About Oceans2Earth

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Oceans2Earth strives to assist with local solutions to global problems. O2E was founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2010 for the purpose of providing resources and financial assistance to animal welfare and conservation projects including elephant sanctuary land in Kenya, cat and dog rescue in Africa and community recycled product projects in Asia and Africa. The O2E Foundation aims to facilitate people’s awareness of the impacts of animal tourism, trade and human intervention on the welfare, sustainability and general health of wildlife populations.

Tuesday 29 November 2011

The mighty Bison demands your attention!

American Bison Bison bison


The American bison was once the symbol of the Great Plains. Vast herds roamed from Canada to Mexico providing food, clothing, and tools to the native people. From a population that numbered in the millions, American bison dwindled to near extinction, driven there by American settlers.

Although an ongoing conservation program has resulted in modest increases in their population, the American bison is currently classified as near threatened by IUCN's Red List.

What You Can Do to Help


You can help in their preservation by adopting a bison via the Defenders of Wildlife or donating toward the purchase of prairie land for reserves at the American Prairie Foundation.

Saturday 26 November 2011

Learn about the Ring tailed Lemur (Maki)!


The lemur inhabits gallery forests to spiny scrub in the southern regions of the island of Madagascar. It is omnivorous (eats everything!) and the most land-based of lemurs. The animal is diurnal, being active exclusively in daylight hours.

The ring-tailed lemur is highly social, living in groups of up to 30 individuals. It is also female dominant, a trait common among lemurs. To keep warm and reaffirm social bonds, groups will huddle together forming a lemur ball.

Lemurs have awesome (and sometimes freaky looking!) eyes check out this well known video clip:


A lemur love-in – The lemur ball


The ring-tailed lemur will also sunbathe, sitting upright facing its underside, with its thinner white fur towards the sun. Like other lemurs, this species relies strongly on its sense of smell and marks its territory with scent glands. The males perform a unique scent marking behaviour called spur marking and will participate in stink fights by impregnating their tail with their scent and wafting it at opponents.

As one of the most vocal primates, the ring-tailed lemur utilises numerous vocalisations including group cohesion and alarm calls. Experiments have shown that the ring-tailed lemur, despite the lack of a large brain, can organise sequences and preferentially select tools based on functional qualities.

Despite being listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List and suffering from habitat destruction, the ring-tailed lemur is kept in captivity and great numbers worldwide and reproduces readily. Surely a release program would be a good idea…..???

Discover Australia here at Oceans2Earth 

Friday 25 November 2011

POST FOUR – From Nairobi to Kwale…and my lesson in politics

$7 fish and ginger beer!

Left cold rainy Nairobi for close to 9 hr bus trip to Mombasa. Didn't seem that long because there was lots to look at along the way - plus Edwin and I were talking about all sorts of topics ranging from Kenya wildlife service to gay marriage to HIV/aids to Kenya's political situation to Rwanda to Somalian pirates. Really interesting to get the story from someone living it rather that the media.

Things to note- according to Edwin - Kenya is safe.

Naturally I began a debate about the definition of safe as the gentleman I sat next to on the flight who worked for the Ministerie l'environnement et forestry de la republic of Congo spoke to me about how safe the Congo was. Interestingly, he knew nothing of the ranger shootings in Garamba National Park, or maybe it was lost in translation with his basic English skills.

So, this sparked conversation naturally on my bus ride with Edwin, as I asked why Kenya was safe yet he and Sisqo kept telling me not to do certain things like - TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH. When I asked “Why is it ok to take one now?” he said, "because we can get away." I couldn’t take any unless they were from a moving car. Having said that, I always felt safe in Nairobi and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. You have to remember, I visited the largest slum in Nairobi as well as several rural locations and national parks. I guess it’s like all over the world, every country has impoverished or unsafe areas.

Kibale Slum, Nairobi


After some clarification, Edwin said that safe meant "no pirates." Aaaahhhhhh, ok.




Kenya are doing a lot to clean up their image to the international stage and are frustrated with news stories that focus on only bad news. Close to Somalia, the northern Kenyans are bad but it a few. The rest of Kenya is tarred with the same brush.

