By Frank James

People who love to fish the waters of the Great Lakes for salmon, trout and sturgeon have reason to worry today.

Federal officials are reporting that the Asian carp may have gotten past a electric barrier meant to prevent the invasive species from entering the Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes where they could threaten the existence of the multi-billion dollar sports fishing business.

According to the Associated Press:

Officials with the Army Corps of Engineer say Friday that DNA of the giant carp have been found north of the barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

If correct, that would mean the carp might reach Lake Michigan if they get through a navigational lock. From there, they could spread throughout the Great Lakes and out-compete native species for food

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The Fish and Wildlife Service provides useful background on the Asian carp. For instance, there are several species of these fish -- the Bighead, Black, Grass and Silver carps.

These fish can get huge. The Black and Grass carps can grow to more than four feet and weigh in at more than 100 pounds.

Continue reading "Asian Carp, Invasive Species, Swims Nearer Lake Michigan" >

By Mark Memmott

"Charges Against Man Who Shot Four Bears Dismissed."

That's quite a headline. Makes you want to read on (though those who object to hunting may disagree, of course).

The story, which is getting prominent play on the website of the Anchorage Daily News is this:

Continue reading "Alaska's 'Yukon Don' Won't Face Charges For Killing Four Bears" >

By Frank James

Visitors to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. got a little more verisimilitude than they bargained for Sunday when a deer leaped into the lions' enclosure and found itself fighting for its life, just like an impala or a wildebeest encountering lionesses on the African savanna.

According to the Washington Post:

Zoo spokeswoman Pamela Baker-Masson described the incident as highly unusual. It began about 2:50 p.m. as visitors lined the perimeter wall of an enclosure that contained two female lions, and it involved a deer that may have entered from Rock Creek Park.

"Everyone was cheering, 'Go, go, go' " to encourage the deer to reach safety, witness Josh Shpayher said. "Everyone was rooting for the deer."

As recounted by witnesses, the deer, over as much as 20 minutes, was in and out of a moat while the lions clutched, clawed or swatted it. A crowd of spectators grew. Some shrieked, cried out or took children away...

... Zoo personnel sent visitors away and got the lions indoors. With the enclosure empty, the deer left the moat on its own. It was anesthetized and taken for evaluation by specialists.

They found it "pretty evident" that the deer "would not survive," and it was euthanized, Baker-Masson said.

By Frank James

You've heard about Predator drones that have been used with great effect in Pakistan and elsewhere to kill terrorists. How about real predators, like big pawed, furry ones with bad attitudes?

From the BBC.com:

A bear killed two militants after discovering them in its den in Indian-administered Kashmir, police say.

Two other militants escaped, one of them badly wounded, after the attack in Kulgam district, south of Srinagar.

The militants had assault rifles but were taken by surprise - police found the remains of pudding they had made to eat when the bear attacked.

It is thought to be the first such incident since Muslim separatists took up arms against Indian rule in 1989.

The militants had made their hideout in a cave which was actually the bear's den, said police officer Farooq Ahmed.

The dead have been identified as Mohammad Amin alias Qaiser, and Bashir Ahmed alias Saifullah.

News of the attack emerged when their injured comrade went to a nearby village for treatment.

"Word spread in the village that Qaiser had been killed by the bear," another police officer said.

A joint party of the police and army personnel went into the forest and collected the bodies of the two militants.

Police say they also recovered two Kalashnikov assault rifles and some ammunition from the hideout.

By Frank James

It's a furry little tale that's getting some worldwide attention. Stockholm authorities are reportedly shooting wild rabbits in the city's parks, freezing them, then sending them to an energy plant where their carcasses are burned to help heat the residents of Varmland.

From the website of The Local which is billed as "Sweden's News In English."

...Animal control authorities employ a special rifle to shoot the excess rabbits, with most of the culling taking place at dawn when the animals peek out from their holes.

The city usually steps up its rabbit hunting efforts in the autumn as leaves begin to fall from bushes and trees, making it easier to see the rabbits...

... Last year marked a new record for Stockholm's rabbit cull, with nearly 6,000 rabbits, mostly from Kungsholmen, being removed from Stockholm's parks.

But rather than simply disposing of the dead rabbits, the city instead froze them for eventual transport to a special heating plant in Karlskoga in central Sweden, where the bunny bodies are then burned as a form of bioenergy.

Continue reading "Swedes Burn Rabbit Carcasses To Heat Homes" >

By Frank James

Do people who go to the International House of Pancakes really care how the chickens who provide all the eggs for all those breakfast meals are kept?

The Humane Society of the U.S. is certainly hoping enough do, which is why the animal welfare organization is raising the volume of its campaign against the restaurant chain. On Wednesday it filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission accusing the chain and its parent company, DineEquity Inc., of making "false and misleading statements" concerning the conditions in which the chickens who produce the eggs that supply the chain are kept.

The society alleges that contrary to statements the companies make on their websites about the cruelty-free conditions in which the chickens are maintained, in reality the fowl are kept in extremely small "battery cages" that don't permit them much movement.

An excerpt from the Humane Society's press release:

"The only thing more jarring than IHOP's false statements is the amount of animal cruelty in its supply chain," stated Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "It's time for IHOP to follow the lead of its competitors and start purchasing and selling cage-free eggs."

Continue reading "Humane Society Boosts Pressure On IHOP On Chickens " >