Cher in Pakistan for resettlement of 'loneliest elephant'
KATHY GANNON
Associated Press Fri, November 27, 2020, 1:57 AM CST
An elephant named "Kaavan," who waiting to be transported to a sanctuary in Cambodia, walks at the Maragzar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. Iconic singer and actress Cher was set to visit Pakistan on Friday to celebrate the departure of Kaavan, dubbed the “world’s loneliest elephant,” who will soon leave a Pakistani zoo for better conditions after years of lobbying by animal rights groups and activists. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Dr. Amir Khalil, a veterinary from the international animal welfare organization "Four Paws" talks to The Associated Press near an elephant named "Kaavan" waiting to be transported to a sanctuary in Cambodia, at the Maragzar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. Iconic singer and actress Cher was set to visit Pakistan on Friday to celebrate the departure of Kaavan, dubbed the “world’s loneliest elephant,” who will soon leave a Pakistani zoo for better conditions after years of lobbying by animal rights groups and activists. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
FILE - In this Sept. 4, 2020, file photo, Dr. Amir Khalil, a veterinary from the international animal welfare organization "Four Paws" comforts to an elephant named "Kaavan" during his examination at the Maragzar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan. Iconic singer and actress Cher was set to visit Pakistan on Friday, Nov. 27, 2020 to celebrate the departure of Kaavan, dubbed the “world’s loneliest elephant,” who will leave his Pakistani zoo for better conditions after years of lobbying by animal rights groups and activists. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)
Volunteers paint an image of an elephant named "Kaavan"on a crate to be used to be transported Kaavan to a sanctuary in Cambodia, at the Maragzar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. Iconic singer and actress Cher was set to visit Pakistan on Friday to celebrate the departure of Kaavan, dubbed the “world’s loneliest elephant,” who will soon leave a Pakistani zoo for better conditions after years of lobbying by animal rights groups and activists. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
A photographer takes a picture of an elephant named "Kaavan" waiting to be transported to a sanctuary in Cambodia, at the Maragzar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. Iconic singer and actress Cher was set to visit Pakistan on Friday to celebrate the departure of Kaavan, dubbed the “world’s loneliest elephant,” who will soon leave a Pakistani zoo for better conditions after years of lobbying by animal rights groups and activists. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Volunteers paint an image of an elephant named "Kaavan" on a crate to be used to be transported Kaavan to a sanctuary in Cambodia, at the Maragzar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. Iconic singer and actress Cher was set to visit Pakistan on Friday to celebrate the departure of Kaavan, dubbed the “world’s loneliest elephant,” who will soon leave a Pakistani zoo for better conditions after years of lobbying by animal rights groups and activists. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
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Pakistan Loneliest Elephant
An elephant named "Kaavan," who waiting to be transported to a sanctuary in Cambodia, walks at the Maragzar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. Iconic singer and actress Cher was set to visit Pakistan on Friday to celebrate the departure of Kaavan, dubbed the “world’s loneliest elephant,” who will soon leave a Pakistani zoo for better conditions after years of lobbying by animal rights groups and activists. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Iconic singer and actress Cher is in Pakistan to celebrate the departure of Kaavan, dubbed the “world’s loneliest elephant,” who will soon leave a Pakistani zoo for better conditions after years of lobbying by animal rights groups and activists.
Because of security concerns, Cher's schedule was not made public. However, she met Friday with Prime Minister Imran Khan and was expected to visit Kaavan later in the trip, according to the prime minister's office. Khan's office released a video of the singer sitting with the prime minister outside on the expansive grounds of Khan's residence.
Kaavan is set to leave for a sanctuary in Cambodia on Sunday, said Martin Bauer, spokesman for Four Paws International, a global animal welfare group that's led the charge to save Kaavan since 2016..
The animal has languished in the zoo for 35 years, most of those years in chains, and lost his partner in 2012. She died after an infection turned gangrenous and her body lay beside Kaavan for several days before being removed, said Dr. Amir Khalil, veterinarian with Four Paws. Khalil said Kaavan was heartbroken after his partner died.
Activists dubbed Kaavan the “world’s loneliest elephant" after his plight gained international attention and the unhappy elephant was diagnosed as emotionally as well as physically damaged.
Khalil has treated the elephant's many wounds and ailments over the past three months. Kaavan has been diagnosed by veterinarians as both overweight and malnourished, and also suffers behavioral issues due to his isolation.
Cher took up Kaavan’s cause and has been a loud voice advocating for his resettlement. Four Paws, which often carries out animal rescue missions, will accompany Kaavan to the sanctuary.
In a tweet following her meeting with Pakistan's prime minister, Cher said she thanked Khan “for making it possible for me to take Kaavan to Cambodia.” She tweeted she was making a documentary on Kaavan and said, “think documentary will be heartwarming.”
Even after he’s in Cambodia, Kaavan will require years of physical and even psychological assistance, Bauer said.
Because of the abysmal living conditions blamed on systemic negligence, Pakistan's high court in May ordered the closure of Marghazar Zoo in the capital of Islamabad, where Kaavan has lived for much of his life.
