World News Roundup: May 5, 2017

Public Hysteria in Brazil Leads to Monkey Deaths (The New York Times)

“As fears spread in Brazil over the resurgence of yellow fever, health officials are issuing a warning: Stop killing the monkeys.” What the public doesn’t understand: It’s the mosquitoes, not the monkeys, that spread the disease. “Yellow fever has killed at least 240 people and over 4400 monkeys in recent months, and monkeys serve as beacons for where yellow fever is spreading,” say public health officials.

Ambulance Service for Indian Cows (The Telegraph)

“An ambulance service for cattle has been launched in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state in a bid to protect animals sacred to the country’s majority Hindu community. The service, which would soon be expanded statewide, will also initiate legal action against those who abandon their cows once they stop giving milk.”

Capybara Crackdown in Canada (CP24 News)

Toronto admits that “a bylaw on prohibited animals contains loopholes allowing so-called mobile zoos—which take animals around for events ranging from birthday parties to church picnics—to flourish with little oversight, raising concerns about animal welfare and human health. To deal with the issue, the city has launched a wide-ranging consultation on prohibited animals that involves an online survey for the public as well as meetings with exotic animal businesses and animal welfare groups to address the "significant rise" in mobile zoos.”

Ritual Slaughter Bans, Anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia? (The Forward)

“Many worry that a new proposal to ban ritual slaughter in the Belgian region of Flanders is yet another attempt to mask anti-Semitism and Islamophobia with a disingenuous argument for animal welfare—and they’re right to be concerned.” This from the humane education and program specialist at the Jewish Initiative for Animals.

Veterinarians and Brexit (Pigworld)

The British Veterinary Association says veterinarians “are vital to achieving the UK government’s post-Brexit vision for high animal welfare and food safety standards.” Among the veterinarian’s essential roles beyond caring for animals? “Enabling trade, ensuring food hygiene and safety, and undertaking cutting-edge research.”

Lion Vasectomy Successfully Reversed (Reuters)

“Two baby lion cubs were presented to the public at a zoo in Chile on Thursday, born after a pioneering veterinary procedure that involved a reversed vasectomy of their father. The cubs' mother ‘Masai’ became pregnant after the father ‘Maucho’ underwent the procedure, which vets at Buin Zoo in the suburbs of Santiago said took months of planning and a 5-hour operation.”

Life-saving Hippo Surgery (The Star Online)

“A global team of veterinary experts has successfully pulled off a life-saving operation on Puntung, one of the last 3 Sumatran rhinos in Malaysia. Puntung had an abscess in her jaw that would not heal despite intensive treatment since mid-March. Rhino conservationists breathed a cautious sigh of relief, but say it will take some time for Puntung to fully recover.”