Born Free USA In The News

"Elsa: The Lioness That Changed the World" (Brian Leith Productions/BBC/WNET) captured the prestigious Conservation Hero prize at the 11th Jackson Hole (WY)Wildlife Film Festival Awards this week. In the competitive world of documentaries, the work and legacy of pioneering conservationists George and Joy Adamson won plaudits from judges and the public.

Link: Born Free Foundation

There may be fewer men and women sporting full-length sable coats today, but as the cold kicks in, plenty of people are still donning fur earmuffs and fur-trimmed hats and coats. Fur wearing has become more democratized, and now that fake furs look increasingly realistic, it’s hard to tell what comes from an animal and what comes from a machine. And recent controversies over real fur marked as fake prove that the situation isn’t getting any clearer. All of which makes the work of those who know the real cost of fur and are working to end it that much tougher.

Link: E magazine

Monkey, a 3-year-old baboon who had been living in an East Side (Madison, Wis.) laundry room until he was surrendered to the Dane County Humane Society earlier this month, on Aug. 29 was transferred to the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in Texas.

Link: Madison.com

Click on image to see video.

When Tim Ajax took over as the director of the South Texas Born Again USA Primate Sanctuary a couple of years ago, he heard a story from a neighbor about the demise of a nearby town. "Millett was an active, thriving town down here about six miles south of Dilley off of 35,” Ajax said. “They had their own school and general store and it supported a large farming contingency down here.

Link: KXAN.COM

Learning how to respect and respond to wildlife while camping, picnicking, and hiking can mean the difference between co-existing peacefully and being in serious danger. Born Free USA, the leading animal welfare and wildlife conservation organization, reports that there is an increase in wildlife encounters this time of year because families are enjoying activities that take place at the home of these animals.

Link: Bangor (Maine) Daily News

Click on the image to watch the video.

Born Free USA's executive vice president, Adam Roberts, makes a return appearance on "Pet Talk," a program hosted on News 12 Connecticut by meteorologist Lauren Collier. Click here or on the image to watch the program. (Note: Adam is interviewed during the opening minutes of the program.)

The Captive Primate Safety act, introduced by U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., David Vitter, R-La., and Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal, aims to eliminate the interstate sale of monkeys, apes and other non-human primates in the exotic pet trade.

“The captive primate trade involves enormous suffering and threats to human safety,” said Adam Roberts, executive vice president of Born Free USA. “These innocent animals are often confined in small cages and have their teeth extracted. We can’t allow animals to be mutilated in the name of companionship. There is simply no excuse for keeping nonhuman primates as pets. Wildlife belongs in the wild.”

Link: Canton (Conn.) Patch

As our heat wave continues to intensify, the over 500 monkeys at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary down in Dilley, Texas are going about their monkey business to stay cool. The "splish splashes" of monkeys doing cannonball jumps into the water and drenching themselves with water hoses can be heard in enclosures across the sanctuary's 186 acres.

Link: KXAN.com (Texas)