Brazil Debates Fate of Millions of Idled Donkeys

by R.T. Fitch

By Luciana Magalhaes as published on the WSJ.com

“Plans to slaughter burros to capitalize on Chinese market for vivifying ‘ejiao’ upsets traditionalists”

APODI, Brazil—The dependable donkey once did it all here in northeast Brazil, from hauling in the harvest to carrying children to remote schoolhouses. Now so many of these ubiquitous beasts of burden populate this vast swath of rural Brazil that they have become a problem—and for some, an opportunity.

Modernity and the skyrocketing sale of motorcycles have demoted the burro from its long-held status. Once cherished here for their hardy load-carrying, donkeys are increasingly seen as a nuisance as they saunter into traffic or munch greenery in people’s yards.

“Today, a donkey is born and nobody wants it,” lamented Eribaldo Nobre, 53, whose family used donkeys to lug fresh water home when he was a child. “Progress made this animal worthless.”

Enter China, where soaring demand for protein has put…

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‘It’s just boiled donkey skin’: Chinese health officials rubbish ‘inhumane’ product

Straight from the Horse's Heart

byRachael Turner as published on Horse & Hound

A popular product made from the skins of donkeys has been deemed “not worth buying” by Chinese health officials.

Demand for ejiao, derived from donkey hides, has led to the slaughter of millions of donkeys in recent years.

However, China’s national health and family planning commission recently told consumers the remedy was ,“not worth buying” and despite its many health claims is “just boiled donkey skin.”

On Sunday (18 February), the commission posted on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, that ejiao, is “..not a good source of protein” and that its health claims were at best overstated.

The news was welcomed by international welfare charity, The Donkey Sanctuary.

The Donkey Sanctuary has been campaigning for a halt to the global trade in donkey skins, which utilises around four million donkey skins every year.

It is estimated that as many…

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Wild Horses Found Shot in South-Central Wyoming

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Arno Rosenfeld as published in the Casper Star Tribune

BLM Investigating

photo by Carol Walker of Wild Horse Freedom Federation and Living Images

The Bureau of Land Management is investigating the shooting of five wild horses in south-central Wyoming’s Red Desert, the agency said in a statement last week.

Three horses were found shot in early November and two more in mid-January in a similar location.

“Preliminary findings suggest all five horses were shot,” the statement said.

Wild horses and burros are protected under federal law, and the BLM is responsible for managing the animals on government land. The animals have been the source of controversy in Wyoming, with…

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Protected: Salt River wild horse preservation begins in 2018

Straight from the Horse's Heart

By Ashlee DeMartino, 3TV/CBS 5

“We are a little slow on the draw, here, but hats off to Simone and our good friends at Salt River Wild Horse Management Group, job well done.” ~ R.T.

The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group celebrated with champagne. (Source: 3TV/CBS 5)

SALT RIVER, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) – With champagne in hand, the volunteers with the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group chanted and cheered on Monday.

“We are not just celebrating New Year’s today, we are celebrating that we preserved a true piece of Arizona history,” said Simone Netherlands from the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group.

The Salt River wild horses are officially protected.

“They are protected from harassment, from shooting. They are protected from someone causing them any injury and protected from slaughter,” said Netherlands.

If anyone…

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NM Memorial Means to Murder Wild Horses

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Unedited Report from The Taos News

“A Senate Joint Memorial wants the U.S. Department of Interior to better manage a growing wild horse population even if that means euthanasia and unrestricted sales to people who might haul the animals off to meat-packing plants in Mexico…”

The memorial is sponsored by Sen. Pat Wood, a Republican from Broadview, New Mexico, who represents Curry, Quay and Union counties.

New Mexico’s Wild Horse’s Fate?

More than 50,000 wild horses now roam public lands, and too few people exist to adopt them all, according to a legislative analysis of the bill.

The memorial asks the federal government to “follow the federal Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and utilize all of the management tools provided in that act, including unrestricted sales and euthanasia, to achieve ecologically sustainable wild horse and burro populations. Additionally, this memorial encourages Congress to restore funding to that department to…

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BLM Reschedules Hearing on use of Helicopters and Motorized Vehicles for Wild Horse Mismanagement

Straight from the Horse's Heart

An opportunity to offer input on your mismanaged public lands

BLM Antelope Complex attack on Nevada wild horses in 2011 ~ photo by Terry Fitch of Wild Horse Freedom Federation

CHALLIS, Idaho – The Idaho Bureau of Land Management invites the public to submit comments as part of a statewide hearing regarding motor vehicle and helicopter use in wild horse management operations; in particular, aerial census flights. The hearing has been rescheduled to take place Feb. 6, from 1-2 p.m.at:

BLM Challis Field Office
721 East Main Avenue, Suite 8
Challis, ID 83226

This public hearing is being held to obtain information and your views, comments and suggestions about the BLM’s use of helicopters and motorized vehicles in managing wild horses within Idaho during the coming year (Feb. 2018 to Jan. 2019). The BLM believes that partnerships and inclusion are vital to maintaining sustainable, working public lands.

