Call for hippos to join list of most endangered animals.
Hippos could be added to the list of the world’s most endangered animals because of dwindling populations caused by the climate crisis, poaching and the ivory trade.
The semi-aquatic mammals are found in lakes and rivers across sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated population of 115,000-130,000. As well as the trade in ivory – found in its teeth – and animal parts, they are threatened by habitat loss and degradation, and the effects of global heating.
Hippos are also legally traded for commercial purposes and hunting trophies under Cites, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
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France introduces new law to end impulse purchases of pets.
A law passed in France in November 2021 to cut down on the number of pet abandonments recently came into effect when it was published in France’s Journal Officiel, at the start of the summer period when, traditionally, the number of pets dumped by their owners rises.
In France, abandoning a pet is punishable by law. Penalties have been increased to a maximum of three years in prison and a €45,000 fine, compared to two years in prison and a €30,000 fine previously.
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HK police seize 126 kittens and puppies smuggled into city from China.
Police on an anti-smuggling operation have confiscated more than 120 kittens and puppies illegally shipped into Hong Kong by speedboat from mainland China.
The 84 kittens and 42 puppies were found inside 46 crates on the speedboat, which a smuggler abandoned when chased, in the city’s northwestern Ha Pak Lai coastal area in Lau Fau Shan at about 11.30pm on Sunday, police said.
HKALPO comments
There continues to be an inordinate demand for pedigree pets here in Hong Kong, which unfortunately catalyses unscrupulous individuals and syndicates into committing offending such as the present one. At no stage during this process will the welfare of the animals be at the forefront of those involved. It is always about commerce.
If expensive pure bred pets are able to be smuggled into Hong Kong without paying the required import fees, those who then go on to sell the animals at a premium retain a bigger slice of the pie. But at what cost?
Those living in Hong Kong will have seen the embarrassingly poor conditions that animals in pet stores continue to be displayed in. Small glass boxes with minimal space and a complete lack of any proper stimuli will only further impact their welfare. Incredibly - this is the visage at is presented to the public. One only wonders what the reality is behind those large metal doors at the back of the pet stores…
It really comes to a matter of supply and demand. If we eliminate the desire for pure bred manicured pets and focus our attention to adopting the thousands of animals that continue to look for forever homes in Hong Kong, then the hope is that we will no longer read about these incidents in the near future.
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Monarch butterflies now listed as an endangered species.
The migratory monarch butterfly—the iconic subspecies common to North America—was declared endangered today by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global leading authority on the status of biological diversity.
The butterfly, known for its twice-yearly, 2,500-mile journey across the continent between its summer and winter grounds, has declined by between 23 and 72 percent in the past 10 years, according to the IUCN.
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HK man arrested after forcing neck of Shiba Inu onto ground.
A 39 year old Hong Kong man has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty after having been caught on video repeatedly pushing violently on a Shiba Inu’s neck in a dog park. The Shiba Inu was pressed to the ground by the man for more than half a minute and seen to be clearly distressed and panicked.
Investigations revealed that the Shiba Inu was not his pet and that he had forced the dog’s neck onto the ground as a way to ‘teach’ the dog a lesson.
Courtesy of Chloe Ip.
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Owner of dog who died on plane offered 'cargo weight' compensation.
After the tragic death of her Golden Retriever Maverick, on a China Southern Airlines flight bound for British Columbia, Canada, back in July 2020, the owner of the dog has only been offered ‘cargo weight’ compensation amounting to just over US$1,600.
Monique Collette is still seeking justice for the pet she adopted as a puppy when teaching English in China, who became her closest companion and was placed on a flight ahead of her own after she hired a professional pet mover to ensure her dogs safe passage to North America.
HKALPO reacts:
Despite our companion animals often considered as part of our family, the law in Hong Kong (and other jurisdictions) still only treats animals as ‘property’. This means that where there has been damage and/or loss caused to your pet, the law only provides compensation based on the value of your pet. This of course fails to take into account the importance of a domestic pet to many people and strikes a discordant note in current times.
