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Animal Defender USA, ADI's magazine in the United States.
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Anim lDefenDer
Summer 2010
Plus: Stop Circus Suffering � Laboratory monkey rescueResearch without animals � Free Tilly campaign
NASA radiation experiments on monkeys � Fur farms exposed
Touchdown!Touchdown!BolivianBolivian
circus lionscircus lionsarrive in thearrive in the
U.S.A.U.S.A.
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Editorial
2 The Animal Defender l Summer 2010 ADI
Welcome to the Summer 2010
edition of ADI’s ‘Animal Defender’
magazine. In this issue, we report
on the rescue of the first animals
from a Bolivian circus, following
their ban on animals in traveling
circuses, which came into effect this
summer. The lions and a baboon
from Circo Abuhabda were handed
over to ADI last year and it took nine
months of negotiations to get them
out of the country – but at last, this
summer they are finally free.
The lions – Bambek, Dactari, Simba
and Camba, will live out their lives in the paradise that is the Performing Animal
Welfare Society sanctuary in California. Here we have funded construction of a
state of the art enclosure for the lions and we will support these animals for the
rest of their lives. The Hamadryas baboon, Tilin, was not allowed into the U.S.,
and so will be taken to the Lakeview Primate Sanctuary near London in the UK
where, for the first time in his life, he will eventually live with other baboons. Our
treasured champion of the defenceless, Bob Barker, made all of this possible.
It’s very exciting times for our campaigns for animal protection, as ADI expands
into a new office in Los Angeles and prepares for the big push in our campaign
on the use of animals in traveling circuses.
You will see our latest campaigns to end animal experiments, including a report
on the latest developments in the European Parliament, and how these issues need
to be addressed in the U.S. An added dimension to this campaign has been the
announcement of radiation experiments on primates by NASA – desperately trying
to catch up with redundant science in Russia. Our campaign has already
attracted opposition to the experiments from astronauts, a NASA engineer and the
European Space Agency.
Also inside, is a report on our investigation of fur farming in Finland, the world’s
largest producer of fox fur. We explain in this campaign how the suffering and
deprivation found on Finnish fur farms is common to the worldwide fur farming
industry.
The animal protection movement has grown and evolved over the past thirty years,
and there is certainly a sense that we are standing at the dawn of a new age.
Success is inevitable, as the human race continues along the current path of
broader understanding and a sense of responsibility for those who
share our planet. Our campaigns are stronger than ever, well
researched, well argued, and fit for our times.
These are exciting times to be campaigning for animals.
Jan Creamer, President.
ANIMAL DEFENDERISSN: 2041-3653
published by Animal Defenders International, Inc.
U.S.A: 6100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1150,LoS AngeLeS, CA 90048, U.S.A.Tel: (323) 935 2234Fax: (323) 935 9234e-mail: [email protected]: www.adiusa.org
UK: Millbank Tower, Millbank, LonDon, SW1P 4QP, U.K.Tel: +44 (0)20 7630 3340Fax: +44 (0)20 7828 2179e-mail: [email protected]: www.ad-international.org
South America: Apartado Postal 359888BogoTÁ, Colombia.e-mail: [email protected]: www.ad-international.org
editors: Creamer/PhillipsDesign: Creamer/Phillips/ElsonCartoons: Paul TaylorContributors: Jan Creamer; Tim Phillips; HelderConstantino; Alexandra Cardenas; Christina Dodkin;Jessamy Korotoga; Lisa Mitchinson; Juan PabloOlmos; Thomas England.
©2010 ADI. All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced for commercial purposes by any meanswhatsoever without the written permission of ADI.
ANIMAL DEFENDERS INTERNATIONAL: MISSIONFounded 1990. To educate, create awareness, andpromote the interest of humanity in the cause of justice, and the suppression of all forms of cruelty to animals;wherever possible, to alleviate suffering, and to conserveand protect animals and their environment.
If you knew animals
were being abused,
could you rest in peace?
Sadly, throughout theirlives, the last thing manyanimals experience ispeace. Toto thechimpanzee, for example,was imprisoned in a circus
for 25 years and forced to performtricks and smoke cigarettes for people’sentertainment. He was one of the luckyones because he was rescued byAnimal Defenders International andreturned home to Africa where he nowlives with his own kind.
Please help us to help other animalslike Toto to live in peace by making abequest to Animal DefendersInternational. Thank you.
Animal Defenders International, Inc.,
6100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1150, Los Angeles, CA 90048
email: [email protected]: 001 415 543 2344
www.adiusa.org
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As the aircraft touched down, the level ofexcitement hit fever pitch: after months ofnegotiations, the four lions had finallymade it: Camba, Simba, Bambek andDactari were going to a new home. It hadbeen a hard, hard week with challengesevery step of the way.
It had been our most ambitious andcomplicated rescue mission ever, but itwas the culmination of five years ofinvestigative and campaign work, leadingup this amazing moment. Our field officershad infiltrated Bolivian circuses and caughtthe brutality on camera; the campaign waslaunched and Bolivia gave us the world’sfirst national ban on all animals in circuses.Now we had rescued the first animals fromBolivia's circuses and brought them tofreedom.
Actress and campaigner Jorja Fox and theADI team had barely slept for days andwould not sleep this night. But as theaircraft rumbled to a halt and the cargodoors opened to reveal the precious cargoof lion crates, it was all worth it. Here waseverything we fight for, representing theundercover investigations, the campaigning
and lobbying to secure new laws,overcoming the logistical difficulties, andgiving animals a new life.
When the lions were on the tarmac and thecrates opened they began to roar – firstBambek and then everyone. This timethey were roaring freedom.
Handed over
In the last issue of Animal Defender wereported on the campaign for the ban onanimal circuses in Bolivia and the five lionsand a baboon being handed to ADI as thefirst Bolivian circus went animal-free.
As we go to print, preparations are beingmade to relocate Tilin the baboon to theLakeview Primate Sanctuary in the UK –but for the lions, the road from Bolivia toCalifornia was quite a journey.
Late at night in San FranciscoAirport, with two transporttrucks waiting nearby, film andcamera crews at the ready, ADIAmbassador Jorja Fox and theADI Rescue Team on hand withsupplies of water, one of therunways at SFo was about toplay host to a contingent oflions flying in from Bolivia.
welcome to paradise:Bolivian Circus Rescue
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Above: CSI actressand ADI AmbassadorJorja Fox, with ADIvet Mel Richardson,gives the lions a drinkof water on arrival atSan Franciscoairport.
Below: Sitting prettythe following day inthe ADI enclosure atthe PAWS ARK2000Sanctuary.
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We took charge ofthe animals inCochabamba, a fairlyremote city in Bolivia,where the authoritiesrequested we keepthe lions until they
could be permanently relocated. Thismeant building a temporary quarantinefacility and involved protracted negotiationswith various levels of local and nationalgovernment. In both logistical and politicalterms, this was a difficult location.
The animals came into our hands, skinny,with shaggy hair, malnourished from a poordiet. Our first task was nutrition, healthtests and the animals were treated forinternal parasites. In fact, since arriving inthe US one of the lions was found to besuffering from a shellfish parasite, veryunusual, and something not killed by thenormal anti-parasite treatments, howeverhe is now recovering well.
The lions were put on a high-quality foodregime, with nutritional supplements.
The local veterinary surgeoncoordinated and monitored on
the ground, under thedirection of veterinary
surgeon Dr MelRichardson.
Initially, theanimals all
remainedin theirbeastwagon
Bolivian Circus Rescue
4 ADI
A whisker away fromfreedom: Maiza passes awayAs the long negotiations to get the Bolivian export permits werereaching their conclusion, the team in Cochabamba reported thatMaiza, the oldest lioness of the group and believed to be themother of our Bolivian Pride, had fallen ill.
The animal carers noticed a sudden drop in Maiza’s condition, sothe local veterinary surgeon, Nathalie Quintin, was called in toattend her. Video and photographs were quickly sent to Dr. MelRichardson in the US, while arrangements were made for DrFernandez of La Paz Zoo to fly immediately to Cochabamba toexamine Maiza and discuss his findings with Dr Richardson andDr Quintin. Various drugs were given to alleviate the symptomsand fight infection, pending further tests and examination.
The veterinary surgeons agreed that further investigation withspecialised equipment was necessary, and arrangements weremade for Dr Fernandez to bring the equipment to Cochabambaand for Dr Richardson and Dr Quintin to join him there. Sadly, theresults of the tests and the examination were not good news forMaiza, and the three veterinary surgeons agreed that the mosthumane course of action would be to put Maiza out of hersuffering.
Maiza’s death so close to her relocation was heartbreaking. We had pushed so hard toget her to freedom. However, our veterinary team advised that a peritonitis such asthis can arise so suddenly and with such severity, that they could not be sure that itwould not have happened anyway. Clearly, her advanced age had not helped.
Our veterinary teams are often faced with animals whose health and background isvague or unknown. Circus animals frequently endure years without proper nutritionand as a result, have poor immunity. Severe confinement and lack of exercise, poormuscle and intestinal condition, and physical abuse, all contribute to making ex-circusanimals vulnerable to sickness. For example it was only whenTarzan the tiger from the Portuguese circus arrived at therescue center in SouthAfrica, we discovered hewas considerably olderthan claimed. The sadfact is, that we arerescuing animals whoselives have not beenconducive to good health.
It is a comfort to know thatpoor Maiza was treated withlove and respect at the end ofher days, and when her timecame, it was carried out withkindness.
However, this tragedy pushed usto work even harder, to ensurethe rest of her family got to theparadise that is the PAWSsanctuary in California.
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senior Technical Engineer from Boeingadvised the ADI US team which of theiraircraft could take the crates, supplyingdiagrams and specifications for us toreview as we assessed flight options.
The ‘other airport’ option was not good. Itwould take about 18-24 hours to drive thelions through the mountains; there waspotential for rockslides and strikeprotestors were blocking many roads. Newpermits to leave Bolivia would need to beissued; these had already taken months toobtain.
