Puppy Mills

I have been contemplating if I should touch on this topic because people wouldn't usually associate wildlife animals with stray dogs and puppy mills. However, I've decided to dedicate my last blog post to this topic because it is the very reason that led me to become interested in transferring to BES.

I started off being a dog lover when I got my very first puppy when I was 17. Back then, I didn't know about the existence of puppy mills and the severity of the number of dogs that were living in shelters. I guess I was one of those who bought cute cuddly puppies from the pet store and I still feel guilty when I think about it today. The love for dogs then spread to other animals and then the environment. I decided that I wanted to spend my life helping animals and the environment.

I started learning about dog abuse and puppy mills through social media.
Puppy mills are large-scale commercial dog operations that are more concerned about their profits rather than the well-being of the dogs - who are often severely neglected - and acts without regard to responsible breeding practices (ASPCA, n.d.)

Dogs are often housed in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions without proper veterinary care, food, water and socialization. They are also crammed in cages that are wired which can hurt their paws. These dogs often live in their own defecate and thus fall sick with many health problems Female dogs are forced to breed at every chance they can without sufficient recovery time between batches of litters. When they are no longer able to mate, their handlers then leave them to die.

This heartbreaking video show the fate of dogs in puppy mills and the conditions that they live in.

The Reality of Puppy Mills (The Humane Society of the United States, 2011).

There's no doubt that I love my dog very much but if I could turn back the clock, I would definitely have adopted a dog from one of our local shelters. I then started volunteering at one of the dog shelters at Pasir Ris Farmway and it brought me great joy to be able to bring these abandoned dogs out for walks. For all you dog-lovers and future dog-owners, do your part and stop the support for puppy mills. Adopt from your local shelter. No matter where the dog comes from, whether it is from a shelter or from a puppy mill, the love that they can give you will be boundless.

Thank you for reading!

References:

ASPCA, (n.d.). Puppy Mill FAQ. [online] ASPCA. Available at: http://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/puppy-mills/puppy-mill-faq [Accessed 29 Oct. 2015].

The Humane Society of the United States, (2011). The Reality of Puppy Mills. [video] Available at: https://youtu.be/ZVyFSTYY7zg [Accessed 29 Oct. 2015].

Tickling Slow Lorises

Being a rock climber myself, I am often being called a slow loris because of the way I climb. Slow and steady, taking my time on the climbing wall - quite different from most climbers. This sparked my interest in the actual animal slow loris.

There have been pictures and videos on social media showing how slow lorises raise their arms in the air when they are being tickled and these "cute" character of slow lorises caused an increase in demand in the pet trade industry. As with all pet trade industries, the poor animals are often being bred intentionally and live in horrible conditions when being transported from place to place.

The act of these slow lorises raising their arms in the air is actually part of their defense in which they are accessing a venomous gland in their elbows (The Dodo, 2015). They actually have a strong defense mechanism, which is a venomous bite. However, their teeth are being removed brutally without anesthesia by their captors, leaving them defenseless.

Watch this video by the International Animal Rescue (IAR) on their campaign - Tickling Is Torture.

The truth behind the slow loris pet trade (International Animal Rescue, 2015).

To make a difference in these slow lorises lives and learn more about the situation, visit this website.

Thanks for reading!

References:

International Animal Rescue, (2015). The truth behind the slow loris pet trade. [video] Available at: https://youtu.be/otTNxR8C4uE [Accessed 22 Oct. 2015].

The Dodo, (2015). The Truth Behind Those Cute Loris Videos Isn't As Happy As You Think. [online] Available at: https://www.thedodo.com/slow-loris-tickling-is-torture-1225870435.html [Accessed 22 Oct. 2015].

Polar Bears Facing Danger

The current population size of polar bears is estimated to be about 20,000 - 25,000 and they are found in the Arctic Polar Regions (World Wildlife Fund, 2015). It is also estimated by U.S. Geological Survey projects that two thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050 . Polar bears spend more than 50% of their time hunting for food but only less than 2% of their hunts are successful (National Wildlife Federation, n.d.). They hunt for ringed and bearded seals, because of they require lots of fat to survive in the cold Arctic.

Polar bears are an indicator of the health of the marine environment and clearly things have not been going so well. Due to climate change and global warming, the loss of their sea ice habitat caused populations to dwindle and they were listed as a threatened species in May 2008.

Along with the dwindling of population sizes, other impacts include

• retreating sea ice platforms which makes it more dangerous for polar bears to swim from shore to sea ice
• increase in the scarcity of food and thus going hungry for longer periods of time and exhibiting cannibalistic behaviour, which wasn't the case before (National Wildlife Federation, n.d.).
• change in diet

Recently, it was reported that polar bears were seen eating dolphins for the first time and scientists predict that it may be due to the effects of global warming (Zolfagharifard, 2015). This was probably because warmer waters have caused dolphins to go up to the Arctics and thus appearing in the Polar bears' diet. Another odd behaviour observed was that polar bears actually buried leftovers of the dolphins under the snow to save and eat at a later time. It was probably to prevent other animals from consuming the dolphin. 