I have learnt all about the independence of Kenya in the 60s and the 2007 election which was stolen by the current President Mwai Kibaki. He has been to the international crimes court three times. Final ruling in Dec. If he's thrown out then they will elect the Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga to take his place, (he will be voted in next year anyway) the Prime Minister is loved by all. He spent 15 years in jail for being on the good side of human rights’ issues and attempting a coup against the government of that time. Unlike the President who urged two tribes to fight, then sent the police in to kill hundreds of one tribe. That's what the crimes court is prosecuting him for. Funny why he still sits in his office.

When the Prime Minister gets in, he is going to change all the systems and eliminate corruption in the government and the police for good. The police that are bribed have had the same postings for as long as 15 years so they are part of the community. Of course they take bribes and don't dob anyone in. There will be massive positive changes which are already taking place.

Now how does this all relate to wildlife? Example: KWS (Kenyan Wildlife Service) headquarters is located in the edge of the Nairobi National Park. The Park is specifically for orphaned and rescued animals from the wild for rehabilitation. Essentially they look after them until they are able to fend for themselves then they release them to the Park. Unbeknownst to me yesterday, this is the road through the big gates that takes you to the David Sheldrick orphan trust (see previous posts). It's also in the National Park. So! Upon leaving the elephant orphans last night, the 7 wild giraffes that decided to pop up and say hi were residents of the park. The largest one walked past the car twice as we sat in awe of this magnificent animal. They really do strut and swing their behinds so well . They, like elephants travel in families so we would have seen a whole family unit. They varied in size which supports this.

When I got out of the car, on the suggestion of my guide Sisqo, and wandered 15-20 feet from the car, he quietly said, “you should come back to the car now. We are in the national park and there are lions!”
Just an aside, when the British built the railway between Nairobi and Mombasa when they settled here, hundreds of men were eaten by lions. Yum yum.

Soo, moving back to my bus trip….now…the story of the Nairobi National Park. When the animals are well enough, KWS return them to where they found them, or a more suitable park. You can visit KWS and do a safari in the park and apparently it is jam packed with animals.

I may get back to KWS yet on my way through in 2.5 weeks time. I hope so, KWS govern all the wildlife in Kenya. You cannot do much as look at a wild animal and they want to know about it. They recognise that wildlife tourism brings in more revenue by far than anyone else so they are doing a lot to protect it.

So back to the President Mwai Kibaki! He decided to illegally "give" a piece of Nairobi National Park to a community - so they sliced off a piece and built residential housing. It was a real blow to KWS and the government. In rides knight in shining armour- the Prime Minister- and has declared that the moment the President gets shown the parliamentary exit from office, they are removing the residents and demolishing the housing. I am loving this guy. Just in the news tonight they were demolishing illegal housing somewhere else in Kenya. Big news.

Raila Amollo Odinga (born January 7, 1945), also popularly known to Kenyans as Agwambo, is a Kenyan politician, currently serving as the Prime Minister of Kenya in a coalition government. He has served as a Member of Parliament for Langata since 1992, was Minister of Energy from 2001 to 2002, and was Minister of Roads, Public Works and Housing from 2003 to 2005. He was the main opposition candidate in the disputed (allegations of fraud and vote fixing) 2007 presidential election. Following a post-electoral crisis that resulted in the deaths of 1,500 people and the displacement of 600,000 more, Odinga took office as Prime Minister and served as a supervisor of a national unity coalition government, in April 2008.
Wikipedia entry 23/11/11

So watch the Kenyan space. Once Raila Amollo Odinga gets into complete power, it will reform the whole of Kenya; politically, economically, infrastructure, health, etc. Currently, KWS pride themselves in their strict security systems at the airport and seize almost all ivory, horns, skins and meat on its way to China and the Far East.If something gets through, it has to be an individual Police Officer that lets it through. Odinga plan is a new police force - retrained, screened, vetted and higher penalties resulting in zero animal products being exported.


Kenyans really do care about their wildlife and taking these measures including expanding parks everywhere. You cannot ride an elephant here, you cannot conduct breeding programs unless you are KWS and animals cannot be privately owned. All wildlife on a privately owned game reserve fall under KWS. Keep up the good work Kenya!!!!

Thursday 24 November 2011

Post three : Giraffes everywhere!

After calling it a day at The David Sheldrick Trust, we took the road out of the Centre which runs along a big free range park. I didn't know this at the time. Next thing I know, 2 giraffes walked onto the road in front of us. It was like Jurassic park! So we stopped the car and the engine and both couldn't believe it. Then behind us!!!!!! A massiveeeeeeee giraffe walked out of the forest and stopped on the road behind. Then....he/she started towards us and went right past us on MY side!!! I have never seen anything like it. Her legs were way above the car as she strode by!!! I think she was a girl because as she walked past she swung her behind like she was the world’s sexiest woman.