A medical examination in September showed Kaavan's nails were cracked and overgrown — the result of years of living in an improper enclosure with flooring that damaged his feet.
The elephant has also developed behaviors including shaking his head back and forth for hours, which the medical team of wildlife veterinarians and experts blamed on his utter boredom.
For the past three months, a Four Paws team including veterinarian Khalil and the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board have been readying Kaavan to leave.
Khalil first met Kaavan in 2016 and returned to the zoo in August, where he was saddened by the animal's condition. Khalil has spent the last three months trying to get him ready for his trip to Cambodia.
Kaavan was put on a diet of fruit and vegetables and has lost half a ton (450 kilograms), he said. Previously, Kaavan was eating 250 kilograms (550 pounds) of pure sugar cane every day, with an occasional fruit and vegetable.
The veterinarian said this was the first time in 30 years that he developed a strong emotional bond with a rescue animal. Now, the “world's loneliest elephant” comes lumbering over when he hears Khalil's voice.'
“I was always moving, so never allowed myself to develop an emotional attachment,” but with Kaavan he couldn't resist, Khalil said. He said he has pampered and protected him for the past three months, cajoling him into losing weight as well as being less fidgety and more relaxed so he can make the trip to Cambodia.
Khalil said there are many elephants at the sanctuary, but in particular three female elephants are awaiting Kaavan's arrival. Khalil joked that Kaavan might just find a girlfriend there.
Bauer lauded the powerful impact celebrity voices can have for animal rights.
“Celebrities lending their voices to good causes are always welcomed, as they help starting public discourse and raising pressure on responsible authorities,” he said.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/enterta ... 27794.html
Cruel Acts Against Animals
Public outcry in Australia after racing pigeon that survived 13,000km flight from Alabama faces death row
Giovanni Torre
The TelegraphThu, January 14, 2021, 9:35 AM
Joe the pigeon has been named after Joe Biden - Channel 9 via AP
A racing pigeon that got lost during a race in the US and made its way to Melbourne could soon be on death row, facing euthanasia as it's been branded a potential biohazard.
The bird, nicknamed Joe by Kevin Celli-Bird, who found him in his backyard on 26 December, disappeared from a race in Oregon on Oct 29.
Joe had survived a journey of at least 13,000km across the Pacific Ocean. Brad Turner, association secretary of the Australian National Pigeon Association, said he had heard of cases of Chinese racing pigeons reaching the Australian west coast aboard cargo ships, a much shorter voyage.
It is believed Joe may have been a stowaway for part of his epic journey.
On Thursday Mr Celli-Bird alerted the public to the fact the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service had called him on to ask him to catch the bird, after its arrival was reported in local media.
Mr Celli-Bird told The Guardian that the authorities were concerned about bird diseases.
“They wanted to know if I could help them out. I said, 'To be honest, I can’t catch it. I can get within 500mm of it and then it moves,” he said, noting that originally the bird was tired and weak, but now was impossible for him to catch.
He said quarantine authorities were considering contracting a professional bird catcher. Many Australians expressed dismay at the thought of Joe being on death row, simply for being from the United States.
“They ought to give him a nice home,” Perth resident Jarrad Robb told the Telegraph.
Mr Celli-Bird told Guardian Australia he found Joe “having a drink and a wash” in his backyard fountain.
The Oklahoma-based American Pigeon Union has confirmed that Joe was registered to an owner in Montgomery, Alabama.
Mr Celli-Bird said he had attempted to contact the owner, but had not been unable to get in touch with them yet.
While he named Joe after Joe Biden, the name could also be seen as a tribute to GI Joe, a US army pigeon who served in North Africa during the Second World War.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/pu ... 06467.html
Giovanni Torre
The TelegraphThu, January 14, 2021, 9:35 AM
Joe the pigeon has been named after Joe Biden - Channel 9 via AP
A racing pigeon that got lost during a race in the US and made its way to Melbourne could soon be on death row, facing euthanasia as it's been branded a potential biohazard.
The bird, nicknamed Joe by Kevin Celli-Bird, who found him in his backyard on 26 December, disappeared from a race in Oregon on Oct 29.
Joe had survived a journey of at least 13,000km across the Pacific Ocean. Brad Turner, association secretary of the Australian National Pigeon Association, said he had heard of cases of Chinese racing pigeons reaching the Australian west coast aboard cargo ships, a much shorter voyage.
It is believed Joe may have been a stowaway for part of his epic journey.
On Thursday Mr Celli-Bird alerted the public to the fact the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service had called him on to ask him to catch the bird, after its arrival was reported in local media.
Mr Celli-Bird told The Guardian that the authorities were concerned about bird diseases.
“They wanted to know if I could help them out. I said, 'To be honest, I can’t catch it. I can get within 500mm of it and then it moves,” he said, noting that originally the bird was tired and weak, but now was impossible for him to catch.
He said quarantine authorities were considering contracting a professional bird catcher. Many Australians expressed dismay at the thought of Joe being on death row, simply for being from the United States.
