PLUSA VICTORY FOR NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS!

PREVENTING COVID AT THE SANCTUARY

BUILD BACK BETTERPAGE 4

COVID-19: ARE U.S. FUR FARMS NEXT?PAGE 12

Keep Wildlife in the Wild®

ANIMAL ISSUES DIGE

ST

THE MAGAZINE FOR PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT WILD ANIMALS FALL/WINTER 2020

WELCOME

It is hard to comprehend how much life around the world has changed over the last several months. In addition to the devastation of the pandemic, we have seen massive wildfires, forceful hurricanes, and civil unrest around the world. How do we find hope?

I witness hope all around – in brave medical carers, firefighters, first responders, and people making their voices heard – in everyone fighting to make the change they want to see.

I find hope in Born Free USA. We have not wavered in our commitment to end cruelty to animals and secure the future for wildlife in the wild, where they belong.

We are looking to the future and the hope we have for wildlife and the entirety of the natural world. It is clearer now than ever before that human health, the economy, and life as we know it are inextricably linked to nature. Whatever the “new normal” will be, it must include large-scale change.

Hope thrives and grows with action. In this issue, you will read about our plans to drive global nature recovery.

Born Free President, Will Travers OBE, discusses the effects of the pandemic on conservation and thoughts for how to mitigate such disasters moving ahead. Alice Stroud, Africa Policy and Capacity Building Program Director, further comments on our Global Nature Recovery Investment Initiative.

You will also read about a number of victories for wildlife in the U.S. and Canada. Be sure to read Maggie the puppy’s heart-warming story of healing and happiness after being caught in a trap. On our website, you can watch the video of Maggie in her new, loving home.

Hope is all around us at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary. Every day, we see formerly abused monkeys heal and thrive. Liz Tyson, Programs Director, gives an update on the baboons rescued earlier this year. You can be a part of their future by adopting Marlin, Violet, Presley, or their friends as a gift to yourself or others this holiday season.

I find great hope in you – our supporters. It is clear to me that you believe in the future and that you

want to see a better world for animals. We are experiencing

considerable and growing attendance at our new

webinar series, and our supporters

continue to take action by signing petitions, contacting their lawmakers, sharing social media content, and lending their voices to this movement.

This holiday season, please remember Born Free USA. Your gift is one of hope and peace, and it makes change possible. Please be a part of the future of nature by making a donation today.

For the Animals,

Angela Grimes Chief Executive Officer Born Free USA

P.S. These times have been difficult, and we understand many people are struggling just to make ends meet for their families. For those of you in a position to make a donation, please be as generous as possible, and perhaps add a little extra for those who are unable to give.

WILD ANIMALS NEED YOUR HELP NOWAs you read through our magazine, we hope you are inspired to take action to protect wildlife in the U.S. and across the globe. If you’re asking yourself what you can do to help, please make a donation, adopt one of the monkeys at our primate sanctuary, or shop our store. Every contribution, every action taken on behalf of wildlife, saves animals’ lives.

BUILD BACK BETTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4The COVID-19 pandemic, which has consequences for everyone on the planet, is also having a huge impact on conservation, wildlife, the environment, and nature as a whole.

ENDING BUSINESS AS USUAL THROUGH THE GLOBAL NATURE RECOVERY INVESTMENT INITIATIVE . . . . . . . . . . . 7Rethinking the way we interact with and steward nature is now an urgent global priority.

AN UPDATE ON RESCUED MONKEYS MARLIN, PRESLEY, VIOLET, MRS. WILKIN, AND ANNA! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Our newest primate sanctuary residents are settling in beautifully to their new home.

PREVENTING COVID AT THE SANCTUARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Learn how Born Free USA is taking action to keep staff and monkeys safe during the pandemic.

ADOPT A MONKEY FOR THE HOLIDAYS! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Monkey adoptions help provide the sanctuary monkeys with food, medical care, enrichment, and more. They also make great gifts!

A FEW OF THE FACES YOU HELPED IN 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11You made a big impact for wildlife this year. Please make a donation to help us start off strong in 2021!

COVID-19: ARE U.S. FUR FARMS NEXT? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Fur farming is cruel and a serious animal welfare crisis. Now, with the pandemic raging, public health is also on the line.

