Etsy Bans Wild Animal Products

When Etsy became a certified B Corporation last year, we made a lasting commitment to lead by our values and use the power of business to help solve social and environmental problems in our world. Among those values is our belief that it’s important for our company and our community to minimize our impact on the depletion of scarce natural resources. Today we take a step forward to help protect the diverse species of wildlife with which we share our planet.

In that spirit, we updated our Prohibited Items policy in the DOs & DON’Ts regarding items made from certain animals, such as those designated as threatened or endangered. The new policy includes but is not limited to items or materials such as fur, pelts, ivory, teeth, bones, and taxidermied specimens from those protected animals. Both new and vintage (often referred to as “pre-ban” or “antique”) items of this type are prohibited even if the seller has documentation of rights to sell the items under applicable law. The risk that the legal status of these items may be unknown or mislabeled is too great, and continued sale of these items, though potentially legal, stands to perpetuate market demand and further jeopardize the existence of these species. Read more and shop Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2013/policy-update-prohibited-animal-products/

Big Cats to Return to England, Despite Proposed Circus Ban

Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:50 pm (PDT) . Posted by:

Concerns raised by Animal Defenders International (ADI) that new wild animal acts could come into the country ahead of the proposed circus ban have been realised after it was reported in the media that a big cat act is set to perform in a new circus in England.

Thomas Chipperfield has presented a big cat act with Irish circus Duffy’s for the past 25 years. Last month, the circus owner announced that Mr Chipperfield had left the circus with his tigers “for personal reasons”. Following his departure, just one circus now features a big cat act in Ireland, Courtney Brothers.

No circuses in England currently perform with big cats so the new Chipperfield act will be the only one of its kind. The last circus to perform with tigers was the Great British Circus, who are not on the road this year, having shipped their big cats off to Courtney Brothers earlier this year.

ADI Chief Executive Jan Creamer: “As we had feared, by delaying action on the circus ban the government has opened the door to new wild animal acts and further animal suffering. Legislation to prohibit the use of wild animals in circuses must be progressed without delay.”

Reportedly, in addition to four tigers, Mr Chipperfield has also acquired two lions which are being kept at McComb Steel in Dunaghy, Northern Ireland.

Mr Chipperfield is a relative of the notorious Mary Chipperfield, who was prosecuted for animal cruelty, along with her husband Roger Cawley and elephant keeper (and government zoo inspector) Steve Gills in 1998/9 after an investigation by ADI. Our expose shook the industry to its core and just five years later the number of circuses with wild animals had fallen from 20 to just 4.

Earlier this month, ADI expressed its profound disappointment that the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA), in their report on the draft Wild Animals in Circuses Bill, had suggested that the wild animal ban apply solely to elephants and big cats, in the face of overwhelming public opposition to the use of ALL wild animals in circuses, which has remained consistently high for over 15 years.

According to EFRA, other wild animal species should come under the current licensing scheme, which ADI has shown cannot adequately protect animals in circuses. Inspections did not protect animals from vicious beatings at Mary Chipperfield Promotions (which included elephants and a baby chimpanzee), the Great British Circus (elephants), and the Bobby Roberts Super Circus (Anne the elephant). Only investigations by ADI revealed the terrible abuse these animals were subjected to.

ADI is urging the government to proceed with its proposed ban on all wild animal acts and for its implementation to be brought forward from December 2015. The organisation is also calling on Scotland and, with our Irish campaign partner ARAN, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to introduce a similar prohibition. ADI has welcomed the pledge of support from the Welsh Assembly for the ban.

http://www.ad-international.org/animals_in_entertainment/go.php?id=3242&ssi=10

Zoo in Costa Rica Becomes Rescue Facility Only

The Ministry of Environment announced today in a press conference, it will not extend its contract with the Foundation for zoos (Fundazoo) who has been in charge for 20 years the administration of Simon Bolivar Zoo and Conservation Center Santa Ana .

According to the Vice Minister Ana Lorena Guevara, the decision was based on a concept that favors change these spaces constitute parks without these caged animals exhibit.

“We are going to disappear cages and strengthen the concept of botanical gardens for biodiversity display and interact naturally, do not want more bondage or confinement of animals unless for reasons of rescue and rescue them,” said Environment Minister René Castro.

The contract with Fundazoo completed in May 2014. Between now and the date, and as said Guevara, an inventory of animals and coordinate with the 28 rescue centers to receive. “We have sent notes and some rescue centers have shown interest,” said Guevara.

Translated from Spanish: http://www.nacion.com/vivir/ambiente/Simon-Bolivar-zoologico-convertirse-botanico_0_1355264600.html