Latest news with #culling
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- South China Morning Post
German zoo sees no ‘flaw' in baboon killing, says future culls possible
A German zoo embroiled in a scandal over killing healthy baboons due to a lack of space has said other animals could be next. Dag Encke, the director of Nuremberg Zoo in southern Germany, told the local Nürnberger Zeitung and Nürnberger Nachrichten newspapers that crowned lemurs, lemurs and gorillas could also be culled in the near future – although killing a gorilla has not yet been seriously considered, he said. 'We would not be able to do that emotionally – even if it is unprofessional and inconsistent,' he said in comments published by the newspapers on Friday. The zoo came under fire in late July for killing 12 healthy baboons due to space constraints. Animal rights activists slammed the move and Encke received numerous death threats. More than 350 complaints were filed with the public prosecutor's office. 'Species protection by killing is for the ass' is written on the poster of a participant in a July protest against the planned killing of baboons in the Nuremberg Zoo. Photo: dpa However, Encke has continued to defend the decision. The biologist told the newspapers that the culling was inevitable, citing reproduction rates, the legal and ethical limits of birth control, and the small number of baboon buyers.
Sky News
6 days ago
- General
- Sky News
Zoo staff face death threats for feeding baboon remains to lions
Staff at a zoo in Germany which culled 12 baboons and fed their carcasses to the lions say they have received death threats. Tiergarten Nuremberg euthanised the healthy Guinea baboons at the end of July due to overcrowding in their enclosure. Some remains were used for research while the rest were fed to the zoo's carnivores. Plans to kill the baboons were first announced last year after the population exceeded 40, and protestors gathered outside the zoo to show their outrage. When the site closed last Tuesday to carry out the cull, several activists were arrested after climbing the fence. The director of the zoo defended the decision, saying efforts to sterilise and rehome some baboons had failed. "We love these animals. We want to save a species. But for the sake of the species, we have to kill individuals otherwise we are not able to keep up a population in a restricted area," Dr Dag Encke told Sky News. 'The staff are suffering' He said police are investigating after he and the staff were sent death threats. "The staff are really suffering, sorting out all these bad words, insults and threats," Dr Encke said. "The normal threat is 'we will kill you, and we'll feed you to the lions'. "But what is really disgusting is when they say that's worse than Dr Mengele from the National Socialists, who was one of the most cruel people in human history. "That is really insulting all the victims of the Second World War and the Nazi regime." Josef Mengele was a Nazi officer who performed deadly experiments on prisoners at the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Second World War. Zoo animals 'treated as commodities' Culling animals and feeding them to predators isn't unheard of in zoos. In 2014, Copenhagen Zoo caused controversy by euthanizing an 18-month-old male giraffe called Marius and feeding his body to the lions. At the time, the zoo said it was due to a duty to avoid inbreeding. Dr Mark Jones, a vet and head of policy at Born Free Foundation, a charity which campaigns for animals to be kept in the wild, denounced the practice and said thousands of healthy animals are being destroyed by zoos each year. "It reflects the fact animals in zoos are often treated as commodities that are disposable or replaceable," he said. Zoo asks for unwanted pets Earlier this week, a zoo in Denmark faced a backlash for asking for unwanted pets to be donated to be used as food for its predators. In a Facebook post, Aalborg Zoo said it could take smaller live animals such as chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs, as well as horses under 147cm. It said the animals would be euthanised by specially trained staff before being fed to carnivores like the European lynx. While some people supported the scheme, saying they had donated animals in the past, others are outraged. "The very idea of a zoo offering to take unwanted pets in order to kill them and feed them to their predators will, I think, horrify most right-minded people," said Dr Jones. Aalborg Zoo has now closed the post to comments and said in a statement: "For many years at Aalborg Zoo, we have fed our carnivores with smaller livestock. "When keeping carnivores, it is necessary to provide them with meat, preferably with fur, bones, etc., to give them as natural a diet as possible. "Therefore, it makes sense to allow animals that need to be euthanised for various reasons to be of use in this way.
