais bien souvent, c’est un objet pour les gens». D’ailleurs, elle lance un message à la population: «Avant d’adopter un animal, pensez qu’il va vivre une dizaine d’années, pas seulement six mois ou un an.» • http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20070629/CPNOUVELLISTE/70629187/5409/CPNOUVELLISTE

Pour voir la photo de ce chien qui sera euthanasié, cliquez ici: http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20070629/CPACTUALITES/706290755/5276/CPACTUALITES (Il ne s'agit pourtant pas d'une race de chien méchant: Labrador/Golden Retriver) On dirait qu'il bave sur cette photo ! Pourquoi ? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Le vendredi 29 juin 2007 CHEMIN SAINT-ISIDORE Un chien mord un garçon Le Quotidien, Sylvain Dufour FRANÇOIS ST-GELAIS Le Quotidien LATERRIÈRE Un jeune garçon de sept ans a subi d'importantes lacérations au visage, hier après-midi, après avoir été mordu par un chien. L'incident s'est produit peu après 14 h, à proximité du 4845, chemin Saint-Isidore, dans le secteur de Laterrière. Selon les informations transmises par le service de la Sécurité publique de Saguenay, l'animal, un mélange de Labrador et de Golden Retriever, avait été détaché par ses propriétaires afin de participer au regroupement des bêtes de la ferme. Pour des raisons encore nébuleuses, le chien s'est finalement dirigé vers un groupe d'enfants qui jouaient non loin de là. C'est à ce moment que l'enfant a été mordu au visage. "La victime a subi une importante lacération d'environ cinq centimètres de longueur au-dessus d'un oeil. Il a aussi été blessé assez profondément au nez. À notre arrivée sur place, le saignement était cependant contrôlé", a indiqué Claude Larouche, relationniste au bureau jonquiérois de la Coopérative des techniciens ambulanciers du Québec. Le garçon a rapidement été conduit à l'hôpital de Chicoutimi afin d'y subir une série d'examens. On ne craignait toutefois pas pour sa vie. De même, l'oeil de la jeune victime n'aurait pas été touché par les crocs de l'animal. Le chien âgé d'une dizaine d'années a été conduit à la fourrière municipale de Saguenay. Selon la procédure en pareilles circonstances, la bête sera euthanasiée au cours des prochains jours et des analyses seront effectuées sur sa dépouille afin de déterminer si le chien souffrait d'une quelconque maladie. L'animal ne semblait toutefois pas être atteinte de la rage. Le dernier cas de cette maladie recensée dans la région remonte à plus de cinq ans. Il avait été découvert dans le secteur du Lac-Saint-Jean. En février dernier, trois enfants ont été mordus par un chien alors qu'ils s'amusaient dans la cour de l'école Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire, dans le secteur nord de Chicoutimi. Tous trois avaient subi des blessures mineures, et l'animal, un mélange de Labrador et de Terre-Neuve, a aussi été euthanasié.o fst-gelais@lequotidien.com

Le jeudi 28 juin 2007 La Terre presque entièrement domestiquée Photo AP Agence France-Presse San Francisco La Terre est à ce point domestiquée par l'Homme que les écologistes devraient se concentrer sur les moyens de gérer ce phénomène plutôt que de se concentrer sur la protection des rares zones encores vierges, selon une étude publiée jeudi aux États-Unis. «Une nature préservée des humains cela n'existe plus», affirme sans détour Peter Kareivi, le scientifique en chef de Nature Conservancy, une ONG américaine, dans un article publié par la revue Science. «Faire face à cette réalité signifierait un changement des priorités scientifiques de l'écologie», ajoute t-il. Des observations faites par satellites ont permis d'établir qu'en 1995, seulement 17% de la surface des terres émergées restait sauvage, à savoir qu'elles étaient inhabitées par l'Homme, dépourvues de cultures et de routes d'accès et qu'aucune lumière n'y était détectable la nuit. La moitié de la surface du globe est utilisée pour les cultures ou le pâturage. Les mers et les océans eux-mêmes sont traversés en tous sens par des lignes maritimes. Nombre d'écosystèmes ont été détruits ou modifiés. Les zones protégées ou dites sauvages sont davantage des zones de régulation plutôt que des endroits sans marque humaine. Ainsi, le parc naturel et préservé Fuji-Hakone-Izu au Japon accueille plus de 100 millions de visiteurs par an et abrite des hôtels, des parcours de golf... Plutôt que de s'attacher à la préservation d'une nature sauvage qui n'existe plus, les écologistes devraient s'intéresser davantage aux questions de développement, suggèrent les auteurs de l'étude. