Thane S.P.C.A. Quarterly Newsletter (April-July 2011)

Editorial – From the Horse's Mouth

BLACK MAGIC – DARK TIMES FOR ANIMALS

                                                        Photo Credit: TRAFFIC INDIA

These are dark times indeed. 'Civilization' continues to progress at a breakneck speed and the human brain performs to hitherto unimaginable capacities. Unfortunately, many human hearts and minds are still enslaved by desires – born out of greed, vanity or revenge. When conventional methods fail to achieve these ends, man turns to unexplainable, yet apparently effective means. And Black Magic happens. More often than not, even in an increasingly modernized society such as India, black magic pervades the common man's life and yes, in the process, animals are hurt.

In July, Thane S.P.C.A. had an unlikely visitor – a gravely injured Olive Ridley turtle. The species is a sparkling representative of all that is awe-inspiring in India's marine wildlife. This particular animal was found lying injured on a village coast – 20 km off Daman beach. Three of its limbs were reduced to stubs – an obvious result of human action. Initially, this was attributed to propellers of fishing trawlers, but later, more sinister facts surfaced, which changed opinions. 'Oliver', as he came to be known, was brought all the way to Thane S.P.C.A's hospital, where he was provided the necessary medication, environment and nutrition. Within a few days of care and shelter, Oliver was much better, but with so many injuries sustained to his limbs and carapace, it was evident that he would never be able to live in the sea again.

Soon after, another Olive Ridley – this time a female who was named Olivia, was found stranded on Juhu Beach and was brought to Thane S.P.C.A. with similar injuries. She was released into the sea soon after, since she was in a fairly stable condition. However, she surfaced a few days later with much more serious injuries – a partial break in the plastron and her left flipper severed (undoubtedly by human action) at the humerus. That is when suspicions were aroused and it came to light that Olive Ridley turtles, among other species of these amphibians, are reportedly, widely used in black magic rituals, not only in Mumbai and surrounding areas, but country-wide.

The flipper doesn't stop there. Other species, such as snakes, chickens and owls, often fall prey to blind superstitions and the dark arts.

It is common belief that being in possession of a sand boa is good for business. Some people also go to the extent of saying that if a sand boa is kept next to a mirror, it is bound to crack and be the harbringer of good news. Obviously not for the snake. In January 2011, TOI reported that the Ulhasnagar crime branch had arrested three people for smuggling a sand boa in an attempt to sell it to three tantriks for Rs 10 lakhs. In October 2009, the TOI reported that the Pune rural police had rescued a sand boa and a turtle from two people who were allegedly attempting to sell them to black magic practitioners. Seven other middlemen and six prospective customers were also arrested. Then Superintendent of police, was quoted to have said that the suspects were planning to sell the sand boa for Rs 50 lakhs and the turtle for Rs 20 lakhs! Evidently, the trade is a lucrative one and also, one that obviously needs immediate looking into by the authorities.

Owls also have always been a source of much fascination in magical folklore and one would think that Harry Potter's owl Hedwig, would have boosted right thinking among movie buffs and HP fans alike. However, in common Indian society, owls continue to be exploited for their apparent importance in black magic.

Tantriks regularly use owls and their body parts in 'sacred' ceremonies. Important owl body parts attributed to effective black magic, include skull, bones, claws, blood, eyes, beak, liver, kidney, meat and eggshells. Some owl species with extra tufts of feathers near their ears are supposed to be more magical than others and therefore in greater demand.

The worst time in the life of an Indian owl, is mid-October to mid-November. This auspicious period of Diwali and Lakshmi puja, spells doom for these nocturnal creatures, who are known to be associated with Lakshmi-the goddess of wealth and prosperity. As such, they are sacrificed during this time in the false belief that sacrificing an owl brings wealth, good luck and prosperity.

They are often caught with bamboo poles, nets and other such traps and during this time, wealth does come to bird catchers who receive anywhere between Rs 10,000-20,000 for every bird caught.

