IBM, provider of global hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence, and consulting expertise to clients in more than 175 countries, and the World Wide Fund for Nature-Germany have announced that they will work together to develop a solution to help monitor keystone species. The first keystone species to be taken up by the project is the critically endangered African forest elephant. The International Union for Conservation of Nature defines keystone species as those that are critical to...
Remember Paul the Octopus? Yeah, the one who became a sensation during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, with his reported “ability” to predict the winners of football matches involving the country he was born and lived in, Germany. At the World Cup, Paul predicted, correctly, the results of all seven matches involving the German team and of the final between Spain and The Netherlands. (For those who did not know, Spain won...
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, or Greater Bangalore Municipal Corporation, has issued guidelines for the care of pets and stray animals, finally ending the abuse of position and power by the tinpot dictators of residents’ welfare associations, commonly referred to as RWAs, local newspapers reported. Under the guidelines, these ‘welfare’ associations, usually dominated by people who are derisively referred to by progressive citizens and younger generations as WhatsApp uncles, have been told to ensure that...
As Typhoon Carina swept across the Philippine Sea towards Taiwan and the Chinese coast earlier this week, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, better known by its acronym PETA, issued an urgent appeal to people in the countries in the storm’s path not to leave their pets behind if they needed to evacuate because of flooding or landslides. The appeal was a fresh reminder of the lack of consideration for pets and, indeed, animals...
Keeping a pet is a huge responsibility, bigger at times than nurturing a child. The child will tell you what is bothering it, where it hurts, what it wants to do or doesn’t want to do, but a pet simply can’t. That is why it is imperative for the owner or caretaker to be watchful for any sign of distress or discomfort in the animal. One such ailment that is becoming fairly common in pets...
Do animals know when they are about to die, and say a final goodbye to their owners or families? Dr Rupert Sheldrake, a researcher in the U.K. who is considered a ‘heretic’—curiously, a term that originated in religion—by the “scientific” community, certainly seems to think so. Sheldrake, who worked at an agricultural institute near Hyderabad, India, 50 years ago, developing new varieties and cropping systems in chickpeas, or chana, says he has spent almost a...
A new report released by Earthday.org, a leader in advocacy for Earth Day, which is celebrated on April 22 since 1970, reveals that the exposure of pets to harmful plastics is much higher than many pet owners may have imagined. The report, “Pets Vs. Plastics”, explores the exposure of pets to microplastics and toxic plastic chemicals and follows Earthday.org’s s recent “Babies Vs. Plastics” report, the organization said in a press release. “Pet owners should...
A new report from World Animal Protection, a global organization working to end factory farming and wildlife exploitation, has exposed the tourism industry’s abusive treatment of animals and accused a popular travel company of being a key partner in this abuse. The report, entitled “Making Memories Misery: How GetYourGuide Profits from Animal Cruelty”, profiles some of the worst animal tourism operators that partnered with it, where captive animals endure abusive training, get inadequate food and...
If you have a pet at home, particularly a dog or cat, you should make it a practice to keep your kitchen door shut when you are not in the kitchen. If you like in a house with so-called modern architecture, where the kitchen is little more than an open-access nook, you may need to install barriers to restrict the access. The reason is not just that your pets may want to explore the kitchen...
With the monsoon having finally set in, the scorching heat of the Indian summer, made worse by climate change and deforestation, is behind us, but pet owners face new challenges in keeping their wards safe and healthy. While the rains bring welcome relief for pets and their owners from the heat and dust, they also bring skin infections and moisture-induced diseases that compromise the animals’ health and hygiene. Here are seven simple tips to follow...