In San Francisco, there was a differentheadache. President Obama was comingto town. San Francisco Airport – whoproved to be the most helpful and co-operative airport we have ever worked with– understandably did not want a bunch oflions being disembarked at the same timeas the President!
Dr Mel Richardson, flew down towork with the ADI Bolivia team inCochabamba.
Vice President Tim Phillips travelled fromLos Angeles with the US team to overseeoperations in San Francisco. CSI actressand ADI Ambassador Jorja Fox, who hadwritten personally to Bolivia’s PresidentMorales when the ban was passed, joinedthe ADI Rescue Team.
Daily video diaries kept everyone updatedwith events; these were put on our rescueblog, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.Jorja Fox provided video updates of thestatus of the US preparations. The diary isnow available on DVD and online.
In Bolivia, the team hit the ground running.The animals were checked by Dr Mel andgiven the all clear to fly, travel crates wereconstructed and tested; it was all systemsgo, for loading on the Sunday and a flightto San Francisco viaMedellin, Colombia.
Then on the Fridayafternoon, the technicalstaff at Cochabambaairport reported that theywere not able to lift thelions onto the aircraft,and it would take over aweek to get otherequipment. We wentinto the weekend utterlydejected.
A feverish searchensued, for alternativeaircraft, or airports. A
ADI
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(their cage on a truck), in which they hadlived all their lives, while permissions wereobtained and the temporary facility built.This had to be made into a quarantine unitto satisfy the local health authorities.Unfortunately due to threats from locals,including local “animal lovers” who threwstones at the animals, a perimeter fencehad to be erected and security guardsemployed.
Meanwhile, several thousand miles awayat the Performing Animal Welfare Societysanctuary in California, work began onconstruction of a state of the art ADI-funded habitat – a home for life.
The logistical and bureaucratic difficultiesmounted – delays in getting permits, whichhad to be re-issued several times; airlinestrikes prevented vital documents gettingto their destination on time; delays inpersonnel reaching the animals; a volcaniceruption closing down airspace around theworld; strikes and riots across Bolivia, withmountain roads blocked. Then during thefinal few days, technical difficulties at thelocal airport meant that the animals couldnot be loaded into the aircraft; after severaldays another aircraft was found, but thatdeveloped a hydraulics failure.
The journey begins
As the rescue unfolded, we deployed twoteams to ensure everything went smoothly,a rescue team in Bolivia and a receptionteam in San Francisco.
ADI President Jan Creamer, SupporterRelations Director Lisa Mitchinson and vet
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Top Row: Simba andBambek in the ADIquarantine facility inBolivia; ADI’s Dr MelRichardson and JanCreamer appear liveon Bolivian TV; Onelast look around andthen into the travelcrate; Travel cratesare closed ready tobe loaded ontotrucks; ADI’s TeamBolivia outside ourquarantine facility.
Bottom Row: Maiza;Jorja, Damion andTim working on therescue video diariesin San Francisco; ourlion convoy en routeto Cochabambaairport; the first lion isloaded atCochabamba airport.
Below: Jorja Fox withCamba at SanFrancisco Airport.
On day six, the team in Bolivia secured anew flight with Bolivia’s TAB airlines fromCochabamba via Panama, to arrive on theThursday, two days after the President.The excellent team at SFO thengenerously allowed the lions to use thesame unloading spot as Air Force One!
With less than 12 hours to go andeverything for the move in place, we werenotified that our aircraft had suffered ahydraulic failure and had been turned back.After several heart-stopping hours areplacement was secured, although thesix-hour delay would push our SFO arrivalinto the night. It was all systems go.
It was always important that this rescuepublicized the suffering of animals intraveling circuses in the U.S andworldwide. By now the operation wasattracting massive media attention in SouthAmerica, with regular Bolivian TV updates .
Take Off
In the early hours of the morning, the lionswere loaded into their individual travelcrates. Camba first, followed by the threebrothers. They were then lifted by crane
Touchdown
9pm at San Francisco Airport, the gantrythat had been set up for the President wasbristling with TV cameras andphotographers and Jorja and Tim werebriefing the media. It was a magicalmoment for the team waiting as theywatched the aircraft approach.
Finally, the aircraft rumbled into place andthe huge cargo door opened: the hatchopened, the ADI team waved and therewere the lions in their crates. They hadfinally arrived safely on U.S. soil.
Each crate was gently lowered from theaircraft and opened up so that they couldbe checked and watered. Bambek beganbellowing to announce his arrival, andeveryone else joined in. Jorja gave eachof them a good drink of water, the crateswere closed and loaded onto the trucks totake them to PAWS and we drove into thenight.
The extended convoy all finally arrived at4am at the PAWS ARK2000 sanctuary.The sun rose over Calaveras County aswe unloaded the animals, with PAWSDirector Ed Stewart skilfully organizing
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onto trucks. The Cochabamba police werewonderful, closing roads and providing theconvoy with an escort all the way to theairport.
Camba was nervous and was shifting inher crate but settled when she heardBambek, Dactari and Simba calling outtheir locations. After a long wait on thetarmac, before being loaded, all of the lionstalked to each other, first one, thenanother, until finally all four joined in themorning roaring – farewell Bolivia.
This was a cargo aircraft so the team hadaccess to the animals throughout the flight,giving them their first drink of water at35,000 feet, heading north. Periodicallythe lions would call to each other, checkingeach other’s location, and the settle downfor a few hours. Members of the crew,unused to flying in an aircraft with fourlions roaring around the empty cabin,anxiously checked back each time to bereassured that the lions were definitely stillin their crates! During refuelling inPanama the San Francisco team got newsthat everything was going well and cellphone pictures of the journey poured in.
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Above: Somewhere35,000 feet overCentral America, Meland Jan check thelions; The lions areunloaded in SanFrancisco and Jandirects the forklift intoposition; The ADIteam heaves thecrates into position atPAWS
Below: The lions areunloaded at SanFrancisco Airport andeveryone is well!
everyone to move the crates into place,and moving the lions into their night dens.
As the morning light shone through thetrees surrounding their new home, Camba,Dactari, Bambek and Simba were thenreleased into the two night enclosures.They ran around, playing with the shrubsand logs, Camba chasing along the fenceas the three brothers chased each other insheer joy at their freedom – more spacethan they have ever had in their lives. Itwas 6am and although the release intotheir main enclosure would be later in theday, it was utterly exhilarating. A familyunited and at play.
This is freedom
The PAWS Ark2000, sanctuary is one ofthe finest wild animal sanctuaries in theworld and specializes in animals rescuedfrom circuses. Camba, Simba, Bambekand Dactari could not have come to abetter place. A year earlier they had beenin a stinking cage on the back of a truck,now they are in paradise.
Following a brief press conference, Jorjatugged open the doors to the largerdaytime enclosures (Camba is separatedfrom the males until they can all beneutered). Camba appeared to be thesmartest, heading out down the hillsideand into the bush first, while the threebrothers watched her, baffled as to howshe had got into the outer enclosure.Eventually, they worked it out, with a littlehelp from Ed Stewart and Pat Derby ofPAWS!
It was the first time they had walked ongrass. It was the first time they had lookedup into the sky overhead, with no solidceiling or bars; the first time they had runmore than a few steps; and the first timethey could play together properly, in anatural environment. They charged up anddown the hillside, Camba runningalongside them. They stalked each otherthrough the undergrowth, playfully leapingout from behind bushes. Eventually they
wore themselves out and settled down inthe sunshine together.
Today their coats are lush and glossy; theyhave the space to run and play; they canbuild muscle so that they can walkproperly; they have specialized care and ahealthy diet; and they live in a natural andsafe environment. These four lucky lionshave been on the journey of their lives –one which has taken them from a smallcage on the back of a truck, being forced
7The Animal Defender l Summer 2010ADI
Tilin’s TaleTilin is a magnificent Hamadryasbaboon handed over to ADI by CircoAbuhabda, along with the lions,following the Bolivian circus ban.Tilin had been filmed with the circusby our undercover field officers fiveyears earlier. He lived in a cage on atruck and was chained by the neck.It was a special day during the relocation of theBolivian lions when Dr Mel Richardson sedatedTilin and cut the chain from his neck.
As we go to press we are preparing to move himto Lakeview monkey sanctuary in the UK, whereour rescued laboratory monkeys are housed. ADIhas funded new facilities for Tilin at Lakeviewwhere he will initially be kept for six months inquarantine; however this quarantine has moreindoor and outdoor space than he has everknown. After quarantine, he will move into a newenclosure designed for baboons, and it is hoped toeventually give him some baboon companions.ADI will therefore be looking for other Hamadryasbaboons to join Tilin.
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Above: Jorja and Janwith PAWS founderPet Derby – allsmiles – the lions arefree! Camba isdelighted to see theboys in the nextenclosure; the boysplay after beingreleased from theirtravel crates.
Main picture: Tilinthe baboon will be onhis way to a UKsanctuary soon.
Above: Constructionof Tilin’s quarantineunit – everyone fromthe ADI London officehas lent a hand withthe building work.
to perform demeaning tricks, to anexpansive natural enclosure surrounded bystunning hillsides.
Each morning they roar together and itechoes across the valley. Ed says one oftheir neighbours said how much they enjoyhearing their morning song.
Help support Tilin the baboon, and Camba,Bambek, Dactari and Simba
ADI funded this entire operation, with thekind and generous support of ADIAmbassador Bob Barker; this includedconstruction of the quarantine units inBolivia, veterinary care, food, legal fees in
preparation for travel; crates, ground andair transport; construction of the facilities atPAWS. We have made the commitment tofund the care of these animals for the restof their lives, including staff, feeding andveterinary care.
It was necessary to move Tilin the baboonto a secure location in Bolivia, and wecontinue to care for him in his quarantineunit. We are funding Tilin’s relocation tothe Lakeview Primate Sanctuary in the UK,where a new quarantine unit andpermanent enclosure are being preparedfor him. Tilin will be in the presence of
other primates and eventually, for the firsttime in his adult life, he will have thecompany of other baboons. We will befunding Tilin’s care for the rest of his life.
