Otters and Science News: IT'S 2015 SEA OTTER AWARENESS WEEK - Otters are good for the environment. They protect sea kelp forests by eating urchins, which allows a variety of other marine life to thrive

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Friday, September 25, 2015

IT'S 2015 SEA OTTER AWARENESS WEEK - Otters are good for the environment. They protect sea kelp forests by eating urchins, which allows a variety of other marine life to thrive

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Pup 696 getting lots of TLC from Monterey Bay Aquarium staffers.

Sea otter mother and pup in the Great Tidepool at Monterey Bay Aquarium

Otters are excellent mothers to their adorable pups

Continue reading and see more images of these wonderful creatures

Sea otters can be fairly ingenious, doing things like using rocks to hammer away at shellfish. In fact, the animals will use just about any hard surface to break open dinner, including boat hulls and aquarium glass.

The northern sea otter, such as these ones in Kodiak Island in Alaska, is doing better than its southern cousins because they have more room to expand their populations.

Otters wrap themselves in kelp fronds to keep from floating away while they nap.

Picture of sea otters

Otters are good for the environment. By preying on species such as urchins - who eat kelp - they protect the kelp forest where many other species can thrive.

Picture of sea otter

Otters are extremely devoted mothers. They need to forage for up to 14 hours a day to be able to nurse the growing pup.

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From the Defenders of Wildlife website:

BASIC FACTS ABOUT SEA OTTERS

The heaviest members of the weasel family, sea otters are also the second smallest marine mammals. Unlike other marine mammals, they do not have a layer of blubber to help them keep warm. Instead, sea otters have the densest fur in the animal kingdom, ranging from 250,000 to a million hairs per square inch, which insulates them.

Sea otters are good for the environment

Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. As predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of the near-shore kelp ecosystems.

Without sea otters, the undersea animals they prey on would devour the kelp forests off the coast that provide cover and food for many other marine animals.

Additionally, sea otters indirectly help to reduce levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a prevalent greenhouse gas, as kelp forests play an important role in capturing carbon in coastal ecosystems

Diet

Sea otters eat urchins, abalone, mussels, clams, crabs, snails and about 40 other marine species. Sea otters eat approximately 25% of their weight in food each day to support their high metabolism.

Population

Historically, sea otters numbered between several hundred thousand to more than a million.

But due to the fur trade, worldwide numbers plummeted down to a total of 1,000-2,000 in the early 1900s. Today, there are estimated to be just over 106,000 worldwide, with just under 3,000 in California.

Habitat & Range

Sea otters live in shallow coastal waters off the northern Pacific. Their historic range stretched from Japan, along the coast of Siberia and the Aleutian Chain and down the Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California coast to Baja California.

Currently sea otters can be found in Canada, Russia, Japan, California and Washington, but the majority of all wild sea otters are found in Alaskan waters. Recent reports of sea otter sightings have also occurred in Mexico.

In the U.S., there are two distinct sea otter subspecies, the Northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) and the Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis). Northern sea otters are found in the Aleutian Islands, Southern Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington.

Southern sea otters, also known as California sea otters, live in the waters along the California coastline and range from San Mateo County in the north to Santa Barbara County in the south.

Behavior

Sea otters spend much of their lives in the water and can dive up to 330 feet when foraging for food. They sometimes rest in coastal kelp forests, often draping the kelp over their bodies to keep from drifting away.

Sea otters are also one of the few mammals other than primates known to use tools. They use small rocks or other objects to pry shellfish from rocks and to hammer them open.

Reproduction

Mating Season: Throughout the year
Gestation: 6-8 months
Litter Size: Generally one pup, but sea otters can give birth to twins

Read more - http://www.defenders.org/sea-otter/basic-facts

Threats to Sea Otters

It is estimated that the worldwide population of sea otters once numbered between several hundred thousand to over one million before being nearly hunted to extinction by fur traders in the 1700s and 1800s.

Sea otters finally gained protections with the signing of the International Fur Seal Treaty of 1911, and became listed under the Marine Mammal Protection and Endangered Species Acts in the 1970s.

