A new relationship with animals, nature and each other.

Posts by Michael Mountain

  • Introducing the Whale Sanctuary Project

    This blog is taking a break for the next few months so that I can devote my energies to the Whale Sanctuary Project. Here's why.

  • Is the Sloth Sanctuary a Zoo?

    The Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica was the first of its kind for these wonderfully engaging animals, and it was a model for others that followed. But questions have arisen. And…

  • Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary

    Tafi Atome looks like a typical forest in Ghana. The monkeys have been revered in this village for two centuries. But being “sacred” is no guarantee of survival.

  • The Great Irony of Animal “Rights”

    The great irony of the animal rights movement is there is still only one species that has any rights at all: humans. But the Nonhuman Rights Project is setting out to change that.

  • Why Mass Extinction Is Part of Human Nature

    Why would a supposedly “intelligent” species behave in a way that’s bringing about a mass extinction – one that will likely take us down along with so many other animals?

    Is the Stock Market a Global Ponzi Scheme?
    Sacred Activism in the Service of Animals
    Of Humans and Persons

    SeaWorld Discloses ‘Risk Factors’ in IPO

    SeaWorld Entertainment, apparently under pressure from the Securities and Exchange Commission, has filed a revised prospectus for its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. Corporations preparing to go public on the stock market are required to let potential investors know the “risk factors” that may be involved. And SeaWorld wasn’t too keen on letting investors know how public opinion could be starting to turn against these circus shows.

    The Freaks (not dogs) of Westminster

    No, I’m not referring to those poor dogs, with all the health issues of inbreeding like squashed faces and crippling joint diseases. They’re as loving and lovable as any abused dog. I’m referring to the people who would do this to dogs, turning them into deformed shadows of their true canine nature.

    Elephants Prefer National Parks

    It’s like living in a gated community – even though there are no gates. You just feel better protected. Elephants in Africa are choosing, more and more, to stay within the boundaries of the Serengeti National Park, which suggests that they understand that the park area is freer of humans and that there’s likely to be less hunting within the park boundaries.

    Bird Flu Back in Labs

    Scientists have picked up the work they were doing last year creating deadly bird flu viruses in laboratories in the United States and Denmark.

    The purpose of the research, they argue, is to find ways to protect us from the increasingly deadly new pathogens. But we already know how to protect ourselves from bird flu: Do something abut the terrible conditions at factory farms where these diseases are incubated.

    "We’re Humans, They’re Animals"

    The comments of soldiers at a checkpoint between Israel and Palestine are a classic example of what has been called the signature cry of all humanity: “I am not an animal.”

    In this case, as one of the soldiers puts it, “They’re animals; we’re humans.”

    Horses in the Civil War

    C. Kay Larson writes about the the role that horses played during the Civil War. The Southern cavalry was “a rich man’s undertaking,” but the Union purchased Morgans, “a uniquely American breed known for endurance, versatility, heart and courage.”

    It’s an interesting article, but it goes wrong in calling the horses “the real heroes.” Nonhumans are never the heroes of a war; they are always the victims. Here are some of the numbers.

    The Nature of Dolphins

    In this video, we see a group of dolphins helping a confused seal pup find her way through the strong currents buffeting her around a rocky shore and back out to the ocean.

    Last week, we saw a tangled dolphin ask human divers to free her, as well as whales adopting an orphan dolphin, and dolphins nursing a sick family member. How many more such things happen on any given day? Hundreds? Thousands?

    And what does this tell us about the nature of dolphins?