All articles tagged with #culling
Colombia’s environment ministry approved the euthanasia of up to 80 invasive hippos descended from Pablo Escobar’s private menagerie after sterilization and relocation attempts failed; officials say the animals threaten ecosystems and compete with native wildlife, though the hippos have become a tourist draw at Hacienda Napoles, with no start date announced.
Colombia's environment ministry approved a plan to cull up to 80 hippos descended from Pablo Escobar’s private zoo after neutering or relocation efforts proved too costly and ineffective, citing risks to villagers and native species as the growing population challenges ecosystems and despite the hippos becoming a tourist draw in some areas.
Canada's Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal to save a British Columbia ostrich flock infected with avian influenza, leading to the government's decision to cull the 330 birds, despite efforts by farm supporters and notable figures like RFK Jr. The culling is part of standard disease control measures, and the farm's research claims remain unsubstantiated according to authorities.
Canada's Supreme Court declined to hear a case to save over 300 ostriches infected with avian flu at Universal Ostrich Farms, leading to their scheduled culling by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, despite support from figures like RFK Jr. and protests from the farm's advocates.
Israel culled 200 crocodiles from an abandoned farm in the West Bank due to cannibalism and safety concerns, citing poor conditions and escape risks, amid controversy over animal rights and management practices.
Romania's parliament has approved the culling of nearly 500 brown bears in 2024 following a fatal bear attack on a hiker, citing overpopulation concerns. The decision has sparked criticism from environmental groups who argue that the focus should be on prevention and intervention measures rather than culling.
Bird flu has reemerged among commercial poultry flocks in the United States, with the first spread of the virus since April occurring in a turkey farm in South Dakota. The farm was forced to cull its flock to control the outbreak. Between 2022 and the spring of 2023, a total of 58.8 million birds had to be killed due to bird flu. This recent outbreak raises concerns that the virus may become a regular seasonal event and highlights the need for culling infected flocks to prevent further spread.
Ecologists in Australia are urging the government to cull kangaroos to prevent a catastrophic die-off due to overpopulation. Kangaroos have a boom and bust population cycle, and when food is scarce, they can starve to death. Shooting and harvesting the meat of kangaroos is seen as a humane way to control their numbers. While animal rights activists have denounced the commercial cull, researchers argue that it is necessary to prevent the animals from suffering. The kangaroo population in Australia is expected to boom in the coming years due to favorable weather conditions.