From bears to bobcats: ALDF works for the protection of vulnerable wildlife

Although the hunting of wild animals is an unavoidable reality, measures can be put in place to ensure that hunting is forced to be as humane as possible and to attempt to limit its scope and damage. In California, bobcats and bears are frequently hounded, a cruel hunting practice that uses packs of dogs to tear the animals to pieces. Current Natural World beneficiary the Animal Legal Defense Fund has been involved in instigating new legislation that would ban this practice, with some success: The bill passed the Assembly in August, and it now looks feasible that this vital protection could become law.

A further move to change hunting practices in California is a new bill aimed at curtailing the most cruel trapping practices used to trap a wide variety of animals. Not only are these traps inhumane, using techniques ranging from chest crushing to drowning, but they also frequently trap family companion animals. The bill would put restrictions in place to prevent pets from being trapped, outlaw the most inhumane trapping practices, and ensure better regulation of the industry.

While there are positive moves for bears, bobcats, and trapping practices, wolves in Wyoming are not so lucky: Having been removed from the endangered species list by the Wyoming federal government, they are now vulnerable to unregulated and inhumane hunting. After wolf protection programs have worked for decades to protect the gray wolf and bolster its numbers, this step could now destroy the wolf population of Wyoming.

The ALDF needs voices in support of all its attempts to improve the lives of animals. If you would like to keep up to date with their projects, take a look at their action alerts or sign their petitions.