A former fox hunter appealed his conviction for illegally chasing and killing a fox, trying to use a loophole in the law – but the judge upheld the ruling
Campaigners have accused hunters of exploiting loopholes in the Hunting Act (Photo: Adobe. Do not use without permission)
A fox hunting conviction has been upheld in what campaigners have described as a ‘landmark ruling’.
George Adams, a former huntsman with the Fitzwilliam Hunt, appealed his conviction for illegally chasing and killing a fox, using what is known as the ‘falconry exemption’.
Loophole in the law
This loophole comes from a clause in the Hunting Act 2004, which was designed to ensure falconers did not get prosecuted if their birds killed a mammal that had been flushed out of cover by dogs.
According to welfare group The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS), some hunts ‘exploit…
THIS MORNING presenter Phillip Schofield chose not to remain impartial during a debate over the hunting of rhinos and other animals on the ITV show today, calling humans “stupid”.
This Morning: Phil blasts ‘stupidity’ of trophy hunters
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Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby welcomed animal activist and former cricketer Kevin Pieterson to This Morning today, to debate the issue with a Swedish trophy hunter.
Kevin is doing a new podcast in a war against animal poachers, and his passion for the issue inspired further anger from ITV host Phillip, 57.
Stepping in to the debate, Phillip said: “What astonished me, when we did rhino tagging, was to stand beside this incredible being and we found out she was pregnant, and it was incredible.
Refresh for updates… Hollywood was quick to remember Doris Day, the beloved actress, singer and animal rights activist who died today at age 97. “The great Doris Day left us and took a piece of the sun with her,” tweeted Goldie Hawn. Tony Bennett recalled what a thrill it was for him to appear on The Doris Day Show in 1970, and said he’d miss her “beautiful smile.”
Meanwhile, songwriter Diane Warren tweeted an absolutely appropriate string of animal emojies in honor of one of Hollywood’s earliest and staunchest animal rights activists. The family of Day’s The Doris Day Show co-star Rose Marie shared a memory and a photo (see it below).
Sorry to hear of Doris Day’s passing. We got to know Doris when Mom worked with her. They talked frequently until Mom’s passing. We all shared our love for animals. I’m happy & proud to say I knew her & loved seeing her close friendship with my mother. They truly loved each other
Lisa Lange, PETA Senior Vice President: “Doris Day was a silver screen and singing legend, but PETA will always remember her for her most important role: animal champion. She personally rescued, fostered, and found loving homes for hundreds of animals; founded an organization to stop animal homelessness through spaying and neutering; and formed the Doris Day Animal League, which joined PETA in opposing cruel chemical tests on animals. Day was a warm, kind, generous person, and she will be missed by all of us here at PETA.”
RELATED STORY
Doris Day Dies: Iconic Actress, Singer, Animal Rights Activist Was 97
This morning I was saddened to learn that Doris Day who starred in a film I had written “The Thrill Of It All” had passed away at 97. Just a week ago, I contacted her and welcomed her to the 97 Year Actor’s Club.
Paul McCartney: “So sad to hear of Doris Day passing away. She was a true star in more ways than one. I had the privilege of hanging out with her on a few occasions. Visiting her in her Californian home was like going to an animal sanctuary where her many dogs were taken care of in splendid style. She had a heart of gold and was a very funny lady who I shared many laughs with. Her films like ‘Calamity Jane’, ‘Move Over, Darling’ and many others were all incredible and her acting and singing always hit the mark. I will miss her but will always remember her twinkling smile and infectious laugh as well as the many great songs and movies she gave us. God bless Doris.”
The one, the only, the woman who inspired so much of what I do… Doris Day I love you, my calamity Jane. An iconic woman who I was hugely honoured to meet and share precious moments with. Rest in peace x
Hollywood star Doris Day, whose films made her one of the biggest female stars of all time, has died aged 97
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For those of us in my generation, Doris Day was synonymous with Hollywood icon. She would no doubt remind us, upon this day of her passing, “Que sera sera,” but we will miss her dearly anyway. Rest now in our hearts forever, Ms. Day.
Doris Day was kind and decent, onscreen and off; she maintained her friendship with Rock Hudson after his AIDS diagnosis, in a climate of fear and abandonment – one of his last appearances was on a TV show with her. Here they are in younger days:
Farewell to the great Doris Day.
Here’s the legendary actor and singer at the Hall in 1955, being directed by Alfred Hitchcock. She’s about to spot a bad guy in our Door 6 porch, setting up the nerve-shredding finale of ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’
Susan and I are saddened to hear of Doris Day’s passing. She was a wonderful friend to us and a lovely and very talented lady. We will miss her beautiful smile and it was such a thrill to appear on The Doris Day Show back in 1970https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYHzJ5lwYtY …
There are moments in life that you cherish forever. Singing to #DorisDay for her 97th b’day was one of those moments. Doris lived a life full of highs and lows, but always with love exuding from her heart. God bless you Doris. You were a beacon of talent, beauty, grace, and love.
He was said to be unaware that vultures might consume it.
A fox and two jackals were also found dead, while two sick vultures were taken to a wildlife clinic for treatment, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) said.
Officials in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights have been trying to increase the vulture count there amid a dramatic decline in the population over the past 20 years.
Their numbers have reportedly dropped from 130 in 1998 to around 20 prior to the latest deaths.
Many have been poisoned, allegedly by local farmers whose herds are threatened by predators, Israeli news website Walla says.
The killing on Friday of so many birds was a “mortal blow” to the population, INPA Director Shaul Goldstein told AFP news agency.