HOPE FOR PANGOLIN PROTECTION! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14We are one step closer to federal protections for the world’s most heavily trafficked mammals!

BORN FREE LAUNCHES WEBINAR SERIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Born Free USA has launched a webinar series featuring experts in wildlife conservation and animal protection!

A VICTORY FOR NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16The Migratory Bird Treaty Act seeks to protect rare bird species by also protecting their habitats.

POLAR BEARS: TROPHY HUNTING’S UNSEEN TARGETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Trophy hunting is happening right in our own backyard!

A CONVERSATION WITH TONY SAXTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18A conversation with Tony Saxton, Born Free USA Honorary Council Member and CEO of Terra Group HoldingsAnimal Issues Digest is published twice per year by Born Free USA to inform and educate our readers about major wildlife issues. Copyright © 2020 by Born Free USA. Complimentary copy available on request. For reprints, and all editorial correspondence, please write to Animal Issues Digest editor at info@bornfreeusa.org. To get the latest information on wildlife issues and what you can do to help imperiled wild animals, sign up for our online eAlerts at bornfreeusa.org/newsletters.

We work to ensure that all wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated with compassion and respect and are able to live their lives according to their needs.

We seek to have a positive impact on animals in the wild and protect their ecosystems in perpetuity, for their own intrinsic value and for the critical roles they play within the natural world.

Art, Production & Editorial: Arlene Harting-Josue, Graphic Designer Karen Lauria, Communications Director Sasha Perry, Communications Intern

Writers & Contributors: Suzanne Emerson, Angela Grimes; Karen Lauria; Barry Kent MacKay; Alice Stroud; Melissa Tomlinson; Will Travers OBE; Dr. Liz Tyson.

P.O. Box 32160, Washington, DC 20007 (301) 448-1407 | info@bornfreeusa.org | bornfreeusa.org

Photo: flowcommFALL/WINTER 2020 3

BUILD BACK BETTER

The global crisis, which has consequences for everyone on the planet, is also having a huge impact on conservation, wildlife, the environment, and nature as a whole. Based on my 36 years in the field of conservation and

wild animal welfare, I have been thinking about what the future might hold.

Until recently, the skies were virtually devoid of planes; the highways were free of crawling traffic; birdsong was making a comeback; and the air was fresh and clear. On a good day in Kathmandu you could see Mount Everest – maybe.

The ongoing and unfolding tragedy of COVID-19 has been desperately painful, and as Professor John Bell of Oxford University said recently, it’s not going away anytime soon. In fact, the likely reality is that we will have to learn to manage our lives with an ever-present virus and add it to the list of diseases that will never be eliminated.

At the time of writing, in late September, billions of lives have been disrupted; there have been

more than 33 million cases and counting; and approaching 1 million fatalities (at least). These are staggering numbers.

But, beyond the direct human tragedy, the outstanding dedication of our first responders, and the largely confused, piecemeal, and patchwork reaction of governments around the world to

the pandemic – what about nature?

Theories abound, but it seems clear that the most likely source of COVID-19

was from bats, via pangolins, to humans, either in China or in Vietnam. That is not to

say that wildlife is to blame. We are the ones who exploit wild animals in brutal, cruel, and thoughtless ways, massively increasing the likelihood of pathogens leaping

from one species to another and ultimately to humans.

Bill Maher, the talk-show host, writer, and social commentator suggested when humans contract an infectious disease we apply

strict measures to prevent it spreading: we socially distance; impose

4 BORN FREE USA

Photo: Born Free USA

MY HOPE IS THAT IN THE SHORT-TERM WE WILL SOMEHOW MAKE THE NECESSARY COMMITMENTS TO BOLSTER PROTECTION FOR HIGH-RISK SPECIES LIKE ELEPHANTS, RHINOS, LIONS, TIGERS, PANGOLINS, AND MORE. THERE ARE THOSE WHO RUN SOME OF THE WEALTHIEST COMPANIES IN THE WORLD...WHO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY, SAVE THE NATURAL WORLD – SHOULD THEY SO WISH.

rigorous hygiene standards; and dramatically reduce person-to-person contact and the sharing of bodily fluids.

Yet, we do exactly the opposite to animals traded in wildlife markets.

