Defenders Volume 04, Number 02

Transcription

1 The Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy Animal Studies Repository Defenders Volume 04, Number 02 Follow this and additional works at: Recommended Citation "Defenders Volume 04, Number 02" (1974). Defenders This Periodical is brought to you for free and open access by the Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of the Animal Studies Repository. For more information, please contact

2 A NEW LOOK FOR YOUR NEWSLETTER IS COMING, DEFENDERS Volume 4, Number 2 February 1974 AIR FORCE STOPS BOMBING PRACTICE WHOOPING CRANES REST EASY Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas--For as long as we know, this has been the winter home of the endangered Whooping Crane. In recent times nearby Matagorda Island has been used by the Air Force for bombing practice. The jets and the Cranes didn't get along. low flying planes upset the birds. The Secretary of the Interior Rogers Morton learned about the Photos by Luther C. Goldman U.S. Dept. of Interior problem. He wrote to the Defense Department and asked that the practice flights be halted during the winter. Air Force said OK. The Peace and quiet now fills the air over the wildlife refuge. The story of the protection of Whooping Cranes is one to be proud of. Less than 40 years ago wildlife experts said that the Whooping Crane was doomed. At that time there were only

3 about 14 of the birds known to be alive. The Government moved quickly. Aransas Wildlife Refuge was set aside as the winter haven for the Cranes. No one even knew then that the birds summered in Canada. Nationwide publicity about the small flock of Whooping Cranes helped end the hunting of these birds. Most people did not know that the birds had been protected by law since Finally in 1954, during a forest fire in Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park, firefighters found the summer nesting spot of the Cranes. Experts held their breaths and watched the flock slowly increase in size. Today, there are more than 50 Whooping Cranes in the wild. Scientists have gotten to know the Cranes pretty well in recent times. They know that a Crane usually lays two eggs but only one chick survives. The bird-watching scientists decided to see if they could take one egg from the nests and hatch them in incubators. The plan worked! The adult Cranes didn't seem to mind the loss of an egg. By hatching eggs in incubators, the scientists have helped to increase the Crane's numbers. At least 15 Whoopers have been raised by the egg-stealing scientists. Someday the scientists hope that the birds in captivity will lay eggs of their own. Then the young Cranes from these eggs can be let go to join their cousins in the wild. TAR PITS: THEN AND NOW MONA AND DAVID GLUCKSMAN WITH BABES, A DOG RESCUED FROM A TAR PIT, Just across a busy city street from a group of department stores is a quiet little park. Busy shoppers like to stroll here and rest on the park's benches and enjoy the green grass, the birds and the squirrels. The park is there for a very special reason. Thousands of years ago many animals died tragic deaths at this site. in gooey tar. They were trapped The park surrounds the famous La Brea tar pits. Visitors can see the skeletons of many prehistoric animals in the park museum. The La Brea tar pits are in the midst of an area that sits on huge underground oil deposits. At some time in early history the shifting of the earth put one of these pools of underground oil under high pressure. Seeking relief from pressure, some of the oil forced itself through cracks in the soil to the surface. There it sat in a low spot in the ground. More oil came up. As it sat there, it became gummy and sticky. It became a pool or pit filled with tar. And it became a death trap for saber-toothed tigers, and other ancient animals. At some time an animal happened by and got his feet stuck in the tar. Struggle as hard as he might, he could not get free again. Then a predator came along, and went into the tar pit to feed on the trapped animal. The predator got stuck, too. Many animal remains have been found in the tar pits. Scientists believe that this 2. 3

