Fund for Animals challenges legality of raccoon hunt on Oklahoma's Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The suit, expected to be heard in January, claims that the "refuge" has failed to evaluate the environmental impacts of the hunt as required by the National Environmental Policy Act.  Refuge manager Jon Bloch has failed to respond to inquiries made by Fund representative Sherrill Durbin who characterized the hunt as a "symptom of a broader problem of mismanagement which has converted many of this nation's wildlife refuges into killing grounds instead of sanctuaries."
         According to D.J. Schubert, wildlife biologist and lawyer handling the case:  "The Fish and Wildlife Service is engaged in a comprehensive strategy to maximize opportunities for the slaughter of wildlife on this nation's NWRs regardless of the impact (on) non-consumptive wildlife users and without concern for federal laws."  A similar suit brought by the Fund in October succeeded in stopping a black bear hunt proposed for the Great Dismal Swamp NWR.

Email letter from Civitas to Montana Governor Racicot
Why are you ignoring all the evidence that bison do not transmit
brucellosis to cattle?

Why have state employees in the past killed bulls, calves and non-pregnant females who do not carry the disease?

Why are you picking on bison when elk also carry the disease but have never been know to transmit it to cattle despite close association?

Why can't bison occupy federal land when the cattle aren't there?

If the cattle people are so worried about brucellosis, why don't they simply vaccinate their animals and save the taxpayers the expense of herding buffalo away from areas used by cattle?

I would be glad to consider your answers to these questions.  As it is, I feel you are discriminating against all Americans in favor of a few cattle producers on grounds that have no merit.  (No answer received.)

Protest to Sec. of Agriculture Daniel Glickman 14th & Independence SW
Washington DC 20250     Check out  http://www.buffalo@wildrockies.org

South African court gives SPCA custody of 30 abused baby elephants.  As part of an elephant population control project in Botswana, these babies had been snatched from their mothers and given to a dealer in South Africa who was "taming"them for sale to safari parks and zoos.  Their training consisted of being tightly shackled and hobbled and severely beaten.  Some had open wounds from excessive prodding.  Their treatment caused worldwide protests at South African embassies.  Dealer arranged to ship seven to Swiss and German zoos.  Germany backed out.  Airlines have refused to ship them.  The SPCA plan is to release them in protected areas, but litigation continues.

Norway is lobbying to get minke whales removed from CITES  (Conven-tion on International Trade in Endangered Species) in 1990.  The country's warehouses are stuffed with 600 tonnes of frozen blubber, which Norwegians, unlike the Japanese, don't fancy.  Japan would like to buy it, but Norway, out of deference to worldwide opinion, has a ban against exporting whale parts.  Delisting minkes from endangered status could be a step toward lifting the ban and causing an escalation in commercial whaling.  Norway has increased the quota to be killed from 580 whales in 1998 to 671 in 1999.  Support boycott of Norwegian products.

Coalition of environmental groups has formally petitioned Mexico's president to stop the Mitsubishi salt plant on San Ignacio Lagoon that would disturb the gray whale calving area in the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve.  Despite claims that salt operations are safe, 94 endangered sea turtles were killed last year by a plant already in operation.  Sea turtles also inhabit Laguna San Ignacio.

World Trade Organization overrides US TED (turtle excluding device) requirement for shrimpers.  US wants to ban shrimp imports from Malaysia, Thailand, India and Pakistan--countries that do not use TEDS which permit sea turtles and fish to escape from shrimp nets.  Despite efforts to prevent egg poaching and hatch eggs in artificial environments to give hatchlings a head start, sea turtle populations continue to decline.  They are further endangered by new hotels planned for critical beaches in Turkey and Mexico.

Ekco Housewares (Woodstream) has quit making leghold traps according to Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (POBox 822422 Dallas TX 75832), a group that has worked with other organizations worldwide to coordinate intensive demonstrations against the fur trade, especially department stores like Nieman Marcus and Macy's East.  Despite the last hurrah ads you may have seen, the fur trade is almost dead in the US, but this is reason to intensify rather than let up our opposition.

North Carolina and Texas ban pigeon shoots.  Governor James Hunt of North Carolina signed an anti-cruelty bill specifically exempting pigeons from shooters. Texas Judge John McClellan issued a permanent injunction against pigeon shoot held by a Dallas gun club on the grounds that the conditions in which pigeons were kept violated state anti-cruelty laws.  This leaves Arizona, California, and Pennsylvania as the only states holding pigeon-killing contests.  Arizona along with Missouri passed a proposition banning cock fighting in November, however and California passed propositions banning leghold traps and the sale of horses for slaughter.

Colorado voters banned spring bear hunt season by a 70% majority.  This did not keep Washington State wildlife department from thinking about starting one, however.  Spring bear hunts are particularly destructive and cruel because cubs starve to death when their mothers are killed.  Ohio voters, led by the Wildlife Legislative Fund, soundly defeated a proposition to reclassify mourning doves as non-game
animals.

Arizona Game & Fish Department has successfully restored bighorn sheep and awards 100 a year among the 7,000 hunters who apply for the $153 permit.  The herds are generally doing well, but one that lives along the Salt River has declined from 116 (from an original 30) to 41 animals.  The reason for the decline may be a decrease in the food supply due to drought, proximity to domestic sheep causing disease, predation by mountain lions, or a bit of all three.  Four to six lions are thought to live in the area and perhaps another 15 to 20 visit occasionally.  G & F estimates that up to 12 lions may be killed by hunters who buy lion tags.  Wildlife consultant D.J. Schubert said, "The mountain lions shouldn't have to pay with their lives for impacts to bighorn sheep populations that may be due to other factors.  It's not an ecological crisis....We don't have to have gobs and gobs of game animals in every area because that's what the hunters want."  Sheep ranchers, whose animals pass through the area en route to seasonal grazing areas maintain they had always done so long before the wild sheep were reintroduced.  G & F has suggested they could truck their 4,500 sheep instead of driving them between pastures.  Obviously, having bighorns for hunters to shoot is their most important consideration.

Wildlife Damage Review reports Animal Damage Control has killed turkeys, otters, owls deer, ducks, lizards, toads and frogs.  Now known more euphemistically as Wildlife Services, ADC employees usually confine their killing to coyotes, cougars and cormorants in the service of ranchers, hunters and fishers.

Wyoming killing contest claimed the lives of 200 coyotes with hunters from as far away as South Africa paying $150 to enter and compete for "a purse of several thousand dollars".  The winner killed nine in the
1-1/2 day contest.  In Colorado and Arizona opposition from animal

next

activists abetted by hunters who felt such contests "give a black eye to hunting" caused similar contests to be cancelled. 

Reestablished Mexican gray wolves shot in Arizona   Some ranchers and rural residents, described as "terrorists" by spokesperson Stephanie Hanna of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's office, object to the wolves' presence and hire hit men.  Four, possibly five, have been shot, and another adult and a pup are missing and presumed dead.  Five

(Continued on page 81)