Aroma Pets

Emus barred from pub in Australian outback after causing havoc with their 'bad behaviour'

An Australian outback pub has banned two emus for “bad behaviour” after the pair created havoc inside.

Yaraka Hotel, in Queensland, has now erected barriers after the flightless birds learnt how to climb up the front stairs.

Locals and tourists had previously been amused by the antics of the emus eager to steal food from people in the region, which has a permanent population of 18.

But things took a turn last week when two of the birds, which have been named Carol and Kevin, walked in and bumped "into everything", publican Chris Gimblett said.

“They’ve learnt to walk up the front steps of the hotel, which has been causing just a few issues,” he said added, referring to the amount of waste they produce.

"When emus get a fright, they head in a forward direction but are normally looking behind so they can’t see where they’re going and this is where chaos can happen.

“They bump into everything.”

Mr Gimblett said he solved the problem by stringing a rope across the top of the stairs. The inquisitive emus are not yet clever enough to duck under the rope to get inside the pub.

While Australian pubs occasionally have a parrot in the bar, emus are not indoor birds.

Visitors staying at the Yaraka trailer park have been surprised by the lengths emus will go to steal food, including pecking a fried egg off a barbecue plate.

“They will lean through the (trailer) door with their long necks and pluck toast out of the toaster,” the publican said.

“If you’ve got a mug of coffee on the little table by the door, they will drink all the coffee, without spilling it I might add. You just discover that your mug’s empty. They’re just eating machines,” he added.

There used to be eight emus in Yaraka.

Police issue 'mugshot' in search for missing emu

A resident rescued eggs from an abandoned nest in 2018 and hatched them with the help of an electric blanket.

But all except Carol and Kevin have moved on, apparently in search of mates.

“We’re in lockdown mode,” Mr Gimblett said of his barricaded pub.

“At least it’s emus and not coronavirus.”

Reference: Evening Standard: Ellena Cruse 1 day ago: 28th July 2020

Galapagos Islands: Concern as 'hundreds of Chinese vessels' spotted nearby

A "protection strategy" for the Galapagos Islands has been set up by Ecuador's president after hundreds of fishing vessels - many of them Chinese - were spotted near the archipelago's exclusive economic zone.

The Ecuadorian Navy has identified around 260 boats and increased patrols to ensure they do not enter the area of the ecologically sensitive islands - the inspiration for Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

In several tweets over the weekend, Lenin Moreno described the Islands as "one of the richest fishing areas and a hotbed of life for the entire planet", and used the hashtag #SOSGalapagos.

He added that former Mayor of Quito, Roque Sevilla, and ex-environment minister Yolanda Kakabadse, along with "more specialists", would be "responsible for designing the Galapagos protection strategy and respect for its maritime resources".

Chinese fishing vessels appear each year near the Galapagos, attracted by marine species such as the hammerhead shark, which is in danger of extinction.

In 2017, a Chinese vessel was captured in the Galapagos Marine Reserve carrying 300 tons of marine wildlife.

"We are on alert, conducting surveillance, patrolling to avoid an incident such as what happened in 2017," defence minister Oswaldo Jarrin told reporters.

"There is a corridor that is international waters, that's where the fleet is located," he said, adding that none had attempted to enter the exclusive economic zone.

Volunteer pressure group, the Blue Planet Society, has said "we are watching the destruction of the ocean in real time".

Spokesperson John Hourston told Sky News: "The threat that the industrial Chinese fishing fleet poses to the unique and spectacular marine life of the Galapagos archipelago cannot be overstated."

He also said the vessels were "sucking the life from this biodiversity jewel".

"Marine life doesn't recognise lines on a map. Unless the high seas are given protection, the ocean is in danger of becoming become a lifeless desert."

The Galapagos Islands are home to a wide variety of marine wildlife, including turtles, giant tortoises, flamingos and albatrosses.

Reference: Sky News:Tania Snuggs, news reporter 21 hrs ago: 28th July 2020

Pet cat becomes first animal to test positive for coronavirus in UK

A pet cat has become the first animal to test positive for coronavirus in the UK.

The only details known about the feline are that it lives in England and was tested at a laboratory in Weybridge, Surrey, last week, on 22 July.

The government said there is "no evidence" the cat transmitted the virus to its owners or that any other domestic pets are able to, either.

Chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss explained: "Tests conducted by the Animal and Plant Health Agency have confirmed that the virus responsible for COVID-19 has been detected in a pet cat in England.

"This is a very rare event with infected animals detected to date only showing mild clinical signs and recovering within in a few days.

