World News Roundup: March 12, 2017

(NPR)

“Tossing a coin into a pool is believed to be good luck. But it proved to be terrible luck for a green sea turtle [in Thailand] who consumed nearly 1000 coins thrown into her pool.” Known as both “Bank” and “Om Sim” (piggy bank in Thai), the turtle recently underwent a successful 4-hour procedure to remove the coins.

Little Creature, Big Delay (CNBC)

Passengers on a British Airways plane ready for take-off were forced to disembark so crews could find and remove a mouse that had made its way on board the aircraft. This caused a 4-hour delay while passengers were moved to a different plane. “How he squeaked through security is anyone's guess.”

Radioactive Boars Roaming Fukushima (The New York Times)

“Hundreds of toxic wild boars have been roaming across northern Japan,” where thousands of residents were forced to leave their homes following the Fukushima nuclear meltdown in 2011. As the country “prepares to lift some evacuation orders on four towns within the more than 12-mile exclusion zone around the Fukushima plant later this month, officials are struggling to clear out the contaminated boars.”

TV Blackout for Cruel Indonesian Dolphin Cruises? (Animals Asia)

People around the world balk at forced animal performance shows, but several travelling circuses in Indonesia feature “performing dolphins forced to do tricks in tiny pools before being fished out and flown in crates to the next location.” While many television stations in the country have praised dolphin shows, Animals Asia Animal Welfare Director Dave Neale said, “The animal cruelty inherent in these live dolphin performances is totally at odds with Indonesian values. What needs television exposure is the reality behind the shows, then people can know what they are paying for.”

No New License for Safari Zoo Where 500 Animals Have Died (The Telegraph)

South Lakes Safari Zoo in Cumbria, England has been denied a license after authorities learned that nearly 500 animals have died there in the past 4 years. According to site inspectors, “The post-mortem database—detailing the deaths of 486 animals from January 2013 to September 2016—‘shows a clear picture of poor management with uncontrolled breeding and lack of any programme of preventative and curative veterinary medicine, with resultant ongoing welfare issues for the animals.’"

Internal Regulations Needed for Live Animal Export (Splash 24/7)

“Diversity of seaworthiness, animal safety design, and crew accommodation standards vary enormously” among the more than 100 live animal export vessels currently operating around the world. And according to Australian veterinarian Lynn Simpson, “Not one of [the vessels] provides the natural environment required for an animal to thrive.”