“They ought to give him a nice home,” Perth resident Jarrad Robb told the Telegraph.
Mr Celli-Bird told Guardian Australia he found Joe “having a drink and a wash” in his backyard fountain.
The Oklahoma-based American Pigeon Union has confirmed that Joe was registered to an owner in Montgomery, Alabama.
Mr Celli-Bird said he had attempted to contact the owner, but had not been unable to get in touch with them yet.
While he named Joe after Joe Biden, the name could also be seen as a tribute to GI Joe, a US army pigeon who served in North Africa during the Second World War.
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/pu ... 06467.html
Re: Cruel Acts Against Animals
AFP
New Delhi to hide street dogs ahead of G20 summit
Fri, August 4, 2023 at 7:33 AM CDT
India's capital will catch, sterilise and hide thousands of stray dogs roaming its streets as part of a campaign to clean up the megacity before it hosts next month's G20 summit.
New Delhi's municipal government plans to use nets to trap the canines from dozens of locations including around boutique hotels and some of the city's most impressive monuments and tourist hotspots, such as the 17th century Red Fort.
On Thursday authorities directed city employees to begin rounding up dogs for transport to local animal sterilisation centres "due to the G20 summit".
"All stray dogs picked up from these locations shall be kept... for their further care and feeding till the programme is over," the order said.
The Delhi metropolitan area, home to around 30 million people, has been on an intense beautification drive since India assumed the G20 presidency last year.
Authorities have cleared illegal slums near summit venues and revamped major arterial routes on the city's gridlocked roads ahead of September's summit, which will host leaders of the world's top economies.
More than 60,000 stray dogs live on Delhi's streets according to India's Livestock Census of 2012, the most recent available government figures.
Sterilisation campaigns have been regularly employed by local authorities to keep the canine population in check, though dog packs remain present in parks and residential neighbourhoods around the city.
"These government people take them away to do sterilisation then bring them back again," Mohmmad Irfan, a shopkeeper based near the city's Jama Masjid mosque, told AFP.
"They don't have a permanent solution."
Many of Delhi's strays are beloved by their adopted neighbourhoods despite lacking formal owners, with some dogs clothed in special canine jackets to keep warm during the city's harsh winters.
But they are also a hazard to humans, with local media regularly reporting on the mauling of young children by aggressive dog packs across the country.
In 2018, angry villagers killed 13 stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh state after three children under the age of 12 were mauled to death on the same day.
Roughly 17 million dog bites are reported across India each year and the World Health Organization says that nearly 20,000 people nationwide die of rabies annually.
Delhi's relocation plan risked dangerously agitating the dogs, Meet Ashar of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) told AFP.
"They are not used to being handled and picked up with nets and being transported," he said.
"The next time they are approached by a human being, perhaps they could react in a defensive manner out of fear."
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/de ... 22627.html
New Delhi to hide street dogs ahead of G20 summit
Fri, August 4, 2023 at 7:33 AM CDT
India's capital will catch, sterilise and hide thousands of stray dogs roaming its streets as part of a campaign to clean up the megacity before it hosts next month's G20 summit.
New Delhi's municipal government plans to use nets to trap the canines from dozens of locations including around boutique hotels and some of the city's most impressive monuments and tourist hotspots, such as the 17th century Red Fort.
On Thursday authorities directed city employees to begin rounding up dogs for transport to local animal sterilisation centres "due to the G20 summit".
"All stray dogs picked up from these locations shall be kept... for their further care and feeding till the programme is over," the order said.
The Delhi metropolitan area, home to around 30 million people, has been on an intense beautification drive since India assumed the G20 presidency last year.
Authorities have cleared illegal slums near summit venues and revamped major arterial routes on the city's gridlocked roads ahead of September's summit, which will host leaders of the world's top economies.
More than 60,000 stray dogs live on Delhi's streets according to India's Livestock Census of 2012, the most recent available government figures.
Sterilisation campaigns have been regularly employed by local authorities to keep the canine population in check, though dog packs remain present in parks and residential neighbourhoods around the city.
"These government people take them away to do sterilisation then bring them back again," Mohmmad Irfan, a shopkeeper based near the city's Jama Masjid mosque, told AFP.
"They don't have a permanent solution."
Many of Delhi's strays are beloved by their adopted neighbourhoods despite lacking formal owners, with some dogs clothed in special canine jackets to keep warm during the city's harsh winters.
But they are also a hazard to humans, with local media regularly reporting on the mauling of young children by aggressive dog packs across the country.
In 2018, angry villagers killed 13 stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh state after three children under the age of 12 were mauled to death on the same day.
Roughly 17 million dog bites are reported across India each year and the World Health Organization says that nearly 20,000 people nationwide die of rabies annually.
Delhi's relocation plan risked dangerously agitating the dogs, Meet Ashar of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) told AFP.
"They are not used to being handled and picked up with nets and being transported," he said.
"The next time they are approached by a human being, perhaps they could react in a defensive manner out of fear."
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/de ... 22627.html