She stopped and fed in front of us and we were joking about how it was better than a drive in movie. Those 3 walked along the road some more then 4 more!!! Appeared in the brush next to us some 50 metres away. They all knew we were there because they look straight at you. We drove up to the other 3 and waited while they fed and scratched ears and noses on tall broken branches. The big one set off past us again and all I saw were legs going past the window. One ran to catch up to the other, such a beautiful canter. Sisqo said he has been on a safari which was nowhere near as good as this was. We laughed about how we had had such a good day that we didn't think it could get any better. It to add a night time game drive just topped the cake.

So call me giraffe whisperer from now on!

Unbelievable day. Caked in mud and elephant slobber but so glad I stayed another day.

I don't know why none of us haven't done this before!!!

BTW - Food is here, fish curry and rice.

I couldn’t resist the giraffes after my wild encounter so….Next stop the Giraffe Center
or Volunteer Australia - For Animal Conservation

48 Hours to Save our Last Great Whale Haven

On Monday 28 November at 5pm, our chance to push for protected areas for whales in the pristine Northwest will end.

The Federal Government's current plan proposes only token protection for 1% of the area's most threatened ocean habitat, in a region which includes the world's largest, yet still recovering, population of humpback whales.

Please join us today and tell the government that our Northwest marine region MUST BE PROTECTED.We can't let our Northwest be over-exploited by the oil and gas industry or we will lose this Last Great Whale Haven forever!

Please submit your message today to urge Environment Minister Burke and the Federal Government to protect our precious marine environment.

Please feel free to add personal and respectful comments to your message. You can also refer to our recent report to comment on specific areas or species in the Northwest that are important to you.

This is our once in a generation chance to save our Last Great Whale Haven. Let's take it!

Please hurry - submissions must be entered by 5pm next Monday 28 November. Go to the link below to help out!!

IFAW - Save our Last Great Whale Haven

Wednesday 23 November 2011

POST TWO – Orphans and The David Sheldrick Trust


I am changing plans to stay an extra night in Nairobi so I can go back to the David Sheldrick Trust to see the baby elephant orphans again. Helping save the lives of orphaned Elephants and Rhinos who are ultimately released back into the wild is just some of the many wildlife commitments The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is involved in.


The Trust runs seven full time Desnaring teams, two mobile Veterinary Units, and is active in a Community Outreach Program along with working with the communities in an educational capacity locally, and through articles for the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya, the Press and Radio Programs. The Trust has also provided advanced training in wildlife management for promising students.

These orphaned elephants are the cutest but their stories are so sad. At least they have one another and can build a new family. All elephants get released into a transition park where they can join the wild herd whenever they want. The wild herd are all eles rescued by the trust. 150 elephants have been rescued, the youngest 3 days old. They have joined the wild herd as young as 4 and as old as 15.

Drove out to the Trust and saw the little orphans. Then the big orphans came into their beds for the night where the keepers sleep with them and feed them bottled water every three hours. The little babies 1 week and 4 weeks get milk on demand. They are so cute. Dabassa was grabbing my hand and putting it in his mouth. I must admit I was rubbing his tongue at first and giving his chin a scratch. “Ahhh, I can take advantage here”, he said.

A 1 week old baby was found wandering along a road at 7 pm last night and was brought in. Unbelievable. So frail and wobbly on his feet. Little trunk going around in circles as he tried to navigate it. He kept trying to snuggle with the keeper. Poor little thing. They don't know what happened to the mother. I think Kabato was his name. If you look up the website they should post news of him when they get a chance.

I’m glad I spent the extra time in Nairobi and saw the orphans again. It is something truly worth seeing. The work of the Trust is amazing! I have already fostered a couple of orphans ($50USD each), including Dabassa of course, and will be looking at this as a Xmas present option for my mum and dad for sure.

Tuesday 22 November 2011

POST ONE – Yes Nairobi gets cold!

Our CEO, Tracy, is in Nairobi right now and we'll be posting her chronicles to keep you (our awesome readers) updated so ready on we go!



I didn't think Nairobi got cold. The last two mornings are about 12 degrees! By 1pm it was about 28. Freezing!

