http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4940173

A man, a wolf and a whole new world

http://tinyurl.com/2mch55
Steve Gooder tells the tale of a British-born hunter and his mighty
foe - and how their duel in the dying days of the Wild West led to the
birth of America's conservation movement

It was the moment Ernest Thompson Seton had been waiting for. After
months of frustration, the professional wolf hunter finally had his
quarry in his sights.

He raised his Winchester rifle and prepared to put a bullet between
the eyes of "Old Lobo", a notorious wolf that had killed hundreds of
cattle.

But, face to face with his adversary for the first time, something
deep within the hunter changed. He slowly lowered his gun and decided
to take Lobo back alive.

The year was 1894 and it was a moment that would prove a crucial
turning point, not just for Seton, but also for the fate of America's
wilderness and its wild creatures.

It was on the 26th, actually, but I still thought it was worth
mentioning.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.books.childrens/browse_thread/thread/89b...#4b97a92fda7e3738

Lenona.

March 29: How the Death of One Pup Sums Up Everything That's Wrong
with Canada's Seal Hunt

http://tinyurl.com/5n5th

THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE, March 29—Today was the first day of the
commercial seal hunt in Canada. And despite gale force winds, sleet,
and rain, The HSUS Seal Watch team was there on the ice floes to bear
witness to this slaughter and document the cruelty.

Tonight, after several hours on the ice observing the hunt, I sit
here, trying to do the impossible—to find words that would come close
to describing what we have seen. What we witnessed was unconscionable,
and I can think of no way to adequately capture the fear, misery, and
betrayal we saw in all directions.

And that is why I find myself writing mostly about one baby seal. One
who endured unimaginable suffering so her skin could be turned into a
fur coat. One who wanted to live so badly that she fought for more
than an hour as blood oozed from her mouth and nose. One who
desperately needed help that we had no way of providing.

And one who has come to symbolize for me all the reasons why this hunt
should be stopped for good.

Frequently Asked Questions About Canada's Seal Slaughter
http://www.furisdead.com/feat-sealhunt-faq.asp

How Many Seals Are Killed Annually?

In 2005, the government quota for the number of seals who could be
killed was 320,000, and in 2006, it was raised by 5,000 because of
government reports that the seal population is "flourishing." However,
scientists argue that the Canadian government failed to take into
account changes in the environment, like food availability, toxins,
and global warming (which may adversely affect the populations of harp
seals, because they give birth on ice floes) when setting
"sustainable" hunting quotas.

Are Baby Seals Still Being Killed?
It is legal to kill seal pups when they are about 12 days old, or as
soon as they have molted their white natal fur. During last year's
hunt, almost all the seals killed were 3 months old or younger. Many
had not learned how to swim or eaten their first solid meal. They are
helpless and have no escape from their violent end.

Tell Gucci to Stop Clubbing Baby Seals

http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/gucci_seals
After hearing from supporters in Russia who have seen Gucci boots made
from seal fur for sale in that country, PETA is urging the Italian
fashion house to banish all fur from its collections. By selling seal
fur, Gucci is responsible for the horrors of the Canadian seal hunt
that have repeatedly been documented on video.

Despite a public outcry across the globe, hunters in Canada massacre
hundreds of thousands of seals every year in order to sell their skins
and rake in profits. Sealers bludgeon seals with clubs and "hakapiks"
(clubs with a metal hook on the end), drag conscious seals across ice
floes with boat hooks, and toss dead and dying animals into heaps,
leaving their carcasses to rot because there is no market for their
meat. Seals are also shot, but bludgeoning is preferred because pelt
buyers deduct money for each bullet hole in a seal's skin.

Please let Gucci know that whether it comes from clubbing baby seals,
electrocuting minks on fur farms, or crushing lynxes' legs in steel
traps, every fur item that Gucci sells represents unimaginable
suffering.

http://www.wickedwildlifefund.com/test.html

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been actively pressuring government
agencies in the United States, Canada, and Europe to greatly increase
the amount of testing that they require for new and existing
pesticides and other chemicals. The result of the WWFÂ’s lobbying has
been the establishment of what threaten to be the largest
animal-testing programs of all time.

The WWF was the driving force in pressuring the U.S. Congress to
legislate the screening of chemicals for “endocrine (hormone)
disrupting” effects and has subsequently been heavily involved in
establishing...

http://www.wickedwildlifefund.com/petaandwwf.html

April 24, 2000–The WWF spearheads a joint letter to U.S. senators and
representatives challenging PETAÂ’s opposition to the EPAÂ’s massive
animal-testing program known as the Endocrine Disruptor Screening
Program. (Click
http://www.wickedwildlifefund.com/images/EPAletter.pdf
here to read the letter.) (PDF Format)

2000–The WWF’s European Toxics Program pushes for “numerous suspected
substances” to be tested for hormonal effects using a two-generation
reproduction toxicity study, which kills more than 2,500 animals per
chemical tested. (Click here
http://www.wickedwildlifefund.com/images/00EUendocrinecomments_.pdf
to read the WWFÂ’s comments.) (PDF Format)

http://www.wickedwildlifefund.com/test.html

The World Wildlife Fund (also known as the Worldwide Fund for Nature,
or simply WWF) has been actively pressuring government agencies in the
U.S., Europe, and Canada to increase the amount of testing that they
require for pesticides and other chemicals. The result of the WWFÂ’s
lobbying has been the establishment of what threaten to be the largest
animal-testing programs of all time.

And thatÂ’s not all. As one would expect of an organization founded by
trophy hunters, the WWF does not oppose killing animals for sport. The
WWF believes that culling (read “killing”) elephants and seals is OK,
it supports the slaughter of whales by native tribes, and it refuses
to speak out against steel-jaw leghold traps.

Surprised? Click on the buttons to your left to learn more about why
PETA thinks the WWF should change its name to the Wicked Wildlife
Fund.

The WWF Endorses the Killing of Wild Animals, Too

http://www.wickedwildlifefund.com/abuse.html
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) gives special meaning to the word
“conservation.” The organization, founded in 1961 by a group of
wealthy trophy hunters, apparently believes that conserving animals
means keeping them around long enough for well-heeled “sportsmen” to
blast them out of the woods, oceans, skies, plains of Africa, and
jungles of Asia. Past WWF chapter presidents include C.R. “Pink”
Gutermuth, who also served as president of the National Rifle
Association, and trophy hunter Francis L. Kellogg, who is legendary
for his massive kills. In its early days, the WWF even used fur
auctions to raise funds.