animals

Animal testing for the government

Cyprus Mail reports that the government is to tackle animal welfare. I wonder if that qualifies as animal testing. Once the government figures out animal welfare, will they finally address human welfare?

Shadow creatures

Hypocrisy of animal lovers over a dead giraffe

OK, so by now I think everyone and their mother have heard of a giraffe that has been killed in the zoo. Then it was chopped into pieces, which were used for feeding other zoo animals and, partially, sent off to research centers. Now Cyprus Mail reports that there were death threats to the zoo staff.

COPENHAGEN Zoo’s scientific director and other staff have received death threats after a healthy giraffe was killed to avoid inbreeding among the long-necked beasts there, the zoo said on Monday.

Oh, the hypocrisy of this!

Let me try to get this straight:

First of all, we are talking about the an animal that was living in the FREAKING ZOO!!! Oh, is that OK with you? Fine.
Parts of the giraffe were fed to OTHER ANIMALS. And that’s quite a natural for many of them to survive.
It was a public autopsy. Why? Why? The kids are watching!!! Yeah, right. If you don’t want your kids to see – simply walk away. Just remember, that not everybody is like you. And sometimes, to learn more about animals – you need to kill them, open them up and study. Not only animals, by the way – we do the same to birds, fish, and even people.
There are countless cases of animal cruelty, abuse, and accidents in the world. On a larger scale. Many times on industrial scale (are you a vegetarian already?). And yet – this giraffe is special. Right… Go adopt a stray dog or something.
And last, but not least, seriously? Death threats to your own freaking species? Over a justified (arguably, somewhat) kill of a single animal of totally other species? I don’t get it.

I’m all for animal loving and preservation of species. But this giraffe has nothing to do with it. Let animals leave in their own kingdom, rather than be a toy and public spectacle. Let them practice their natural selection. Oh, and watch them once in a while to see how beautiful and elegant they are. Just make sure you are at a distance and you have a loaded gun. Or it will be about your natural selection. Cause animals eat other animals (including humans). And nature is quite a cruel lady.

Aye-aye

From the “22 Strange Animals You Probably Didn’t Know Exist” post.

This is dog crap!

Cyprus Mail reports:

DOG owners who walk their pets but don’t clean up after it is an increasing problem within the Nicosia municipality, which has launched an awareness campaign on the issue.

The campaign is titled: ‘Behind each dog we are looking for a responsible citizen not an uncaring owner’.

As part of the effort, municipal workers are visiting parks handing out flyers and plastic bags to people walking their dog.

And this made me so happy I’m not a dog owner:

Not cleaning after a dog can lead to a fine of €1,700 and/or up to 12 months in jail.

On a serious note, they are right of course. I don’t know how bad it is in Nicosia, but I’ve seen plenty of dog owners in Limassol that just walk away from the steaming pile of crap their dog just left in the middle of the street.