There will be ongoing costs for theseanimals for many years, so we urgentlyneed the help of supporters to adoptTilin, Camba, Bambek, Dactari andSimba; a regular donation will help themfor years to come. See the form enclosedwith this magazine. Adopters receive acertificate, DVD, regular updates on theanimals in our newsletters and otheroffers. PLeASe geT In ToUCh ToDAy.
8 The Animal Defender l Summer 2010 ADI
Bob Barker: a true Animal DefenderThis rescue mission was made possible thanks to the incredible generosity of televisionpersonality and ADI Ambassador Bob Barker, whose support for the campaigns andinvestigations are making a difference all over the world.
Having supported the campaign for the ban on animal circuses, the support from theformer ‘Price is Right’ star enabled ADI to undertake this important rescue. This includedthe negotiations to get the animals out of Bolivia; construction of quarantine facilities;veterinary and animal care; ground and air transport; building the state of the art ADI lionenclosure at PAWS.
This was a rescue that was in the spotlight because we had secured the ban on animalcircuses in Bolivia. The support of Bob Barker helped us show governments that circusanimal bans can be effectively implemented: we are immeasurably grateful.
During the rescue Bob Barker said, “I am delighted to have helped ADI give these animalsa wonderful new life after they have endured so much misery. Circuses are no place foranimals, and lions and tigers should not be forced to live in small cages on the backs oftrucks, or elephants forced to live in chains in the name of entertainment. Circuses withanimals are cruel and archaic. I commend the Bolivian Government for taking thisprogressive step and hope that other South American countries, and indeed the USA, willfollow suit. Next week these animals will start a new life in California and a new era willbegin in Bolivia, one without circus suffering.”
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This is the life! Thelion’s enjoying thiernew home.
Decisions by nASA and the Russian spaceagency to perform experiments on monkeys aspart of plans for manned missions to Marshave brought a global response from ADI.Consequently, several high profile voices fromthe industry have now been raised against thecruel experiments.
� Umberto guidoni, former eSA and nASAastronaut and member of the europeanParliament, has condemned the tests.
� The european Space Agency (eSA) hastold ADI that it considers monkey testsunnecessary.
� April evans, an awarded nASA aerospaceengineer, has resigned from her role on theInternational Space Station (ISS) programas a result of nASA’s primate irradiationexperiments. Read her exclusive interviewin this issue and watch our new videoonline.
� Celebrated Russian cosmonaut and worldrecord holder for time spent in space,Valentin Lebedev, has added his voice inprotest.
� even President Barack obama hasstressed the need for nASA to focus ondeveloping appropriate shielding.
So why on earth are nASA and the Russianspressing on with these experiments? See how can yoU help stop them.
In the last issue, we exposed the NASA(National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration) plans for radiationexperiments on thirty squirrel monkeys.The monkeys will endure a massive doseof radiation and then, kept alone, theirability to perform tasks will be studied forthree years – at a cost of $1.75 million toUS taxpayers. Yet the test is scientificallyflawed.
Squirrel monkeys were chosen becauseof their large brains. Their high intelligence means they will certainlycomprehend their torment as, sick with radiation poisoning, they arestrapped into restraint chairs and made to perform tasks. However,the results cannot be extrapolated to humans with any degree ofconfidence, due to problems with the experimental design, as well asspecies differences.
There is already an enormous amount of human data available on theeffects of radiation: fallout from atomic bombs; nuclear power; X-rays;radiotherapy. There may be differences in the radiation sources, butthese remain a more viable source of data from which to extrapolateto humans, rather than another species. As one science paper notedrecently, “Some animal studies suggest radiation increases longevity”but that “there is virtually no support for a life expanding hypothesis forA-bomb survivors and other exposed subjects”.
The experimental design is also fundamentally flawed. The objectiveis to examine the impact of three years of cumulative radiationexposure during a return mission to Mars. Yet the monkeys willreceive one massive dose.
After exposure to the radiation the monkeys will be individually cagedfor 3 to 4 years, during which time they will be periodically restrainedand forced to perform tasks to test incapacitation of their cognitiveskills. The social isolation of these animals will cause immensesuffering, which will in turn, further distort the data obtained.
NASA has not yet developed the shielding technologies that will berequired for such a mission, making these experiments bothpremature and scientifically flawed.
The tests are being conducted by the Brookhaven National Laboratory(BNL), New York, in collaboration with McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA.
Space experiments on animals:
A giant leap backwardsSpace experiments on animals:
A giant leap backwards
Jane Velez Mitchellinterviews ADIPresident JanCreamer on CNNIssues about theNASA monkeyexperiments.
9The Animal Defender l Summer 2010ADI
Campaign News
Campaign News
The Animal Defender l Summer 2010 ADI
Astronauts back campaign
In 2008 Russia announced a series ofradiation experiments on monkeys (photo:left) in preparation for a mission to Mars. Ayear later NASA followed suit. ADIlaunched a campaign in 2008, opposingthe Russian Mars500 experiments onmacaque monkeys. Umberto Guidoni, aformer ESA and NASA astronaut and thena Member of the European Parliament,wrote to the Russian Federal SpaceAgency, saying that he “fully support[s] theposition of organizations such as ADI thatare asking to develop effectivealternative[s] to experiments with animals,”and stressed “any effort should be made touse technologies that can replaceexperiments on animals and, therefore,avoiding their cruel sacrifice”.
ADI and Belgium’s Anti DierproevenCoalitie (ADC) demonstrated, and lobbiedthe headquarters of Mars500 partners, theEuropean Space Agency (ESA) in Holland.In April 2010, Director, Mr Jean-JacquesDordain, wrote to ADI stating that theEuropean Space Agency “declines anyinterest in monkey research and does notconsider any need or use for suchresearch results.”
In August, Valentin Lebedev, one of themostly highly awarded Cosmonauts inRussia, added his voice to the campaign.Lebedev twice received the Hero of theSoviet Union medal for his service tospace exploration; a planet has beennamed in his honor, and he is currentlyDirector of the Scientific GeoinformationCenter in Russia. The Cosmonautdescribes the experiments on monkeys as“inadmissible for humane reasons” adding
that “the existing knowledge received frompast experience of long-time space flightsis quite enough right now to predict theirinfluence on people even regardingradiation issues.”
ADI and our supporters have written toNASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr.and Secretary of State Hillary Clintonurging them to stop the tests. Mr. Boldenhas defended them as “very strongly peer-reviewed” and “very humane.” Neitherclaim appears credible.
We have also written to President Obama,referring to his Presidential map for NASA,outlined earlier this year, which does notinclude primate testing. This urges that thefocus should be on creating newtechnologies, including radiation shieldingto enable deep-space exploration.
A NASA engineer has now broken ranks tooppose the experiments, believing that theview espoused by the President to developeffective shielding is the way forward.
This spring, NASA aerospace engineerApril Evans contacted ADI saying that shehad resigned as a space architect on theInternational Space Station as a result ofNASA’s decision experiment on monkeys.Ms. Evans is an accomplished nine-yearveteran of the Human SpaceflightProgram, and a recipient of the NASASpace Flight Awareness Honoree award.In a letter to Samuel Aronson, director ofthe Brookhaven National Laboratory, Ms.Evans explained that “after muchdeliberation, I resigned from NASAbecause I could not support the scientificjustification for this monkey radiobiologyexperiment.” April has since appeared inthe media with ADI calling for an end to theexperiments and appears in a newcampaign video.
ADI obtained these harrowing picturesof the Mars500 experiments beingperformed on monkeys in Russia.
Record breaking cosmonaut ValentinLebedev has condemned the tests.
Former eSA & nASA astronautUmberto guidoni opposes the tests.
Campaign News
11The Animal Defender l Summer 2010ADI
restrained into a chair mechanism wherethey’ll be forced to do task performancetests on touch screen computers for aperiod of three to four years.
Safety without suffering
When I was at NASA I worked in the samebuilding as the astronauts, so the safetyand health of the astronauts is extremelyimportant to me.
As an aerospace engineer, I felt that it wasvery important to focus on enablingtechnologies, which include space radiationshielding. I think it’s a much betterapproach engineering-wise to not allow thisspace radiation to enter into the vehicleand to prevent exposure of the astronautsto space radiation. Space radiation comesfrom two primary sources: The first ourown star, the sun, and those are typicallyrelatively lower energy radiations unlessyou have a solar flare; the second sourceis from outside of our solar system, andthose are the extremely high energyradiations coming from supernovas andblack holes – these are the energy levelsthat we currently do not have thetechnology to shield against. This is wherewe need to focus on the enablingtechnologies for space radiation shielding.
Developing safer space travel
I think that it says a lot that two-thirds ofthe international space community involvedin the space station has said that theydon’t see a need for primate testing.
President Kennedy gave our nation undera decade to send a man to the Moon andreturn him safely to Earth and at the timethat decision was made engineers hadvery little idea of how we were actuallygoing to accomplish that great task. I reallybelieve that my generation should beallowed the same opportunities forinterplanetary space travel
Currently the only technology that we haveis material shielding which can only shieldthe astronauts from the lower energyradiation environments. So it is importantto develop the enabling technologies toshield the astronauts from the radiationenvironment, not only for the astronautsthemselves, but for the space vehiclehardware that they operate. I also believethat if we accomplish space radiationshielding there would be spin-off
technologies and applications that wouldbenefit mankind.
ADI & the european Space Agency
I was very excited when I heard aboutAnimal Defenders International’s work withthe European Space Agency (ESA) whosaid that they did not support experimentson monkeys and they didn't see the use inthe science. I had already resigned, butADI really helped me because I went fromfeeling one person, to understanding that Ihad 18 countries from the European SpaceAgency that felt the same way that I did.
What nASA must do
We are supposed to be building enablingtechnologies for space exploration. Ibelieve that saying that space radiationshielding is something that engineerscannot accomplish, and so we have towork on helping the astronauts withmedication to help them with their radiationsickness, is not the right approach.