Late last year, Shri Jairam Ramesh, Hon. Minister of Environment and Forests, India, launched TRAFFIC India's report titled 'Imperilled Custodians of the Night: A Study on Illegal Trade, Trapping and Use of Owls in India', authored by Abrar Ahmed, as per reports. According to the reports, owls are used in the live bird trade for many other purposes as well. They are used in street performances, slaughtered for their meat and taxidermy, their body parts used in folk medicines and their feathers/claws in headgear. Often live owls are used as bait/decoys, to acquire other bird species.

According to the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, exploiting Indian owl populations via hunting and trading is strictly prohibited, but the trade process continues nevertheless, unabated. Of the 30 owl species recorded in India, 15 are allegedly used in the domestic live bird trade spread across the country. In fact, black magic has pushed many of these 15 species to the brink of extinction.

So the next time you witness/participate in or hear of a black magic ritual involving the use of animals, STOP IT. As an Indian citizen, you have every right to bring these barbaric ceremonies to light. And as a sentient human being, it is your duty to do so.

Stay alert and spread the word. Walk the walk and talk the talk. Do your bit to bring light and spread a message of deep spirituality, not religious blindness, so that the darkness of black magic can be dispelled and our animals can breathe freely again.

Best,

Shreyasi Majumdar
(Editor)

Another Inconvenient Truth: Meat is a Global Warming Issue

Posted on August 14, 2006

From the Editors of E Magazine

Al Gore's movie (and book), An Inconvenient Truth, is playing to rave reviews. His laudable project is an urgent message on the vital issue of global warming. We all must heed the call.

If we didn't realize it already, we now know that we are overheating our planet to alarming levels with potentially catastrophic consequences. 2005 was the hottest year on record. Think of an overheated car; now imagine that on a planetary scale.

Organizations from Greenpeace to the Union of Concerned Scientists, World Bank and the Pentagon, all agree that global warming is, perhaps, the most serious threat to our imperiled planet. The Pentagon report, for example, states that climate change in the form of global warming "should be elevated beyond a scientific debate to a U.S. national security concern," higher even than terrorism.

© Digital VisionThe effects of global warming are not hypothetical: waves are already washing over islands in the South Pacific, coastal cities and low-lying countries face severe flooding, extreme weather conditions like hurricanes are intensifying, the polar ice caps and the world's glaciers are melting, polar bears and other species are threatened with extinction, diseases are spreading more easily, crop failures are mounting. We are standing at a precipice.

There are many human activities that contribute to global warming. Among the biggest contributors are electrical generation, the use of passenger and other vehicles, over-consumption, international shipping, deforestation, smoking and militarism. (The U.S. military, for example, is the world's biggest consumer of oil and the world's biggest polluter.)

What many people do not know, however, is that the production of meat also significantly increases global warming. Cow farms produce millions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane per year, the two major greenhouse gases that together account for more than 90 percent of U.S. greenhouse emissions, substantially contributing to "global scorching."

According to the United Nations Environment Programme's Unit on Climate Change, "There is a strong link between human diet and methane emissions from livestock." The 2004 State of the World is more specific regarding the link between animals raised for meat and global warming: "Belching, flatulent livestock emit 16 percent of the world's annual production of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas."

The July 2005 issue of Physics World states: "The animals we eat emit 21 percent of all the CO2 that can be attributed to human activity." Eating meat directly contributes to this environmentally irresponsible industry and the dire threat of global warming.

© Jason KremkauAdditionally, rainforests are being cut down at an extremely rapid rate to both pasture cows and grow soybeans to feed cows. The clear-cutting of trees in the rainforest — an incredibly bio-diverse area with 90 percent of all species on Earth — not only creates more greenhouse gases through the process of destruction, but also reduces the amazing benefits that those trees provide. Rainforests have been called the "lungs of the Earth," because they filter our air by absorbing CO2, while emitting life-supporting oxygen.