Had an unreal day. Hung out with Sisqo my guide and driver took me around Nairobi some more, places where tourists don't go. We went to an orphanage in a slum, had lunch in a place where you wash your hands on the way in then eat with your fingers. A whole fish no less! You put all the ones on the table! $7 for 2 whole tapioki with the local maize dish and two ginger drinks. Place was full of business people.


A lot of people stare at me but it’s not a concern. Some get a real shock if they see me up close at the last minute and almost jump. Some don't care, some stare till I go by or drive by, have only been called sissy meaning sister once and honey once. Everyone is so nice.

Sisqo took me to the largest open air market and we trudged through mud so he could show me around and try on cardigans. That's him trying in cardigans by the way! We got stuck in the rain. I got huddled into a shop, given a seat and three guys in their 20s all sat around and asked me questions while Sisqo tried on cardigans. Very funny.
When we left the market boys in their teens wash your shoes of the mud for 10 shillings, about 10 cents. It was raining so they had taken cover but when they saw me – tourist - they made a run for me. I had 3 boys cleaning my shoes and the mud up my jeans with rags. It was frantic.. About 8 others tried to get in and Sisqo got a clean up too. Gave them 100 shillings to share. Even the locals were hysterical and we were all laughing together.

Visit:- http://oceans2earth.org/all-projects

Monday 21 November 2011

Eco-Adventure Travel: Seven Reasons Never to Ride an Elephant

(This article was taken from Ecohearth and was written by Tonya Kay)


So you love elephants. And you want nothing more than to ride on the back of one of these magnificent creatures through the jungles of Thailand, India or Sri Lanka on your next vacation. But did you know that that simple ride (or the purchase of an elephant painting or attending an elephant performance) contributes to the abuse and endangerment of the Asian elephant? No tourists want to think they are harming the species they admire. Before you book that trekking package in Thailand—or anywhere—consider the bigger picture:
 
1. At least one species of Asian elephant is an endangered species. Consider that one of three Asian elephant species (Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka) is nearly extinct; in just five years it may no longer exist on this Earth. In Thailand, there are only an estimated 500 elephants left in the wild, when just 10 years ago, that number was 40,000. In Cambodia, it is believed that the wild Asian elephant is already extinct.
Remember that this highly intelligent, emotional and social animal is one of only a few species that passes the human self-identification test, cries as a sign of emotion and displays marked death rituals. The elephant, revered as a god in many cultures, merits some sense of dignity as its 7.6 million years of evolution draw to a close. Doing tricks for tourists is not the reverence this highly conscious species deserves. Extinction is forever.

2. The pajan training that elephants undergo is abusive. The pajan is the culturally accepted "breaking" ceremony used to train elephants for human use in the logging and tourist industries. What are the trainers breaking? The animal’s spirit. Consider how much force is needed to break the spirit of any animal, especially a 1,000-pound baby elephant. The pajan uses starvation, isolation, confinement, stabbing with nails, beatings with poles and bloody assault with bull hooks (see below) until the baby elephant succumbs to human will or dies. This ceremony is so violent that nearly half the baby elephants put through the pajan perish. In this way, the tourism industry is directly contributing to the endangerment of the Asian elephant. Every elephant you would ride, receive a painting from, feed on the streets or watch do headstands has been through this spirit-breaking ceremony and somehow survived. You would be riding a broken elephant.

3. The strongest part of the elephant is its neck, not its back. Yes, adult elephants are massively powerful beings. However , their strength lies in their necks, the axiom of motion for their heads and trunks. When an elephant wears a chain around its neck, it probably feels much like when you wear a large necklace. But when you place a 100-pound seat on its fragile spine with three 150-pound humans in that seat, it probably feels more like tying a 30-pound weight to the outside of your knee. Your knee is not meant to hold weight like that and neither is an elephant's vulnerable spine. Over time, your knee will tear. And the elephant's spine, over time, tears as well.

4. Female elephants routinely suffer forced breeding. When a male elephant goes into musht, or heat, he becomes aggressive, dangerous and unpredictable. Instead of chaining the male, feeding him a low-glycemic diet and allowing interested females to approach him for mating, the tourist industry uses a practice called forced breeding, which entails chaining a comparatively small female by all four legs and allowing an aggressive bull to have his way with her. Because the bull is so dangerous when in musht, and because the female literally cannot move, it is not uncommon for the female to be crushed and crippled in the breeding process.

