I was just glancing thru my D&C when I saw this.  Great article!   

       

I meant a patagonian cavy 

 

I had no idea what it was and have never heard the name Cavy let alone Patagonian Cavy!    for knowing the right answer, BC!

1)?
2)baby kangaroo
3)baby snowy owl
4)baby turkey vulture

  Tres bien, Nicole! 

Just read this-very disturbing.   

Paul Wachter
 Contributor
(Feb. 22) -- America's more-unsavory pastimes have long included underground cockfighting and dogfighting scenes, but now reports point toward a new animal-cruelty trend: finch fighting.

Last week, Massachusetts authorities seized more than 20 of the birds -- 6-inch "little bursts of yellow" as described by The Boston Globe -- after a home inspection in Ashland, a small town about a half-hour's drive from Boston. More than 20 Brazilian men were at the house, and some were detained by immigration authorities.

The raid recalled the arrests in Connecticut last summer of 19 Brazilians involved in a bird-fighting ring, and indeed, the similarities are no coincidence: Despite being banned 20 years ago in Brazil, canary fighting, as it's commonly called, remains popular in the country. And according to Ashland Police Department Sgt. Greg Fawkes, it's spreading in the United States. "This is a lot bigger than anyone thinks," he told the Globe. "I think it's rampant. I really do.''
 
 
In 2007, dogfighting generated national headlines after NFL quarterback Michael Vick was implicated by a raid on his property that uncovered numerous instances of animal abuse. And it wasn't until that same year that Louisiana became the last state to outlaw cockfighting. But the latest news from Massachusetts -- of male finches trained to peck each other's legs off in bloody cage battle -- is a reminder that such dark impulses have other outlets.

Humans have practiced animal fighting since ancient times. Both Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I, for instance, liked to watch bearbaiting, in which a chained bear would fight a pack of dogs -- a practice that continues in some parts of Pakistan (disturbing video here). Bullfighting continues to fill stadiums in Spain and Latin America.

For animal fighters, the small size and seeming docility of the finches, which are generally known for their song, make it easier to hide their practices than when staging battles between dogs or chickens. Still, finch fighting mystifies many who monitor animal cruelty. "It takes a special mind to put canaries together and fight them for sport," said a Connecticut zoo director after last year's raid in that state. "It's the kind of thing that boggles the mind." Added Laura Maloney, senior vice president of anti-cruelty for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: "This is the first time we've heard of this."

Any accounts of animal fights quickly pivot into broader ethical questions. For example, footage of animals fighting in nature, unprodded by humans -- either on a nature channel or at Web sites like this one -- draws a steady audience. Diners eat animals, either by hunting them themselves or, in most cases, purchasing them from a restaurant or grocery store. After the Vick case, law professor and ethicist Gary Francione wrote that it demonstrated "our 'moral schizophrenia' about animals" and that "the animals we eat suffer as much as the dogs that are used in dogfighting." According to another professor who's studied cockfighting, "Gamecocks live an exemplary life compared to a McDonald's chicken."

But we don't normally eat finches -- by contrast, some owners cook for their birds. And by all accounts the finches in Massachusetts were mistreated, kept hungry and thirsty even before they were prodded into deadly battle. Which is why finch fighting carries an extra dose of repugnance: Free of the ambiguity that can follow other forms of animal cruelty, it has an elemental shock value that even reports of a pit bull-torturing NFL quarterback cannot quite match.

(don't know where else to put this)Posted under comments at Imprints by Larry:  

Larry says:
February 21, 2010 at 12:00 am
It’s about time for whoever to get off the dime and fix this password mess on Imprints. I know three people who would like to post and can’t because we can’t get in.

2 at the box!!

Hey Janet!
 A lady that belongs to our church had a baby Hedgehog in church (I didn't ask why  ???) on Sunday-named Twinkle Toes!  She had it in a purse-like bag & several were petting it-it seemed very friendly but she says she has one at home that will nip at times.  She takes in rescued animals and keeps them until they're adopted out and currently has 6 of them. 

Have a very  , Baerbel!

                          Kris

Tuesday, February 9
Heather says that Mei Lan is a little calmer today. She seems to be growing more accustomed to the sounds around her and is reacting less. She shifted into the adjacent enclosure today for cleaning while Heather was there and Heather was pleased to see that all of Mei Lan’s feces were normal. It might sound like a strange thing to note and be happy about, but stool quality provides information about how an animal is eating and about its health. Normal, well formed stools are a good thing!

Heather said she also had a good conversation with Mei Lan’s new keeper, Duan Dong Qun, through a translator. Ms. Duan had lots of questions about Mei Lan: her personality, her favorite foods, how to train her, and communicate with her. Heather said she couldn’t ask for a better person to care for Mei Lan. Ms. Duan is being very sensitive to Mei Lan and is doing everything she can to make her comfortable. She told Heather that she is really looking forward to building a good relationship with Mei Lan. We are all happy that Mei Lan is in such good hands.   
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Mammals

Special Mei Lan Update
Monday, February 8
We received good news from Heather Roberts today that Mei Lan is starting to settle into her new home. The first couple of days, Mei Lan did not eat much and she was easily startled by sounds around her. Sunday and Monday she started to eat more and she drank well. Heather reported that Mei Lan is also calmer and spending more time resting. These are very good signs and we expect that Mei Lan will continue to become more and more comfortable in her new surroundings.

I am sure that Mei Lan’s fans are worried about her and that it’s difficult to read that she is not entirely at ease in her new home. Of course, we would all have liked to see Mei Lan adjust immediately to her new home as though nothing had changed. But that would not be a normal reaction and we did not expect her to adjust immediately.

Traveling to China is a big change. It’s a long journey, there is a 12 hour time change, the food is different, the language is different, the sights and smells are different. It takes a person at least a few days to adjust to that. So, we should expect it to take Mei Lan some time to adjust as well. Most people prefer to travel with a friend, rather than alone, because all those changes can be stressful and it’s comforting to have a friend along. We sent Heather with Mei Lan to be her friend and to help her with the changes. We also sent one of our veterinarians, Dr. Sam Rivera, to Chengdu to make sure Mei Lan remains healthy. She is healthy and she will adjust, but it’s going to take a little time.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Mammals