Animal News
Malaysia Seeks More Tests on Dead Pygmy Elephants
An initial chemical analysis on 14 Borneo pygmy elephants that died mysteriously could not conclusively determine if they were poisoned, and more tests will be conducted abroad, an official said Friday (Feb. 8). The endangered elephants were found dead last month in a protected forest in Sabah state on Borneo. Sabah is home to most of the remaining 1,200 Borneo pygmy elephants that exist worldwide. The elephants are feared to have been poisoned because they encroached on Malaysian plantations.
Link: Yahoo! News
Wildlife Advocates Fume Over Army Corps' Razing Of Reserve
Just a stone's throw from two of Los Angeles' busiest freeways lies the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve, a unique spot in an urban jungle. The northern portion of the reserve is adorned with 30-foot-tall cottonwood trees, spots of coyote bush and other plants. Native plants cover 50 percent of the nature spot, says Kris Ohlenkamp with the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society. On the other side it was significantly more than that," he says. A cement corridor leads to the southern part of the reserve. "This 48 acres was the original wildlife area," Ohlenkamp says, "and now it's all gone."
Link: NPR.org
Tiger Kills Circus Trainer in Mexico
An American tiger trainer was mauled and killed at a circus in Northwestern Mexico by one of the big cats performing with him, officials said Tuesday (Feb. 5). Amateur video showed Alex Crispin Suarez, 35, circling around two tigers and making the animals turn while standing on low platforms during a performance on Saturday in the Indian village of Etchojoa in Sonora state.
Link: Yahoo! News
Thai King Revives Interest in Monkey Show
The attention of Thailand’s 85-year-old king is helping revive interest in a fading local tradition — the rollicking Thai monkey show. The show, known in Thailand as “Lakorn Ling,” features monkeys that wear costumes and makeup as they perform roles adapted from Asian classical novels and folklore. The monkeys dance, lip-sync and fight with swords.
Link: WSJ.com
Washington Town Debates Ban on Dogs in Wildlife Sanctuary
Most people seem to agree that setting aside a 55-acre former sewage lagoon as a public wildlife viewing area is a good idea. The disagreement comes over whether dogs should be allowed on the property, owned by the city of Snohomish.
Link: Heraldnet.com
Darwin the Ikea Monkey to Stay at Sanctuary for Now, Court Rules
Darwin the Ikea monkey will remain at the Story Book Farm primate sanctuary until a trial over his ownership, a Superior Court Justice ruled Friday (Feb. 1). Yasmin Nakhuda, the former owner of the Japanese macaque, sat expressionless as Justice Michael Brown read the decision in an Oshawa courtroom Friday morning.
Link: TheStar.com
Restaurant Owner Pleads Innocent to Buying Bear Gall Bladders, Game Animals
The owner of a Richland Chinese restaurant pleaded innocent Wednesday (Jan. 30) to allegations she illegally bought bear gall bladders and game animals from undercover officers. Tai Woan Ng, 52, faces trial April 8 in Benton County Superior Court.
Link: BellinghamHerald.com
More Borneo Elephants Found Dead; Toll Rises to 13
Malaysian authorities discovered the decomposing remains of another three endangered Borneo pygmy elephants on Wednesday (Jan. 30), deepening a mystery surrounding at least 13 such deaths this month. The wildlife department in Malaysia's Sabah state is bracing for the possibility of finding more dead elephants in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, where an unknown number of the animals roam, said Masidi Manjun, Sabah's environment minister.
Link: Yahoo! News