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Malaysian customs seize elephant tusks, rhino horns and pangolin scales destined for China.
Malaysian customs officials said on Monday they seized a stash of rare animal parts worth US$18 million thought to have come from Africa, including elephant tusks, rhino horns and pangolin scales.
Malaysia is one of several Southeast Asian countries identified by conservationists as a major transit point for illegally trafficked endangered wildlife that is en route to other Asian countries, mostly China.
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Case Summary: Sarkar v Howe
Advocates for Animals recently acted for Jessica Sarkar, a volunteer at New Dawn Malinois Rehoming (NDMR) Dog Rescue, who bought a successful private prosecution against a company director who fostered two of NDMR’s dogs, refused to return them, and allowed them to become emaciated, causing one of them unnecessary suffering.
HKALPO reacts
The UK is incredibly fortunate to have Advocates for Animals continuing to not only identify problems with animal welfare and law, but also to take that step further to bring a private prosecution on behalf of a volunteer at a dog rescue centre. The work Advocates for Animals does is to be exemplified and commended and we hope that other jurisdictions including Hong Kong can follow in their mammoth footsteps.
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (UK) completely outshines the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals Ordinance, Cap 169. More specifically, where the UK legislation has in place a duty of care provision, Hong Kong legislation still has yet to implement the same.
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World's oldest male giant panda in captivity loses appetite and in low spirits.
An An, the world’s oldest male giant panda under human care, has lost its appetite and is in low spirits, according to Hong Kong’s Ocean Park. The animal, born in Sichuan province in southwestern China, arrived in Hong Kong in 1999 along with a female giant panda named Jia Jia as a gift from Beijing to the city. The latter died in 2016, aged 38.
HKALPO reacts
Zoo’s play very little part in true conservation. There are of course problems with animals in their natural environment but one must remember that we were the ones that went and railroaded their environment. We have destroyed their natural habitats, taken these animals out of the wild and put them into enclosures that are completely unnatural and inadequate to support positive animal welfare. This in turn, naturally, causes animals to suffer from depression and other situations that cause animals to suffer as a result of being held captive and taken from the wild.
The only way to any meaningful wildlife conservation is in-situ. This means spending money on protecting animals in the wild from poaching, habitat destruction and being exploited for entertainment or sold as exotic pets. Keeping wild animals in captivity is not conservation.
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HK man arrested after hitting cat with car and fleeing.
Police have arrested a 42-year-old man after a video went viral showing a cat being struck by a black seven-seater car and then collapsing on a roadside in Hong Kong.
The Road Traffic (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 came into effect on November 7 last year and all drivers are now required to stop their vehicles if they hit a cat or dog. Previously, the definition of “animal” in an accident only covered horses, cattle, asses, mules, sheep, pigs or goats.
HKALPO reacts
Sadly instances such as the above are not rare in Hong Kong, but continue to happen on almost a daily basis. This is why it remains incredibly important to speak out when you see such acts of cruelty and injustice committed against animals. Our animals here in Hong Kong do not have a voice, so we as citizens must be their voice.
A secondary to this is the enforcement of present laws. There is no utility to having laws that set out penalties for committing offences against animals if there is no enforcement by the Hong Kong Police. Animal related cases should be seen as important as other cases, and the same level of investigation and effort must be employed
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Customs Dog Sniffs Out Hundreds of Endangered Seahorses at German Airport
Customs officers found more than 800 endangered seahorses being smuggled through an airport to be used as "natural viagra" by bogus healers.
The dried seahorses had been stashed in a freight package going through Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport when they were found by a sniffer dog. The 5-kilogram (11-pound) package was reportedly in transit from Senegal, West Africa, to Laos in southeast Asia, when it was found.
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Bears, chimpanzees and pangolins to be better protected by new UK funding
The British government has announced plans to better protect endangered species around the world, such as bears, chimpanzees and pangolins, clamping down on the illegal wildlife trade.
The latest round of the UK's Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, announced on Friday, will offer grants of up to £1.5 million to environmental groups helping to tackle the worldwide issue.
