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The European Union is a confederation of 27 countries that operates according to a supra-national system of governance, under which member countries delegate some of their decision-making powers to a variety of EU institutions, including a Council comprised of member country representatives, an

Australia Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes Canada CCAC Guidelines CCAC Policy Statements European Union EU Regulation of Animal Experiments Council Directive 86/609/EEC Regarding the Protection of Animals Used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes

Few animals personify the beauty and grandeur of the Canadian wilderness as well as the grizzly bear. Their strength and beauty, their devotion to their young and their intelligent curiosity enrich our lives and inspire us. Sadly, in Canada, there are fewer than 25,000 adult grizzly bears left in

Why ecotourism? Latin America contains the world's two highest concentrations of biodiversity, with well over 700 animal species found nowhere else in the world. With little access to infrastructure and markets, communities often engage in activities that are harmful to these animals and their

The international commercial wildlife trade is worth billions of dollars annually and has been responsible for the decline of wild populations of a number of species of animals and plants. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was first signed in

Migratory birds and city lights Every year, thousands of birds are injured or killed on migratory pathways when they became confused by city lights. Many more birds are killed by collisions with buildings than by oil spills. In fact, an estimated one hundred million to one billion birds die each

Battery-caged hens suffer terribly. HSI Worldwide, hundreds of millions of egg-laying hens are confined in small, wire enclosures known as battery cages. Battery cages are so cramped that the hens are unable to perform many important natural behaviors, including walking, perching, dust bathing

Pigs are one of the smartest animals on Earth. Highly social, intelligent, and curious, they engage in complex tasks, form elaborate, cooperative social groups. Scientists have demonstrated that pigs are capable of playing simple video games, learning from each other, and even learning names

A bullfight is commonly depicted as “a dramatic struggle between man and beast,” ( 1) feeding the popular myth that bulls are fierce and violent creatures. Bullfighting spectators may agree as they witness the bull charge at the bullfighter, occasionally causing injury and even death. Former

Through owner education and hands-on care, we're helping to improve life for working equines. HSI In many developing countries, working equines serve important roles as transportation and labor. In some areas, they form the basis of the rural economy. The poorly maintained routes over which they

Update: On 19 February 2009, HSI Europe celebrated a major milestone in this campaign following a move by the European Commission and Member States to accept 21st century cell-based methods as full and complete replacements for cruel and outdated skin irritation tests using rabbits and other animals

Although some animal tests in use today were created nearly 80 years ago, most have never been formally validated (i.e., assessed in multiple laboratories to see if they reliably give the correct answers). However, there is a great deal of scientific evidence that some of the most common animal

In light of today’s global marketplace, a meaningful reduction in animal testing can only occur if different countries are prepared to recognise and accept the results of validated alternative methods. Otherwise, companies will be forced to perform different tests to satisfy different national

The great majority of animal use for experimental purposes can best be described as “curiosity-driven” research. Animals who have been purpose-bred, captured from the wild, or purchased from pounds, animal shelters, and animal brokers can be subject to a seemingly limitless variety of experimental

A large number of laws and regulations have been enacted worldwide to control the marketing of drugs, vaccines, food additives, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and other substances of potential toxicological concern. Such regulations often prescribe a specific regime of toxicity testing to

In the time since the most commonly used toxicity tests were conceived, there has been a revolution in biology and biotechnology. Advances in tissue engineering and robotics have given birth to rapid “high throughput” in vitro (cell culture) systems, while emerging technologies such as

As public opposition towards animal testing has grown, animal use has been broadly prohibited where alternative methods are “reasonably and practicably available” (e.g., EU Directive 86/609 and legislation in the U.S. states of California [PDF], New Jersey [PDF] and New York [PDF]). Animal testing

When it comes to human exploitation of primates, the animals are often just as valuable dead as they are alive. Their parts may be used in traditional medicine by people in some cultures and their bodies stuffed as hunting trophies by others. Worldwide demand for primate skins, meat and body parts

Smoking bushmeat. Heather E. Eves A woman shops for bushmeat at a local market. Richard G. Ruggiero In many parts of the world, apes and monkeys are killed for consumption by humans. Bushmeat is classified as meat from a wild animal, and while apes only make up a small percentage of the bushmeat

There are 6 billion humans on the planet today, and with that number come all of the demands of supporting life. People need land to live on and to harvest food from. There are minimal limitations on how much land each person can own, and people are playing “finders, keepers” with natural resources