Some good news coming out of Canada for #elephants and great apes! The Canadian government is introducing a bill to phase them out of captivity!

This means zoos and private owners would be banned from acquiring new ones or breeding existing ones.

Why is this a big deal? Elephants and great apes (which includes #chimpanzees, #gorillas, #orangutans, and #bonobos) are highly intelligent and social beings with complex natural habitats. Studies have shown that these animals suffer both physically and mentally in captivity, and often develop serious behavioural and health problems due to the stress of confinement.

There are around 30 great apes held in captivity in Canada and over 20 captive elephants. Many of these animals were captured from their homes in the wild before being caged for human entertainment.

Vegan Australia welcomes this news from Canada, and we hope this will inspire the Australian government, and Australian zoos, to embrace similar measures and end the exploitation of all animals. Currently Australia is keeping 27 elephants, and approximately 60 great apes in captivity.

https://animaljustice.ca/blog/bill-to-protect-elephants-great-apes

#Vegan #Vegans #Veganism #AnimalRights #AnimalJustice

I used to be like this.

-Oh, the cool kids smoke, I better smoke too
-Oh, the cool kids drink, I better drink too
-Oh, the cool kids are on Facebook/Insta/Snappy/TikTok, I better be on them too
-Oh, the cool kids are going to a steakhouse, so I ...

The article in The Conversation, written by Susan Jebb and Elisa Becker, talks about 'social eating' when in a social setting, which is in contrast to what we eat when we are alone or at home.

"Oh I only smoke socially."
"I don't drink, only when catching up with mates!"

"Thank you for inviting me to the 'Brazilian animal meat only restaurant'... I am a #vegan / #vegetarian, but I will leave my morals, values, principles, spine, self worth, integrity, and opinion of myself, at home, and sure, just so I can fit in, I will come and be your friend!"

This was me, once upon a time. No thought on anyone (or any animal) but myself, misaligned values, few principles, spineless, worthless, no integrity, valuing the opinion of others more than my own, wanting to fit in, just so I can be friends.

But not anymore. 🌱

A night in alone is preferable to company that eat in places with no vegan options. No amount of friendship or social status or prestige or class or popularity or arbitrary reward will ever justify fitting in to that world.

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I invite all the #vegans to click on the link and be baffled like I was at some of the garbage comments. 🤨🥴😮😶
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#veganism #AnimalRights #GoVegan #VeganForTheAnimals

https://theconversation.com/as-veganism-grows-in-popularity-some-people-are-still-eating-meat-with-friends-could-a-social-omnivore-diet-work-for-you-199999#comments-container

Last night on #ABC730, there was a short story on #antibiotic use on factory farmed animals such as #pigs and #chickens in #Australia. I suggest people watch the 5 minute segment here:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-19/the-debate-over-the-use-of-antibiotics-in-our-meat/102244270

This is the blurb of the segment:

"For almost a century, antibiotics have been used around the world to treat bacterial infection, but scientists warn that over-use could raise the risk of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

The World Health Organization has listed the problem as one of the top ten global health threats facing humanity. New research has found antibiotic resistance in samples of meat taken from supermarket shelves. Jason Om reports."

Some brief thoughts on the story:

-I have to laugh at the 'ethical butcher' nomenclature, as it reminded me of 'humane slaughter'. #oxymoron
-It should be pointed out, because it wasn't directly stated in the news story, due perhaps to time constraints, but there is a reason that antibiotic use is so high and prevalent (60% of antibiotics used in Australia are for agriculture use - what a shocking amount!). And that is because animals, who are #sentient, conscious, and intelligent, are stuck in horrid conditions, surrounded by their own shit. 💩

Thank you to #abcAustralia for showing the report that was commissioned by #AnimalsAustralia. I hope it leads to more people choosing a kinder, nicer, way of life. 🌱

#Vegan #Vegans #Veganism #VeganForTheAnimals #AnimalRights #GoVegan #AntibioticResistance #SuperBugs