Can Biologists Describe New Species Without Killing Them?
Typically, when describing a new species, biologists kill a member of the species to serve as a physical specimen. It’s time to rethink this practice.
Author Wolf Gordon Clifton
Wolf Gordon Clifton
Born and raised within the animal rights movement, Wolf Gordon Clifton has always felt strongly connected to other creatures and concerned for their well-being. Beginning in childhood he contributed drawings of animals for publication in Animal People News, and traveled with his parents to attend conferences and visit animal projects all over the world. During high school he began writing for the newspaper and contributing in various additional ways around the Animal People office. His first solo trip overseas, to film a promotional video for the Bali Street Dog Foundation in Indonesia, led him to create the animated film Yudisthira's Dog, retelling the story of an ancient Hindu king famed for his loyalty to a street dog. It also inspired lifelong interests in animation and world religion, which he went on to study for college at Vanderbilt University. Wolf graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and minors in Film Studies and Astronomy. In 2015, he received a Master of Arts in Museology and Graduate Certificate in Astrobiology from the University of Washington. His thesis project, the online exhibit Beyond Human: Animals, Aliens, and Artificial Intelligence, brings together animal rights, astrobiology, and AI research to explore the ethics of humans' relationships with other sentient beings, and can be viewed on the Animal People Forum. His diverse training and life experiences enable him to research and write about a wide variety of animal-related issues, in a global context and across the humanities, arts, and sciences. In his spare time, he does paleontological work for the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, and writes for the community blog Neon Observatory. Click to see author's profile.
How Animal Protection Impacts All 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals
Recognizing the connections between animal protection and the SDGs can help advocates maximize impact, win government support, and collaborate with other stakeholders.
Making Sense of Sacrifice: An Interview with the High Priest of Gadhimai
The Gadhimai Festival is again underway in Nepal. An interview with the High Priest of Gadhimai offers unsettling insights into the world’s largest animal sacrifice event.
Highland Harvest: Vegan Recipes for Four Traditional Scottish Dishes
Try out these four delicious vegan recipes for traditional Scottish delicacies: Cock-A-Leekie Soup, Haggis, Rumbledethumps, and Cranachan. Then try making vegan versions of traditional dishes from your own ancestral cultures!
Ask Maryland to ban bowhunting of cownose rays!
Write to Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources and ask them to pass regulations banning bowhunting of cownose rays from July 1st through December 31st.
Does God Demand Sacrifice? The Muslim Case for a Bloodless Eid
On September 12th, Muslims around the world will celebrate the Eid al Adha by ritually slaughtering animals. But is animal sacrifice actually required by Islam? A number of Muslim scholars argue that ritual slaughter as practiced today is unnecessary and possibly even haram (forbidden).
Profanity Peak Wolf Massacre, and the Profane History of Human Tyranny
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Facing Our Fellow Beings: ‘Beyond Human,’ An Online Exhibit
How should we as humans relate to our fellow sentient beings – those we coexist with now, and whom we may encounter in the future? Animal People’s online exhibit, ‘Beyond Human: Animals, Aliens, & Artificial Intelligence,’ explores what we know of non-human intelligence and the questions it raises.
Why a “Humane Economy” Must Be a Veg Economy
According to Wayne Pacelle, president of HSUS and author of The Humane Economy, animal protection should not be seen as a sacrifice, but an opportunity. If this is so, the logical conclusion must be to promote veg alternatives to meat, eggs, and dairy, rather than animal products produced with slightly less cruelty.
Seeds of Great Compassion: Vegetarianism in Confucian & Buddhist Context
Confucius taught that a noble person should not abandon morality for the space of a single meal. From his time 2500 years ago until the present day, one question has loomed especially large over the Chinese dinner table: is it morally acceptable to kill animals for food?
Disney’s ‘Zootopia,’ An Evolution in Animal Fables
Stories featuring anthropomorphic animals have been a staple of human culture for millennia, but Disney’s new animated film stands out from the herd by depicting animals not just as stand-ins for humans, but unique sentient beings with interests and value of their own.
Danger For Muslims Who Protest Animal Sacrifice
Egyptian writer Fatima Naoot has been sentenced to three years in prison for “insulting Islam” by criticizing the Eid al-Adha animal sacrifice. Yet there are many devout Muslims who argue against the Eid slaughter as contrary to their religion’s true values.