These animals are either caught from the wild (where we have no knowledge of their health status) or bred in largely unregulated captive circumstances. They are shipped in high densities and traded in wildlife markets where they are kept, one on top of the other, in unsanitary conditions, where fecal materials and droplet infection are optimized; and they are then consumed with little or no attention to food hygiene.

And we wonder at the consequences?

Now we are living with COVID-19 – and one of the victims is conservation.

In many countries, there is a clear link between wildlife tourism and wildlife conservation, but with tourism at a standstill in Kenya where, for example, international visitors have declined by over 90 percent, funding for conservation has been hit hard. Rangers and wardens, wildlife’s “first responders,” face retrenchment. Lodges and camps have closed. Staff have been laid off and sent home. Anecdotal evidence suggests that without jobs, income, and social security, former employees are turning to poaching to feed their families or make money to survive.

Developing countries, already massively stretched trying to find the resources to pay for surging public health costs, have little ability to find yet further funds to support beleaguered conservation and wildlife protection agencies. The Kenyan President recently allocated $10 million to help pay 5,000 community scouts protecting wildlife on conservancies and group ranches. It’s a welcome move, but that’s just $2,000 per person per year – around $5 a day. It is not enough.

Of course, it’s not only about money. Access to the field has been severely limited with curfews being introduced and travel bans making movement highly problematic. While wildlife law enforcement agencies and conservation NGOs are running on empty, poaching syndicates and organized wildlife crime operatives seize their opportunity.

My hope is that in the short-term we will somehow make the necessary commitments to bolster protection for high-risk species like elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers, pangolins, and more. There are those who run some of the wealthiest companies in the world (Bezos, Musk, Zuckerberg, et al) who have the resources to, at least temporarily, save the natural world – should they so wish.

But, we also need the look for long-term sustainable solutions, too.

Conservation must be weaned off its over-dependency on wildlife tourism. Blatant exploitation by way of trophy hunting must not become the easy option for people

FALL/WINTER 2020 5

Photo: flowcomm

STAY UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST WILDLIFE NEWS AND WAYS TO TAKE ACTION FOR ANIMALS BY JOINING BORN FREE USA’S EMAIL LIST! SIGN UP TODAY AT BORNFREEUSA.ORG/NEWSLETTERS.

seduced by the old, and largely discredited, “if it pays, it stays” mantra.

We need innovation: harnessing the interest of and empowering reduced tourist numbers to become a global community of wildlife guardians, and engaging the World Bank, the EU, the G20, the OEDC, and the World Economic Forum to make a baseline commitment to investing in nature along the same lines as the commitment the UK and others have made to guaranteeing 0.7 percent of GNP toward international development. The U.S. provides less than 0.2 percent even though opinion polls suggest that the American public believes about 25 percent of the federal budget goes on foreign aid (Source: George Ingram. The Ripon Forum 2019).

Initiatives could also include restructuring or forgiveness of debt (Zambia, for example, owes at least $11 billion – about half its 2019 GDP) to allow countries to spend more of their revenue on public health and environmental protection rather than on servicing multi-billion dollar loans that will, most likely, never be paid off. Creating debt for nature products that remove hard currency obligations from developing countries in return for equivalent local currency wildlife trust funds would be both sustainable and have positive, far-reaching consequences.

In 2019, the UK government (with which I am most familiar) invested more than £90 billion in our education system and more than £40 billion in defense but just £3 billion in protecting our environment. That immense imbalance means nature remains virtually defenseless and at the mercy of those who would exploit it with little thought or regard to the future.

We have all experienced, at an individual and personal level, what lack of freedom and the denial of choice means. It is something that Born Free, the charity I co-founded 36 years ago with my parents, Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, has been focused on ever since – as our latest animation shows: bornfree.org.uk/life-in-lockdown

However, the bigger picture remains my abiding priority, that only by valuing, investing in, and securing the long-term future of the natural world, with the ecosystem services we all rely on, can we secure a future for all life on earth – including ourselves.

Will Travers OBE, Born Free President

This article is based on an Opinion/Editorial article submitted to The Independent newspaper and published on August 1, 2020. The Independent, with its “Stop The Illegal Wildlife Trade” campaign, has been at the forefront of this aspect of COVID-19.