4 indicates that this vicious cycle went on for hundreds of years. Tar pits still trap animals today. Of course, the one at La Brea is fenced off, so it no longer threatens animals. But the tar pits of today are made by man and are just as dangerous. North of Los Angeles, in the San Joaquin Valley, there are oil wells. Oil companies are still drilling new wells there to find more oil. Newly discovered oil is mixed with salt water. So, it is drained off into a low spot. It becomes a gooey slag pond. This is open country and the flyway of many migrating birds. From high in the air a slag pond may look like a nice clear, refreshing pond of water. When thirsty, weary birds see such a pond,- they of ten drop down to swim and bathe in the inviting water. They hit the water before they realize that it is oily. Then it's too late. 4. The oil gets on their feathers and prevents them from flying. Soon they die of thirst or hunger. Nature lovers have asked oil companies to fence off these ponds or fill them in with dirt. Babes is a dog found in a man-made tar pit. The Humane Society rescued Babes. At first IT'S A DOG'S WORLD You'll have to dig to do this puzzle, So if you growl - please wear a muzzle. ACROSS 1. What some dogs do if they're hungry. 2. One of the first commands that many people teach they called her Tar Baby. The their dogs. tar was so bad that all her 4 A dog usually hair had to be shaved off. Try features many breeds. as they could, the Humane 6. A kind of hound. Society could not locate her 7. A young dog. owner. So Mona and David 9. A dog is Glucksman adopted her. Her hair is nearly grown back now, and she has a good home. In spite of all its pleas, the Humane Society has not been able to get Babes' tar pit closed. The company that owns the property refuses to spend the money to fence it off. Until something is done to prevent it, any animal that comes along is in danger of getting caught. I used to herd certain animals. 10. A young puppy is full of this. DOWN 1. The first half of this dog's name begins with the name of a male bovine animal. (plural) 3. Poodle. 4. German (one word) 5. A kind of terrier. 7. These dogs are usually used for hunting and tracking. 8. The sound a puppy might make. 11. Short for puppy. 3.,. 1- iz,6 h- - - dnd tt a1x -l:"j:l?l[a;qm a s 5 1 '..,..,_ L.. sia:j,u"j:od piati:daqs "l. t qouaia t sf>opttng tt -NMOCT dad ot daaqs "6 Addnd "l iaaa 9.t-\Ot{S :J. l'.s z f>ag t-ssm1:jv i, : siamsuv JOIN THE KIND REPORTER CORPS KIND members can help by clipping news articles about animals and the environment. Be sure name and date of publication is attached to each article. Send them to KIND. We'll give you credit for each article we can use. 8 s.

5 BACK TO THE LAND and no roof, and only evenings In the coming months I'll For some people who have been the stream. Its banks were steep and weekends to finish the job, bring you up to date and show raised in the country, and who and its bed was wide. Though would there be time to finish you some step by step pictures of thrill at watching things grow the water was only two feet deep the house before snow fell? the cabin construction. in the s.oi 1, the city can never I could tell that during high Where would I live if there Dale Hylton, Editor be home. At least that's how I water it was probably more like wasn't? It was a frightening feel. I wanted to move from the a river and not just a stream. thought. city back to the country for a The water was cold and seemed to But each weekend faithful long time. I had to wait many come from springs just upstream. friends worked from dawn to years to get back to the land, I climbed halfway up the hill dusk, and with their help, the but finally my plans were made. and sat and rested at the head of cabin was snug and warm when I couldn't afford to buy a farm. a small valley. This is where I winter came. The work wasn't So, I looked around for the would build my cabin. The view finished, of course, but the right piece of land. I wanted of the range of hills beyond the essential building had been done. to build my own cabin in the stream was magnificent. country. Spring came and it was time I searched every weekend for to build. Friends helped me move one entire summer. I wanted at my furniture from the apartment least five acres, a stream, and and stack it in two rows out on a hilltop. That was a tall the hillside. We covered it with order. Finally, in the fall plastic and the space between the when I had almost given up, I rows was used to store food and decided to look one more time. I clothing. selected three places to inspect. We worked hard these two When I saw the second one, I knew weeks. I had planned to have it was the land where I would the roof on when I went back to build my cabin home. work from that vacation. I parked the car at the side Instead, we had just begun to of the road and wandered down to lay the flooring. With no walls, 6. 7.

6 K. I. N. D. THE NATIONAL HUMANE EDUCATION CENTER Waterford, Virginia KINDNESS IN NATURE'S DEFENSE "BE KmD 11 HurU1-NE S<28 OF r EE UNITED ATATES HS 70 CENNECTIC'OT BR.. KCH Non Profit Org. U. $.POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 14 Le sburg, Va.. P :0 B, ;..cs Address!10 l,.,a.;}._/ ::E.AST F.ADDP.1'1, CT Correction Requested rhe National Humane Education Center PROTECT BABY ANIMALS AT EASTER Each year at Eastertime thousands of baby chicks, ducklings and bunnies are sold as toys. Often the young children who get these animals don't know how to care for them. Most don't have the kind of equipment or food these baby animals need. animals die. Many of these The problem is so serious that 18 states have passed laws stopping the sale of baby animals as toys. If your state doesn't have such a law, you can help stop this waste of life by asking stores not to buy baby animals to sell DEFENDERS is published monthly for members ages by KIND, youth membership division of The Humane Society of he U.S. R. Dale Hylton, Editor as Easter toys. KIND has a special poster you can order to give to each store that agrees not to sell animals as toys. Easter animal posters are 12 for 25. Order some today. Visit stores now. You must catch them early before they place their orders for baby animals. Permission to reprint any portion of this newsletter is granted, provided that no material may be taken out of proper context.