Latest Stories
Jallikattu as a Spectacle of Patriarchy
No other animal has come close to the cow and the bull in sharing a viscerally intimate relationship with humans, or possibly suffered more for it. The spectacular rituals around bull sports involve young men who sought to demonstrate their virility, masculinity, and ultimately, their sexual domination of the raw potent power of an angry bull.
POETRY: One Earth
When the birds are gone
Will we care?
Will we sit outside
And mourn the quiet?
…
SCORPION Angry at Mass Bird Deaths
“The only way to save our wild birds for future generations to enjoy is to cancel all collecting permits and close the wildlife markets throughout Indonesia – now. If this is not done immediately we risk seeing many birds and animals becoming locally extinct. Can you imagine a forest and sky with no wildlife – because this is a reality facing us all unless our government takes immediate action.”
His Holiness Chatral Rinpoche on Buddhism & Vegetarianism
His Holiness Chatral Rinpoche, the inspiration for the Jangsa Animal Saving Trust and who dedicated his life to saving the lives of other beings, passed away on January 5, 2016. This is a transcribed text of His Holiness Chatral Rinpoche, on his reasons for being a vegetarian.
NBC29 News Story on Cat Dissection—Thanks to our Petition-Signers!
As I made clear in the TV interview, “This [cutting up of cats by high school students] engenders a lack of respect for companion animals, and that’s the complete opposite of what we should be telling our students.” My daughter Brynnan further drives home the point in the interview: “We can’t dissect these cats, they are our companions…they are what we love, what we come home to, what we care about.”
POETRY: Rapture
Come with me
To the forest’s heart
Where the green tapestry
Starred with jeweled birds
And fragrant flowers
Enters the blood
And calls you home…
Legalizing Jallikattu is Unconstitutional and a Betrayal of Values
A bull is every bit as capable of feeling anguish, distress and suffering as a human being, and to justify making any sentient being feel thus for the sake of a sport is offensive to the principles of Indian Dharma. In this regard, Prakash Javadekar has betrayed the very Hindu Dharma that he used as a platform to get himself elected in the first place.
Looking Ahead in 2016, a Bright New Year for Animal People
As we begin the new year, Animal People looks back on the Forum’s accomplishments so far, and the promise that awaits in 2016!
Cat Dissection Petition at 88,000 and Counting! Please Sign and Share
Consider what happened in one Oklahoma City classroom as a result of cat dissection in the classroom: “The disturbing footage posted to Facebook shows nine young students from the flagship charter school – which is rated among the best schools in the USA – making the cat corpses ‘dance’ to music in a school laboratory while being ‘conducted’ by another student.”
Jallikattu: Tamil Nadu Government to Bring Back India’s Cruel Bull Run?
Minister Javadekar has announced that he will restart Jallikattu, Bull fighting and Cow races on January 1st which are extremely cruel activities banned by the Supreme Court of India. It is sad that the same government which could not tolerate the plight of cows in the slaughter houses is OK with restarting hideous games involving deliberately disoriented terrified bulls.
Bringing back a cruel sport?
…it is impossible to hold jallikattu events without inflicting pain and cruelty on the bulls. There is no such thing as “humane” jallikattu…
Chennai floods: Blue Cross saves a buffalo from being washed out to sea
…the ocean was angry like they had never seen and Razman went under a few times, only to pop right back out, get his head high enough to obtain or correct his bearings, and persevere towards the stricken young buffalo.
Treasures in A Swamp
Just me hunting for shots with my camera while the whole family walked ahead of me. I paused for every movement made by the macaques.
POETRY: Mustang
Wild horses.
Flowing manes
Exuberant screaming
Thundering over the plains
In an ecstasy of freedom…
Animal Rights Activists Employ New Tactics to Thwart Hunters
Hounding the hunters is long overdue, but the fight will never be easy because speciesism cuts deep into the human psyche. Animal rights activists are employing a new set of tactics to thwart hunters from taking down wolves, bears, and other game.
Beasts, Buddhas, & Vegan Punks of AFJ: Archipelago Animal Adventures, Days 7-8
Animal People executive director Wolf Clifton recently traveled Indonesia visiting animal projects, prior to the Asia for Animals 2015 conference in Kuching, Malaysia. Highlights in this entry include: animals of myth in ancient temples, and late-night activism with Yogyakarta’s craziest cat ladies!
Conditions of Animals in Indonesian Zoos
Jakarta Animal Aid Network is expressing great concern for the Indonesian animals kept inside zoos. Scattered around the country without any proper legislation regarding their needs of welfare and care.
The Little Christmas Tree
Once upon a time, there was a little Christmas tree. He lived in a forest with his family and all his friends, the birds and the squirrels, the raccoons and the deer and the bears. He couldn’t wait to grow tall and touch the stars and the sky as his father did…
Rescued from raging currents, buffalo gives birth to baby
The flowing currents were battering her from all sides, and it was clear that the soil under her feet was being washed away…
My daughter doesn’t want to skin a cat
Whether she silently took part in skinning and dissecting a companion animal—something that would cause her immense psychological pain—or stood against the practice and further alienated herself from the other students, she was facing trauma either way.