Don’t Miss The ABC Animal Sanctuary’s Open Days: 5th & 6th June

The ABC Animal Sanctuary opens its doors to the public on the 5th and 6th of June. This coincides with the West Chiltington Village Festival so there will be a festive atmosphere throughout the village. It is a delightful village and the setting of the sanctuary enjoys lovely views all round.

Further details will be announced in the coming weeks but one thing is for certain – it’s going to be even bigger and better than our 2009 opening. There will be lots for adults and children to see and do besides spending time with our various beautiful animals – there will be celebrities, face painting, tombolas, raffles, memorabilia, a lovely plant stall, live music, and a blessing of the animals by the Reverend Derek Spencer (Noon, Sunday only). There will be two animal parades each day when Alexandra Bastedo will tell us a little about the history of some of the animals. Refreshments will be available and will include tea & coffee with delicious home made cakes, BBQ, and various other choices including Vegetarian, Chinese noodles and even a demonstration of Chinese cooking – courtesy of the Golden Willow Restaurant, Storrington. The ABC Friends’ marquee – with its abundant supply of Pimms – will be present throughout the weekend so if you are not yet an abcFriend then now might be a good time to become one and qualify for your free glass of Pimms!

For more information, visit the ABC Animal Sanctuary Website

Firefighters Free Cow Stuck In A Gate

Firefighters used cutting equipment designed for road traffic accidents to free a cow who had her head stuck in an iron gate.

Read more and photo: Telegraph

Undercover Video Shows Cows Beaten At Ohio Farm

Associated Press:

An animal welfare group says a video it shot shows workers at an Ohio dairy farm beating cows with crowbars and stabbing them with pitchforks.

The Chicago-based nonprofit group Mercy For Animals says the video was recorded in an undercover investigation at Conklin Dairy Farms Inc…

Film Scores Mimic Alarm Calls Of Animals To Heighten Fear And Emotion, Study Suggests

Telegraph:

Researchers say that the score for popular movies tap into our basic animalistic brain to evoke all kinds of feelings from sadness, to fear, to excitement.

They believe that “non-linear vocal attributes”, the rasping and distortion of voices used by mammals in times of duress, are used by film soundtrack composers…

Missing Cat Caught In Snare

RSPCA:

A cat who had been missing for three days has been found trapped in a snare, in a tree, near his home.

This male black cat named Shadow, managed to climb up a tree near his home in Auckley, near Doncaster whilst trapped in a snare.  The snare became entangled in the tree leaving poor Shadow stranded…

PETA Buys Stock To Gain Influence In Boardrooms

Associated Press:

…People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been buying shares for seven years and now owns a piece of at least 80 companies, including McDonald’s and Kraft Foods. It hopes to influence their animal welfare policies on such things as how chickens are slaughtered or buying pork from suppliers that keep pregnant sows in small crates. By buying stock, PETA is guaranteed the right to present its ideas directly to officials and other shareholders, many of whom would otherwise would likely pay little attention to the group…

Rhinos Return To Battle The Odds

Ottawa Citizen:

Five of the world’s most critically endangered animals spent their first day in a new home over the weekend after the start of the “most ambitious” international relocation of its kind.

Three female and two male eastern black rhinoceroses were airlifted from a South African conservancy to Tanzania’s Serengeti National Reserve.

They were the first of 32 of the animals that will be flown to the native habitat from which their ancestors were evacuated almost 50 years ago…

Four Mountain Gorillas Found Dead, Including 3 Infants

Wildlife Extra:

Four highly endangered mountain gorillas have died – three of them infants. The gorillas, which lived in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, were part of an estimated 380 members of the endangered Virunga population. It is thought they could be victims of the extreme weather conditions from which the area has been suffering…

Cat Reported For Frightening Dog

BBC News:

A pet owner has been reported to the Scottish SPCA after her cat reportedly attacked a dog.

Angela Blanchard, from Cruden Bay, said she was shocked by a visit from welfare officers after her cat Rosie attacked the dog in a school playground…

Sea Shepherd Announces Campaign To Save Marine Wildlife In The Gulf Of Mexico

Seah Shepherd Conservation Society:

The British Petroleum (BP) deep-sea oil breach in the Gulf of Mexico is turning into the largest and most destructive oil spill in history. It is a priority emergency and a massive assault on a major marine ecosystem. While BP may be morally and legally responsible for causing this disaster, it is impractical and unwise to leave the rescue of all marine life in the Gulf to a private corporation.  We all need to come together to address this, and we need to do it quickly.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is calling upon all able organizations to join us in sending vessels with trained crew to support large-scale efforts in the Gulf of Mexico to rescue oiled sea birds, turtles, and other marine species.  Together we have the resources, skills, experience, and passion to make a huge difference in the number of lives and species that can be saved from this disastrous oil spill.  We can provide the offshore facilities needed to complement onshore rescue efforts for the finding, capture, treatment, and transport of marine animals viable for rescue…