Vegan News 6.28.13

Memorial service to be held for slain Oregon bees in Target parking lot. “While massive bee die-offs are troubling no matter where they take place, I suppose that the over 50,000 victims — including 25,000 bumblebees along with honeybees and ladybugs — of last week’s grisly api-cide in a Target parking lot were lucky to have perished, during National Pollinator week no less, in the vicinity of Portland, Ore., a town that cares about all of Earth’s creatures; a town the fosters bio-diversity atop big box stores; a town that is willing to hold memorial services for slain insects.”

269Life Israeli animal rights activists branded for animals. “Members of an animal rights group called 269Life are volunteering to be branded in the flesh with hot iron as a way of showing solidarity for farm animals around the world. AP reports that 11 people were branded in the Czech capital Prague on Wednesday. A group of 11 activists participated in a public branding event that took place in central Prage. The group, which included four women, branded themselves with hot iron on various parts of the body. Wearing only black trunks and chains around their necks, the participants sat behind a barbed wire enclosure while awaiting their turn to be branded before a small crowd.”

Animal Cruelty Charges For Man Accused Of Trying To Behead Dog. “Felony charges for animal cruelty are rare, but charges have been filed against a Twin Cities man who police say tried to cut a dog’s head off with a machete. Jack, an 11-pound miniature pinscher, survived the initial attack, but had to be euthanized after a desperate effort to save his life. George Nichols is charged with one felony count of animal torture and one of animal cruelty. He could face up to three years in prison.”

Animal Sex: How Ants Do It. “Ants are social insects belonging to the order Hymenoptera, which also includes wasps and bees. And though people typically don’t think of ants as flying insects, ant sex is often a crowded, aerial event not so different from the mating flights of honeybees.”

Photo credit: EagerEyes via Flickr