I would ask NASA to re-evaluate whetherprimate testing isthe right directionfor NASA in thelong term given ourdirection for spaceexploration and thefact that ourinternationalpartners no longerthink this is the rightdirection to go.
Watch more of this interview at www.ad-international.org/nASA
Action Alert:
� Write to your members ofCongress and ask them to urgenASA to reconsider these inhumaneexperiments. Point out that theeuropean Space Agency, andastronauts, have said that primatetests are unnecessary.
� order a copy of our new campaignvideo, including an interview withnASA engineer April evans – send acopy to your members of Congress.
� Please send a donation to helpthis campaign.
NASA aerospaceengineer April Evansis interviewed in thenew ADI spaceexperiments DVDwhich is availablefree to supporters tosend to members ofCongress.
In an exclusive interview with ADI, Aprilevans explains why she gave up adream career at nASA in order tooppose the monkey experiments.
Working for nASA
I worked at NASA for nine years, on theInternational Space Station (ISS), and onISS assembly. That consisted of over 50missions to the ISS, we assembled it pieceby piece. We worked with internationalpartners all over the world, including Japanand Canada, Russia, and 18 countriesfrom the European Space Agency.
So I have extensive experience with theon-orbit operational aspects of workingwith the safety and health of astronauts.
I resigned from NASA because of thedecision to begin testing on primates. Itwas the first time that we have done this inapproximately 30 years. That’s also aboutmy age, so primate testing has never beena part of my memory of NASA. I had seensome archival photos of monkeys beingused in experiments but I really believedthat chapter of NASA was in the past. Iworked very hard to try to convince NASAto re-evaluate that decision while I wasthere, and unfortunately, we weren’t able tocome to an agreement.
The nASA monkey experiment
The approach of primate testing is todevelop countermeasures in spacemedicine to help the astronauts combat thespace radiations sickness, and so theapproach with the primate testing is reallytreating the symptoms instead of goingdirectly to the source of the problem whichis the space radiations exposure.
Once they are irradiated, they’ll be broughtback into individual cages and be
The NASAEngineerwhoresignedover themonkeytests
The state of California hasupheld a new ban on importinglive frogs and turtles for use asfood, despite pressure fromvested interests and statelegislators.
ADI presented video evidence ofmalpractice to the Fish andGame Commission to back theirsupport for a ban. TheCommission’s concern was thatnon-native species could escapeor be released, threatening nativefauna and flora. This had beenchallenged by merchants, whoclaimed there was no threat to
native flora and fauna because the frogs and turtles were killed before they were taken offthe premises. After receiving letters from six state legislators, the Commission announceda policy review.
ADI video footage, filmed just last year, exposed several market owners allowingconsumers to take live frogs and turtles with them, validating the Commission’s initialconcerns. We also cited previous destruction to the Californian flora by non-native frogs in2003.
The Commission voted “no change,” and kept the policy in place. We applaud itsdecision. The policy can be viewed in its entirety on the Commission’s website, at:http://www.fgc.ca.gov/policy/p4misc.asp#nonnative.
12 The Animal Defender l Summer 2010
The battle to rescue Benny, a 20 year old elephant sold to Circus Vasquez in the U.S. andtransported illegally to Mexico, continues. Although Benny was seized promptly by theMexican authorities a decade ago, he has remained in limbo at a government facility whilea legal battle has been waged through the Mexican courts.
Circus Vasquez’s legal challenge to the seizure of Benny finally won ground when a judgeruled last year, that the authorities had not followed the proper procedures (due process).Since Benny remains the property of Vasquez, the judge ordered that he be relinquishedby the authorities.
However, the Zoo is not willing to return Benny unless the Circus pays their costs for thelast 10 years; the Zoo and the local environmental authority have launched a legal actionto keep him. Benny remains an illegally trafficked animal in contravention of CITES, towhich Mexico and the U.S. are both parties.
ADI’s Mexican and U.S. lawyers are negotiating with PROFEPA (the environmentauthority) in an attempt to secure Benny’s release from the circus industry, and his returnto the U.S. Under CITES rules, the U.S. authorities have the right to seek the return ofBenny as an illegally trafficked animal. We are asking the U.S. authorities to press theircase with the Mexican authorities. We are working together with our great friend and TVpersonality Bob Barker, and PAWS, to bring Benny to the PAWS sanctuary in California.
Clockwise, fromabove: Benny in hisenclosure atZacango Zoo; TheADI team meets withPROFEPA inMexico; ADI lawyerCorey Evans meetswith Guillermo Diaz,veterinary surgeonand administrator ofZacango Zoo todiscuss Benny (inbackground).
Our Kick animal testing out of the housecampaign on household product testinghad a major breakthrough recently, whenthe new UK government announced it is“committed to ending the testing ofhousehold products on animals”.Statistics showed that 132 mice wereused to test household products in 2008in the UK alone. It is hoped that a UKban could set a precedent for worldwidechange, with the U.S. now trailing onaction against cruel and unnecessarycosmetics and household product tests.
Indian zoo elephant ban India’s Central Zoo Authority has orderedthat zoo elephants be sent to nationalparks, sanctuaries or reserves withimmediate effect. Reportedly, thedirective highlights the inherent problemsin keeping elephants in such facilities,and that the ban will extend to circuses.
Pioneering laws proposedADI supported the launch of proposalsfor new animal testing laws in Belgium.One aims to ban all commercial animaltesting, while another proposes extrafunding for non-animal research. Ifsecured, these could put Belgium in thelead in efforts to eradicate animalexperiments.
Primate petsADI supported a reception atthe UK Houses of Parliament,hosted by Wild Futures, todiscuss the plight of primatepets. New UK regulations havesince been introduced on thekeeping of primates as pets.
Canada challenges seal banCanada, Iceland and Norway arechallenging the European Commissionban on the trade of seal products,claiming it violates commercial law.While Russia has stopped its seal hunt,Canada appealed against the ban to theWorld Trade Organization. If the appealfails, it could pave the way for moreanimal welfare related barriers beingintroduced without clashing with freetrade laws.
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The Battlefor BennyThe Battlefor Benny
California bansimport of live frogsand turtles for food
ADI
13The Animal Defender l Summer 2010ADI
Keep animals out of REACHWe are continuing the pressureon the European ChemicalsAgency to ensure non-animalmethods are taken up in the newEuropean Chemical testing regime,known as REACH. Although ADI’s hardcampaigning cut the toll of animals to beused from an estimated 38 million bymore than three quarters, 8-9 millionanimals will still die.
Forum in ColombianSenateADI presented anoverview of the StopCircus Sufferingcampaign at theColombian CongressForum. We urgedCongress to followBolivia’s example bybanning the use of animals in circuses.At the time a ban on animals in circuseswas due for discussion in a SenateCommission but this has sadly beenshelved. The Ministry of Environmentannounced that the number of animals incircuses has dropped since 2005. Ourthanks to Senator Camilo Sanchez andthe organizers.
Canine CODISA multi-agency database will combatdog-fighting. Blood samples fromsuspected fight sites can prove a specificdog’s presence, link it to other dogs inthe database, or make connectionsbetween dog-breeders and trainers.http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/forensics/CANINECODIS.php - accessed 20/07/10
Cat & dog furThe European Commission is collectinginformation on enforcement of the banon trade in cat and dog fur. There areconcerns that some countries are failingto prevent cat and dog fur products fromentering the market from Asia, primarilyChina. Items such as toys,shoes, and cat figures arereportedly carryingmisleading or confusinglabeling such as ‘sobaki’,‘Asian jackal’, ‘Chinesewolf’ and ‘Asian desert dog’to conceal the true origin.
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Tilikum (Tilly), was captured 25 years agoand has since spent his life swimmingaround tiny pools. In the wild, Tilly wouldhave lived with thirty or more whales withwhom he might have roamed over ahundred miles a day. Instead he spendshis days swimming around a small tank,and performs the same boring tricks dayafter day to entertain people.
See freetilly.net, to oppose marinemammal shows by signing our pledge.
Tilly was filmed by an ADI field officer atSea World, Orlando prior to the fatal attackthis year. This features in our short film“Animal Tragedy. Human Tragedy” whichcan be viewed at freetilly.net.
The tragic death of a trainer at SeaWorldOrlando highlighted how wrong it is toconfine large, intelligent and sensitiveanimals like whales to entertain people.
ADI’s campaigns challenge the useof animals inentertainment,so in responseto the publicoutcry aboutthe incident, welaunched a newwebsite, videoand onlinepledge.
The whale,
Action Alert: please visit freetilly.net todayand pledge to oppose marine mammal shows.
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FREE TILLY
US circuses not safeIn April 2010 a startled elephant stamped its trainer todeath at the Irem Shrine, which was hosting theJames Hamid Circus. The cause of the incident wasnot confirmed, but it was reported that the elephantcame into contact with electrical wires – a common way of containing elephants intemporary circus accommodations. At Hadi Shrine Circus, four years ago, a trainerwas seriously clawed by a tiger during a performance. In our 2008 report we showedShrine Circus giving children elephant rides next to caged tigers (pictured).
In February this year, during a pre-show at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circusin South Carolina an elephant broke through a main door and ran into the arena where,according to the media, there were some 100 people present. The same month, azebra, called Lima, escaped from Ringling Brothers Circus in Atlanta onto a busysection of interstate and led police and keepers on a 40-minute chase throughdowntown. The circus said: “It was just an unavoidable accident”. Despite aspokesperson stating that he was “in good shape” after the incident, Lima waseuthanized a few weeks later having suffered irreparable damage to his hooves. In2008 three zebras ran out into traffic before being caught.
Campaign News
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14 The Animal Defender l Summer 2010 ADI
As the Fercos Brothers’ Magic Showopened its Christmas season at PlanetHollywood Las Vegas, we released a newvideo – ‘Animal Misery isn’t Magic’ – toexpose the suffering behind the scenes.
