Gestation Crates
Pigs are intelligent, highly social animals, yet many sows (female pigs) around the world are treated as piglet-producing units at factory farms that use intensive confinement systems. These sows suffer through rapid cycles of impregnation, giving birth, and nursing. During their four-month
Ivory trade and CITES
Elephants in Africa are being slaughtered on an unprecedented scale. In 2012, more than 35,000 of them—or close to 100 per day—were killed for their tusks. Things turned particularly ugly in 2013, when more than 300 fell victim to cyanide poisoning by
Sharks: Dying for a Bowl of Soup
Every year, millions of sharks suffer painful deaths from the cruel and wasteful shark fin trade. Whether unintended "bycatch" by or caught specifically for their valuable fins, these animals have their fins removed and then—either dead or dying—are immediately cast back into
Sharks on the Shelf: Shark Products
Sharks are killed for many reasons: for sport, as targets of intensive commercial fisheries, and as accidental bycatch of fisheries that target other large fish such as swordfish and tuna. A variety of species of rays, which are related to sharks, are
Shark Biology Contributes to Population Decline and Fishery Collapses
Sharks are known as "K-selected" species, which means that they have a life history strategy featuring slow growth, delayed maturation, long gestation, and the production of few young. Many shark species grow only a few centimetres per year, reaching maturity at perhaps
Questions and Answers on Shark Finning
What is shark finning? The word “finning” refers to the act of cutting off a shark’s fins and throwing the rest of the often still-living animal back into the sea. The vast majority of finned sharks bleed to death, or become prey
Spay/Neuter
As human populations have increased, so have populations of our companion animals. In fact, communities around the globe now face a daunting challenge: overpopulation of humans' best friends. Whether in the markets of India, the mountains of Peru, or the fishing villages
Why the Canadian Government Supports the Commercial Seal Hunt
"Mr. Speaker, I would like to see the 6 million seals, or whatever number is out there, killed and sold, or destroyed and burned. I do not care what happens to them…the more they kill the better I will love it." -
The Plight of Chimpanzees in West Africa
Our closest relatives face many threats. © Veer At one time, Africa's chimpanzee population was believed to have been one million, but today, there are no more than 150,000 individuals left. Wild chimpanzees are already extinct in four of their former range
Working toward a Humane World
"A Humane World" is the official blog of Humane World for Animals—a first-hand account of our ongoing efforts to protect animals, as told by our president and CEO, Kitty Block. Subscribe for regular updates.
Jean Chung/HSI