Worldwide, numbers have slowly recovered but still stand far below original population numbers. While sea otters are vulnerable to natural predators, their populations are significantly impacted by several human factors as well.

Conflict with Humans

Direct conflict with humans, such as shootings and entrapment in fishing traps and nets pose a major threat to sea otter populations.

Since sea otters eat many of the same shellfish humans like to eat, such as sea urchins, lobster and crab, they often find themselves in the same areas fishermen like to harvest.

Some shell fishers view sea otters as competition and a threat to their economic gain. Many fishermen use fishing gear that can entangle sea otters and cause them to drown.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, sea otters who find themselves too close to a fisherman’s harvest are often harmed or killed.

Fortunately, the number of sea otters deaths from human conflict is slowly decreasing as a result of their protection under the Endangered Species Act and increased regulation of fishing nets.

Oil Spills

Oil spills from offshore drilling or shipping are an immense threat to sea otter populations.

When sea otters come into contact with oil, it causes their fur to mat, which prevents it from insulating their bodies.

Without this natural protection from the frigid water, sea otters can quickly die from hypothermia.

The toxicity of oil can also be harmful to sea otters, causing liver and kidney failure as well as severe damage to their lungs and eyes.

A historic example of the impacts oil spills have on sea otters is the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, which killed several thousand sea otters.

Sea otters are still threatened by events like this because countries around the northern hemisphere continue to ship and drill for oil throughout the Pacific and along coastal areas that sea otters call home.

Because their numbers are low and they are located in a rather small geographic area compared to other sea otter populations, the California sea otter is especially vulnerable, and could be devastated by oil contamination.

Habitat Degradation

Pollution on land runs off into the ocean, contaminating the sea otters’ habitat. This can jeopardize their food sources, as well as harm them directly.

Sea otters are often contaminated with toxic pollutants and disease-causing parasites as a result of runoff in coastal waters.

In California, parasites and infectious disease cause more than 40% of sea otter deaths. Hundreds of sea otters have succumbed to the parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Sacrocystis neurona, which are typically bred in cats and opossums.

Scientists have also reported the accumulation of man-made chemicals, such as PCBs and PBDEs, at some of the highest levels ever seen in marine mammals.

Defenders of Wildlife works tirelessly to protect sea otters and the marine habitats they rely on for survival. From eliminating a “no otter zone” created by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to helping establish sea otter conservation projects, we continue to fight for these animals that play such an important role in marine ecosystems.
Read more >>

Photo Emmanuel Keller

From SeaOtters.com:

Reproduction

Sea otters are polygynous, meaning that males have multiple female partners. Males are usually territorial, typically mating with several females in an area that they defend.

Males and females form breeding pairs for several days, after which time the male moves on to look for other receptive females and the female is left to ultimately raise the pup on her own. Females often sport bloody noses during the breeding season, as males will bite them during mating.

Female otters can give birth at any time of the year. Gestation lasts approximately 6 months.

It takes 4 months for the fetus to fully develop but delayed implantation (of approximately 2 months) almost always occurs. Scientists suggest that this adaptation may help mothers give birth at the most opportune time of year—when food is most abundant, for example.

At birth, pups are approximately 2 feet (.6 m) in length and weigh 4-5 lbs (2-2.3 kg). Pups are born with a thick coat of baby fur and are so buoyant they cannot immediately dive for food.

The mother carries the pup on its chest for the first two months, where it is constantly groomed and protected from the cold water.

When diving for food, the female leaves her pup floating in the water, often times wrapping kelp fronds around the pup to keep it from floating away.

The mother-pup bond is strong. Mothers have have been known to carry their pup for several days after the pup’s death.

Pups begin to dive and forage at about 2 months, although nursing continues until weaning.

They have high-pitched calls, which they use to communicate with their mothers.

Females typically nurse their pups for 6 to 12 months, before abruptly weaning and abandoning them.

Within a few days of weaning her pup, a female will come into estrous and mate again.

Pup mortality is high – only 25% of pups survive their first year. Females mature at age 3 and males at age 5. Wild otters typically have a lifespan between 15 and 20 years.