6 BORN FREE USA

Photo: Ansgar Walk

• Place public health, food and water security, poverty alleviation, biodiversity protection, and healthy ecosystems on an equal standing politically, financially, and socially;

• Transform the distribution of global resources to fund biodiversity protection;

• Halt and reverse biodiversity loss;

• Expand and strengthen protected area integrity;

THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE, BORN FREE WILL ADVOCATE FOR THE ADOPTION OF STRONG INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL COMMITMENTS TO:

• End commercial wildlife exploitation and curb trade;

• Develop and deliver alternative livelihoods and food sources for those who currently rely on the exploitation of wild animals and plants for their survival;

• Strengthen international and regional wildlife law enforcement;

• Incorporate animal welfare considerations into nature recovery programs.

ENDING BUSINESS AS USUAL THROUGH THE GLOBAL NATURE RECOVERY INVESTMENT INITIATIVEA mass extinction event is well under way, with one million species threatened with extinction. Unprecedented levels of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are severely altering the natural fabric of the Earth’s biosphere. Rethinking the way we interact with and steward nature, and how we resource and invest in its protection and recovery, is now a paramount, urgent global priority.

Born Free has therefore launched the Global Nature Recovery Investment Initiative (GNRII), which aims to bring about the transformative changes needed to protect people and wildlife; halt and reverse biodiversity loss and wildlife overexploitation; and deliver enhanced ecosystem viability and services alongside climate change mitigation, public and animal health, sustainable livelihoods, and food and societal security.

The initiative will promote actions in the field, combined with international commitments to place nature recovery as a central tenet of negotiations for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and as a key factor in efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Investment in nature must be placed on an equal footing with other global investment priorities such as development, education, and defense.

We will seek opportunities to mainstream biodiversity protection and animal welfare across all sectors and government departments and to reform and

realign the way it is financed to deliver sustainable, healthy, enduring ecosystems and biodiversity for the long term.

Learn more about the Global Nature Recovery Investment Initiative at bornfreeusa.org/gnrii.

Alice Stroud, Africa Policy and Capacity Building Program Director

FALL/WINTER 2020 7

Our newest arrivals, Marlin, Violet, and Presley, have settled in beautifully to their new home. For the three baboons, much of their first six months at the sanctuary has been spent establishing friendships with their neighbors Kaleb, Darwin, and Spencer. Our three existing male baboons have lived at the sanctuary for many years and were perhaps a little surprised when Marlin, Violet, and Presley showed up on the other side of the fence!

Spencer, the oldest of the three, was cool, calm, and collected and immediately began spending quiet time down near the dividing fence, strolling around and keeping an eye on the newcomers from a distance. Kaleb, a strapping hamadrayas baboon, chose a more confrontational approach. Initially, he would charge towards the fence in an impressive show of strength and agility, then

stop just short of it once he knew he had their attention. Kaleb’s message was clear: “I was here first!” This soon settled down into quiet grooming sessions through the chain link and tentative friendships.

Darwin took the news of the new neighbors the hardest and, initially, pointedly ignored them. After a few days of this, and when he had accepted they at least existed, he would throw what can only be described as tantrums, during which he we would fling dirt and pebbles at the fence in protest. But, even Darwin came round to the new normal after a short period of adjustment as he realized that his new neighbors might actually be friendly. He is now more likely to be found grooming with Marlin or chattering with either Violet or Presley than causing trouble!

While this is a lighthearted look at baboon socialization, the adjustment period when animals first arrive with us is extremely important, and if not handled correctly, can lead to injury or stress. Despite the growing bonds between the two groups of baboons, we have no current plans to allow them access to one another in the same space. While their enclosures would allow it (we have gateways between the two enclosures which could be opened up in the future), any socialization process would be carried out very carefully over a long period of time to ensure welfare or safety is not compromised.

Mrs. Wilkin and Anna, the other two monkeys rescued from the same roadside zoo as Marlin, Violet and Presley, continue to thrive in their new home, too.

Dr. Liz Tyson, Programs Director

AN UPDATE ON RESCUED MONKEYS MARLIN, PRESLEY, VIOLET, MRS. WILKIN, AND ANNA!