The video evidence collected by our fieldofficers during the Fercos Brothers’ tour ofSouth America shows a black leopard, alion and a tiger living in tiny cages. Itshows how these magnificent animals arecrammed into even smaller cages duringthe shows. The Vegas shows, “UntamedIllusions” featured exotic animals includinga Bengal tiger, a white Siberian tiger, alion and a black leopard.
In 2008, the Fercos Brothers were blockedfrom taking animals into Bolivia becauseof bans on performing animals in severalmajor cities, secured by ADI. The Fercosshows went ahead without animals,proving that performing animals weren’tneeded for a successful show.
Right: Bill Swaincarries a bullhookas he walks awayfrom Krissy theelephant, chainedup at the TexasRenaissance Fairnear Houston.
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A lion and tiger insideFercos Brothersshow cages. Magicacts keep animals inextremely severeconfinement, in orderto make them“appear” and“disappear”.
Ringlings ProtestsIn July, Ringling Bros. andBarnum & Bailey Circusarrived in Los Angeles, andwere greeted by ADIprotests at everyperformance, giving outthousands of leaflets. Our leaflets also poured outbefore the shows inAnnaheim, California, thanksto local campaigners there.In Austin, Texas, a special screening of ourStop Circus Suffering video was held atCounter Culture restaurant by Action forAnimals Austin to generate awareness inthe weeks before the circus comes totown. Action for Animals Austin will bedistributing ADI leaflets and hope for arecord breaking crowd of protestors whenthe circus opens.
Order ADI materials beforethe circus comes to town
We have posters, leaflets, and DVDsavailable for campaigners to raiseawareness whenever a circus with animalscomes to town. Campaign materials areFREE (a donation is appreciated if you canafford it, to help us produce more).
Call: (323) 935-2234
email: [email protected]
As reported in the last edition of Animal Defender, the elephant Krissy is owned by BillSwain, whose son Mike Swain was filmed by an ADI field officer beating her andanother elephant, Queenie, when they were performing with Bailey Bros Circus.Queenie was owned by Wilbur Davenport, along with two other performing elephants,Tina and Jewel.
Legally, Mike Swain claims not to own, or handle, performing elephants.
In 2009, the USDA filed charges against Davenport for violations of the Animal WelfareAct; Tina and Jewel were seized by the USDA, but Queenie was left behind.
Queenie has now been sold to San Antonio Zoo where is now alone, and a small,barren enclosure. A devastating blow since it was hoped that the USDA would heedcalls from ADI, PAWS, Bob Barker and others, to seize her and retire her to the PAWSARK2000 sanctuary.
Meanwhile, Krissy continues to be used for elephant rides by Bill Swain. Despite tellingthe USDA that he does not handle any elephants, ADI has filmed Mike Swain withKrissy and the other Swain elephants at multiple locations.
There’s nothing magic about animal misery
On the elephant trail of Krissy & Boo
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Progress in Sacramento
In June, Sacramento City Councilunanimously approved the empowermentof animal care officers to inspect travelingcircuses in order to enforce safe andhumane living conditions for animals.
ADI contacted each Council Member,urging support for the measure; manyanimal protection groups worked togetherin support.
Top: Protests in Los AngelesAbove: A Ringlings handler usesa bullhook on an elephant’s lip inLos Angeles.
Stop Circus Suffering
ADI President Jan Creamer and Vice-President Tim Phillips were honored to beinvited to speak at the annual Summit forThe Elephants in March this year. TheSummit, organized by the PerformingAnimal Welfare Society (PAWS) at theirARK2000 Sanctuary, brings togetherrepresentatives from animal protectiongroups, animal sanctuaries and zoos to
address theissues affectingwild and captiveelephantsworldwide.
A series of talksgiven by the ADIPresident andVice-Presidentexamined ADI’swork to end thesuffering ofanimals incircusesworldwide, andwhat this workcan tell us aboutdevelopingcampaigns in thefuture. Jan first
offered our campaignin Bolivia as a case-study on effectivecampaigning,reviewing theinvestigation, thecampaign leading tothe ban, and ourwork to rescueanimals as a result.This was especiallypoignant, as the firstanimals being rehomed after the circusban were themselves on their way toARK2000 (see page 3).
Tim later presented a round-up of globalprogress on legislation to ban animalcircuses, including Brasil, Colombia, Peru,Chile, Greece, Portugal and Norway, andthe industry challenge to the Austrian ban– a testament to the impact of the StopCircus Suffering campaign. Jan thenpresented the UK situation as a case-study of the obstacles to even the mosteffective campaign, with overwhelmingpublic support (95% of public in favour ofa circus animal ban). She outlined the18-year ADI campaign, from theChipperfield exposé and prosecutions to
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the passage of the UK’s new AnimalWelfare Act in 2006; the behind-the-scenes machinations that had derailedprogress, and finally the 2009 ADIinvestigation of elephant beatings at theGreat British Circus, which promptedgovernment action.
Our final talk focused on ADI’s expandingoperations in the United States: Jandiscussed our investigations and scientificreports and the groundwork for futureprogress. Thepresentations were wellreceived, and the
atmospherewas one ofoptimism andhope for theprotection ofcaptiveanimals.
ProfessorPatriciaMcEachern,Ph.D., of theDorothy JoBarker
Endowment of AnimalRights at DruryUniversity, also outlinedthe course on animalrights established byformer TV presenter BobBarker. ProfessorMcEachern concluded the list of coursetopics by saying that she was soimpressed by ADI’s work that it would fromnow on be included in the syllabus.
Also speaking were representatives fromthe HSUS, IDA, PETA, Zoocheck Canada,Oakland and Detroit Zoos, ActiveEnvironments, and academics and expertsfrom a range of fields in animal welfare.
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Summit for The Elephants boosts
optimism for captive animals
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Left: Jan Creameraddresses theSummit forElephants.
Left below: Alsospeaking at theSummit, TimPhillips, ProfessorPatriciaMcEachern.
Below: Ed StewartPat Derby.
Below left: EdStewart, JanCreamer and TimPhillips take timeout from theSummit to inspectthe work on thebuilding of the newenclosure for theBolivian lions, withADI vet Dr. MelRichardson.
Below: Nicolasenjoys a shower.
Stop Circus Suffering: Global round-up
The Animal Defender l Summer 201016
Over two years since the Bill to ban theuse of animals in circuses was tabledby APRA and Nationalist parties, the
Peruvian Congress has deferred itsdiscussion, leaving circus animals in limboover the summer recess.
The Agrarian and the Andean Environmentand Ecology Commissions approved the Billback in early 2009. In June 2010, the Boardof Spokespersons of the Congress agreedthat the Bill should be discussed as apriority.
ADI’s lobbying team in South Americaorganized an intense campaign: back-to-back meetings with Congressmen from all parties; we met Congress President Luis Alva Castro, presentinghim with a public petition of over 2000 signatures supporting the ban, and a giant postcard signed by fellowmembers; we launched a dedicated website on the Bill and our Stop Circus Suffering campaign. We alsoflooded the Congress with new campaign materials. This massive push for action generated momentum andoptimism among Congress members for the next stage.
In May, ADI launched a new video documentary ‘Unnatural Acts. Stopping thesuffering in circuses in Brasil’ in the Brasilian House of Representatives, and calledfor Congress to adopt Bill 7291/2006 banning animal circuses. The video contraststhe shocking abuse and confinement of animals in circuses with their natural
environment and features footage, filmed by ADI just a month earlier, from inside Brasiliancircuses, as well as examples of circus cruelty across South America.
The meeting was chaired by Ricardo Tripoli, the rapporteur of the Bill (PSDB / SP) andwas addressed by Helder Constantino, ADI Head of Legislative Affairs;Antoniana Ottoni, ADI Brasil Representative, and actress Luisa Mell.Also speaking in support of a ban were key Government players, suchas Katia Lemos, Prosecutor for the Defense of the Environment andCultural Heritage (Prodema) of the Public Prosecution in the FederalDistrict and Territories (MPDFT) and Roberto Cabral, GeneralCoordinator of the Investigations Department of the Brasilian Instituteof Environment and Natural Resources (IBAMA).
In Brasil, rising public concern about animals in traveling circuses isreflected in the growing number of states and municipalities banninganimal use. These include Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraíba, Pernambuco,Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Sao Paulo and Espirito Santo and
over 50 municipalities. A commitment in Brasil to end this suffering would be hugelyinfluential around the world. The Bill has already been voted by three differentCommissions in the House of Representatives, and ADI is now working with BrasilianCongress members to ensure that it is voted by the full house before the election inOctober. The Bill will then require approval in the Senate before it can come into force.
ADI Brasil’s, Antoniana Ottoni writes a column on the website of Brasilian animal rightsnews agency Agência de Notícias de Direitos Animais (ANDA). Visit ANDA’s site atwww.anda.jor.br.
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Peru ban so close …
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Bolivia ADI is working with the
authorities to implement thecircus ban by relocating animals(see p 3).
Colombia The Bill to ban the
use of animals in circuses wasdiscussed in the Congress in a publichearing. ADI made a presentation andlaunched the new video ‘UnnaturalActs’. Despite our efforts the Bill wasshelved, but we continue working withCongress members to introducelegislation in August. During thePresidential election, ADI met with themain candidates and presented thenewly elected President, Juan ManuelSantos, with ADI’s circus report ‘Animalsin Traveling Circuses’ and DVD “StopCircus Suffering”.
Rock bands El Sie7e (below) and LaPestilencia backed the campaign at aconcert in Bogotá. Wearing ADI T-shirts, and joined on stage by ADI SouthAmerica Campaigns Coordinator JuanPablo Olmos, the bands asked anaudience of over 5000 fans not to attendanimal circuses, and for the ColombianCongress to support the Bill.
Right: ADI SouthAmerica Co-
ordinator JuanPablo Olmos andglobal Animals in
EntertainmentCampaigner
AlexandraCardenas give a TV
interview at thePeruvian Congress.
Inset: the ADIinflatable elephant
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Above: Weexposed how thiselephant was left
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circus.