Read more about otters here:
http://seaotters.com/sea-otters/

Photo Marac Andrew Kolodzinski

The Monterey Bay Aquarium's goal is always to return sea otter pups to the ocean once they’re ready to survive in the wild

Read the story of pup 696's rescue by Monterey Bay Aquarium staff: http://montereybayaquarium.tumblr.com/post/112617067463/otter-twins-this-guest-blog-was-written-by

For more information about the Monterey Bay Aquarium's animals and exhibits, and to view their live web cams, please visit http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

Sea Otter Cam Enjoy Monterey Bay Aquarium sea otters as they frolic and swim.Watch now

http://www.otterproject.org/about-sea-otters/natural-history/

Sources:
http://montereybayaquarium.tumblr.com/post/129499064263/its-sea-otter-awareness-week

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/150922-sea-otter-awareness-week-conservation-oceans-animals-pictures-science/#/01seaotter.ngsversion.1442944806706.jpg

http://www.defenders.org/sea-otter-awareness-week

http://www.otterproject.org/

http://seaotters.com/sea-otters/

More Information

OTTERS ON THE WEB

See more pictures and articles

on AWESOME OTTERS on this blog

http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/search/label/Animals%20-%20Otters

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DANGEROUS PET FOOD ALERT

2014 - JERKY PET TREATS ARE KILLING DOGS.

At least one thousand dogs have been killed and over 5000 made seriously ill. This has been going on for months. No action from FDA so far. Read more:
http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2014/05/thousands-of-american-dogs-sickened-and.html
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Also check this website for the latest pet food recalls. Filter for either cat or dog products. (Please note that manufacturers often voluntarily recall products so they won't appear on this list.)
https://www.avma.org/news/issues/recalls-alerts/pages/pet-food-safety-recalls-alerts.aspx?fvalue=Cat
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If at all possible, try to feed your pet people food. The web has samples of pet food recipes and information on what is nutritionally best for dogs and cats. Giving them people food will save you money in the long run, with a healthier pet and fewer visits to the vet.

USA and EU GIVE BILLIONS TO PALESTINIANS, who use money to pay salaries TO TERRORISTS WHO KILL JEWS

ALL SHE WANTED WAS TO BE A BALLET DANCER ~~~ Hallel Jafa Ariel was only 13, and was sleeping in her home in Israel after a ballet public performance, when a Palestinian from a neighboring village stabbed her multiple times, killing her. ~~~ The terrorist's mother lauded her son as a HERO. ~~~ The Palestinian Authority now pays the terrorist's family a substantial salary for life as a reward, ~~~ The Palestinian Authority spends enormous amounts of money paying salaries to terrorists or their families. ~~~ AMERICANS AND EUROPEANS HAVE CONTRACTED OUT THE ARABS TO KILL JEWS IN ISRAEL ~~~ CLICK ON IMAGE to read more about HALLEL and her tragic end

DO PLANTS HAVE INTELLIGENCE? Latest research indicates they do

Plants have between 15 and 20 senses, some of them analogous to our five senses. ~~~ Plants are able to sense and respond to light, water, gravity, temperature, soil structure, nutrients, toxins, microbes, herbivores, and chemical signals from other plants. This could not be done without an informational processing system. ~~~ They can form alliances with insects to use them as bodyguards, and when threatened by predators, they can summon them by using chemical signals. ~~~ They can get useful insects hooked on the drugs they make. ~~~ They use chemical warfare to fight enemies. ~~~ READ MORE fascinating facts about plant intelligence by clicking on these flowers..