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Le vendredi 29 juin 2007 Argentine: les forêts reculent, les champs de soja progressent Agence France-Presse Buenos Aires Les forêts en Argentine disparaissent à un rythme six fois plus élevé que dans le reste du monde, victimes en grande partie de la conquête de terres pour la culture du soja, l'or vert national, indique un rapport officiel. La Direction nationale des Forêts à Buenos Aires a tiré la sonnette d'alarme cette semaine en soulignant que quelque 1 108 669 hectares de bois avaient été détruits de 2002 à 2006, soit presque deux fois de plus que sur les quatre années précédentes, à un rythme de 821 hectares par jour. L'Argentine fait ainsi figure de mauvais élève, la déforestation ayant tendance à se stabiliser dans les autres régions du monde, selon un rapport de l'Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (FAO). Outre les conséquences pour la bio-diversité, cette déforestation brutale engendre aussi des déséquilibres climatiques. Les forêts permettent la régulation des pluies, et avec leur disparition, les inondations se multiplient, souligne ainsi l'organisation écologiste Greenpeace sur son site internet. Les destructions de forêts se situent principalement dans le nord et l'est, où la terre est souvent défrichée pour laisser la place a des champs de soja. Dans la province de Salta (nord-ouest), non loin de la frontière bolivienne, le gouvernement régional a lancé une procédure pour faire arracher à des fins agricoles près de 200 000 hectares de forêts, selon Greenpeace. Pourtant, un projet de loi visant à mieux protéger les forêts existe, mais «il dort dans les tiroirs», a encore souligné l'association, dénonçant le lobby des cultivateurs de soja sur les députés provinciaux. L'Argentine n'est pourtant pas le pays ou ce phénomène est le plus grave. Le continent sud américain voit chaque année disparaître 4,3 millions d'hectares de forêts, principalement détruits par l'exploitation systématique de l'Amazonie au Brésil et au Pérou.

Le vendredi 29 juin 2007 Les éléphants de plus en plus menacés pour leur viande La viande d'éléphant est extrêmement prisée en Afrique. Photo AP Chris Tomlinson Associated Press Nairobi Les éléphants ne sont pas seulement chassés par les braconniers pour leurs défenses en ivoire. Objet d'un commerce lucratif, la viande de ces grands mammifères est elle aussi extrêmement prisée en Afrique, où la demande va croissant, au rythme de la hausse démographique. Taille du texte Imprimer Envoyer À consulter aussi Lisez d'autres articles sur ces sujets : Ressources naturelles (100%) Forêts (99%) Wildlife Conservation Society (63%) Karl Amman (59%) À consulter aussi L'espèce la plus menacée est peut-être l'éléphant de forêt, dont l'habitat s'étend de la Guinée à l'Ouganda, avec une concentration des pachydermes dans le Bassin du Congo, où la pauvreté et la guerre sont fréquentes. L'animal est plus petit que ses cousins vivant -pour la plupart sous la protection des gardes forestiers- dans les savanes de l'est et du sud du continent noir. Son épiderme est plus sombre, ses défenses sont plus droites, et ses oreilles plus ovales. Les connaissances sont minces sur les éléphants de forêt car ils vivent en petits groupes dans les denses forêts pluviales. En 1989, des biologistes avaient estimé leur nombre à 172 000 dans le Bassin du Congo. Aucune étude globale n'a été menée depuis, mais une enquête de la Wildlife Conservation Society dans six zones où vivent les éléphants dans des parcs nationaux, qui a été diffusée en avril, a mis en lumière un «impact profond» de «tueries illégales et d'autres perturbations humaines» sur cette population d'éléphants de forêt. Un spécimen de cette espèce pèse en moyenne entre 2,5 et 2,7 tonnes et produit plus de 450 kilos de viande bonne à manger: il peut rapporter au braconnier jusqu'à 180 dollars pour l'ivoire et jusqu'à 6000 dollars pour la viande. «Ces éléphants (de forêt) se font braconner beaucoup plus que les éléphants de l'est et du sud de l'Afrique», souligne Karl Amman, un photographe enquêtant sur le commerce illégal des animaux. «Je suis convaincu que le braconnage d'éléphants de forêt dans la région d'Afrique centrale» a lieu «pour la viande, et que l'ivoire est devenu un à-côté». Dans la forêt, les populations vivent dans une telle pauvreté qu'elles n'ont pas le temps de songer à la préservation de l'environnement, explique pour sa part Andrea Turkalo, une chercheuse travaillant pour le compte de la Wildlife Conservation Society dans le parc national de Dzangha-Sangha en Centrafrique. À ses yeux, «les gens tuent toujours pour l'ivoire mais un basculement se fait vers le commerce de la viande en raison de la démographie. Il y a beaucoup plus d'habitants ici», observe-t-elle. «Quand on tue un éléphant dont les défenses ne pèsent pas plus de 500 grammes, ce n'est pas pour l'ivoire. C'est surtout pour la viande», renchérit Omer Kokamenko, un garde du parc national de Dzangha-Sangha. «En dehors de cette région, la viande d'éléphant est chère». Tant que les gouvernements n'agiront pas, la population des éléphants restera menacée, estime Karl Amman. Des deux côtés de la frontière entre le Centrafrique et le Congo-Brazzaville, des autorités locales prélèvent des taxes sur le commerce de viande, en dépit de son caractère illégal. D'après Désiré Loa, ancien garde forestier devenu braconnier, le commerce est devenu si rentable que des responsables gouvernementaux sont derrière la plupart des actes de braconnage, embauchant des Pygmées et leur fournissant des fusils pour tuer les éléphants.