INPA said it was even worse that the poisoning happened during nesting season, meaning eggs now might not hatch and chicks might not survive.
The authority said it would do everything possible to find out who was responsible and bring them to justice.
Most of the Syrian Golan Heights has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war. In March, the US became the first country to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the area since Israel effectively annexed it in 1981.
EVERY WEEK, dozens of metal flasks arrive at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, each one loaded with air from a distant corner of the world. Research chemist Ed Dlugokenckyand his colleagues in the Global Monitoring Division catalog the canisters, and then use a series of high-precision tools — a gas chromatograph, a flame ionization detector, sophisticated software — to measure how much carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane each flask contains.
“There are so many hypotheses and high impact papers … that cover the whole range of explanations for why there’s this renewed growth.”
These air samples — collected at observatories in Hawaii, Alaska, American Samoa, and…
“We don’t know a planet like this,” Eric Holthaus, a meteorologist and writer at Grist, wrote on Twitter.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations have skyrocketed far higher than any levels in the last 800,000 years, data from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California – San Diego show, and levels have not been this high for millions of years, Holthaus said.
“This is the first time in human history our planet’s atmosphere has…
Media captionDavid Sillito looks back at Doris Day’s illustrious career
Hollywood legend Doris Day, whose films made her one of the biggest stars of all time, has died aged 97.
The singer turned actress starred in films such as Calamity Jane and Pillow Talk and had a hit in 1956 with Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).
Her screen partnership with Rock Hudson is one of the best-known in the history of romantic movies.
In a statement, the Doris Day Animal Foundation said she died on Monday at her home in Carmel Valley, California.
With heavy hearts, we share the news that Doris Day passed away peacefully this morning at her home in Carmel, Calif. She was 97. More info: https://www.dorisdayanimalfoundation.org/
Born Mary Ann Von Kappelhoff in April 1922, Day originally wanted to be a dancer but had to abandon her dream after breaking her right leg in a car accident.
Instead she began her singing career at the age of 15. Her first hit, Sentimental Journey, would become a signature tune.
Her films, which included Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much and That Touch of Mink, made her known around the world.
But she never won an Oscar and was nominated only once, in 1960, for Pillow Talk, the first of her three romantic comedies with Hudson.
Honours she did receive included the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 and a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2008.
Her last release, the compilation album My Heart, went to number one in the UK in 2011.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionDay’s real life was not as upbeat as her on-screen persona
Day’s wholesome, girl-next-door image was a popular part of her myth that sometimes invited ridicule.
“I’ve been around so long, I knew Doris Day before she was a virgin,” the musician Oscar Levant once remarked.
Day herself said her “Miss Chastity Belt” image was “more make-believe than any film part [she] ever played.”
Her life was certainly not as sunny. She married four times, was divorced three times and was widowed once.
She also suffered a mental breakdown and had severe financial trouble after one husband squandered her money.
In the 1970s, she turned away from performing to focus her energies on her animal foundation.
According to the organisation, she wished to have no funeral, memorial service or grave marker.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionIn later life she became an advocate for animal welfare
Star Trek actor William Shatner remembered Day on Twitter as “the World’s Sweetheart,” saying she was “beloved by all”.
“We’ve lost another great Hollywood talent,” tweeted Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, while actor Luke Evans said he had “always loved” her voice and “beautiful” songs.
A new law aimed at cracking down on so-called puppy farms in England is being presented to Parliament on Monday.
Known as Lucy’s Law, it will ban the sale of kittens and puppies from third parties from spring 2020, making buyers deal with breeders directly.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said the new rules would give animals “the best possible start in life”.
The RSPCA said it was “absolutely thrilled” with the legislation – but stressed it required enforcement.
The new law would require animals to be born and reared in a safe environment, with their mother, and to be sold from their place of birth.
The rules, which will apply to England, are also designed to deter smugglers who abuse the Pet Travel Scheme to bring young animals into the UK to be sold.
Named after Lucy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who died in 2016 after being poorly treated on a puppy farm, the ban is scheduled to come into force on 6 April next year, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.
Marc Abraham, Lucy’s Law campaigner and founder of Pup Aid, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that Lucy’s Law is now being laid in Parliament and will come into effect from April 2020.
“Lucy’s Law is named after one of the sweetest, bravest dogs I’ve ever known, and is a fitting tribute to all the victims of the cruel third-party puppy trade, both past and present.”
But Paula Boyden, veterinary director at Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, urged the government to go further.
She said: “We would like to see additional measures introduced to ensure the ban is as robust as possible.
“There is time before April 2020 for the government to consider regulation of re-homing organisations and sanctuaries, ensure full traceability of all puppies sold, and strengthening of the pet travel scheme.”
Wild boar were brought from Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s to diversify Canadian livestock production. Others were imported as ‘penned game’ for shooting.
Spread of wild pigs across Canada is emerging crisis for agriculture and environment
UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN-NEWS RELEASE 10-MAY-2019
Their maps, published alongside the USask research, show that wild pigs are now firmly established in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba, with populations scattered in B.C., Ontario and Quebec.
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Wild pigs invade Canadian provinces–an emerging crisis for agriculture and the environment
Wild pigs–a mix of wild boar and domestic swine–are spreading rapidly across Canada, threatening native species such as nesting birds, deer, agricultural crops, and farm livestock, research by the University of Saskatchewan (USask) shows.
The first-ever published survey of the wild pig distribution in Canada has found a rapid expansion in the invasive species’ range, which is increasing by nine per cent a year.
Que Será, Será!
Exposing the Big Game 