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Brasil called on to ban animal circuses
as ADI video reveals animal suffering
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Top: Minister Jim Fitzpatrick meets with ADIAnimals in Entertainment Campaigner AlexandraCardenas and announces plans for a ban; Inset:ADI Consultation postcard. Above: Elephantabuse at the Great British Circus. Left: Elephantwith the Great British Circus.
Stop Circus Suffering: Global round-up
17The Animal Defender l Summer 2010
This time last year, ADI
released the shocking
findings of an investigation
of the UK’s Great British
Circus.
A year on and the UK public are, morethan ever, behind a ban on wild animals incircuses… but the ban is in danger ofslipping away due to political inaction,following the General Election.
Our undercover filming of the horrificbeatings of elephants at the Great BritishCircus last summer shocked the public,and put wild animals in circuses back onthe political agenda. The Ministerresponsible for animal welfare at the time,Jim Fitzpatrick, immediately ordered apublic consultation and told his departmentto conclude their long deliberations on thisissue. The public consultation produced amassive 95%* of the British public in favorof a ban on wild animals in traveling
circuses. (*94.5%web vote + .5%
postcard vote)
Soon after, electioncommitments topursue a ban weremade by all mainpolitical parties,including NickClegg, now DeputyPrime Minister.
Now with a newCoalitonGovernment inplace, a newMotion has beentabled in
Parliament byMembers ofParliament, calling fora ban on the use of
wild animals in circuses, and urging thenew government:
“…the only thing stopping this ban fromcoming into place is a decision byMinisters.”
In 2006 the previous governmentpromised Parliament that it would bananimal circuses under the UK’s newAnimal Welfare Act. We waited four yearsfor action. Now with the new governmentin place, we must mobilize the public toinsist on the ban.
Over 200 city and regional governments inthe UK already ban the use of animals intraveling circuses; 95% of the public wanta ban.
ADI UK is determined to ensure that theUK is among the next countries to act toStop Circus Suffering.
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Fight for UK circuslegislation continues
Portugal Two ministerial
decrees restricting the use of greatapes in circuses and banning theacquisition and breeding of CITES listedspecies were issued in September andOctober. The latter will include lions,tigers, bears, seals and elephants.Effectively this phases out wild animals inPortuguese circuses.
Austria A legal challenge to the
Austrian ban on the use of wildanimals in circuses was rejected bythe European Commission, saying thatanimal protection should be left to MemberStates. ADI’s legal submission to the casehighlighted examples of Member Statesmaking unilateral laws on ethical issues.The European Ombudsman has criticizedthe Commission but says no further legalaction is justified as the European CircusAssociation is now challenging the ban inthe Austrian national courts.
Norway A proposal to ban the
use of kangaroos, zebras, sea-lionsand elephants in circuses, and thetime required to implement this, isunder consideration.
Ireland Demos with Irish group
ARAN have been held in Cork,Limerick, Tipperary, Galway,Wexford and Dublin.
Greece ADI campaign partner,
the Greek Animal Welfare Fund,continues to lobby for nationallegislation to ban the use of animals incircuses. Greece has many local bans.
Lebanon Almost 15 years after
ADI seized all of their animals inMozambique, the Akef EgyptianCircus illegally entered Lebanon en routeto the Monte Carlo Circus Festival. ADIsupplied Animals Lebanon with copies ofthe original fraudulent documents used byAkef; Animals Lebanon ran an excellentcampaign which persuaded the LebaneseMinister of Agriculture to order the circusout of the country.
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peered into the crates. Bright eyed, alert,but looking fairly relaxed, three smallmonkey faces looked back. They had noidea that their lives had changed forever.
Each year almost 70,000 monkeys diein U.S. laboratories and 10,000 in Europe.Animals that make it out alive are rare.Labs have little incentive to give a livingface to the animals they use and ultimatelykill. However on this occasion, thelaboratory listened to public pressure.
These monkeys are the embodiment ofthe issues that have provoked fiercedebate across Europe for the past few
years over ending the trade in what areknown as “F1” monkeys.
Most laboratory monkeys are born ofwild-caught parents and are known as “F1”(first generation of one or both wild-caughtparents).
So while laboratories claim not to usewild-caught monkeys, the dealerssupplying them are in reality, constantlycapturing animals from the wild to re-stocktheir factory-style breeding farms.
Some 26,000 monkeys are importedinto the U.S. every year – this is bigbusiness.
It is a trade we have campaigned hardto halt, and our team in Europe haverecently secured a phase-out of F1primates coming into Europe – althoughthere is still a long way to go.
On an icy, cold winter’s morning, aftermonths of negotiation and preparation, wewaited for the monkeys at Stockholmairport – we wondered “What if they havechanged their minds?” At 6am, in thealmost deserted cargo area, the vehiclefrom the laboratory rumbled into sight –they had insisted that we should not collectthe monkeys from the lab, or see themloaded.
The truck stopped and the rear doorsopened. ADI Vice President Tim Phillipsand Supporter Relations Director Lisa
Mitchinson turned on their flashlights and
Photos Clockwise:ADI Vice PresidentTim Phillips takesdelivery of themonkeys; themonkeys ready tofly; about to boardthe flight fromSweden; Baloopokes his tongueout; Bacilusk; thethree ventureoutdoors for thefirst time; into thequarantine van forthe last leg of thejourney; Bacil andBacilusk.
our global Save The Primates campaign has exposed laboratories,monkey dealers and trappers and made the first steps towardsstronger laws to protect primates. So it was a magical momentwhen three lab monkeys were handed into our care.
Lab Monkey Rescue
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Three little monkeysThe parents of Baloo, Bacil and
Bacilusk were torn from the wild inMauritius and sent to Mazor Farm in Israel.In late 2001 Baloo, Bacil, Bacilusk andanother monkey, Bamse, were born –about a month apart. As each approachedtheir second birthday they were sold to aSwedish laboratory. On October 7, 2003,they were packed in crates, flown toHolland and then taken by road to the lab.
They were trained to present their armsfor injections and withdrawal of blood, andto open their mouths for examination.They were used in neurology experimentsinvolving PET and MR imaging, and giventrace doses of substances with “minimaleffect on behavior”. It is a chilling ironythat these imaging techniques that enablea huge spectrum of neurology research onhuman volunteers have, in some facilities,been used on animals instead of replacinganimal use. Bamse developed diabetesand was killed. By 2009, the monkeyswere no longer needed in the neurologytests, but continued to be used as blooddonors for other experiments.
Swedish animal rights groupDjurrattsalliansen had followed themonkeys since they were imported, andsupporters began a letter writing campaignurging the laboratory to spare the animals.Djurrattsalliansen and Israel’s BehindClosed Doors group contacted ADI andasked if we could persuade the laboratoryto hand over the monkeys.
We contactedthe laboratoryand theresponse waspositive,provided theycould inspect thenew home! And sobegan ADI’spartnership withLakeview, awonderful monkeysanctuary in Englandspecializing in caringfor rescued monkeys.The handover wasagreed with the lab,and we have financeda new enclosure. ADILondon staff have rolledup their sleeves and usedtheir time off to help build it,ready for when Baloo, Bacil andBacilusk are out of quarantine.
On arrival in the quarantine unitat Lakeview the monkeys sprang outalert, calm and set about exploring.
After acclimatization indoors, themonkeys were given access to the outdoorquarantine enclosures. The door wasopened and Baloo headed out to explore,followed closely by Bacil and Bacilusk.With great excitement they heard the callsof the other monkeys, Baloo climbed ashigh as he could and called back.
On Christmas Day, Lakeview directorsJim and Sharon wrap treats for all themonkeys in the sanctuary, and so Baloo,Bacil and Bacilusk (now known as the 3Bs)excitedly unwrapped and devoured thecontents.
At just 8 years old, Baloo, Bacil andBacilusk could live to the age of 30, and sohave the prospect of many happy years ina large natural enclosure in woodland. Asis our policy with animal rescues, ADI willbe funding the care of the monkeys for therest of their lives, including construction ofthe enclosures, food and veterinary care.So like the Bolivian lions, we need yourhelp looking after these monkeys.
As a reminder of how lucky the 3Bs are,whilst we were working to secure theirrelease, 50 monkeys were used and killed
killed at the samefacility, 33 newmonkeys were imported,and at the time of goingto press, 49 monkeys remainthere.
Our thanks to PBS International for itshelp in organizing the transportation of themonkeys, and to the animal groupsDjurrattsalliansen and Behind ClosedDoors, who alerted ADI and trusted us tosave these monkeys.
We urgently need donations towardsthe completion of the ADI enclosure thatwill be the monkeys’ permanent home.
We also need supporters to adopt thesemonkeys and secure their care for life –see the adoption form, enclosed.
The Animal Defender l Summer 2010
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URGENT: Adopt a rescued animal, call (323) 935 2234
Rescue News
20 The Animal Defender l Summer 2010 ADI
Farewell: Tarzan & DavidIt is with great sadness that we announce thedeath of dear Tarzan, our last rescued tiger inSouth Africa. he enjoyed three preciousyears of freedom in the African bush, thanksto the kindness and generosity of ADIsupporters.
When we rescued him from a rusting circus cagein Portugal Tarzan was malnourished and inpoor condition, but his character shone through.On the journey to Africa he remained relaxed,rolling about playfully on his back whenever weapproached. Even in his enclosure, he wouldrush to see anyone passing by, rolling over withhis paws in the air.
Tarzan was much older than we had been led tobelieve but he enjoyed his freedom right to theend, and our vet concluded that he simply diedof old age. He flourished in the sunshine in theAfrican bush, becoming powerful and quickenough to catch wild vultures that tried to stealhis food. He would prowl through the long grass,and swim or lie in his pool. A wonderful,loveable rogue who will be sorely missed.
Although sad that his time in the sunshine couldnot have been longer, of the many animals weencounter in circuses, Tarzan was one of thelucky ones. Every moment of freedom, of lyingin the sunshine was precious. Thank you somuch to those who supported him during hisyears with us.