"There is no evidence to suggest that pets directly transmit the virus to humans. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will update."

Yvonne Doyle, medical director of Public Health England, said the finding "should not be a cause for alarm".

"In line with the general advice on fighting coronavirus, you should wash your hands regularly, including before and after contact with animals," she added.

The case has been reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health in line with international commitments, the environment department confirmed.

It added there have been "a very small number of confirmed cases in pets in other countries" in Europe, North America and Asia.

Reference: Sky News: Aubrey Allegretti, political reporter 1 day ago:28th July 2020

Goats punched, hit, kicked and ‘left lame’ at farm supplying milk to Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose and Ocado, video shows

Animals were subjected to a string of brutal attacks at a farm that sells goats’ milk to Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and other supermarkets, footage from hidden cameras has revealed.

Goats were seen on video being punched, kicked, hit with a pole and slammed onto their backs at a plant that supplies St Helen’s Farm, in east Yorkshire.

The animals were also filmed crying in pain as they were held by their necks, had their ears tagged or their tails twisted.

Goat milk, yoghurts, cheese and ice cream sold by the St Helen’s Farm brand are the best-known goat milk products in the UK and are stocked by major supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado. Demand has risen amid a switch away from cows’ milk in recent years.

Tesco immediately suspended the brand when shown the footage by The Independent. Waitrose and Booths, which has grocery stores around the north of England, followed suit.

About an hour’s worth of video was passed to the Surge animal rights group, which then showed it to a vet and to lawyers at Advocates for Animals, who it said “highlighted many serious issues”.

People filming using secret cameras told Surge that at one supply farm, they saw goats being:

• Kicked and punched
  Hit with a pole
  Held by the throat
  Having their tails twisted
  Shoved and roughly handled
  Left lame and struggling to stand or walk after the rough handling
  Goats were also slammed onto their backs on a conveyor belt before their hooves were roughly trimmed, the video showed.

One was seen being dragged by one leg along the ground while struggling.

Animal suffering was also prolonged when injuries went untreated, the witnesses said after reviewing the footage. Retailers pledge to ban mohair fabric over mutilated goat footage

The people behind the footage also reported seeing workers letting goats fall off an operating bed and become stuck between fences. In one case, a worker “played the drums” on a goat’s stomach after a procedure. The footage also shows farm employees dragging dead animals away in front of live ones, and Surge was told that dead and dying animals had been seen around the farm.

St Helen’s, which is a brand rather than a single farm, also buys goats’ milk from other farms in Yorkshire and the midlands. A spokesperson confirmed the footage was taken at one of St Helen’s supply farms, and as soon as the company was alerted by The Independent to the treatment of the animals, it cut off the supplier.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 states animals, including farm animals, must be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease.

Ed Winters, the co-founder and director of Surge, said: “St Helen’s is the most prominent and well-known goat company in the UK. They are regarded as being the best of the best when it comes to goat farming. But that means nothing to the animals.

“Goats are sensitive, curious and gentle animals, but the animal-farming industries treat them as commodities they can exploit for profit.

“St Helen’s say on their website the milk is a reward for looking after the goats and that their staff have a genuine interest and love for the animals. But it is obvious that the opposite is true at one of their supplying farms.”

He added: “These animals are thrown around and dragged and when they’re no longer producing enough milk to be considered profitable, they’re killed.”

Surge says about 50,000 mostly male dairy kids are slaughtered each year.

St Helen’s Farm told The Independent it was supplied by farms that were expected to comply with a rigorous code of conduct and that it had several animal-welfare accreditations, adding: “Today we have been made aware of allegations that one farm has infringed animal welfare standards, which we would find totally unacceptable if true.

“We have immediately ceased all milk supply from this farm and launched a full investigation to determine the facts of this matter.”

A Tesco spokesperson said: “We require high animal-welfare standards from all brands sold at Tesco, so these claims are deeply concerning. We have immediately suspended supply whilst we investigate the matter further.”

A Waitrose spokesperson said the chain was suspending St Helen’s after reading this article.

The Independent has also asked the other supermarkets to respond.

A spokesperson for the British Retail Consortium (BRC), representing supermarkets, said: “Our members take their responsibilities to animal welfare very seriously and work closely with trusted suppliers so that high welfare standards are upheld.

“They have strict processes in place and will thoroughly investigate any evidence of non-conformity to ensure that any problems are immediately addressed. The BRC continues to support unannounced audits on farms to ensure compliance with all farm standards, particularly animal welfare.”

Reference: Independent: Jane Dalton 1 day ago: 28th July 2020