Millions of mink make millions of pounds and litres of excrement and urine. And, in a relatively small area, that excrement and urine has to go somewhere. We’ve talked about the potential environmental devastation the mink farms of Canada could cause – and now there are numbers to prove it. A recent study commissioned by …
ACTION ITEM: Water quality below threshold in NS mink farm territory Read More »
It’s discouraging to see a rapidly rising athletic icon like Milos Raonic joining forces with Canada Goose – the company that gladly sells coyote fur-lined clothing. We all know the horrific truth behind fur trim: the pain, fear and agony that coyotes must endure to get that fluffy fashion accessory. But an important question to …
Does tennis sensation Milos Raonic know the truth about fur trim? Read More »
The CBC headline is straight forward: Man attacked by black bear near Smoky Lake. The deck (the line under the headline) is equally straight forward: The man sustained claw and bite wounds to his chest, legs and arms. Journalists know that a headline can make or break a story. After all, what gets eyes on …
Once upon a time, Rob Laidlaw was a young man who wanted to protect animals. Today, Rob has become an animal advocacy powerhouse as the head of Zoocheck Canada, frequent speaker, and most recently, author of a series of best-selling and award-winning children’s books. Titles such as No Shelter Here and Saving Lives and Changing …
It was with heavy hearts that we learned a family of beavers living at the Meadow Lakes Golf and Country Club was killed by Highway and Public Works staff earlier this week. The Whitehorse-area family, who had lived happily at Meadow Lakes for years thanks to the efforts of the golf club’s owner, had crossed …
Whitehorse beaver family killed – our offer to help lives on Read More »
The City of Calgary needs to work on their listening skills. Since mid-spring, we have been emailing and calling their Council, asking that they look at trapping by-laws and wildlife feeding bans in the city. The only response we received was that of debate over the use of a Change.org petition that flooded their inboxes. …
Calgary continues trapping: beaver found tortured by Conibear Read More »
Why did the beaver cross the road? Beavers and their young need to get around – and it appears they know better than to jaywalk. A cute photo captured by a Burnaby man and posted by BurnabyNow.com shows a mama beaver and her kit using the designated crosswalk to get across the road. Marching of …
As summer is coming to its peak, so are the thousands of wild babies from coast to coast. While APFA works hard to protect them through education, advocacy, by-laws and policy, much effort is still needed on the front lines. And those who stand in the trenches are wildlife rehabilitators. In Burnaby, BC, the Wildlife …
In recent weeks, we’ve been sending letters to Councillors and media outlets in Prince Edward Island. It seems that a large number of foxes are causing controversy – whether it’s people who want to feed them, people who want to get rid of them or people who think they’re going to steal babies. But a …
PEI’s foxes are here to stay – scientist says co-existence is a must Read More »
It’s a bit surprising, but certainly welcome: a tourist visiting Canmore found himself face-to-face with a bear, got injured and is blaming himself for the incident. According to a report in the Calgary Sun, Danish tourist Torben Lund was walking in a park. He noted bear warning signs, but wasn’t worried. Out of a bunch …
You did it! The City of Windsor Council tonight voted unanimously to end the trapping portion of their skunk program. After a long, at times frustrating, campaign, skunks in Windsor can once again go about their business without fear of trapping and euthanasia. A staff report pointed to the lack of desire for the program …
We’re often inundated with messages of the great and powerful fur industry, which alone is propping up the Canadian economy and providing thousands of jobs. Though we are yet to see any evidence of this, we have seen another kind of evidence: fur farmers need government assistance. According to a press release from Agriculture and …
ACTION ITEM: Canada’s fur farms need government assistance to get by Read More »
On the central coast of British Columbia sits the traditional lands of the Heiltsuk First Nations people. In their language, Heiltsuk means to speak and act correctly, and this concept is an important part of their culture. The Qqs (pronounced Kuks, meaning eyes) Projects Society was formed to support Heiltsuk youth, culture and environment and …
A unique, First-Nations led study is shining light on dwindling grizzly bear populations in southern British Columbia. In a report on science website Phys.org, it is noted that the non-invasive DNA sampling of grizzlies over three-years shows that the bears are at greater risk than previously thought. The Koeye River Conservacy, a protected area in …
Grizzlies at greater risk than previously thought Read More »
Two wild animals are safe after conservation officers were able to take action and remove them from potential conflict situations in the last week. In the small town of Cobourg, Ontario (about one and a half hours east of Toronto), a cougar lounging in a backyard prompted a bit of excitement. According to CTV News, …
Lessons to be learned from a BC bear and an Ontario cougar Read More »
A store-bought trap was the culprit in the torture a squirrel in the Vancouver area last week. The story is common: homeowners concerned about rodents on their property took the advice of a big box store and bought what they were told was a humane trap. The snap-style trap is intended to immediately crush an …
GRAPHIC IMAGES: Consumers need to be warned of trap dangers Read More »
One year ago, the City of Windsor, Ontario, announced it would manage the apparent climb in the local skunk population with a lethal program. Residents would be able to contact the city, who would use live traps to catch and euthanize skunks. One year ago, we said it would fail. We said it would prove …
Windsor’s skunk program an epic failure – like we predicted Read More »
We in Canada may look upon Montana as the last vestige of the wild west – and in many ways, it is. Ranchers, landowner’s rights and the old American west live on in the Northern state. But not everyone wants to hold onto every bit of that tradition. Montana is filled with trappers and their …
It’s your chance to win – and help the animals win, too! The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals is auctioning off this beautiful, original Vicki Rae painting of two bears via Facebook. All you need to do is sign in and bid – in $5 increments – for your chance to win. The …
Hope for bats suffering from WNS Bats in North America have been at risk in recent years from white-nose syndrome, the result of a fungi that was transported from Europe. The European bats have developed an immunity to it, however, in North America, the fungus forces bats out of hibernation and out into the wild …
While much of the world had its eyes on Argentina in the World Cup final yesterday, others were watching the country for another reason. Arturo, a polar bear in the Mendoza Zoo, is in trouble. In conditions that are soaring to 40 degrees centigrade and alone after his mate died two years ago, newspapers such …
For years, The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals has called out the fur and trapping industries for their lackluster response to non-target species catch, particularly in the cases of domestic pets. And now a mainstream outdoors magazine in the United States has come to the same conclusion as us: wherever trapping occurs, pets …
Mainstream magazine in US takes on anti-trapping fight Read More »
Every day, APFA fights to protect the welfare of wildlife across the country. We work on policy issues, municipal by-laws and solutions to prevent conflict. But there is another side to wildlife protection: rehabilitation. On the front line of those efforts in British Columbia is the Critter Care Wildlife Society. We are proud to work …
Critter Care open house a rare look inside wildlife rehabilitation Read More »
As though taking a page out of Lake Placid, the City of Toronto has successfully captured a caiman in High Park. The cousin of an alligator, a caiman is a small reptile that some people ill-advisedly keep as a pet. They are native to South and Central America and grow from 1 metre long to …
Caiman in Toronto park shows need for greater humane education Read More »