Sadly, we have also lost another friend,Professor David Meltzer. our condolences tothe friends and family of the Prof, who diedlast year.
We began working with Prof in 1996 when wesaved all of the animals from the Akef EgyptianCircus in Mozambique – lions, tigers, a python,horses and dogs. He remained involved in thecare of three of those lions for the rest of theirlives. In 2005, he was the vet in charge whenwe moved our elderly tigers, Mowgli and ShereKhan after their sanctuary was lost in a landclaim. Then in 2007, he was the supervising vetfor the relocation of Tarzan, Sarah, and Caesarfrom Portugal to South Africa, supervising theircare afterwards.
It is with great sadness that we say farewell tosomeone whose good humor andprofessionalism made him such a pleasure towork with on these complex and testingoperations. ADI and the animals will miss him.
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Fur trade exposed
Finland is the world’s largest producer offox fur and, like farms in North America,boasts high standards of welfare for itsanimals and certification schemes. In fact,over the last decade, the fur and fashionindustry has been largely successful inairbrushing away the reality of the horrificsuffering of animals… until now.
ADI’s undercover investigation into Finnishfur farms has exposed the daily horror oflife on the fur farm for foxes and mink,caged and bred just for their fur. The
appalling conditions of the barren cages –unclean, rusty and often broken – are onlymatched by the animals’ crippling state ofill health.
Our field officers filmed foxes with obvioussigns of untreated infection or disease intheir eyes, noses and ears – clearlydemonstrating a complete indifference onthe parts of those meant to be caring forthe animals. There were open wounds,loss of tails, and more serious illnessessuch as malformed limbs and feet, a result
of living on wire mesh. Some foxes hadvisible gum masses, sometimes entirelyengulfing the teeth – a disease whichcauses severe pain and distress, makingeating and drinking difficult. Their waterbowls were often empty, unclean andbroken, and many of the foxes displayedsevere behavioral abnormalities, indicativeof psychological damage.
It is clear that for the companies producingfur, the welfare of the animals they use isnot a priority. It is the end product theyare concerned with, the fur product thatwill make them money. Animal sufferingappears to be of little to no importance.
Even if the conditions in these farms werenot as bad as the video shows, thepsychological damage which so many ofthe animals display would still be there.
Over s even mo nths, 30 s eparat e l oc ations , s even hours o f
f ootag e and one and a half tho us and phot ographs, ADI’s
underc over inves tigators doc umented the heart-rending
s uffe ring infl ict ed o n animals in one of the wo rl d’s most
s ickening industries – farming animal s for t heir fur.
Horrific, cruel: theworld’s largestexporter of fox furexposed
Horrific, cruel: theworld’s largestexporter of fox furexposed
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A fox on a fur farmin Finland – theworld’s largestproducer of fox fur.
Below left: A silverfox with gumsgrotesquelyovergrown becauseof gingivalhyperplasia – theanimal has clearlybeen suffering fora long time.
Below: Rows ofcaged foxes inFinland.
22 The Animal Defender l Summer 2010 ADI
Fox and mink, the most widelyused species of animalsfarmed for fur, are wildanimals: they retain all oftheir wild instincts and needs.They are shy and fearful ofhumans and other animals,and in an intensive farmingenvironment they will alwayssuffer mentally andemotionally.
Mink are territorial andwould naturally spend muchof their time in water. Onthese farms, however, they
do not have any access to water.Instead, they spend their lives incages, unable to express eithertheir swimming or foraging
behavior.
Foxes, being naturally secretive and shyanimals, would in the wild live below theground in dens. However, on farms thesewild animals spend their lives exposed tohumans and other animals, and with
minimum or no enrichment.
The simple fact is that foxes and minkwould suffer inany farmingenvironment.But what ourinvestigationreveals,however, is thatFinnish fur farms– the very samefarms whichsupply themajority of fox
fur sold on American high streets – are notonly unnatural environments: they housesome of the most terrible andheartbreaking scenes of suffering everuncovered by an ADI investigation.
A Finnish fur farm is truly an intolerablycruel place for animals. In the wild, foxeslive up to 15 years, and mink live up to 10years - but the lifespan of mink and foxbred for fur is a mere eight months. Ittakes 15-20 foxes or 60-80 mink to makejust one fur coat, and four million cubs arekilled each year for pelts. Babies bornwithout the prerequisite pelt quality arekilled immediately.
ADI’s investigation has uncovered theshocking reality behind claims by thefashion industry that animals are raisedhumanely for fur, and has shown thatindustry accreditation schemes for farmsare meaningless.
The video and accompanying report,‘Bloody Harvest – the real cost of Fur’,have been launched across Europe aspart of ADI’s Fur Stop campaign.
You can watch the video and downloadthe report from ADI’s campaign website,www.furstop.com, which will be trackingthe campaign as it continues to receivebacking from around the world.
Watch the video and find out the factsat our new website:www.furstop.com
A young fox with abloody stumpwhere his tailshould be.
A selection of ourcampaign materialswhich are availablein English, Italian,French, Finnish,and Hebrew.
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Armed with powerful and movingdocumentation of suffering in Finnishfur farms alongside a detailed report, ADI’sFur Stop campaign has been launchedacross Europe, and generated supportfrom the public, politicians and celebritiesalike.
From Helsinki to Tel Aviv, and stopping atfashion weeks in London, Milan and Parisin between, ADI has partnered with localgroups to screen the investigation videoand distribute our report, Bloody Harvest –the real cost of Fur, which exposes thestaggering levels ofsuffering that foxes andmink are subjected toin Finnish fur farms.
The report and videoare available in English,Finnish, French, Italianand Hebrew.
ADI President Jan Creamerkicked off the campaign inLondon on February 18 witha statement in TheIndependent, insisting that “itis no longer acceptable to
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Thursday, 25 February 2010Jan Creamer: Do fashion designers knowwhere the fur they show comes from?
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Twiggy slams designers for using ‘intolerably
cruel’ fur in London Fashion Week collections
Fur Stop campaign launches across Europe
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23The Animal Defender l Summer 2010
To cap off this string of high-profilelaunches across Europe, ADI attended ameeting in Israel’s Knesset to presentevidence on the introduction of a nationalban on fur farming and the trade of furproducts throughout Israel. We presenteda Hebrew version of the Bloody Harvestvideo.
Our next stop in our fight against the furindustry? The United States.
Help us
This campaign attracted media coverageacross Europe and from Brasil toAustralia. We will be hitting the U.S. in thenear future. We need you help:
order our (free) Fur Stop leaflets: Helpspread the world and ensure that we haltthe fashion comeback of fur.
get active online through furstop.comand our Facebook group.
Please send a donation: Ensure that wecan continue to undertake investigationslike this and expose and end the sufferingof animals. We can’t do it without you.
In London our campaign received thebacking of iconic model Twiggy (and TV‘Top Model’ contest judge) and pop star-turned-Strictly Come Dancing judgeAlesha Dixon. Support from Twiggy duringLondon fashion week was reported acrossthe world: “I am very sad that somedesigners are still using real fur when thefake alternatives are so effective and soeasily obtainable. I hope this ADI reporthelps the fashion industry realize thatthese poor animals are kept in suchterrible and inhumane conditions. Is itreally worth this cruelty just for fashion’ssake? I don’t think so.”
Next were launches at the heart of theMilan and Paris fashion weeks. Thelaunch in Milan was addressed by HelderConstantino, ADI Head of LegislativeAffairs and co-hosted by our Italianpartners, Agire Ora, attractingconsiderable media coverage and evenrolling across to Switzerland. At the Parislaunch with our partner campaign group,Fourrure Torture, we caught the attentionof the fashion media.
ignore the suffering, and designersmust take responsibility for theway that their fur is produced”.
Then we hit the campaigntrail across Europe,presenting thefindings and urgingboth the public andfashion designers toboycott fur.
The launch in Finland,where the investigation
was carried out, wasaddressed by ADICampaigner AlexandraCardenas and Finnishgroup Oikeutta Eläimille.
A screening was held atthe Finnish Parliament,
attended by members of theparliament including a
spokesperson of the LeftAlliance party, Paavo
Arhinmaki. The Vice-Chairman of theEnvironment Committee, Pentti Tiusanencriticized the lack of action by the Ministryof Agriculture and Ms Mari Puoskari of theGreen Party said that a ban on fur farmingwill be on the Green Party’s agenda. Aparliamentary question was tabled to thegovernment.
Thursday, 25 February 2010Jan Creamer: Do fashion designers knowwhere the fur they show comes from?
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Twiggy slams designers for using ‘intolerably
cruel’ fur in London Fashion Week collections
Fur Stop campaign launches across Europe Photos (left toright): Twiggybacks the ADIcampaign; ADIHead of LegislativeAffairs interviewedin Milan; Finlandlaunch – Ms. SallaTuomivaara(Animalia), Ms.Mari Puoskari(Member of theParliament/GreenParty), Mr. PenttiTiusanen (Memberof theParliament/Vice-chairman of theEnvironmentCommittee), Ms.Anne Nieminen(Oikeutta Eläimille),AlexandraCardenas; AleshaDixon calls for “FurStop”; the ADIreport is presentedin the Knessett,Israel, by attorneyJoshua Rotbert.
The only
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Campaign News
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included in the European CommissionDraft Directive published in late 2008.
In 2009, the Draft Directive was debatedand amended in the European Parliament,with ADI active at every stage producingbriefings, organizing meetings with MEPsand individual lobbying drives; securingamendments and fighting off the mostdestructive amendments from thevivisection industry.
We produced technical briefings on:competitiveness of pharmaceuticalindustry, advanced technologies andreplacement of animals; development ofalternatives; wild capture of primates;authorization processes; wider scientificand public scrutiny; thematic review ofspecific types of experiment; replacementof animal experiments.
However, the wealthy pro-vivisectionlobbyists outnumbered us by more thanten to one. We held off the worst, but theCommission’s proposals were seriouslyweakened when the European Parliamentvoted on them in May 2009. From here,the Draft Directive moved to Europe’sCouncil of Ministers.
