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

    The Conundrum

    To criticize this book, as many have done, for not offering solutions is like complaining to the crew of The Titanic that they haven’t told us what we can do to help keep the ship afloat.

    That’s because the new “green” alternatives aren’t really doing anything to cut back on our consumption of energy. Rather, as with most forms of “progress”, they enable more people to become consumers, and we all end up simply consuming more energy than ever.

    Marineland’s Intimidation Tactics

    It’s a tactic that’s typical of corporations whose employees start blowing the whistle: Threaten a giant lawsuit. Marineland, the Canadian zoo that’s been the subject of…

    Wildlife to Israel: "Tear Down This Wall."

    The Israeli government is considering pleas from wildlife groups in Israel and Palestine to do something that will give local wildlife a way through the separation barrier between the two countries that’s now approaching it’s tenth anniversary.

    The impassable barrier, part wall, part series of barbed wire fences, that stretches for 490 miles, was designed to keep Palestinians out of Israel. But like so many other separation barriers that nations have erected against each other over the centuries, it’s devastating to the other animals for whom these boundaries are meaningless.

    From Albert Camus

    “Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is.” From “The Rebel” by French novelist and philosopher Albert Camus.

    The Four Types of Elephant Personality

    A new study of a herd of elephants in Africa has begun the process of classifying their personalities. The scientists looked at four dimensions of personality: Leadership, Gentleness, Playfulness and Reliability.

    One thing they found is that among elephants, leadership is established not by dominance but by the respect gained in showing intelligence and solving problems.

    Why Sandy Won’t Change Anything

    A vast storm shuts down the largest population area of the United States. Millions of people are without power, transportation, even their homes. New York’s Gov. Cuomo says it seems like “we have a 100-year flood every two years now … We have a new reality when it comes to these weather patterns.”

    So, do we now “get it” that huge changes are now taking place on our planet?

    Count Dracula’s Kitties

    Count Azul would love a little taste of your neck. He and his fellow Counts, below, were some of my favorite rescued kitties looking for good homes one October, several years ago, when I was part of Best Friends Animal sanctuary.

    How Nonhumans Vote

    How do nonhuman animals vote for which direction to go in? The animal “kingdom” turns out to be much more of an animal democracy – and, in many respects, a lot more democratic than most human so-called democracies.

    Noc, Noc, Who’s There?

    There’s lots of talk this week about a “talking” beluga whale who died five years ago at a U.S. Navy facility. And it’s all grist to…