Beautiful Bovines

Photographs by Christopher Rimmer 
(click on the photo for a closer view)

I love all animals, and I do mean all. One of the reasons I became a vegetarian is because I love bovines and regard them as sensitive and intelligent creatures. I have long lamented their becoming caught up in the agribusiness machine and wish more people understood their plight. 

Whether called dairy or beef cattle, these animals have been bred to “become more productive” with complete disregard for their quality of life. Sadly, too many suffer brief and miserable existences.

And then there are the beach-loving bulls of Pondoland in South Africa. The photographs by Christopher Rimmer capture the true essence of what cows and bulls are: sentient beings who enjoy hitting the beach as much as we do. I wish all cattle had this quality of life and the freedom to enjoy sun and sea in family herds as nature intended. 

Christopher Rimmer has done a magnificent job of capturing their beauty, dignity and intelligence. See more here.

Wildlife Is Suffering

A screech owl sat on a perch mending a fractured wing at the New England Wildlife Center. Photo: John Tlumacki 

As I've mentioned in previous posts, this winter has been extremely difficult for wildlife, and another six inches of snow is due tonight.

A recent article in the Boston Globe, Animal Shelters See Large Numbers of Suffering Wildlife by Bella English, confirmed some of my worst fears. The Eastern screech owl pictured here was brought in by a family who noticed that it was up to its neck in snow. 

“His body was frozen. We put him in ICU in an oxygen tank, and on top of a heating pad,” said New England Wildlife Center Executive Director Katrina Bergman. Treated for hypothermia, malnutrition, and a broken wing, he is doing well."

It may not seem like much, but providing a steady supply of bird seed and reporting any injured animals you may come across to your local animal control officer will help wildlife enormously. In the meantime, hurry Spring.