8 BORN FREE USA

Photos: Born Free USA

REMEMBER THE MONKEYS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!Want to do something special for animals this holiday season? Add a monkey to your holiday list and buy a gift for the animals from Born Free USA’s Amazon Wish List! It takes two simple steps:

1. Visit smile.amazon.com and select Born Free USA as your charity of choice.

2. Visit bornfreeusa.org/wishlist to shop the wish list!

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life for humans in a way that none of us could have fully anticipated, with everyone having to adjust to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. Here at the sanctuary, it is no different, but we have the added challenge of keeping more than 450 monkeys safe from harm, too!

During the beginning of the pandemic, evidence from laboratories suggested that some of the species of monkeys that we care for here could be infected with COVID-19 via transmission from humans. While this may sound worrying, our team was well-prepared for this eventuality. There is always a risk of disease transmission between people and monkeys (known as zoonoses), and so our standard operating practices have always involved all of our staff wearing protective equipment while working in close proximity to the monkeys. This includes gloves and masks as standard, as well as more specialized clothing

for cleaning and working in our clinic. Perhaps most importantly, we have no deliberate direct physical contact with the monkeys except in the event of the need for medical

intervention. In effect, we practice social distancing with them,

which helps to keep both staff and monkeys safe.

In addition to ensuring that we maintained our existing protocols, the sanctuary

went into a voluntary lockdown period from mid-

March, and remains in partial lockdown at

the time of writing in early September as the COVID-19 infection rate in Texas, where the sanctuary is based,

has been one of the highest in the country. We hope that, as the curve

flattens in our local area, movement will

become safer for everyone but while the threat of COVID-19 remains we will continue to do

everything we can to keep both monkeys and our team members safe from harm.

Dr. Liz Tyson, Programs Director

PREVENTING COVID AT THE SANCTUARY

FALL/WINTER 2020 9

BILLIE

+ 11 MORE SPECIAL

MONKEYS!

ANNA

MARLIN

NEW

VIOLET

MRS. WILKIN PRESLEY

DARWIN

Photos: Born Free USA

NEW

ADOPT TODAY AT BORNFREEUSA.ORG/ADOPT

ADOPT TODAY AT BORNFREEUSA.ORG/ADOPT

ADOPT A MONKEY FOR THE HOLIDAYS!Give comfort and security to a monkey for the holidays! We have 18 very special monkeys who need your support. For only $1 per week ($52 per year), you can help provide nutritious food, toys, and medical care to monkeys who have a second chance because of your support.

In addition to knowing you are helping these wonderful animals, you will receive an adoption package that includes a photo of the monkey you are sponsoring along with his or her biography, a certificate of adoption, and a plush toy! These adoptions also make fun and meaningful gifts!

10 BORN FREE USA

Please consider saving more lives! There are so many animals waiting for your help. Make it a happy holiday for the animals!

To donate, please use the inserted envelope or visit bornfreeusa.org/donate .

A FEW OF THE FACES YOU HELPED IN 2020TRAPPING VICTIMS LIKE MAGGIE, WHO RECEIVED THE CARE AND SUPPORT SHE NEEDED WITH THE HELP OF BORN FREE USA’S TRAPPING VICTIMS’ FUND.

ABUSED CAPTIVE ANIMALS LIKE MRS. WILKIN, RESCUED FROM A DEPLORABLE ROADSIDE ZOO

AND NOW ENJOYING HER NEW LIFE AT BORN FREE USA’S SANCTUARY.

IMPERILED SPECIES LIKE PANGOLINS, NOW CLOSER THAN EVER TO RECEIVING ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PROTECTIONS THANKS TO BORN FREE USA AND OTHER WILDLIFE GROUPS. FALL/WINTER 2020 11

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Photo: © Brian Gunn /IAAPEA12 BORN FREE USA

COVID-19:

ARE U.S. FUR FARMS NEXT?

TIME TO END USE OF WILD-CAUGHT PRIMATES IN RESEARCH

Following outbreaks in Europe, some of which resulted in massive culling, Born Free USA was deeply concerned to learn of the confirmed presence of COVID-19 in fur farms in the United States. We have campaigned for many years to bring an end to the cruel practice of fur farming, which sees millions of animals killed each year to meet the demands of frivolous fashion trends. The news of the COVID outbreak confirms that fur farming is not just a cause of animal suffering, but also a potential source for human disease spread.

