Animals
Urgent! Action Needed As Pressure Mounts To Send Suffering Pandas YaYa & LeLe At The Memphis Zoo To An Accredited Sanctuary
Animal lovers from around the world have voiced their concern over captive pandas YaYa and LeLe at the Memphis Zoo. The latest call to action urges authorities to send the giant pandas to a specialized panda refuge when the zoo’s loan contract ends in April of 2023.
As previously reported by WAN, In Defense of Animals, Panda Voices, Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, as well as several other animal advocacy organizations, have expressed concern regarding the pandas’ welfare. Growing awareness about their condition on social media has drawn the attention of many, including famed pop musician Billie Eilish, who tweeted about YaYa and LeLe’s condition and the people who have witnessed the pandas’ situation first-hand.
Twenty-two-year-old YaYa and 24-year-old LeLe are among the youngest pandas in captivity in the U.S., yet they look considerably older than other captive pandas who are over 30 years of age. The pandas are distressed and malnourished and spend their days pacing or sleeping, clearly bored in their dirty, small enclosures. YaYa has a chronic skin condition and LeLe has significant teeth issues resulting in broken molars.
In Defense of Animals and Panda Voices continue to expose the pandas’ suffering and have made repeated attempts to meet with Memphis Zoo President Matt Thompson to address concerns about the pandas. In Defense of Animals sent a letter in July about the pandas’ health and well-being to Thompson, followed by a second letter in September. There has been no response to either of the letters.
An In Defense of Animals’ alert calling for the pandas’ retirement on November 18th has already accumulated more than 25,000 supporters. A previous alert for the pandas published in 2021 gained over 88,000 supporters.
Through The Freedom of Information Act, requests have been made for the pandas’ medical records, as well as records of seven gazelles, and African elephant Tyranza, who were sent to the zoo in June of 2021. Unfortunately, the requests have gone unanswered.
“It is unacceptable that the Memphis Zoo continues to refuse to release information or have a conversation with us about the health and wellbeing of giant pandas YaYa and LeLe,” said Brittany Michelson, Captive Animals Campaigner for In Defense of Animals. “If the zoo truly cares about the pandas, they would agree to meet with us to address our questions and concerns. There are thousands of people across the globe who are deeply worried about the poor health of the pandas, and yet the zoo fails to acknowledge these concerns.”
“After far too many years of suffering in an inappropriate zoo exhibit, it is time for YaYa and LeLe to finally get the care they truly deserve at a specialized panda refuge in their homeland,” added Michelson. “We are calling on the Memphis Zoo and Chinese authorities to commit to returning the pandas to China once the loan contract ends in April 2023. It is also of utmost importance that the zoo makes immediate improvements to the pandas’ diet and care so that they will be fit to travel overseas.”
Please help by urging The Memphis Zoo to retire YaYa and LeLe to a specialized panda refuge in China once their contract ends in April 2023, HERE!
Content courtesy of In Defense of Animals. Help them continue fighting for animals, people, and the environment by making a donation HERE!
You can help all animals and our planet by choosing compassion on your plate and in your glass. #GoVeg
James Bowen, who was a recovering heroin addict, first met a beautiful ginger cat in 2007. At first glance, the cat was clearly abandoned and had injuries, so James took him in. Every morning, James had a positive reason to wake up; Bob.James would take Bob with him on the streets to go busking and selling ‘The Big Issue’ around London. A couple of years later, in 2012, James published a book through Hodder & Stoughton called ‘A Street Cat Named Bob’. The book detailed their lives together and became a best seller. The popular book spurred on the sequels ‘The World According to Bob’, ‘A Gift From Bob’ and ‘The Little Book of Bob’.
These books were not only best sellers but were published in over forty languages, becoming a hit worldwide. In 2016, James and Bob’s wonderful partnership inspired a film to be released starring Luke Treadway as James. Bob the kitty also made a feature in the film.
Later in 2020, we can expect a sequel to the film called ‘A Gift From Bob’. We hope that kitty cat Bob has all the catnip treats in the world up there in kitty heaven as he continues to watch over his human James. Rest in peace, Bob.
Bob passed away on June 15th 2020, leaving behind a legacy only most of us could dream of pursuing. For a cat, he touched so many lives in so many ways.
“Bob saved my life. It’s as simple as that. He gave me so much more than companionship. With him at my side, I found a direction and purpose that I’d been missing. The success we achieved together through our books and films was miraculous. He’s met thousands of people, touched millions of lives. There’s never been a cat like him. And never will again…I feel like the light has gone out in my life. I will never forget him.”
Hi fives all around for a job well done!
Mr. Bob was clearly royalty-worthy
Bob hi-fived anyone that deserved his love
Busking on the streets of London
Rest in Peace
Fans of Bob and Bowen expressed their sympathies to the duo
Blossom the cute foster kitty has had a rough time since she was born. The cute kitty never gave up, though. Her foster mother, Lauren Boutz, didn’t gave up on the cutie as well. Just look at the kitty – such a smile can disarm anyone. Not only it can disarm everyone, it’s also quite contagious. As soon as Blossom’s pics were uploaded by Lauren online, her smile almost broke the Internet.
In the post, Lauren said that Blossom isn’t her sole foster kitty. She helps the Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department often, taking in kitties that need the help. She calls the gang Powerpurr Girls. Apart from Blossom, the other kittens are called Bubbles and Buttercup. How cute!
All kittens are around 5 weeks old and have a smile that can make your day.
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Aren’t they adorable?
In the hectic world we’re living in, positive news often go unnoticed. We’re so obsessed with tragedy and drama that we miss heroic acts every day. Take this one from Ukraine for example – not a month ago, a hero dog ran through a burning house to save his kitten buddy. If you ever needed one more reason to love dogs, this story it a pretty big one.
Last month, a fire in a house in the city of Donetsk broke out, spreading clouds of smoke and ash over the sky. As soon as it broke out, the residents headed out in panic with their dog. They forgot about the kitten though – it was unfortunately trapped inside and no one could get to it.
Well, no one but the dog. While the poor owned cried unable to save the kitty, the dog ran through the flames to save his buddy from certain death. He got out in minutes with the kitten in his mouth. Miraculously, both were unharmed. The dog and kitten were best friends and spent whole days playing with each other. Thanks to this dog, the owner was relieved to have both his buddies come out alive from this tragic event.
(Image for illustration purpose only)
The dog took a massive risk to save his little buddy. It’s fair to say that people wouldn’t do the same, but dogs are special creatures. The moral of this story is that we should never leave anyone behind. If a hero dog could do it, so could you.
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