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MENTAL ILLNESS AND ISLAM - What science says about it

The sciences of GENETICS and EPIGENTICS demonstrate that human EVOLUTION is still ongoing. ~~~ Changes in the human genome occur as a result of many factors in the physical and cultural environment. ~~~ Studies demonstrate that GENETIC CHANGES occur even during the lifetime of a person, and they can be inherited by their children. ~~~ In the case of ISLAM we have to consider 14 centuries of harsh indoctrination and cultural violence, repressed normal sexuality, and a lifestyle rooted in 7th century Arabia, in sharp conflict with 21st century science and culture. ~~~ MUSLIM UPBRINGING includes mental and physical abuse, and often sexual abuse of boys and girls as well. - The INBREEDING factor is also significant. Marriages to first cousins are very common, resulting too often in children with physical and mental disabilities. ~~~ The incidence of MENTAL ILLNESS and mental disability among Muslims has been all but ignored by countries that are importing millions of Muslim migrants. - This genetic factor may explain why second and third generation of Western Muslims have difficulty controliing emotions, and sometimes engage in actions of extreme violence. CLICK ON IMAGE TO READ MORE

IN PRAISE OF HEROES - Fighting wildfires or preventing a massacre on a French train

THE FEMINIST CULTURE denigrates men and ignores their heroic nature and their dignity. - It is MEN who we rely on to face the most life-threatening dangers and to save our lives and property.. - READ article on the men who gave up their lives fighting wildfires in Washington State, and the three US marines who stopped a Muslim from perpetrating a massacre on a French train. - READ article debunking the MYTH OF MALE PRIVILEGE. - In fact, men are mistreated by our society. WAR VETERANS languish without proper medical care, and are often homeless. - CLICK ON IMAGE to read articles

SKINNING AND OFTEN COOKING DOGS AND CATS ALIVE IN CHINA AND OTHER S.E. ASIAN COUNTRIES

It is disturbing that countries with thousands of years of civilization allow the torture of dogs and cats to be used for FOOD and the FUR INDUSTRY. - This is LEGAL in China and acceptable practice in Vietnam, Cambodia, and other S.E. Asian countries. - We have trade, diplomatic, and educational links with those nations, and in this way we are also indirectly COMPLICIT with this horror. - Hundreds of thousands of DOGS and CATS are tortured this way each year. - This PHOTO shows a puppy at a dog market in China (probably a stolen pet), lovingly pleading for attention. Later he was skinned alive. - CLICK on image to read more about this inhumane tradition, and to see related images, including those of dogs being boiled alive.

PRIONS FROM SICK DEER CAN PASS FROM DEER TO GRASS TO COW TO HUMAN - PRIONS CAUSE BRAIN DISEASES

PRIONS (tiny disease-causing agents) from SICK DEER's urine and feces can bind to PLANT roots and then travel to stem and leaves. - PRIONS are then consumed by grazing COWS, who can pass the prion infection on to HUMANS. - WHAT IS AMAZING about this is how cows can contract a serious animal disease by way of a plant. - Prions are responsible for several serious BRAIN DISEASES in animals and humans. PRIONS cause MAD COW, Creutzfeld-Jacob, and several other brain diseases, and have been linked to ALZHEIMER'S. CLICK ON IMAGE to read more.

EARTH GRAVITY WAVES RIPPLING THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE

The upper atmosphere is not only disturbed by SOLAR storms but by EARTH gravity waves as well - Gravity waves are born when air masses are pushed up or down by a thunderstorm, perhaps, or when wind is forced up and over a mountain range. When they reach the upper atmosphere these waves have built in amplitude and extent. They can dominate atmospheric processes sometimes threatening the reliability of Earth-based communication systems. - CLICK on image to read more and watch video of computer-generated model of gravity waves.

WHAT EARTHQUAKE AND OTHER DISASTER EXPERTS DON'T TELL YOU ABOUT NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

READ ABOUT THE BIG ONE. Also, whether as a result of a mega-earthquake, large tsunami, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) event (from a giant solar flare or from a terror attack that would fry the power grid), NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS ARE VERY VULNERABLE TO MELTDOWN ~~~ A sustained electric power failure lasting several days would leave nuclear power plants unable to operate, unleashing a full meltdown.~~~~~ We already saw how a well-prepared country like JAPAN has been unable to bring its FUKUSHIMA nuclear power plant under control after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, leading to a meltdown. JAPAN will continue to dump millions of gallons of extremely radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean for at least the rest of this century. ~~~ READ ABOUT PREPAREDNESS for you and your PETS.~~~ CLICK ON IMAGE to read more

