Vegan News 5.14.13

What future do Scotland’s white-tailed eagles face? “Britain’s biggest bird of prey was nearly knocked out of our skies for good almost a century ago. The sight of the white-tailed eagle’s impressive two-metre wingspan in our skies was eventually saved by a reintroduction scheme in Scotland. But, even as its recovery is being hailed as a conservation success, the mighty bird may be under threat once again. The population remains small, vulnerable and limited to just one area of the country. Will the eagles ever spread their giant wings beyond Scotland?”

Shipping chemical ‘unsafe for birds.‘ “Wildlife charities are calling for tighter regulations to protect seabirds from a group of chemicals that caused hundreds of seabirds to be washed up off the south coast of England. The number of seabirds affected by the recent spill of polyisobutene (PIB) has now reached 4,000, said the RSPB. The sticky chemical is used as a lubricant in ships’ engines. It is also moved in large quantities, as it is used to make chewing gum, adhesive tape and sealants. The organisations are appealing to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to ‘reclassify’ the chemical. The RSPB said in a statement: ‘The risk of PIB is seriously underestimated.'”

SD Wildlife Officers Kill Four Lions In Black Hills. “State wildlife officers killed three mountain lions that had confronted dogs, strolled through yards and killed deer on city streets in the southwestern South Dakota community of Keystone. Game, Fish and Parks officers killed an adult female lion and two 40-pound kittens on May 5 and May 6. Regional wildlife manager John Kanta says Keystone is in the middle of lion habitat, and officials gave the lion a chance to move its kittens out of the city. But he says the mother lion didn’t cooperate.”

The Hot New Vegan Ingredient Is Jackfruit. “Is jackfruit the new soy? The starchy, fibrous fruit is popping up in vegetarian and vegan dishes, serving as the meat substitute du jour for some of the more creative chefs, restaurants—even food trucks.”

Putting Abusers Before Animals Is Business as Usual at the HSUS. “A pending bill before the Michigan state legislature would require people convicted of these types of crimes to register with the state. The Animal Abuse registry would then be available to shelters, rescue groups, pet stores, breeders, and the public. Recently, one of the sponsors approached HSUS’ Michigan lobbyist to ask for their support and HSUS refused. And in a blog post, HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle argued against such registries. According to Pacelle, we have to look at it from the abusers’ point of view and ‘strike the right balance between punishment and rehabilitation.’ And finally, he asks, ‘When someone is convicted and punished for cruelty … does shunning or shaming them forever do any good for any animals?’ Animal abuse registries are not about ‘shaming’ or ‘shunning’ abusers, they are about protecting animals from future abuse.”

Photo credit: DesignPeopleMe via Flickr