BRAVO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MMMMMMMMMM Ça a l'air délicieux !!!!!!!! Merci beaucoup pour cette belle recette Ranëwen Il faut beaucoup de courage pour cuisiner ces jours-ci

Allo les filles, Je suis rentrée de Québec hier soir. Ma semaine a été bien chargée car j'ai préparé des boîtes pour le prochain déménagement de papa (en juillet) et j'ai aussi fait le tri dans les affaires de maman. Je suis restée avec la grosse Sophie. Papa me disait qu'elle faisait ses «besoins» par terre depuis quelques semaines et qu'elle ne marchait presque plus, malgré le fait que le véto ne lui avait rien trouvé d'anormal... à part bien sûr son surpoids (elle pèse 30 livres). La pauvre vieille avait beaucoup de mal à marcher sur le plancher de céramique qui est extrêmement glissant pour elle. Elle rampait sur le sol pour se rendre à ses plats et à sa litière .... la pauvre p'tite mère ! Elle s'était fait mal à une patte il y a quelques mois et papa croyait que cela était dû à une chûte. Mais comme elle ne peut plus sauter sur les fauteuils depuis longtemps, je me suis doutée qu'elle était glissée sur le sol et qu'elle s'était possiblement étirée des ligaments. Je suis donc allée lui chercher des longs tapis sur lesquels elle peut maintenant marcher avec plus de facilité. Je lui ai également acheté des sacs de croquettes pour chats obèses qui sont beaucoup moins gras que ceux qu'elle mangeait auparavant. Comme elle est très grosse, elle ne peut plus se laver le «postérieur» elle-même depuis plusieurs années, il faut donc également s'occuper de cette besogne tous les jours. Elle m'a fait bien pitié, même si je sais que papa l'adore et qu'il s'occupe bien d'elle ! Il a téléphoné de France à plusieurs reprises et chaque fois il voulait dire quelques mots à sa grosse Sophie. Il revient dimanche avec ma soeur Isabelle. J'ai beaucoup pensé à mon pauvre Léon. Pauvre petit ange ! Il était si mignon ! Je vous embrasse bien fort toutes les deux do XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Merci beaucoup ma belle Cé pour avoir eu le courage de faire cette table d'info, malgré la chaleur et le manque de bénévoles

Alberta grizzlies barely surviving, census shows There are so few grizzly bears living in the Foothills that researchers fear their future is in jeopardy GEOFF NIXON From Monday's Globe and Mail June 11, 2007 at 4:14 AM EDT A unique census of grizzly bears in the Foothills and lower slopes of the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Alberta has found that the population is now so small that some experts question whether they will still be there in 100 years. The new report estimates the number of grizzly bears living west and south of Calgary and south of Banff National Park, inside an approximately 7,600-square-kilometre stretch of land, at fewer than 100. The estimate - backed by research techniques involving inventive DNA sleuthing that employs razor wire and a mix of rancid cow blood and liquefied fish - is the latest chapter in the continuing debate over the stewardship of grizzly bears within the province. It is trying to decide how to account for the grizzlies, how to accommodate industries that disrupt their habitat and lives, and how to keep them alive well into the future. Brian Horejsi, a Calgary-based researcher and bear expertwho has been researching Alberta grizzlies since the early 1970s, said the latest population count suggests the southwestern population is potentially on the road to extinction. "We're talking about a very, very limited number of bears that are keeping this bear population alive this year," Mr. Horejsi told The Globe yesterday. "When you have those minute numbers - and they are minute - a mortality here, a bear hit by a train, a bear shot illegally or accidentally by an elk hunter - you are dealing with an envelope that is very, very narrow." Starting in 2003, the province began looking at ways of maintaining its grizzly population, which also meant learning just how many there were throughout the province, in part because there were conflicting estimates of their numbers. Alberta also declared a three-year moratorium on grizzly hunting in March, 2006, in an effort to stave off any interference while it checked out the numbers. The final numbers and their related report were released to the public last week. "We halted the grizzly bear hunt and we are doing this analysis basically, to establish, accurately, as accurate as we possibly can, how many grizzly bears are actually in Alberta," said Darcy Whiteside, a spokesman for the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development. In order to get the numbers they needed, the researchers used a smelly treat - a two-to-one mixture of cow blood and fish - to lure the grizzlies. The bait was surrounded by a thin layer of barbed wire mounted about a half-metre off the ground. When interested bears went to check out the enticing scent, the wire would