YELLOWSTONE ERUPTION OR NOT - BE PREPARED FOR ANY DISASTER - List of 50 PREPPER websites

A Yellowstone geologist stated that science can predict the MEGAVOLCANO behavior only as far as two weeks into the future - nothing more. Anything could happen beyond that time frame. ~~~ But Yellowstone is not the only threat on the horizon. ~~~ There are severe WEATHER EVENTS every year. ~~~ A SOLAR FLARE or a terror attack could unleash an electomagnetic pulse event (EMP) that would fry our grid and all electronics for a long time. ~~~ And then there are EARTHQUAKES ~~~ We have witnessed how incompetent all levels of government are to deal with these situations. We are on our own. So here is an article about the threat of the Yellowstone megavolcano. The article also provides preparedness tips for you, your family,and YOUR PETS for either evacuation or for hunkering down at home for an extended period of time ~~~ It includes a LIST of 50 PREPPER websites. ~~~ Illustration: Yellowstone magma pocket - by National Park Service ~~~ CLICK ON IMAGE to read article.

WHY DO MUSLIMS HATE YOU?

A good Muslim follows the Koran and Hadith to the letter. Read how those Muslim scriptures order Muslims to DESPISE AND KILL THE INFIDEL. ~~~ Muslims regard western values as repugnant, and many see jihad as justified. ~~~ Islam is not compatible with western culture. There can be no assimilation. ~~~ Abandoning Islam, or APOSTASY, is punishable by death. ~~~ Muslims have been waging war against other people since the 7th century. ~~~ It was always CONVERT OR DIE. Countless indigenous cultures and religions across Asia and Africa have been obliterated, forced to submit to Islam. ~~~ According to conservative estimates, Islam has killed 270 MILLION non-Muslims during 14 centuries of conquest and tyranny. That makes it the biggest GENOCIDE in history. ~~~ CLICK ON IMAGE to read why Islam hates you, in their own words, and learn more about the Muslim genocide

BRITISH TAXPAYERS OUTRAGED at EU spending their money building ILLEGAL ARAB SETTLEMENTS in Israel

FOR SEVEN YEARS ISRAELI AUTHORITIES HAVE DONE NOTHING to stop the EU building of illegal Arab settlements on Jewish land ~~~~~ While Israel has frozen construction across the Green Line, and razes the tiniest house addition or Jewish unauthorized outposts on the hills, Arabs keep building ILLEGAL SETLEMENTS with impunity, and with the funding and assistance of the European Union. Those settlements are in internationally-recognized Israeli land (Area C), thus the EU is not only violating Israeli sovereignty, but its own diplomatic rules of operation in foreign countries. - These illegal Arab settlements are meant to be FACTS ON THE GROUND for the eventual Muslim takeover of Jewish land - EUROPEANS DID NOT WANT JEWS IN EUROPE and murdered MILLIONS of them. Now they don't want Jews in their ancient homeland of ISRAEL either, call them "occupiers," and demand that the land be given to descendants of Muslims who invaded Israel in the 7th century. - The EU (inspired by the Nazi boycotts against Jews) already labels and boycotts products from the Jewish heartland - THE EU WAR AGAINST THE JEWS persists as they contract out the Arabs to continue Hitler's mission of killing Jews. Europe and the United States are the main funders of the Palestinian Authority, contributing to salaries paid to terrorists who murder innocent Israelis..CLICK ON IMAGE TO READ ARTICLE AND WATCH VIDEO

ISIS PLAN FOR INFILTRATING EUROPE AS REFUGEES

Along with Muslim refugees pouring into Europe there is a significant percentage of terrorists from ISIS and other Muslim factions. About 75% of those migrants are young men of military age. - This invasion follows ISIS threat earlier this year to flood Europe with HALF A MILLION MIGRANTS to unleash chaos. - The sudden spike in migration to Europe has been well orchestrated behind the scenes with the willing cooperation of Europeans. ~~~~~~~ Here we have a PERFECT STORM. (1) European leftist political elites need to expand their voting base with benefits-dependent migrants. (2) Business looks forward to cheap labor. (3) Leftists and media blatantly manipulate European shame for the Holocaust. Anyone opposed to this invasion is branded a RACIST.. - Basic math predicts an eventual demographic takeover of Europe by Islam. - The cartoon here has a an immigration officer asking jihadists "Anything to declare?" while they invade Europe - CLICK on image to read more