"In a nutshell," according to the Center for International Forestry Research, "cattle ranchers are making mincemeat out of Brazil's Amazon rainforests."

Of course, the U.S. should join the other 163 countries in ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. Of course, we should sharply reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and shift towards renewable sources of energy. Of course, we need to stop destroying the rainforests. Of course, we need to stop the war in Iraq and drastically reduce the U.S. military budget (presently at half of the entire world's total military spending), which would increase, not decrease, national and global security. But as we're struggling and waiting for these and other structural changes, we need to make personal changes.

Geophysicists Gidon Eshel and Pamela Martin from the University of Chicago concluded that changing one's eating habits from the Standard American Diet (SAD) to a vegetarian diet does more to fight global warming than switching from a gas-guzzling SUV to a fuel-efficient hybrid car. Of course, you can do both — and more! It has been said that "where the environment is concerned, eating meat is like driving a huge SUV…. Eating a vegetarian diet is like driving a mid-sized car [or a reasonable sedan, according to Eshel]. And eating a vegan diet (no dairy, no eggs) is like riding a bicycle or walking. Shifting away from SUVs and SUV-style diets, to much more energy-efficient alternatives, is key to fighting the warming trend.

Global warming is already having grave effects on our planet and we need to take action. Vegetarians help keep the planet cool in more ways than one! Paul McCartney says, "If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That's the single most important thing you could do." Andrea Gordon, in her article "If You Recycle, Why Are You Eating Meat?" agrees: "There is a direct relationship between eating meat and the environment. E Magazine asked the same question in its cover story, "So You're an Environmentalist. Why Are You Still Eating Meat?" Quite simply, you can't be a meat-eating environmentalist. Sorry folks."

© Digital VisionVegetarianism is literally about life and death — for each of us individually and for all of us together. Eating animals simultaneously contributes to a multitude of tragedies: the animals" suffering and death; the ill-health and early death of people; the unsustainable overuse of oil, water, land, topsoil, grain, labor and other vital resources; environmental destruction, including deforestation, species extinction, mono-cropping and global warming; the legitimacy of force and violence; the mis-allocation of capital, skills, land and other assets; vast inefficiencies in the economy; tremendous waste; massive inequalities in the world; the continuation of world hunger and mass starvation; the transmission and spread of dangerous diseases; and moral failure in so-called civilized societies. Vegetarianism is an antidote to all of these unnecessary tragedies.

The editors of World Watch concluded in the July/August 2004 edition that "the human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future — deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, the destabilization of communities and the spread of disease." Lee Hall, the legal director for Friends of Animals, is more succinct: "Behind virtually every great environmental complaint there's milk and meat."

Global warming may be the most serious global social problem threatening life on Earth. We need to fight global warming on the governmental and corporate levels, and we also need to fight global warming on the everyday and personal levels. We need to fight global warming with our forks! In the enduring and powerful words of Mahatma Gandhi, "You must be the change you wish to see in this world."

Global warming, as Al Gore so powerfully shows, is "an inconvenient truth." The fact that the production of meat significantly contributes to global warming is another inconvenient truth. Now we know.

DAN BROOK is a writer, activist and instructor of sociology at San Jose State University and author of Modern Revolution (University Press of America, 2005). He welcomes comments via Brook@california.com.

The Trumpet - THANE S.P.C.A. Quarterly Newsletter (January-March 2011)

Editorial - From the Horse's Mouth

The Other Demon

“The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river.” ~Ross Perot

Maybe it’s time to really hear what Perot is trying to say. He is a businessman and usually people like that are normally concerned with the ‘other’ kind of green stuff. But Ross is spot on.