scrape a few hairs off the backs of their fur coats. And since the bears' individual hairs contain valuable DNA, the researchers could then collect the hairs and very accurately count the number of unique bears that had visited the site. Mr. Horejsi believes the numbers are accurate and has concluded that the southwestern population could potentially be gone in as soon as 50 to 100 years. He said that in typical bear populations, only about 15 per cent are capable of breeding in any particular year leaving very few bears available for reproducing in such a small population. He also pointed out that while DNA testing can determine the number of bears, it cannot be used to find their age, meaning it is impossible to tell how big or small the local population of breeding-age grizzly bears may be. Citing human interference and industrialization as the two big factors in holding back the grizzly population, Mr. Horejsi says he thinks protecting their wild habitat, perhaps reclaiming some human developments and maintaining the ban on hunting would be their best bet for survival. "All of these things essentially are making what is fundamentally or innately good habitat, virtually insecure and unusable for bears and that is the crux of the matter," said Mr. Horejsi. "It's a massive failure of management and worse yet, it's got the bears hanging on the edge of the rope." Others agree that simply cutting back on hunting will not sufficiently improve the grizzly bears' survival prospects. Bob Richards, a big-game outfitter who leads tours through parts of northwestern Alberta, said he thinks that despite the immediate effects of a moratorium on hunting, it is not a long-term solution for protecting the local population. "The No. 1 impact to grizzly bear populations is [vehicle] access," said Mr. Richards, who lives in Airdrie, just north of Calgary. "I don't mind, from an outfitting perspective, if the government were to shut down all vehicle access, all motorized access and that would probably be the No. 1 benefit to the grizzly bear population." "I don't think it's a good long-term management plan," said Mr. Richards, of the hunting ban that comes without any efforts to roll back human access to the bears. "I think it's more like a real quick Band-Aid, and everyone will feel comfortable with that, but, in the long-term, the grizzly bear population is still going to suffer." http://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Jun 12, 2007 10:14 ET Illegal bear trade in Canada fueled by China's bear farms WSPA partners with Environment Canada to help stem trafficking Attention: Assignment Editor, Environment Editor, News Editor, Science Editor, Government/Political Affairs Editor TORONTO, ONTARIO, MEDIA RELEASE--(CCNMatthews - June 12, 2007) - Products containing bear bile are being illegally imported and sold in Canada, according to a new report by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Investigations by WSPA show that bear farms in China are a primary source, and WSPA has teamed up with Environment Canada's Wildlife Enforcement Directorate to test detection kits that will help to stem this illegal bear trade. Cage to Consumer, a new WSPA report being released today, summarizes findings from the undercover investigations conducted in 2006. The report shows that Traditional Asian Medicine shops in eight countries - Canada, USA, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand - offered bear bile and bear gall products for sale and that most of these products originated from China's bear farms. "WSPA's investigations confirm what we suspected" says Peter Davies, Director General of WSPA. "These results show that bear farms are giving rise to illegal trade as well as being inherently cruel. In light of this evidence we urge the Chinese Government to reconsider its position on bear farming and instigate a phase-out of the bear farming industry in China." As part of its on-going campaign to end the cruel practice of farming bears, WSPA developed a unique kit to detect bear proteins in products. The bear detection kits are being field-tested over a six to twelve-month period by Environment Canada's Wildlife Enforcement Directorate and will help identify and stamp out the illegal trade in bear products. "WSPA developed the detection kits to protect bears and help combat the multi-billion dollar illegal trade in wildlife" says Pat Tohill, WSPA Canada Programs Manager. "It's estimated that wildlife trade ranks behind arms and drug trafficking, and trade in bear products directly causes suffering to bears and threatens wild bears in Canada and abroad." The kits fall into a wider effort to stem wildlife trafficking recently launched by the Canadian government. In May 2007, Environment Minister John Baird announced that Canada would join the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT), a US-led international alliance of government and non-government organizations. The