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Women Arrested In Thailand With 109 Live Wild Animals in Luggage
Wildlife officials at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport arrested two women from India after 109 live wild animals were found in their samsonite luggage prior to boarding their flight to India.
The animals were found when officials x-rayed the luggage bags of the women, according to Sathon Khong-ngern, head of the wildlife checkpoint at Suvarnabhumi.
There were two white porcupines, two armadillos, 35 turtles, 50 lizards, and 20 snakes in their luggage.
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Hong Kong man arrested for alleged cruelty to six rabbits.
Hong Kong police have arrested a 66-year-old man on suspicion of animal cruelty after six rabbits were found without enough water.
The force said “six rabbits were found in crates outside the house. The hygiene of the place was poor and there was not enough water…The examination showed the rabbits were not in life-threatening condition. They were later collected by a relevant animal welfare organisation for further examination.”
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Premier League Star Sentenced for Kicking and Slapping Cat.
Premier League footballer Kurt Zouma has been sentenced to 180 hours of community service after pleading guilty to kicking and slapping a cat after a video went viral in early February 2022.
The West Ham defender, 27, was also banned from keeping cats for five years. West Ham have also since fined Zouma two weeks salary, which was donated to local animal welfare charities.
Courtesy of Wong Jing Shan
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UK tenants to be given legal right to keep pets in rented homes.
The UK government could soon make it easier for people with pets to rent houses.
A policy document setting out proposals for new rental market legislation was published yesterday. It states that among many measures, the Renters Reform Bill would stop landlords from including blanket “no pet” clauses in contracts.
This means that landlords would have to provide a reasonable explanation if they do not want tenants to have companion animals. Tenants will also have the right to challenge a landlord if they prevent them from keeping a pet.
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Top New York Court Rules Happy the Elephant Is Not Legally a Person.
An Asian elephant named Happy that has been at the Bronx Zoo for more than 40 years will remain there after New York’s highest court ruled on Tuesday that she is not a person, in a legal sense, and therefore not entitled to a fundamental human right.
By a 5-to-2 vote, the Court of Appeals rejected an animal-advocacy organisation’s argument that Happy was being illegally detained at the zoo and should be transferred to a more natural environment.
The dispute hinged on whether the cornerstone legal principle of habeas corpus — which people assert to protect their bodily liberty and to contest illegal confinement — should be extended to autonomous, cognitively complex animals like elephants. No, the court said.
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New York Passes Bill To Ban Sale of Dogs, Cats and Rabbits in Pet Stores.
A bill that would ban pet stores in New York state from selling dogs, cats and rabbits has passed the state legislature and is awaiting the signature of Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).
The bill, which passed the legislature this week, is largely aimed at fighting large-scale “puppy mill”-style breeding operations. However, the bill does not directly target these facilities ― many of which exist outside of New York and thus outside the jurisdiction of New York state law. Instead, it focuses on pet stores, which primarily source their pets from.
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US Troops linked to cat attacks in Hawaii.
Cats have been found shot with blow darts and mutilated near a US Army barracks in Hawaii, according to an animal-welfare organisation.
KAT Charities founder Dr Karen Tyson said organisation was worried troops stationed at the Schofield Army Barracks in Hawaii could be linked to the animal abuse.
Soldiers convicted of animal cruelty can be dishonourably discharged as well as facing fines and incarceration.
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Landmark Ivory Ban Comes Into Effect In UK.
A near total ban on the import, export and dealing of items containing elephant ivory comes into force (6th June), putting the UK at the forefront of global conservation efforts.
Elephants are commonly targeted for their ivory tusks and the demand for ivory is known to contribute to poaching, driving a decline in elephant populations. The ban will ensure vital protection for the world’s elephants by putting a stop to the UK trade in ivory.
The ban covers ivory items of all ages, not only those produced after a certain date, allowing only a narrowly defined set of exemptions. As a result, it will now be illegal to deal in ivory items unless they have been registered or have an exemption certificate.
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