We talk about animal welfare and lobby against animal cruelty – a noble task indeed in a world ravaged by corruption, greed and political power games. We are however, so engulfed by actual acts of cruelty that we often overlook the other demon that threatens the lives of so many animals and humans directly and indirectly – pollution. It’s everywhere. You look around and there is always something polluting your field of vision. Thin plastic bags are the worst culprits, but there are others with equal polluting potency. For example, do we think about the thicker plastic bags which we bring home from malls regularly? What about tetra packs, polypet storage containers, cosmetic containers and aluminium/plastic foils – all of which have become an inseparable part of urban living?

There comes a time in all our lives, when we have to think for ourselves and not just follow the crowds blindly. Choices must be made and the kind of choices we make, determine not only who we are as individuals, but also what we are contributing to the earth of the future. Sure, we won’t be around forever, but think about it this way – someone will.

Keep your car’s PUC updated and use unleaded petrol to do your bit in the reduction of air pollution – something that affects not just humans in cities, but also urban animals. Sound pollution also is far more sinister than is publicized – especially for animals and birds. Their hearing sensitivities are far finer tuned than ours are, so the next time you want to buy loud firecrackers for Diwali or an India-Pakistan cricket match –DON’T.

In fact, the next time you want to buy anything, make the right choice.

Choose companies which are eco-friendly and animal friendly, before you buy anything – and don’t worry there are plenty of such firms to choose from. Take The Body Shop for instance. It provides its customers with biodegradable bags which become one with soil within a year’s time. The company is also endorsed by animal protection groups worldwide, because of its humane approach to cosmetics.

That’s right! The company does not test on animals and by purchasing a product from them, you become a part of the crusade as well-it’s that simple! Amway and Star Bazaar are other examples of companies that believe in, practice and advocate sustainable living.

Make an informed decision, buy products with degradable bags and containers and ensure that an animal won’t choke to death on account of your purchase. When you’re travelling by train or car, refrain from dumping garbage and plastic bags into rivers and creeks and in your own way, become a hero for the life thriving in these water bodies. Carry your own bags to the marketplace and refuse plastic bags whenever you can. Keep your neighborhood clean and don’t wait for the garbage to pile up. Try composting at home and if you can, try community composting - it works!

Ruminate over what Perot says. Don’t just talk about the dirty river – clean it up! Be an animal welfare crusader and environmental activist in your own right. Make some differences and bring about changes – after all it begins with you!

Thank you!!!

For Thane S.P.C.A

Shreyasi Majumdar

(Editor)

Thane S.P.C.A. Quarterly Newsletter (April-July 2011)

Editorial – From the Horse's Mouth

BLACK MAGIC – DARK TIMES FOR ANIMALS

Photo Credit: TRAFFIC INDIA

These are dark times indeed. 'Civilization' continues to progress at a breakneck speed and the human brain performs to hitherto unimaginable capacities. Unfortunately, many human hearts and minds are still enslaved by desires – born out of greed, vanity or revenge. When conventional methods fail to achieve these ends, man turns to unexplainable, yet apparently effective means. And Black Magic happens. More often than not, even in an increasingly modernized society such as India, black magic pervades the common man's life and yes, in the process, animals are hurt.

In July, Thane S.P.C.A. had an unlikely visitor – a gravely injured Olive Ridley turtle. The species is a sparkling representative of all that is awe-inspiring in India's marine wildlife. This particular animal was found lying injured on a village coast – 20 km off Daman beach. Three of its limbs were reduced to stubs – an obvious result of human action. Initially, this was attributed to propellers of fishing trawlers, but later, more sinister facts surfaced, which changed opinions. 'Oliver', as he came to be known, was brought all the way to Thane S.P.C.A's hospital, where he was provided the necessary medication, environment and nutrition. Within a few days of care and shelter, Oliver was much better, but with so many injuries sustained to his limbs and carapace, it was evident that he would never be able to live in the sea again.

Soon after, another Olive Ridley – this time a female who was named Olivia, was found stranded on Juhu Beach and was brought to Thane S.P.C.A. with similar injuries. She was released into the sea soon after, since she was in a fairly stable condition. However, she surfaced a few days later with much more serious injuries – a partial break in the plastron and her left flipper severed (undoubtedly by human action) at the humerus. That is when suspicions were aroused and it came to light that Olive Ridley turtles, among other species of these amphibians, are reportedly, widely used in black magic rituals, not only in Mumbai and surrounding areas, but country-wide.