government says $22 million will be used to hire about additional 100 enforcement officers to crack down on wildlife trafficking and poaching. WSPA released the Cage to Consumer report today at the 14th Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) conference in The Hague where international delegates are meeting on trade in endangered species. WSPA released the report at the CITES convention to highlight the importance of CITES regulations to protect bears and other endangered species. Bear bile and bear gall have long been used by consumers of Traditional Asian Medicine. Since the 1980s bile has been extracted from live bears kept on bear farms to create such products. Today, at least 12,000 bears in China, Korea and Vietnam are kept in appalling conditions, in cages no bigger than a telephone booth turned on its side, while subjected to painful bile extraction procedures. The extraction of bile is unnecessary as there are many effective alternatives that can be used in place of bear bile. WSPA's campaign to end bear farming, which is supported by the Calvin Ayre Foundation, will continue until the inherently cruel practice of bear farming is brought to an end. To find out more visit bearbile.org. /For further information: For interviews, information, contact: Michelle Cliffe, Marketing and Public Relations Advisor 416 369 0044 x111 cliffe@... Patrick Tohill, Program Manager, Canada 416 369 0044 416 898 9448 tohill@... / http://new.marketwire.com/2.0/release.do?id=741386

Tuesday » June 12 » 2007 Beagle shipments stopped After protests from Air Canada passengers The Gazette Monday, June 11, 2007 Air Canada has stopped shipments of beagles for medical research to Europe after protests from its passengers. It turns out the airline's May 21 cargo of 70 to 100 beagles from Montreal to Paris was the last of shipments that had been taking place for a number of years. That May 21 shipment led to complaints from passengers on the flight to The Gazette. The passengers said they heard the dogs yelping in the cargo hold during take-off and landing, and then saw them being unloaded in Paris. They were told by flight attendants that the shipment of dogs from Montreal to Paris for medical and scientific experiments happens regularly, the passengers told The Gazette. Air Canada spokesperson Isabelle Arthur confirmed yesterday that following the publication of the story on May 29, the airline received a formal complaint about the shipments. "It's the first time we received formal complaints from passengers on any of those flights," Arthur said . The Gazette has learned that Marshall BioResources, a company that breeds beagles for biomedical research in North Rose, N.Y. between Syracuse and Rochester was supplying the dogs. A retired Air Canada employee who worked for years on the cargo tarmac said the dogs would arrive in clean, air-conditioned trucks before being unloaded onto pallets, where they were weighed before boarding. "If it was too hot we would turn them around and send them back down to the U.S.," the former worker said. Arthur explained that Air Canada policy permits it to stop any shipment if the cargo disturbs passengers. . As a result of the recent complaint, "We advised the shipper that we would no longer be accepting their cargo." An employee at Marshall BioResources which, according to its website, also breeds mongrel dogs, ferrets and "mini-pigs" declined to comment on the shipments to Montreal yesterday. "The Marshall Beagle is known worldwide as a premier canine model for safety assessment studies," the website says. "Our proprietary socialization process yields a dog that is active and happy while in the cage, comes willingly to the front when approached, and is calm and pleasant when handled." Beagles are flown to facilities in Europe and Asia to ensure genetic consistency, the company says. "We now offer our European customers the option of domestically produced beagles as well as importation from New York." Spokespeople for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were mystified about why Marshall's dogs go to Europe via Canada. "We don't regulate domestic animals leaving the U.S.," said a representative of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Only endangered animals and exotic animals are controlled, she said. As for Marshall's Canadian pipeline, it has only been re-routed, said another source at Air Canada, speaking on condition of anonymity. Marshall has already found another air carrier departing from another Canadian city, possibly Toronto, the source said. Alain Lajoie, a veterinarian with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, said Marshall has had a permit from the agency for several years to bring beagles through border points at Lacolle or Brockville, Ont., for transit to Montreal and then shipment to a third country. "They come from an approved kennel and they all have their rabies shots," Lajoie