Understanding of the connection between wildlife markets and zoonotic diseases is growing and calls have been made to close down “wet markets” like the one at the source of the current global pandemic. However,

more must be done to raise awareness that threats of zoonotic disease spread exist anywhere where humans

have unnatural and inappropriate contact with wildlife species, including in fur farms in

the United States. Read more at bornfreeusa.org/covidfurfarms.

All too often, the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary, home many monkeys rehomed from vivisection, sees the devastating effects that a lifetime of being used in research has on these creatures. More than 71,000 primates in total are used each year in U.S. laboratories. While many are purpose-bred in laboratories, the U.S. is also one of the largest importers of primates for animal experimentation, with thousands of primates each year arriving from countries including China, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Mauritius. These animals are ripped from their homes and families in the wild to spend years – or decades – being subjected to cruel experiments. We look forward to working with our partners to end this cruelty by eliminating the import of wild-caught and wild-sourced monkeys for research.

Photos: National Great Pyrenees Rescue

Sadly, and despite best efforts, veterinarians working with the National Great Pyrenees Rescue could not save her injured leg and were forced to amputate it. Born Free USA was pleased to be able to provide funding to cover some of the medical costs associated with her surgery as part of our Trapping Victims’ Fund initiative. Maggie had a long road to recovery ahead of her, but we are happy to report that she is now doing well in a new home, where she has been renamed “Bunny” because she is a “fluffy white hopper!”

Maggie/Bunny’s story is not the norm, though. For most animals, stepping on a trap means certain death as they

are killed by trappers – either for their fur or because they are deemed a “pest.” Or, they die struggling to free

themselves. Even if they manage to tear themselves free, they die from

shock or associated wound infections after prolonged suffering. Animals, including companion animals, in

federal wildlife refuges are not safe from harm. Believe it or not, trapping is permitted in many refuges, national preserves, and national parks, putting wildlife, companion animals, and even humans at risk. Our Trap Free Trails campaign, which ran through September and October, worked to raise awareness around this issue and to call on the Department of the Interior to ban cruel trapping on public lands. If you have not yet signed our petition on this

important issue, please do so now at bornfreeusa.org/trapfreetrails.

MAGGIE THE PUPPY FINDS HER HAPPILY EVER AFTER, BUT OTHERS ARE NOT SO LUCKY

In early 2020, inquisitive Great Pyrenees puppy, Maggie, managed to escape the confines of her pen and wander off the

farm she lived on and into nearby woods in Tennessee. The woods were a hotspot in

the area for coyote trapping, and Maggie fell victim to a cruel leghold trap. The little puppy

somehow managed to free herself and, incredibly, found the strength to drag herself home after two long days. It is hard to imagine the suffering little Maggie went through during those 48 hours.

FALL/WINTER 2020 13

BEYOND THE ANIMAL WELFARE CONCERNS, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT OWES ITS CITIZENS TRANSPARENCY.

VICTORY FOR TRANSPARENCY AT THE USDA!The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the agency tasked with licensing and inspecting zoos, circuses, and animal research labs. In 2017, the agency deleted its public database that included inspection records for these facilities.

This was a dangerous move that prompted widespread public outcry. Animals held in facilities like circuses, zoos, and research labs exist at the mercy of the humans who control them, and government inspection records are an important tool for holding those facilities accountable. Beyond the animal welfare concerns, the U.S. government owes its citizens

transparency, and the USDA blackout was a clear attempt at hiding information from the public.

In response, Born Free USA joined a lawsuit led by PETA to force the agency to restore the information to public view. In July, after more than three years, the lawsuit was successfully settled. The USDA

restored records and further stated that it would continue to provide public access to those records on its website – a major victory for transparency! Learn more at bornfreeusa.org/usdasettlement.

WHAT WILL YOUR LEGACY BE?Your estate gift creates a legacy of hope and compassion for animals for the next generation. When you name Born Free USA in your will or trust, you support the lifetime care of animals at our sanctuary, help protect

entire species, and keep wildlife in the wild.