CTV News
31-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Bird flu: Tensions build in B.C. village as court decision on ostrich cull nears
Hundreds of ostriches in B.C. that are staring down a government death sentence now have a powerful ally. Judy Trinh explains. Hundreds of ostriches in B.C. that are staring down a government death sentence now have a powerful ally. Judy Trinh explains. The frustration inside the Royal Canadian Legion hung as heavy as the suffocating summer heat. Dozens had come to give their side of a global controversy on whether to cull a flock of ostriches that survived a life-threatening virus. More than two dozen people, representing a tenth of the population of the village of Edgewood, B.C., had gathered after word spread that CTV News was visiting. For several weeks, a handful of residents had emailed to voice frustration about the 'unfair' coverage of Universal Ostrich Farm's (UOF) legal battle against a culling order issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency after avian flu was detected in its flock last December. The residents said their health and safety concerns have been ignored in the months since the outbreak, while media across the globe from the New York Times to the BBC had turned UOF's ostriches into a cause-célèbre. Yet the residents were unwilling to go on the record, citing fears of harassment and intimidation. UOF had gained high powered support from the Trump administration, an American billionaire and closer to home - the former leaders of the Freedom Convoy such as Pat King and Tamara Lich. Earlier in July, Lich helped organize a fundraising concert for UOF and even took to the stage in Edgewood to sing 'Keep on Rockin' in the Free World.' Canada bird flu news A flock of ostriches in B.C. is on death row after members of the heard contracted avian flu. (Jeff McDonald, CTV News) Testing vs. termination Universal Ostrich spokesperson Katie Pasitney says they're not just trying to get about 400 birds off death row but also standing up for other farmers by challenging a government policy that is inflexible and inhumane. While the CFIA argues the mass euthanization is the most effective way to control the outbreak and prevent the spread of a pathogenic virus that has killed birds, spread to animals and even humans. Pasitney wants to stave off the death sentences by getting the right to test and monitor the ostriches to show they are now healthy. As the legal challenge reached the Federal Court of Appeal in Ottawa, CTV News decided to visit Edgewood to get a better sense of the rising tensions in the village of 235 people. One resident suggested meeting at the legion but insisted she didn't want to be filmed. When CTV News arrived at the blue and white shingled building on Tuesday, 26 people were waiting inside. They were beef producers and retired plumbers, paramedics, bus drivers and barbers. Some were neighbors who lived next to the ostrich farm. The group decided they would all speak out together. Showing their strength in numbers as news cameras rolled. Canada bird flu: Ostrich cull This photo shows 26 Edgewood, B.C. residents who spoke out against the Universal Ostrich Farm's challenge of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's cull order. (Judy Trinh, CTV News) Speaking out in solidarity Lois Wood who baked cookies and squares for the group, raised her hand to speak. She's retired, owns horses and lives alone next to UOF. To get home, Wood has to drive down Langille road, the same rocky lane that goes by the ostrich farm and a cluster of tents and trailers that have popped up across from it. It's a camp of strangers, gathered to protest CFIA's cull order. Some have been in Edgewood for months. Wood says the strangers had previously set up a checkpoint at the turnoff to the road. Other residents said the protesters asked for names and took photos of license plates. 'Edgewood is not about violence,' said Wood, who added he's worried confrontation with protesters will lead to clashes. 'If CFIA comes – they want to do everything they can to stop them.' A few weeks ago, Wood watched as the protesters blocked access to the farm by parking their vehicles horizontally across the lane and cutting off tree branches to lay across the road when a rumour spread that inspectors were moving in. 'They've got nothing to do with this,' said Jim McFarlane. He and his wife Millie are beef farmers and angry that, despite being ordered to quarantine their property, UOF has allowed dozens of protesters on to their property. The couple are worried their cattle could be impacted as the legal fight drags beyond seven months. In Canada, h5N1 has been detected in wild animals like foxes, skunks and raccoons. Pet dogs and cats have also caught the virus. In the U.S., dairy cows have been infected. Even if their cattle are healthy, the McFarlanes say the perception of a lingering disease could impact their income. 