Whilst the new European Directive will notimmediately influence vivisection in theUS, its impacts on the development andimplementation of alternatives, standardsof animal care, animal supplies,transparency and wider scientific andpublic consultation will eventually be felthere. Consequently, for eight yearsEurope has been the frontline of thebattleground to end animal experimentsworldwide and now the dust is settling.
The government of the European Union isthe European Commission (administration,drafts legislation); the EuropeanParliament (directly electedrepresentatives); the Council of Ministers(representatives of the government ofeach Member State). Each country takesin turn, the Presidency of the Union.
In the first few years of the review processwe made considerable progress, shapingthe debate and prioritizing issues. ADI’shistoric Written Declaration 40/2007 onprimate experiments, adopted by theEuropean Parliament in 2007, ensuredseveral measures to change direction onthe use of primates in research were
While the European Parliament can beroughly compared to the US House ofRepresentatives, the Council of Ministerscan be considered equivalent to the USSenate: it represents the national interestsof the states of the Union. But, unlike theUS Senate, the Council of Ministers isessentially a diplomatic body wheredebate takes place behind closed doors.This was a tough stage to lobby.
Before discussion began our team touredEurope meeting most of the memberstate’s Council advisors, as well as theSwedish Presidency. We createdawareness and involved the public, with‘Save the Primates’ launches in the UK,Spain, Italy and Belgium.
The ADI team, Jan Creamer, Tim Phillipsand Helder Constantino gave oralevidence and were cross-examined by aUK House of Lords* Select Committee,examining the proposals for the UKParliament. Our evidence was influentialand several key points were included inthe subsequent report, which called forstrict regulation, greater scrutiny onprimate research and the promotion ofnon-animal methods. (*The UKParliament's second chamber).
Online, supporters signed a letter of keydemands which was handed in at the startof trialogue discussions – the three-waynegotiations between Council of Ministers,European Parliament, and EuropeanCommission. We marked the opening ofthese negotiations with a screening at theEuropean Parliament of ‘Save thePrimates’ featuring our undercover footageof wild monkeys being trapped forresearch, inside the Asian monkeydealers, and inside the notoriousHuntingdon Life Sciences monkey unit.Chaired by Spanish MEP Raul Romevaand addressed by trialogue rapporteurDaciana Sârbu MEP, and Tim Phillips ofADI, the meeting reminded people of thereality of animal experimentation.
ADI and Eurogroup for Animals joinedforces to ensure a single coherent voicefor animals was briefing those involved inthe discussions. Background briefingswere produced for amendments on:alternatives; wild capture of primates;authorization processes; thematic review.Often we responded to the debates and
Newanimaltestingrules inEurope
For the past eight years ADI has been campaigning to shape the new European
Union (EU) legislation on animal experimentation. The new Directive will govern
animal experiments across the 27 nations of the Union, covering 12 million animal
experiments. As the new Directive is at last finalized after years of debate, we can
see both victories and frustrations.
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proposed text changes within hours and wouldwork into the night to finalize vital briefings.
These efforts were rewarded to some extent, withsome of the most damaging amendments votedin the European Parliament being scrapped orchanged by the Council. For instance, anamendment requiring millions of experiments toproceed with a mere notification was overturnedin favor of a full authorization process for allanimal experiments.
The phase-out of the capture of wild monkeys forbreeding stock on factory farms remained fiercelycontended to the end but was secured despitemassive opposition from industry. Restrictions onhow monkeys can be used survived, but needmore work, and clarification. The apeexperimentation ban was confirmed. Welfarestandards were introduced for fish, which hadbeen forgotten by both the Commission and theParliament. The ADI proposals on thematicreview, adopted by the Parliament, were softenedbut not removed; these remain the first-evermechanism in law for wider consultation andreview of specific experiments or areas research,with a view to setting timetables for replacement.
Disappointingly, the Commission’s proposals fornational laboratories to encourage developmentand implementation of alternative methods couldhave been a significant driver of progress, butthis was reduced to a vague commitment to‘assist’ and ‘contribute’ to the development andvalidation of alternative approaches.
Trialogue discussions ended in April this year andthe final compromise text is due to be voted inSecond Reading by the European Parliament inSeptember 2010. Although we will press forimprovements where possible, opportunities arenow increasingly limited, as this complex processdraws toward its conclusion.
However, the passing of the new Directive intolaw is not the end of the campaign. Once passedat European level, it must be transposed intonational legislation by each of the 27 MemberStates. Thus, new national campaigns must beorganized in each country to fight for nationallegislation to go further than the new Directive.The next aim is to secure measures that clearlylead to an end to animal experiments.
Although the new EU Directive is not as strong aswe would hope, in many respects it highlights justhow far behind the United States has now fallen.In terms of almost every area: restrictions onprimate use; wider consultation on authorization,implementation of alternatives, welfare standards,it is time for the U.S. to catch up.
Sadly, the conscientious objector’s voice isstill a component of many teachinglaboratories in Europe, where animals arestill widely used for education,disregarding available alternatives and thewishes of many students.
The latest EU statistics (from 2005, whenthere were 25 member states) on animalexperiments state that, for education andtraining, 198,994 animals were used. Thisfigure represents 1.6% of the totalEuropean animal use and is approachingthe percentage of animals used in diseasediagnosis. The statistics fail to highlightthe application divide of this staggeringfigure but detail the numbers of eachspecies used; most commonly rats andmice are used, followed by fish,amphibians, rabbits, pigs and cattle.Importantly, the EU statistics do notinclude animals killed humanely for theirtissues or the re-use of animals forprocedures. Both of these major evasionsmean the statistics, as they stand, fail toaccurately represent the extent of animaluse in education.
Typically, experiments carried out inschools and university-level learningenvironments include dissections tosupplement the theoretical knowledgebeing taught. Animals are also used toteach experimental procedures i.e.
learning and practising laboratory skills orsurgical techniques. In some cases it isthe animals’ tissues that are used assurrogates for human tissues whenexperimental data is required.
Alternatives to the use of animals ineducation are varied and plentiful, from 3Dmodels and mechanical simulators,interactive videos, computer simulationsand virtual reality applications to in vitrostudies on cell lines. Videos take viewerson a journey through the human body anddissection videos exist for a host ofdifferent species. The lifetime of theseapplications is endless, students canrewind and replay; impossible with animaldissections4, 5. Student self-experimentation is also a viable alternativefor physiological experiments and cancreate a memorable learning experience.Computer assisted learning (CAL) is anapplication promoted by the Lord DowdingFund for Humane Research (LDF) due tothe successful collaboration with ProfessorDavid Dewhurst, who says “..alternatives,in many instances, provide more effectiveteaching and learning than the laboratorypractical which they replace”.
Such alternatives are more humane andresearch has shown they are just aseffective in meeting learning objectives.Computer-based labs have resulted in
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Animals in education
References: 1. Kinzie, M.B., et al (1993). Journal of Research in Science Teaching 30(8):989-1000 2. Leonard, W.H. (1992) Journal of Research in Science Teaching 29(1):93-102 3. www.eurca.org 4. http://oslovet.veths.no/NORINA/ 5. Jukes, N. (2003) From Guinea Pig to Computer Mouse, 2nd Edition, 2003. InterNICHE publication.
27The Animal Defender l Summer 2010ADI
equivalent or significantly better testscores than animal dissections1, 2. Whilstanimals can generally only be used once,alternatives offer an unambiguous andpositive learning experience wherenegative data and unsuccessfulexperiments are not an issue. Economicalarguments also favor alternatives; a one-off computer or simulation packagepurchase is more viable than the continualpurchase of animal specimens3.
In an age where we should be developingadvanced science techniques, that is builton strong ethical foundations, it isdisappointing that such a wasteful use ofanimals still occurs despite the availablealternatives ready for uptake. ForEuropean science to reflect the views ofEU citizens, be economical, competitiveand of a high quality, the area of animaluse in education needs to be, and can be,rapidly addressed at an EU-wide level.The hurdles preventing such a seeminglytrouble-free switch, whether due to a lackof awareness from the teaching staff or alack of resources, will be identified byProfessor Dewhurst in a new LDF-fundedEU survey. It is vital that the training offuture scientists about compassion, ethicsand animal replacement, benefiting bothhumans and animals, should be at thecore of EU education.
Left to right:Professor PaulFurlong; A brainscan from the MRIscanner atProfessor Furlong’sUniversity (Aston);Professor DavidDewhurst.
The established and successfulcollaboration that LDF maintains withBritish University Professor PaulFurlong will be extended, as funding isgranted for another five years. Researchwill be supplemented by subsidizingscanning hours, allowing development andimprovement of cutting-edge neuroimagingtechniques.
The areas of research that LDF will befunding include epilepsy and cognitivefunction, allowing increased understandingof the cognitive processes of brainfunction in health and disease.Traditionally, invasive animal experimentswere used for such research, yieldingscientifically questionable data that is notdirectly applicable to humans.
Another longstanding grant holder,Professor David Dewhurst at theUniversity of edinburgh, has also beenawarded a new grant for 2010. This willenable the fruition of the ReCAL projectwhich, in 2011, will have spanned a time-honoured LDF collaboration of 25 years.The grant will be used for the ReCAL 2project, to enhance the impact ofcomputer-based alternatives to animal usein teaching biomedical sciences, and willallow wide dissemination and uptake ofthe program. Professor Dewhurst and histeam of researchers are also performingan LDF-funded Europe-wide survey onanimal use and alternatives in highereducation, as a basis for making targetedchanges to the future use of animals ineducation worldwide.
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Research Without Animals
Find out more about research without animalsNew Science is the magazine of our research funding section, the Lord Dowding Fund for Humane Research (LDF). Itoutlines the latest developments in research without animals, reports on research funded by LDF, features interviews withleading scientists and more. To request your FRee copy of the latest edition simply fill in your details below, detach andmail to: Animal Defenders International, 6100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1150, LOS ANGELES, CA 90048.
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