Please contact us at info@bornfreeusa.org or by phone at (301) 448-1407 to

discuss a planned gift.

14 BORN FREE USA

Photo: Tikki Hywood Trust

Born Free USA has launched a webinar series! Featuring experts in wildlife conservation from Born Free USA, Born Free Foundation, Animal Legal Defense Fund, and other organizations, our webinars explore the issues impacting wildlife, like wildlife trade, trophy hunting, zoos, and more. We have a full schedule of webinars in the works for 2021 that you won’t want to miss! To watch previous webinars and to sign up to receive invitations to future events, please visit bornfreeusa.org/webinars.

HOPE FOR PANGOLIN PROTECTION!Pangolins are the world’s most heavily trafficked mammals. They are being poached and trafficked to extinction due to demand for their scales and other body parts in the illegal wildlife trade. Even though the majority of illegal pangolin parts are trafficked to Asia for “medicinal” purposes, there is a U.S. market for pangolin products, too. Between 2004 and 2013, U.S. authorities

seized at least 26,000 imports of pangolin products. A 2015 report by Humane Society International found “medicinal” products containing or likely to contain pangolin parts openly for sale online and at U.S. stores. Pangolin species are highly imperiled, but only one species – Temminck’s ground pangolin – is listed under the Endangered Species Act. Born Free USA believes this must change and has been working for ESA listing for all eight species of pangolin.

Along with other wildlife organizations, Born Free

USA submitted a petition to the

U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service (FWS) requesting the listing of the remaining seven pangolin species. Finally, this August, FWS issued its response to the petition, agreeing that it “presented substantial information indicating that listing the seven pangolin species under the Endangered Species Act may be warranted.” The agreement requires the agency to make a final determination by June 2021 to either publish a rule to list the remaining seven species as endangered under the ESA or explain reasons to deny the listing. This is great news and an exciting step toward ensuring that the United States fully bans the pangolin trade! Learn more at bornfreeusa.org/pangolindecision.

BORN FREE LAUNCHES WEBINAR SERIES

FALL/WINTER 2020 15

Photo: © Doug Swinson

BIRDS DO NOT RECOGNIZE BORDERS.

A VICTORY FOR NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS!Species loss is an incremental process, as was recognized by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which seeks to protect rare bird species by also protecting their habitats. When the current U.S. administration sought to “only criminalize affirmative actions” to destroy essential habitat – it would only be illegal if done for the purpose of wiping out the birds, something that would never happen and be impossible to prove in court – it was a death knell sure to exacerbate the already unprecedented decline in the world’s bird species.

When, last July, Federal Judge Valerie Caproni ruled against what Washington was attempting, American conservationists cheered. We did so in Canada, too, because so many species at risk are shared by both countries. The example given by the judge was a good one. Under the proposed new interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, destroying a barn containing barn owl nests would be okay if killing

the owls was not the reason the barn was destroyed. In Ontario, barn owls are classified as critically imperiled (NatureServe 2008) and “endangered” on the Species at Risk in Ontario list under the Endangered Species Act. Birds do not recognize borders, and survival of them here in Canada depends on their survival there in the U.S.

Barry Kent MacKay, Director of Canadian and Special Programs

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Photo: Anita Ritenour

POLAR BEARS: TROPHY HUNTING’S UNSEEN TARGETS

Of the five countries that have wild populations of polar bears – Denmark (Greenland), the U.S. (Alaska), Russia, Norway, and Canada, Canada is the only one still allowing polar bears to be hunted for trophies. There are complex political reasons for this, but put simply the idea is not to increase the number of bears that can legally be killed – the overall hunting quota – but to allow extra income into remote, northern communities. Under international agreement, native people can not only kill up to a set number of the bears, but in Canada they can assign some of that quota to non-Inuit outsiders seeking trophies, for fees shared between the communities and the organizers.

Trophy hunting is not a native tradition, and many Inuit have no interest in benefitting from this arrangement. But, others do. The most commonly heard argument made against trophy hunting is that it removes what are often the healthiest animals whose genetic contribution to survival is greatest. Of course with global climate change

decreasing food supplies it may be that smaller bears with lower demand for calories would better survive, but there is another reason for protecting the biggest bears. Their ability to take large prey, such as walrus, beluga, and bearded seals provides food for females with cubs, smaller males, and various species of scavengers who benefit from the leftovers. All play a role interfered with by the removal of the biggest bears so sought by

those who hunt for trophies.