'Our (cattle) prices could be knocked down because of the potential of avian flu in cattle, because it can happen,' said Millie. The couple live a ten-minute drive across the village from Universal Ostrich Farm, but worry about fallout. 'It's like living next to Chernobyl,' Millie said referring to the Ukrainian nuclear reactor explosion that released radioactive material into the air. CFIA support Across the room from the McFarlanes, retiree Crystal Michaud chimed in about supporting the government inspectors. 'CFIA is protecting Canadians and Canadian agriculture,' said Michaud. 'UOF is putting us on a slippery slope. They're setting up precedents by overturning Canada's regulations for local, national and international trade. They are putting other people at risk.' Chicken farms in the region have been ordered to tighten their biosecurity measures to guard against the spread of H5N1 virus. Some countries such as Mexico, Japan and Taiwan have banned poultry products from B.C. because of the presence of avian flu. On its website, CFIA states that as long 'as the ostrich farm remains a confirmed infected premises, the entire British Columbia poultry sector is not able to access certain export markets.' B.C. bird flu cases An ostrich looks on at a farm slated for a cull after members of the flock contracted avian flu. Ostrich research According to court documents, UOF stopped selling ostrich meat in 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it entered into an agreement with a Japanese scientist from Kyoto to research antibodies. The work involved injecting the ostriches with COVID-19 antigens to create antibodies in the birds, then extracting the proteins from the eggs. The ostriches are kept in open air pens. There are a few wooden structures on the property and a metal corral shelter with heavy plastic sheeting that was torn and coming off the frame. The Edgewood residents are skeptical UOF facilities are conducive to scientific research. More than a dozen people told CTV News they saw worrisome practices at UOF in the weeks before and shortly after an avian flu outbreak was declared. They described seeing eagles and ravens picking at ostrich carcasses. They shared video of purported ostrich bones littered in the fields. And one neighbor said the farm's owners buried dead ostriches on his property near the creek that runs across the village. 'Hearsay and false' claims After the meeting, CTV visited Universal Ostrich Farm to get a response to the concerns of Edgewood residents. A two-metre-high sign emblazoned with the words 'Stop the Murder of 399 Ostriches' leans against a rusted dump truck marked the entrance of the farm. Protesters playing the role of volunteer security guards led us to the brown house on the property to interview farm spokesperson Katie Pasitney. When confronted with the neighbours' accounts of rotting ostrich carcasses, Pasitney said it was 'hearsay and false,' and insisted the farm was well managed. 'If we really believed that these animals were going to put our whole community at risk, we would have done something about it. She said that complaint could be coming from a 'neighbour who was disgruntled.' To prevent the spread of disease, poultry producers are supposed to report dead birds. CFIA detected H5N1 at the farm last December after receiving an anonymous tip about dead ostriches. And in May, CFIA fined UOF co-owners Dave Bilinski and Karen Esperson $20,000 for failing to cooperate with anti-avian flu bio security measures and not adhering to quarantine orders. Pasitney also dismissed concerns about harassment and intimidation. 'Everybody who has come here to support this farm has been nothing but kind.' She said they've picked people up for rides, helped residents do yard work and supported the local store. Pasitney said UOF's legal challenge is about more than just saving the birds. It's also about countering government overreach 'It's for food security, for better ways … changing policy and fixing fractured and flawed systems and coming together.' But other Edgewater residents like retired bus driver, Jim McKee says he wants the government to protect him from what UOF is doing. 'Government overreach is such a overused cliché. If it isn't the government to regulate and protect – whose job is it?' Meanwhile the CIFA says its continuing with its plan to enforce the cull order. The Federal Court of Appeal is expected to release its decision any day now. Edgewood residents hope the matter will be resolved quickly and peacefully but are also bracing for a possible confrontation if there is a surge in protesters.