said. The permit can be reassigned to another port of exit in Canada within five working days, he said. Caring about the dogs' ultimate purpose "is not in our mandate," he said. Animal-rights activists said Air Canada's decision was not a victory for them since the dogs will still end up in labs, part of a legal trade that is beyond the reach of most animal-cruelty laws because it is for medical research. But "because it's legal doesn't mean it's not wrong," said Michael O'Sullivan, executive director of the Humane Society of Canada. Johanne Tass, a spokesperson for the Companion Animal Adoption Centers of Quebec, a network of six animal shelters, said Air Canada's move was about public relations. "They got caught red-handed," she said. "They're the national carrier. They bear the flag of our country. I'm quite embarrassed that this happened." Tass, who said she is not strictly opposed to all research on animals, said Canadians need to question how animals are used for research and why. "We should be opening up the debate a little bit more." mharrold@ thegazette.canwest.com The Gazette 2007 (p.s.; on ne peut plus rayer des phrases )

FUR INDUSTRY Virus hits Newfoundland mink farms Wasting disease likely to require cull of female animals OLIVER MOORE June 20, 2007 The $70-million mink-farming industry in Newfoundland and Labrador has been left reeling by evidence of a wasting disease whose presence in other areas has prompted mass culls. The province has responded by clamping down on the import and internal shipment of live mink and has asked the industry to restrict the movement of people and equipment between farms. Aleutian disease has been found at only one farm so far, but industry heavyweight Merv Wiseman said yesterday that animals from there had gone to many of the province's two dozen mink operations. "My expectation is that most of the farms, probably more than 90 per cent, will be infected," said Mr. Wiseman, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Fur Breeders Association. He said that while some farmers elsewhere in the world have tried to carry on operations in spite of the presence of the disease, he sees no real alternative to a cull. "I should be cautious but, as an industry leader, it is the only option that makes sense," he said. The virus is specific to mink and cannot be passed to humans or other animals outside the Mustilidae family, which includes ferrets and otters. But Mr. Wiseman pointed out that it can live long enough to be carried between farms in dirt on boots. It can also be transmitted by infected equipment. Hugh Whitney, the provincial veterinarian, said the province has sent out protocols to minimize the transmission danger posed by those who can't avoid visiting farms. Among them is the recommendation to disinfect boots and tires with a product used in foot-and-mouth outbreaks. "The virus is quite persistent ... there are so many ways this virus can move," Dr. Whitney said. Government officials will be testing all mink farms in the next few weeks and deciding on a course of action only once the fuller picture has become clear. "We have the legal authority in this province to take whatever measures needed," Dr. Whitney noted. If necessary, a cull of the province's captive herd would affect approximately 60,000 female animals. They would each cost between $200 and $250 to replace, Mr. Wiseman said, quite apart from the tab for slaughter, disposal and recertification of the farms. "We're a small province. When we talk about millions of dollars it's very disheartening." The discovery is especially painful because the farmers on the island had benefited until now from their status as one of the few Aleutian-free areas in the world. That has allowed them to sell breeding stock to other areas forced to cull. "I can't state emphatically enough how important [disease-free status] is," Mr. Wiseman said. Aleutian disease is caused by a virus that is part of the Parvoviridae family. It was first described a half-century ago and is now known to strike all types of mink and not only, as first thought, those with the Aleutian coat colour gene. Infected mink can take up to a year to show symptoms but are infectious during that time. Once symptoms become obvious, according to a fact sheet published by the Ontario government, "the death of the mink is certain." That fact sheet lists symptoms including loss of appetite, decreased activity, weight loss, tarry diarrhea and a rough coat. The disease reduces the animals' ability to fight other infectious agents, causing a rise in deaths due to secondary infections, and a mink population suffering the disease has a higher rate of miscarriages and early death in young animals. All mink brought into the province are supposed to be tested for the disease and the government is trying to determine how it got to the island. According to the provincial government, the mink industry employs over 320 people, mostly in rural areas, and is valued at roughly $70-million annually. There are 24 ranches in the province. http://www.theglobeandmail.com