SATIRE - WHAT THE U.S. AND EU REALLY MEAN BY LAND FOR PEACE

Europe and the US commiserate for the loss of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. - But they obsessively demand that Israel be partitioned along borders only 9 miles wide at their narrowest point. - These borders and the creation of ANOTHER ARAB TERROR STATE under ISIS or Iran's influence will certainly lead to a Holocaust of 6 million Israeli Jews. - On this SATIRE White House aides promise that if the Arabs massacre the Jews in a shrunk Israel, Israelis should take comfort in the fact that the world will have an annual commemoration of their sacrifice for peace. - Image from Israel Matzav blog - CLICK on picture to read article.

THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION FOR FRANCE - AND NO-GO ZONES MAPS

CLICK on image to read details and satire by Prof. Stephen Plaut ~~~~~ And on a serious note, to read about the No-Go Zones or Muslim statelets already existing in Paris and rest of France ~~~~~ This poster, created by Daniel Pipes in the aftermath of the January 2015 Muslim attacks on French citizens in Paris, reflects the formula championed by France for the partition of Israel for the creation of a terror Palestinian state in the ancient Jewish heartland of Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem ~~~~~ The poster reads: THIS ATTACK ONLY UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR FRANCE TO IMMEDIATELY ENGAGE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH FRENCH MUSLIMS THAT WILL RESULT IN THE CREATION OF TWO STATES FOR TWO PEOPLES, LIVING SIDE BY SIDE IN PEACE AND SECURITY, WITH PARIS AS A SHARED CAPITAL

HITLER, THE NUREMBERG NAZI PARADE GROUNDS, and the resurgence of Nazi ideas in the EU

HITLER is gone but the relics of his Third Reich still hold Europe under his spell. - See PHOTOS of the NUREMBERG NAZI PARADE GROUNDS, and read about the plans for their renovation. - HITLER's racist and genocidal ideas now loom ever larger in Europe, as NEO-NAZIS, anti-Semitic pro-Palestinian LEFTISTS, and genocidal EU MUSLIMS find common cause in their hatred against Jews. - Germany will republish MEIN KAMPF in 2016. - Germany and the EU fund and organize BOYCOTT ISRAEL campaigns inspired by Nazi boycotts of Jewish stores in the 1930s. - Jews are being persecuted and MURDERED in the EU, mostly at the hands of EU Muslims. - Anti-Semitic activities in Germany alone rose by 1,000% in 2014, mostly by EU Muslims. - The NAZI-MUSLIM ALLIANCE that dates back to the 1940s, when the Palestinian leader, the Mufti of Jerusalem, joined Hitler in Berlin for the design and implementation of the Final Solution, and for the formation of a Bosnian Muslim SS Nazi division that perpetrated gruesome war crimes in Eastern Europe - CLICK on image to see Nuremberg then and now images, to read more, and watch VIDEO

IF JESUS LIVED IN JUDEA TODAY

Jesus would be called a "SETTLER" and Arabs would deny him access to Temple Mount (where Muslim conquerors erected a mosque), and to much of Judea and Samaria (West Bank), today under the control of the Palestinian Authority (PA) where no Jews are allowed. ~~~ Jews who have ventured into the PA have been LYNCHED. ~~~ Jesus would not be safe anywhere in Israel. He would be pelted with ROCKS or STABBED for being a "settler". Or he would be DECAPITATED, as Arabs did to four rabbis praying at a Jerusalem synagogue in 2014. ~~~ If Jesus were a child he would be BURNED BY FIREBOMBS (as Arabs did to a child in December 2014), or have his THROAT SLASHED in his own home, as Arabs did to the Fogel children. ~~~ CLICK on image to read more about the Muslim war against Jews and Christians in today's Judea and Samaria.