Daily Mail
31-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Jeremy Clarkson faces culling his beloved herd of cows after 'devastated' star revealed Diddly Squat has been hit by TB outbreak
Jeremy Clarkson may face culling his beloved herd of cows after the 'devastated' TV star revealed that Diddly Squat Farm had been hit by a TB outbreak. The 65-year-old broadcaster and farmer took to X to share the 'bad news' on Thursday, stating: 'Bad news from Diddly Squat. We've gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated.' Amid concern that the outbreak may be affecting members of staff, Mr Clarkson later clarified: 'I should clear this up really. It's Bovine TB that we have. It doesn't affect people, just our poor cows.' He also revealed that the 'offending animal' that had tested positive for TB was pregnant with twins. In response, one fan asked if Endgame, his prize-winning Aberdeen Angus bull, was infected. 'His test was 'inconclusive'. I couldn't bear it if we lost him', Clarkson replied. In cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle, infected animals are often destroyed to prevent the spread of the infectious disease. More than 21,000 animals were slaughtered due to a TB incident in England between April 2024 and March 2025, with animals that fail a TB test or have inconclusive results for two consecutive tests killed. One supporter said they hoped his cow and its unborn calves at Diddly Squat Farm (pictured) would recover. Clarkson replied: 'They have to be culled. It's the law'. In cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle, infected animals are often destroyed to prevent the spread One supporter said they hoped his cow and its unborn calves would recover. He replied: 'They have to be culled. It's the law'. Thérèse Coffey, the former environment secretary, previously described culling due to TB as 'one of the most distressing things that farmers will go through'. At a reception held by the National Farmers Union (NFU) at Westminster in September 2023, Ms Coffey said that despite the harmful impacts on farmers, the government would be 'led by the science' and would 'cull for as long as we need' in order to become 'bovine TB-free'. The Labour administration previously promised it would stop the cull by 2029, carry out a census of badgers and also develop vaccines for badgers and cattle. Bovine TB can be infectious to all mammals, including humans, and is mainly transmitted through nose to nose contract or through contact with other infected droplets, such as milk. Oxfordshire, where the popular Diddly Squat farm is located, is currently graded as an 'edge area' for TB. Given it is set between both high and low-risk area, most herds will be subject to TB tests on a six-month basis. Last year the former Top Gear presenter was visited by Thames Valley Police officers after activists reported blocked setts on his land near Chadlington, Oxfordshire. Under UK wildlife law it is illegal to damage, destroy, block or disturb badger setts. Clarkson said he told the police who came out to visit him that he had no reason to fill in the setts - because he shot all the badgers instead, seemingly under licence. The TV host wrote: 'Mercifully, however, I had the perfect excuse: 'I've shot all the badgers on the farm so why would I want to fill in their setts?' And yes, before you ask, it was all legal.' On previous series of Clarkson's Farm, its star has discussed the threat of TB for his cattle - and went on a rant about 'b*****d' badgers. Clarkson said it was one of the most difficult areas to protect from. 'We thought, 'What do we do?' because if you want to make a popular show you have to say, 'Oh, look at the little cuddly-wuddly badgers.' But I thought: no, it's a farming show, and you'd lose your core audience, the farmers, if you went around, saying, 'Look at these sweet little animals,'' Clarkson said. 'So, I actually called them b*****ds and showed people what they actually do. It's truthful. 'These are not nice animals. Do not be fooled by Brian May. This is what badgers do. This is how much heartache they're causing to people who've worked for generations to build up a farm that's been wiped out by badgers', he said in 2023. Badgers had made an unwanted appearance in the second series of Clarkson's Farm, which aired on Amazon Prime. One scene saw him told his cows were at risk of contracting TB due to the presence of badgers on the farm, one of which tested positive for the bacteria that causes the disease. In 2023 Clarkson's Farm star Kaleb Cooper held back tears as he discussed the 21 dairy cows he co-owns with a friend on Instagram. Three contracted Bovine Tuberculosis. Kaleb admitted in a video: 'Now today's a bit stressful. Today I've just found out the place where I have my dairy cows – the 21 cows that I bought – has got three reactors to TB.' 'I don't really know how to describe the emotion. I know I mean it's not all my cows and I don't know how he [the other owner] feels – but it's hard.' He continued: 'It's not good. Three reactors, so, therefore, we've got to test again in two months' time. That's three cows we've lost that are milking.' A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs told The Telegraph: 'Bovine TB is a devastating disease that destroys farmers' livelihoods. Our hearts go out to all farms suffering from positive cases. 'The Government and its agencies are working hard to introduce measures to reduce the spread and paying compensation to farmers who lose animals to this disease.' 'We are determined to eradicate bovine TB, rapidly rolling out badger vaccinations to help protect farmers' livestock.'