chères Hop et Cé, J'ai annoncé plus tôt à Cécil, la mort de Léon. Il a fait une embolie (caillot dans l'aorte) très tôt ce matin et il a été euthanasié vers 11 heures ce matin. Inutile de vous dire toute la peine que je ressens. Malgré tout, comme je l'avais prévu et comme nous sommes le 18 juin, (anniversaire de la mort de Daniel) je partirai pour Québec en fin d'après-midi pour aller déposer des fleurs sur sa tombe et celle de maman qui est juste à côté et je passerai quelques jours à Québec. C'est une bien triste journée ! Je vous embrasse toutes les deux très très fort et vous reviendrai d'ici environ une semaine. do XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Le dimanche 17 juin 2007 Le homard se fait rare Chaque matin , inlassablement , les pêcheurs tirent sur leurs lignes, remontent les cages qui y sont attachées et vérifient leur contenu. Photo Armand Trottier, La Presse Stéphanie Bérubé La Presse La pêche vit des années difficiles au Québec. Baisse des stocks, hausse des coûts de production, concurrence des produits importés. Notre journaliste Stéphanie Bérubé et notre photographe Armand Trottier sont allés en Gaspésie, à la pêche au homard. Ils ont rencontré des pêcheurs qui travaillent pour la pérennité des espèces marines. Et de leur métier. Anse-à-Beaufils, 4 h du matin. Le soleil est à peine levé, mais il fait déjà clair. Au quai, ça grouille déjà sur les petits bateaux de pêche. Pendant 10 semaines, ce village voisin de Percé vit au rythme du homard. Nous sommes à la moitié de la saison. C'est le 42e jour de pêche pour le capitaine O'Neil Cloutier et son collègue Michel Cyr. Si on part si tôt, c'est que les pêcheurs veulent rentrer au port avant que le vent se lève. Vers 9h, la journée est terminée. Les pêcheurs se rendent à l'usine vendre leurs prises. Les premiers chiffres présagent d'une saison plutôt mauvaise, d'une diminution d'environ 20% des captures de homards en Gaspésie. «Il y a les conditions climatiques, c'est sûr, mais il y a surexploitation de la ressource, dit le capitaine Cloutier. Ça fait des années qu'on le dit.» Un permis de pêche au homard, dans la région, c'est 235 cages. Aux Îles-de-la- Madeleine, les pêcheurs peuvent mettre jusqu'à 294 cages à l'eau, parce que leur territoire est plus vaste. Là aussi, le nombre de captures a diminué cette année, mais la baisse est moins considérable. La pêche au homard n'est pas un sport extrême. Chaque matin , inlassablement , les pêcheurs tirent sur leurs lignes, remontent les cages qui y sont attachées et vérifient leur contenu. Parfois, de petites baleines s'approchent des embarcations. Leurs parents restent au large, mais les pêcheurs aperçoivent leur jet au loin. «C'est un peu répétitif , concède Michel Cyr. Mais pour nous, le plaisir, c'est de remonter les cages et de voir ce qu'il y a à l'intérieur. Comme un chasseur qui va vérifier ses pièges le matin.» Une à une, on vide les cages. Le capitaine O'Neil a le premier coup d'oeil lorsqu'elles émergent de l'eau. S'il y a une énorme bête à l'intérieur, il prévient l'équipage. «The bigger is here !» lance-t-il en anglais. Les plus gros homards, au début de juin, pèsent autour de trois livres (1,4 kg). Les petits seront remis à l'eau. Il faut 82 mm entre les yeux et le début de la queue pour que la prise soit légale. Les pêcheurs ont une règle et mesurent tous les homards de taille moyenne, pour être certains que leur pêche est réglementaire. Les femelles qui ont des oeufs sont aussi graciées. Elles retournent à l'eau. Une règle d'or qui assure qu'il y aura encore de quoi pêcher dans huit ans. C'est le temps qu'il faut entre la ponte de l'oeuf et la maturité du homard. À huit ans, le homard atteint régulièrement une taille «réglementaire», son passeport pour le vivier. Seulement 1% des oeufs deviendront homards. Au début de la saison, les homards sont nombreux. Les fous de Bassan aussi. Affamés, les oiseaux plongent pour récupérer les morceaux de poisson qui ont servi d'appâts aux pêcheurs de homards. «Tu sais, ce qu'on donne aux enfants, à Noël ? Ces boules qu'on secoue et qui font comme une petite tempête de neige ? demande Michel Cyr. Les premières journées de pêche, ça ressemble à ça tellement il y a de fous, ici !» En juin, les oiseaux, repus, s'intéressent moins aux pêcheurs. Et les homards se font plus rares. Il y en a moins, semaine après semaine, mais ils sont plus gros. La pêche au homard dure 10 semaines. Cette année, elle se terminera le 28 juin. La pêche au Québec (2005) Crevette 17 000 tonnes Crabe des neiges 16 000 tonnes Hareng 5000 tonnes Homard 3000 tonnes Flétan 3000 tonnes Morue 2000 tonnes Pétoncle 1000 tonnes (Quantité pêchée au Québec, par année.) Source: Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec. http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20070617/CPACTUALITES/706170555/6730/CPACTUALITES