DECEPTION AND CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE IN ISRAEL

The insidious and wicked influence of the powerful pro-Arab Jewish left in Israel, promoting partition and/or the end of Jewish Israel. - WATCH EXCELLENT VIDEOS exposing the truth behind the Palestinian claim to Jewish land and the LAND FOR PEACE HOAX - This PHOTO by Oded Balilty won a Pulitzer Prize, and shows Nili, a teenager, defending her land against goons sent by the Israeli government. She was badly beaten in what is now known as THE AMONA POGROM: Israeli pollice brutally expelling Jews from their homes - READ about this, about the political conspiracy of silence about issues that are crucial for Israel's long-term survival, and about the political mediocrity that is irreparably harming Israel. CLICK on image to read article and watch videos

ONE ELEPHANT IS KILLED EVERY 15 MINUTES ON AVERAGE

Elephants will be EXTINCT in the wild in less than 10 years. PLEASE DEMAND that wild elephants be better protected. Although rescue and conservation organizations do their best, elephants are still being murdered. Organizations raise orphans only to release them to places where they will be killed for their tusks. ELEPHANTS NEED TRULY SAFE RESERVES that can be properly patrolled and defended from poachers. Current protection arrangements are not enough. CLICK on image for related news story about an elephant orphan.

SKINNED ALIVE FOR THEIR FUR in Asia - Millions tortured this way - BAN THE FUR TRADE

Puppies live only a few months inside cages before being slaughtered, gone INSANE from cruel treatment. ~~~ A few adult animals spend their entire lives inside cages breeding more puppies. ~~~ See photos of CHINESE WORKERS GRINNING as they immobilize puppies by ELECTROCUTION and then skin them alive. ~~~ After that the tortured animals are tossed on a pile to AGONIZE IN EXCRUTIATING PAIN. ~~~ This is all LEGAL in China. ~~~ In S.E. Asian countries with animal welfare laws, they are not enforced. ~~~ The West buys these furs because they are classified as belonging to "RACOON DOGS" (relatives of dogs) and not to dogs.. ~~~ PETITIONS are not enough. ~~~ The fur trade in the West must be stopped altogether. ~~~ CLICK ON IMAGE to read story and see heartbreaking photos and VIDEO from inside a Chinese fur farm.

THE MAGIC AND MYSTERY OF CAVES

IT ALL STARTED WITH A MEATBALL

Arthur was a stray dog who decided to join a European Peak Performance Team during their treck through the jungle in South America. It all started when one of the members gave him a meatball. From then on Arthur followed them through all kinds of challenges. In the end his loyalty, bravery and devotion paid off. He was first accepted as the fifth member of the team, and later adopted and flown to Sweden to live with a loving family in a forever home. CLICK on the image to read this moving and amazing story.

PLEASE PROTEST THE POACHING OF PRECIOUS WILDLIFE

HOW THE ISSUE OF ABORTION DEFINES OUR SOCIETY - Planned Parenthood caught selling baby body parts

In July 2015 a top physician with PLANNED PARENTHOOD was secretly filmed talking callously about crushing babies and illegally selling their body parts. - But it's not only P.P's. fault. US authorities and women rights defenders continue to support P.P. no matter what, and so far there has been no effort to charge them with an ILLEGAL ACT. - CLICK on photo to read about this scandal and other related articles, such as aborted babies, along with other medical waste, being burned as fuel to heat buildings in Oregon and in the UK. - Image of a newborn by Joanne Collins

PALESTINIAN ARABS - NAZIS THEN, NAZIS NOW

Their leader during the 1940s, the Mufti of Jerusalem, lived in Berlin and closely collaborated with Hitler and his henchmen in the design and implementation of the Holocaust. ~~~ He also created a Muslim Nazi SS Division guilty of gruesome crimes in Eastern Europe. ~~~ Later he trained Yassir Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas to kill Jews and destroy Israel. ~~~ Today Palestinian Arabs profess admiration for Hitler and widely support his genocidal ideology. ~~~ They often praise Hitler, do the Nazi salute during military and student rallies, and display Nazi flags. ~~~ Photo Jerusalem Arab university students rally making the Nazi salute. (Photo Tom Gross Media.) CLICK on image to read more