Barry Kent MacKay, Director of Canadian and

Special Programs

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NEW BOOK BY DR. LIZ TYSON, PROGRAMS DIRECTOR

Born Free USA congratulates Programs Director, Dr. Liz Tyson, on the publication of her book, Licensing Laws and Animal Welfare: The Welfare of Animals. The book calls for reform in the way animal welfare is regulated, arguing that

current legislative approaches prioritize the needs of industries that exploit animals over and above the needs of the animals themselves. Read more at bornfreeusa.org/liztysonbook.

A CONVERSATION WITH TONY SAXTONBORN FREE USA HONORARY COUNCIL MEMBER AND CEO OF TERRA GROUP HOLDINGSWhat attracted you to the Born Free USA mission to protect wildlife?

Born Free USA is a natural fit for me. I was inspired by the Born Free story from the movie and the book when I was a child. Since that time, I have been passionate about wildlife conservation. As an adult, I have always been involved in wildlife conservation in one form or another. Most recently, through the formation of my companies under the Terra umbrella, I have been involved in sustainable technologies and products that support and protect wildlife habitats. In addition, under Terra, we launched Terra Conservation Initiative (TCI) specifically to support wildlife conservation-focused organizations.

Tell us about Terra and your mission.

Terra is a global partnership of entrepreneurs, conservationists, and for-profit companies that come together to provide meaningful and lasting impact on our planet. We offer a range of sustainable solutions that conserve the environment and are proven and economically viable. We are driven to expand these efforts to have an impact on the daily lives of both people and animals around the world. Through the Terra Conservation Initiative,

we partner with wildlife conservation nonprofits, like Born Free USA, to support their efforts to save and protect animals and their habitats.

What do you hope to accomplish for Born Free USA in 2021 and beyond?

In 2021, we will continue our efforts to help raise funds to pay for sustainable solutions for the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary, focusing first on providing electric vehicles and modular farms. We will also use our

media outreach to garner additional support for and awareness of Born Free USA’s programs. We would like to expand these efforts to support the needs of the Born Free family of sanctuaries and offer scientific expeditions to Born Free sites around the globe to raise awareness, provide volunteer support, and generate funding for wildlife protection. Our goal is to have an ongoing partnership with the Born Free family to deploy sustainable solutions and support wildlife protection around the globe.

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REGISTER AT BORNFREEUSA.ORG/HOPEFORWILDLIFE

SAVE THE DATE!

HOPE FOR WILDLIFE A VIRTUAL A

GIVING TUESDAY, December 1 at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT

Featuring

An uplifting message from Rocky Dawuni, GRAMMY-nominated Ghanaian-born Afro Roots Reggae musician and UN Goodwill Ambassador for the Environment

Will Travers OBE, Born Free Co-founder and President

A very special live performance by musician Tiger Darrow

and more!

Erin O’Neil, Campaigns Intern“I really enjoyed my time working with Born Free USA. I learned about various aspects of animal welfare that I’d never even thought about before – everything from trapping regulations to the exotic pet trade. I really felt like I was making a difference working with this organization.”

Maximus Papsadore, Volunteer“My mom’s company works with Born Free USA and knew that they needed help with video editing. I have experience with editing my own video projects, and I’m a film production student at Emerson College. I was excited to help Born Free USA because of their amazing mission.”

Sasha Perry, Communications Intern“As a filmmaker and activist for 15 years, I recognize the importance of communication to inspire action. I am thrilled to be volunteering with Born Free USA to help bring attention to the plight of our wildlife in hopes to create much needed and lasting change.”

FUNDRAISING EVENT FOR BORN FREE USA

MEET BORN FREE USA’S INTERNS!Born Free USA warmly thanks all of our talented and dedicated interns for their hard work!

FALL/WINTER 2020 19

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Trapping victims, imperiled species, abused captive animals... These are just some of the animals you have helped in 2020! Please make a donation to save more lives in the coming year.

Use the insert included in this magazine or visit bornfreeusa.org/donate to make a donation.