The flipper doesn't stop there. Other species, such as snakes, chickens and owls, often fall prey to blind superstitions and the dark arts.

It is common belief that being in possession of a sand boa is good for business. Some people also go to the extent of saying that if a sand boa is kept next to a mirror, it is bound to crack and be the harbringer of good news. Obviously not for the snake. In January 2011, TOI reported that the Ulhasnagar crime branch had arrested three people for smuggling a sand boa in an attempt to sell it to three tantriks for Rs 10 lakhs. In October 2009, the TOI reported that the Pune rural police had rescued a sand boa and a turtle from two people who were allegedly attempting to sell them to black magic practitioners. Seven other middlemen and six prospective customers were also arrested. Then Superintendent of police, was quoted to have said that the suspects were planning to sell the sand boa for Rs 50 lakhs and the turtle for Rs 20 lakhs! Evidently, the trade is a lucrative one and also, one that obviously needs immediate looking into by the authorities.

Owls also have always been a source of much fascination in magical folklore and one would think that Harry Potter's owl Hedwig, would have boosted right thinking among movie buffs and HP fans alike. However, in common Indian society, owls continue to be exploited for their apparent importance in black magic.

Tantriks regularly use owls and their body parts in 'sacred' ceremonies. Important owl body parts attributed to effective black magic, include skull, bones, claws, blood, eyes, beak, liver, kidney, meat and eggshells. Some owl species with extra tufts of feathers near their ears are supposed to be more magical than others and therefore in greater demand.

The worst time in the life of an Indian owl, is mid-October to mid-November. This auspicious period of Diwali and Lakshmi puja, spells doom for these nocturnal creatures, who are known to be associated with Lakshmi-the goddess of wealth and prosperity. As such, they are sacrificed during this time in the false belief that sacrificing an owl brings wealth, good luck and prosperity.

They are often caught with bamboo poles, nets and other such traps and during this time, wealth does come to bird catchers who receive anywhere between Rs 10,000-20,000 for every bird caught.

Late last year, Shri Jairam Ramesh, Hon. Minister of Environment and Forests, India, launched TRAFFIC India's report titled 'Imperilled Custodians of the Night: A Study on Illegal Trade, Trapping and Use of Owls in India', authored by Abrar Ahmed, as per reports. According to the reports, owls are used in the live bird trade for many other purposes as well. They are used in street performances, slaughtered for their meat and taxidermy, their body parts used in folk medicines and their feathers/claws in headgear. Often live owls are used as bait/decoys, to acquire other bird species.

According to the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, exploiting Indian owl populations via hunting and trading is strictly prohibited, but the trade process continues nevertheless, unabated. Of the 30 owl species recorded in India, 15 are allegedly used in the domestic live bird trade spread across the country. In fact, black magic has pushed many of these 15 species to the brink of extinction.

So the next time you witness/participate in or hear of a black magic ritual involving the use of animals, STOP IT. As an Indian citizen, you have every right to bring these barbaric ceremonies to light. And as a sentient human being, it is your duty to do so.

Stay alert and spread the word. Walk the walk and talk the talk. Do your bit to bring light and spread a message of deep spirituality, not religious blindness, so that the darkness of black magic can be dispelled and our animals can breathe freely again.

Best,

Shreyasi Majumdar

(Editor)

From the Horse’s Mouth - December 2010 Edition (The Trumpet)

“If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.”


~Paul McCartney

It’s official. The world is gradually yet steadily morphing into a more vegan oriented society. What better news to take with us into the New Year? I promote veganism, because it is not only the MOST compassionate choice to make in the coming year, but also the healthiest. And in your heart of hearts you know it too.

