Those pictures were taken in the past 3 days 5-10 km off the Zouk Power Plant and posted on Virgin Radio Lebanon’s Facebook Page. That’s pretty cool.

The seal that LBCI talked about four days ago turned out to be a sea lion and has come back today to the port in Tyre. According to Animals Lebanon, the sea lion is a captive raised California sea lion, not native to this region and not used to surviving in the wild, and releasing the animal in the wild is against the recommendations of the IUCN. They added that the person responsible at the Ministry of Environment said a decision will be made this week of the fate of the sea lion.

Let’s hope the concerned Ministry takes the right decision to send this young sea lion to a proper place to be given the specialized care needed.

You can read more updates [Here].

[YouTube]

Lebanon made two steps in the right direction this week by first joining CITES, which is considered to be one of the most important conventions on endangered species and the law campaign that we actively took part in supporting on the blog is moving forward and is now open for public comment for the next 30 days before the Council of Ministers.

Under the proposed law, only licensed pet shops, zoos, circuses and other establishments that use animals would be able to operate, and even then only under strict guidelines.

The CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Secretariat is pleased to welcome the Lebanese Republic as the 178th Party to CITES.

Lebanon is located in the East Mediterranean. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south. Lebanon is home to a wide variety of fauna and flora, including over 100 CITES-listed species, such as the common jackal, common wolf, red fox, common otter, jungle cat, wild cat, dalmatian pelican, black stork, greater flamingo, Eurasian spoonbill and various species of birds of prey (eagles, falcons, hawks and owls). CITES trade with Lebanon consists mainly of live plants, live birds, live tortoises, raw corals, reptile skins and leather products.

The Convention will enter into force for Lebanon on 26 May 2013. [Link]

Respect for Agriculture Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan for not ignoring this campaign and going through with legislation:

“Despite the challenges Lebanon faces, [the] top of which is the well-being of citizens, there is nothing which forbids us from also working to make Lebanon a better country in relation to animal welfare,” Agriculture Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan said in a joint statement from the ministry and the campaign group.

“Our culture, our morals, and our Islamic and Christian religious values all call us to be kind to animals, just as economic, financial and health interests require us to enact legislation related to animals.” [DailyStar]

What is spaying and neutering?
Neutering is a quick and safe surgical procedure which prevents cat and dogs from giving birth. It is the only 100% effective method of birth control for dogs and cats. Spaying is the term used when the procedure is done on female cats and dogs, and neutering is a general term for the procedure.
Neutering is a very effective and humane way of reducing the number of homeless pets. Large scale neutering programs have been done all over the world by NGOs and progressive governments, and have show to be extremely effective in minimizing the population of homeless cats and dogs as well as ensuring those living on the streets are more healthy.

Animals Lebanon is offering TNR vouchers at half the price for the entire month of February! You can call 01 751678 or email contact@animalslebanon.org or visit the website to claim your vouchers.

Picture via GreenProphet.com

If Lebanese have no problem killing each other these days, I don’t find it hard to believe that they’d treat animals this way. Quite sad!

There’s a petition requesting “Justice for Whiskey” that was prepared by Christine Linder and addressed to Pr.Michel Sleiman and PM Najib Mikati. You can sign it [Here].

On Sunday 27 January 2013, Whisky was being walked by a friend of his owner along the Corniche of Beirut. According to Whisky’s wonder, Bassem, they would regularly walk along this busy part of Beirut, with Whisky playing with people and enjoying one of the few areas of public space for dog owners to walk with their dogs.

Around 9AM, Bassem received a phone call from his friend who had volunteered to take Whisky for a walk as Bassem was suffering from an injured leg. His friend said that Whisky had been shot 12 times and killed by a man who claimed that Whisky had attacked his daughter. Whisky regularly walked along this busy route and did not have a history of aggressive behavior. Rather he was remembered to be “very peaceful and lovely he used to play with everyone and smile for everyone”.

The shooter is now being held by the police, but it is not sure for how long. As the law protecting Animal Rights is still waiting to be implemented, this man may be released with a minimal, if not zero punishment.

In addition, Bassem has noted that the shooter is now arguing that Bassem should pay for the injuries that he suffered while killing Whisky. [Source]

Picture of the dog before and after he got shot – Taken from Animals Lebanon

I have to agree that hunting should be regulated not banned in Lebanon, and also that birds are really good when cooked properly!

Hunting in Lebanon, though not regulated or legalized officially, is practiced by tens of thousands of hunters in this ecologically diverse country. Labeling this hobby by many people as a crime reflects an ignorance of the details of hunting, or rather injustice towards it. Hunting existed since humanity’s inception and if practiced responsibly, it could be sustained and sustainable.

Some poachers in Lebanon are ruining the nature and the image of hunters by practicing excessive hunting of legal birds or hunting of illegal birds like hawks, eagles, owls, storks, pelicans, goldfinches, bulbuls, etc… Abolishing hunting does not solve the problem; rather, a change of mentality is required.