"A male polar bear with the carcass of a white-beaked dolphin it has partially covered with snow to keep for later having already eaten another one at Raudfjorden on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard." (Daily Mail, 2015).

"As the climate warms, the sight of polar bears tucking into strange meals, such as dolphins, may become more common, experts have said." (Daily Mail, 2015).

The impact of climate change and global warming causing an increase in sea levels and global temperature is certainly becoming obvious as species such as the polar bears act as an indicator of the health of our marine environment. 

References:

Daily Mail, (2015). A male polar bear with the carcass of a white-beaked dolphin it has partially covered with snow to keep for later having already eaten another one at Raudfjorden on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. [image] Available at: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/06/12/19/2992977C00000578-3121886-A_male_polar_bear_with_the_carcass_of_a_white_beaked_dolphin_it_-a-9_1434133673482.jpg [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015].

Daily Mail, (2015). As the climate warms, the sight of polar bears tucking into strange meals, such as dolphins, may become more common, experts have said. [image] Available at: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/06/12/18/2992979700000578-0-image-a-2_1434128647731.jpg [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015].

National Wildlife Federation, (n.d.). Global Warming and Polar Bears - National Wildlife Federation. [online] Nwf.org. Available at: http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Polar-Bears.aspx [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015].

World Wildlife Fund, (2015). Polar Bear | Species | WWF. [online] World Wildlife Fund. Available at: https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015].

Zolfagharifard, E. (2015). Grisly images show polar bears eating DOLPHINS for the first time - and scientists say global warming may be to blame. Daily Mail. [online] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3121886/Grisly-images-polar-bears-eating-DOLPHINS-time-scientists-say-global-warming-blame.html [Accessed 16 Oct. 2015].

Dolphins in Captivity

Hi there, today I'll be sharing about the fate of dolphins in captivity.

Dolphins are fascinating and highly intelligent creatures. Most dolphins in the wild for a long time! The commonly seen bottlenose dolphin can live over 40 years and the orca can live from 70 to 80 years old.

Bottlenose Dolphin (NOAA Southwest, 2015).

Fun Facts!

• Dolphins are agile and playful (Defenders of Wildlife, 2012).
• Dolphins can swim more than 64 km per day, that is about 160 rounds around a standard running track
• Many species actually jump out of the water to take a look at their surroundings
• They also swim alongside ships and make use of them to bow-ride, saving them some energy!
• Dolphins sleep with half of their brain awake so that they can continue breathing and to prevent themselves from drowning

Dolphins in captivity :(

• A captive-bred dolphin lives for about four years on average
• Captive dolphins do not have enough space in their artificial lagoon or tanks to swim and thus exhibit unusual behaviour 
• While wild dolphins spend 80% of their time below the surface of the water hunting and exploring, captive dolphins actually spend 80% of their time above the water begging for food and attention (US World Animal Protection, 2015).
• Captive dolphins who are bored or psychologically stressed float on the surface of the water, peer through the glass or fences or swim in circles. Wild dolphins never do that. They are always actively exploring and moving around.

The first video below shows a man swimming with dolphins in the wild, and the second video shows dolphins at the Taiji Whale Museum exhibiting odd behaviours.

Surrounded by Dolphins in the Wild (Rivest, 2015).

The Sad Reality About Dolphin Captivity (Munter, 2011).

To find out more about the dolphin situation and what you can do to help, watch "The Cove". It is an award-winning documentary that analyses dolphin the cruel and unnecessary hunting practices in Japan. 

The Cove | Film Trailer | Participant Media (Take Part, 2009).

References:

Defenders of Wildlife, (2012). Basic Facts About Dolphins. [online] Available at: http://www.defenders.org/dolphin/basic-facts [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].

Munter, L. (2011). 

The Sad Reality About Dolphin Captivity. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQUJs_zGPHw [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (2015). [image] Available at: http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/images/cetaceans/bottlenose_calf_swfsc.jpg [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].

Rivest, A. (2015). Surrounded by Dolphins in the Wild.. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVIshe7IkpU [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].

Take Part, (2009). The Cove | Film Trailer | Participant Media. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KRD8e20fBo [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].

Takepart.com, (n.d.). [online] Available at: http://www.takepart.com/cove [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].

US World Animal Protection, (2015). Marine animals in captivity. [online] Available at: http://www.worldanimalprotection.us.org/our-work/animals-wild/marine-animals-captivity [Accessed 11 Oct. 2015].