Telegraph
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Jeremy Clarkson faces culling his beloved cows after TB outbreak
Jeremy Clarkson may face culling his beloved cows after his farm was hit with an outbreak of TB. The former Top Gear host, 65, revealed the latest blow to his Oxfordshire Diddly Squat farm on Thursday, saying he was 'absolutely devastated'. Announcing the news on X, Clarkson said: 'Bad news from Diddly Squat. We've gone down with TB. Everyone here is absolutely devastated.' Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease of cattle and badgers which often results in the culling of every animal that tests positive. Culling an entire herd has been described as 'one of the most distressing things that farmers will go through' by Thérèse Coffey, the former environment secretary. Clarkson later clarified on X: 'I should clear this up really. It's Bovine TB that we have. It doesn't affect people, just our poor cows.' Responding to someone who said they hoped his herd recovered soon, he simply said: 'They have to be culled. It's the law.' It marks the latest blow to the running of Clarkson's 1,000-acre farm, which he has been documenting through the hit Amazon series Clarkson's Farm as he tries to make the business profitable. Responding to a well-wisher who said he hoped Clarkson's new prize-winning Aberdeen Angus bull, Endgame, would be spared, the broadcaster said: 'His test was 'inconclusive'. I couldn't bear it if we lost him.' The TV presenter introduced Endgame to his herd of seven cows at Diddly Squat with high hopes of producing new calves, but things did not go to plan for him in the latest series. He grows increasingly confused as the prized bull shows little interest in the female cows, prompting Clarkson to quip: 'He's gone the wrong way. 'Seven ladies and he's not even bothered. Now they're chasing him. Why are they chasing him? Why did the cow just mount the bull? Do you get gay cows?' He also revealed that the offending animal which caused the spread of TB on the farm, believed to be a cow, 'is pregnant with twins'. Some 40,000 cattle are culled every year as a result of bovine TB infection, causing devastation to farmers. More than 21,000 animals were killed due to a TB incident in England between April 2024 and March this year. Last year, the presenter turned farmer was visited by police after activists reported blocked badger setts on his land, which is illegal under UK wildlife law. He insisted that his defence was that he had shot all the badgers, which spread TB on farms, under licence. He wrote at the time: 'Mercifully, however, I had the perfect excuse: 'I've shot all the badgers on the farm so why would I want to fill in their setts?' And yes, before you ask, it was all legal.' Clarkson has previously ranted on the show about the threat of TB for his cattle from the 'b------d badgers'. 'These are not nice animals. Do not be fooled by Brian May. This is what badgers do. This is how much heartache they're causing to people who've worked for generations to build up a farm that's been wiped out by badgers,' he said in 2023. Sir Brian May, the Queen guitarist, has previously argued that badgers are not responsible for the spread of TB among cattle. He has launched a high-profile campaign to stop a badger cull for more than a decade, which has turned him into a villain in some farming communities. Clarkson has discussed their role in spreading TB to cattle on the show, with one scene in the second series showing him explain that cows are at risk of contracting the disease due to the presence of badgers on the farm. 'If you want to make a popular show you have to say, 'Oh, look at the little cuddly-wuddly badgers,'' Clarkson previously wrote. However, he added: 'But I thought: no, it's a farming show, and you'd lose your core audience, the farmers, if you went around, saying, 'Look at these sweet little animals'. So, I actually called them b-------ds and showed people what they actually do. It's truthful.' Clarkson bought the Diddly Squat Farm in 2008, but it was run by a villager until his retirement in 2019, after which the veteran broadcaster decided to see if he could run it himself. Over the years he has faced numerous challenges, including bad weather damaging crops, piglets being accidentally squashed to death by their mothers and planning battles with his council over the building of a restaurant.