It’s been proclaimed for years – a full-fledged vegetarian diet is the most beneficial for the human system. Dr Hean Yee, Head, Cardiovascular Medicine at Alexandria Hospital in Singapore was quoted to have said, “Humans are natural herbivores: we get heart disease when we eat meat.”

Crisp and lucid.

Dr Baxter Montgomery, a leading cardiologist in Houston, also strongly promotes the health benefits of a vegan diet. “By getting a patient on a plant-based diet and getting her completely off animal flesh, it was possible to reverse her Type 2 diabetes,” Montgomery says, speaking of one of the many patients he has treated for diabetes in a similar way. “Eventually even insulin injections were no longer needed.”

Meanwhile, reviews for Melanie Joy’s latest book “Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism” are out. And they’re vibrant with praise.

Says one editorial review “She uses her factory farm–to–table narrative to buttress her real thesis: meat-eating or carnism, is an oppressive ideology as noxious as racism. Joy casts meat eating as genocide, comparable to the Holocaust, and factory farming on a par with the American enslavement of Africans.”

And the sad part is that factory farming is actually ‘intensive animal agriculture’ – a system of livestock production and slaughter, rife with cruelty that most of us are not only ignorant about, but also incapable of witnessing. Dairy production, the meat industry and poultry farming are all blatant examples of human exploitation at its most extreme.

Take the time out to rethink your lifestyle. Think about the origins of the milk you drink, the meat you consume and the eggs you devour. And if you still can’t grasp the gravity of the situation, put yourself in the place of a chicken about to be killed brutally after being debeaked, defeathered and skinned alive.

For the benefit of all and sundry, the Vegetarian Society of Singapore, along with fellow animal welfare organizations, have shared with us a video on ‘The Intelligence and Emotions of our Fellow Animals’ which was also shown at the recently concluded India, South and West Asia Vegetarian Congress held at Bangalore, from 30 October-1 November. The link to the video: http://www.vegetarian-society.org/node/1488 . Seeing the video may help you to understand our fellow animals better and have a glimpse of their complex emotional states too.

Spread the word. Animals are not ours to exploit. They are living beings in their own right and deserve to be appreciated and respected, not beaten, skinned, scalded, slashed, experimented on, eaten or worn. Make a statement in the coming year. Take a stand. And don’t hesitate to share this with your friends and family. Even one changed heart in ten, calls for a celebration.

I sincerely hope you have had a compassion-filled, cruelty-free 2010. If you have, then be assured that the blessings of all the animals you have supported are with you. I also pray that 2011 is equally enlightening, healthy and animal friendly for you.

Happy holidays and a very happy New Year too.

For Thane S.P.C.A.,

Shreyasi Majumdar

Yet Another TSPCA Success Story!!!!!

Thane S.P.C.A. continues with its animal rescue successes!


 Recently we received a couple of phone calls and an sms message which informed us of the sad plight of three Persian cats and a few birds inside a very dirty cage. The prompts originated from neighbours who live in and around the vicinity, where the alleged crimes against these hapless animals were being perpetrated.


We (TSPCA officials) proceeded to check out the claims of animal abuse, but could only see the cats from the rear end of what we realized was a fabrication workshop. We managed to find the main entrance into the shop, where approximately ten workers were labouring in the usual filthy conditions.


Our investigations led us to a shocking discovery! At the very rear end of the workshop, the owner had fabricated cages, two of which housed turkeys, Indian hens, pheasants and geese – all in a 2oo sq.ft enclosure. We would like to add at this point that the cages were devoid of a single drop of water or morsel of food for the hapless animals.

The three cats were locked up in a pitifully small cage, without any sunlight or any other source of light for that matter.

However, when we also found three large Star Tortoises in a cage, we knew we had to have them picked up immediately. Their legs were stretching unnaturally on all sides on account of walking on the tiled floor. There were some ladyfingers strewn around for the reptiles to eat, but not a single bowl of water.