Remembering how intelligent, emotional and conscious the elephant is known to be, it’s not surprising that besides crippled females, another consequence of forced breeding is that the surviving impregnated mothers sometimes attempt to kill their newborns. Unfortunately, this response is not at all unusual for this healthy, family-focused species and is obviously a sign of great distress. Camp owners now immediately separate newborns from their mothers to prevent attempted infanticide and only later venture to reunite them. If successful, you will see a baby elephant chained to its mother while giving you a trekking ride. That baby does not get to play as young animals need to, but it is forced to work alongside its distressed mother—who may have tried to kill it at birth after forced breeding.

5. Many tourist elephants are dosed with methamphetamines. That’s right, you may be riding an elephant hooked on meth. Elephants in the tourist industry are seen as money-generating machines in the impoverished countries they populate. Some mahouts, or camp owners, will give their elephants speed to force them to work almost 24 hours a day—so they can engage in tourist performances during the day and street begging at night. When the elephant's addiction starts taking its toll, the animal is removed from sight and often allowed to perish during withdrawal shortly thereafter.

6. Elephants are routinely controlled using painful bull hooks. Look on the skull or behind the ears and knees of the elephant you are watching paint that picture. Notice the white scars from past abuse, or worse yet, the bloody, red or pink marks showing the continued use of the bull hook. Some camps claim they use no bull hooks and their workers carry sticks (for show) when tourists are around. But they take bull hooks in hand when tourists are away.

Yet the bull hook is unnecessary. As we all know, the elephant is a highly intelligent and extremely gentle creature. That’s why many conservation parks and select zoos in the United States employ bull-hook-free training called Protected Contact Training. True conservation parks in Asia (of which there are very few) successfully use an alternative, bull-hook-free training called Positive Reinforcement. No matter what a tourist camp may tell you, these tried-and-true, violence-free training methods prove that the bull hook is not an essential elephant-management tool. So if a camp is using one, it is more concerned about forcing the elephant to do unnatural things for tourists' money than in protecting or respecting an endangered species.

7. Travel guides and tourist packages often don’t provide complete or accurate information. All travel programs worth supporting are worth researching. Unfortunately, tour guidebooks are limited by their authors' perspectives. Although they may have traveled the country and written about their adventures, they may not have researched the social, cultural, environmental, wildlife conservation or political implications. If travelers rely on a travel guide book exclusively for their understanding of a culture and the animals that are a part of it, they are likely to end up on night safaris, trekking on an elephant's back and patronizing a "conservation" camp where elephants paint pictures or another quick and easy tourist holiday that doesn't take much thought or conscience.

Tour packages sold at tourism offices are geared toward taking tourists' money, not necessarily doing the right thing. Tourism offices in Thailand are actually paid a commission by the camp to which they sell you a package. Exploitive elephant camps have much more money to pay off tourism offices than true conservation camps. If well-intentioned tourists depend on travel guidebooks and tourism offices to plan their vacations and don’t do independent research, they probably won’t even hear about the true conservation camps that are out there.

That's why this article exists. The author is not being paid off by a business that makes money on tourism. No one is sponsoring the author's perspective. And no one should have to pay you to share this article with your entire social network—especially acquaintances who might ever head to Southeast Asia.

All of this information may seem like a big downer to your intended elephant-loving vacation without a solution. Well, let there be light: If you truly love elephants and want to connect with them while knowing you are protecting their safety and potentially extending their species’ existence on this Earth, check out my “Six Things to Do Instead of Riding an Elephant.” And it's very important that you share this free-press information with everyone. Here’s a shortened link: http://bit.ly/qgActC (or click the "Email This" or "Share This" links below right). Sometimes it's just that people don't know. And now they do.

Saturday 19 November 2011

Animal-friendly Christmas Suggestions Part 3

Welcome to the third instalment of our Christmas pressies suggestions series! Today’s suggestions should provide you with more ideas for your gift-giving this Merry Season.

So read on and don’t forget to let us know what you think in the comments section.

EDUCATION

Educational materials: Education literature, books, stationery and signage will all help significantly to improve the experience of visitors at the Centre, especially school groups. From £50.

Wildlife scholarships: ´Wildlife school scholarships´ are awarded to a number of children each year who are passionate about wildlife and want to make a difference but need a little help. £150 per scholarship.

School education programmes: Sponsor a class to take part in our full environmental education programme, including visits to the Centre, on-site training and outreach classes. From £100 to £500 depending on class size.