Comments submitted to BLM should…

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The Bureau of Land Management Blocks Public Observation and Adoption of Wild Horses Rounded Up in Wyoming’s Checkerboard

Straight from the Horse's Heart

SOURCE: wildhoofbeats.com

Great Divide Basin Family

The Forgotten Horses – at least that is what the BLM wants them to be.

1/10/2018

by Carol J. Walker, Director Of Field Documentation, Wild Horse Freedom Federation

I spent three weeks in September and October of 2017 observing the roundup and removal of 1968 wild horses from Great Divide Basin, Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek, three of the largest remaining Herd Management Areas in Wyoming and the country.

Great Divide Basin wild horses

Although the Environmental Assessment prepared by the BLM prior to the Roundup said that they would remove 1560 wild horses total from all three Herd Management Areas, they illegally proceeded to remove a total of 1968 wild horses, contending that the 408 captured and removed foals and yearlings “didn’t count.” Although the BLM’s own numbers showed that they would only be able to remove 1560 wild horses total without…

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BLM Ely District to also “zero out” all wild horses on the Caliente Herd Area Complex

Straight from the Horse's Heart

by Debbie Coffey, V.P. & Dir. of Wild Horse Affairs, Wild Horse Freedom Federation

ACTION ALERT! Public comments are due Jan. 5, 2018.

In the BLM’s rush to drive wild horses to extinction, the BLM plans to remove ALL wild horses from the Caliente Herd Area Complex. The BLM claims that the Caliente Herd Area Complex has an estimated population of 1,744 wild horses (including the 2017 foal crop).

The Caliente Herd Complex Area consists of nine herd areas; Applewhite, Blue Nose Peak, Clover Creek, Clover Mountains, Delamar Mountains, Little Mountain, Meadow Valley Mountains, Miller Flat, and Mormon Mountains.

The 30-day public comment period concludes Jan. 5, 2018.

Please be sure to mail or email your written comments to:

Bureau of Land Management Ely District Office
Attention: Ben Noyes, Wild Horse and Burro Specialist
702 N. Industrial Way
Ely, NV 89301

Comments can also be submitted electronically…

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BLM plans to “zero out” Seaman & White River Herd Areas, while digging in heels to keep privately owned livestock grazing on these public lands

Straight from the Horse's Heart

ACTION ALERT!

by Debbie Coffey, V.P. & Dir. of Wild Horse Affairs, Wild Horse Freedom Federation

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) changed the Seaman and White River HerdManagementAreas into Herd Areas in 2008. Now, this proposed BLM Environmental Assessment (EA) is a 10 year plan for the BLM to “zero out” (remove ALL wild horses and leave “0” as the population) the Seaman and White River Herd Areas in Nevada.

Please be sure to send your personal comments to the BLM about their plans to remove the last, remaining wild horses from these two Herd Areas. (DO NOT JUST SIGN A FORM LETTER PROPOSED BY ANY ADVOCACY GROUP.) Write comments in your own words and email, mail or fax them to the BLM.

Comment submissions will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Monday, Jan. 22, 2018. All comments received during…

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Donkey Sanctuary UK convinces ebay to stop selling ejiao (a traditional Chinese medicine) due to animal welfare disaster and health risks

Straight from the Horse's Heart

Workers lay the skins of freshly killed donkeys out to dry in Dong’e, northeast China, where they will later be boiled to produce gelatin sold as a fad health and beauty tonic (Photo: George Knowles)

Source: Indyonline.co.uk

Ebay bows to West charity pressure

Global giant eBay has bowed to pressure from a West Country charity and agreed to stop selling a controversial Chinese medicine.

The largest equine welfare charity in the world, The Donkey Sanctuary, based in Sidmouth, has persuaded the trading site to stop selling the Chinese medicine ejiao, which contains gelatin from donkey skin and is alleged to offer anti-ageing properties.

The Donkey Sanctuary’s chief executive, Mike Baker, wrote to eBay’s President earlier this month.

His letter highlighted the unfolding livelihood crisis, animal welfare disaster and potential consumer health risks associated with the unregulated ‘health’ product.

The Donkey Sanctuary said there were shocking consequences to the global donkey…

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