Further on, near the entrance, we found a 4x7 dungeon-like enclosure with around 15 goats tied to the charactertistic miniscule ropes that we find on cattle so often. The area was so small that the goats were literally sitting one on top of the other! Apart from the goats, we also found several pigeons and what could have been either cockatiels or budgerigars (we couldn’t really see that well in the darkness there).

The place stank due to the overcrowding and the wet floors and lack of sunlight didn’t ease the situation at all. We clicked some pictures and immediately went to the Versova Police Station to lodge a complaint there.

The police were co-operative and we managed to speak with the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) too. We returned to the workshop with the police jeep and began the panchanama on the spot. The owners arrived in the midst of the investigation and were visibly ruffled and unhappy with us for interfering in their affairs like we did. However the police investigation had already begun and there was no way for them to change anything in anyway – yay!


We got the Star Tortoises packed up and removed from the premises. They were brought back to the police station. The owners meanwhile were detained, while we completed lodging the FIR. The one happy twist to this story was that the CCF and the police inspector handling the case, turned out to be long lost friends and were reunited with much thrill on both sides!


And now, to the most savoury part of the story – the owner of the place was produced in court and remanded to custody in jail, by the court. He is now probably languishing in Arthur Jail now. The court will decide about the fate of the other animals on Monday and we expect the judgement to be in their favour – Godwilling!


-----Team TSPCA

Scientists stunned as grey whale sighted off Israel (AFP)

Wednesday, May 12

A handout picture made available by the Israeli Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center (IMMRAC) shows a grey whale off the coast of Israel. The appearance of the grey whale off the coast of Israel has stunned scientists, in what was thought to be the first time the giant mammal has been seen outside the Pacific in several hundred years.
JERUSALEM (AFP) - – The appearance of a grey whale off the coast of Israel has stunned scientists, in what was thought to be the first time the giant mammal has been seen outside the Pacific in several hundred years.

The whale, which was first sighted off Herzliya in central Israel on Saturday, is believed to have travelled thousands of miles from the north Pacific after losing its way in search of food.

"It's an unbelievable event which has been described as one of the most important whale sightings ever," said Dr Aviad Scheinin, chairman of the Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center which identified the creature.

A population of grey whales once inhabited the north Atlantic but became extinct in the 17th or 18th centuries and has not been seen there since.

The remaining colonies live in the western and eastern sectors of the north Pacific.

"What has amazed the entire marine mammal research community is there haven't been any grey whales in the Atlantic since the 18th century," he said. Scheinin said the creature, a mature whale measuring some 12 metres (39 feet) and weighing around 20 tonnes, probably reached the Atlantic through the Northwest Passage, an Arctic sea route that connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and is normally covered with ice.

"Here you have an animal that is supposed to live in the Pacific and because the ice in the Arctic is melting, it managed to get through this corridor near the Bering Strait," Scheinin told AFP.

The population which lives in the northeastern Pacific normally migrates southwards in around October, heading for warmer waters around the Gulf of California in a huge round trip of at least 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometres).

So when autumn came, this particular grey whale began travelling south, keeping the land mass on the left and heading for the Californian Gulf with the aim of "turning left" into the bay.

But instead, it reached Gibraltar and turned left into the Mediterranean and ended up off the shores of Israel, Scheinin said.

"The question now is: are we going to see the re-colonisation of the Atlantic?" he said. "This is very important ecologically because of the change of habitat. It emphasises the climate change that we are going through."

So far, the whale seems to be happy enough in the waters off the shores of Israel, he said.

"It is pretty thin, which indicates the trip was quite harsh, but we think it can survive here," he said. "Grey whales are very generalist in what they feed on."

Now experts are mulling the possibility of tracking the whale by satellite -- a costly operation that would need outside funding and expertise, Scheinin said.

"It's quite a big operation to do this. If it stays around here for the next month, it's worth having someone come in and do this professionally," he said.

"It will be interesting to see where it goes and to follow it."