Humane Society International/UK is proud to present STAND UP FOR ANIMALS, a night of fantastic live comedy at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre by some of the UK’s best-loved comedians, all in aid of HSI’s vital work to protect animals from cruelty and suffering.

We’ve got a great line-up so far, with more to be confirmed soon,* so watch this space for the latest news and interviews.

The current Stand Up For Animals line-up includes:

• Holly Walsh (“An excellent comic, with a flair for lateral-thinking gags and an offbeat stage presence that makes her like a slightly nerdy, very friendly and intensely funny older sister.” -The Guardian)
• Lucy Porter (“…such an accomplished and flirtatious performer, with such faultlessly fast and articulate delivery… [She] possesses one of the quickest brains on the circuit when it comes to hecklers.” -The Guardian)
• Andrew O’Neill (“Brilliant, genuinely unexpected lines … at this rate, it won’t be long before he’s huge.” -Chortle)
• Hal Cruttenden (“Without doubt, one of the funniest comics on the circuit—a very clever man indeed.” -TimeOut)
• Sean Hughes (“A hugely impressive and intelligent comic… sometimes dark and always very entertaining.” Time Out)
• Alistair Barrie, MC (“Barrie’s analytical nous and store of snappy gags marks him out… Excellent.” The Independent)

Stand Up For Animals will raise vital funds for some of HSI’s key campaigns such as protecting British wildlife and ending animal suffering from bullfighting, shark finning, the fur trade, factory farming, animal testing and more. Watch a video about our work

Date: 12 September 2012

Time: Doors open at 7pm

Tickets: £20

Venue: Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AH. See a map

Get your tickets now!

CTV News:

Scientists studying the carcass of a 47-foot fin whale that washed up on a beach in the Point Reyes National Seashore last month found the creature’s spine and ribs severed, likely from the propeller of one of the huge cargo ships that sail those waters.

There have been many victims of such accidents in recent years as migrating blue, fin and humpback whales have been lured close to California’s shore by plentiful krill, the shrimp-like organisms they eat. All three species are endangered.

Now, after a two-year effort spurred by the uptick in accidents, federal maritime officials have approved a plan to protect whales in and around San Francisco Bay. It includes rerouting shipping traffic and establishing better ways to track whale locations…

News & Star:

Red squirrels have been seen at nearly three quarters of the locations being monitored in Cumbria by conservationists.

The Red Squirrels Northern England conservation partnership has kept an eye on 108 locations during spring and spotted red squirrels at 71 of them.

The sites amount to nearly half of the 239 woodlands checked across the north, including others in Merseyside, Durham and North Yorkshire.

Cumbria red squirrels officer for the partnership, Simon O’Hare, said the Cumbrian results were “tremendous”…

Daily Mail:

A crazed beaver attacked two girls as they swam in a lake at a popular beauty spot leaving them with serious injuries.

Eight-year-old Annabella Radnovich and her 11-year-old sister, Alyssa, were playing with their cousins at Lake Anna in Virginia’s Spotsylvania County when the 65 pound animal bit and scratched their legs.

The sisters were rushed to Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center after the attack just before noon on Sunday…

Reuters:

Housed in a converted infantry barracks on a former U.S. Army base, the Presidio Social Club never attracted much attention from San Francisco’s avid gourmets -until Saturday night.

That’s when foie gras lovers descended on the restaurant to have their first taste of the delicacy since California imposed a ban on July 1.

Animal rights activists fought for the law because they detest the way foie gras is made: farmers force-feed ducks or geese to fatten their livers. Some fans of traditional French cuisine find the ban just as hard to swallow.

The restaurant owner, Ray Tang, and its general manager, Maureen Donegan, reasoned that the restaurant can legally ignore state law because the Presidio, now managed mostly as a national park, has remained federal property even after being decommissioned by the Army. Businesses on federal property must adhere to federal regulations, which trump state ones, they say…

Wildlife Extra:

Wildlife charity, Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust, is calling for a public inquiry into the devastating loss of Freshwater pearl mussels in Cumbria.

The largest and healthiest population of Freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera) in England has been almost completely destroyed. Water levels in the outflow from Ennerdale Water Reservoir in the River Ehen fell to such low levels that the water became hot and oxygen concentrations dropped to dangerous levels. Up to 90% of the pearl mussels in the affected area were killed

Animals born when Charles Darwin was alive
Matt Shardlow, Buglife CEO said “This is devastating news. The bloated corpses of animals born when Charles Darwin was alive have been floating out of their beds and being swept into the Irish Sea”…