Meanwhile, at the Denver Zoo …….
A female zookeeper has died after being mauled by a jaguar at Denver Zoo […] The zookeeper, who was not named, was attacked inside the jaguar’s enclosure on Saturday morning, prompting armed employees to rush to her aid. They shot and killed the animal after it threatened them, and the zoo was closed after the incident. The jaguar, a six-year-old male named Jorge weighing 140lbs (64kg), came to Denver Zoo from Bolivia in 2005.
Meanwhile, in a Stark County, OH farm ….
“All we saw was the cow running after him.” Zach and his cousin were helping grandpa feed his herd Sunday, when the mundane became inconceivable. “He was gonna separate the mom from the little calf.” But one of these Angus, became defensive and caused the injury that took the life of this grandfather of four, Steven walker. “The mother cow thought that he was going to harm her baby.” Wilma Walker says this farm has been in their family for 70-years and Steven was raised around cattle, which is why the death of her son is so hard to understand. “It’s just such a freak accident.” “Mr. Walker was inside this gate when an overprotective cow charged him, knocking him down and he hit his head.” Zach called 911 and waited with his grandpa. “He took my hand and put it on his heart.” “I think he just wanted to tell you he loved you, don’t you?” The full-time grandfather was a part-time farmer. He never woke up and died at a hospital two days later. Today, Zach had to show investigators and the coroner what happened. “I was read proud of him, how well he stayed composed.” No one knows which cow took Mr. Walker’s life, but his family says it doesn’t matter because it won’t bring him back. “Our lives will never be the same.” And although his grandfather is gone Zach plans to remember the lessons he taught him so he can help his farm stay alive.
The Grumpy Vegan heard from Megan Meinberg, who wrote
From March 2007-September 2007, my husband and I are going to hike the Appalachian Trail with our dog. We are doing it to raise money for Project R&R, which I am sure you are familiar with. I wanted to see if you have any suggestions for us on raising money, and also see if we could get a link on your website to ours if possible. My husband and I attended the Taking Action for Animals conference and that’s where we learned about R&R. It’s such a great cause. I think it’s so important to educate people in a non-pushy way and hope that our hike will do that.
The Grumpy Vegan had been meaning to blog about Megan, Tim and Mia’s (the dog) efforts for some time but then I just received this update, which prompted me to act.
Tim and I are so excited about our upcoming journey. Our plan was to head down to Georgia in a rented car on Sunday and begin our hike on Thursday, March 1. However, due to the fact that both Tim and I have yuck head colds and chest coughs and therefore have been unable to finish all of our gathering/sorting/packing preparation (not to mention physical rest and preparation) we have decided to put it off a few more days. Which is maddening–great timing to get sick huh? Our new start date is March 3. MARCH 3 HERE WE COME! :o) We want to start off fit and well, so that we can be strong and finish the trail for ourselves and for the chimpanzees!!! Please visit our website if you haven’t already. We have gotten awesome support from some great organizations including The Big Bad Woof in Takoma Park, Herbivore clothing company, Primal Spirit Foods, The Conscious Corner, Amy’s Foods, and Candle Cafe in NY. We have had people as far as San Diego and Texas donate to us and support us. It’s so amazing to have what we are doing get such a great response. We have also been featured in online blogs and articles which you can find links to on our site. THANK YOU to all of those who have passed on the word about Project R&R and about what we are doing!!
Methinks that if the Grumpy Vegan had contemplated walking the Appalachian Trial that he would have developed a yuck head cold and chest cough, too.
The reason why we came? Because Kim W. Stallwood (the Grumpy Vegan) was engaged as PETA’s first executive director. I arrived in 1987 when PETA was a national group with a great track record in pioneering undercover investigations (e.g., Silver Spring Monkeys, Britches) and left it in 1992 as an innovatory organization with an acclaimed international reputation.
Such significant life changes as we’re now embarking upon inevitably stirs up many emotions and issues. Where will we live? Answer: Hastings, East Sussex, an old-fashioned and unpretentious seaside town with a lively eccentric and arty personae overlooked by a ruined castle. What will we do? Animal rights work, of course, for the Grumpy Vegan. The human companion will most likely continue with his garden design and management career, possibly in the area of gardening as a therapy for those who aren’t as fortunate as us. And, Emmy? He’s learning how to Meow with an English accent.
But why return to England after all this time? Quite simply, its home. We’re happier there. Despite the plumbing. And the bad service. And the weather, which, thanks to global warming, has much improved. We’ll miss the U.S. and the many people who we fortunately got to know. But it’s not home. And that is why.
The occasional Brutal Truth Award goes to prehistoric chimpanzees who — according to a report in The New Scientist used tools more than 4,000 years ago. Little did they know but our ancestors smashed more than nuts and grains. This is because this research smashes the superior species boundary proffered by Homo sapiens that we’re not animals and all the rest aren’t humans.
