Written by PETA
PETA India hopes that Jairam Ramesh—union minister of state for environment and forests—will heed the message of last month's disaster at SeaWorld and immediately halt plans to build a dolphinarium to house Gangetic dolphins at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi.
Gangetic dolphins are a critically endangered species of freshwater dolphin. They were recently declared the National Aquatic Animal of India, but the way to save them is not by keeping them in chemically treated pools. Most captive dolphins die prematurely and live to only half the age of their wild brothers and sisters. Wild dolphins live with family pods, and capturing even one dolphin disrupts the entire group. To obtain a female dolphin of breeding age, for example, boats are used to chase the pod to shallow waters, where the animals are surrounded with nets that are gradually closed and lifted onto the boats. Unwanted dolphins are thrown back. Some animals die from shock or stress, and others slowly succumb to pneumonia when water enters their lungs through their blowholes. Pregnant females may spontaneously abort babies.
Instead of condemning dolphins to a grim fate in a tank, the Department of Environment and Forests would better serve these endangered animals by taking decisive measures to protect and conserve the beleaguered Gangetic dolphins in their natural habitat. Back in 2001, thanks to the help of many dedicated supporters, PETA successfully convinced the Virginia Marine Science Museum not to add a dolphin tank to its facilities. Instead, Virginia Beach, Virginia, visitors who want to see marine mammals visit the beachfront along the Atlantic Ocean and view the animals in their natural environments. With public sentiment against aquatic prisons at an all-time high, we're hopeful that the Indian government will make the humane decision to keep these sensitive, intelligent, and endangered animals where nature intended them to be.
Written by Logan Scherer
The temperature may have been well below freezing, but PETA's foxes heated up the bustling streets of Helsinki, the capital of Finland—which has a record of killing more foxes for their fur than almost any other nation. Thanks to Riina Laine's masterful body painting, these ladies were the objects of nonstop attention—and they spread the message that only animals should wear fur.
The easiest—and chicest—way to save a fox (and a dog and a cat and a mink and a—yeah, you get the picture) is to pledge to go fur-free forever.
The message in a bottle has been a cultural mainstay since ancient times. The first person known to send one was Greek philosopher Theophrastus around 310 B.C.E. But I'm willing to bet that PETA Germany's message in 4,000 bottles is the first of its kind.
In observance of World Water Day, PETA Germany placed this aqueous installation on the sidewalk of Berlin's Potsdamer Platz to remind people that it takes 4,000 liters of water to produce one steak, while it only takes 1,100 liters to grow a vegan enough food for a whole day.
It's a fact that no one can dilute: You can save more water by not eating 1 pound of beef than you can by giving up showers for an entire year. In addition to saving the lives of more than 100 animals per year, going vegan is the best way to conserve water and the most sustainable way of life for people and the planet.
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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