REHABILITATION & HOUSING

New enclosures & animal enrichment: The more animals rescued the more space needed! There are also animal enrichment equipment that is much needed such as platforms and additional water points. These keep the animals challenged and provide as natural an environment as possible. From £100 to £5000 – up to you!

Releases: Fund the release collars and equipment needed to make sure the animal gets the best chance of survival in the wild. £1000.

FRIENDS OF LILONGWE

Your membership funds will go directly to the operations of the Centre. You´ll receive a membership certificate and Lilongwe Wildlife Centre information pack and be kept up to date with the latest news.

Membership prices are: Children under 16yo £8, Adults £16 and Families £48



ADOPT

Only 1 out of 6 orphans are lucky enough to be rescued - nearly 1,000 orphaned orang-utans are living in rescue and rehabilitation centres. Care of these infants is costly and requires 24hr staff, veterinary, and nurse care to ensure they are in a healthy condition and have the best chance to survive – and possibly even return to the wild.

All adoption money goes directly to helping the infants at the various care centres the AOP support:
·        Care and Quarantine Centre in Pangkalan Bun, Borneo, Indonesia.
·        Nyaru Menteng Orang-utan Reintroduction Project, Borneo, Indonesia.
·        Batu Mbelin Orang-utan Quarantine Centre, North Sumatra, Indonesia.

Each infant adoption costs just $55 (or $110 for the twins) per year.

Each adoption pack includes:

  • ·        adoption certificate (full colour photo)
  • ·        infant biography (full colour image & photo)
  • ·        our most recent AOP newsletter
  • ·        AOP Sticker & Fridge Magnet
  • ·        awareness poster for your local work/school
  • ·        infant updates available via the Australian Orangutan Project website.
SHOP
  $16.30!


The AOP online shop has toys, t-shirts, books and other orang-utan merchandise at really affordable prices.

O2E couldn’t resist this one at $35.20, he hangs from the kitchen cupboard!
Making sure there’s no palm oil product in da house.


Oxfam’s Christmas catalogue is packed with fantastic new products, hand-made by skilled artisans in developing countries. By purchasing from Oxfam, you’ll be helping producers and their communities live more secure and independent lives thanks to the benefits of fair trade.

In this catalogue you'll find great Christmas gifts and decorations, including an extensive range of Christmas Cards and the brand new Kylie Kwong range.

Oxfam offer you FREE shipping on orders placed online over $60. Simply enter the code KP2E9L when you reach the payment page of the checkout (excluding wine...check conditions).
 
We hope these suggestions have helped give you some fantastic Chrissy present ideas that also helps out our animal friends as well!

Oceans2Earth


Animal-friendly Christmas Suggestions Part 2


Ho ho ho! Welcome to the second part of our Christmas suggestions that will not only fill your Santas stockings with creative ideas but they're also ones that will help out our environment. 

In today's post, we've got suggestions from the Born Free Foundation and the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre. Read on for more details :


              BORN FREE FOUNDATION 


A Christmas gift that REALLY makes a difference!

Give your friends and family a 'Gift in Kind' and help transform the lives of animals in need. Help an animal in need for as little as £5.

It’s simple:
1. Choose your 'Gift in Kind'
2. Receive a gift card to give to family and friends to keep
3. Your gift helps a real animal!

We love this idea! Check it out…

ROUND OF DRINKS - But the drinks aren't for you, they're for baby animals drinking milk - cheers!
Price: £5.00


MEAL FOR TWO - But the meal isn't for you,
it's for Dolo and Safia the lions!
Price: £5.00


RETIRE IN STYLE - But it's not you who's retiring, it's a lioness who's said goodbye to the circus!
Price: £10.00


YOUR OWN PIECE OF PARADISE - But this paradise isn't for you, it's for a marine turtle!
Price: £15.00



WINNER – 2011 International Responsible Tourism Award - ´Best for Conservation of Wildlife and Habitats´

As a grass roots charity working with wildlife and communities every day, Lilongwe Wildlife Centre has an enormous number of projects that are making a positive difference to the wildlife in Malawi. They have great infrastructure and expertise but really need funds!

Recently they have had a massive influx of orphaned primates, including a 6 week old female Baboon that was confiscated from a road seller and a 3 week old male Baboon, which was offered to a tourist who managed to persuade the seller to hand it over to the Centre. Babies this age need 24hour round the clock surrogate care. Exhausting!



