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

    How Good a Dogtor is Fido?

    We all know that pets and other animals are good for our health. Or are they? Psychologist and author Hal Herzog has looked through the medical evidence and has some surprising conclusions. Michael Mountain writes about this in his latest blog

    Norway Goes Fur Free for Fashion Week

    Top fashion houses take note: If your models are wearing animal fur, they won’t even be allowed on the runway. That’s the word from Oslo, Norway, which hosts Oslo Fashion Week next month. It’s a first for any city hosting a global fashion week

    Bunny + Pancake = Photo Book

    With his flair for balancing waffles, toilet rolls and bananas on his head, Oolong the house rabbit gained a following of millions of people. A few people objected, but most rabbit lovers seemed to think it was all harmless fun. See Oolong’s slideshow

    Peeking Pup Pilloried by Hole in Wall

    Rebel wasn’t rebelling. He was just plain stuck, with his head peering through one side of the 18-inch-thick brick wall, and the rest of him on the other side. And the two officers who rescued him said he couldn’t have been more cooperative

    Environmental Civil War over Art

    A massive and controversial new art project … plastic trash in the Mediterranean … four states launch new recycling efforts … and how old Christmas trees and other plants could be a good new kind of green power. All the latest from This Week in Green.

    The Day Obama Struck Out

    Dear Mr. President, A lot of us are in shock about what you said yesterday to the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles about Michael Vick. This was the third (at least) in a series of really bad calls in relation to the suffering of animals.

    Hyena at Sunrise

    The Earth in pics – Dec. 27 By Grégoire Bouguereau French photographer Grégoire Bouguereau watched a herd of hyenas for days at this water hole in…

    Do Dogs Know When Their Person Is Blind?

    Experts weigh in on what exactly dogs and other animals know. One says they don’t have abstract mental concepts like “seeing.” Another says they do. And another tells a story about a dog who “clearly knew what it meant for a human to be blind.”

    Coming In from Cold on Climate Change

    With winter storms making headlines, did global warming take a holiday? Is the science confused? In fact, it’s so cold and so piled high with snow in parts of the globe precisely because of global warming. An expert explains the paradox.

    Michael Vick’s True Message to Young People

    One major animal protection group says it’s OK for Michael Vick to have a dog and that he’s sending a positive message to young people. I strongly disagree. The real message he’s giving them is: “Look what you can get away with if you’re a celebrity like me.”