Man mourns death of his goat 'wife' ibnlive.com Posted Monday , May 07, 2007 at 02:14 Email Print IN HAPPIER TIMES: The wife (goat) died of swallowing a plastic bag. New Delhi: A Sudanese man who married a goat was in mourning after his wife (goat) died of swallowing a plastic bag. Charles Tombe shot to fame last year when he tied the knot with Rose, his domestic goat, said the Daily Mail. A court ordered him to marry the beast "to save her honour" after he was caught making amorous advances toward the mother-of-one in the middle of the night. Tombe and Rose are believed to have lived happily ever after until her life was cruelly cut short. The story, which became one of the world's best read tales, began in Juba, southern Sudan, in February last year when the BBC reported that the then owner of the goat, Alifi, was awoken in the night by a strange noise. Walking out of his traditional hut, he was confronted by the sight of Tombe and Rose in a passionate embrace. The Times quoted Alifi as saying, 'When I asked him "What are you doing there?" he fell off the back of the goat, so I captured and tied him up." When Tombe was brought before a council of elders he claimed he was drunk when Rose caught his eye. He was ordered to pay Alifi a "dowry" of 15,000 Sudanese dinars - about £25 - since he was considered to have used the goat "as his wife." In the same way a man is expected to marry a woman if he has sex with her in southern Sudan, Tombe was deemed to have married Rose. However, despite a happy marriage money was tight and Rose died after swallowing a plastic bag as she scavenged for food on the streets of Juba. She is said to have left a male kid - not a boy. It is not yet known whether she will be cremated or used in a local speciality of goat curry. “It shows the Sudanese have a sense of humour,” The Times reported. With excerpts from The Dail Mail http://www.ibnlive.com/news/man-mourns-death-of-his-goat-wife/39877-13.html

USA: Montana Spring 2007 Yellowstone Bison Slaughter All the buffalo shown on the photos, including the newborn babies, were sentenced to slaughter on Tuesday, May 29 by the Montana Board of Livestock. VOIR LES PHOTOS DES BISONS ET DE LEURS BÉBÉS AVANT LEUR ABATTAGE ... 300 ONT ÉTÉ TUÉS http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/photos/bisonphotos0607maycalves.html ---------------------- Montana Delays Slaughter of 300 Bison Amid Uproar May 31, 2007 — By Laura Zuckerman, Reuters SALMON, Idaho -- Public outrage prompted a temporary stay of execution Wednesday for 300 bison, including an estimated 100 calves, roaming in Montana outside the confines of Yellowstone National Park. The Montana Board of Livestock on Tuesday announced plans to capture and kill the bison, or buffalo, in the wake of news earlier this month that seven Montana cows had tested positive for brucellosis, a disease that can cause stillbirths in cows and infects some of the Yellowstone bison herd. Bison advocates, including the Buffalo Field Campaign, launched an opposition campaign that caused an e-mail and telephone backlog at the state and federal agencies that manage Yellowstone's 3,900 bison. "We've been getting the calls," said Christian Mackay, executive officer with the Montana Department of Livestock. But "capture and hauling to slaughter is by no means off the table." The department said it would delay plans to round up and kill the bison until early next week. The proposal comes as the tourist season is under way at Yellowstone, where bison draw hundreds of thousands of admirers. Under a controversial state-federal agreement, bison that leave the protection of Yellowstone are subject to hazing and to slaughter. The department had recently tried to encourage the wayward buffalo to return to the park. While officials have yet to pinpoint the source of the brucellosis infection in the seven cows, and there is no documented case of brucellosis transmission from bison to cows in the wild, Montana's influential cattle industry is calling for a forced thinning of Yellowstone bison. Cattle producers say the herd is an imminent threat to Montana's brucellosis-free status, which allows ranchers to ship cows across state lines without testing. The state has a $1 billion livestock industry. Animal activists say a historic prejudice against the buffalo, which were hunted and killed to near extinction by the late 19th century, continues to threaten the nation's last wild herd of purebred bison. Plans to forcibly thin the Yellowstone herd comes even as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed allowing hunters to kill more than half the bison in the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming -- reducing the herd from 1,100 to 500 animals -- because of overgrazing, concerns about brucellosis and federal budget cuts. Source: Reuters Contact Info: Website : http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12872