What Do a Dead Corgi and Stranded Humpback Whales Have in Common?

Most of the world knows by now about British vegetarian performance artist Mark McGowan eating a cooked corgi who had previously died at a puppy mill, and why he did as it (in protest of a foxhunting incident involving Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband). Choosing a corgi was to ensure that his radio stunt would get the Royal Family's attention because it's the favorite breed of the prince's wife, Queen Elizabeth. According to McGowan, the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) had investigated the foxhunting incident but officially whitewashed what happened to the fox in question. The RSPCA claimed that he had died quickly of gunshot wounds, rather than of being beaten with a stick, as was alleged. Of course, the real question for an animal advocate is not how the fox died, but why he died at all. McGowan and the unfortunate corgi successfully demonstrated that chasing and killing wild animals for sport is medieval and brutal. McGowan also managed to bring to light another serious animal issue: the terrible and often very short lives of puppy mill dogs.

And certainly the entire world is aware of the recent travels and travails of two humpback whales, Delta and Dawn, who gave themselves and all whales wonderful publicity by wandering off course and ending up in the Sacramento delta for a couple of weeks. Now, I'm not saying that they did it with any forethought, as McGowan did through his stunt. But they couldn't have strayed at a more auspicious time. Did they know that this very week the International Whaling Commission (IWC) will meet in Alaska to discuss, among other issues, Japan's bid to do more "scientific" whaling (a euphemism for killing more whales for human consumption)? Not to mention that the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Commission of 171 nations will be convening at the Hague to determine the future of a number of plant and animal species, including thirteen great whale species? Japan, supported by Norway and Iceland, has controversially proposed that CITES review the status of all whales on the CITES list. The U.S. and Britain, as well as the World Wildlife Fund and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, have criticized this move because it challenges the authority of the IWC, which banned commercial whaling in 1986.

Delta and Dawn, in addition to appearing just when their endangered species status is again threatened by economic interests, allowed scientists to do what is difficult to accomplish with such huge animals at close range: study their sounds, their behavior, and even obtain samples of their tissue, as well as treat them successfully with antibiotics for wounds probably sustained in a close encounter with a boat. The whales are believed to have finally returned to the open ocean after being coaxed in that direction for two weeks. Their appearance also allowed scores of people to observe Delta and Dawn in person and marvel at the magnificence of the humpback whale. I fondly remember driving up to the delta from San Francisco in 1985 to observe Humphrey, the first humpback whale to wander into that area, along with hundreds of other awed humans.

I hope that these two seemingly disparate incidents will stimulate ordinary citizens, not just animal activists, to become more involved in wildlife protection efforts and protest any attempts to capture or kill wild animals for sport, money, food, entertainment or "science"; and additionally, to refuse to support the breeding industry by purchasing puppy mill dogs.