However, some benevolent and professional groups and individuals are trying to raise awareness and pushing forward to regulate it legally through guidelines and laws for hunting.[permanenthunger.com]

For more info about hunting in Lebanon, and the efforts done to regulate and raise awareness towards this hobby to sustain it and protect the environment, you can visit the [Pro Lebanese Hunters Facebook page].

[YouTube]

I always used to hear from friends and family that hyenas are dangerous and deadly creatures that pose a threat to humans and should be killed. However, I learned from a previous post that there are various types of hyenas, one of them being the striped hyena which is an endangered species and is known to be extremely timid around humans.

This being said, we should not be killing these creatures but preserving them instead. In order to do so, you can contact The Animal Encounter organization and they’ll be more than glad to help. Last but not least, I wish that LBC and other TVs ask their viewers to refrain from shooting down these animals and reporting them instead to them or to the corresponding organizations.

Top 10 pictures of 2012. Picture taken by Goran Tomasevic. Azaz, Syria. Aug. 15, 2012.

I always enjoy reading Time’s Top 10 lists from year to year. Check out the 55 wide-ranging lists [Here].

The HuffingtonPost has a bigger album of 2012′s best pictures that you can check [Here].

In early August 2012, a fire devastated the garage where Atilla lived as a guard dog. Chained, Attila, could not escape.

Lebanon needs to enact laws promoting animal rights and making their abuse illegal. After all, animal welfare is an international concern and is as important as other matters.

In Beirut, Lebanon animal neglect and abuse is a tragic part of daily life. With no formal system of training, rescue, and protection, urgent assistance from ordinary citizens is commonplace. The volunteers of Animals Pride and Freedom Lebanon receive and respond to urgent phone calls and messages concerning lost, abused, and injured pets and wildlife twenty-four hours a day, whether they are needed to search for an injured cat in Mansourieh, provide foster care for abandoned puppies found in Baabda Forest, or transport a bird that has been shot in Hazmieh.

Animals Pride and Freedom Lebanon volunteers, like Lebanese University Agriculture and Veterinary Science student, Shant Panossian, participate in many grassroots initiatives such as overnight rescue sweeps in various towns, picking-up stray dogs at-risk of further cruelty, and providing needed medical care. “These rescue efforts are the best,” Shant says. “I come back home exhausted, but I feel very happy for saving these dogs.”

“I try my best to help find homes for animals,” Shant says of his efforts to combat animal abuse and neglect which includes finding a permanent home for Attila, a two-year-old male Husky-Collie Mix. “We desperately need a home for Attila,” Shant says. “We hope to find him a nice home outside Lebanon.” [Source]

Picture from LebanonEguide

I have to say preserving the Cedars is important but shouldn’t we give our politicians a raise first? I mean it’s all about priorities isn’t it? Oh and let’s not forget Fattoush’s 400 million dollars!

The cherished Cedar Tree (Cedrus libani) is not well. It is fighting its own revolution against time. It is feeling the strains of centuries and is at risk from global warming and insects. It has now been added to the list of threatened species, although at the lowest level of threat, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization.
In the past, Lebanese mountains were covered with Cedars. Sadly, all that is left today is 18 scattered patches of protected Cedar land. In total, protected forests (both Cedar and other) make up approximately four to eight percent of the Lebanese territory. [Full Post]

Thank you Mich for this insightful post!

More than 25,000 people support the campaign to enact animal welfare law! Thank you to everyone who signed the petition to take a stand against animal abuse. Over the next weeks the petition will be presented to the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament and Minister of Agriculture so they know Lebanon is a country that does care about animals. Together we are going to make animal abuse illegal!

www.animalslebanon.org

Warning: This video contains Graphic Content

Twenty-eight dog carcasses were found in the heart of Mount Lebanon, in a crowded area where kids play and hang out. Twelve dogs were also found alive, feeding on the carcasses. [Link]

It is time to set standards for puppy mills in Lebanon and support Animals Lebanon’s campaign to enact national animal protection and welfare legislation. Help BETA Lebanon achieve these goals by signing their petitions [Here] and [Here].

Thank you Hala

I got this picture yesterday by email. What’s the deal with all these cows/bulls fleeing their butchers?

Last time it happened, it didn’t end up very well for the bull. [Link]

[YouTube]

Wicker Park is an event organized by Lebanese NGO “Lebanon Green Again”, that was founded in 1968 and been working since then to spread awareness on nature and how to preserve it in Lebanon.

The 2nd edition of the Wickerpark Festival 2012 will be held on June 29th and 30th in an open-air venue in Batroun right by the sea. The first edition last year was a success and helped raise money to replant trees in fire-ravaged areas in Lebanon. This year, they’re focusing on repopulating Sea Urchins.

The artists that are participating in this year’s edition of Wickerpark are:
- Karl Mattar
- Sae Lis
- Who Killed Bruce Lee
- The Flying Circus
- Zeid & The Wings
- The Beirut Groove Collective

While some Lebanese are too busy burning tires and polluting the environment, others are actually trying to promote a greener Lebanon and preserve whatever is left of this country. This is why I ask you all to spread the word and support this event. You can buy tickets at Librairie Antoine for 30$.