Depending on your Xmas budget there are tonnes of projects that you can sponsor at Lilongwe. A big thank you and full recognition will go to your loved one as the recipient-gift giver.

If you would like to find out more or to arrange your gift, please contact Kate – marketing@llwc.org

Tune in next time for more suggestions! Have a lovely weekend! From Oceans2Earth

Thursday 17 November 2011

Animal-friendly Christmas Suggestions Part 1

XMAS IS ROUND THE CORNER
Give a gift that keeps on giving




We are such a consumer society. How often do you find it a challenge to find something for friends and family at the gift-giving time...everyone seems to have everything they need! What to do?

The animal kingdom could do with the Christmas cheer. What about a gift double headed this year? Buy a gift or donate through the various charities and NGOs that can put your dollars to work where it’s really needed.

O2E has put together some suggestions for you to take the chore out of Christmas and to bring back “L-O-V-E and Peace To All”. These suggestions will come in different parts over the next few weeks following up to Christmas so keep an eye out for new posts!

So the first two suggestions we have are to Donate and to Adopt! Read on for more information :) 


DONATE

The recent floods in Thailand have stretched the services and staff of the WFFT to the limit. Hundreds of dogs and cats have been rescued by Edwin Weik and WFFT and sent to the Centre for rehabilitation and safe haven. From first-hand experience O2E Volunteers can tell you how much food and care these residents need. A donation would be much appreciated!




You can make a donation by going to the following link :




ADOPT

There are over 400 animals at WFFT and many of them are available for adoption. You receive an A4 colour Adoption Certificate and regular updates by email. You can to speak directly to the Centre regarding adoption on volunteer@wfft.org, stating which animal/s you are interested in adopting, if you like.

Prices are as follows:
1 year’s adoption: $50 US / 35 Euros
2 year’s adoption: $80 US / 55 Euros
5 year’s adoption: $200 US / 140 Euros

Primates for adoption include these gorgeous darlings.





Zack 
White-cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys)
Maa Mii
Siamang (Symphalangus Syndactylus)
Gilbert
Pileated Gibbon
(Hylobates pileatus)
Nee 
White-handed Gibbon
(Hylobates lar)
Nin 
Golden-cheeked Gibbon
(Nomascus gabriellae)
You can also adopt Elephants, Bears, a variety of wildlife and nocturnal animals too!

So what are you waiting for? Make someone's (be they animal or human!) Christmas this year a special one! 

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Random Animal Fact Day : The African Elephant

Weighing up to 6000 kg (6.6 tons) and measuring up to 3.3 m (10 ft.) at the shoulder, the African elephant is the world's largest land mammal. It is characterized by its highly dexterous trunk, long curved tusks, and massive ears.
As African elephants act as a keystone species, it is vital to take steps in their conservation. Poaching and urban sprawl pose a massive threat to their survival.
Now classified as a near threatened species under IUCN's Red List, African elephants had benefited greatly from the 1989 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) ban on ivory. This measure was taken in response to the widespread obliteration of nearly half the African elephant population that took place in the preceding decade. However, with newer, more relaxed laws against ivory, as well as continuing human encroachment, the African elephant remains in trouble.
What You Can Do to Help
There are several ways to help support African elephants. For starters, don't buy, sell, or wear ivory. Also, participate in eco-tourism. Boosting Africa's economy through eco-tourism helps placate local residents who view elephants as pests. In addition, you can donate to or fundraise for the Elephant Corridor, a project that enables elephants in Botswana to roam freely across the border to Zambia.
Finally, help provide captive elephants with the best possibly life. Boycott circuses, whose unethical treatment includes chaining elephants up by their feet and trunks, as well as beating them frequently. Encourage zoos to create environments similar to African elephants' native habitat. They should be able to encompass elephant families and their travel patterns, and they should be located in a warm climate so that the elephants can spend all year outside. that the elephants can spend all year outside.

Sunday 13 November 2011

Plea to “retire” tourist Elephant in Cambodia



Sambo is a 51 year old female elephant in Phnom Penh in Cambodia and her “job” is to give tourists rides.

The people at EARS, the Elephant Asia Rescue and Survival Foundation http://www.earsasia.org/home.html have written to tell us all about this sad story.

