Animals in the News: Bears, Belugas, Pigs, and More

I don't have time to write in detail (and you don't have time to read me rant) about every animal-related news story that's been popping up lately, so here is a roundup of interesting news and posts you might want to check out, with brief summaries, including an update on the incident involving the dead bear cub in North Carolina (I haven't talked about this on the blog, but I know many of you probably read the original articles) as well as a look at a "free-range" pig farm that has made news in the UK :

• Poor, poor Palin—Another animal has received protection, despite her best efforts: Beluga whales make the endangered list. (AKMuckraker muses, "Sarah Palin may have a new battle on her hands. With so many endangered animals left to endanger, and so little time, what's a governor to do?" Love it.)
• A dead bear cub, killed by a gunshot to the head, was used in what was widely assumed to be a despicable anti-Obama stunt in North Carolina earlier this week—the body of the cub was left at the entrance to Western Carolina University, with Obama campaign signs draped over his head. But now university officials are saying that the students involved found the cub already dead and that they intended no political message. The Winston-Salem Journal isn't buying that the so-called prank was apolitical (and neither am I): "Carrying the poor cub's body back to display on campus was incredibly heartless and stupid, but it's hard to believe any college student wouldn't realize what kind of a signal they were sending by using those signs in that way."
• A billionaire has pledged $75 million toward development of nonsurgical sterilization or contraception for companion dogs and cats.
• For its cruelty toward elephants, Ringling Bros. finally goes to court on Oct. 27 as the defendant in a lawsuit brought by animal protection organizations, under the Endangered Species Act (we'll be talking more about this very soon).
• The 16th Annual Animal Law Conference took place last weekend. By all accounts (here, here, and here, for example), it was a successful, productive gathering.
• Six workers have been charged with animal abuse in the Iowa pig torturing caught on tape in an undercover investigation by PETA; the manager caught kicking and shocking an already-injured pig as well is still on the job. If you can bear to look, both videos are available at PETA's Web site, as is a gallery of still photos.
• Ratchet the Iraqi pup has arrived at his new home in Minnesota! He is safe in the care of his soldier companion's parents, where he will remain until she comes home. The news article comes complete with a video, if you want to get a look at the exhausted canine superstar.
• And finally, back on the topic of pigs, and as if to prove my point that the "free-range" label guarantees squat, a so-called free-range pig farmer in the UK has pled guilty to violations of the Animal Welfare Act. (You may recall that the free-range pig farmer on Oprah specifically praised UK's free-range pig industry, saying that a third of all pigs in England are "produced" outdoors now. I'd like a source for that, especially given this BBC article: "Free-Range Pork Labels 'Mislead': Consumers are being misled by pork that is labelled as free range, animal welfare campaign groups say.") The Web site of the company in this particular case apparently said this: "Our free range pigs are raised and reared on the rolling hillside of the sleepy Bissoe Valley. All our pork sold under the Cornish Pig Company label is reared on our farm ensuring uncompromised quality." And an official who inspected the very same operation said this: "These pigs were kept in wholly inadequate conditions. They were lice-ridden, in danger of wounding themselves from nails and broken corrugated iron, and some were unable to drink. Dead animals were scattered about decomposing. Injured animals were left untended, and were bullied and pushed from pillar to post by their fellows."