Sambo would have been captured, wrenched away from her family as an infant in the wilds of Cambodia and ‘domesticated’, enduring the frightening, painful and cruel training methods that seem common world-wide for elephants being ‘broken’ for a life in captivity.
This is itself is an extremely traumatic experience, and like humans, elephants feel deep loss and pain.

Sambo has to carry tourists around the Wat Phnom temple in a heavy chair strapped to her back, wearing rubber shoes to protect the sensitive soles of her feet from the hot pavements, but other than that her owner has neglected her foot care is being neglected. Elephants in the wild are fastidious about their feet. In the wild elephants will often walk many miles a day, across and through many different substrates, some moisturizing, some abrasive. Wild elephants will use
their feet when grazing, specifically their toes, to strike and sever bamboo and coarse blades of grass. This continual striking across the abrasive grasses benefits the feet by wearing the area between the toes where the nails and cuticles can overgrow. Routine grazing aids foot health by
naturally manicuring the cuticles and nails.

Poor Sambo’s feet are kept covered in the rubber shoes while working and then she is returned to a two-acre compound of damp, grassy wasteland behind a casino, which is also used as a coach park. In such unsuitable surroundings it is vital that she receives good, routine foot care but this is clearly not happening.

Born Free Foundation’s Senior Veterinary Consultant, John Knight reports that Sambo’s condition is poor and she has major foot damage and appears to be in severe pain. She continually raises her right back foot to relieve the pressure on a large, deep abyss in the sole of that foot. “This animal needs to be rested, to be properly
examined, and she may need radiology and other tests to
fully assess her condition. With proper veterinary attention it may be possible to make a substantial improvement to her condition but treatment, rest and improved management needs to start straight away.”

Thanks to letters already written to the authorities, Sambo has had her working days reduced from a whopping seven days a week, to four days on / three days off. This is considered by those supporting Sambo’s cause as a step in the right direction – but it’s just not good enough.

There needs to be a TOTAL BAN on elephant capture, ride and domestication. Not only in Cambodia but worldwide.

 Thailand has banned elephants from the cities because of complaints from tourists and to prevent traffic accidents. This is due to pressure from people like yourselves and that the country wants to improve its image and keep tourists safe and happy. This is a good step forward but you can still ride elephants and see them perform in shows all throughout Thailand.

Cambodia is starting to look at improving its image with international visitors and recently Phnom Penh authorities requested that macaque monkeys at Wat Phnom temple (where Sambo is worked) were moved to an animal rescue centre as many tourists had been bitten. Funny that, eh?

It would be fantastic if Sambo too could have a new home. It’s too late for Sambo to be returned to the wild but she deserves a restful, pampered retirement and there are elephant sanctuaries in Cambodia that can take Sambo. We need to persuade the authorities to insist her owner retire her.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
In Asian culture, it is important to allow people to “save face” and we must be polite and respectful in how we champion this cause.

Please write to the authorities below. In written letter is preferable to email – but if you don’t have time or can’t see yourself typing up a letter and popping it in the post box then by all means email away! Better an email than nothing at all….

EARS suggest the following approach:
Say… “you welcome the fact that Sambo has had her working hours reduced but unfortunately this is not enough. She needs to be taken out of work immediately, and receive urgent veterinary treatment for the appalling condition of her feet. She is likely to be enduring great pain at this time. She also needs to be re-homed to a sanctuary in Cambodia where she can be provided with elephant company and care and a lifestyle appropriate for this species.

It is vital that Sambo is not merely retired and replaced so can you point out, politely, that there needs to be a ban on elephants living and working in Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh is a fascinating city with stunning architecture and much to delight the visitor; the archaic sight of an elephant giving rides in the city can only harm the image international visitors will receive.
Thank you.”

1. GOVERNOR OF PHNOM PENH:
Mr H.E Kep Chuk Tema, Governor of Phnom Penh
City Hall
No. 69 Preah Monivong Boulevard
Sangkat Wat Phnom
Khan Daun Penh
Phnom Penh
Cambodia

2. DIRECTOR GENERAL OF FORESTRY ADMINISTRATION:
Mr H.E Cheng Kimsun, Royal Delegate in Charge of Director
General of
Forestry Administration
No. 200 Norodom Boulevard
Phnom Penh
Cambodia

3. MINISTER OF TOURISM:
Mr H.E Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism
No. 3 Preah Monivong Boulevard
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

For more information and progress on the campaign to help Sambo please click here.



Sambo at work, strapped into the chair for tourists to sit in, wearing rubber soles to protect her feet